cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The evolution of metal size and partitioning throughout the wastewater treatment train.

Abstract Understanding the behavior of heavy metals in wastewater is critical for the development of metal removal and detection techniques. In this study, we characterize the dynamic and evolving size and partitioning behavior of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and arsenite (As(III)) throughout the wastewater treatment train (WWTT). Metal concentrations were determined in three size fractions (>0.45 μm, 0.45 μm – 5 kDa, and
Biomechanics of Lower Extremity Movements and Injury in Basketball

Basketball is a multi-directional sport that has high lateral and vertical demands. Understanding the biomechanics of jumping, landing, and cutting can help coaches and clinicians better reduce the risk of injury in basketball athletes since abnormal movement strategies can lead to various lower extremity injuries especially to the foot, ankle, and knee. If injured, a rehabilitation and return-to-play plan should incorporate regional (hip-focused) and global (lateral and single-leg focused) interventions to elicit the athlete’s optimal performance and safety. This chapter will focus on the lower extremity movement demands characteristic to the sport of basketball as well as lower extremity joint biomechanics during basketball-specific movements, and biomechanical considerations of basketball-related lower extremity injuries.
Tisser le temps politique au Maroc: Imaginaire de l'État à l'âge néolibéral: by Béatrice Hibou and Mohamed Tozy, Paris, Karthala, 2020, 658 pp., €35 (softcover), ISBN 978-2-8111-2765-7

This lengthy tome is an imaginative post-modern excavation of Moroccan political culture inspired by Michel Foucault and, curiously, Max Weber. In an earlier publication, one of the authors, Beatri...
Abstract 12678: Oral Anticoagulation Use in High Risk Atrial Fibrillation Patients is Much Higher Than Previously Reported

Introduction: Guidelines recommend oral anticoagulants (OAC) in high risk atrial fibrillation (HRAF) patients. It has been reported that >40% of such patients are not taking an OAC. We observed tha...
Grand Perspectives on Evidence Law

IN his evidence article, Judge Richard Posner uses a thick version of rational choice theory,2 coupled with a relentless belief in the ex ante effects of evidence rules. This combination entails implicit assumptions about the pervasive knowledge of the rules among the general population, and about the friction-free willingness of actors to change customary ways of doing things in order to obtain an advantage, that are sometimes rather unrealistic.3 As might be expected, Judge Posner also brings to his study of evidence law a sensitivity to costs, trade-offs, and substitutions. I question whether Posner's rational choice, ex ante perspective is the best starting point when drawing inferences about the issues
Chapter 21 – Technology Transfer

Publisher Summary This chapter illustrates the basic concepts and principles of technology transfer. The development of patent laws started with the American Inventors Protection Act of 1999. The term “technology transfer” as used in this chapter refers to the conveyance with some restrictions by an owner of the right to use its intellectual property. Patent or copyright may or may not protect this intellectual property. The outright sale of such intellectual property by the federal government would bring into play all of the obscure regulations regarding the disposition of government property. Proper licensing helps in technology transfer. The particular licensing tool chosen varies depending on the nature of the technology and the perception of the best way to move the technology out of the inventor's laboratory notebook and into interstate commerce to benefit the public health and welfare. This provides an opportunity to establish a market and experience rewards for its efforts before competitors can enter the market. The most common way of effective marketing is with patent protection.
On Predicting the Channel Die Compression Behavior of HCP Magnesium AM30 using Crystal Plasticity FEM

Deformation of polycrystalline aggregates of HCP crystals was investigated by employing crystal plasticity and finite element simulations. Results were validated using channel die compression tests. The three dimensional polycrystal, represented by Voronoi techniques, was assigned an initial distribution of crystallographic orientations determined from X-Ray Diffraction. The mechanical properties from the channel die compression tests were used to correlate the material parameters of the crystal plasticity model. Simulations predicted grain-to-grain interactions and the resulting texture evolution under channel die compression. The inhomogeneous deformation among grains was mapped by a stress and a strain distribution and grain orientation spread. The simulation results were compared with experimental observations of an HCP polycrystal subjected to channel die compression.
Purification and Characterization of the Thermophilic d-Alanine Carboxypeptidase from Membranes of Bacillus stearothermophilus

Abstract The d-alanine carboxypeptidase, the major penicillinbinding component in membranes of Bacillus stearothermophilus, was purified by covalent affinity chromatography. The enzyme was solubilized in the nonionic detergent Triton X-100, bound to a column of a 6-aminopenicillanic acid-Sepharose derivative, and eluted upon treatment of the column with neutral hydroxylamine. The enzyme was thermophilic, possessing a temperature optimum of 55°. Its molecular weight, 46,500, resembled that of the d-alanine carboxypeptidase from Bacillus subtilis. In addition to its carboxypeptidase activity, the enzyme was also capable of carrying out a simple transpeptidation reaction. This reaction, which was penicillin sensitive, involved UDP-N-acetylmuramyl -l - alanyl - d - glutamyl - mesodiaminopimelyl - d - alanyl-d-alanine as transpeptidation donor and either glycine or d-alanine as transpeptidation acceptor. The enzyme, however, did not appear to be the lethal target for β-lactam antibiotics in this organism since the enzyme was 27,000-fold more resistant to cephalothin than was the organism.
A heuristic buffer management scheme for tree-based reliable multicast

Tree-based reliable multicast protocols provide scalability by distributing error-recovery tasks among several repair nodes. These repair nodes integrate the status information of their receiver nodes and perform local error recovery for these nodes using the data stored in their buffers. In order to provide scalability and reliability, these buffers should be managed in an efficient manner. We propose a heuristic buffer management scheme that uses both positive and negative acknowledgments to achieve this goal. Under our scheme, receiver nodes send negative acknowledgments to their repair nodes to request packet retransmissions while some representative nodes send positive acknowledgments to indicate which packets can be discarded from the repair node's buffer. Our scheme provides scalability, because it significantly reduces the number of feedbacks sent by the receiver nodes, in addition, it provides fast recovery of transmission errors, since the packets requested from the receiver nodes are almost always available in their buffers.
Advances in the computation of the /spl mu/ lower bound

Although the mixed /spl mu/ problem is NP hard and exact general computation is futile, computation of bounds is reasonable and useful. This paper presents a new scheme for lower bound computation for the mixed /spl mu/ problem. Extensive tests on particularly difficult problems show that this new scheme is a substantial improvement over previous algorithms.
Sisal on a message passing architecture

Sisal is a general-purpose applicative language intended for use on both conventional and novel multiprocessor systems. In this paper we describe the port of a shared memory implementation to a message passing environment. The issues underlying the main features of this implementation are discussed.
Fertility and fecundity

Fertility is the number of children born to a woman, while fecundity is her physiological potential to bear children. Fertility is often used as measure of fitness, and fecundity is related to reproductive value. Key topics in the study of fertility include natural fertility societies in which no conscious efforts are made to limit fertility, understanding the demographic transition in which mortality and fertility have declined globally in the last 200 years, and the study of reproductive physiology or variation in fecundity. Demographers generally focus on the proximate determinants of fertility, with the goal of calculating and/or forecasting population size and fertility rates. In contrast, economics and evolutionary demography study fertility from a theoretical perspective with the goal of generating and testing hypotheses about fertility patterns, drawn, respectively, from rational choice theory and life history theory. Keywords: demographic transition; demography; determinants of fertility; fertility rate; natural fertility
CHD knowledge and risk factors among Filipino‐Americans connected to primary care services

Purpose To examine the baseline knowledge and risk factors of coronary heart disease (CHD) among Filipino-Americans (FAs), and to identify the predictors of CHD knowledge. Data Sources A convenience sample of 120 FAs recruited from three primary care clinics in Las Vegas, Nevada between May and July, 2010. Participants were asked about their demographic data and presence of CHD risk factors using the Demographics questionnaire. CHD knowledge was examined using the Heart Disease Fact questionnaire. Conclusions FAs connected to primary care services are knowledgeable about CHD. Predictors of CHD knowledge include: gender and education. CHD risk factors common to FAs include: hypertension, diabetes mellitus type 2, dyslipidemia, abdominal adiposity, overweight, lack of exercise, and smoking. Implications for Practice Knowledge on CHD alone may not help prevent heart disease among FAs. Behavioral and cultural factors may play a major role in the development of CHD and CHD risk factors among FAs. NPs and other health care providers serve a vital role on health promotion, disease prevention, and management of patients. The use of the Neuman's systems model can serve as a guide when caring for FAs because of its emphasis in primary and secondary prevention interventions. Nurse practitioners must provide holistic and culturally sensitive care when managing their FA patients.
Axon initiation by ciliary neurons in culture.

Abstract A nerve culture system for the study of axon initiation is described. A population of individual chick embryo ciliary neurons, free from contact with other cells and attached to a polyornithinecoated culture dish, is exposed to heart cell-conditioned medium (HCM). Within 30 min after the addition of HCM the majority of neurons have formed growth cones, and by 90 min more than 80% of the neurons bear at least one axon longer than 15 μm. Before the addition of HCM, ciliary neurons generate membrane ruffles and extend filopodia around the entire periphery of the rounded cell body. Axon initiation, following addition of HCM, consists of two distinctive changes in the cell surface: (1) organization of the randomly distributed surface movements into localized highly active growth cones, which then form axons; and (2) the cessation of surface movements elsewhere on the cell periphery. Heart cell-conditioned medium may induce these changes by increasing the adhesion between parts of the nerve cell surface and the substratum.
Therapeutic and persistent efficacy of a long-acting (LA) formulation of ivermectin against Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (Acari: Ixodidae) and sera concentration through time in treated cattle.

The concentration–time profile, therapeutic, and persistent efficacy of a single subcutaneous injection of cattle with a long-acting (LA) formulation of ivermectin at a concentration of 630 mg/kg of body weight were determined against Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus. Ivermectin sera concentration in treated cattle increased to 13.0 ppb within 1 d after treatment, and peaked at 26.2 ppb at 11 d post-treatment. Ivermectin sera levels remained above the threshold level for control of feeding ticks (8 ppb) for 42.6 d after treatment. Therapeutic efficacy of ticks on treated animals was >99.9%, and tick number, index of fecundity, engorgement weight, and egg mass weight of ticks from treated animals remained dramatically less than ticks from untreated animals. Tick number and reproductive capacity of ticks infested on treated animals at 14 and 28 d posttreatment were less than for ticks on untreated animals, whereas engorgement weight and egg mass weight of treated ticks remained lower than that of untreated ticks 49 d posttreatment. However, the level of control against ticks infested at 14 d after treatment (99.9%) was the only post-treatment infestation interval that provided the required 99% control necessary for use in the U.S. tick eradication program. The 14 d post-treatment infestation was also the only interval at which infested ticks were exposed to ivermectin levels above the threshold level of 8 ppb for the entire parasitic development period. Cattle would have to be treated at intervals of no more than 31 d apart to ensure that no viable ticks could reach repletion and detach from the host. Although this treatment interval is >2-fold longer than the present treatment requirement (14 d), it is dramatically less than the label claim for the LA ivermectin formulation of 75 d of prevention against reinfestation.
Creating Lean Industrial Relations: General Motors in Silao, Mexico

Research demonstrates that firms tailor their ‘lean production’ systems to take advantage of local cultural, industrial and labour relations environments to enhance productivity and at specific wor...
Acquisition of taste avoidance habits in rats lacking gustatory neocortex

Normal rats and rats lacking gustatory neocortex were compared in the discriminative acquisition of aversions to either a.146 M sucrose solution or a.153 M sodium chloride solution. Training involved repeated pairings of one taste solution with injections of apomorphine hydrochloride (20 mg/kg IP) during restricted periods of fluid access. Balanced, nonpaired presentations of the other taste solution and water were presented also. Rats lacking gustatory neocortex acquired discriminatively specific aversions to sucrose and sodium chloride, but compared to normal control subjects they acquired the aversions more slowly and they generalized more to the unpaired taste solution. The results confirm earlier suggestions that gustatory neocortex lesions disrupt the associative salience of specific taste stimuli. In addition, these results also clarify the nature of the deficit by showing that it appears to be relative rather than absolute. That is, the brain lesion does not prevent totally the acquisition of aversions to certain taste stimuli as suggested by earlier work. Rather, it interferes substantially with the efficiency and discriminative precision of aversion learning.
A social media-based physical activity intervention: a randomized controlled trial.

Background Online social networks, such as Facebook™, have extensive reach, and they use technology that could enhance social support, an established determinant of physical activity. This combination of reach and functionality makes online social networks a promising intervention platform for increasing physical activity. Purpose To test the efficacy of a physical activity intervention that combined education, physical activity monitoring, and online social networking to increase social support for physical activity compared to an education-only control. Design RCT. Students ( n =134) were randomized to two groups: education-only controls receiving access to a physical activity–focused website ( n =67) and intervention participants receiving access to the same website with physical activity self-monitoring and enrollment in a Facebook group ( n =67). Recruitment and data collection occurred in 2010 and 2011; data analyses were performed in 2011. Setting/participants Female undergraduate students at a large southeastern public university. Intervention Intervention participants were encouraged through e-mails, website instructions, and moderator communications to solicit and provide social support related to increasing physical activity through a physical activity–themed Facebook group. Participants received access to a dedicated website with educational materials and a physical activity self-monitoring tool. Main outcome measures The primary outcome was perceived social support for physical activity; secondary outcomes included self-reported physical activity. Results Participants experienced increases in social support and physical activity over time but there were no differences in perceived social support or physical activity between groups over time. Facebook participants posted 259 times to the group. Two thirds (66%) of intervention participants completing a post-study survey indicated that they would recommend the program to friends. Conclusions Use of an online social networking group plus self-monitoring did not produce greater perceptions of social support or physical activity as compared to education-only controls. Given their promising features and potential reach, efforts to further understand how online social networks can be used in health promotion should be pursued. Trial registration This study is registered at clinicaltrials.gov NCT01421758.
MICA: an innovative approach to remote data acquisition

Laboratory-based instruction in engineering and physics education often involves activities in which students learn how various sensors and actuators function and how to analyze the data collected. A key requirement for this learning experience to be effective is the ready availability of a broad range of sensors that can be coupled to software and hardware environments with minimal set-up so measurements can be made and analyzed within a reasonable period of time. However, most sensors currently available for this purpose are connected to the data acquisition system via wires which interfere with many of the measurements students want to take, particularly those involving moving parts. Additionally, most existing measurement systems used in laboratory courses cannot generate input variables while measuring the resulting output variables, thus relegating the measurement system to a passive role and eliminating the opportunity for instruction in feedback systems.
Systemic radioimmunotherapy using a monoclonal antibody, anti-Tac directed toward the alpha subunit of the IL-2 receptor armed with the α-emitting radionuclides 212Bi or 211At

To exploit the fact that IL-2 receptors are expressed by T-cells responding to foreign antigens but not by resting T-cells, humanized anti-Tac (HAT) armed with alpha-emitting radionuclides (212)Bi and (211)At was evaluated in a cynomolgus cardiac allograft model. Control graft survival was 8.2+/- 0.5 days compared with 14.0+/-1.3 days (p<0.01) survival for monkeys treated with (212)Bi labeled HAT and 26.7+/-2.4 days survival (p<0.001 versus controls) with (211)At labeled HAT. Thus, (211)At labeled HAT may have application in organ transplantation and in treatment of IL-2 receptor expressing T-cell leukemia.
Abundances of the elements in the solar system

The present status of abundance information for elements in meteorites and in the Sun is reviewed, and a new table of abundances of the elements, which should be characteristic of the primitive solar nebula, is compiled and presented. Special attention is called to the elemental abundances in the silicon-to-calcium region, where many of the abundances are rather poorly determined, and where these abundances have an impact on theories of nucleosynthesis of the elements. To each elemental isotope is assigned a mechanism of nucleosynthesis which may have been responsible for production of most of that isotope, and brief comments are made concerning the present status of understanding of the different mechanisms of nucleosynthesis.
Genomic sequences encoding the acidic and basic subunits of Mojave toxin: unusually high sequence identity of non-coding regions.

Abstract Mojave toxin (Mtx) is a heterodimeric, neurotoxic phospholipase A2 (PLA2) found in the venom of the Mojave rattlesnake, Crotalus scutulatus scutulatus, and is characteristic of all rattlesnake presynaptic neurotoxins. This paper describes the isolation and nucleotide (nt) sequence of the genomic clones encoding both the non-neurotoxic, non-enzymatic acidic subunit (Mtx-a) and the toxic, PLA2-active basic subunit (Mtx-b) and compares their structures. Both cloned genes shared virtually identical overall organization, with four exons separated by three introns, which were inserted in the same relative positions of the genes' coding regions. The exon/intron structure was similar to that reported for mammalian PLA2 genes. Most remarkable was the high degree of nt sequence identity between Mtx-a and Mtx-b. While the exons shared about 70% identity, the introns were greater than 90% identical and the 5′ and 3′ untranslated and flanking regions were greater than 95% identical. These findings support our earlier suggestion [Aird et al., Biochemistry 24 (1985) 7054–7058] that the genes coding for the two subunits arose from a common ancestor. There has clearly been a strong selection on the nt sequence of the non-coding regions during this evolutionary process. This is the first report of genomic sequences of PLA2-like proteins from snakes.
Abnormal nocturnal melatonin secretion and disordered sleep in abstinent alcoholics.

Background: Alcoholic patients show prominent disturbance of sleep as measured by electroencephalogram, with difficulties in the onset and maintenance of sleep. Given the role of melatonin in the regulation of the sleep-wake cycle, this study examined the relationship between nocturnal expression of melatonin and sleep in alcoholics as compared with control subjects. Methods: Alcoholic patients (n = 11) and comparison control subjects (n = 10) underwent all-night polysomnography and serial blood sampling every 30 min from 10:00 PM to 6:30 AM for measurement of circulating levels of melatonin and cortisol. Results: Coupled with prolonged sleep latency, alcoholics showed lower levels of melatonin during the early part of the night and a delay in the onset of the nocturnal plateau or peak value of melatonin as compared with control subjects. The nocturnal delay of melatonin correlated with prolonged sleep latency. Circulating levels of cortisol were lower during the early part of the night and higher in the late part of night in the alcoholics as compared with the control subjects. Conclusions: A delay in the nocturnal rise of melatonin may contribute to disordered sleep in chronic alcoholics, with implications for the use of melatonin in the treatment of insomnia in recovering alcoholics.
Education and the Immunization Paradigm

In this paper I chart the origins of modern day “biopedagogy” through an analysis of two historically specific figures of abnormality: the nervous child and the degenerate. These two figures form the positive (hygienic) and negative (eugenic) surfaces of biopolitics in education, sustained and articulated through the category of immunization. By analyzing the relation between the medical discourse of immunity and the practice of pedagogy, I will reveal how biopedagogy is predicated on a dialectical reversal of life into death and thus unsustainable for furthering social democracy. In conclusion, I begin to search for an affirmative notion of biopolitical education that is no longer predicated on the dialectics of immunization. For help in this project, I briefly suggest that a theory of natality helps to disentangle the promise of life from its negation in the form of educational eugenics and mental hygiene.
Tribo-electrostatic beneficiation of fly ash for ash utilization

The study was conducted to obtain the scale-up factor and the optimum design criteria for the development of a commercial scale electrostatic separator using a continuous, bench-scale electroseparator composed of two vertical electrode plates and an ejector-tribocharger. Tests of the charge density and separation efficiency to study the removal possibility of unburned carbon from coal fly ash were evaluated under various operating conditions. It was found that the experimental conditions for obtaining the maximum charge density were an air flow rate of 1.75 m3/min and a feed rate of less than 50 kg/hr when operated at lower than 30% relative humidity using a SUS304 ejector tribocharger. Also, the optimum instrument conditions for recovering the clean ash with less than LOI3% at yield over 65% when operated at above experimental conditions were found to be a diffuser slit gap of 4 mm, and a distance between diffuser slit and splitter of 15 cm. Overall, the feed rate per unit electrode surface area was about 0.074 kg/cm2 hr, which can be used as a scale-up factor of the electroseparator.
Evidence for the net addition of arene C-H bonds across a Ru(II)-hydroxide bond.

TpRu(PMe3)2(OH) (1) reacts with C6D6 to initiate H/D exchange between the hydroxide ligand and the deuterated benzene. In addition, complex 1 catalyzes H/D exchange between H2O and C6D6. Mechanisti...
Fourteen-year (1987 to 2000) trends in the attack rates of, therapy for, and mortality from non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndromes in four United States communities

During the past 2 decades, randomized trials have proved the efficacy of several treatments for non–ST-elevation acute coronary syndromes (NSTE-ACSs), including aspirin, β blockers, and coronary revascularization. However, the cumulative effectiveness of these evolving therapies in actual clinical practice remains unknown. The Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities (ARIC) surveillance study uses rigorous prospective community surveillance to monitor the epidemiology of coronary heart disease among subjects who are 35 to 74 years of age and reside in 4 United States communities, with a population totaling 370,000 subjects. We identified 6,379 ARIC surveillance patients who were hospitalized with NSTE-ACS (defined as cardiac chest pain and ST depression or T-wave inversion on the presenting electrocardiogram) between 1987 and 2000 and then analyzed 30-day and 1-year mortalities by calendar year of admission. Using logistic regression, 30-day mortality was modeled first using predictor variables of the calendar year, ARIC community, and indicators of severity and co-morbidity and then by adding variables for treatment with aspirin, β blockers, and coronary revascularization to this model. Crude 30-day mortality decreased from 8.6% in 1988 to 3.6% in 2000 (p for trend
The Impact of Teacher Responsivity Education on Preschoolers' Language and Literacy Skills

Purpose This study examined the extent to which teacher responsivity education affected preschoolers' language and literacy development over an academic year. Additional aims were to determine whet...
Trans‐national competition law and the WTO

This article addresses certain competition‐related issues that parties to a trans‐national merger and acquisition (M&A) transaction must face, preferably during the strategic planning phase. The ultimate focus will be on the suitability vel non of the World Trade Organization (WTO) serving, as has been proposed by some scholars and political bodies, as a form of supranational competition law authority with respect to merger clearance. The conclusion reached is that the WTO is institutionally ill‐suited for such a role but can, nonetheless, perform a useful albeit considerably more modest function as an enforcer of several purely procedural reforms suggested herein.
The value(s) of editorial peer review

Purpose – To explore the status, interests, and intentions of peer reviewers and how editors enlist and muster these factors to enhance the prestige of a scholarly publication.Design/methodology/approach – Case study: use of a 30‐year accumulation of editorial office records of one scholarly journal to analyze the contents of peer review comments and correspondence; direct quotes highlight key themes.Findings – Peer reviewers labor to obtain more than the certification, authentication, and quality of individual works. The volume and variety of commentary generated by a double‐blind peer review process reveal concerns behind reviewer comments to authors and effects over time.Research limitations/implications – The study centers on one journal, Libraries & Culture, a publication committed to the specialized, interdisciplinary research about the history of libraries and the collection of cultural records.Originality/value – The strategic nature of the administration and management of the invisible work of pe...
Modular Assembly of Protein Building Blocks To Create Precisely Defined Megamolecules

Enzyme promoted assembly offers a simple and straightforward means to construct monodisperse molecular objects too large for classical organic synthesis and too small for top-down techniques. This communication outlines the design and construction of a heterobifunctional protein building block, HaloTag-cutinase, that reacts rapidly and selectively with an appropriately functionalized small molecule linker; and describes the step-wise combination of these building blocks to generate a 300 kDa “megamolecule” that is precisely-defined with respect to domain orientation, connectivity, and composition.
Status of the CMS pixel project

The Compact Muon Solenoid Experiment (CMS) will start taking data at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in 2008. The closest detector to the interaction point is the silicon pixel detector which is the heart of the tracking system. It consists of three barrel layers and two pixel disks on each side of the interaction point for a total of 66 million channels. Its proximity to the interaction point means there will be very large particle fluences and therefore a radiation-tolerant design is necessary. The pixel detector will be crucial to achieve a good vertex resolution and will play a key role in pattern recognition and track reconstruction. The results from test beam runs prove that the expected performances can be achieved. The detector is currently being assembled and will be ready for insertion into CMS in early 2008. During the assembly phase, a thorough electronic test is being done to check the functionality of each channel to guarantee the performance required to achieve the physics goals. This report will present the final detector design, the status of the production as well as results from test beam runs to validate the expected performance.
A unique pathology associated with pelvic pain and adnexal mass.

Objective To present a unique case of pelvic pain. Design Case report. Setting Academic institution. Patient(s) Thirty-nine year-old with history of endometriosis presented with pelvic pain and possible adnexal mass. Intervention(s) Imaging results were not consistent and suggested possible adnexal mass and hydrosalpinx in different studies. Physical exam was concerning for a vaginal mass that was felt not to be contiguous with the adnexa. At laparoscopy, a 3cm pararectal mass was identified immediately lateral to the uterosacral ligament and medial to the ureter. This mass was completely resected laparoscopically. Main Outcome Measure(s) Resolution of pelvic pain. Result(s) Pathologic diagnosis was ganglioneuroma. Postoperatively, the patient had resolution of her pelvic pain. Conclusion(s) Pelvic ganglioneuromas are a very rare entity but emphasize the importance of a broad differential for pelvic pain.
The fractal geometry of ancient Maya settlement

Abstract Ancient Maya settlement patterns exhibit fractal geometry both within communities and across regions. Fractals are self-similar sets of fractional dimension. In this paper, we show how Maya settlement patterns are logically and statistically self-similar. We demonstrate how to measure the fractal dimensions (or Hausdorff–Besicovitch dimensions) of several data sets. We describe nonlinear dynamical processes, such as chaotic and self-organized critical systems, that generate fractal patterns. As an illustration, we show that the fractal dimensions calculated for some Maya settlement patterns are similar to those produced by warfare, supporting recent claims that warfare is a significant factor in Maya settlement patterning.
Marinesco–Sjögren syndrome in a male with mild dysmorphism

Marinesco-Sjogren syndrome (MSS) is a rare, autosomal recessive disorder comprising cataracts, cerebellar ataxia caused by cerebellar hypoplasia, mild to moderate mental retardation, neuromuscular weakness, short stature, hypergonadotrophic hypogonadism, and skeletal anomalies. The syndrome was recently mapped to chromosome 5q31, but there is evidence for genetic heterogeneity, and no gene has been identified. We report a 5-year-old male with cataracts, ataxia, a progressive cerebellar atrophy, developmental delay, seizures, hypotonia, and a sensorimotor neuropathy consistent with many cases of MSS. He also had mild craniofacial dysmorphism consisting of hypertrichosis and synophrys, deep-set eyes with epicanthic folds, a flat philtrum, a high palate, short thumbs, and a wide sandal gap between the first and second toes. Skeletal findings included an increased kyphosis. We reviewed the literature on MSS to determine if craniofacial dysmorphism and the presence of neuropathy and/or myopathy would prove to be diagnostically useful in this phenotypically heterogeneous condition. The majority of cases of MSS do not have craniofacial dysmorphism, but other cases have been reported with features such as ptosis or a myopathic facies that are likely to reflect the underlying myopathic or neuromuscular processes in MSS.
Dihydropyrimidine nucleotide metabolism.

Abstract 5,6-Dihydrouridine-phosphates-C 14 were prepared by catalytic reduction of uridine 2′- and 3′-phosphates with the use of a rhodium catalyst. An electrolytic method for the reduction of cytidine 2′- and 3′-phosphates was developed for the preparation of 5,6-dihydrocytidylic acid. Neither of the dihydropyrimidine nucleotides was incorporated into the DNA or RNA pyrimidines in the rat. Urinary dihydrouridine was isolated as a major product of dihydrouridylic acid metabolism.
New catalytic concepts from new materials: understanding catalysis from a fundamental perspective, past, present, and future

Abstract The thesis of this review is that new catalytic concepts may be derived or discovered from new materials or newly recognized material properties. This thesis is demonstrated by a brief discussion of four materials, and the associated concepts, which enjoyed a certain fashion in the Journal of Catalysis and became themes of the author's research. The four materials (or material properties) described are restricted to platinum (exemplary in most cases) supported on TiO2, yttrium-stabilized zirconia, L–zeolite, and the mesoporous molecular sieve, MCM-41. While it was not recognized at the time, nor was it the driving force for the author's interest, all four materials can be shown to alter catalysis by a kind of metal–support interaction that, in part or entirely, underlies the concept that is being illustrated. Thus, the common metal Pt and the emphasized catalytic property, interaction between a metal particle and an oxide support, are used as the glue to hold together a discussion of otherwise disparate catalytic systems whose selection was dictated by the interests of the author.
Involvement of Cell Cycle and Mitogen-Activated Pathways in Induction of Parathyroid Hormone-Related Protein Gene Expression in Rat Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells*

PTH-related protein (PTHrP) is induced in aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) in association with mitogen-stimulated proliferation. In this study we examined the role of the cell cycle in the control of PTHrP gene expression. In asynchronously cycling cells grown in serum-containing medium, PTHrP-immunoreactive cells were enriched in G2+M, as revealed by fluorescence-activated cell sorting using a specific monoclonal antibody. PTHrP messenger RNA (mRNA) increased transiently in cells after release from chemically induced cell cycle blockade; levels increased by 10-fold at 2 h, coincident with expression of histone-4 mRNA and enrichment of VSMC in the early S phase. However, PTHrP mRNA levels then declined abruptly while the proportion of cells in the S phase and histone-4 mRNA levels remained constant for 8 h. When cell cycle-arrested cells were exposed to fresh serum-containing medium, angiotensin-II, or phorbol ester without removing the cell cycle blocking agents, PTHrP mRNA levels were induced ...
Advancing Forest Cover Development on a High-Elevation Sierra Nevada Mine Site with Nutritional Amendments

Selected nutrient amendments were evaluated for their capacity to enhance growth and nutrition of established but stunted Jeffrey pine (Pinus jeffreyi Grev. & Balf.) saplings on an acidic Sierra Nevada surface mine. The amendments were applied by topdressing at three rates each and consisted of Forestcote 22-4-6 + Minors, a controlled-release formulation; Free Flow 29-3-4 and Hydro Agri 21-7-14, two conventional fertilizers, with the former featuring urea as the predominant N source, whereas that for the latter was exclusively ammoniacal and nitrate forms; and Milorganite 6-2-0 + Iron, an organic amendment based on municipal biosolids. All formulations reinvigorated sapling growth, generally more so as the amounts supplied increased, with the Free Flow and Hydro Agri amendments marginally more stimulative than Forestcote and Milorganite. Foliar analysis revealed that fertilized saplings had more N, with concentrations that generally rose with amounts supplied, and P but less Mn and Al than the control. Enhanced N nutrition in particular but also that of P probably accounted for most of the growth stimulation by the amendments, as availability of both in the soil was limiting. Of the two metallic elements, reduced Mn was likely most critical because concentrations encountered here were exceedingly elevated overall, including that in the soil, although soil Al was also high. These results suggest that a variety of nutritional amendments can be employed in forest restoration on surface mine sites and those similarly degraded, including sites for which dry climates greatly influence the selection of remedial practices.
The concept of horizontal hierarchy and the organization of interorganizational networks: A comparative analysis

Abstract This paper is an attempt to describe the organization of interorganizational fields with the concept of horizontal hierarchy. It specifies certain structural properties of interorganizational field based on different types of linkages between organizations, and develops testable hypotheses by focusing on the interrelationships between the properties of these linkages within the conceptual definition of horizontal hierarchy. These hypotheses are later tested on data collected from manpower organizations in 17 communities of a large midwestern state.
Improved multilayered antimicrobial alginate-based edible coating extends the shelf life of fresh-cut watermelon (Citrullus lanatus)

Abstract This study evaluated the effectiveness of an improved multilayered antimicrobial alginate-based edible coating in increasing the shelf life of fresh-cut watermelon without affecting its quality attributes. A set of solutions containing sodium alginate (0.5, 1, 2 g/100 g), beta-cyclodextrin and microencapsulated trans-cinnamaldehyde (natural antimicrobial agent), pectin, and calcium lactate were used as coating systems and made into a coating using the layer-by-layer (LbL) technique. The samples were coated using the layer-by-layer dipping technique and stored at 4 °C for 15 days. Texture, color, weight loss, oBrix, pH, and growth of total coliforms, yeasts and molds, aerobics, and psychrotrophs were monitored every 3 days throughout storage. Controls were uncoated washed fruits. A consumer acceptance test showed high acceptance (P
Basolateral amygdala inactivation abolishes conditioned stimulus- and heroin-induced reinstatement of extinguished heroin-seeking behavior in rats.

Rationale: Drug-paired stimuli elicit drug craving and relapse in addicts and drug-seeking behavior in rats. The functional integrity of the basolateral amygdala (BLA) is necessary for reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behavior elicited by cocaine-conditioned stimuli, but not by cocaine itself. It is unclear, however, whether the BLA plays a similar role in reinstatement of heroin-seeking behavior. Objectives: To this end, we examined the effects of tetrodotoxin (TTX)-induced inactivation of the BLA on conditioned and heroin-primed reinstatement of extinguished heroin-seeking behavior. Methods: Rats were trained to press a lever for IV infusions of heroin (maintenance dose of 25 µg/infusion) paired with presentations of a light-tone stimulus complex during daily 3-h sessions. Responding was then allowed to extinguish prior to reinstatement testing. Reinstatement of extinguished heroin-seeking behavior (i.e. lever pressing in the absence of heroin reinforcement) was measured in the presence of response-contingent presentation of the heroin-paired stimulus complex alone and then following TTX (5 ng/0.5 µl per side) or vehicle infused into the BLA. In a separate group of rats, reinstatement was measured after saline injection (SC) and then following heroin priming (0.25 mg/kg, SC) with TTX or vehicle infused into the BLA. Results: Both response contingent presentation of the stimulus complex and heroin priming significantly reinstated extinguished heroin-seeking behavior, and BLA inactivation abolished the ability of the heroin-paired stimuli and of heroin priming to reinstate responding. Conclusions: These findings suggests that the BLA is a critical component of the neural circuitry that mediates conditioned and heroin-induced reinstatement of heroin-seeking behavior. Furthermore, different neural substrates may mediate drug-primed relapse to cocaine versus heroin-seeking behavior.
Radicals from the Gas-Phase Pyrolysis of Hydroquinone: 2. Identification of Alkyl Peroxy Radicals

The formation of radicals from the gas-phase pyrolysis of hydroquinone (HQ) from 400 to 825 °C was studied using the technique of low-temperature matrix isolation−electron paramagnetic resonance (LTMI−EPR). Cooling the reactor effluent in a CO2 carrier gas to 77 K produced a cryogenic matrix that exhibited complex EPR spectra. The observed EPR spectra were very sensitive to the delivery rate of HQ, presence/absence of carrier gas, and traces of O2 in the reaction gas that required careful manipulation of the experimental conditions to separate labile and persistent radicals. Conclusive identification of peroxyl radical formed during the pyrolysis of HQ in the presence of oxygen was based on the anisotropy of EPR spectra, high g value, hyperfine splitting constant, and spectral width that matched very well with literature data. The presence of peroxyl radicals during gas-phase, oxidative pyrolysis of HQ suggests the formation of alkyl radicals as precursors of light hydrocarbons: methane, ethane, and olefi...
A neural network approach for modeling the Heat Island phenomenon in urban areas during the summer period

The distribution of ambient air temperature in a city and the urban heat island intensity are investigated during the summer period in the major Athens region where ambient air temperature data are recorded at twenty stations. A neural network approach, based on predicted or recorded hourly values, is designed for modeling, predicting and estimating the air temperature at each station. Various feedforward, multiple layered, neural network architectures based on backpropagation algorithm are designed and trained for the stations' temperature prediction and estimation. The results were tested using extensive sets of measurements and it was found that they correspond well with the actual values. Furthermore, each one of the estimated stations is used as one input for the estimation of the next station's temperatures. The results were compared with the measured data and the neural network method was found able to simulate with sufficient accuracy the urban temperature field at several locations in a large urban region during the summer.
Pharmacy Student Absenteeism and Academic Performance

Objectives. To assess the association of pharmacy students’ personal characteristics with absenteeism and academic performance. Methods. A survey instrument was distributed to first- (P1) and second-year (P2) pharmacy students to gather characteristics including employment status, travel time to school, and primary source of educational funding. In addition, absences from specific courses and reasons for not attending classes were assessed. Participants were divided into “high” and “low” performers based on grade point average. Results. One hundred sixty survey instruments were completed and 135 (84.3%) were included in the study analysis. Low performers were significantly more likely than high performers to have missed more than 8 hours in therapeutics courses. Low performers were significantly more likely than high performers to miss class when the class was held before or after an examination and low performers were significantly more likely to believe that participating in class did not benefit them. Conclusions. There was a negative association between the number of hours students’ missed and their performance in specific courses. These findings provide further insight into the reasons for students’ absenteeism in a college or school of pharmacy setting.
Neural Readout from Memory during Generalization

Eight cats with implanted electrodes were trained to obtain food on presentation of one flicker frequency and to avoid shock on presentation of a second flicker frequency. A third flicker frequency, midway between the first and the second, was then presented. Differential generalization ensued, in which either the food response or the avoidance response was performed. Average evoked potentials from generalization trials with different outcomes were significantly different. The wave shape elicited by the stimulus for generalization closely resembled the usual response to the appropriate signal for the behavior which was displayed. This constitutes evidence for release of a neural process representing previous experience. The release of this process begins about 35 milliseconds after stimulation.