cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sperm–egg binding: Identification of a species-specific sperm receptor from eggs of strongylocentrotus purpuratus

We have attempted to identify a surface component of echinoderm eggs that is involved in the species-specific binding of sperm. Cell surface membranes from eggs of the sea urchins Strongylocentrotus purpuratus or Arbacia punctulata were radioiodinated, detergent-treated, and subjected to density-gradient centrifugation. In the presence of bindin, the complementary binding protein isolated from sperm, one component of the membranes sedimented to a different density. This membrane component bound species specifically to sperm that had undergone the acrosome reaction. This binding led to an inhibition of the ability of treated sperm to fertilize eggs. Exhaustive proteolytic digestion of this receptor fraction yields a high molecular weight glycopeptide that can also bind to bindin. It therefore appears that this egg surface membrane fraction contains a functionally intact, species-specific receptor for sperm.
Enthalpic Barriers Dominate the Folding and Unfolding of the Human Cu, Zn Superoxide Dismutase Monomer

The rate-limiting step in the formation of the native dimeric state of human Cu, Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) is a very slow monomer folding reaction that governs the lifetime of its unfolded state. Mutations at dozens of sites in SOD1 are known to cause a fatal motor neuron disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and recent experiments implicate the unfolded state as a source of soluble oligomers and histologically observable aggregates thought to be responsible for toxicity. To determine the thermodynamic properties of the transition state ensemble (TSE) limiting the folding of this high-contact-order β-sandwich motif, we performed a combined thermal/urea denaturation thermodynamic/kinetic analysis. The barriers to folding and unfolding are dominated by the activation enthalpy at 298 K and neutral pH; the activation entropy is favorable and reduces the barrier height for both reactions. The absence of secondary structure formation or large-scale chain collapse prior to crossing the barrier for folding led to the conclusion that dehydration of nonpolar surfaces in the TSE is responsible for the large and positive activation enthalpy. Although the activation entropy favors the folding reaction, the transition from the unfolded state to the native state is entropically disfavored at 298 K. The opposing entropic contributions to the free energies of the TSE and the native state during folding provide insights into structural properties of the TSE. The results also imply a crucial role for water in governing the productive folding reaction and enhancing the propensity for the aggregation of SOD1.
Nickel substitution for calcium in excitation-contraction coupling of skeletal muscle.

In 1962 Frank (22) reported that the addition of any one of a number of divalent cations, including Ni, to a Ca-free Ringer solution prevented the rapid loss of contractility seen in the absence of external Ca. To investigate further the Ni-Ca substitution, studies were made of 45Ca and 63Ni exchange during contraction and at rest using frog striated muscle. In contrast to 45Ca, it was found that there is no increase of 63Ni uptake associated with a K contracture of the sartorius muscle. The rates of loss of 63Ni and 45Ca from resting toe muscles previously bathed in the respective radioisotopes are not significantly different. Resting and action potentials, after 1 hr in a Ringer solution with Ni replacing Ca, closely resemble these potentials in normal Ca-Ringer's solution. Studies on the syneresis of isolated myofibrils indicate that Ni cannot replace Ca in activating this reaction. It is suggested that Ca is required for at least two steps in E-C coupling: one is the spread of excitation at the sarcolemma and transverse tubular system; the second is the activation of actomyosin ATPase. Conceivably Ni can substitute for Ca in the former but not in the latter.
Retention of verbal paired-associates by schizophrenic subjects.

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that schizophrenic Ss retain verbal paired-associate items as well as normal Ss, using retention intervals of 7, 14, and 28 days. The results of the study did not support this hypothesis since the schizophrenic Ss recalled significantly fewer items than did a comparable group of normal Ss. The trend of the relearning data was similar. on the other hand, retention tended to decrease approximately at the same rate for both groups over the different retention intervals. While the recall data conflict with previous reported findings, they were interpreted as being consistent with the general notion that schizophrenic Ss exhibit a pervasive psychological deficit which manifests itself in their performance on most cognitive tasks.
Methodological Issues in the Use of Published Cartoons as Data

When common understanding of a phenomenon is under investigation, mass media representation in general, and cartoon images in particular, are a useful source of data. Sample selection, data collection, and the analysis of constructed images differ from other kinds of data. Cartoonists may intend to stimulate multiple interpretations among readers. Uncovering these interpretations is essential to understanding public discourse of the phenomenon of interest. Semantic validation is used to assess the degree to which the meanings of text relative to their context are accurately represented. Analysis of the image and text of cartoons has the potential to yield important understanding of public discourse surrounding issues of the public's health and well-being.
A fuzzy logic resource optimizer for a fleet of autonomous vehicles in low-bandwidth conditions

Complex, collaborative maneuvers by a fleet of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) requires the dynamic management of limited time and energy resources at both fleet and individual vehicle levels. The supervisor module presented in this paper attempts to meet this need for a dynamic resource optimizer. Employing linear equivalent fuzzy logic control systems (LEFLC's), this supervisor module optimizes the use of resources both fleet-wide and on each individual AUV through two components. The first component is decentralized across the fleet, and manages time and energy resources on each individual AUV while still accounting for changes in the density of mine-like objects (MLOs). The second component is centralized on the fleet leader, and manages time and energy resources for the entire fleet. Through the employment of the supervisor module described in this paper, the use of time and energy resources is optimized, resulting in faster, more efficient mine-countermeasure (MCM) missions that attain higher confidence of identified MLOs.
Spousal Caregiving for Partners With Dementia: A Deductive Literature Review Testing Calasanti’s Gendered View of Care Work

Spousal caregiving allows stressed couples to continue living in the community rather than seeking institutional solutions. Dr. Toni Calasanti has postulated that there are gender differences in the care work styles and coping strategies used by spousal caregivers dealing with dementia. While caregiving husbands tend to adopt task-oriented (masculine) approaches, caregiving wives are more likely to take an emotionally focused (feminine) orientation. These differences result in the need for varied interventions. Male caregivers tend toward a managerial approach, whereas female caregivers generally adopt a relational approach. This distinction was examined in the course of a literature review through the deductive process. It was determined that the core thesis of such a gender-based view of care work as a tiered entity threaded with masculinity/femininity remains quite plausible in contrast to models based on self-perceived gender identity of caregivers that require more exploration. Recommendations for fu...
Hybrid dendritic–linear graft copolymers: Steric considerations in “coupling to” approach

A “coupling to” approach was developed for the synthesis of hybrid dendritic–linear block copolymers. Frechet-type polyether dendrons were prepared by the convergent growth approach and coupled with well-defined functionalized polystyrene backbones prepared by living free radical procedures. The subtle interplay between the degree of functionalization present in the backbone and the size of the dendritic fragment led to incomplete reactions as steric crowding along the backbone increased. This resulted in globular hybrid macromolecules instead of the extended rods typically formed from the polymerization of dendritic macromonomers. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 1033–1044, 2000
Historical institutional analysis of social-ecological systems

Institutions, the rules that govern interactions between people, evolve over time. This special issue presents a number of detailed case studies of human–environment interactions during a significant historical period. With social-ecological systems we mean a set of people, their natural and human-made resources, and the relationships among them (Anderies et al. , 2004, Janssen et al. , 2005).
Temperature-induced changes in the oxygen equilibrium curve of the blood of the brown bullhead, Ictalurus nebulosus.

The affinity of blood for oxygen is dependent on temperature, which would seem to present a disadvantage to those fishes which encounter large seasonal temperature changes. Considering the well-known acclimatory abilities of many fishes, it would seem reasonable to propose the occurrence of seasonal modification of blood oxygen equilibria to compensate for changes in temperature. 2. In Ictalurus nebulosus, blood from one group of fish acclimated at 24 degrees C showed a consistently higher oxygen affinity compared with a group acclimated at 9 degrees C, when measured at the same temperature. This shift, accompanying thermal metabolic acclimation, minimizes the effect of temperature on oxygen affinity. 3. The shift did not persist when dilute solutions of hemoglobin were studied. 4. No changes with acclimation were seen in the multiple hemoglobin pattern nor in blood pH. 5. The erythrocyte, rather than the plasma, appears to be the site of modification. 6. Some large changes in erythrocyte potassium accompanied thermal acclimation, but the relation of this to the shift in oxygen affinity is unknown.
Detecting and Locating Whole Genome Duplications on a Phylogeny: A Probabilistic Approach

Whole genome duplications (WGDs) followed by massive gene loss occurred in the evolutionary history of many groups. WGDs are usually inferred from the age distribution of paralogs (Ks-based methods) or from gene collinearity data (synteny). However, Ks-based methods are restricted to detect the recent WGDs due to saturation effects and the difficulty to date old duplicates, and synteny is difficult to reconstruct for distantly related species. Recently, Jiao et al. (Jiao Y, Wickett N, Ayyampalayam S, Chanderbali AS, Landherr L, Ralph PE, Tomsho LP, Hu Y, Liang H, Soltis PS, et al. 2011. Ancestral polyploidy in seed plants and angiosperms. Nature 473:97-100) introduced an empirical method that aims to detect a peak in duplication ages among nodes selected from a previous phylogenetic analysis. In this context, we present here two rigorous methods based on data from multiple gene families and on a new probabilistic model. Our model assumes that all gene lineages are instantaneously duplicated at the WGD event with a possible almost-immediate loss of some extra copies. Our reconciliation method relies on aligned molecular sequences, whereas our gene count method relies only on gene count data across species. We show, using extensive simulations, that both methods have a good detection power. Surprisingly, the gene count method enjoys no loss of power compared with the reconciliation method, despite the fact that sequence information is not used. We finally illustrate the performance of our methods on a benchmark yeast data set. Both methods are able to detect the well-known WGD in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae clade and agree on a small retention rate at the WGD, as established by synteny-based methods.
Endothelium-Derived Relaxing Factor: Discovery, Early Studies, and Identifcation as Nitric Oxide (Nobel Lecture).

The presence of air bubbles, and thus the unintentional removal of endothelial cells, may have prevented the discovery of endothelium-dependent vasodilation at an earlier date. In investigations with perfused rabbit central ear artery the infusion of acetylcholine, a known potent prejunctional inhibitor of adrenergic neurotransmission, did not inhibit vasoconstriction produced by infused norepinephrine. It was later determined that air bubbles in the perfusion line had mechanically removed the endothelial cells, and as a result no release of endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) could take place.
Hypothesis Testing for Fourier Based Edge Detection Methods

Edge detection is an essential task in image processing. In some applications, such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging, the information about an image is available only through its frequency (Fourier) data. In this case, edge detection is particularly challenging, as it requires extracting local information from global data. The problem is exacerbated when the data are noisy. This paper proposes a new edge detection algorithm which combines the concentration edge detection method (Gelb and Tadmor in Appl. Comput. Harmon. Anal. 7:101---135, 1999) with statistical hypothesis testing. The result is a method that achieves a high probability of detection while maintaining a low probability of false detection.
Aldehyde Dehydrogenase Expression Drives Human Regulatory T Cell Resistance to Posttransplantation Cyclophosphamide

High-dose, posttransplantation cyclophosphamide (PTCy) is an effective strategy for preventing graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after allogeneic blood or marrow transplantation (alloBMT). However, the mechanisms by which PTCy modulates alloimmune responses are not well understood. We studied early T cell reconstitution in patients undergoing alloBMT with PTCy and the effects of mafosfamide, a cyclophosphamide (Cy) analog, on CD4(+) T cells in allogeneic mixed lymphocyte reactions (MLRs) in vitro. Patients exhibited reductions in naive, potentially alloreactive conventional CD4(+) T cells with relative preservation of memory CD4(+)Foxp3(+) T cells. In particular, CD4(+)CD45RA(-)Foxp3(+hi) effector regulatory T cells (Tregs) recovered rapidly after alloBMT and, unexpectedly, were present at higher levels in patients with GVHD. CD4(+)Foxp3(+) T cells from patients and from allogeneic MLRs expressed relatively high levels of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), the major in vivo mechanism of Cy resistance. Treatment of MLR cultures with the ALDH inhibitor diethylaminobenzaldehyde reduced the activation and proliferation of CD4(+) T cells and sensitized Tregs to mafosfamide. Finally, removing Tregs from peripheral blood lymphocyte grafts obviated PTCy's GVHD-protective effect in a xenogeneic transplant model. Together, these findings suggest that Treg resistance to Cy through expression of ALDH may contribute to the clinical activity of PTCy in preventing GVHD.
THE COUNTERNULL VALUE OF AN EFFECT SIZE: A New Statistic

We introduce a new, readily computed statistic, the counternull value of an obtained effect size, which is the nonnull magnitude of effect size that is supported by exactly the same amount of evidence as supports the null value of the effect size In other words, if the counternull value were taken as the null hypothesis, the resulting p value would be the same as the obtained p value for the actual null hypothesis Reporting the counternull, in addition to the p value, virtually eliminates two common errors (a) equating failure to reject the null with the estimation of the effect size as equal to zero and (b) taking the rejection of a null hypothesis on the basis of a significant p value to imply a scientifically important finding In many common situations with a one-degree-of-freedom effect size, the value of the counternull is simply twice the magnitude of the obtained effect size, but the counternull is defined in general, even with multi-degree-of-freedom effect sizes, and therefore can be applied when...
Abstract B119: Insulin‐like growth factor 1 receptor mutants are inhibited by figitumumab (CP‐751, 871) in vitro

To test the hypothesis that mutant insulin‐like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF‐1R) protein may differentially respond to inhibition by figitumumab (CP‐751, 871), potentially necessitating patient screening, we studied the in vitro efficacy of figitumumab against seven identified non‐synonymous somatic IGF‐1R mutations. The IGF‐1R signaling pathway has been implicated in numerous aspects of tumor biology, and inhibition of this pathway has been shown to provide beneficial anti‐tumor effects. Figitumumab is a fully human monoclonal IgG2 antibody against IGF‐1R that has been shown to block ligand binding, inhibit IGF‐1R tyrosine kinase activity, and induce IGF‐1R down‐modulation. There have been reports in the literature of targeted cancer therapies being affected by somatic mutations within the target of the therapy itself as well as downstream in the signaling cascade. To identify somatic DNA mutations within the IGF1R gene, 46 colon and 46 lung matched normal/tumor sets were screened using a mismatch repair detection method. The screening process identified seven unique mutations in either colon or lung cancer samples that altered the IGFIR coding sequence; 5 in colon and 2 in lung. These mutations were distributed across various domains of the receptor with three located in the extracellular alpha chain and four in the intracellular beta chain. Of the four located in the intracellular beta chain, three were in the tyrosine kinase domain. To study the effects of these mutations on the kinase activity of the receptor and the ability to inhibit the mutant receptors with figitumumab, stable cell lines containing wild‐type and the mutant receptors were created and evaluated by ELISA for down‐regulation of the IGF‐1R protein and IGF‐1R phosphorylation. All seven mutant forms of the protein, as well as wild‐type IGF‐1R were inhibited by figitumumab. Six of the seven mutant proteins maintained dependency on ligand stimulation for kinase activity while one mutant, a glycine to arginine change at amino acid position 1199, lacked kinase activity all together. The results of our experiments suggest that figitumumab effectively inhibited the wild‐type and mutant IGF‐1R receptors in this study and therefore screening of figitumumab patients for these mutations should not be necessary. Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2009;8(12 Suppl):B119.
Threaded interbody fusion cage for adjacent segment degenerative disease after previous anterior cervical fusion

Abstract Background Anterior discectomy and fusion have been used for over 50 years in the treatment of degenerative disease of the cervical spine. However, as these procedures become more common, the long-term consequences are becoming more evident. One such consequence is degeneration of an adjacent segment, which can occur in up to 17% of patients undergoing cervical fusion. A threaded interbody fusion cage has often been used in a primary degenerative disorder of the cervical spine. However, there have been no studies in which these cages have been used in adjacent segments after previous cervical fusion. This is a retrospective review of 7 patients to determine the fusion rate, operative utility, and clinical outcomes using a threaded fusion cage construct in the treatment of cervical adjacent segment degeneration. Methods A standard low-profile interbody fusion cage was implanted after standard discectomy and local vertebral body bone graft in 7 patients with documented radiographic adjacent segment degeneration and clinical disease after anterior cervical fusion. Each patient underwent clinical and radiographic evaluation, and all 7 patients demonstrated signs of radiculopathy and/or myelopathy as well as radiographic signs of degeneration referable to a motion segment adjacent to previous cervical arthrodesis. These evaluations were repeated postoperatively. Patients were also asked to fill a preoperative and postoperative VAS, NDI, Prolo Economic-Functional Rating System, and CNDS for evaluation of outcome. Results Each procedure was performed without complication. The mean VAS pain scale decreased 58% as a result of the surgery. The CNDS improved in all patients by an average of 42%. The NDI improved in all patients, with an average increase of 42%. The Prolo Economic-Function Status showed that 4 patients had an excellent outcome and 3 patients had a good outcome. There was no incidence of pseudoarthrosis in any procedure at the 24-month follow-up. Conclusion These preliminary results support the use of threaded interbody cages in adjacent segment degeneration of the cervical spine after previous anterior cervical fusion. Pain and functional scores improved in all cases. This technique should be among the possibilities for surgical treatment of degeneration of adjacent segments in patients with previous cervical spinal fusion.
The Lysyl Oxidase Propeptide Interacts with the Receptor-Type Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase Kappa and Inhibits β-Catenin Transcriptional Activity in Lung Cancer Cells

The propeptide region of the lysyl oxidase proenzyme (LOX-PP) has been shown to inhibit Ras signaling in NIH 3T3 and lung cancer cells with activated RAS, but its mechanism of action is poorly understood. Here, a yeast two-hybrid assay of LOX-PP-interacting proteins identified a clone encoding the intracellular phosphatase domains of receptor-type protein tyrosine phosphatase kappa (RPTP-κ), and the interaction of the two proteins in mammalian cells was confirmed. RPTP-κ is proteolytically processed to isoforms that have opposing effects on β-catenin activity. The RPTP-κ transmembrane P subunit interacts with and sequesters β-catenin at the cell membrane, where it can associate with E-cadherin and promote intercellular interactions. At high cell density, further processing of the P subunit yields a phosphatase intracellular portion (PIC) subunit, which chaperones β-catenin to the nucleus, where it can function to activate transcription. Lung cancer cells were found to contain higher PIC levels than untransformed lung epithelial cells. In H1299 lung cancer cells, ectopic LOX-PP expression reduced the nuclear levels of PIC by increasing its turnover in the lysosome, thereby decreasing the nuclear levels and transcriptional activity of β-catenin while increasing β-catenin membrane localization. Thus, LOX-PP is shown to negatively regulate pro-oncogenic β-catenin signaling in lung cancer cells.
Serbia: Right-Sizing the Government Wage Bill

Serbia’s public sector wage bill constitutes a significant share of total government expenditure. In response to the recent fiscal crisis, the Government has frozen wages and hiring. While this approach has succeeded in reducing the wage bill (as a percent of GDP) it is not sustainable over the long term. This report recommends a more durable approach to the wage bill, based on reforms in the system of establishment control and wage setting.
When Hip Scopes Fail, They Do So Quickly

Abstract Background Rates of hip arthroscopy have been on an exponential rise. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the rate and timing of subsequent total hip arthroplasty (THA) after hip arthroscopy and identify if rates of THA differed based on age, diagnosis of osteoarthritis, or arthroscopic procedure performed. Methods The Humana administrative claims data set was reviewed from 2007 to 2014 for all patients undergoing hip arthroscopy. Patients were identified using Current Procedural Terminology codes and laterality modifiers. Patients were tracked over time for the occurrence of an ipsilateral THA. Rates and timing of subsequent THA were then determined. Subgroup analysis was performed based on patient age and hip arthroscopy procedure performed. Results In total, 1577 patients underwent hip arthroscopy. Tracking of patients revealed 84 (5.3%) patients that had an ipsilateral THA after hip arthroscopy during the follow-up period. Of the subsequent THA, 35.7% occurred within 6 months of hip arthroscopy and 83.3% had occurred within 18 months. Hundred percent of subsequent THAs occurred within 48 months of initial hip arthroscopy. Patients aged ≥50 years at the time of hip arthroscopy had a higher odds of conversion to THA (odds ratio: 3.2 [2.05-5.01], P P Conclusion Approximately 5% of hip arthroscopies went on to require a subsequent THA, and all conversions to THA occurred within 4 years. These data suggest that when hip arthroscopy fails, it does so relatively soon after the procedure. These results provide a needed understanding of rates and timing of THA after hip arthroscopy.
Similarities and Differences in the Mechanisms of High and Low Energy Ion Mixing

High energy ion mixing occurs when an ion beam of a few hundred keV bombards an interface under the surface. Low energy ion mixing arises when an ion beam of a few keV bombards an interface near the surface during, for example, sputter depth profiling and low energy ion assisted deposition. At low temperatures, the rate of both high and low energy ion mixing can be influenced by thermodynamic parameters, such as the heat of mixing and the cohesive energy of solids. These effects are demonstrated by ion mixing experiments using metallic bilayers consisting of high atomic number elements. A model of diffusion in thermal spikes is used to explain this similarity. Low energy ion mixing can also be strongly affected by surface diffusion and the morphological stability of thin films. These effects are illustrated using results obtained from sputter depth profiling of Ag/Ni bilayers at elevated temperatures. High energy ion mixing at low temperatures can be influenced by the anisotropic momentum distribution in a collision cascade as seen from a set of marker experiments to determine the dominant moving species in high energy ion mixing. These similarities and differences between high and low energy ion mixing illustrate the diversity of ion-solid interactions.
A surface accumulator of Escherichia coli in water flow.

The objective of this research is to design and optimise a mini/micro-channel based surface accumulator of Escherichia coli to be detected by acoustic wave biosensors. A computational research has been carried out using the state of the art software, CFD-ACE with water as bacteria bearing fluid. E. coli bacteria have been modelled as random discrete particles tracked by solving the Lagrangian equations. The design challenges are to achieve low shear force (pico-N), high concentration at accumulation and high enough Reynolds number to avoid bacteria swimming. A range of low Reynolds number (Re) from 28.2 to 58.3 has been considered along with the effects of particle–boundary interactions, gravity, Saffman lift and Magnus lift. About four orders of magnitude higher concentration at accumulation than the inlet concentration and lower shear force in the order of less than pico-N have been achieved in the optimised design with particles accumulating at a specific location under random particle–boundary interac...
Audience As Product: Identifying Advertiser Preferences

AbstractA conjoint analysis was conducted to examine audience traits valued by U.S. television advertisers to determine which traits played the greatest role in advertisers’ investment decisions. The advertiser was positioned as the consumer and the audience as product. Results from the conjoint experiment are compared and contrasted to an observational study that examined many of the same issues. Both studies found that household income plays a lesser role, while English proficiency is valued by all advertisers. The conjoint analysis also revealed that audience ethnicity plays a greater role than income or language. Benefits of the conjoint analysis approach are discussed.
Screening for Asymptomatic Gonorrhea and Chlamydia in the Pediatric Emergency Department

Background Because adolescents rely heavily on emergency services for health care, a pediatric emergency department (PED) visit may be their only opportunity for sexually transmitted infection (STI) screening. The primary objectives of this study were to determine the proportion of Neisseria gonorrheae (GC) and Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infections in asymptomatic PED adolescents and patient-perceived barriers to STI screening. Methods A convenience sample of patients aged 14 to 21 years presenting to an urban PED with nongenitourinary complaints was offered screening for GC and CT. Regardless of declining or accepting screening, all were asked to complete a questionnaire designed to identify barriers to screening. Results Sixty-eight percent of those approached participated (n = 719). Those who agreed to STI screening were more likely to be nonwhite (61.4% vs. 38.6%, P = 0.001) and publically insured (63.3%) versus privately insured (29.3%) or no insurance (7.58%). Four hundred three (56%) participants provided urine samples, and of those, 40 (9.9%) were positive for an STI. Controlling for other demographics, race was a significant predictor, with the odds of testing positive for nonwhite participants 5.90 times that of white participants. Patients who refused testing were more likely to report not engaging in sexual activity (54.3% vs. 42.4%, P = 0.009) and less likely to perceive that they were at risk for STIs. Conclusions There are high proportions of GC and CT among asymptomatic adolescents visiting an academic urban PED. A universal PED STI screening program may be an important component of STI reduction initiatives, especially among adolescents who do not perceive that they are at risk and may not receive testing elsewhere.
Direct Detection of Bacteria on Fresh Produce

This paper presents a revolutionary method of bacterial detection that directly detects and quantifies the presence of specific bacteria on the surfaces of fresh produce without sample preparation (water rinse, soak, stomaching) and/or enrichment. The speed of detection is from 2 to 10 minutes with a limit of detection in a range of 10^2 to 10^4 cfu/mm^2. The specificity of detection is 2 in 10^6 background bacteria. This technology was awarded a $20,000 prize in the first United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Safety Challenge. The method combines wireless magnetoelastic (ME) biosensors and a surface-scanning detector for rapid determination of bacterial contamination. Tests were conducted on tomatoes and grapes spiked with different concentrations of Salmonella Typhimurium. The resonant frequency changes of the biosensors were found to be dependent on the surface concentration of Salmonella. Detection limits were found to be affected by the surface roughness of the food. A 90-second video of a test for Salmonella on tomato can be viewed at http://eng.auburn.edu/food-safety. The method presented in this paper is envisioned for use at ports of entry for the swift screening of foods.
Space of non-Gaussian fields with single-clock bispectra

We develop a mathematical construction of non-Gaussian fields whose bispectra satisfy the single-clock inflation consistency relation. At the same order that our basis for bispectra recovers the two simplest single-clock templates, we also find a third orthogonal template which has the single-clock squeezed limit, peaks in folded configurations, and has very small coupling in the equilateral limit. We explore the map between templates and operators in a very general Lagrangian for single-clock fluctuations and find no significant overlap between the new template and models in the literature. We comment on the physical implications of this conclusion. Our findings add support for the idea that both theory- and data-driven considerations will be best served if next-generation non-Gaussianity constraints are made in a basis that uses the degree of coupling between long- and short-wavelength modes as an organizing principle.
Evidence-based medicine in managed care: a survey of current and emerging strategies.

Background Evidence-based medicine is the “conscientious application of scientific best practice by clinicians in concert with patient understanding and values.”[1] Recent studies by the Institute of Medicine, RAND, and others have called attention to the gap between scientifically supported approaches to care and day-to-day practice by clinicians. Compounding the problem of non-adherence by providers, researchers have observed that patient compliance also falls short. As a result, avoidable costs from inappropriate variability in practice patterns coupled with patient noncompliance are a significant focus of managed care. Managed care plans play a key role in the selection of providers by consumers and in the design of benefits programs by employers. Avoidable costs from misuse, overuse, and under-use of care from clinicians is a strategic focus for health plans. The evidence upon which a plan makes coverage decisions and the incorporation of evidence in programs targeting providers, employers, and consumers was a focus of this study.
Attachment Quality and Sexual Satisfaction and Sexual Functioning in Romantic Relationships for Combat Veterans

OF THESIS ATTACHMENT QUALITY AND SEXUAL SATISFACTION AND SEXUAL FUNCTIONING IN ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS FOR COMBAT VETERANS Previous literature has shown that combat veteran posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects attachment quality, as well as sexual satisfaction and functioning. This study used internet survey methods from 248 male combat veterans in committed relationships to analyze the correlations between PTSD symptoms, attachment quality, sexual satisfaction, and sexual functioning in romantic relationships. The results indicate that PTSD symptoms from combat veterans are correlated with attachment quality, sexual satisfaction, and sexual functioning in romantic relationships. Implications for professionals and future research are explored.
Geographic Information Systems (Gis) for the Inventory and Monitoring of the Integrity of Riparian Forests and Woodlands

Riparian ecosystems in temperate North America are some of the most productive and endangered ecosystems of the western hemisphere. These linear ecosystems form ecotones between aquatic and upland ecosystems, linking northern temperate and boreal forests with southern tropical forests. Riparian ecosystems are also critical nesting habitat for more than half the breeding-bird species of the semiarid lowlands of the North American Southwest. The complexity of riparian ecosystems has resulted in a paucity of scientific information, leading to inadequate management and protection. GIS provides the technology for developing predictive models for riparian forests. Objectives are to: 1) provide integrated data by ensuring the useability and consistency of all data sets, 2) increase accessibility of data by ensuring that data collection techniques are compatible across boundaries of lands with different ownerships, 3) increase productivity by reducing the need to collect and enter data more than once, 4) apply the most recent information processing techniques to integrate and manipulate spatial resource information and 5) allow scale independent operational analyses of data as required to meet project objectives. The proper application of these objectives will result in a data base designed to increase our scientific knowledge of these critical riparian ecosystems and allow formulation of proper management techniques and goals.
Public transit, active travel, and the journey to school: a cross-nested logit analysis

ABSTRACTLike walking and biking, public transit presents an opportunity to accomplish a portion of the recommended daily physical activity. Much of the previous research has been limited to descriptive analyses quantifying the active component of public transit using advanced econometrics models. This paper overcomes this challenge by applying a two-level cross-nested logit model. We use the school trip information of 3441 middle and high school students in Tehran. We show a 1% increase in home-to-school distance reduces physical activity by 0.91%. Considering public transit a solely non-active mode, this reduction equals 2.21%. Therefore, ignoring the ‘quasi-active’ role of public transit overestimates the physical activity reduction of students by 142%. We also indicate a 1% decrease in access to transit stations diminishes physical activity by 0.04%. This diminution is 0.02% when we apply the nested logit model. This is the direct consequence of ignoring the active component of public transit trips.
The Gift Half Understood, or Eliot’s Ariel Poems: Beyond the Old Dispensation

Six poems comprise the Ariel Poems that Eliot wrote at the suggestion of Geoffrey Faber to commemorate the Christmas season: Journey of the Magi (1927), A Song for Simeon (1928), Animula (1929), Marina (1930), Triumphal March (1931), and The Cultivation of Christmas Trees (1954, in the new series of Ariel Poems). The poems have received uneven critical and scholarly attention, rarely if ever together. As “Christmas poems,” they are related inter-textually and show remarkable complexity of voice and tone.
32-digit values of the first 100 recurrence coefficients for the half-range bimodal weight function with parameter ε=.005

32-digit values of the first 100 recurrence coefficients for the weight function w(x)=(x^2)*exp[-(x^2-1)^2/(4*e)] on [0,Inf], e=.005
Has public policy exceeded our knowledge base? A review of the functional behavioral assessment literature

The 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandate that schools evaluate, through the process of a functional behavioral assessment, students with disabilities wh...
A Social Responsibility Guide for Engineering Students and Professionals of all Faith Traditions: An Overview

The development of the various themes of Catholic Social Teaching (CST) is based on numerous papal documents and ecclesiastical statements. While this paper provides a summary of a number of these documents, this paper focuses on two themes: the common good and care of the environment, and on three documents authored by Pope John Paul II in 1990, by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010, and by Pope Francis in 2015. By analyzing these documents from an engineer's perspective, the author proposes a model for Socially Responsible Engineering. The proposed model is intended to serve as a guide for engineering students and practicing engineers of all faith traditions and to those with no faith tradition at all who wish to incorporate CST in the daily conduct of their personal and professional lives; to provide guidance for the professional the author terms the aspiring Socially Responsible Engineer; and to offer engineers a preferred alternative to the undesirable aspects of the technocratic paradigm. While intended primarily for engineers, this document also serves as a guide for those with expertise in social justice and who, by gaining a better understanding of the thought processes of engineers, can become better mentors for engineering students and practicing engineers seeking to incorporate CST into their daily lives.
The Easter Experience

In his book, The Soloist, Los Angeles Times reporter Steve Lopez (2008) tells the moving story of his relationship with a homeless man named Nathanael Ayers. Ayers is a Cleveland-born Juilliard School of Music graduate who develops schizophrenia and ends up homeless in Los Angeles playing his violin on the streets. One day Lopez encounters Ayers and is moved by the beautiful music coming from the violin of this bedraggled homeless man.
Racial inequality and the recognition of racial discrimination in Jamaica

A growing body of literature posits that a population’s denial of the salience of racial discrimination acts as a mechanism of its perpetuation. Moreover, scholars locate a population’s propensity ...
Toward a General Theory of Deviant Behavior

The analyses reported in Chapters 3–7 are informed by a general theory of deviant behavior. The theory specifies mutually influential antecedents and consequences of motivations for deviant behavior, the acting out of deviant dispositions, and the continuity/discontinuity of deviant behavior. This first chapter describes the theory and places the theory in historical context. Points of overlap with the structured strain, opportunity, control, containment, subcultural, labeling, and other perspectives will be apparent to the informed reader as will differences between the general theory and more current attempts to synthesize multiple theoretical perspectives (Akers, 2000; Messner, Krohn, & Liska, 1989; Shoemaker, 1990).
Epidemiology and Demography of Coronary Artery Disease

The study of epidemiology is vital in identifying the connections which exist between lifestyle, environment, and disease, thus providing knowledge of the factors, distribution, and pathology of disease. As the leading cause of death in the United States since 1900, save 1918, coronary artery disease continues to overwhelm mortality and morbidity statistics. In the United States, 1 in 5 deaths are attributed to CAD, the leading cause of death of both males and females. In fact, CAD kills approximately five times more females than does breast cancer. The estimated direct and indirect cost of CAD in 2008 is $156 million. As a disease that manifests itself in the crib, it is not surprising that CAD is also the leading cause of death worldwide, becoming a pandemic. Coronary artery disease is a condition that is multifaceted, influenced by social status, genetics, lifestyle (culture), and environmental factors. The risk of development of CAD is said to increase with the transition of rural, agrarian, economically underdeveloped to urbanized, industrialized modern societies. Modernization leads to a more sedentary lifestyle, diets higher in calories, and psychosocial stresses. Risk factors such as hypertension, physical inactivity, tobacco use, and diet are modifiable risk factors, whereas genetics, age, race, and gender are nonmodifiable risk factors associated with CAD. Community education must continue to dominate efforts to reduce the major modifiable risk factors. As we continue to monitor the distribution of CAD in populations, epidemiology will provide us with better guidelines, which when applied appropriately can continue to decrease death rates caused by such a devastating disease worldwide.
The Nantucket Pine Tip Moth

The Nantucket pine tip moth, Rhyacionia frustrana (Comstock), is one of the most common forest insects in the eastern United States. It was first discovered and studied on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts,63 where it was causing severe damage to pines and was described as the “frustrating Retinia” (= Rhyacionia).23 The taxonomic status of R. frustrana is generally clear except for its relationship with R. bushnelli Miller, thought by some to be a subspecies.59 The primary difference is that R. frustrana overwinters in infested shoots and R. bushnelli overwinters in the duff and soil beneath the trees.
Investigation of the nucleation delay time in Al-based metallic glasses by high rate calorimetry

Abstract During isothermal annealing at temperatures lower than the crystallization onset temperature, Tx, measured during continuous heating, the Al88Y7Fe5 metallic glass undergoes a period of delay time (τ) before the primary crystallization reaction. The delay time is an important parameter, which is closely related with the transport behavior and can be used to calculate the attachment frequency coefficient and steady state nucleation rate. Previously, τ was usually determined from the nanocrystal number density vs. annealing time plot through tedious TEM measurements. Now, a more effective approach to measure τ has been developed by analyzing the Tg shift resulting from annealing with high rate differential scanning calorimetry (FlashDSC). With the increase of annealing time (tannealing), Tg shifts to higher temperatures and in the Tg vs. tannealing plot, there is a break point in slope. Before this break point, no Al nanocrystals could be detected by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) but after this break point, Al nanocrystals were identified by TEM. Thus, the break point time corresponds to the onset of Al nanocrystal formation and the delay time. The underlying mechanism is unveiled through the matrix composition measurement by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The analysis reveals that before the break point the amorphous matrix composition is unchanged by annealing so that Tg shifts solely due to the increased glass stability through a relaxation process. After the break point, the precipitation of Al nanocrystals induces a composition change in the amorphous matrix so that Tg shifts to higher temperatures because of both the relaxation and the composition change effects.
Solid phase synthesis and spectroscopic characterization of the active and inactive forms of bacteriophage S21 pinholin protein.

Abstract The mechanism for the lysis pathway of double-stranded DNA bacteriophages involves a small hole-forming class of membrane proteins, the holins. This study focuses on a poorly characterized class of holins, the pinholin, of which the S21 protein of phage ϕ21 is the prototype. Here we report the first in vitro synthesis of the wildtype form of the S21 pinholin, S2168, and negative-dominant mutant form, S21IRS, both prepared using solid phase peptide synthesis and studied using biophysical techniques. Both forms of the pinholin were labeled with a nitroxide spin label and successfully incorporated into both bicelles and multilamellar vesicles which are membrane mimetic systems. Circular dichroism revealed the two forms were both >80% alpha helical, in agreement with the predictions based on the literature. The molar ellipticity ratio [θ]222/[θ]208 for both forms of the pinholin was 1.4, suggesting a coiled-coil tertiary structure in the bilayer consistent with the proposed oligomerization step in models for the mechanism of hole formation. 31P solid-state NMR spectroscopic data on pinholin indicate a strong interaction of both forms of the pinholin with the membrane headgroups. The 31P NMR data has an axially symmetric line shape which is consistent with lamellar phase proteoliposomes lipid mimetics.
Kaboom! [Turnstile]

In late 2016, U.S. government personnel serving in Havana, Cuba, began presenting to their embassy medical unit after experiencing unusual auditory and/or sensory stimuli of variable intensity and character, with associated onset of varied neurological manifestations. Initial signs and symptoms pointed toward injury of the auditory system… The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Medical Services, subsequently convened an expert panel in July 2017, which came to consensus that the triage findings were most likely related to neurotrauma from a nonnatural source and recommended that further investigation into this novel cluster of findings was necessary. Reports on the likely source of these sounds and examines the possibility of malicious intent on part of the Cuban government.
Artifact-free Phase-Amplitude Metasurface Holography at up to Three Wavelengths

We report numerical and experimental demonstrations of phase-amplitude metasurface holograms capable of producing 2D holographic images free of “ringing artifacts”. By using a metasurface doublet, this can be extended to three colors simultaneously. © 2019 The Author(s)