cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Respiration-dependent contraction of swollen heart mitochondria: participation of the K+/H+ antiporter.

Respiration-dependent contraction of heart mitochondria swollen passively in K+ nitrate is activated by the ionophore A23187 and inhibited by Mg2+. Ion extrusion and osmotic contraction under these conditions are strongly inhibited by quinine, a known inhibitor of the mitochondrial K+/H+ antiporter, as measured in other systems. The inhibition by quinine is relieved by the exogenous antiporter nigericin. Respiration-dependent contraction is also inhibited by dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD) when reacted under conditions known to inhibit K+/H+ antiport (Martinet al., J. Biol. Chem.259, 2062–2065, 1984). These studies strongly support the concept that K+ is extruded from the matrix by the endogenous K+/H+ antiporter and that inhibition of this component by quinine or DCCD inhibits respiration-dependent contraction. The extrusion of K+ nitrate is accompanied by a respiration-dependent efflux of a considerable portion of the endogenous Mg2+. This Mg2+ efflux does not occur in the presence of nigericin or when the mitochondrial Na+/H+ antiporter is active. Mg2+ efflux may take place on the K+/H+ antiporter. DCCD, reacted under conditions that do not result in inhibition of the K+/H+ antiporter, blocks a monovalent cation uniport pathway. This uniport contributes to futile cation cycling at elevated pH, and its inhibition by DCCD stimulates respiration-dependent contraction.
Cognitive functions of cortical ACh: lessons from studies on trans-synaptic modulation of activated efflux

Trans-synaptic modulation of cortical ACh efflux is a useful approach for determining the functions of cortical ACh. Bilateral modulation of basal forebrain GABAergic transmission by benzodiazepine-receptor agonists and inverse agonists decreases and increases, respectively, activated cortical ACh efflux. The determination of behavioral functions which are mediated via activated cortical ACh efflux, and therefore subject to the effects of basal forebrain GABA-cholinergic manipulations, should promote analyses of the functions of cortical ACh. Trans-synaptic approaches to enhance activated cortical ACh efflux offer some potential for the treatment of cognitive dysfunctions associated with impaired cortical cholinergic transmission.
Synthesis and characterization of fluorinated polybenzoxazoles via solution cyclization techniques

Abstract High molecular weight film-forming flexible fluorinated poly(arylene ether benzoxazole)s, which are suitable as gas separation membranes, adhesives and matrix resins, were synthesized in aprotic dipolar solvents such as N -methyl pyrrolidinone via an intermediate poly(hydroxy amide). The cyclodehydration was subsequently achieved at moderate temperatures (e.g. 150–195°C) in solution via an acid-catalysed ( p -toluene sulfonic acid or pyridine hydrochloride) process. The water of dehydration could be azeotropically removed in an analogous manner to the well known synthesis of polyimides via intermediate poly(amide acid)s. The fluorinated monomers were bis(arylamino phenol)s based upon either the 6F or a novel 3F connecting link. Oxybis(benzoylchloride) appears to be a particularly attractive comonomer which allows the synthesis of soluble high molecular weight products. The amorphous macromolecules produced highly transparent ductile cast films with glass transition temperature values of about 300°C or higher. Semicrystalline morphologies could also be produced by incorporating more rigid comonomers. The synthetic procedures described herein are considered to be attractive relative to several alternative methods described in the literature for the synthesis of amorphous polybenzoxazoles.
Mercury Atomic Beam Lamp

The construction and operation of a simple atomic beam source employing natural mercury is described. Lines of great sharpness are obtained when the emitting beam is viewed perpendicularly to the direction of the flight of the atoms. The Hg198 component of the line 2537 A is isolated from the other components by proper selection of the interferometer spacer so that it can be compared with the same line of the Hg198 Meggers lamp. This comparison shows that the atomic beam line is much sharper and that it is feasible to construct an atomic beam lamp employing a single even isotope of mercury.
Alkali-free ZSM-5 membranes : Preparation conditions and separation performance

Alkali-free, H−ZSM-5 membranes were synthesized by in-situ crystallization on porous α-alumina, γ-alumina, and stainless steel tubular supports. Membranes prepared from different Si sources were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and electron probe microanalysis. Membranes prepared under different conditions were also characterized by single-gas permeances of H2, N2, n-C4H10, i-C4H10, and SF6 and by separation selectivities of n-C4H10/i-C4H10 mixtures from 300 to 473 K. The effects of preparation procedure, crystallization time and temperature, number of synthesis layers, gel dilution, Si source, and type of support were studied. The permeation and separation properties of the membranes depend strongly on the preparation procedure. Permeating synthesis solution into the pores of the support before hydrothermal treatment allows zeolites crystal growth within those pores. Increasing the crystallization time and temperature increases the n-C4H10/i-C4H10 separation selectivities...
Synchronous onset of multiple cutaneous neuroendocrine (Merkel cell) carcinomas localized to the scalp

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare aggressive neoplasm that typically presents as a solitary nodule or plaque on sun-exposed skin of the elderly. Although multiple MCC have been described, they are rare, and metastases must be excluded. We report a case of a 59-year-old white male who presented with abrupt onset of multiple small bluish papules on his frontal scalp. On low power, the tumor had the overall histological silhouette of a nodular basal cell carcinoma. However, because of the lack of an epithelial connection and the cell's cytomorphological features, a MCC was considered and was subsequently confirmed using immunohistochemical stains. The MCC described in this report is unusual in that it presented as multiple cutaneous lesions that arose synchronously, along with micrometastases to sentinel lymph nodes.
Safety and Efficacy of Repeated Doses of 14.6 or 23.4 % Hypertonic Saline for Refractory Intracranial Hypertension

Background The efficacy of administering single bolus doses of 14.6 or 23.4 % hypertonic saline (HTS) to treat refractory intracranial hypertension has been demonstrated in the literature and has emerged as an important therapeutic option in treating these patients. However, many institutions lack experience with this therapy and there are few published studies evaluating the safety of repeated bolus dosing of HTS.
Absorption edge shift in lead-tin telluride

Abstract The absorption edge of lead-tin telluride was determined by means of transmission and photodiode spectral response measurements between 4 and 350K. It is found that degenerate material (P = 1 × 1018cm-3) is characterized by a larger optical energy gap than nondegenerate material. A model suggested by Burstein was used to calculate the expected edge shift and compare it to the experimental results. The density of states effective mass for two samples was obtained by fitting the theoretical and the experimental results.
Two acute pediatric abdominal catastrophes from strangulated left paraduodenal hernias

We present two cases of catastrophic intestinal obstruction from to strangulation of a left paraduodenal hernia (PDH). PDH is the most common internal hernia. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential because of the high morbidity and mortality associated with strangulation. Early involvement of the surgical team without an overly extensive evaluation in the emergency department is important if this diagnostic suspicion exists. PDH should also be considered when there is a history of chronic, intermittent abdominal pain of unclear cause. To our knowledge, these cases are the first described cases of sudden demise within a few hours of onset of symptoms of a left PDH.
Algebraic masks for color halftoning

Linear Pixel Shuffling (LPS) dithering produces blue-noise-like patterns, but the placement of thresholds in a dither matrix is a result of an exact algebra, rather than iterative procedure -- as is usually the case. In this paper, we investigate the potential use of LPS for construction of color (CMYK) dithering masks. In case of LPS dithering, the addition of the same value to each mask threshold, using modular arithmetic, is equivalent to the spatial mask shift. We propose a set of three shifted color masks for C, M, and Y that we construct from the original LPS mask using modular arithmetic. The main advantage of this approach is its simplicity. These shifts can be "tailored" to the statistical properties of the image and the set of new screens can be calculated on the fly. The proposed method enables creation of screens of arbitrary size, since the dithering masks are tiled automatically (actually, the masks are of unlimited size). The number of gray levels in each screen is limited by the choice of a modulus number used for mask thresholds calculation. This enables us to use a virtually unlimited number of thresholds that are not necessarily linearly related to the LPS calculated matrix values. Thus, it is relatively easy to construct a non-linear dither screen that will compensate for any printer non-linearity.
The Na/K-ATPase/Src complex and cardiotonic steroid-activated protein kinase cascades.

The Na/K-ATPase was discovered by Skou in 1957. Since then, the efforts of numerous investigators have led to the following conclusions: (a) This enzyme is indeed the molecular machine for the ATP-dependent and -coupled transport of Na+ and K+ across the plasma membrane of a living cell in which such a process (sodium pump) is detected. (b) The Na/K-ATPase is also an important signal transducer that not only interacts and regulates protein kinases, but also functions as a scaffold, capable of bringing the affector and effectors together to form functional signalosomes. This minireview discusses the interaction between the Na/K-ATPase and Src to illustrate how a P-type ATPase can act as a receptor, converting a ligand-binding signal to the activation of protein kinase cascades and the generation of second messengers.
Persistence of insect viruses in field populations of alfalfa insects.

Abstract The persistence of viruses of five insects was observed in alfalfa fields. The insects were Autographa californica, Colias eurytheme, Pseudaletia unipuncta, Spodoptera exigua, and Trichoplusia ni. The isolated viruses were the granulosis (GV), the cytoplasmic-polyhedrosis (CPV), and the nuclear-polyhedrosis (NPV) viruses. The viruses persisted in the soil, on the alfalfa foliage, and in alternate hosts. In the soil, the viruses persisted even during the winter months when no foliage remained on the plants. Alfalfa sprouts harboring virus-infected larvae of C. eurytheme and S. exigua produced virus infections in larvae of these insects, but those with larvae of A. californica and P. unipuncta did not cause virus infection. The GVs and CPVs isolated from these insects were transmitted to nearly all of the other four species, but the NPVs appeared to be host specific.
The AACC Competencies in Action

This chapter reports on research on presidential perceptions of the AACC competencies. In particular, the research points out what competencies are viewed as most critical, what competencies need further professional development, and what competencies receive less prominence in practice.
Polymerization of 2,6,7-trioxabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane with either contraction or expansion

2 ,6 ,7-Trioxabicyclo[2.2.1] heptane (I) polymerizes to poly ortho ester (Poly-I) at −78°C with opening of one ring and volume shrinkage. Heating Poly-I with acid isomerized it to an open chain poly-ether formate (Poly-II); this occurred with a large volume expansion. Direct conversion of I to Poly-II by heating with acid occurred with net moderate increase. Monomer I is the first reported monomer which can be polymerized with either shrinkage or expansion as desired. Saponification of Poly-II gave Poly-III, a new water-soluble copolymer.
Defining, Understanding, and Supporting Open Collaboration: Lessons From the Literature

In this short introductory piece, we define open collaboration and contextualize the diverse articles in this special issue in a common vocabulary and history. We provide a definition of open collaboration and situate the phenomenon within an interrelated set of scholarly and ideological movements. We then examine the properties of open collaboration systems that have given rise to research and review major areas of scholarship. We close with a summary of consistent findings in open collaboration research to date.
Magnetic properties of tunicate blood cells. II. Ascidia ceratodes

The magnetic properties of intact blood cells of the tunicate Ascidia ceratodes have been measured up to 50 kOe with a SQUID susceptometer. Analysis of total metal contents by plasma emission spectroscopy and V(IV) content by epr indicates that approximately 5% of the accumulated vanadium is +4 vanadyl ion. Measured values of the magnetic moment MP at different values of the applied magnetic field H over the temperature range T = 2–100 K depend on the magnitude of the field indicating magnetic anisotropy of the ground state. The slope of the MP vs. HT curve at high temperature is significantly higher than expected from electron spin S = 1 per vanadium(III) ion. The model that fits these data best is a dimer with one V(III) S = 1 ion ferromagnetically coupled to a second V(III) S = 1 ion, with spin-coupling constant J = 3.5 cm−1, and 5% of the total vanadium content in the form of a V(IV) S = 12 ion. Since vanadium in A. ceratodes is known to reside in at least three different types of blood cell, the excellent fit indicates that the metal is stored predominantly as a dimer regardless of blood cell type. Ferromagnetic coupling implies that the two vanadium ions in the dimer are connected by an unprotonated μ-oxo bridge.
Development of a Multiplex Real-Time PCR for Detection and Differentiation of Malignant Catarrhal Fever Viruses in Clinical Samples

A multiplex real-time PCR was developed using a single pair of primers and fluorescent probes specific for five malignant catarrhal fever viruses and an internal positive control. The assay was able to simultaneously detect and differentiate the viruses in clinical samples with high sensitivity (97.2%) and specificity (100%).
Trial acronyms a trial.

Sir, In the recent review article by McMechan and Adgey,1 there were eight trial acronyms only one of which (DBLE) was ever defined. Journal readers, as well as unsophisticated cardiologists like me, often find the enigmatic collections of unexplained acronyms to be an aggravating experience2 and a hopeless puzzle, especially because each new trial generates a new and often more imaginative acronym.3 I …
The Large Loop Repair and Mismatch Repair Pathways of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Act on Distinct Substrates During Meiosis

During meiotic recombination in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, heteroduplex DNA is formed when single-stranded DNAs from two homologs anneal as a consequence of strand invasion. If the two DNA strands differ in sequence, a mismatch will be generated. Mismatches in heteroduplex DNA are recognized and repaired efficiently by meiotic DNA mismatch repair systems. Components of two meiotic systems, mismatch repair (MMR) and large loop repair (LLR), have been identified previously, but the substrate range of these repair systems has never been defined. To determine the substrates for the MMR and LLR repair pathways, we constructed insertion mutations at HIS4 that form loops of varying sizes when complexed with wild-type HIS4 sequence during meiotic heteroduplex DNA formation. We compared the frequency of repair during meiosis in wild-type diploids and in diploids lacking components of either MMR or LLR. We find that the LLR pathway does not act on single-stranded DNA loops of 19, nucleotides in length, indicating that the two pathways overlap slightly in their substrate range during meiosis. Our data reveal differences in mitotic and meiotic MMR and LLR; these may be due to alterations in the functioning of each complex or result from subtle sequence context influences on repair of the various mismatches examined.
New Insights into Metabolic Signaling and Cell Survival: The Role of β-O-Linkage of N-Acetylglucosamine

The involvement of glucose in fundamental metabolic pathways represents a core element of biology. Late in the 20th century, a unique glucose-derived signal was discovered, which appeared to be involved in a variety of cellular processes, including mitosis, transcription, insulin signaling, stress responses, and potentially, Alzheimer's disease, and diabetes. By definition, this glucose-fed signaling system was a post-translational modification to proteins. However, unlike classical cotranslational N-glycosylation occurring in the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus, this process occurs elsewhere throughout the cell in a highly dynamic fashion, similar to the quintessential post-translational modification, phosphorylation. This more recently described post-translational modification, the beta-O-linkage of N-acetylglucosamine (i.e., O-GlcNAc) to nucleocytoplasmic proteins, represents an under-investigated area of biology. This signaling system operates in all of the tissues examined and seems to have persisted throughout all multicellular eukaryotes. Thus, it comes with little surprise that O-GlcNAc signaling is an integral system and viable target for biomedical investigation. This system may be a boundless source for insight into a variety of diseases and yield numerous opportunities for drug design. This Perspective will address recent insights into O-GlcNAc signaling in the cardiovascular system as a paradigm for its involvement in other biological systems.
Hepatic apolipoprotein E expression promotes very low density lipoprotein-apolipoprotein B production in vivo in mice.

In addition to its role in the uptake of apolipo- protein B (apoB)-containing lipoproteins, apoE promotes hepatic very low density lipoprotein-triglyceride (VLDL- TG) production in animal models. However, it is not known if apoE increases the amount of TG per VLDL particle or the number of VLDL particles secreted. VLDL-apoB pro- duction is a measure of the rate of VLDL particle secretion. We determined the effects of apoE deficiency and apoE over- expression on VLDL-apoB production in mice. ( 35 S)methio- nine was injected into endogenously label VLDL-apoB and Triton WR-1339 was simultaneously injected to block the ca- tabolism of VLDL. Compared with wild-type mice, the VLDL-apoB production rate was decreased by 33% in apoE- deficient mice. Conversely, VLDL-apoB production was in- creased by 48% in mice overexpressing apoE compared with controls. Nascent VLDL, obtained from post-Triton plasma, had a decreased, not increased, content of TG per apoB in the apoE-overexpressing group compared with the control group. This study demonstrates that hepatic apoE expres- sion increases the output of VLDL triglyceride by increasing the production rate of VLDL-apoB, suggesting that hepatic apoE influences the number of VLDL particles secreted by the liver .—Maugeais, C., U. J. F. Tietge, K. Tsukamoto, J. M. Glick, and D. J. Rader. Hepatic apolipoprotein E expression promotes very low density lipoprotein-apolipoprotein B pro- duction in vivo in mice. J. Lipid Res. 2000. 41: 1673-1679.
The ultrastructure of the “prismless” enamel of deciduous teeth

Abstract The morphology of the outer “prismless” enamel of deciduous human teeth was investigated by polarized light microscopy, microradiography, X-ray diffraction analysis and electron microscopy. Replicas were prepared from the longitudinal cut surface of each tooth halved through its long axis. In addition, longitudinal ground sections approximately 30μ thick were also prepared. The difference in crystallite arrangement between the “prismless” and underlying enamel, as indicated by a difference in extinction behaviour between the two enamel sites and the formation of a double arc in the (002) position of the diffractograms, was illustrated by electron microscopy. The general crystallite direction in the “prismless” enamel was approximately perpendicular to the enamel periphery, while the underlying enamel showed a spread in crystallite direction.
From mouse to human: fine mapping of quantitative trait loci in a model organism.

The classical theory of inheritance of quantitative traits, or traits exhibiting continuous variation, specifies that a very large number of genetic determinants each contribute a small amount to the phenotype or trait value (1). Such quantitative traits present a much greater challenge for mapping and identification of genetic determinants than do simple Mendelian traits, especially in humans and other natural populations. Success in mapping quantitative trait loci (QTL) in humans has so far been limited (2). Model organisms, such as mouse, have the tremendous advantage that breeding can be controlled by the experimenter. Furthermore, one can expect that some genetic determinants of quantitative traits in mouse will have homologues in humans. In a paper in this issue of PNAS, Mott et al. (3) describe a promising technique for QTL localization in mouse by using a genetically heterogeneous stock (HS).
Analysis of fault-tolerant neurocontrol architectures

The fault-tolerance of analog parallel distributed implementations of a multivariable aircraft neurocontroller is analyzed by simulating weight and neuron failures in a simplified scheme of analog processing based on the functional architecture of the electrically trainable analog neural network (ETANN) chip. The neural information processing is found to be only partially distributed throughout the set of weights of the neurocontroller synthesized with the backpropagation algorithm. Although the degree of distribution of the neural processing, and consequently the fault-tolerance of the neurocontroller, could be enhanced using locally distributed weight and neuron approaches, a satisfactory level of fault-tolerance could only be obtained by retraining the degraded VLSI neurocontroller. The possibility of maintaining neurocontrol performance and stability in the presence of single weight or neuron failures was demonstrated through an automated retraining procedure of the neurocontroller based on a pre-programmed choice and sequence of the training parameters. >
A escola normal, as professoras primárias e a educação feminina no Rio de Janeiro no fim do século XIX

Este artigo examina aspectos da educacao feminina, da natureza do magisterio primario e do papel da Escola Normal, concentrando-se no Rio de Janeiro, no fim do seculo XIX. Empregando fontes documentais para investigar as formas de emprego feminino, as opcoes economicas, as aspiracoes e o status social das professoras, as mudancas ocorridas no magisterio e a natureza da Escola Normal e seu desenvolvimento, tenta-se descobrir quem eram as professoras e como foi a sua educacao, clarificando, assim, a natureza do processo da feminizacao da educacao primaria no Brasil.
The Disproportionate Impact of Indiana Voter-ID Requirements on the Electorate - New Evidence from Indiana

This article analyzes the impact that voter-identification laws may have on the electorate in the state of Indiana. Cross-state comparisons are interesting, but they are insufficient if we are to investigate the disparate impact strict voter-identification laws will have on unique sub-populations. The ability to analyze representative data for specific segments of the Indiana electorate allows for a direct test of whether photo-identification laws negatively impact the poor, the elderly,and racial/ethnic minorities as the plaintiffs in Crawford v. Marion contend. Numerous claims have been made that voter-identification laws do and do not have a discriminatory affect,however such claims have not been based on individual-level datasets. This analysis hopes to shed some light on the actual consequences of these laws.
Using dynamical downscaling to examine mechanisms contributing to the intensification of Central U.S. heavy rainfall events

The frequency and intensity of heavy rainfall events have increased in the Central U.S. over the last several decades, and model projections from dynamical downscaling suggest a continuation with climate change. In this study, we examine how climate change might affect mechanisms related to the development of heavy rainfall events that occur on the scale of mesoscale convective systems over the Central U.S. To accomplish these goals, we incorporate dynamical downscaled simulations of two Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 models in the Weather Research and Forecasting model that accurately simulate heavy rainfall events. For each model, a set of heavy rainfall events that match the frequency, timing, and intensity of observed events are objectively identified in historical and future simulations. We then examine multimodel composites of select atmospheric fields during these events in simulations of historical and future scenarios, enabling an identification of possible physical mechanisms that could contribute to the intensification of heavy rainfall events with climate change. Simulations show that additional moisture is transported into convective updrafts during heavy rain events in future simulations, driving stronger evaporative cooling from the entrainment of drier midtropospheric air. This results in the formation of a stronger low-level cold pool, which enhances moisture convergence above the cold pool and increases rainfall rates during future heavy precipitation events. In addition, a warmer profile in future simulations might allow for heavier rainfall rates as a deeper atmospheric column can support additional collision-coalescence of liquid hydrometeors.
Thermal quenching of luminescence in six thermoluminescent dosimetry phosphors—I: Quenching of X-ray-excited radioluminescence

Abstract The role played by the thermal quenching of luminiscence in thermoluminescent (TL) dosimeters has not been investigated previously. If thermal quenching is operative in the temperature region of the glow-peak, changes in heating rate which cause the temperature position of the peak to change would result in non-constant light sums. The direct measure of the TL light sum or the glow-peak height as a function of heating rate is technically difficult. The main problem is that the phosphor temperature tends to lag behind the heating-planchet temperature by an amount which is a function of the heating rate and the degree of thermal coupling. Thus a thermocouple attached to the planchet provides an erroneous measure of the phosphor temperature. Initially (Part I of this paper) this problem was side-stepped by studying the thermal quenching of the X-ray-excited radioluminescence under static thermal conditions. Because of the observed similarity of these emission spectra to the corresponding thermoluminescence spectra, the emitting centers involved in both processes are probably the same for each phosphor studied. The resulting curves of brightness vs. temperature were found generally to exhibit large discontinuities in the vicinity of the TL glow-peak temperatures, and were therefore difficult to interpret in terms of quenching of thermoluminescence. For this reason, the measurements of Part II of this paper were undertaken.
Photochemistry of the 1,4-Diphenyl-1,3-butadienes in Ethanol. Trapping Conical Intersections

We report photoisomerization and photoaddition quantum yields in ethanol starting from each 1,4-diphenyl-1,3-butadiene, DPB, isomer. Despite the fact that the trans,trans isomer, tt-DPB, has a significant fluorescence quantum yield and lifetime, whereas no fluorescence is observed from the cis isomers, ether formation occurs with similar efficiency from tt-DPB and ct-DPB and less efficiently from cc-DPB. Photoaddition is about 72 times slower than photoisomerization to the ct- and tt-DPB isomers starting from tt- and ct-DPB, respectively. The results are consistent with addition of alcohol to the common zwitterionic trans-phenallyl cation/benzyl anion intermediate that leads to photoisomerization through a conical intersection. Ether formation from cc-DPB tracks inefficient formation of tt-DPB indicating that the small bicycle pedal cc-DPB → tt-DPB component proceeds stepwise through the same zwitterionic trans-phenallyl cation/benzyl anion intermediate. Previous results concerning the addition of methano...
New k-medoids clustering algorithm

For the disadvantages that sensitivity to centers initialization, lower clustering accuracy and slow convergent speed of k-medoids algorithm, a novel k-medoids algorithm based on density initialization, density of iterative search strategy and optimization criterion function is proposed. The Initialization of the algorithm is that, it chooses k cluster centers in the high-density area which are far apart, effectively positioning of the final cluster center. To replace the centers are in the ranges which are proximity to the k-initial centers, to reduce the scope of the search candidate point. Criterion function of equalization based on class density and within-class density weighted is adopted to improve the clustering precision. Experimental results show that this algorithm can improve the clustering quality, shorten the clustering time compared with traditional k-medoids algorithms or other improved algorithms.
HPLC DETERMINATION OF BENZALDEHYDE IN DRINKS

RP-HPLC was applied to the determination of benzaldehyde in drinks. Linearity was kept between the peak area of the chromatogram of benzaldehyde and its concentration in the range of 1. 0 - 100. 0 mg·kg-1 (r=0. 999 8), with a detection limit of 0. 1 mg·kg-1. Tests for precision and recovery were carried at 3 concentration levels, i. e. 10. 0, 50. 0 and 100. 0 mg·kg-1, values of RSD's (n=6) obtained were in the range of 2. 0% -3. 4%, and values of recoveries were in the range from 99. 3% -102. 6%.
Evolutionary divide and conquer (II) for the TSP

Results presented in recent papers demonstrate that it is possible to produce high quality solutions to TSP instances of up to several hundred cities using simple greedy heuristics when a Genetic Algorithm (GA) is used to perturb the city coordinates. The present paper extends the earlier studies to larger problems and a divide and conquer algorithm in the style of Richard Karp. Using a GA to perturb city coordinates in conjunction with a divide and conquer algorithm the feasibility of solving large problems to within a few percent of optimality is demonstrated. The exceptionally rapid execution times of Karp's algorithms together with their almost linear run-time scaling at O(nlogn) set them apart from most other heuristic algorithms.
Born in the USSR: Children vs. Ideology and the Impact of Database Cinema

Download this article from UCL Discovery here. In 2012, state-controlled television channel Russia 1 chose prime time on September 1, when schools celebrate Knowledge Day, to premiere the fourth installment of Born in the USSR. The documentary series launched in the Soviet Union in 1989 and was based on the same premise as Michael Apted’s acclaimed UK-based project Up Series that tracked the lives of 14 British children at seven-year intervals starting from 1964. Since 1989, when Born in the USSR introduced a group of 20 seven-year old children from different parts of the Soviet Union, the series, directed by the leading Russian documentarian Sergei Miroshnichenko, has released four episodes. Born in the USSR functions as a database on multiple levels: it represents a historical archive of personal data collection, assumes totality of coverage (to report on an entire life and cover the map of the USSR); every element of it works for a larger picture; there is a basic algorithm that generates a larger whole, and it unites all kinds of data, while each element of it is attributed equal significance. The article argues that the database structure of the film makes it resistant to the country’s attempts to frame it within the rhetoric of the rebuilding of Soviet Russia. Thus, the last section of this article will focus on the series’ database structure to support this claim.
Preparing Social Work Students to Practice in Diverse Communities through Difficult Digital Dialogues

ABSTRACTThis study discusses the qualitative lessons learned from a joint social work difficult dialogue education project undertaken by students from a historically Black college and university (HBCU) and those from a predominantly White institution (PWI). The assignment utilized critical pedagogy as a guiding theory to facilitate difficult dialogues about diversity, privilege, and difference through social media and technology. Qualitative data analyzed from the project points to the usefulness and challenges of using social media and technology in facilitating difficult dialogues as well as the need to train students more purposely in the effective use of social media and technology during their education in order to prepare them for practice.
Identification of a selective small-molecule inhibitor of type 1 adenylyl cyclase activity with analgesic properties

Adenylyl cyclase 1 (AC1) belongs to a group of adenylyl cyclases (ACs) that are stimulated by calcium in a calmodulin-dependent manner. Studies with AC1 knockout mice suggest that inhibitors of AC1 may be useful for treating pain and opioid dependence. However, nonselective inhibition of AC isoforms could result in substantial adverse effects. We used chemical library screening to identify a selective AC1 inhibitor with a chromone core structure that may represent a new analgesic agent. After demonstrating that the compound (ST034307) inhibited Ca2+-stimulated adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP) accumulation in human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells stably transfected with AC1 (HEK-AC1 cells), we confirmed selectivity for AC1 by testing against all isoforms of membrane-bound ACs. ST034307 also inhibited AC1 activity stimulated by forskolin- and Gαs-coupled receptors in HEK-AC1 cells and showed inhibitory activity in multiple AC1-containing membrane preparations and mouse hippocampal homogenates. ST034307 enhanced μ-opioid receptor (MOR)-mediated inhibition of AC1 in short-term inhibition assays in HEK-AC1 cells stably transfected with MOR; however, the compound blocked heterologous sensitization of AC1 caused by chronic MOR activation in these cells. ST034307 reduced pain responses in a mouse model of inflammatory pain. Our data indicate that ST034307 is a selective small-molecule inhibitor of AC1 and suggest that selective AC1 inhibitors may be useful for managing pain.
Religious Ambivalence, Liminality, and the Increase of No Religious Preference in the United States, 2006–2014

Americans identified less and less with organized religion over the past two decades. Yet apparently, many people who no longer identify with a religion are not consistently nonreligious. Reinterviews reveal that many people who express no religious preference in one survey name a religion when asked the same question in a subsequent interview. Past research called this phenomenon a “liminal” status. This article improves estimates of liminality by using three interviews and a better statistical model. About 20 percent of Americans were liminal in recent years, 10 percent were consistently nonreligious, and 70 percent were consistently religious. Falling religious identification in cross-sectional data over the last three decades reflects slow change in religious identity, but some of the rise of the nones is due to more liminals saying they have no religion. Liminals appear equally among people raised conservative Protestant, mainline Protestant, or Catholic.
Creativity in Seventeen Syllables - Haiku for Learning

BRIEF SESSION DESCRIPTION: This session will offer the use of haiku poetry as a method for promoting creativity in the classroom as part of a mindfulness exercise. ________________________________________________________________ FULL ABSTRACT: In this session, I will demonstrate the use of haiku to promote creativity in thinking and discuss the role of creativity in learning theory. This process can be used as a mindfulness exercise to transform the learning environment from a structured focus to a rich more open-ended engaged thought process. In distance learning and the traditional classroom setting, students can compose a haiku in a few minutes with no prior experience, given a few guidelines. In my graduate-level capstone course at Mason, I use haiku writing as a way for students to think about their practice, characterizing their work as a vision-based calling instead of a series of tasks. Such creative mindfulness exercises take a constructivist approach useful in any discipline, including the social and physical sciences to help students step back from a linear daily world and into a more creative learning environment. We will spend most of the session crafting and sharing our haiku creations to demonstrate the simplicity of the activity, the creativity locked inside all of us, and the value of transformative critical thinking. In this session, I will provide learning-focused images and objects to prompt participants in haiku crafting and they will write about a specific moment in classroom learning. I will also provide a reference guide citing informing principles and specific resources. Teachers in virtually any discipline could use this as an opening exercise to transform minds from a digital world into deeper thinking about the topic of the day. In my experience in teaching a range of subjects from astronomy to conflict analysis and resolution, this technique would be of value, in my view.
Dividend Policy and Market Movements

Using S&P 500 monthly returns as a proxy for market conditions, we investigate whether investors prefer dividend-paying stocks to non-dividend-paying stocks in declining markets. We find that dividend-paying firms have higher returns than non-dividend-paying firms, especially in declining markets. These results are robust for adjustments for risk using CAPM adjusted deciles, CAPM excess returns, the Fama-French three-factor model, and dividing the sample into size and book-to-market quartiles. Furthermore, we find that the simple payment of dividends, and not the level of the dividend yield, drives returns' asymmetric behavior relative to market movements, consistent with the signaling hypothesis of dividends.
An analysis of anthropometric geometric variability of the lower leg for the fit & function of advanced functional garments

As advanced functional apparel (e.g. wearable technology) continues to develop and permeate the consumer market, sizing and fit for the human body have become obstacles to consumer accessibility and garment functionality. This study develops sizing and design strategies for an advanced functional compression garment for the lower leg through an investigation of anthropometric geometric variability of the North American civilian population (using the CAESAR database). We extracted six lower leg measurements - ankle, calf, and knee circumferences as well as knee-to ankle, knee-to-calf, and ankle-to-calf lengths - from a sample of CAESAR three-dimensional body scans (n = 160) and ran descriptive statistics to quantify lower leg variability. We then arranged the sample population separately using six different grouping variables - body mass index (BMI), height, weight, knee-to-ankle length, ankle circumference, calf circumference, and knee circumference - and conducted an analysis of variance (ANOVA) using each sorting algorithm to determine which variable(s) produced the most distinct groups (quartiles) for the anthropometric dimensions of interest (e.g., lower leg circumferences/lengths). The results conclude that sorting by BMI does not produce statistically discrete sizes; however, sorting by ankle circumference does (p
Optical emission spectroscopy of carbon laser plasma ion source

Abstract Carbon laser plasma generated by an Nd:YAG laser (wavelength 1064 nm, pulse width 7 ns, fluence 4–52 J cm−2) is studied by optical emission spectroscopy and ion time-of-flight. Up to C 4 + ions are detected with the ion flux strongly dependent on the laser fluence. The increase in ion charge with the laser fluence is accompanied by observation of multicharged ion lines in the optical spectra. The time-integrated electron temperature T e is calculated from the Boltzmann plot using the C II lines at 392.0, 426.7, and 588.9 nm. T e is found to increase from ∼ 0.83 eV for a laser fluence of 22 J cm−2 to ∼ 0.90 eV for 40 J cm−2. The electron density n e is obtained from the Stark broadened profiles of the C II line at 392 nm and is found to increase from ∼ 2 . 1 × 1 0 17 c m − 3 for 4 J cm−2 to ∼ 3 . 5 × 1 0 17 c m − 3 for 40 J cm−2. Applying an external electric field parallel to the expanding plume shows no effect on the line emission intensities. Deconvolution of ion time-of-flight signal with a shifted Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution for each charge state results in an ion temperature T i ∼ 4.7 and ∼ 6.0 eV for 20 and 36 J cm−2, respectively.
Progressives’ Plantation: The Tea Party’s Complex Relationship with Race

This chapter explores how American racial politics is conceived within the cultural world of the Tea Party Movement. Tea Partyists forge a “figured world”, a socially produced horizon of meaning and activities, which constitute the symbolic, discursive, and affective context for members’ political identity. Figured worlds act as interpretive frames and cultural schemas used to judge events, people, and issues including America’s racial divide. Westermeyer’s chapter seeks to replace some of the poorly grounded claims of the Tea Party emergence based on goals of racial domination with forms of bias and essentialism which more accurately reflect contemporary American race politics. Moreover, by illustrating the personal meaning-making being undertaken by Tea Partyists, the article illustrates the contributions of psychological anthropology to the study of social movements.
Kinematics of the 2015 San Ramon, California earthquake swarm: Implications for fault zone structure and driving mechanisms

Abstract Earthquake swarms represent a sudden increase in seismicity that may indicate a heterogeneous fault-zone, the involvement of crustal fluids and/or slow fault slip. Swarms sometimes precede major earthquake ruptures. An earthquake swarm occurred in October 2015 near San Ramon, California in an extensional right step-over region between the northern Calaveras Fault and the Concord–Mt. Diablo fault zone, which has hosted ten major swarms since 1970. The 2015 San Ramon swarm is examined here from 11 October through 18 November using template matching analysis. The relocated seismicity catalog contains ∼4000 events with magnitudes between − 0.2 M d 3.6 . The swarm illuminated three sub-parallel, southwest striking and northwest dipping fault segments of km-scale dimension and thickness of up to 200 m. The segments contain coexisting populations of different focal-mechanisms, suggesting a complex fault zone structure with several sets of en echelon fault orientations. The migration of events along the three planar structures indicates a complex fluid and faulting interaction processes. We searched for correlations between seismic activity and tidal stresses and found some suggestive features, but nothing that we can be confident is statistically significant.
Critical CinéEthnographic Methods : a New Dimension for Capturing the Experience of Learning in Twenty-First Century Qualitative Research

Learning technologies continue to grow in complexity, making it increasingly difficult to understand their impacts on stakeholders using traditional research methods. While comparison and treatment studies, may show if a digital learning tool improved learning, the why, when, and how questions of user experience are often left unexplored. This paper provides a description of Critical CineEthnography, a research approach that leverages the many forms of media that result from today’s learning technologies, including video, personal artifacts, and screen images. This approach provides researchers with the ability to build deep qualitative depictions of the stakeholders’ complex digital learning experiences, while also allowing an outcome that can more easily communicate with a practitioner audience. Critical CineEthnography supports the building of a complex picture of participants as they actively use technologies. The video results can be easily shared with academics and practitioners alike using widely available online platforms.
Activities in Space and Time

This chapter discusses theories and methods for analyzing the interrelationship of human activities in space and time, focusing on time geography; and elegant and powerful framework. The relevance of time geography for analyzing real world transportation and communication systems has improved tremendously in recent years with the rise of geographic information technologies such as geographic information systems (GIS) and the global positioning system (GPS). At the same time, information technologies such the Internet and mobile telephone have drastically altered the relationships between geo-space and time in the real world, creating fascinating and imperative research challenges. The “new time geography” has great potential for guiding land use and transportation systems toward more livable and sustainable outcomes.
Enhancement of 7,12-Dimethylbenz(a)anthracene Mammary Carcinogenesis by a High Lard Diet

Enhancement of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA)-induced mammary carcinogenesis in rats by diets containing 20–25% polyunsaturated vegetable oils or lard has been demonstrated in several laboratories (Carroll, 1980; Rogers et al., 1982). In contrast to corn oil, which enhances tumorigenesis if fed after DMBA administration and has been considered to act only on promotion, lard enhanced tumorigenesis when it was fed before and after DMBA treatment but not when it was fed only after treatment (Rogers et al., 1982; Wetsel et al., 1981). Silvermanet al (1980) reported a similar timing of the enhancement of X-ray induced mammary tumorigenesis by lard. Dao and Chan (1983) reported that an effect of corn oil at initiation of tumorigenesis could be demonstrated by altering the standard protocols and that duration of feeding high-fat diets might be as important as timing.
Microorganisms: A Remarkable Source of Diverse Chemical Structures for Herbicide Discovery

The success of any high throughput chemical screening program is largely dependent upon the quality and structural diversity of the compounds tested. The exceptional biosynthetic capabilities of microorganisms suggest that the search for novel microbial metabolites possessing activity against plant diseases, insects, and weeds could be a particularly valuable addition to a classical synthetic chemical screen.1 This approach has been validated by the commercial introduction of weed control products based upon the streptomycete metabolite phosphinothricylalanylalanine2 and by the introduction of insect control products based upon the streptomycete metabolite avermectin.3