cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Breakthrough Predictions in Multicomponent ion Exchange Processes for Nitrate Removal

Abstract Equilibrium multicomponent chromatography theory with interference as explained by Helfferich and others provides a very useful tool for the estimation of breakthrough curves and compositions of exhausted ion-exchange beds in nitrate removal service. In many cases, the ideal shapes of the concentration histories and profiles may be readily calculated from a derived set of general rules and equations assuming constant separation factores. The nitrate and sulfate effluent breakthrough curves from both weak and strong base anion beds with four-component feed (SO4−24, NO3−, Cl−, HCO3−) solutions have been accurately predicted using the multicomponent equilibrium theory. In addition to predicting the length of a run, the theory has been shown to be particularly useful for predicting the final composition of the exhausted bed a nitrate breakthrough when treating nitrate-contaminated drinking water. Some deviations from theory are explained in terms of violations of the model assumptions.
Progress in the Synthesis of Poly (3-hexylthiophene)

Polythiophene synthesis has undergone a multitude of changes, starting from the initial methods of acid-catalyzed polymerizations with low yields of oligomeric polythiophenes to modern methods using transition metal-based catalysts that allow controlled synthesis of poly(alkylthiophene)s with high molecular weight and regioregularity. The discovery of the opto-electronic properties of conjugated polymers played a major role in this development. Further improvements such as externally initiated polymerization not only enabled the synthesis of polymers that are almost 100% regioregular, but also gave the capability for in situ synthesis of these polymers on substrates, which increases their applicability in opto-electronic devices. This chapter summarizes developments in the methodology of polythiophene synthesis.
Application of nitrogen-15 NMR to polymers

A large number of polymers for commercial use as well as biological macromolecules are based on nitrogen containing monomers. Thus, the understanding of their structure and molecular dynamics is of great importance. Practical observation of low natural abundance and sensitivity of 15N isotope was made possible with the development of Fourier Transform techniques, although precise structural analysis and relaxation measurements require isotopic enrichment. The review summarizes all aspects of solution and solid state 15N NMR techniques for the study of structure, conformation and molecular dynamics in linear and crosslinked polymers such as polyamides (nylons), synthetic polypeptides, conducting polymers, urea and melamine based resins. The application of recently developed NMR techniques significantly improves our understanding of structural and dynamical properties of nitrogen containing polymers at the molecular level.
Effects of interleukin-4 on the in vitro growth of human lymphoid and plasma cell neoplasms

Recombinant human interleukin-4 (rhIL-4) has pleiotropic biologic effects including stimulation of normal B-cell growth. We investigated the effects of rhIL-4 on the in vitro growth of 35 fresh human lymphoid and plasma cell malignancies. Inhibition of growth was seen in 52% and 60% of multiple myeloma and lymphoma specimens, respectively. Growth was stimulated relative to control in 8.6% (3 of 35) of the tumors tested. Immunophenotyping showed that tumors displaying growth stimulation expressed surface markers associated with a poor clinical prognosis. Our findings support the clinical evaluation of rhIL-4 as a therapeutic agent in selected patients with lymphoid and plasma cell neoplasms.
Mapping the phase and amplitude of ossicular chain motion using sound-synchronous optical coherence vibrography.

The sound-driven vibration of the tympanic membrane and ossicular chain of middle-ear bones is fundamental to hearing. Here we show that optical coherence tomography in phase synchrony with a sound stimulus is well suited for volumetric, vibrational imaging of the ossicles and tympanic membrane. This imaging tool — OCT vibrography — provides intuitive motion pictures of the ossicular chain and how they vary with frequency. Using the chinchilla ear as a model, we investigated the vibrational snapshots and phase delays of the manubrium, incus, and stapes over 100 Hz to 15 kHz. The vibrography images reveal a previously undescribed mode of motion of the chinchilla ossicles at high frequencies.
Walking in Wild Emptiness: A Zen Phenomenology

Drawing on Gary Snyder’s notion of the wild, which he uses to describe the Chinese term dao, or the way of Great Nature, this essay takes up through a series of comparisons with such diverse thinkers as Eihei Dōgen, Martin Heidegger, and Alphonso Lingis, the fundamental question of what it means to be human. More specifically, it is an inquiry into the activity of being human, that is, what does it mean to move and dwell on the Earth. Focusing on the concept of emptiness, in both its Buddhist and Western connotations, the activity of traveling and dwelling—here described as walking—is considered in relation to what it means to be among other non-human entities and elements such as animals, mountains, water, and sky. The resulting reorientation from such interaction, which is becoming more alien in our increasingly technological world, is necessary if we are to retain, or recover, a sense of what it means to be fully human.
AutoTag: Recurrent Variational Autoencoder for Unsupervised Apnea Detection with RFID Tags

With the growth of smart healthcare in the Internet of Things (IoT), breathing monitoring and apnea detection are of increasing importance. In this paper, we propose AutoTag, a recurrent variational autoencoder model for breathing and apnea detection with commodity RFID Tags. The AutoTag system consists of signal extraction, calibration, and respiration monitoring modules. We propose a novel method to mitigate the frequency hopping offset with realtime calibration for FCC complaint RFID systems, and a new recurrent variational autoencoder method for apnea and breathing detection. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed AutoTag system in two different environments.
Photomicrography of the middle ear ossicles

I removed temporal bone sections from human cadavers with the help of my colleagues. From there, I utilized a Dremel tool to access the otic capsule and remove the malleus, incus, and stapes from each section. Not all attempts were successful due to the fragile nature of these bones. I extracted a total of 5 stapes, an incus, and 2 mallei in total. These bones were photographed using photomicrography: a 35 mm film camera attached to a microscope. The purpose of this research is to provide high quality images of the middle ear ossicles for educational purposes and learning tools. The ossicles will also be present in addition to the poster for individuals to hold and accurately grasp the size of these bones.
Pre- and Early Pregnancy Onset Depression and Subsequent Rate of Gestational Weight Gain.

Abstract Background: Depression is associated with weight change outside of pregnancy. We assessed associations of prepregnancy or early pregnancy onset depression with gestational weight gain (GWG...
Vagal stimulation and laryngeal electromyography for recurrent laryngeal reinnervation in children

Ansa-to-recurrent laryngeal nerve (ANSA-RLN) reinnervation procedures are now often first-line treatments for some children with unilateral vocal fold immobility. Although many describe that children with prolonged denervation and true vocal fold atrophy should not undergo this procedure, there has been no gold-standard means of identifying true denervation. Here, we describe a novel technique using evoked vagal electromyography to predict degree of chronic nerve injury prior to recurrent laryngeal nerve reinnervation in children. This is a simple, readily available technique that may play an important role in predicting likelihood of success with pediatric ANSA-RLN reinnervation. Laryngoscope, 130:747-751, 2020.
Studien – was gibt es Neues?

Wissenschaft und Forschung der modernen Zeit tragen nicht nur zur Entwicklung der Menschen bei, sondern greifen auch in diese ein, indem sie mit neuen Wirkstoffen, neuen Wirkstoffkombinationen, neuen galenischen Formen, neuen Anwendungsgebieten fur bestehende Arzneimittel bis hin zur Gentherapie alles bieten, um physiologische Systeme zu beeinflussen. Diese personalisierten Therapieformen bringen grose Veranderungen in die Versorgungsprozesse. Die Etablierung einer neuen Studiengeneration, mit der es moglich ist, die Erfolge zielgerichteter Therapien bei mehr Patienten in kurzester Zeit umzusetzen, ist zwingend notwendig und bedingt neben gesetzlichen Anpassungen auch moderne Richtlinien in der Personalentwicklung.
Higher-Kinded Data Types: Syntax and Semantics

We present a grammar for a robust class of data types that includes algebraic data types (ADTs), (truly) nested types, generalized algebraic data types (GADTs), and their higher-kinded analogues. All of the data types our grammar defines, as well as their associated type constructors, are shown to have fully functorial initial algebra semantics in locally presentable categories. Since local presentability is a modest hypothesis, needed for such semantics for even the simplest ADTs, our semantic framework is actually quite conservative. Our results thus provide evidence that if a category supports fully functorial initial algebra semantics for standard ADTs, then it does so for advanced higher-kinded data types as well. To give our semantics we introduce a new type former called Lan. that captures on the syntactic level the categorical notion of a left Kan extension. We show how left Kan extensions capture propagation of a data type's syntactic generators across the entire universe of types, via a certain completion procedure, so that the type constructor associated with a data type becomes a bonafide functor with a canonical action on morphisms. A by-product of our semantics is a precise measure of the semantic complexity of data types, given by the least cardinal $\lambda$ for which the functor underlying a data type is $\lambda$ -accessible. The proof of our main result allows this cardinal to be read off from a data type definition without much effort. It also gives a sufficient condition for a data type to have semantic complexity $\omega$ , thus characterizing those data types whose data elements are effectively enumerable.
Alk1 mutant endothelial cells undergo clonal expansion in mouse brain arteriovenous malformations

Abstract Rationale Mutation in human arteriovenous malformation (AVM) causative genes in a fraction of endothelial cells (ECs) causes AVMs in mice. It is unclear how a small number of mutant ECs can lead to AVM formation. Objective To understand how a fraction of mutant ECs causes AVM, we tested the following hypotheses: (1) activin receptor-like kinase 1 (Alk1 or Acvlr1) mutant brain ECs undergo clonal expansion upon angiogenic stimulation, (2) Alk1 mutant ECs display growth advantage, (3) the burden of Alk1 mutant ECs correlates with AVM severity, and (4) Alk1 mutant bone marrow (BM) derived ECs alone is sufficient to cause AVM. Methods and Results We used PdgfbiCreER;Alk1f/f;confetti+/− mice which express an EC-specific tamoxifen (TM)-inducible Cre recombinase, a Cre-regulated confetti transgene, and Alk1 floxed alleles. Brain AVMs were induced by direct brain injection of an adeno-associated viral vector expressing vascular endothelial growth factor (AAV-VEGF) followed with intra-peritoneal injection of TM two weeks later. Color-predominance of confetti reporter in AVMs compared to control brain ECs suggested that clonal expansion was associated with AVM development. We treated PdgfbiCreER;Alk1f/f with different doses of TM to create a mosaic of wild-type (WT) and mutant ECs and found that equal numbers of Alk1+ and Alk1− ECs were proliferating. Increase of TM dose increased the number of Alk1− ECs, the abnormal vessels in brain AVMs, the number of arteriovenous shunts in the intestines, and mouse mortality. To test if mutation of Alk1 in BM-derived ECs can cause brain AVM, we transplanted WT mice with BM of PdgfbiCreER;Alk1f/f mice. After AAV-VEGF and TM treatment, these mice developed AVMs in their brains and arteriovenous shunts in their intestines. Conclusion Clonal expansion of Alk1 mutant ECs could partly explain why a fraction of mutant ECs causes AVM. Mutation of AVM causal genes in BM-derived ECs is sufficient to cause AVM formation.
Making Lanka the Tamil way: a temple history at the crossroads of landscapes & watersheds

The oldest extant Tamil ‘place history’ (tala purāṇam) of a Sri Lankan temple is Taṭcaṇa Kayilāca Purāṇam, composed circa the sixteenth century, describing Koneswaram at Trincomalee, dubbed a ‘Sout...
Specimen Preparation/Extraction

The chapter covers the wide range of biological specimens collected in forensic cases that are submitted to the laboratory for toxicological analysis (e.g., blood, urine, vitreous, liver, kidney, hair, saliva, etc.). Specimen collection, handling, and aliquoting are covered as part of routine specimen triage for the various types of analyses that can be performed. Numerous methodologies are available for specimen preparation and/or extraction. Fundamentals of protein precipitation, bound/unbound drugs and metabolites, acidic or enzymatic hydrolysis, specimen digestion, and tissue homogenization are presented. Classic methodologies for liquid/liquid extraction (LLE), solid phase extraction (SPE), solid phase microextraction (SPME), and supported liquid extraction (SLE) are reviewed. More recently developed techniques that have been applied to forensic toxicology such as “dilute and shoot” and “QuEChERS” are presented and critiqued. Standard techniques for specimen preparation and/or extraction are presented and compared/contrasted based on their advantages and disadvantages to the toxicologist.
Gene expression profile of Transgenic Adenocarcinoma of the Mouse Prostate (TRAMP) reveals murine targets for preclinical development of human prostate cancer therapy

3882 Introduction and Objective: A persistent obstacle to translation of preclinical mouse studies to effective human prostate cancer therapy is a lack of defined molecular expression patterns in mouse models that correspond to the human counterpart. TRAMP mice have been widely studied, but TRAMP prostate microarray data are not yet publicly available. We sought to generate an open source TRAMP microarray dataset and to use this array to identify differentially expressed genes from human prostate cancer that have concordant expression in TRAMP tumors, and thereby represent lead targets for preclinical therapy development. Methods: Affymetrix Mouse 430 2.0 chips were used for microarrays of total RNA from 8 TRAMP tumors and 9 normal prostates (ventral and dorsolateral lobes). Arrays were analyzed by dChip using an Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic-mean and a 90% lower confidence bound (LCB) of the fold change (FC) between the groups. A subset of differentially expressed genes were validated by SYBR Green QRT-PCR. Differentially expressed TRAMP genes were analyzed for concordant expression in publicly available human prostate array datasets and a subset of resulting genes was analyzed by QRT-PCR. Results: At LCB = 1.2, 3870 probe sets showed upregulated and 2945 showed downregulated transcripts. Of 25 gene products identified by literature search as differentially expressed protein or transcipt in TRAMP, 15 were confirmed in our microarray and 8 were validated by QRT-PCR. Cross-referencing differentially expressed TRAMP genes to public human prostate array datasets revealed 66 genes with concordant expression in mouse and human prostate cancer; 10 genes differentially expressed between primary tumor and normal and 56 between metastases and normal. Two genes, Sox4 and Tubb2a, of these 10 were validated by QRT-PCR. Conclusion: We report a TRAMP microarray dataset validated by QRT-PCR of a gene subset that showed external validity in consistency of expression patterns with previous gene-specific TRAMP studies. Concordance analysis between TRAMP and human prostate cancer associated genes supports utility of the model and suggests 66 molecular targets for preclinical therapy.
Predicting access to healthful food retailers with machine learning

Many U.S. households lack access to healthful food and rely on inexpensive, processed food with low nutritional value. Surveying access to healthful food is costly and finding the factors that affect access remains convoluted owing to the multidimensional nature of socioeconomic variables. We utilize machine learning with census tract data to predict the modified Retail Food Environment Index (mRFEI), which refers to the percentage of healthful food retailers in a tract and agnostically extract the features of no access-corresponding to a "food desert" and low access-corresponding to a "food swamp." Our model detects food deserts and food swamps with a prediction accuracy of 72% out of the sample. We find that food deserts and food swamps are intrinsically different and require separate policy attention. Food deserts are lightly populated rural tracts with low ethnic diversity, whereas swamps are predominantly small, densely populated, urban tracts, with more non-white residents who lack vehicle access. Overall access to healthful food retailers is mainly explained by population density, presence of black population, property value, and income. We also show that our model can be used to obtain sensible predictions of access to healthful food retailers for any U.S. census tract.
Black on Black: The Vilification of “Me-Search,” Tenure, and the Economic Position of Black Sociologists

In 2019, Black sociologists are still less likely to get published in discipline-specific peer-reviewed journals, less likely to hold tenured or tenure-track positions at predominately white institutions, and less likely to be awarded tenure than white sociologists. This is, in part, because the traditional positivist approach to sociology favors an epistemology rooted in world building from a white perspective and subsequently prefers white sociologists to do that work. Overvaluing empirical research emphasizing objectivity through marked distance between researcher and participants, in the tradition of the natural sciences, also undervalues the importance of investigators’ perceived connections to marginalized communities in the reliability of collected data, and the use of qualitative methods to scientific study. This conceptual paper connects public discourse on the devaluing of “me-search” done by Black sociologists, research studying communities of which the principal investigator is also a member, to professional advancement data to explore the economic penalties for Black sociologists whose “me-search” expands the limits of what is useful and noteworthy in the production of sociological knowledge while simultaneously impacting their professional advancement in the discipline. Patricia Hill Collins’ (Soc Probl. 33: S14–32, 1986) epistemological stance laments the positivist approach and attempts to move sociological research of the oppressed away from the gaze of the oppressors. The academy’s colonial focus on “objectivity,” and subsequent third person research writing, maintains a white normative framework for the entire discipline. But in the twenty-first century, a disciplinary focus on research about marginalized identities by white sociologists inherently devalues the scientific validity of research on Black communities by Black researchers, aiding in racialized gatekeeping in sociology. Low numbers of tenured Black faculty, promotion policies focused on the number of peer-reviewed publications, and low journal publication rates for Black researchers highlight the negative impact on professional outcomes for Black sociologists and illustrates a perpetual devaluation of the perspectives of Black researchers.
The Evolution of Coronal Holes over Three Solar Cycles Using the McIntosh Archive

Using the McIntosh Archive of solar features, we analyze the evolution of coronal holes over more than three solar cycles. We demonstrate that coronal-hole positions and lifetimes change significantly on time scales from months to years, and that the pattern of these changes is clearly linked to the solar-activity cycle. We demonstrate that the lifetimes of low-latitude coronal holes are usually less than one rotation but may extend to almost three years. When plotted over time, the positions of low-latitude coronal holes that remain visible for over one rotation track the sunspot butterfly diagram in terms of their positions on the Sun over a solar cycle. Finally, we confirm that coronal holes do not in general rigidly rotate.
Protein quality control degron-containing substrates are differentially targeted in the cytoplasm and nucleus by ubiquitin ligases

Intracellular proteolysis by the ubiquitin-proteasome system regulates numerous processes and contributes to protein quality control (PQC) in all eukaryotes. Covalent attachment of ubiquitin to other proteins is specified by the many ubiquitin ligases (E3s) expressed in cells. Here we determine the E3s in Saccharomyces cerevisiae that function in degradation of proteins bearing various PQC degradation signals (degrons). The E3 Ubr1 can function redundantly with several E3s, including nuclear-localized San1, endoplasmic reticulum/nuclear membrane-embedded Doa10, and chromatin-associated Slx5/Slx8. Notably, multiple degrons are targeted by more ubiquitylation pathways if directed to the nucleus. Degrons initially assigned as exclusive substrates of Doa10 were targeted by Doa10, San1, and Ubr1 when directed to the nucleus. By contrast, very short hydrophobic degrons-typical targets of San1-are shown here to be targeted by Ubr1 and/or San1, but not Doa10. Thus, distinct types of PQC substrates are differentially recognized by the ubiquitin system in a compartment-specific manner. In human cells, a representative short hydrophobic degron appended to the C-terminus of GFP-reduced protein levels compared with GFP alone, consistent with a recent study that found numerous natural hydrophobic C-termini of human proteins can act as degrons. We also report results of bioinformatic analyses of potential human C-terminal degrons, which reveal that most peptide substrates of Cullin-RING ligases (CRLs) are of low hydrophobicity, consistent with previous data showing CRLs target degrons with specific sequences. These studies expand our understanding of PQC in yeast and human cells, including the distinct but overlapping PQC E3 substrate specificity of the cytoplasm and nucleus.
Exploring individual antecedents of performance error: False starts in collegiate football

We explored antecedents of performance errors, where such errors are defined as unintended deviations from specified standards. The context of our examination was collegiate football, with particip...
Effectiveness of Real-Time Network Monitoring For Identifying Hidden Vulnerabilities inside a System

Computer systems will continue to be the target of cybercriminals as they become an integral part of society. Without being able to monitor network traffic in real-time, systems might be in danger of losing sensitive data to hackers. Knowing the vulnerability allows cache hackers that tinker with data to be detected in real-time. Normally, attackers can use vulnerabilities to exploit system weaknesses and create a backdoor. Identifying hidden vulnerabilities provides accurate results that prevent hackers from accessing the system. This research presents the effectiveness of using real-time monitoring by using event logs, network monitoring, and management tools for identifying vulnerabilities. The monitoring techniques offer a method of detection for any unusual behavior in a network system.
Johansen'S: The New Scorecard System

Johansen's has just completed its first year under a new scorecard system for evaluation of manager performance. The manager of Store 51 has traditionally been one of the company's top-performing managers from a financial standpoint, but his overall performance rating has declined due to performance along nonfinancial dimensions. The managers at the performance summit must discuss his performance in the context of a new performance evaluation system, measurement issues around the nonfinancial metrics, and retention concerns. An alternative version of this case, (UVA-C-2349) takes a less conventional role-play pedagogical approach to the same material. Excerpt UVA-C-2371 Mar. 17, 2016 Johansen's: The New Scorecard System Jill Landon's palms were starting to sweat. It was the morning of Johansen's annual performance summit, and she was still unsure about what overall performance rating to give Jared Clark. It was clear from the data that he deserved the highest rating on the financial, strategy, and leadership initiatives on the new scorecard. But his performance this year in customer service fell far short of the level required by the guidelines in the new scorecard system. Based on the data, she did not think she could justify more than a “meets expectations” rating of 3 for Clark's customer service rating. As a result, she knew that Clark would be ineligible for the best overall performance rating of 5 and, subsequently, would not receive the maximum bonus possible. In fact, based on the new system, he would receive a lower bonus than he did last year if given a 4 overall this year (Exhibit 1). Landon knew the importance of the company's new scorecard system. Although Clark's scorecard suggested that he should receive an overall rating of 4, the thought of giving Clark anything less than a 5 overall was difficult to stomach. Landon was Johansen's Southwest regional manager; and Clark had been her best store manager for a number of years. She had never seen another store manager who could deliver the financial performance that he could year after year. Landon's own annual performance evaluation was based primarily on the sales and financial performance of the Southwest region, performance that was affected greatly by what happened in Store 51; she was grateful for a manager like Clark, since her own future promotion and compensation prospects depended on continuing to turn in top results. . . .
House of Cards between Machiavelli and Machiavellianism

In contrast with the majority of articles and books highlighting the connections between House of Cards and Machiavelli, Andrea Polegato clarifies which “Machiavelli” House of Cards he actually refers to by drawing a line between the historical Machiavelli and his demoniac version represented in Shakespeare and Marlowe’s plays. He shows how either interpretation leads to quite different interpretations of the TV series. The contribution also discusses the problematic relationship between the protagonist of House of Cards, Frank Underwood, and his wife, Claire. Thanks to the analysis of specific passages taken from Dante, Machiavelli, and Francis Bacon, the author identifies in the relationship between Frank and Claire one of the most well-kept secrets of power: the “secret of command”.
Experimental Warming Alters Productivity and Isotopic Signatures of Tundra Mosses

In the tundra, mosses play an important functional role regulating belowground and ecosystem processes, but there is still considerable uncertainty about how tundra moss communities will respond to climate change. We examined the effects of 5 years of in situ air and soil warming on net primary productivity (NPP), carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) isotope signatures (δ13C and δ15N), and C:N in dominant Alaskan tundra mosses. Air warming increased mean air temperatures by up to 0.5°C and resulted in an 80–90% reduction in NPP in the feather moss Pleurozium and the peat moss Sphagnum. Soil warming increased permafrost thaw depth by 12–18%, upper soil water content by 23–27%, and resulted in a threefold increase in Sphagnum NPP. δ13C was positively correlated with moss NPP, and increased by 0.5–1‰ in all mosses under soil warming. C:N was reduced in Sphagnum and Pleurozium, due to increases in tissue %N in the soil warming treatment, suggesting that moss N availability could increase as temperatures increases. Higher N availability in warmer conditions, however, may be offset by unfavorable moisture conditions for moss growth. Similar to responses in tundra vascular plant communities, our results forecast interspecific differences in productivity among tundra mosses. Specifically, air warming may reduce productivity in Sphagnum and Pleurozium, but soil warming could offset this response in Sphagnum. Such responses may lead to changes in tundra moss community structure and function as temperatures increase that have the potential to alter tundra C and N cycling in a future climate.
Assessment of Teacher Reactions to a Standards-Based Teacher Evaluation System: A Pilot Study*

This article reports on teachers' reactions to a pilot implementation of a new standards-based teacher evaluation system in a medium-sized Midwestern school district. The system, based on the Framework for Teaching (Danielson, 1996), was intended to serve as the foundation for a new knowledge and skill pay plan for teachers. Teacher reactions were measured using both interview and survey methods. Teachers' overall favorableness toward the system, as measured by the survey, was correlated with acceptance of the teaching standards, perception of the evaluation process as fair and the evaluator as capable and objective, and perception that the evaluation system had a positive impact on their teaching. In interviews, teachers perceived both positive and negative aspects of the system, and for many these more or less balanced each other. While most teachers accepted the evaluation standards and the need for an evaluation system, many also perceived that the system added too much to teachers' workloads and did not provide enough feedback. Based on these results several changes were made in the evaluation system prior to full implementation. The results are discussed with reference to previous research and the Personnel Evaluation Standards.
Chinese remainder theorem: Recent trends and new results in filter banks design

Recent advances in the time domain methods have led to many new approaches in filter bank designs. The objective of this paper is to derive a unified theory for these time domain methods, based on the Chinese Remainder Theorem. Topics discussed in this paper include two-channel filter banks, M-channel filter banks and 2-D filter banks. Design examples are presented to demonstrate the theory.
Cellular lipoproteins: II. A “ghost cell” preparation

Abstract The insoluble lipoprotein of calf liver cells was prepared as a “ghost cell” residue by extracting exhaustively with salt solutions without breaking the cells. The “ghost cell” lipoprotein had the same crude lipid content and almost the same nitrogen content as the “broken cell” lipoprotein previously reported. Photomicrographs of unextracted and “ghost cells” are shown.
Regulation of plasma cell IgA production through the B cell maturation antigen receptor (MUC8P.802)

B Cell Maturation Antigen (BCMA) is a receptor expressed on plasma cells (PCs) and is important for the survival of long-lived PCs in the bone marrow. Our laboratory has shown that autoimmune-prone mice deficient in BCMA (lpr.BCMA-/-) develop an exacerbated autoimmune phenotype, including increased numbers of PCs, T cells, and serum autoantibody IgG titers. We recently determined that these mice also have increased total and auto-antigen specific serum IgA titers. Because IgA is normally produced in the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue, this observation suggests a loss of tolerance in the intestinal mucosa. Based on these data, we hypothesized that BCMA signaling regulates homeostasis between commensal bacteria and the protective intestinal IgA response. We found that lpr.BCMA-/- mice have increased serum secretory IgA and commensal-specific IgA levels compared to controls. However, this was not due to increased intestinal permeability as assessed by a serum FITC dextran assay. To determine if commensal bacteria regulate peripheral IgA responses, lpr.BCMA-/- mice were placed on a one month antibiotic regimen. This regimen ameliorated autoimmune disease and reduced IgA-producing PCs, including both autoantibody and commensal-specific IgA. These results suggest that BCMA is important for the regulation of intestinal mucosal tolerance in our models, elucidating a previously unknown role for BCMA in maintaining the balance between commensals and the adaptive immune response.
On the Sequencing of Long and Short Outbursts in Dwarf Novae

Many dwarf novae show sequences of alternating long and short outbursts. More generally, one sees a tendency for some small number of short outbursts — typically 1, 2, or 3 — to occur between two long outbursts. In SS Cygni, the best studied dwarf nova, there are fluctuations in the ratio of the number of long to short outbursts N(L)/N(S) occurring within a given time interval, which accompany variations in the time between outbursts t c. We present computations of the limit cycle model for dwarf nova outbursts in an effort to determine which control parameters of the model must vary in order to account for the observed correlation between and seen in SS Cyg
Systems engineering and management

This chapter offers a systems view of healthcare delivery and outlines a wide range of concepts, principles, models, methods and tools from systems engineering and management that can enable the transformation of the dysfunctional "as is" healthcare system to an agreed-upon "to be" system that will provide quality, affordable care for everyone. Topics discussed include systems definition, design, analysis, and control, as well as the data and information needed to support these functions. Barriers to implementation are also considered.
Bovine amniotic and allantoic fluids for the culture of murine embryos

Abstract This study evaluated bovine amniotic and allantoic fluids as culture media for two-cell murine embryos to the hatched blastocyst stage. Amniotic and allantoic fluids were collected from four 70-d periods of pregnancy and pooled from at least five different animals. In Experiment 1 (n = 470) the fluids were frozen twice. Treatments consisted of twice frozen amniotic or allantoic fluid from each pregnancy period, Whitten's medium and fetal calf serum. The later two media were controls. Twice-frozen amniotic fluid
Fungal metabolism of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: past, present and future applications in bioremediation

This article examines the importance of non-ligninolytic and ligninolytic fungi in the bioremediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon contaminated wastes. The research from the initial studies in Dave Gibson's laboratory to the present are discussed.
CYSTEAMINE EYEDROPS DISSOLVE CORNEAL CRYSTALS IN YOUNG PATIENTS WITH NEPHROPAT11IC CYSTINOSIS

In nephropathic cystinosis, corneal cyatine crystals are present by one year of age and increase in density with time. The crystals are blamed for the photophobia and corneal erosions which plague older patients. He studied the safety and efficacy of eyedrops containing cysteamine, a cystine-depleting agent, in dissolving corneal crystals. First, cystinotic corneal stromal cells, cultured from a penetrating keratoplasty specimen, were depleted of 82% of their cystine by 1 mM cysteamine within 30 min. Second, rabbits treated for 8h per day for 3 weeks with 50 mM cysteamine eyedrops in a placebo-controlled, masked study exhibited no toxicity. Third, two cystinotic children (<2 years old) received cysteamine eyedrops (10 mM, hourly while awake) in a double-masked, placebo controlled trial. Normal saline was put in the opposite eye. In both children, biomicroscopic examination and silt lamp photography documented : a) Bilateral increase of crystals in the cornea between the start of oral cysteamine and the start of the eyedrop protocol; b) Nearly complete clearing of crystals from the cysteamine-treated corneas after 4-5 months of eyedrops; c) Progression or lack of regression in the corneas not treated with cysteamine. No toxicity was observed, and we are now treating the placebo eyes with cysteamine and enrolling older patients. This represents the first in vivo demonstration of crystal dissolution by cysteamine in cystinosis, and suggests that oral cysteamine, if adequately delivered to target tissues, might dissolve crystals in other cystinotic organs also.
Systemic Glucocorticosteroid Therapy of Skin Disease in Children

: The role of systemic glucocorticosteroid therapy in the managetnent of dermatologic disorders in children is limited. Most skin diseases requiring the antiinflammatory or antiproliferative effects of steroids are best managed with topical preparations, because they exert local effects almost exclusively and cause few if any systemic side effects when used properly. There are, however, certain skin diseases, which because of their severity or their intrinsic nature, do not respond adequately to these agents. We propose the indications for pharmacologic doses of systemic glucocorticosteroids in dermatologic disease, the preferred route of administration, the most common as well as the more rare side effects of this therapy. Withdrawal of patients from chronic use of these drugs is also discussed.
Role of the ovaries in maturation of the estradiol-luteinizing hormone negative feedback system of the pubertal rat.

ABSTRACT. The question of whether ovaries are essential for maturation of the estradiol-LH feedback system was examined. Plasma LH concentrations of rats ovariectomized (ovx) prior to puberty and infused with estradiol (E2) before puberty were compared to those of rats ovx either before or after puberty and infused after the normal age of puberty (31–38 days of age). The rats were fitted with indwelling venous catheters so that plasma LH levels could be measured by radioimmunoassay longitudinally in individual animals and E2 could be administered as a virtually continuous infusion for 1–2 weeks. The prepubertal rats were ovx at 8 or 19 days of age and infused before puberty at 25–30 days of age. Rats infused after the normal age of puberty were ovx either before puberty at 19 days of age and infused postpubertally at 41–43 or 51–58 days of age, or ovx after puberty at 60–75 days of age and then infused one week later, at 67–82 days of age. Blood samples were obtained daily between 0930–1130 h and from som...
Subtle Bodies and the Other Jouissance

In her conclusion to Gender Trouble (1990), Judith Butler proposes to move from parody to politics through a deconstruction of identity and re-description of identities which, while they already exist, are deemed unintelligible and impossible by the hegemonic order of society and culture. "If identities were no longer fixed as the premises of a political syllogism, and politics no longer understood as a set of practices derived from the alleged interests that belong to a set of ready-made subjects," Butler writes, "a new configuration of politics would surely emerge from the ruins of the old" (149). Arguably, Butler has tried to make good on this gambit in much of what she has written since the publication of this first major work. This is most clearly so in The Psychic Life of Power (1997), which concludes with a description of the ego as a melancholic response to power imposing on a subject a choice of objects she must lose (even if she never had them) in order to find her self,1 and the same line appears to turn up in her latest works, Undoing Gender (2004) and Giving an Account of Oneself (2005). With attention to the ethics of responsibility, Butler closes the latter with a discussion of the formation of the self out of a
First births to older mothers, 1970-86.

Description de l'augmentation importante du nombre de primipares âgees de plus de 30 ans, specialement de 30 a 35 ans, des explications socioculturelles possibles et des implications pour l'issue de ces gestations et leur suivi
Model Analysis of Mountain Pine Beetle (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) Seasonality

The mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins, is a natural disturbance agent of considerable consequence in western pine forests. This economically and ecologically important insect has a strong requisite for maintaining a strict seasonality. Given this ecological requirement, it is somewhat surprising that no evidence for diapause or other physiological timing mechanism has been found. Seasonality and phenological timing for this species are apparently under direct temperature control. We investigate the consequences of direct temperature control by first constructing a computationally efficient phenology model based on previously published temperature dependent developmental data. We explored the dynamic properties of this model when subjected to observed microhabitat temperatures representing a range of thermal habitats from one region of the mountain pine beetle distribution. We also investigated the consequences of global climate change on phenology and seasonality. Our results indicate that an adaptive seasonality is a natural consequence of the interaction between developmental parameters and seasonal temperatures. Although this adaptive phenology appears to be resilient to temperature fluctuations, changes in climate within the magnitude of predicted climate change under a CO2 doubling scenario are capable of shifting a thermally hostile environment to a thermally benign environment. Similarly, increasing temperature by the same amount resulted in phenological disruption of a previously favorable thermal habitat. We discuss the implications of these results for restricting the current distribution of mountain pine beetle, and the potential for shifting distribution caused by global climate change.
Resistance to Spodoptera exigua in Apium prostratum

Two Apium accessions were compared with the commercial cultivar ‘Tall Utah’ 52–70R (A. graveolens [L.]) for resistance to Spodoptera exigua (Hubner)(Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Oviposition rate was not significantly different between the three genotypes. In all accessions, eggs were usually placed on the upper half of the plants. Implications of this oviposition pattern on S. exigua management in celery are discussed. The wild species A. prostratum ssp prostratum var filiform (A230) showed a significantly higher resistance to S. exigua than 52–70R. The levels of carcinogenic and mutagenic linear furanocoumarins in the commercial cultivar 52–70R (1.41 μg/g in the petioles; 5.85 μg/g in the leaves) and in the plant accession A. nodiflorum (5.40 μg/g in the petioles; 2.99 μg/g in the leaves) were far below the concentration reported to produce acute contact dermatitis (18.0 μg/g). The levels of furanocoumarins in A. prostratum petioles (186.14 μg/g) and leaves (326.45 μg/g) were 10 and 18 times higher, respectively, than the concentration known to cause contact dermatitis. However, resistance in A. prostratum was primarily due to non-preference and the linear furanocoumarins did not induce non-preference. Therefore, the resistance shown by this plant accession does not appear to be furanocoumarin-based and may be suitable for transfer to commercial celery for use in S. exigua management.
Occupation, Impaired Health, and the Functional Capacity of Men to Continue Working

Whether the functional capacity of older men to remain at work differs by occupational assignment is an important consideration in judging policies designed to advance the age of retirement. A cont...
What's happening at the edge of Tokamaks

Abstract Handling the power deposition at the walls of a plasma fusion device and controlling the particle fueling of the plasma originated the interest in the edge of the plasma by magnetic fusion scientists. Recently this interest has intensified because of clear evidence that the quality of the central plasma confinement depends in unexpected ways on details of how the edge plasma is managed. Significant efforts are being pursued to understand and exploit the improved plasma confinement observed in the “H-mode” obtained with divertors and in the “super-shots” obtained with low neutral particle flux from the edge of TFTR limiter plasmas. The controls, that determine whether or not these well-confined plasmas are obtained, are applied in the edge plasma where a wealth of atomic and molecular processes occur. A qualitative overview of current research related to plasma edge and desirable features is presented to guide thoughts about atomic processes to be included in modeling and interpreting the plasma edge of tokamaks.
Superintendents’ Perceptions of the Principal Shortage

The research literature on the principal shortage is inconsistent regarding the actual scope of the shortage and a clear articulation of factors contributing to the successful recruitment and reten...
Poster 8: A Comparison of Two Brief Cognitive Instruments in Huntington Disease (HD)

Objective To compare the utility of two brief cognitive screening instruments in patients with HD. Background The most commonly used brief screening instrument for cognitive impairment is the MMSE; however, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) contains the same number of total points as the MMSE, requires about 10 minutes to administer, and may be more sensitive to cognitive changes in patients with HD. Correlation between these brief screening instruments and other cognitive and functional measures in HD is largely unknown. Methods The MMSE and MoCA were administered on the same day in counterbalanced order to 73 subjects with HD. Associations between MoCA and MMSE with motor, functional, and other cognitive variables were evaluated by Spearman rank correlations. Results Scores on the MoCA (mean = 19.2 ± 5.4, range 2-29) were consistently lower, with greater range, than those on the MMSE (mean = 23.5 ± 4.3, range 8-30) for the HD subjects whose mean age and education were 50.7 and 13.9 years, respectively. Mean motor UHDRS = 38.2 ± 16.4; mean Independence Scale (IS) = 68.4 ± 10.1; and mean Total Functional Capacity (TFC) = 6.4 ± 2.0. MoCA score correlated with UHDRS (r = −0.47), IS (r = 0.58), and TFC (r = 0.52) (all p Conclusions Our results suggest that the MoCA may show increased sensitivity to cognitive deficits and better correlation with other cognitive and functional measures than the MMSE in patients with HD. Larger studies will be needed to confirm and extend these findings.
Comments on Scharpf's “Games Real Actors could Play”

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