cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dividing south from north: French colonialism, Jews, and the Algerian Sahara

Algeria occupies a special place within the context of modern Jewish history, as the only site in the colonial world in which autochthonous Jews were granted citizenship by a colonial power; with the passage of the Cremieux Decree in 1870, some 40 years after the French conquest of Algeria began, roughly 30,000 Jews became citizens of France in one of the only acts of mass naturalisation to occur under modern European imperial rule. It is usually but a footnote to histories of Algerian Jewry that the Cremieux Decree did not, in fact, extend to all Algerian Jews. At the time at which this law was passed, France had begun but not yet completed its bloody, 50-year conquest of the Algerian Sahara, where several thousand Jews lived. Algeria's Southern Territories (as they would come to be called in 1902) remained under direct military oversight for nearly 80 years of colonial rule, and Jewish residents of this administrative region, like the majority of Algerian Muslims, were categorised by the state as indige...
Oxidative damage to mitochondrial DNA is increased in Alzheimer's disease

Oxidative damage to DNA may play a role in both normal aging and in neurodegenerative diseases. We examined whether Alzheimer's disease (AD) is associated with increased oxidative damage to nDNA and mtDNA in postmortem brain tissue. We measured the oxidized nucleoside, 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (OH8dG), in DNA isolated from three regions of cerebral cortex and cerebellum in 13 AD and 13 age-matched controls. There was a significant threefold increase in the amount of OH8dG in mtDNA in parietal cortex of AD patients compared with controls. In the entire group of samples there was a small significant increase in oxidative damage to nDNA and a highly significant threefold increase in oxidative damage to mtDNA in AD compared with age-matched controls. These results confirm that mitochondrial DNA is particularly sensitive to oxidative damage, and they show that there is increased oxidative damage to DNA in AD, which may contribute to the neurodegenerative process.
Rapid hospital room decontamination using ultraviolet (UV) light with a nanostructured UV-reflective wall coating.

We tested the ability of an ultraviolet C (UV-C)–reflective wall coating to reduce the time necessary to decontaminate a room using a UV-C-emitting device (Tru-D SmartUVC). The reflective wall coating provided the following time reductions for decontamination: for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, from 25 minutes 13 seconds to 5 minutes 3 seconds (P < .05), and for Clostridium difficile spores, from 43 minutes 42 seconds to minutes 24 seconds (P < .05).
Psychometrics of a Brief Measure of Anxiety to Detect Severity and Impairment: The Overall Anxiety Severity and Impairment Scale (OASIS)

Brief measures of anxiety-related severity and impairment that can be used across anxiety disorders and with subsyndromal anxiety are lacking. The Overall Anxiety Severity and Impairment Scale (OASIS) have shown strong psychometric properties with college students and primary care patients. This study examines sensitivity, specificity, and efficiency of an abbreviated version of the OASIS that takes only 2-3 min to complete using a non-clinical (college student) sample. 48 participants completed the OASIS and SCID for anxiety disorders, 21 had a diagnosis of ≥1 anxiety disorder, and 4 additional participants had a subthreshold diagnosis. A cut-score of 8 best discriminated those with anxiety disorders from those without, successfully classifying 78% of the sample with 69% sensitivity and 74% specificity. Results from a larger sample (n = 171) showed a single factor structure and excellent convergent and divergent validity. The availability of cut-scores for a non-clinical sample furthers the utility of this measure for settings where screening or brief assessment of anxiety is needed.
Nasal reconstruction utilizing a muscle hinge flap with overlying full-thickness skin graft.

Abstract Background: Deep nasal defects of the dorsum, sidewall, and ala can be challenging to repair. Objective: The article describes our experience with a muscle hinge transposition flap with overlying local full-thickness skin grafting for repair of deep nasal defects in a single-stage procedure. Methods: A muscle hinge transposition flap with overlying local full-thickness skin grafting was used immediately after Mohs micrographic surgery to repair 12 deep nasal defects of the dorsum, sidewall, alar lobule, and supratip. Results: No cases of infection, flap, or graft necrosis occurred in our series. Cosmetic and functional outcomes were judged from good to excellent by patient and surgeon. To enhance the cosmetic outcome, 5 patients underwent spot dermabrasion within 2 months of repair. Conclusion: For properly selected small to medium-sized deep nasal defects (1-2 cm) that lack a sufficiently loose adjacent tissue reservoir for a single-stage local flap, a muscle hinge transposition flap with local full-thickness skin grafting can provide consistently satisfying aesthetic and functional results. (J Am Acad Dermatol 2000;43:837-40.)
IMPORTANCE OF REORGANIZATION AND CORRELATION EFFECTS ON GOING TO EXCITED STATES

— The results of two calculations on rearrangement of sigma and pi electrons and correlation energy changes as a result of electronic promotion are discussed. The conclusions are that reorganization of sigma and pi electrons and correlation effects resulting from electronic excitation which engenders significant charge distribution changes (e.g. electron loss or capture, nπ* promotions, charge transfer transitions) have important energetic consequences and should receive close attention from photochemists and photobiologists. RESUMEN Se discuten los resultados obtenidos al calcular las reacomodaciones que sufren los electrones sigma y pi, y los cambios de energia producidos como resultado de las promociones electronicas. Las conclusiones son; que la reorganizacion de los electrones sigma y pi, y los efectos de correlacion que resultan de la excitacion electronica que produce cambios significativos en la distribucion de carga (ejem.: captura o perdida del electron, promociones n –π*, transiciones con transferencia de carga) tiene consecuencias energeticas importantes, que deberian recibir una marcada atencion por parte de fotoquimicos y fotobiologos.
A snapshot of a dynamic nuclear building block.

How does DNA in chromatin become accessible? The recent report of a nucleosome core particle structure offers insights into the dynamic interactions between chromatin and regulatory protein complexes.
An observational study of driver behavior at a protected railroad grade crossing as trains approach

Observations were made of 57 drivers who approached a rural rail grade crossing in the presence of activated warning flashers signalling an approaching train. Two thirds of the drivers crossed the tracks in front of the approaching trains. All but four drivers, however, slowed perceptibly or stopped prior to crossing. The probability of crossing was seen to vary reliably with distance of the trains from the crossing and the time available to cross (safety margin). It was concluded that, as a group, the drivers' decision to cross was a considered one that was based on an accurate perception of available evidence.
Molecular orientation: Spectral dependence of bifluorescence of chloroplasts in vivo

Abstract 1. 1. Spectral measurements of the bifluorescence of chloroplasts in vivo indicate a high degree of orientation of a far-end pigment having a maximum emission near 716 mμ. 2. 2. This oscillator of emission lies in or near the plane of the chloroplast lamellae and its existence, in some way, depends upon the structural integrity of the chloroplast at the molecular level. 3. 3. The chromophore involved is strategically located to accept excitation energy from ordinary chlorophyll or accessory pigments, and the form of its molecular organization may be common with that of other photobiological systems.
Further characterization and chemical purity assessment of the human erythrocyte glucose transporter preparation.

Abstract Chemical and functional purity of the human erythrocyte glucose transporter preparation obtained by DEAE column chromatography after octyl glucoside solubilization was assessed. The cytochalasin B binding capacity of the preparation indicates that the preparation is 60–85% functional glucose transporter. Gel filtration chromatography on TSK 250 column separates this preparation into at least three major peptide fractions, namely, P0, P1 and P2, with apparent Mr of approx. 80 000, 43 000 and 17 000, respectively. When the preparation is photolabelled with [3H]cytochalasin B prior to the separation only P0 and P1 are labelled. Exposure of the preparation to octyl glucoside or to ultraviolet light irradiation results in an increase in P0 in a time-dependent manner with a concomitant and proportional reduction in P1, without affecting P2 appreciably. For individual preparations, relative abundance of P0 and P1 vary widely in a reciprocal fashion, while that of P2 is practically fixed at approx. 10% of the total protein. The specific activity of cytochalasin B binding of each preparation correlates linearly with the relative abundance of P1 of the preparation, which gives a calculated specific binding activity of 22 nmol/mg protein for this fraction. These results indicate that P1 and P0 are native and denatured transporter, respectively, while P2 is contaminating protein impurities. These results demonstrate that the glucose transporter preparation contains approx. 10% of nontransporter protein impurities, with a varying amount (up to 30%) of denatured transporter, and that the transporter free of the chemical impurities and the denatured transporter can be obtained by a gel filtration chromatography of this preparation.
Tricuspid annular and septal Doppler tissue velocities are reduced in pediatric heart transplant recipients without acute rejection.

Background We sought to determine any differences between myocardial velocities in healthy children and pediatric heart transplant recipients without acute allograft rejection and to study the clinical factors that could alter these velocities. Methods Fifty-eight pediatric heart transplant recipients without rejection and 27 healthy controls were prospectively enrolled. Doppler tissue imaging (DTI) was performed at the tricuspid annulus, septum, and mitral annulus. The influence of the following factors on DTI was assessed: time since transplant, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, systemic hypertension, graft atherosclerosis, pulmonary hypertension, donor heart ischemic time, and previous rejection. Results The mean tricuspid annular and septal tissue velocities were significantly reduced in the transplant group compared with controls. The mitral annular velocities were similar in the two groups. Donor heart ischemic time and previous rejection significantly altered DTI velocities. Conclusion Tricuspid annular and septal Doppler tissue velocities are significantly reduced in pediatric heart transplant recipients without allograft rejection and can be altered by prolonged donor heart ischemic time and previous rejection.
High temperature electrochemical sensor for in situ monitoring of hot corrosion

Abstract Real time hot corrosion monitoring is still a challenging issue in coal-based power generation systems. It is not easy to achieve reliable and repeatable data such as quantitative relations between corrosion progress and data readings. This research work demonstrates an application of a new high temperature electrochemical sensor system with a reliable reference electrode to provide a clearer picture of the corrosion degradation. The hot corrosion behavior of a Ni-based superalloy was studied in the presence of a synthetic coal ash and a synthetic flue gas containing sulfur dioxide using our proposed high temperature electrochemical sensor.
Endocrine and clinical effects of micronized estradiol administered vaginally or orally

Abstract Objective: To determine the impact of the vaginal route of micronized estradiol (E 2 ) administration upon hepatic globulin and lipid production and upon the outcome of oocyte donation cycles in which the recipients received E 2 via this route. Design: Series report. Setting: University-based assisted reproduction techniques (ART) program. Patient(s): Recipients of donor oocytes. Intervention(s): Administration of micronized E 2 via the oral or vaginal route, oocyte donation, and embryo transfer. Main Outcome Measure(s): Measurements of the serum levels of free E 2 , sex hormone–binding globulin (SHBG), total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), as well as endometrial thickness and pregnancy outcome. Result(s): Serum SHBG and lipoprotein levels were unaltered by the vaginal as compared with the oral route of E 2 administration. Serum free E 2 levels were significantly higher after vaginal administration. Ten patients who had previously failed to achieve adequate endometrial thickness with an oral regimen were found to have adequate endometrial thickness after vaginal E 2 administration and seven of them achieved an ongoing pregnancy after embryo transfer. Conclusion(s): Vaginal administration of micronized E 2 results in significantly higher free serum E 2 levels when compared to levels achieved after oral E 2 administration. Hepatic globulin and lipoprotein production is similar despite 10-fold higher serum E 2 levels after the vaginal administration. The greater efficiency of E 2 delivery to the endometrium after vaginal administration makes this route a good option for patients who fail to achieve adequate endometrial thickness with oral E 2 administration.
Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI measurements of passive permeability through blood retinal barrier in diabetic rats.

PURPOSE. To test the hypothesis that dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) provides a useful in vivo measure of passive blood retinal barrier permeability surface area product (BRB PS) in experimental diabetic retinopathy. METHODS. BRB PS (cm 3 /min) was measured using DCE-MRI and Gd-DTPA (MW 590 Da) in urethane-anesthetized control rats, sodium iodate-treated rats, rats receiving intravitreally injected human serum albumin (HSA) or vascular endothelial growth factor/vascular permeability factor (VEGF/VPF), or in rats that were diabetic for 2, 4, 6, or 8 months. RESULTS. Sodium iodate-treated rats exhibited an eightfold increase (P 0.05) from control BRB PS values. After 8 months of diabetes, a twofold increase (P < 0.05) in PS over control PS values was found. DCE-MRI demonstrated that the BRB becomes leaky immediately before death, possibly causing an artificial increase in retinal permeability in methods that require enucleation or retinal isolation to assess permeability. CONCLUSIONS. DCEMRI provides a sensitive, noninvasive, and linear assay that accurately measures, without potential artifacts associated with death and enucleation, passive BRB PS in experimental diabetes. DCE-MRI BRB PS measurements are expected to provide a useful surrogate marker of drug treatment efficacy.
Synaptophysin immunoreactivity and distributions of calcium-binding proteins highlight the functional organization of the rat's dorsal column nuclei.

Abstract The mammalian dorsal column nuclei (DCN) are principally composed of the cuneate (CN) and gracile (GN) nuclei. Data presented here support previously published anatomical and functional evidence that the longitudinal organization of the CN and GN reflect the complex role of the DCN in somatosensory processing. The CN is organized longitudinally into three parts. Within the middle portion of this nucleus, primary afferent projections and cuneothalamic cells are concentrated. Although traditional cytoarchitectonic analyses had failed to detect this tripartite organization in rats, we found evidence for it, with a functional middle region, extending approximately 0.2–0.9 mm caudal to the obex, characterized by precise somatotopy of primary afferent terminations and corresponding somatotopy of cytochrome oxidase (CO) blotches. Additional evidence is presented here consistent with a functionally distinct middle region within the rat's CN: (1) patches of dense synaptophysin (a synaptic-vesical-associated protein)-immunoreactivity (SYN-IR) are limited to the middle CN region, coincident with the dense CO blotches; (2) neurons immunoreactive for the calcium-binding proteins calbindin-D28 (CB), calretinin (CR) and parvalbumin (PV) are concentrated in the middle CN region. Furthermore, in adult rats subjected to perinatal forepaw removal, (1) the patterns of SYN-IR in the middle region of the CN are disrupted, as had previously been shown for the patterns of CO blotches; (2) in contrast, however, distributions of CN cells with PV-, CB- and CR-IR are unaffected. Evidence for a tripartite division in the GN is also presented, based on the distributions of cells with PV-, CB- and CR-IR.
The Nonprofit Sector's Capital Constraint: Does It Provide a Rationale for the Tax Exemption Granted To Nonprofit Firms?:

The exemption of the nonprofit sector from the corporate income tax is an implicit subsidy that has received little attention in the nonprofit literature A fundamental question concerning this subsidy is its rationale. The present analysis suggests that the theoretical basis for the rationale previously proposed by Hansmann, that the nonprofit sector's capital constraint justifies its tax exemption, relies heavily on the output effect of exemption. The article first suggests that the nonprofit sector's capital constraint might not be effective. Granting an effective capital constraint, the equivalence of the ration to a partial factor tax is used to show the effect of the constraint on the allocation of resources. If the tax exemption is targeted to the rationed factor, it can have no effect on the misallocation of resources because the rationed factor is immobile. If the tax exemption falls on mobile capital, that capital can avoid the tax by moving to the nonprofit sector. This must worsen the productio...
An Investigation of Centers for Innovation

The center for innovation model is a growing and prominent phenomenon across corporate, government, nonprofit, and university contexts. Based on the name, one would infer an aim is to serve as a mechanism that catalyzes innovation. A further aim would be to serve as exemplars of technology development, knowledge development, and knowledge dissemination in the course of delivering a given mission. To date, little work has examined the center for innovation phenomenon and so there is a need to investigate these inferences and provide an understanding for the basis and rationale for why organizations across various contexts are pursuing centers for innovation. Examining mission statements followed by an electronic survey of 66 centers for innovation, we characterize the practices, rationales, success factors, challenges, and other descriptors of these centers in an effort to understand their operating characteristics. Results suggest four archetypes for the center for innovation model based on constituency. ...
Family Cohesion and Social Support: Protective Factors for Acculturation Stress Among Low-Acculturated Mexican Migrants

International migration has significant effects on the lives of migrants, many resulting from the challenges of cultural adjustment they face in their country of destination. Cultural adjustment or acculturation often includes physical, psychological, spiritual, social, financial, linguistic, and familial adaptation. This process may produce an acculturative stress reaction arising from the psychological difficulties migrants experience as they adapt to unfamiliar social norms, customs, and institutions they encounter in a new cultural context. Protective factors and coping mechanisms may be present to help migrants manage acculturative stress. This study examines the relationship between acculturative stress and family cohesion and social support among low-acculturated Mexican migrants in Chicago. Specifically, the authors hypothesize that there will be a negative relationship between stress level and the measures of family cohesion and social support. Two models are presented. The first examines the rel...
Laser-Induced Fluorescence in Doped Metal Oxide Planar Waveguides Deposited from Aqueous Solutions

An aqueous route to the deposition of complex metal oxide films is based upton the complexation of the corresponding metal nitrate salts by glycine, followed by spin-casting the concentrated solution onto silica substrates. The presence of glycine serves to frustrate precipitation and leads to the formation of a glassy matrix through which metal cations are homogeneously dispersed. Subsequent heating of coated substrates initiates an oxidation-reduction reaction which removes the organic matrix and residual nitrate leaving behind a film of the desired oxide composition. Using this method, ruby (Cr:Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}) and Sm:YAG (Sm:Y{sub 3}Al{sub 5}O{sub 12}) films on the order of 150 nm thick have been deposited. The respective phase have been confirmed by XRD data and from the measured fluorescence spectra. The red fluorescence exhibited by these materials under 488 nm excitation is dependent upon the ambient temperature and pressure. A marked shift in wavelength is observed as a function of increasing pressure. Ruby also exhibits a temperature dependent wavelength shift in contrast to Sm:YAG where a negligible shift is seen to temperatures near 1200 K. Fluorescence lifetimes of both materials exhibit a temperature dependence which varies with dopant concentration. This work suggests the possible application of these filmsmore » as pressure-temperature sensors in a planar waveguide configuration or as a coating material for optical fibers. Details of the deposition process will be reviewed and the fluorescence response of both types of films will be summarized. 15 refs., 4 figs.« less
The On-Line Effects of Semantic Context on Syntactic Processing

This experiment tested the claim that on-line syntactic processing is autonomous and not affected by semantic context. Subjects heard sentence fragments containing syntactically ambiguous phrases, and the first clause of each fragment biased the listener toward one of its readings. Naming latencies to a visually presented probe word which was either an appropriate or inappropriate continuation of the sentence fragment were measured. Latencies were longer for inappropriate probes, suggesting that well before the clause boundary is reached, syntactic decisions can be influenced by prior semantic context. This result is predicted by an on-line interactive model of sentence processing. A basic issue in the study of sentence perception and comprehension concerns what Forster (1974) has termed the "autonomy of syntax"; that is, whether the syntactic structure of a sentence is computed without reference to its meaning. This concept of an independent syntactic processor is a crucial component of a major current model of sentence processing (Bever, Garrett, & Hurtig, 1973; Fodor, Bever, & Garrett, 1974; Forster, Note 1). According to this serial model, lowerlevel analyses (phonetic and lexical) are performed as the clause is heard and are used to construct preliminary hypotheses as to the syntactic structure of each clausal unit. These syntactic hypotheses cannot be affected by the meaning of prior clauses until the end of the clause, where a final deep structure representation is assigned and integrated with existing semantic hypotheses. When the syntactic deep structure of a clause is ambiguous, the model predicts that all syntactic structures are
The fluorescence of dissolved organic matter in porewaters of marine sediments

Abstract The fluorescence of porewaters from marine sediment cores from six different areas was measured. In most cases, fluorescence was affected primarily by the diagenesis of organic carbon first through sulfate reduction and subsequently by methane generation. Typically, fluorescence, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), absorbance, alkalinity, and ammonium ion concentrations correlate quite well, increasing in the upper sections of anoxic sediments and co-varying in deeper sections of these cores. The good correlation of DOC with fluorescence in the three cores in which DOC was measured indicates that fluorescence can be used to make a first order estimate of DOC concentration in anoxic porewaters. Data are consistent with a model in which labile organic matter in the sediments is broken down by sulfur reducing bacteria to low molecular weight monomers. These monomers are either remineralized to CO2 or polymerize to form dissolved, fluorescent, high molecular weight molecules. The few exceptions to this model involve hydrothermally generated hydrocarbons that are formed in situ in the Guaymas Basin or are horizontally advected along the decollement in the Nankai Trench.
Cancer immunotherapy strategies based on overcoming barriers within the tumor microenvironment

For tumor antigen-specific T cells to effectively control the growth of cancer cells in vivo, they must gain access to, and function within, the tumor microenvironment. While tumor antigen-based vaccines and T cell adoptive transfer strategies can result in clinical benefit in a subset of patients, most of the patients do not respond clinically. Even for tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL)-based adoptive transfer for patients with metastatic melanoma, which can provide tumor shrinkage in around 50% of treated individuals, many patients are not eligible, in part because there are not sufficient TIL present in the resected tumor. Thus, the denominator is in fact larger, and it has been suggested that absence of TIL may be a marker for poor efficacy of immunotherapies in general. While qualitative and/or quantitative features of the T cells are important considerations for efficacy, a major component of primary resistance likely can be attributed to the tumor microenvironment. Data are accumulating suggesting that two major categories of immune resistance within the tumor microenvironment may exist: failure of T cell trafficking due to low levels of inflammation and lack of chemokines for migration, and dominant suppression through immune inhibitory mechanisms. New therapeutic interventions are being guided by these observations, and preliminary clinical success is validating this working model.
Utilization of research via the Internet.

Scientific Inquiry provides a forum to facilitate the ongoing process of questioning and evaluating practice, informs practice based on available data, and guides new practices through research and experimental learning.
Serologic Detection of Bluetongue Virus Infection of Black-tailed Deer: Comparison of Serum Neutralization, Agar Gel Immunodiffusion, and Competitive ELISA Assays

Three adult black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) and four fawns were inoculated with bluetongue virus (BTV) serotype 10 or 17, or epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) serotype 1. Animals were bled at irregular intervals thereafter and the presence of virus-specific antibodies in serum determined by agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID), serum neutralization (SN) and competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (C-ELISA) tests. Serum antibodies to BTV were detected in all three tests for 692 days after inoculation (DAI) of adult deer, but both the SN and AGID tests gave either erroneous or misleading results. Serum from one deer was negative by the AGID test at 409 DAI with BTV-10 but was positive at 248 and 692 DAI; also one adult and one fawn had antibodies by the SN test to serotypes of BTV with which they were not inoculated. The AGID test for EHDV had false positive results with some sera from animals inoculated only with BTV, and it consistently had false negative results with serum s...
Examining Efficiency in Bioinspired Design

In what ways and to what extent are bioinspired designs (BIDs) and the biological systems that inspire them ‘efficient’? The answer to this question provides insight into the potential role BID could have in the generation of energy- and materials-efficient designs. By qualifying and clarifying efficiency-related claims in the context of biological evidence, this paper contributes to the theoretical foundation for BID for efficiency and provides guidance to those developing design tools and methodologies aimed at using BID to enhance the efficiency of engineered products and systems.This paper is organized into three main sections. First, a study is presented examining the reasons authors in the BID community cite when motivating their work. Of the 127 sources analyzed, 40 referenced ‘efficiency’, establishing empirically that efficiency of BIDs and the biological organisms that inspire them is a central motivation for work in BID.Second, efficiency-related claims most commonly made by authors in BID are explained and analyzed using authoritative biological and BID literature. Ultimately, some of the claims prove problematic. However, when qualified appropriately, these claims provide significant insight into how the oft-cited examples of efficiency in biology and BID have arisen.Finally, a study uncovering trends in sustainable BIDs is presented, and the efficiency-related trends are discussed. This study provides examples of some efficiency-related characteristics of biological systems that are successfully being transferred to engineered products and systems through BID. Specifically, the sustainable BIDs analyzed are shown to frequently meet four efficiency-related green design guidelines (GDGs) better than functionally-equivalent non-bioinspired alternatives. Additionally, passive mechanisms, multifunctional designs, and optimized geometries are discussed and shown to be prevalent in the sample of sustainable BIDs studied.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Essential fatty acid deficiency and postresection mucosal adaptation in the rat

Abstract The effect of short-term (biochemical) and long-term (clinical) essential fatty acid (EFA) deficiency on mucosal adaptation was studied in a surgical model of short bowel syndrome. Rats fed an EFA-deficient diet for 4 wk had biochemical evidence of EFA deficiency (hepatic and red blood cell triene to tetraene ratios > 0.4). Resected animals (70% proximal jejunoileal resection) receiving an EFA-deficient diet had a significantly impaired intestinal mucosal hyperplasia response in all remaining small bowel segments compared with resected controls. The effect of refeeding a control diet to clinically EFA-deficient resected rats was also evaluated. Short-term refeeding (2 wk) of a control diet resulted in a significant return toward normal tissue triene to tetraene ratios. Concomitantly, refed animals had significantly greater mucosal adaptation in the remaining duodenal/jejunal segment compared with resected animals maintained on an EFA-deficient diet postoperatively. These experiments underscore the dynamic nature of tissue EFA status and the importance of fatty acids in the normal compensatory mechanisms of mucosal adaptation after resection.
Differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry of lead and antimony in gunshot residues

Abstract Differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV) using a glassy carbon/mercury film electrode (GC/MFE) has been applied for characterization and quantitative detection of gunshot residues (GSR). This technique allows for simultaneous detection of Pb and Sb from GSR hand swabs that is simple, fast, and non-destructive. The use of a KNO 3 /hydrazine sulfate matrix, instead of HCl, reduces possible interferences and allows for a small sample size to be used in analysis but yielding greater sensitivity.
Regional examination shows potential for native feedstock options for cellulosic biofuel production

Kentucky, as with many regions around the globe, has a relatively long growing season with significant rainfall that could produce sizeable quantities of perennial herbaceous and woody biomass on land that does not compete with food crops. Additionally, there are limited options for renewable power production from low carbon sources such as solar-photovoltaic, wind and hydroelectric. Recent studies have shown that producing renewable energy from perennial cellulosic crops, as opposed to starch-based biofuel crops, will have a carbon-mitigating outcome. Currently, there is a lack of data regarding regionally suitable genotypes. Herein, we establish baseline values for multiple entry selections of three native C4 grass species, switchgrass (SW) (Panicum virgatum L.), eastern gamagrass (EG) (Trispicum dactyloides L.) and big bluestem (BB) (Andropogon gerardii Vitman). Yield potential examined over 7 years showed that environment, species and entries had a significant impact on yield, but EG had higher total yield over the duration of the study. Cellulosic biofuel potential was examined by measurement of saccharification efficiency, relative lignocellulosic energy density, cellulose content and lignin content during three growing seasons. EG had significantly higher digestibility rate than SW and BB. Underlying this was a negative correlation between lignification and saccharification efficiency. However, higher lignin content and higher cellulose content among SW entries resulted in higher energy density relative to EG and BB. These data reveal that locally bred EG varieties were most suited to cellulosic ethanol production under the growing conditions of central Kentucky, USA, compared with SW and BB and suggest the importance of regional examination. Nomenclature: NREL = national renewable energy laboratory FPU = filter paper unit DF = degrees of freedom EG = eastern gamagrass SW = switchgrass BB = big bluestem ANOVA = analvsis of variance.
Effect of vaginal pH on efficacy of the dinoprostone gel for cervical ripening/labor induction.

Abstract Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether vaginal pH has an effect on the efficacy of the dinoprostone gel for cervical ripening/labor induction. Study Design: Thirty-two women with an unfavorable cervix who were undergoing labor induction were enrolled in this prospective, double-blinded investigation. Initial vaginal pH and Bishop score assessment were made by an independent examiner. All women received cervical ripening with the dinoprostone gel 5 mg intracervically, with repeated dosing one time 6 hours later. Twelve hours later, oxytocin induction was initiated per standardized protocol, and outcome data were collected. Results: Mean (±SD) initial vaginal pH was 4.7 ± 0.6 (range, 4.0-6.0) for the study cohort. No significant differences were noted between women with a high vaginal pH (>4.5, n=16 women) and women with a low vaginal pH (≤4.5, n=16 women) with respect to maternal age, parity, gestational age, or initial Bishop score. Although Bishop score change over the initial 12 hours of cervical ripening did not significantly differ between the high vaginal pH (2.3 ± 2.3) and the low vaginal pH group (2.3 ± 2.5, P = not significant), time to active labor (19 ± 10 hours vs 33 ± 17 hours, P =.001), complete dilation (24 ± 10 hours vs 37 ± 19 hours, P =.03), and delivery (26 ± 10 hours vs 38 ± 18 hours, P =.02) were significantly shorter in women with a high vaginal pH compared with women with a low vaginal pH, respectively. A significant association was noted between vaginal pH and time to active labor ( r = −0.52, P =.003), complete dilation ( r = −0.50, P =.006), and delivery ( r = −0.44, P =.01); however, pH was not significantly associated with Bishop score change during the initial 12 hours of cervical ripening. Conclusion: Vaginal pH is an important factor that affects the efficacy of the dinoprostone gel as an adjuvant for labor induction. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2002;187:843-6.)
Narrow-width SOI devices the role of quantum mechanical space-quantization effects on device performance

We investigate the role of quantum mechanical space-quantization effects on the operation of a narrow-width SOI device structure. The presence of a two-dimensional carrier confinement gives rise to larger average displacement of the carriers from the interface proper and lower sheet electron density in the channel region. This, in turn, results not only in a significant increase in the threshold voltage but also in pronounced channel width dependency of the drain current. In this work, we have used classical 3D Monte Carlo particle-based simulations. Quantum mechanical space-quantization effects have been accounted for via an effective potential scheme that has been quite successful in describing bandgap widening effect and charge set back from the interface.
McCabe, R. E., B. W. O'Gara, and H. M. Reeves.2004. Prairie Ghost: Pronghorn and Human Interaction in Early America. University Press of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 175 pp. ISBN 0-87081-758-2, price (hardbound), $29.95

R. E. McCabe, B. W. O'Gara, H. M. Reeves. 2004. Prairie Ghost: Pronghorn and Human Interaction in Early America. University Press of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 175 pp. ISBN 0-87081-758-2, price (hardbound), $29.95. Many, if not all, populations of wild animals have been influenced by humans, and ignoring this variable in studies of wild populations is hazardous to design and implementation of effective management policies. I found Prairie Ghost: Pronghorn and Human Interaction in Early America to be a refreshing analysis of the interactions between humans and pronghorns ( Antilocapra americana ), and a well-written companion volume to Pronghorn Ecology and Management (O'Gara and Yoakum 2004). Prairie Ghost includes approximately 150 black and white photographs and illustrations in the 175-page book. In addition, the center of the book holds an astonishing 16 pages of color lithographs depicting pronghorn in its natural habitat by renowned wildlife artists such as Albert Bierstadt. In a sense, the book demonstrates a duality that all good books possess—illustrations and short …
The design and technology requirements of a 9-channel RS485 transceiver for ultra-SCSI applications

The design aspects of a 9-channel ultra-SCSI transceiver chip are discussed including improvements to speed, power consumption and die size over a previous generation chip, Discussion of the enabling linear BiCMOS technology and an ESD strategy, critical to the function of this class of chip, are presented. Finally, the results of prototype silicon are reviewed.
Post-stratified estimation: within-strata and total sample size recommendations

Post-stratification is used to reduce the variance of estimates of the mean. Because the stratification is not fixed in advance, within-strata sample sizes can be quite small. The survey statistics...
Using feature preview to investigate the roles of top-down and bottom-up processing in conjunction search.

The venerable conjunction search paradigm is a widely used tool to investigate how we search for items of interest from among visually complex surroundings. Models of visual search have long predicted that standard conjunction search is guided primarily by top–down processing. Prior attempts to test this claim experimentally have done so by altering some aspect of the standard conjunction search, whether by manipulating the distractor ratio or by including a feature singleton. Although suggestive, these manipulations result in a task that differs slightly from standard conjunction search. To leave the standard conjunction search paradigm intact, we used the feature preview task developed by Olds and Fockler [Olds, E. S., & Fockler, K. A. (2004). Does previewing one stimulus feature help conjunction search? Perception, 33, 195–216]. Our results show that in standard conjunction search the effect of bottom–up activation is not necessarily detrimental to search performance as previously suggested by computational models of visual search. Instead, bottom–up activation limits the scope of search, thereby boosting the efficiency of standard conjunction searches. Subjects also showed a bias to group items by color rather than orientation even when color differences were reduced nearly to threshold, indicating that the salience advantage of color is complemented by a general bottom–up preference for color.
Internet information and communication behavior during a political moment: The Iraq war, March 2003

This article explores the Internet as a resource for political information and communication in March 2003, when American troops were first sent to Iraq, offering us a unique setting of political context, information use, and technology. Employing a national survey conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life project, we examine the political information behavior of the Internet respondents through an exploratory factor analysis; analyze the effects of personal demographic attributes and political attitudes, traditional and new media use, and technology on online behavior through multiple regression analysis; and assess the online political information and communication behavior of supporters and dissenters of the Iraq War. The factor analysis suggests four factors: activism, support, information seeking, and communication. The regression analysis indicates that gender, political attitudes and beliefs, motivation, traditional media consumption, perceptions of bias in the media, and computer experience and use predict online political information behavior, although the effects of these variables differ for the four factors. The information and communication behavior of supporters and dissenters of the Iraq War differed significantly. We conclude with a brief discussion of the value of “interdisciplinary poaching” for advancing the study of Internet information practices. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Circularly polarized slot radiators

A pair of narrow slots crossed at right angles and located at the proper point in the broad wall of a rectangular waveguide will radiate a circularly polarized wave. Some of the results of a study of the properties of such slots is presented. The study was undertaken with the aim of obtaining information useful in design of a circularly polarized linear array. Some of the properties of the slot pairs are as follows: 1) They are inherently matched, independent of the slot length. 2) When the slot arms are made resonant, approximately 75 per cent of the incident power is radiated, with a vswr of 1.12. 3) When fed from one end of the waveguide, the slots radiate right-hand circular polarization; from the other end, left-hand. In using these slots in linear arrays the power radiated is varied by changing slot length, since position and orientation are fixed by the requirements of circular polarization. The slots must be separated by a guide wavelength, so waveguide loading or other complicated schemes must be used to reduce the slot spacing.
Visualizing multi-dimensional clusters, trends, and outliers using star coordinates

Interactive visualizations are effective tools in mining scientific, engineering, and business data to support decision-making activities. Star Coordinates is proposed as a new multi-dimensional visualization technique, which supports various interactions to stimulate visual thinking in early stages of knowledge discovery process. In Star Coordinates, coordinate axes are arranged on a two-dimensional surface, where each axis shares the same origin point. Each multi-dimensional data element is represented by a point, where each attribute of the data contributes to its location through uniform encoding. Interaction features of Star Coordinates provide users the ability to apply various transformations dynamically, integrate and separate dimensions, analyze correlations of multiple dimensions, view clusters, trends, and outliers in the distribution of data, and query points based on data ranges. Our experience with Star Coordinates shows that it is particularly useful for the discovery of hierarchical clusters, and analysis of multiple factors providing insight in various real datasets including telecommunications churn.
Data management in large-scale AI systems

It is argued that the development of large-scale AI (artificial intelligence) systems, like that of all large software systems, must incorporate the principles and techniques of data management. In particular, developers of knowledge-gased expert systems, making use of heuristic knowledge, must take care that the complexity and sheer size of the knowledge bases do not render impossible system development, maintenance, and execution. Traditional database management techniques and procedures alone are considered insufficient and not always applicable to the knowledge bases used in expert systems. However, the developers of large-scale knowledge-based systems still need to adhere to the principles of these procedures, such as maintainability, clarity, portability, and efficiency, to ensure successful development. The distinct knowledge-based processing paradigm imposes additional data management requirements on system development, including the ability to trace the knowledge acquired for and used in the system. >
Long-wavelength infrared photoinduced switching of a resonant tunneling diode using the intersubband transition

Voltage switching induced by long-wavelength infrared light from a CO/sub 2/ laser was observed using a double-barrier resonant tunneling diode (RTD) biased in the bistable region and the intersubband transition (IT) between the quantum confined states. Possible optoelectronic and all-optical switching applications involving hysteresis are proposed and discussed. >
Access to Venture Capital and the Performance of Venture-Backed Start-Ups in Silicon Valley

This article examines start-ups' access to venture capital in Silicon Valley using a comprehensive database. The author finds that Silicon Valley consistently absorbs 20% to 26% of the total ventur...
Institutional Determinants of Macro‐Level Entrepreneurship

This multicountry study empirically explores the institutional determinants of macro–level entrepreneurship. Findings suggest that a society's normative, cultural–cognitive, and regulative institut...
Commentary on: Safety of Cosmetic Procedures in Elderly and Octogenarian Patients

The elderly population in the United States is increasing. According to the US Census Bureau, in the year 2000 there were 35 million people over 65 years of age in the United States and 4.2 million over 85 years of age out of a total population of 282,160,000.1 There was an increase to 40,200,000 over 65 and 6,100,000 over 85 in 2010 with a total population of 309,330,000. It is estimated that the US population over 65 years of age will be 71,500,000 in the year 2030 with 20,900,000 over 85 and a total population of 359,402,000. The largest consumer group to have plastic surgery is still 35–50 year olds, but the fastest-growing group to undergo cosmetic procedures is older patients. The data from the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) shows that older patients, as well as other age groups, tend to opt to have more non-surgical cosmetic procedures than surgical procedures, but both the non-surgical and the surgical segments are increasing. According to the 1997 statistics, there were a total of 115,709 cosmetic procedures, both surgical and non-surgical, performed on patients older than 65, which was 5.5% of the total cosmetic procedures performed for all age groups.2 That increased in 2004 to 78,672 surgical (3.7%) and 670,935 non-surgical (6.9%) for a total of 749,607 (6.3%) of overall cosmetic procedures for all age groups.3 The progressive increase continued, as documented in the 2014 statistics: 138,612 surgical procedures (7.9%) and 967,814 non-surgical cosmetic for a total of 10.4% of all cosmetic procedures.4 For the purpose of this paper, 65 years old and older is considered elderly.5 But, in today's world of good nutrition and an emphasis on physical activity, many individuals over 65 are far from the stereotype of what we consider elderly. There …