cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract A70: Is the availability of fast food restaurants and tobacco outlets near schools in 97 U.S. counties associated with school sociodemographic characteristics?

Background: Fast food and tobacco product availability near schools might influence youth diet and tobacco use, and greater availability near racially diverse or lower income schools may contribute to racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in cancer risk. However, no national studies have examined the availability of both fast food restaurants and retail tobacco outlets near schools in the United States (US) in association with school sociodemographic characteristics. Methods: Fast food restaurants and tobacco outlets were counted within 800 m Euclidean buffers around public primary, middle and high schools in 97 US counties. Counties were randomly selected proportionate to county population size in 2011. Generalized linear mixed models were used to examine the association of school racial/ethnic composition and participation in free/reduced price lunch programs with fast food restaurant and tobacco outlet availability near schools. Results: Nearly 40% of schools had both a fast food restaurant and a tobacco outlet within 800 m (approximately a 10 minute walk). The odds of having both a fast food restaurant and tobacco outlet within 800 m increased by 5% for every 10% increase in the percentage of Hispanic students (OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.03, 1.07). Odds increased by 3% for every 10% increase in the percentage of students receiving free/reduced price lunch (OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01, 1.05). High schools had nearly 1.5 times the odds of having both a fast food restaurant and a tobacco outlet within 800 m compared with primary schools. Conclusion: Low income and Hispanic students, and high school students are disproportionately exposed to both fast food restaurants and tobacco outlets near schools in this sample of 97 US counties. Restricting the location of fast food and tobacco retail outlets in school neighborhoods may help reduce access to harmful products, particularly among some vulnerable populations. Citation Format: Heather D9Angelo, Alice Ammerman, Penny Gordon-Larsen, Laura Linnan, Leslie Lytle, Kurt M. Ribisl. Is the availability of fast food restaurants and tobacco outlets near schools in 97 U.S. counties associated with school sociodemographic characteristics? [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eighth AACR Conference on The Science of Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; Nov 13-16, 2015; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2016;25(3 Suppl):Abstract nr A70.
Numerical Study of Microstructural Evolution During Homogenization of Al-Si-Mg-Fe-Mn Alloys

Microstructural evolution during homogenization of Al-Si-Mg-Fe-Mn alloys occurs in two stages at different length scales: while holding at the homogenization temperature (diffusion on the scale of the secondary dendrite arm spacing (SDAS) in micrometers) and during quenching to room temperature (dispersoid precipitation at the nanometer to submicron scale). Here a numerical study estimates microstructural changes during both stages. A diffusion-based model developed to simulate evolution at the SDAS length scale predicts homogenization times and microstructures matching experiments. That model is coupled with a Kampmann Wagner Neumann-based precipitate nucleation and growth model to study the effect of temperature, composition, as-cast microstructure, and cooling rates during posthomogenization quenching on microstructural evolution. A homogenization schedule of 853 K (580 °C) for 8 hours, followed by cooling at 250 K/h, is suggested to optimize microstructures for easier extrusion, consisting of minimal α-Al(FeMn)Si, no β-AlFeSi, and Mg2Si dispersoids <1 μm size.
Addressing informational challenges with earnouts in mergers and acquisitions

This essay examines the role played by earnouts in mergers and acquisitions transactions. When one party is better informed of the true value of the deal than the other, the parties face the well-known “lemons” problem, which could prevent them from consummating the transaction even when both are aware that the deal will produce a positive (but uncertain) surplus. By harnessing post-closing, verifiable information, earnouts allow the transacting parties to overcome this informational challenge. The essay also analyzes (1) how the adoption and the size of an earnout will vary depending on the various characteristics of the transaction and (2) the earnout design issues when the parties face the problems of ex post moral hazard, such as engaging in inefficient behavior to either maximize or minimize the earnout payment.
Dealing with Intangibles: Valuing Brand Names, Flexibility and Patents

A standard critique of valuation models, in general, and discounted cash flow models in particular is that they fail to fully account for the many intangible assets possessed by firms. There have been attempts to value brand name, trade marks and copyrights and bring them on to the balance sheet. Other intangible assets include patents and customer lists. We would expand this list to consider the flexibility that a firm may preserve to expand its market or enter new markets. In this paper, we consider a variety of ways in which these assets can be valued and the consequences for investors.
Validity of the timed 25-foot walk as an ambulatory performance outcome measure for multiple sclerosis.

The Multiple Sclerosis Outcome Assessments Consortium (MSOAC) includes representatives from advocacy organizations, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), European Medicines Agency (EMA), National Ins...
D-T Beam Fusion Reactor

The Beam Fusion Reactor (BFR) is based on a field-reversed configuration and confined ion energies in the range of hundreds of keV. Repetitively pulsed, intense ion beams sustain the ion distributions and provide current drive. In the BFR the ion orbit size is comparable to the dimensions of the confined plasma and the expectation is for classical transport of the particles and energy. Based on technologies that readily exist, or nearly so, a D-T fueled BFR could be assembled in a compact configuration that is scaleable in terms of its output energy as well as to the advanced fuel regime. In the simplest case the mean azimuthal velocities and temperatures of the two ion (fuel) species are equal and the plasma current is unneutralized by electrons; the resulting distribution functions are thermal in a moving frame of reference. Reactor kinetic calculations are based on the Vlasov-Maxwell equation, including a Fokker Planck collision operator and all sources and sinks for energy and particle flow. The quality factor for this system is projected to be: Q ≡ P fusion /P bremsstrahlung = 104.
Convergence Acceleration Applied to Sinc Approximation with Application to Approximation of |χ|a

In this paper we shall study the role of Chebyshev acceleration [4] on Sinc approximation [9]. When used properly, n—point Sinc approximants con-verge at the O(e -cn1/2) rate. Whereas this rate of convergence is often close to optimal [1], extrema.l functions which belong to the Hardy optimality space, H p (D)={f∈ Hol(D):∥f∥ p < ∞}, with 1 < p < ∞ which cannot be continued analytically into a larger domain D’ are rarely known in applications. Hence it follows, that for nearly all f encountered in applications, there exists a family of functions Hr(D’) with D C D’ such that the Sinc approximations associated with ’D’ converge more rapidly for our particular function f than the corresponding ones for D. It follows, as a consequence, that Chebyshev acceleration can nearly always be applied to improve the accuracy of Sinc approximation.
Microwave remote sensing of soil, ocean, snow and vegetation based on 3D Numerical Solutions of Maxwell Equations (NMM3D)

We have been engaged in Numerical Solutions of Maxwell equations (NMM3D) for more than fifteen years [1-2]. In this paper, we report on the recent progress of NMM3D on random rough surfaces and discrete random media and their applications in active and passive microwave remote sensing. The random rough surface models were applied to soil surfaces and ocean surfaces. The discrete random media models were applied to snow and vegetation. We describe the numerical methodologies and the simulation results. Comparisons are also made with experimental measurements.
La Historia verdadera de la conquista de la Nueva España, de Bernal Díaz del Castillo: un estudio bibliográfico de las dos primeras ediciones

El presente articulo pretende mostrar la evidencia que confirma cual de las dos primeras ediciones de la Historia verdadera de la conquista de la Nueva Espana de Bernal Diaz del Castillo es, en realidad, la primera. Las dos tienen pies de imprenta muy parecidos -Madrid, Imprenta del Reino- y ambas llevan la fecha de 1632, o bien en la portada o en la suma de la tasa. A traves de la evidencia bibliografica comprobamos que la edicion con la portada calcografica es la primera edicion, y la edicion con la portada tipografica es una edicion contrahecha posterior. [ABSTRACT]The following article uses bibliographical evidence to prove which of the two first editions of Historia verdadera de la conquista de la Nueva Espana by Bernal Diaz del Castillo is the true first edition and which is a posterior illegal edition. Both have the date 1632 either in their imprint or in their legal preliminaries, but this article will show that the illegal edition was printed at a later date. This article is the result of research carried out during the course of investigation related to the Master's Thesis "Cronicas americanas en la Biblioteca Historica "Marques de Valdecilla": Aproximacion a un repertorio tipobibliografico" presented in June 2011 in the Facultad de Ciencias de Documentacion at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and directed by Dr. Mercedes Fernandez Valladares.
Real-Time Decision Support Systems: The Famine Early Warning System Network

A multi-institutional partnership, the US Agency for International Development’s Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWS NET) provides routine monitoring of climatic, agricultural, market, and socioeconomic conditions in over 20 countries. FEWS NET supports and informs disaster relief decisions that impact millions of people and involve billions of dollars. In this chapter, we focus on some of FEWS NET’s hydrologic monitoring tools, with a specific emphasis on combining “low frequency” and “high frequency” assessment tools. Low frequency assessment tools, tied to water and food balance estimates, enable us to evaluate and map long-term tendencies in food security. High frequency assessments are supported by agrohydrologic models driven by satellite rainfall estimates, such as the Water Requirement Satisfaction Index (WRSI). Focusing on eastern Africa, we suggest that both these high and low frequency approaches are necessary to capture the interaction of slow variations in vulnerability and the relatively rapid onset of climatic shocks.
Connecting Environmental Stress to Cancer Cell Biology Through the Neuroendocrine Response

An individual's exposure and response to social stressors has long been implicated in chronic disease risk. The potential mechanisms underlying the link between stressors and cancer susceptibility have been the subject of long-standing research for both social and basic scientists. Despite their continued efforts, the exact impact that psychological stressors have on cancer susceptibility and progression is still poorly understood. However, knowing the mechanisms connecting social stress and cancer biology could lead to major changes in public health initiatives and cancer treatment. Epidemiological evidences taken together with biological models of cancer development have shed some light on how chronic stress may contribute to human cancer. Following exposure to stress, both the endocrine and the autonomic nervous system are activated. This neuroendocrine response can mediate signaling pathways and gene expression changes at the cellular level that have the potential to alter tumor biology. For example, in preclinical models of both breast and ovarian cancer, there are growing data linking environmental stressors with an ensuing neuroendocrine response and ultimately molecular changes in tumor tissues. These changes include inhibiting tumor cell apoptosis and increasing cell proliferation, tumor invasion, and angiogenesis.
[DPhe 6 ] bombesin-6-13-ethylester

[DPhe6]bombesin-6-13-ethylester is a member of the des-Met14 class of bombesin receptor antagonists, the most potent class of antagonists for this receptor …
A new technique for subchoroidal implantation of experimental malignant melanoma

A new technique for implanting Greene hamster amelanotic melanoma cells into the rabbit eye is described. The technique involves the deposition of a tumor fragment into the subchoroidal space via a transvitreal approach. Thirty rabbit eyes were implanted with 26 successful tumor growths producing solitary choroidal nodules. This technique offers the advantages of rapid implantation, the ability to precisely choose the site of implantation including posterior sites, and eliminates the need for a large scleral incision.
Sculpting the Skull Through Neurosensory Epithelial-Mesenchymal Signaling

The vertebrate skull is a complex structure housing the brain and specialized sensory organs, including the eye, the inner ear, and the olfactory system. The close association between bones of the skull and the sensory organs they encase has posed interesting developmental questions about how the tissues scale with one another. Mechanisms that regulate morphogenesis of the skull are hypothesized to originate in part from the encased neurosensory organs. Conversely, the developing skull is hypothesized to regulate the growth of neurosensory organs, through mechanical forces or molecular signaling. Here, we review studies of epithelial-mesenchymal interactions during inner ear and olfactory system development that may coordinate the growth of the two sensory organs with their surrounding bone. We highlight recent progress in the field and provide evidence that mechanical forces arising from bone growth may affect olfactory epithelium development. Developmental Dynamics 248:88-97, 2019. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
QualityDeepSense: Quality-Aware Deep Learning Framework for Internet of Things Applications with Sensor-Temporal Attention

Deep neural networks are becoming increasingly popular in mobile sensing and computing applications. Their capability of fusing multiple sensor inputs and extracting temporal relationships can enhance intelligence in a wide range of applications. One key problem however is the noisy on-device sensors, whose characters are heterogeneous and varying over time. The existing mobile deep learning frameworks usually treat every sensor input equally over time, lacking the ability of identifying and exploiting the heterogeneity of sensor noise. In this work, we propose QualityDeepSense, a deep learning framework that can automatically balance the contribution of sensor inputs over time by their sensing qualities. We propose a sensor-temporal attention mechanism to learn the dependencies among sensor inputs over time. These correlations are used to infer the qualities and reassign the contribution of sensor inputs. QualityDeepSense can thus focus on more informative sensor inputs for prediction. We demonstrate the effectiveness of QualityDeepSense using the noise-augmented heterogeneous human activity recognition task. QualityDeepSense outperforms the state-of-the-art methods by a clear margin. In addition, we show QualityDeepSense only impose limited resource-consumption burden on embedded devices.
Ischemic Fasciitis Mimicking A Lipoma.

Author(s): Saeed, Lina; Bahrani, Eman; Lauw, Marietya IS; Tabatabai, Z Laura; Arron, Sarah T; Mauro, Theodora M
The random Schrödinger equation: slowly decorrelating time-dependent potentials

We analyze the weak-coupling limit of the random Schrodinger equation with low frequency initial data and a slowly decorrelating random potential. For the probing signal with a sufficiently long wavelength, we prove a homogenization result, that is, the properly compensated wave field admits a deterministic limit in the “very low” frequency regime. The limit is “anomalous” in the sense that the solution behaves as exp(−Dt) with s > 1 rather than the “usual” exp(−Dt) homogenized behavior when the random potential is rapidly decorrelating. Unlike in rapidly decorrelating potentials, as we decrease the wavelength of the probing signal, stochasticity appears in the asymptotic limit – there exists a critical scale depending on the random potential which separates the deterministic and stochastic regimes.
A Comparison of Ovine Facial and Limb Muscle as a Primary Cell Source for Engineered Skeletal Muscle.

Volumetric muscle loss (VML) contributes to the number of soft tissue injuries that necessitate reconstructive surgery, but treatment options are often limited by tissue availability and donor site...
Modeling the dielectric strength variation of supercritical fluids driven by cluster formation near critical point

Density fluctuation driven by cluster formation causes drastic changes in the dielectric breakdown characteristics of supercritical fluids that cannot be described solely based on the conventional Townsend’s gas discharge theory and Paschen’s law. In this study, we model the dielectric breakdown characteristics of supercritical CO2 as a function of pressure based on the electron scattering cross section data of CO2 clusters that vary in size as a function of temperature and pressure around the critical point. The electron scattering cross section data of CO2 clusters are derived from those of gaseous CO2. We solve the Boltzmann equation based on the electron scattering cross section data to obtain critical electrical fields of various cluster sizes as a function of pressure. To validate our model, we compare the modeled breakdown voltage with the experimental breakdown measurements of supercritical CO2, which show close agreement.
Human-animal-environment interactions as a context for youth social-emotional health and wellbeing: Practitioners’ perspectives on processes of change, implementation, and challenges

Abstract Background Human-animal-environment interactions (HAEIs) are increasingly used in interventions for youth with psychosocial challenges, yet research is limited. Staff from an exemplary program that use HAEIs have unique perspectives on the processes involved in youth outcomes. The aim of this study was to elucidate processes of change that may underly HAEIs and key implementation considerations. Materials and methods A phenomenological approach was used to ascertain HAEI staff perspectives of how they have seen HAEIs impact youth. Semi-structured interviews were completed with 24 staff at a mental health treatment program that utilizes HAEIs. Results Six themes were identified, including views that HAEIs had challenges, afforded youth with valuable opportunities, improved mood, facilitated relationships and self-regulation, and strengthened self-conception. Conclusion Findings will inform program development; and future research to assess mediating variables and best practices in implementation of HAEIs.
Enhancing Intracellular Accumulation and Target Engagement of PROTACs with Reversible Covalent Chemistry

Current efforts in the proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) field mostly focus on choosing an appropriate E3 ligase for the target protein, improving the binding affinities towards the target protein and the E3 ligase, and optimizing the PROTAC linker. However, due to the large molecular weights of PROTACs, their cellular uptake remains an issue. Through comparing how different warhead chemistry, reversible noncovalent (RNC), reversible covalent (RC), and irreversible covalent (IRC) binders, affects the degradation of Bruton’s Tyrosine Kinase (BTK), we serendipitously discover that cyano-acrylamide-based reversible covalent chemistry can significantly enhance the intracellular accumulation and target engagement of PROTACs and develop RC-1 as a reversible covalent BTK PROTAC with a high target occupancy as its corresponding kinase inhibitor and effectiveness as a dual functional inhibitor and degrader, a different mechanism-of-action for PROTACs. Importantly, this reversible covalent strategy is generalizable to improve other PROTACs, opening a path to enhance PROTAC efficacy. PROTACs have emerged as promising therapeutic agents but their cellular uptake is often inefficient. Here, the authors show that reversible covalent warhead chemistry improves PROTAC intracellular accumulation and target engagement, and develop a dual inhibitor/degrader of Bruton’s tyrosine kinase
Anxiety does not always affect balance: the predominating role of cognitive engagement in a video gaming task.

Scientists have predominantly assessed anxiety’s impact on postural control when anxiety is created by the need to maintain balance (e.g., standing at heights). In the present study, we investigate how postural control and its mechanisms (i.e., vestibular function) are impacted when anxiety is induced by an unrelated task (playing a video game). Additionally, we compare watching and playing a game to dissociate postural adaptations caused by increased engagement rather than anxiety. Participants [N = 25, female = 8, M (SD) age = 23.5 (3.9)] held a controller in four standing conditions of varying surface compliance (firm or foam) and with or without peripheral visual occlusion across four blocks: quiet standing (baseline), watching the game with a visual task (watching), playing the game (low anxiety), and playing under anxiety (high anxiety). We measured sway area, sway frequency, root mean square (RMS) sway, anxiety, and mental effort. Limited sway differences emerged between anxiety blocks (only sway area on firm surface). The watching block elicited more sway than baseline (greater sway area and RMS sway; lower sway frequency), and the low anxiety block elicited more sway than the watching block (greater sway area and RMS sway; higher sway frequency). Mental effort was associated with increased sway area and RMS sway. Our findings indicate that anxiety, when generated through competition, has minimal impact on postural control. Postural control primarily adapts according to mental effort and more cognitively engaging task constraints (i.e., playing versus watching). We speculate increased sway reflects the prioritization of attention to game performance over postural control.
Adolescent Gynecology in the Office Setting

Ensuring open communication, partnership with patient and parent, and clarification of confidentiality during an adolescent gynecologic visit helps establish an environment in which a history and physical examination can be performed safely and with a focus on prevention, recognition of disease, and treatment as necessary. The history should include the menstrual status and gynecologic review of systems. The examination should document Tanner staging (sexual maturity rating) and be otherwise symptom guided. Similarly, testing in the office is largely risk and symptom related. Contraceptive counseling is an important component of the office visit, as well. Long and short curricula for teaching pediatric and adolescent gynecology have been developed by the North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology and are readily available for use. (1)(2) Although state-based variation in consent and confidentiality exists, pediatric practices should aim to protect patient confidentiality and transition to more independent health-care decision making.
Die neoliberale Staatskunst: Workfare, Prisonfare und soziale Unsicherheit

In „Bestrafen der Armen“ habe ich gezeigt, dass die sich im Laufe des letzten Vierteljahrhunderts vollziehende Ruckkehr des Gefangnisses an die institutionelle Frontlinie moderner Gesellschaften keine politische Reaktion auf durch Kriminalitat bedingte Unsicherheit darstellt.
First production of potable water by OTEC and its potential applications

An experimental Heat and Mass Transfer Scoping Test Apparatus was built to obtain design data for a larger test that will assess technical feasibility of the open-cycle OTEC process. The apparatus was erected at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii and became operational in the summer of 1987. After initial debugging, it produced 350 gallons/h (1600 l/h) of potable water having a salinity of 86 p.p.m., 1/5 that of local tap water available at the test site. >
The measurement of ultrashort pulses: from simple laser pulses to unstable, ultracomplex, ultrabroadband, ultra weak light pulses

We review the state of the art of ultrashort-light-pulse measurement. Particularly, progress has been made in extending FROG to measuring unstable, ultracomplex, and ultrabroadband pulses (microstructure-fiber supercontinua); measuring ultraweak light pulses, which have random absolute phase and poor spatial coherence; and development of an ultracompact pulse-measurement device-GRENOUILLE, which yields not only intensity and phase, but also spatial chirp and pulse-front tilt.
A secure signature scheme from bilinear maps

Traditionally, the strongest notion of security for undeniable and confirmer signatures is invisibility under adaptive attacks. This security property was promoted by Camenisch and Michels and they provided schemes with this property. Gennaro, Krawczyk and Rabin (GKR) developed an RSA-based scheme which is much more efficient than the schemes of Camenisch and Michels, but it does not have invisibility. We give an RSA-based scheme which is as efficient as the GKR scheme, and which has invisibility. We suggest that anonymity is the most relevant security property for undeniable and confirmer signatures. We give a precise definition of anonymity for undeniable and confirmer signatures in the multi-user setting and show that anonymity and invisibility are closely related. Finally, we show that anonymity can be achieved even when the parties use completely different cryptographic primitives.
ASIS&T annual meeting pre‐conference activities: SIG/IFP‐SIG/III pre‐conference workshop trust in the age of data: Big and small

EDITOR'S SUMMARY The Special Interest Groups/Information Policy (SIG/IFP) and International Information Issues (SIG/III) joined forces at the 2014 ASIS&T Annual Meeting for an interdisciplinary workshop exploring trust in the context of data collection and mining. Among the topics addressed during the workshop were ethical stewardship of information, trust in the validity and authenticity of digital repository holdings, trust in extra-academic environments and trust as a critical requirement for interdisciplinary collaboration. The discussion of trust extended to justice in global regions in conflict, use of body cameras in law enforcement and broad scale population surveillance. The success of the workshop, particularly with its lively audience participation, will drive efforts to reinvigorate Special Interest Group/Information Policy as a unified forum on public policy and ethics related to information.
MECHANISM OF ANTIGENIC VARIATION IN AN INDIVIDUAL EPITOPE ON INFLUENZA VIRUS N9 NEURAMINIDASE

Monoclonal antibodies which inhibit influenza virus neuraminidase (NA) and which therefore indirectly neutralize virus infectivity bind to epitopes located on the rim of the active-site crater. The three-dimensional structure of one of these epitopes, recognized by monoclonal antibody NC41, has previously been determined (W. R. Tulip, J. N. Varghese, R. G. Webster, G. M. Air, W. G. Laver, and P. M. Colman, Cold Spring Harbor Symp. Quant. Biol. 54:257-263, 1989). Nineteen escape mutants of influenza virus A/tern/Australia/G70c/75 (N9) NA selected with NC41 were sequenced. A surprising restriction was seen in the sequence changes involved. Ten mutants had a Ser-to-Phe change at amino acid 372, and six others had mutations at position 367. No escape mutants with changes at 369 or 370 were found, although these mutations were selected with other antibodies and rendered the epitope unrecognizable by antibody NC41. Another N9 NA, from A/ruddy turnstone/NJ/85, which differs by 14 amino acids from the tern virus NA, still bound antibody NC41. Epitope mapping by selecting multiple escape mutants with antibody NC41 thus identified only three of the five polypeptide loops on NA that contact the antibody. Escape mutants selected sequentially with three different monoclonal antibodies showed three sequence changes in two loops of the NC41 epitope. The multiple mutants were indistinguishable from wild-type virus by using polyclonal rabbit antiserum in double immunodiffusion tests, but NA inhibition titers were fourfold lower. The results suggest that although the NC41 epitope contains 22 amino acids, only a few of these are so critical to the interaction with antibody that a single sequence change allows selection of an escape mutant. In that case, the variety of amino acid sequence changes which can lead to polyclonal selection of new epidemic viruses during antigenic drift might be very limited.
Bias Estimation and Probable Remedy using Statistical Modeling for Automated Web Crawling Techniques in Social Media Based Sites

Web crawling is a popular technique for data collection among researchers, practitioners and scholars. One of the major challenges, web crawling technique often face is the inefficient utilization of bandwidth, which results in unbalanced crawl between different sites. In this paper, we described how to estimate the bias in a crawled sample. We designed a probabilistic model to improve the crawling distribution of the overall sample. The probabilistic model is designed considering both small and large social media based sites. The proposed model is designed to achieve efficient utilization of bandwidth and greater coverage of crawling sample. The initial pilot study shows promising results.
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Investigation of Rhodanese Sulfhydryl Groups A CHLORIDE ION PROBE STUDY

Abstract The chloride ion NMR probe technique was applied to an examination of sulfhydryl groups of rhodanese. Two sulfhydryl groups were found to be free to exchange chloride ions rapidly with the solution when labeled with mercury ion. The chloride ion line width in this enzyme solution was determined by the rate of chloride ion exchange with the enzyme-bound mercury atom (K = 4 x 106 s-1 at 25°). The enzyme remained active with both sulfhydryl groups blocked with mercury; however, it was inhibited by dithiothreitol, suggesting that a disulfide bond is necessary for activity.
Monolithic integration of lateral-electrode laser and waveguide devices in GaAs/AlGaAs

A monolithically integrated diode laser with waveguide devices has been described theoretically and experimentally. The lateral-electrode ridge-guided Fabry-Perot or DFB laser is coupled by the evanescent field to a strip loaded single-mode waveguide. The waveguide cladding consists of two layers: the upper layer is n-doped for a ground contact of the laser section, and the lower layer is nondoped to achieve low loss propagation in the waveguide. This device will be useful as a built-in component for various optical measurement equipments.
Characterization of ductal carcinoma in situ on diffusion weighted breast MRI.

Objectives To characterize ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and its subtypes on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI).
Solar control of the upper atmosphere of Triton

If the upper atmosphere and ionosphere of Triton are controlled by precipitation of electrons from Neptune's magnetosphere as previously proposed, Triton could have the only ionosphere in the solar system not controlled by solar radiation. However, a new model of Triton's atmosphere, in which only solar radiation is present, predicts a large column of carbon atoms. With an assumed, but reasonable, rate of charge transfer between N_2^+ and C, a peak C^+ abundance results that is close to the peak electron densities measured by Voyager in Triton's ionosphere. These results suggest that Triton's upper atmospheric chemistry may thus be solar-controlled. Measurement of key reaction rate constants, currently unknown or highly uncertain at Triton's low temperatures, would help to clarify the chemical and physical processes occurring in Triton's atmosphere.
Back in the Classroom: Notes from a Teacher Educator

What happens when an experienced teacher educator assumes the role of regular substitute in a middle school? For three months, I had this opportunity in a school serving predominantly low-income, minority students. The occasion followed a work relocation that granted me an interim period that I proposed to use for practical, professional development. Normally this time would have been spent otherwise-course workups, professional reading, or perhaps research and writing. But at this juncture, I wanted something more concrete and adventuresome-not exactly the Indiana Jones variety of excitement, but certainly something that challenged me at a more instinctive level. And, indeed, all that I wanted I found, simply by entering the doors of Highland Middle School. I had received a call from Highland requesting that I fill in an entire week for a language arts teacher. When I arrived on Monday morning, all the signs of challenge were present. Students milling about school grounds and in hallways appeared huge and uninhibited. My petite frame and reserved demeanor seemed less than adequate for the challenge ahead. The most jarring contrast came in the form of racial differences, however. For the first time in my life, I was a member of a 3 percent racial minority, and, while not alarming, this difference gave me a new perspective on the problems of being a minority. In the months to follow, I would progress from a feeling of isolation and marginal significance to a sense of secure belonging. I made this transition, and others, by reflecting on each day's events and trying to figure out how to make things work between me and my students.
Further studies on the light induced fading associated with the application of OSL to personnel dosimetry

Abstract In this study, we are reporting the investigation of the light-induced fading study associated with exposure to incandescent and fluorescent lighting conditions. All experiments described in this study were conducted using a sealed commercially available OSL dosimeter. Our experiments showed that the element holder showed significant light leaks that result in light-induced fading. While an opaque dosimeter holder may reduce the effect, a reengineered element holder is needed. The trend in lighting fading was also clearly demonstrated using fluorescent and incandescent lighting conditions. A repeated reading of a dosimeter causes a predictable loss in signal that must be taken into account for each subsequent reading. Our study concludes that the likelihood that dose data may be loss as a result of light induced fading is a real possibility with the advent of the identified light leaks.
Redesign of a Plugged β-Barrel Membrane Protein

The redesign of biological nanopores is focused on bacterial outer membrane proteins and pore-forming toxins, because their robust β-barrel structure makes them the best choice for developing stochastic biosensing elements. Using membrane protein engineering and single-channel electrical recordings, we explored the ferric hydroxamate uptake component A (FhuA), a monomeric 22-stranded β-barrel protein from the outer membrane of Escherichia coli. FhuA has a luminal cross-section of 3.1 × 4.4 nm and is filled by a globular N-terminal cork domain. Various redesigned FhuA proteins were investigated, including single, double, and multiple deletions of the large extracellular loops and the cork domain. We identified four large extracellular loops that partially occlude the lumen when the cork domain is removed. The newly engineered protein, FhuAΔC/Δ4L, was the result of a removal of almost one-third of the total number of amino acids of the wild-type FhuA (WT-FhuA) protein. This extensive protein engineering encompassed the entire cork domain and four extracellular loops. Remarkably, FhuAΔC/Δ4L forms a functional open pore in planar lipid bilayers, with a measured unitary conductance of ∼4.8 nanosiemens, which is much greater than the values recorded previously with other engineered FhuA protein channels. There are numerous advantages and prospects of using such an engineered outer membrane protein not only in fundamental studies of membrane protein folding and design, and the mechanisms of ion conductance and gating, but also in more applicative areas of stochastic single-molecule sensing of proteins and nucleic acids.
Coexisting serpentine and quartz from carbonate-bearing serpentinized peridotite in the Samail Ophiolite, Oman

Tectonically exposed mantle peridotite in the Oman Ophiolite is variably serpentinized and carbonated. Networks of young carbonate veins are prevalent in highly serpentinized peridotite, particularly near low-temperature alkaline springs emanating from the peridotite. An unusual feature in some samples is the coexistence of serpentine and quartz, which is not commonly observed in serpentinites. This assemblage is unstable with respect to serpentine + talc or talc + quartz under most conditions. Serpentine in the carbonated serpentinites in this study is more iron rich than in most serpentinites reported in previous studies, and samples with co-existing quartz contain the most iron-rich serpentines. Calculations of thermodynamic equilibria in the MgO–SiO2–H2O–CO2 system suggest that serpentine + quartz may be a stable assemblage at low temperatures (e.g., <~15–50 °C) and is stabilized to higher temperatures by preferential cation substitutions in serpentine over talc. Based on these calculations, serpentine + quartz assemblages could result from serpentinization at near-surface temperatures. Clumped isotope thermometry of carbonate veins yields temperatures within error of the observed temperatures in Oman groundwater for all samples analyzed, while the δ18O of water calculated to be in equilibrium with carbonate precipitated at those temperatures is within error of the observed isotopic composition of Oman groundwater for the majority of samples analyzed. As groundwater geochemistry suggests that carbonate precipitation and serpentinization occur concomitantly, this indicates that both hydration and carbonation of peridotite are able to produce extensive alteration at the relatively low temperatures of the near-surface weathering environment.
Glenn Shunt: Long-Term Results and Current Role in Congenital Heart Operations

Abstract Fifty cyanotic patients (aged 2 days to 22 years) underwent Glenn shunts for tricuspid atresia and other cyanotic heart defects. Thirteen of 15 operative deaths occurred in infants less than 4 months old, and only 1 death has occurred in the last 9 years. Results were poor in patients with Ebstein's anomaly, truncus arteriosus, transposition of the great vessels, and complex defects other than tricuspid atresia and univentricular heart. Of the 35 patients followed from 0.9 to 14.8 years, 12 were followed for more than 10 years. None of the 11 late deaths could be attributed to complications of the shunt. Minimal evidence of intrapulmonary shunting was found by angiography, pulmonary venous oximetry, or radioisotopic studies. Late deterioration due to venous collaterals and decreased flow to the opposite lung necessitated Blalock-Taussig shunts in 6 and Fontan procedures in 10. All survived the Fontan procedures with minimal morbidity. These data support the concept that Glenn shunts do not necessarily result in pulmonary abnormalities and may be indicated as a staged procedure in a few selected patients prior to a Fontan procedure.
Survey of Editors and Reviewers of High-Impact Psychology Journals: Statistical and Research Design Problems in Submitted Manuscripts

The authors surveyed 21 editors and reviewers from major psychology journals to identify and describe the statistical and design errors they encounter most often and to get their advice regarding prevention of these problems. Content analysis of the text responses revealed themes in 3 major areas: (a) problems with research design and reporting (e.g., lack of an a priori power analysis, lack of congruence between research questions and study design/analysis, failure to adequately describe statistical procedures); (b) inappropriate data analysis (e.g., improper use of analysis of variance, too many statistical tests without adjustments, inadequate strategy for addressing missing data); and (c) misinterpretation of results. If researchers attended to these common methodological and analytic issues, the scientific quality of manuscripts submitted to high-impact psychology journals might be significantly improved.
Circadian and light-regulated expression of nitrate reductase in Arabidopsis

The expression of a number of plant genes is regulated by an endogenous circadian clock. We report that the Arabidopsis NIA2 (nitrate reductase) gene shows robust circadian oscillations in mRNA accumulation which persist for at least 5 days in plants that have been grown in a light-dark (LD) cycle and then transformed to continuous light (LL). We further show that NIA2 mRNA accumulation oscillates in a circadian fashion in plants that have been grown in LD and then transferred to continuous darkness (DD). Results from nuclear run-on transcriptional analysis suggest that the oscillations in steady-state levels of NIA2 mRNA abundance are not primarily due to changes in transcription but, instead, reflect post-transcriptional regulation. The circadian oscillations in NIA2 mRNA abundance are paralleled by circadian oscillations in nitrate reductase enzyme activity (NR activity) in Arabidopsis plants that have been grown in LD and then transferred either to DD or to LL. Etiolated Arabidopsis seedlings express neither NIA2 mRNA nor NR activity. However, both NIA2 mRNA accumulation and NR activity are induced by exposure to white light. The inductive effects of light on NIA2 mRNA accumulation are due, at least in part, to a very low fluence phytochrome-mediated response. However, the persistence of circadian oscillations in NIA2 mRNA abundance for at least 5 days in LL demonstrates that the circadian clock is capable of overriding or gating the inductive effects of light on NIA2 mRNA accumulation in Arabidopsis for an extended, continuous period of time.
New role for AML1/ETO in leukemogenesis

The AML1 / ETO fusion protein induces DNA double-strand breaks, p53 expression, and a DNA damage response, suggesting a new role in AML pathogenesis. In this issue of Blood , Krejci and colleagues suggest that the transcription factor fusion protein, AML1 / ETO (also known as RUNX1 / MTG8 ), which
Review: Nanocomposites in Food Packaging

The development of nanocomposites is a new strategy to improve physical properties of polymers, including mechanical strength, thermal stability, and gas barrier properties. The most promising nanoscale size fillers are montmorillonite and kaolinite clays. Graphite nanoplates are currently under study. In food packaging, a major emphasis is on the development of high barrier properties against the migration of oxygen, carbon dioxide, flavor compounds, and water vapor. Decreasing water vapor permeability is a critical issue in the development of biopolymers as sustainable packaging materials. The nanoscale plate morphology of clays and other fillers promotes the development of gas barrier properties. Several examples are cited. Challenges remain in increasing the compatibility between clays and polymers and reaching complete dispersion of nanoplates. Nanocomposites may advance the utilization of biopolymers in food packaging.
STUDY OF SOLID-LIQUID EXTRACTIONS IN A BATCH EQUIPMENT

Abstract A batch pilot-scale apparatus is described for the study of processes for obtaining phyto-extracts using solvents. The distinctive feature of the equipment is that it provides the efficiency of a multi-stage counter-current extraction, yet uses only a single batch extractor (as opposed to a battery of extractors). This is achieved by using an auxiliary tank in which intermediate extracts are saved and recirculated in a pre-established order. Careful design of the mechanisms for the circulation of liquid from such tanks has resulted in an apparatus that is compact and has simple, flexible operation. A prototype of this apparatus was constructed for the study of the direct extraction of oil from sunflower seeds using hexane A simple model that describes the operation of the equipment is presented and applied to our experimental work with oilseeds.
Development of an Aero-Thermodynamics Course to Aid an Undergraduate Propulsion Track

This paper describes the development and assessment of a sophomore-level, aero-thermodynamics class structured to meet the needs of both the Department of Aeronautics and Department of Astronautics at the United States Air Force Academy. The course was developed following ABET EC2000 guidelines. Because of the large core class requirement placed on students at the USAF Academy, this single course was developed as an alternative to students taking traditional separate thermodynamics and gas dynamics courses. Benefits and tradeoffs of this approach are presented. The general philosophy in developing the course was to provide solid foundations in thermodynamics and compressible gas dynamics while motivating and inspiring students to their chosen engineering profession. To that end, the course is loaded with practical applications and hands-on laboratories. Engineering rigor was maintained by inclusion of an unsteady, three-dimensional control volume formulation of the governing equations, emphasizing assumptions and their implications, and enforcing engineering analysis methods. Quantitative assessment of specific performance criteria demonstrates achievement of educational outcomes. Student course critique scores provided additional quantitative data. Finally, an initial assessment of course impact on two different undergraduate propulsion classes demonstrates the intended result — improved understanding of fundamentals allowing for expanded coverage in other areas. In short, the propulsion tracks in both departments appear to be improved.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Status of research on air quality: mercury, trace elements, and particulate matter

The Air Quality Conference reviewed the state of science and policy on the pollutants mercury, trace elements, and particulate matter (PM) in the environment. Critical issues dealing with impacts on health and ecosystems, emission prevention and control, measurement methods, and atmospheric reactions and modeling were addressed. US Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson, in a keynote address discussed challenges to a deregulated power industry posed by the air quality issues of fine particulates, ozone transport, acid gases, hazardous air pollutants, and carbon emissions. The role and importance of sound science to establish environmental policy was clearly emphasized throughout the conference in technical papers; in policy presentations by Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND), Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND), and Mr. Dirk Forrister, Chairman of the White House Climate Change Task Force; and in the panel discussions.