cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Physiochemical changes mediated by "Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus" in Asian citrus psyllids.

Plant pathogenic bacteria interact with their insect host(s)/vector(s) at the cellular and molecular levels. This interaction may alter the physiology of their insect vector, which may also promote the growth and transmission of the bacterium. Here we studied the effect of “Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus” (“Ca. L. asiaticus”) on physiochemical conditions within its insect vector, the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), and whether these changes were beneficial for the pathogen. The local microenvironments inside ACPs were quantified using microelectrodes. The average hemolymph pH was significantly higher in infected ACPs (8.13 ± 0.21) than in “Ca. L. asiaticus”-free ACPs (7.29 ± 0.15). The average hemolymph oxygen tension was higher in “Ca. L. asiaticus”-free ACPs than in infected ACPs (67.13% ± 2.11% vs. 35.61% ± 1.26%). Oxygen tension reduction and pH increase were accompanied by “Ca. L. asiaticus” infection. Thus, oxygen tension of the hemolymph is an indicator of infection status, with pH affected by the severity of the infection.
Simultaneous Nerve Displacement Mapping for Human Peripheral Neuromodulation

Focused ultrasound (FUS), being non-invasive and non-ionizing, has been postulated as a possible therapeutic for peripheral nerve modulation. Recently, the ability to use high intensity, short pulse FUS has been demonstrated in rodents. In order to adapt this technology for clinical translation, a technique for real-time imaging and validation of FUS neuromodulation is needed. In this study, we developed a technique to image FUS using a two probes, connected to a single Vantage research ultrasound machine for real-time elastography during FUS delivery without interleaved transmits. Using a custom transmit sequence, we can image displacements around 1 μm. Validation of FUS delivery to the median nerve was performed in humans (n = 5). This technique allows for greater accuracy and confidence in applying neuromodulation to human peripheral nerves.
B − L as the fourth color within an SU ( 2 ) L × U ( 1 ) R × U ( 1 ) model

Quark-lepton correspondence and the corresponding interpretation of B - L as the fourth color are combined in an SU(2)/sub L/ x U(1)/sub R/ x U' (1) electroweak model. The right-handed neutrino interactions are automatically suppressed and the standard model is recovered up to a desirable first-order fine structure. A fundamental distinction is established between the real Weinberg angle and its effective (measured) values. For neutrino interactions, our predictions are in general of the Weinberg-Salam (WS) type, only with the effective replacement sin/sup 2/theta/sub W/ ..-->.. sin/sup 2/theta/sup eff//sub W/ such that (a) sin/sup 2/theta/sup eff//sub W/ (purely leptonic processes) >sin/sup 2/theta/sup eff//sub W/ (..nu..q scattering), and (b) for sin/sup 2/theta/sub W/ = 1/4 one can still have a lower value for the weighted average of sin/sup 2/theta/sup eff//sub W/. Our expressions for the asymmetry parameter in electron-induced reactions agree with those of the WS model up to a second-order term. The additional neutral gauge boson is expected to be only 1 order of magnitude heavier than W/sup + -/. We argue that the present neutral-current experimental data are not capable of distinguishing between the standard and the present models. Finally we discuss the possibility of embedding our model in amore » unified gauge theory, showing that only spinorial SO(4k + 2) theories are available for this purpose.« less
Discrimination of Complex Spectra: Spectral Weights and Performance Efficiency

ABSTRACT In a standard profile task, listeners discriminate a spectrum composed of n equal-intensity tones from a spectrum where one of the tones is increased in level. A variant of this task involves discriminating an equal-intensity spectrum from a “rippled” spectrum. Green (1986) found that thresholds for intensity changes of rippled spectra are consistently greater than predictions based on the increment thresholds for a single component. Here, we investigate this finding in greater detail. Using a technique termed COSS analysis (Berg, 1989), we estimate a spectral weight for each component which quantifies the relative weight of that component's influence on the discrimination decision. Results show that listeners use across-channel information less efficiently as the spectral changes become more complex.
Persistent Excitation Condition for MIMO Volterra System Identification with Gaussian Distributed Input Signals

A viable approach to the estimation and char-acterization of non-linear system dynamics on the basis of input/ouput observations of a non-linear system is a parametrization based on a Volterra model. The kernel representation of a Volterra model can approximate a large class of non-linear systems and has the advantage of being linear in the kernel parameters to be estimated. Although the number of kernel parameters typically increases exponentially, the demand for storage requirements during kernel parameter estimation can be relieved via a tensor network technique. This approach allows estimation of high degree and even multi-input multi-output (MIMO) Volterra models, which have the potential to capture more complicated non-linear dynamics. This paper gives a persistent excitation condition for the parameter estimation in MIMO Volterra system identification in the case of a zero mean, Gaussian distributed (not necessarily white) input signal. The persistent excitation condition shows that under those input conditions a MIMO Volterra system can be identified consistently via an appropriately sized input signal.
Incidence of Odontogenic Disease in Patients With Pott's Puffy Tumor

Purpose Osteomyelitis with subperiosteal abscess of the frontal bone, or Pott's puffy tumor (PPT), is a rare but life-threatening condition. The relationship of concurrent dental disease to PPT has not been well described. This study sought to delineate the incidence of odontogenic disease in PPT, especially in cases where there is no history of facial trauma or prior frontal sinus surgery. Methods A retrospective chart review of patients diagnosed with PPT between 2010 and 2019 was carried out. Demographics, pertinent medical history, surgical procedures performed, and microbial cultures and antibiotics used were extracted for analysis. Maxillofacial computed tomography scans were reviewed for presence of odontogenic disease. Results A total of 17 patients were identified. Four had documented history of frontal bone trauma; 3 had previous frontal sinus surgery. Seven (41%) had documented odontogenic disease on initial radiology reports; however, upon dentist review, 16 (94%) had various pathology visible on their computed tomography scans. Twelve of these 16 patients had no previous frontal sinus trauma or surgery. Eight patients (47%) had only ipsilateral maxillary or ethmoid inflammation respective to PPT on computed tomography. Seventy-six percent of patients underwent endoscopic sinus surgery. Of 14 patients with cultures collected at the time of surgery, 7 (50%) had polymicrobial growth and 6 (43%) had anaerobic growth. Conclusions The incidence of odontogenic disease in this population of PPT was 94%. In the absence of a history of frontal bone trauma or frontal sinus surgery, underlying dental origin should be suspected in cases of PPT. Initial radiology reports may not document all identifiable dental pathology. Therefore, patients presenting with PPT should undergo comprehensive evaluation, including an oral cavity and dental examination, and potential referral to dental colleagues.
Exploring thematic structure in 16S rRNA marker gene surveys

Analysis of microbiome data involves identifying co-occurring taxa associated with a specific set of sample attributes (e.g., disease presence) but is often hindered by the data being compositional, high dimensional, and sparse. Also, the configuration of co-occurring taxa may represent overlapping subcommunities that contribute to host status. Preserving the configuration of co-occurring microbes is superior to detecting indicator species since this approach is more likely to represent underlying microbiome mechanisms and thus facilitate more biologically meaningful interpretations. Moreover, analysis which simultaneously utilizes taxonomic and functional abundances typically requires independent characterization of taxonomic and functional profiles before linking them to sample information. However, this limits investigators from identifying which specific functional components associate with which subsets of co-occurring taxa. We provide a pipeline to explore co-occurring taxa using topics generated via a topic model approach and then link these topics to specific sample classes. Also, rather than inferring predicted functional content independently from taxonomic information, we instead focus on within-topic functional content, which we parse via estimating pathway-topic interactions through a multilevel fully Bayesian regression model. We apply our methods to two large 16S amplicon sequencing datasets: an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) dataset from Gevers et al. and data from the American Gut (AG) project. When applied to the Gevers et al. IBD study, we determine that a topic highly associated with Crohn9s disease (CD) diagnosis is (1) dominated by a cluster of bacteria known to be linked with CD and (2) uniquely enriched for a subset of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) synthesis genes. In the AG data, our approach found that individuals with plant-based diets were enriched with Lachnospiraceae, Roseburia, Blautia, and Ruminococcaceae, as well as fluorobenzoate degradation pathways, whereas pathways involved in LPS biosynthesis were depleted. We therefore introduce an approach for uncovering latent thematic structure in the context of host state for 16S rRNA surveys. Using our topic-model approach, investigators can (1) capture sets of co-occurring taxa, (2) uncover their functional potential, and (3) identify gene sets that may help guide future inquiry. These methods have been implemented in a freely available R package https://github.com/EESI/themetagenomics.
Sinonasal adenocarcinoma: A population-based analysis of demographic and socioeconomic disparities

BACKGROUND Sinonasal adenocarcinoma (SNAC) is a rare tumor. The impact of health disparities on survival, stage at presentation, and utilization of surgery is not well understood in patients with SNAC. METHODS The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database was queried for cases of SNAC from 1973 to 2015. Cases were analyzed to assess for disparities in presentation, treatment, and survival. RESULTS SNAC was identified in 630 patients. In a multivariate model of overall survival, an age increase of 10 years (Hazard Ratio (HR) = 1.37, p < 0.001), male sex (HR = 1.26, p = 0.045), and more recent decade of diagnosis (HR = 0.74, p < 0.001) were significantly related to time-to-death. There is a higher rate of SNAC-related death in counties with more rural populations (p = 0.027). CONCLUSION Future interventions targeting rural and less well-educated populations may improve care with the goal of increasing the span of healthy life and reducing survival disparities related to SNAC.
N,N′bis-(2-mercaptoethyl) isophthalamide (NBMI) exerts neuroprotection against lead-induced toxicity in U-87 MG cells

N,N’-bis(2-mercaptoethyl)isophthalamide (NBMI) is a novel lipophilic heavy metal chelator and thiol redox antioxidant. This study was designed to investigate the neuroprotective activity of NBMI in U-87 MG cells exposed to lead acetate (PbAc). Cells were pretreated with NBMI for 24 h prior to a 48 h exposure to PbAc. Cell death (55%, p < 0.0001) and reduction of intracellular GSH levels (0.70-fold, p < 0.005) induced by 250 µM Pb were successfully attenuated by NBMI pretreatment at concentrations as low as 10 µM. A similar pretreatment with the FDA-approved Pb chelator dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) proved ineffective, indicating a superior PKPD profile for NBMI. Pretreatment with NBMI successfully counteracted Pb-induced neuroinflammation by reducing IL-1β (0.59-fold, p < 0.05) and GFAP expression levels. NBMI alone was also found to significantly increase ferroportin expression (1.97-fold, p < 0.05) thereby enhancing cellular ability to efflux heavy metals. While no response was observed on the apoptotic pathway, this study demonstrated for the first time that necrotic cell death induced by Pb in U-87 MG cells is successfully attenuated by NBMI. Collectively these data demonstrate NBMI to be a promising neuroprotective compound in the realm of Pb poisoning.
Oceanic Negroes: Communicating Pacific Blackness Down, Out, and Under

Blackness is its own salient racial identity within Australian discourse, in part due to colonial legacies, pan-African activism, global media, and the ongoing influence of the 1970s’ American Black Power movement. In this article, I examine Australian Blackness as an identity that is cultivated through media interaction and discursive norms. As the terms “white (fellas)” and “Black (fellas)” are largely employed through in-group vernacular exchanges, I interviewed 27 Aboriginal Australian people about the personal significance of Blackness for them. Pulling from methods of narrative analyses and interethnic discourse, I ask the following questions: In what ways do Aboriginal people as a minority deploy and make meaning of Black identity through discourse and media consumption? How does their talk about Blackness frame its political and cultural significance, particularly in relation to Black people in the United States? I examine Black Pacific identity outside of (and in relation to) the Black Atlantic and the African diaspora. Please see the accompanying video at https://vimeo.com/356457346
Nutrition in the First Year Following the Diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis (P2.361)

Objective: To longitudinally follow nutritional habits of individuals newly diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). Background: Environmental factors, including nutrition, have been considered for their influence on risk of development and progression of MS. Despite the lack of conclusive evidence, individuals diagnosed with MS often turn to complementary and alternative medicine, with most frequently used interventions being supplements and specific diets. Despite widespread use, this topic is often overlooked by physicians. The dietary habits of individuals recently diagnosed with MS have not been previously studied nor longitudinally followed. Design/Methods: Participants were 203 individuals followed longitudinally in their first year post-MS diagnosis. Questionnaires with open and close ended items were administered at 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months following diagnosis to assess dietary practices including the use of supplements, attitudes toward nutrition, and dietary habits. Results: Our cohort consisted of predominately patients with relapsing-remitting MS. Mean age was 39 years and 72% were female. At 1 month, 47% of individuals reported a desire to discuss nutrition with a provider, but only 14% had already seen a provider to discuss nutrition. By 9 months, 42% had seen a provider to discuss nutrition and diet; most commonly physicians, naturopaths, and nutritionists. Many individuals followed specific diets, peaking at 50% of individuals at 6 months. The most common diets were gluten-free, paleo, and vegetarian. A majority of individuals reported starting a new supplement, with vitamin D, vitamin B12, multivitamin, and fish oil being most common. Conclusions: The evidence for nutritional intervention is very limited, and more studies assessing the effect of nutrition on the disease course and quality of life are needed. Individuals newly diagnosed with MS are interested in learning about nutrition and making related lifestyle changes. This study suggests that physicians should be prepared to provide guidance regarding nutrition even early on in the disease. Study Supported by: Support provided by National Multiple Sclerosis Society (RG 4986A1). Disclosure: Dr. Wang has nothing to disclose. Dr. Alschuler has nothing to disclose. Dr. Wundes has received research support from Alkermes. Dr. Von Geldern has received research support from Novartis.
Attention-based Unsupervised Keyphrase Extraction and Phrase Graph for COVID-19 Medical Literature Retrieval

Searching, reading, and finding information from the massive medical text collections are challenging. A typical biomedical search engine is not feasible to navigate each article to find critical i...
XPS Investigation of the Electronic Structure of Highly Dispersed Mn0 on Carbon Foil

XPS has been used to study ~0.2 monolayer equivalence of Mn0 on carbon foil. Relative to “bulk Mn0” (a very thick film of Mn0 on carbon foil), the core levels are shift 0.5 eV to higher binding energy (except for O1s) and the L23M23M45 Auger level is shifted 1.1 eV to lower kinetic energy. The valence band narrows relative to “bulk Mn0” and is shifted to higher binding energy. These changes are analogous to the changes observed for highly dispersėd metals on solid substances.
System simulation and comparison of advanced flue gas clean-up processes in coal-fired power plant using SALT code

The authors report on the use of the System Analysis Language Translator (SALT) computer code to evaluate the cleanup performance and cost of several advanced flue-gas cleanup (FGC) processes, including fluidized-bed copper oxidization (FBCO), fluidized-bed sodium absorption (FBSA), electron-beam/spray-dryer (EBSD), and electron-beam/ammonia-injection (EBAI) processes. The simulation results show that: (1) All four FGC processes can be expected to remove over 90% of the SO/sub x/ and over 95% of the NO/sub x/ from the flue gas of a coal-fired power plant. (2) The EBAI model has the highest NO/sub x/ removal efficiency for given pollutant emission constraints. (3) Cleanup cost is about 3 to 35% of the electric cost, depending primarily on the required SO/sub x/ removal efficiency and the type of FGC process. (4) Cleanup cost for an FBCO or FBSA process is cheaper than that of an EBAI or EBSD process. >
On the Pósa-Seymour conjecture

Paul Seymour conjectured that any graph G of order n and minimum degree at least $\frac{k}{k+1}n$ contains the kth power of a Hamilton cycle. We prove the following approximate version. For any e ≥ 0 and positive integer k, there is an n0 such that, if G has order n ≥ n0 and minimum degree at least $(\frac{k}{k+1} + \epsilon )n$, then G contains the kth power of a Hamilton cycle. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J. Graph Theory 29: 167176, 1998
Virus and Content Filtering

As the size of global computer networks expands and the use of the Internet skyrockets, the security issues do manifest themselves not only in the security of computer networks but also in individual user security on individual PCs connected to the Internet either via an organization’s gateway or an Internet service provider (ISP). The security of every user, therefore, is paramount whether the user is a member of an organization network or a user of a home PC via an independent ISP. In either case, the effort is focused on protecting not only the data but also the user.
First report of a "latissimo-cleidocostal" muscle variant on the anterolateral thoracic wall (915.12)

During dissection of the upper limb in a gross anatomy course for first year dental students, we identified an unusual, supernumerary muscle in the right torso of a 91 year-old, Caucasian male cada...
A Model for Sharing of Confidential Provenance Information in a Query Based System

Workflow management systems are increasingly being used to automate scientific discovery. Provenance meta-data is collected about scientific workflows, processes, simulations and data to add value. There is a variety of workflow management tools that cater to this. The provenance information may have as much value as the raw data. Typically, sensitive information produced by a computational processes or experiments is well guarded. However, this may not necessarily be true when it comes to provenance information. The issue is how to share confidential provenance information. We present a model for sharing provenance information when the confidentiality level is decided by the user dynamically. The key feature of this model is the Query Sharing concept. We illustrate the model for workflows implemented using provenance enabled Kepler system.
Bolivian prison entrepreneurship: An unexpectedly successful rehabilitation method?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to fill a gap in research into the small enterprise environment of the Bolivian prison, and to examine that environment and its possible value in prisoner rehabilitation.Design/methodology/approach – To provide a first‐hand analysis of small business enterprises in the Bolivian prison, the author's experience of working in that context is used as field research material and provides the basis for a discussion of necessity‐based entrepreneurship in that unique context.Findings – The paper provides a detailed description of the Bolivian prison's social organisation. It evaluates that structure as a unique environment distinguished from both other penal systems and other settings for necessity‐based small enterprise. The paper then discusses Bolivia's low recidivism rates, and draws the conclusion that the necessity for small enterprise activity in the Bolivian prison could have the unintended result of providing a successful prisoner rehabilitation mechanism.Research l...
An architecture for content routing support in the internet

The primary use of the Internet is content distribution -- the delivery of web pages, audio, and video to client applications -- yet the Internet was never architected for scalable content delivery. The result has been a proliferation of proprietary protocols and ad hoc mechanisms to meet growing content demand. In this paper, we describe a content routing design based on name-based routing as part of an explicit Internet content layer. We claim that this content routing is a natural extension of current Internet directory and routing systems, allows efficient content location, and can be implemented to scale with the Internet.
CAST: collaborative agents for simulating teamwork

Psychological studies on teamwork have shown that an effective team often can anticipate information needs of teammates based on a shared mental model. Existing multi-agent models for teamwork are limited in their ability to support proactive information exchange among teammates. To address this issue, we have developed and implemented a multi-agent architecture called CAST that simulates teamwork and supports proactive information exchange in a dynamic environment. We present a formal model for proactive information exchange. Knowledge regarding the structure and process of a team is described in a language called MALLET. Beliefs about shared team processes and their states are represented using Petri Nets. Based on this model, CAST agents offer information proactively to those who might need it using an algorithm called DIARG. Empirical evaluations using a multi-agent synthetic testbed application indicate that CAST enhances the effectiveness of teamwork among agents without sacrificing a high cost for communications.
The evolution of a national banking market in pre-war Japan☆

Abstract This paper assesses banking market integration in Japan during the period 1889–1938 using annual data on loan rates and spreads between loan and deposit rates. Banks in prefectures further from the financial centers exhibited higher loan rates and greater spreads than banks closer to the center, however, distance effects diminished over time, suggesting that banking markets became increasingly integrated due to declines in transaction costs. Additionally, loan rates and spreads varied negatively with the intensity of local bank competition, consistent with the notion of market segmentation. We speculate that Japan’s anti-competitive banking regulation might have slowed the process of banking market integration.
Cytometric sorting based on the fluorescence lifetime of spectrally overlapping signals

Flow cytometry is a well-established and powerful high- throughput fluorescence measurement tool that also allows for the sorting and enrichment of subpopulations of cells expressing unique fluorescence signatures. Owing to the reliance on intensity-only signals, flow cytometry sorters cannot easily discriminate between fluorophores that spectrally overlap. In this paper we demonstrate a new method of cell sorting using a fluorescence lifetime-dependent methodology. This approach, referred to herein as phase-filtered cell sorting (PFCS), permits sorting based on the average fluorescence lifetime of a fluorophore by separating fluorescence signals from species that emit differing average fluorescence lifetimes. Using lifetime-dependent hardware, cells and microspheres labeled with fluorophores were sorted with purities up to 90%. PFCS is a practical approach for separating populations of cells that are stained with spectrally overlapping fluorophores or that have interfering autofluorescence signals.
Transforming AIDS: The moral management of stigmatized identity

Abstract The majority of research exploring AIDS, stigma, and identity has focused primarily on the experiences of gay men and other disenfranchised populations. Stigma, however, is an unavoidable feature of AIDS in America regardless of gender, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. Moreover, persons not represented as ‘high risk’ may feel especially threatened and demoralized by stigma when they are HIV+. This paper explores how White, middle‐class women experience HIV/AIDS, and the moral responses they mobilize to deflect stigma and reconstruct self. These women incorporate spiritualized and transformational rhetoric—AIDS as calling, redemption, and/or blessing—to organize their experience, empower self‐reconstruction, and manage stigma. Further, these women use this rhetoric, I suggest, to reconstruct and reassert a ‘safe’ and coherent moral identity. Moreover, the moral arguments implicit in this type of transformational rhetoric are self‐protective and empowering because they respond to social constructi...
Molar mass and size of Norwegian aquatic NOM by light scattering

Natural organic material (NOM), isolated from eight Norwegian surface waters using reverse osmosis and low pressure evaporation, was characterized by high performance size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) coupled with multi-angle laser light scattering (MALLS) and refractive index (RI) detection. This technique was used to measure the molar mass and radius of the natural organic matter in solution. Values reported include number- and weight-averaged molar masses (Mn, Mw; 1702 to 88 310 g mol−1), root mean square (r.m.s.) radii (Rn, Rw; 25 to 156 nm), polydispersities (1.074–1.769), and refractive index increments (dndc; 0.101 to 0.176 mL g−1) for all the samples. High standard deviations in the data did not allow the detection of significant differences in the molecular sizes of reverse osmosis vs. low pressure evaporation isolated samples. The high standard deviations are believed to be the result of using high sample concentrations with the HPSEC separation.
Experiments in design synthesis when behavior is determined by shape

As we rapidly approach the day of transitive materials, made of individual elements that sense and actuate and can be programmed and reprogrammed, it is time to think about how to design things using these new materials. Our roBlocks construction kit toy teaching children about emergent behavior in complex systems serves as an example for investigating the challenges of designing things made of transitive materials. The roBlocks kit comprises heterogeneous modular robotics components that exhibit modularity, one-to-one mapping between form and behavior, and non-hierarchical control; and these features make it appropriate for experimenting with emergent behavior. However, as the numbers of robotic components scales to the orders of magnitude needed to consider them as material these same features also make it difficult to apply traditional methods to design constructions with desired behaviors. To understand this design space we built, the Erstwhile Agent that uses an evolutionary approach to automatically synthesize roBlocks constructions to meet specified desiderata.
Regular and Special Education Teachers Marking Attitudes and Behavior.

Abstract The Minnesota Marking Attitude Scale was administered to 33 regular education and 20 special education teachers. Results showed that regular educators believed that marks have a positive influence on students while special educators believed marks have neither a positive nor a negative influence (p
Ground state representation of the infinite one-dimensional Heisenberg ferromagnet, I☆

In its ground state representation, the infinite, spin 1/2 Heisenberg chain provides a model for spin wave scattering, which entails many features of the quantum mechanicalN-body problem. Here, we give a complete eigenfunction expansion for the Hamiltonian of the chain in this representation, forall numbers of spin waves. Our results resolve the questions of completeness and orthogonality of the eigenfunctions given by Bethe for finite chains, in the infinite volume limit.
Absence of relationship between steroid hormone levels and prostate cancer tumor grade.

Objectives To analyze the relationship between plasma testosterone and estradiol levels on prostate biopsy and radical prostatectomy Gleason scores in a cohort of patients with newly diagnosed prostate cancer. Methods Patients with prostate cancer evaluated at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute from 2001 to 2005 who were enrolled in a prospective sample banking protocol were eligible for this study. Stored plasma was processed for total testosterone, total estradiol, and sex hormone-binding globulin levels using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The frequency of high-grade biopsy and radical prostatectomy Gleason scores (>6) was the primary endpoint. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the relationship between the hormone levels and high-grade Gleason scores while adjusting for sex hormone-binding globulin, age, body mass index, and prostate-specific antigen. Results A total of 539 patients were included in this study, 199 of whom underwent radical prostatectomy. The median prostate-specific antigen level was 5.1 ng/dL, and 67% of the cancers were not palpable. The Gleason score was 2-6, 7, and 8-10 in 53%, 37%, and 10% of the cancers, respectively. On univariate analysis of the high-grade biopsy and radical prostatectomy Gleason score, the total testosterone, total estradiol, and estradiol-to-testosterone ratio were not significant as continuous or categorical variables. Adjusting these results for sex hormone-binding globulin level, body mass index, age, and prostate-specific antigen level did not change the conclusions, and these results were unchanged when categorizing high-grade prostate cancer as Gleason score 8-10. Conclusions No relationship was found between the circulating steroid hormone levels and the Gleason score in this cohort.
PROPERTIES OF BEEF PATTIES COOKED TO ELEVATED INTERNAL TEMPERATURES AS A MEANS OF REDUCING PINK COLOR

Effects of cooking to internal temperatures (81–85C) needed to eliminate the pink color which existed at 71C, was evaluated for beef patties from three processors. Tenderness and compositional properties were affected little by the higher temperatures, but lower cooking yields and juiciness scores resulted from cooking to 81–85C rather than 71C. The higher internal temperatures required longer cooking times and produced greater reductions in patty diameter during cooking, but did not affect fat retention. Even though the three formulations were processed to have the same fat content (18%), formulation differences existed in sensory, shear force, cooking, compositional and color properties. Results from this study indicate that if internal patty temperatures higher than 71C are required to eliminate pink color (possibly due to high pH beef), major detrimental changes in patty properties may not result.
Recycling of unsaturated polyester resin using propylene glycol

Abstract Cured unsaturated polyester resin was degraded with propylene glycol, and the degraded material was used to make recycled resin by reaction with maleic anhydride. The curing reaction for the recycled resin was faster than that of the neat resin. The mechanical properties of mixtures of neat and recycled resins were measured and, among them the (90 wt% neat/10 wt% recycled) mixture showed the highest impact strength. The addition of 15 wt% of glass fibre to the recycle mixtures further increased the impact strength, with the (90 wt% neat/10 wt% recycle) mixture again exhibiting the highest value.
Prospective association of vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) with coronary heart disease mortality in southeastern New England.

Abstract Background Autopsy data suggest that plaque neovascularization may be associated with coronary heart disease (CHD) death. Since vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) is upregulated in angiogenesis and therefore neovascularization, we hypothesized that individuals with elevated levels of VEGF-A at baseline would be a greater risk of dying of CHD compared to those with lower levels over time. Methods We measured VEGF-A levels in 46 CHD death cases and a 14% random sample of 2321 community participants who were free of self-reported CHD at baseline. Traditional CHD risk factors such as age, gender, family history of CHD, cigarette smoking, hypertension, total cholesterol/HDL ratio, diabetes mellitus, were also evaluated at baseline. Mortality follow-up was determined through linkage of baseline data with the National Death Index. Results During a median of 13 years of follow-up, 46 subjects died of coronary heart disease. Mean VEGF-A levels were significantly higher in the CHD death cases than among the random population sample (400pg/ml vs. 303pg/ml, p =0.0004). In proportional hazards models adjusting for traditional risk factors, the hazard ratios (95%CI) for CHD death associated with increasing tertiles of VEGF-A were 1.0 (referent), 2.12 (0.74, 6.10), and 3.85 (1.37, 10.78), respectively ( P testfortrend =0.008). Conclusion In this population-based prospective, case-cohort study, baseline levels of VEGF-A showed a significant independent association with the risk of CHD death.
Caring for students: Pedagogy and professionalism in an age of anxiety

Abstract University teachers are strongly motivated by the care they feel for their students. Yet today, many are frustrated. On the one hand, it is becoming harder to teach well, as more diverse student populations, new media, and new educational priorities challenge conventional pedagogical postures and styles. On the other hand, teachers are wary of calls for greater pedagogical professionalism in an increasingly managed and de-motivating professional environment. This essay examines two movements in the United States that attempt to sustain teachers' motivation by rethinking what caring for students requires them to do. The first, a call for a “scholarship of teaching and learning,” directs the professor's attention outward, towards inquiry into their students' learning; the second directs attention inwards, encouraging exploration of “the inner landscape of a teacher's life.” While both movements oppose a narrow view of pedagogy as simply technique, they address the challenge of caring for students in different ways and point to resolutions that appear to have different potential to alter the teaching environment itself. These tensions around teaching inscribe in higher education wider debates about the value of the professions, the nature of expert practice, and how to recover and ensure professionals' capacity for care.
Structure, Energetics, and Vibrational Spectra of H-Bonded Systems. Dimers and Trimers of HF and HCl

Abstract The title complexes are studied by ab initio methods using double-ζ basis sets augmented by diffuse sp and two sets of polarization functions. The binding energies decrease in the order (HF) 2 > HF…HCl > (HCl) 2 , all of which form pseudolinear H bonds. While not important for (HF) 2 , correlation plays an increasingly larger role as each HF is replaced by HCl, contributing 2 3 of the total binding energy of (HCl) 2 . (HF) 3 and (HCl) 3 are both C 3h cyclic and exhibit cooperativity, particularly (HF) 3 ; correlation appears to be negligible in the three-body nonadditive interaction energies. The red shift of the HF stretch in (HF) 3 is nearly twice as great as in the dimer while little enhancement is observed in the HCl analogues. The other two observable bands in the trimers are of fairly high intensity and correspond to an out-of-plane and in-plane bend. The intermolecular stretching modes in the dimers and trimers are of very low intensity. A clear relationship is noted between the intermolecular frequencies and the strength of the interaction.
Captain Nemo's questing after American causes : Jules Verne's transatlantic vision of Reconstruction

This article analyzes Jules Verne's 1871 novel, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, as a transatlantic comment on the American Civil War and Reconstruction. Witnessing the social and political strife that would lead up to the Franco-Prussian War and its aftermath, Verne looked to the American postwar scene to gauge the fate of democracy and to explore the meaning of nationhood itself. His creation of an autocratic hero of a republican cause suggests that the first step toward reconstructing a damaged nationalist sensibility began with recognizing the ongoing legitimacy of tensions across the political spectrum. Verne represented both sides of the American conflict, with sympathy for the struggles of the former slaves as well as for the losses of the defeated former masters. Drawing upon both Verne's correspondence and a close reading of the novel, the article contributes to recent reappraisals of Verne's work based upon its international political import.
The large-scale dynamics of grain-size variation in alluvial basins, 2: Application to syntectonic conglomerate

The concept of ‘syntectonic’ conglomerate is based on the idea that gravel progradation is mainly generated by an increase in tectonic uplift and erosion of a source area with attendant increase in sediment flux supplied to a basin. However, other mechanisms, such as changes in basin subsidence rates, sorting of supplied sediment, and capability of transporting streams, can also lead to progradation and be difficult to distinguish from a syntectonic origin. Here we use our previously developed model to help understand the origin of gravel progradation in three Neogene alluvial basins - the Bermejo Basin of Argentina, the Himalayan Foreland Basin, and the San Pedro Basin of southern Arizona - all of which have available high-resolution magnetostratigraphy. Interpretation of the origin of gravel progradation in these basins begins with calculation of basin equilibrium time, which is the time-scale required for the streams to reach a steady-state profile, assuming constant conditions. We then compare the time-scale of the observed changes in the basin with the equilibrium time to determine if and how the model can be applied to the stratigraphic record. Most of the changes we have studied occur on time scales longer than the equilibrium time (‘slow variations’), in which case the key to interpretation is the relationship between overall grain-size change and sedimentation rate in vertical sections, Of the three examples studied only one, the Bermejo Basin, is consistent with the traditional model of syntectonic progradation. Overall progradation in the two other basins is most consistent with a long-term reduction in basin subsidence rates. In addition, short-term variation in diffusivity or sediment flux, probably climatically driven, is the most likely control of smallscale progradation of gravel tongues in the San Pedro Basin. These results, along with observations from other basins, suggest that subsidence is clearly an important control on clastic progradation on ‘slow’ time scales (i.e. generally a million years or more). If subsidence rates are directly linked to tectonic events, then subsidence-driven progradation marks times of tectonic quiescence and is clearly not syntectonic in the traditional sense. particularly when combined with other traditional basin-analysis techniques. In particular, our results can be used to help discriminate between clastic progradation due to tectonic origin and progradation resulting from other mechanisms in alluvial basins. These examples show that the model can be useful in interpreting the rock record, particularly when combined with other traditional basin-analysis techniques. In particular, our results can be used to help discriminate between clastic progradation due to tectonic origin and progradation resulting from other mechanisms in alluvial basins.
Spectroscopy of Hydrothermal Reactions 22. The Effects of Cations on the Decarboxylation Kinetics of Trifluoroacetate, Cyanoacetate, Propiolate, and Malonate Ions

The effect of Group 1 counterions on the decarboxylation rate of four carboxylate ions (trifluoroacetate, propiolate, cyanoacetate, and malonate) was determined in water at 140-280 °C and 275 bar. The decarboxylation kinetics were determined in real time by using IR spectroscopy and a titanium cell flow-reactor with sapphire windows. The complexity of the reaction of CF 3 CO 2 - necessitated additional postreaction studies by 1 H and 1 9 F NMR spectroscopy and F - ion electrochemistry. Batch mode reactions in a titanium tube reactor were employed for the latter studies. The CF 3 H product of CF 3 CO 2 - decomposed, liberating F - ions. The cation effect for CF 3 CO 2 - is caused primarily by the reaction of F - with the Group 1 cations in the order Li + > Na + > K + ..., which changed the ionic strength. The rate of decarboxylation of cyanoacetate was unaffected by the cation, whereas the Li + ion slowed the rate of decarboxylation of propiolate, perhaps because of complexation with propiolate. These results were compared with the previously investigated malonate system. Where a cation effect was observed, the effect could be attributed to some form of ion pairing, but in each case the details of the interaction differ slightly.
Stress-energy tensor of a quark moving through a strongly-coupled N = 4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills plasma: Comparing hydrodynamics and AdS/CFT duality

The stress-energy tensor of a quark moving through a strongly-coupled $\mathcal{N}=4$ supersymmetric Yang-Mills plasma, at large ${N}_{\mathrm{c}}$, is evaluated using gauge/string duality. The accuracy with which the resulting wake, in position space, is reproduced by hydrodynamics is examined. Remarkable agreement is found between hydrodynamics and the complete result down to distances less than $2/T$ away from the quark. In performing the gravitational analysis, we use a relatively simple formulation of the bulk to boundary problem in which the linearized Einstein field equations are fully decoupled. Our analysis easily generalizes to other sources in the bulk.
Activation Volumes of Interstitial Diffusion in Ferromagnetic Metals and Alloys

The disaccommodation technique was used to determine the activation volumes of carbon diffusion $\ensuremath{\Delta}V$ of a Fe-1.4 wt% Si alloy, of hcp cobalt, and of nickel at the temperatures of -21, 75, and 110\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C, respectively. The obtained values of $\ensuremath{\Delta}V$ are +0.3 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.3 and -0.6 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.9 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$ ${\mathrm{mole}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ for the two relaxations observed in hcp cobalt, and 1.2 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.1 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$ ${\mathrm{mole}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ for nickel. These results are discussed in terms of a continuum model that interprets the activation energy of diffusion as a sum of the strain and exchange energies. It is found that in ferromagnetic solids the activation volume of diffusion is essentially controlled by the ferromagnetic anharmonicity.
Effect of Computer Interfaces on Chemistry Problem Solving Among Various Ethnic Groups: A Comparison of Pen-Point and Powerbook Computers

This study investigated the effect of Pen-Point and Powerbook computers on solving a multiple step chemistry (molaritý) problem among White, Afro-American and Hispanic students (N=60) at the high school level. The screens on both computers were partitioned into a work field and a reasoning field. Both computers were programmed to record the time spent in each field, the number of entries made, and a copy of the entries made. Statistical analysis of data showed that more of the White and Afro-American Pen-Point computer users solved the problem correctly than did students using the Powerbook computer. All three ethnic groups made fewer entries, and took less time using the Pen-Point computer than the Powerbook. Attitude survey results of all ethnic groups showed that more Pen-Point computer users felt comfortable working with computers. Over all, the results suggest that the Pen-Point computer has a more positive effect on the problem solving performance and attitude of students towards computers than the Powerbook computer.
Dynamic characterization of charge transport in organic and polymer transistors

In this paper we describe three methods that can be used to measure the transient response of organic and polymer field-effect transistors (FETs) and also how such measurements can be used to determine the drift mobility and velocity. The first method measures the response of a FET to a step voltage applied to the source with the gate grounded and the drain held at close to ground, while the second uses a ramp input to the source. The third technique evaluates the frequency response of the FET, connected as a diode, to a large-signal alternating voltage. We show that important information can be obtained from such measurements which can be quantitatively interpreted with the help of models that we are developing. In general, there is good agreement between the drift mobility measured with these approaches and the field-effect mobility calculated from transistor output and transfer characteristics. The specific results we present in this paper are for pentacene devices; however, other recent work by our group indicates that these results are more general.
Heterotopic ossification after patellar tendon repair in a man with trisomy 8 mosaicism: a case report and literature review

The original version is available through BioMed Central at DOI: 10.1186/1752-1947-5-453.© 2011 Chen and Chmell; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
GABAB receptor stimulation by baclofen and taurine enhances excitatory amino acid induced phosphatidylinositol turnover in neonatal rat cerebellum.

Abstract Excitatory amino acid stimulation of phosphatidylinositol (PI) hydrolysis has been associated with development of the CNS. Normally minimally ineffective in stimulating PI hydrolysis in the neonatal rat cerebellum, N- methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) increased levels of PI hydrolysis 82.3 ± 5.5% above basal values in the presence of 1 μM baclofen, a γ-aminobutyric acid B (GABA B ) receptor agonist. This effect was observed at day 7 but not in adult cerebellum. The effect of baclofen could be mimicked by low dose GABA and taurine, actions which were blocked by prior application of a specific GABA B antagonist. Therefore, the ability of NMDA to stimulate PI hydrolysis in neonatal cerebellar tissue may be regulated by the degree of GABA B receptor stimulation.
Strong Hearts, Wounded Souls: Native American Veterans of the Vietnam War

Strong Hearts, Wounded Souls: Native American Veterans of the Vietnam War. TOM HOLM. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1996. xi + 197 pp., notes, bibliography, index, tables.