cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Giving Voice to Study Volunteers: Comparing views of mentally ill, physically ill, and healthy protocol participants on ethical aspects of clinical research

Motivation Ethical controversy surrounds clinical research involving seriously ill participants. While many stakeholders have opinions, the extent to which protocol volunteers themselves see human research as ethically acceptable has not been documented. To address this gap of knowledge, authors sought to assess views of healthy and ill clinical research volunteers regarding the ethical acceptability of human studies involving individuals who are ill or are potentially vulnerable.
Sample preparation and image acquisition using optical-reflective microscopy in the measurement of fiber orientation in thermoplastic composites.

Summary A complete sample preparation procedure used to determine three-dimensional fiber orientation from optical micrographs of glass fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites is presented. Considerations for elimination of irregularities in the elliptical footprints, contrast enhancement between fibers and surrounding polymer matrix, controlled-etching that allows the identification of small shadows where fiber recedes into the matrix, and topographical reconstruction of the elliptical footprint are described in the procedure. This procedure has produced high-quality optical micrographs employed to obtain accurate fiber orientation data for thermoplastic composites using the method of ellipses. The optimal definition of the nonelliptical footprints’ borders allows an accurate measurement of orientation in small sampling areas.
Competition and control of itchgrass (Rottboellia exaltata) in maize (zea mays).

Abstract Experiments in the North and Atlantic Coastal areas of Honduras determined the critical period of competition of Rottboellia exaltata (itchgrass) with maize, and established cultural and chemical methods for control. The critical period of competition lies between 30 and 45 d after planting; plots should be kept weed free during this period to avoid significant reduction in yield. Unweeded R. exaltata reduced maize yield by about 80%. Among control treatments, a combination of atrazine and pen‐dimethalin at 1–2 and 1–3 kg a.i./ha gave the highest yield. Supplementary post‐emergence control by hoeing or using paraquat could help attain yields comparable to those obtained in the plots kept weed free throughout the growing period.
Home health care nurse perceptions of geriatric depression and disability care management.

Purpose of the study Psychosocial interventions alone or combined with antidepressant medication can effectively treat mild to moderate geriatric depression. However, most home health care patients with depression and disability do not receive these interventions. Moreover, relatively little is known about home health care nurse views about depression management. Therefore, our research purpose was to provide a deeper understanding about how home health care nurses perceive and experience depression detection and evaluation within the context of caring for geriatric patients with disabilities. Design and methods This qualitative descriptive study involved 2 focus groups and 16 semistructured interviews with nurses providing care to geriatric home health care patients followed by observation during 25 nurse home visits to geriatric patients who had depression and disability. Findings Nurses demonstrated confidence in caring for elderly patients with disabilities. However, they expressed different views about the nature of depression and the integration of depression and disability care in daily practice. Evidence points to a need for advanced training that supports an enhanced role for generalist homecare nurses in providing depression care management for this vulnerable geriatric population. Implications Policy challenges are associated with ways in which home health care is fiscally organized primarily to address patients' physical and acute skilled care needs and not depression.
How a G Protein Binds a Membrane

Heterotrimeric G proteins interact with receptors and effectors at the membrane-cytoplasm interface. Structures of soluble forms have not revealed how they interact with membranes. We have used electron crystallography to determine the structure in ice of a helical array of the photoreceptor G protein, transducin, bound to the surface of a tubular lipid bilayer. The protein binds to the membrane with a very small area of contact, restricted to two points, between the surface of the protein and the surface of the lipids. Fitting the x-ray structure into the membrane-bound structure reveals one membrane contact near the lipidated Gγ C terminus and Gα N terminus, and another near the Gα C terminus. The narrowness of the tethers to the lipid bilayer provides flexibility for the protein to adopt multiple orientations on the membrane, and leaves most of the G protein surface area available for protein-protein interactions.
Evolution Education in Utah: A State Office of Education-University Partnership Focuses on Why Evolution Matters

Several groups of people are essential for effectively teaching the theory of evolution in public schools. Teachers of course are at the leading edge of educating students. However, school district administrators, school boards, state education officers, and university professors all play critical roles in this endeavor. Whereas scientific discoveries and teacher training typically occur at the university level, it is school district leaders and teachers who actually disseminate this information in a way that creates an educated population of students. In this study, we introduce a partnership focused on strengthening evolution education in Utah’s public schools. Our program centers on the importance of evolution as an applied science and one that can be readily integrated throughout the biology curriculum. Our 2-day workshop—conducted in each Utah school district—brings together elected school board members, school district administrators, public school science teachers, and university professors to overcome barriers that can arise when teaching the theory of evolution as part of the 7–12 public school curriculum.
Ab initio study of Pd carbonyls and CO/Pd(110)

We have performedab initio studies to understand the electronic and geometric aspects of the Pd-CO bond in small carbonyl clusters and the CO covered (2 × 1)p2mg superstructure of the Pd(110) surface. We have used the standard quantum chemistry package Gaussian to study the former system and an LDA formalism usingab initio pseudopotentials and a plane wave basis to study the latter. The latter results are preliminary; we intend to study thicker slabs in the future.
"How do cardiomyocytes die?" apoptosis and autophagic cell death in cardiac myocytes

Abstract Background Cell death constitutes one of the key events in biology. Historically, apoptosis and necrosis have been considered to represent the 2 fundamental forms of cell death. Apoptosis is a tightly regulated, energy-dependent process in which cell death follows a programmed set of events. Necrosis refers to the sum of degenerative changes that follow any type of cell death. Methods and Results The role of apoptosis in development of ischemic heart disease, hypertensive heart disease, and end-stage heart failure has been well documented. Recent evidence suggests the potential role of a third mechanism of cell death, autophagy, in loss of cardiac myocytes. Autophagic cell death has been recently documented in myocardial cells from hypertrophied, failing, and hibernating myocardium. Conclusion In this review, we will list the basic mechanisms of apoptosis and autophagic cell death and examine the recent developments in apoptosis and autophagic cell death as it pertains to cardiovascular disease.
Sources of Sex Discrimination in Educational Systems: A Conceptual Model.

A conceptual model is presented which relates numerous variables believed to contribute to sexism in American education. Discrimination is viewed as intervening between two sets of interrelated independent variables and the dependent variable of sex inequalities in educational attainment. The two sets of independent variables are 1) internal psychological-cognitive structures of individuals who participate in the educational system, and 2) the educational system itself. Six internal psychological-cognitive structures are emphasized: sex-role orientation, sex difference stereotypes, ego strength, self-concept, and educational and occupational expectations. Sex-role orientation changes are viewed as the key to significant change in the total system described by the model.
Mode of action of methoprene in affecting female reproduction in the African malaria mosquito, Anopheles gambiae

BACKGROUND: One of the most studied actions of juvenile hormone (JH) is its ability to modulate ecdysteroid signaling during insect development and metamorphosis. Previous studies in mosquitoes showed that 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) regulates vitellogenin synthesis. However, the action of JH and its mimics, e.g. methoprene, on female reproduction of mosquitoes remains unknown. RESULTS: Here, a major malaria vector, Anopheles gambiae Giles, was used as a model insect to study the action of methoprene on female reproduction. Ecdysteroid titers and expression profiles of ecdysone-regulated genes were determined before and after a blood meal. An ecdysteroid peak was detected at 12 h post blood meal (PBM). The maximum expression of ecdysone-regulated genes, such as ecdysone receptor (EcR), hormone receptor 3 (HR3) and vitellogenin (Vg) gene, coincided with the ecdysteroid peak. Interestingly, topical application of methoprene at 6 h PBM delayed ovarian development and egg maturation by suppressing the expression of ecdysone-regulated genes in female mosquitoes. CONCLUSION: The data suggest that ecdysteroid titers are correlated with Vg synthesis, and methoprene affects vitellogenesis by modulating ecdysteroid action in A. gambiae. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry
Predictors of Adverse Pathology in Men Undergoing Radical Prostatectomy Following Initial Active Surveillance

Objective To report pathologic outcomes and predictors of adverse pathology in men undergoing radical prostatectomy (RP) after an initial period of active surveillance (AS). Methods We studied pathologic outcomes in men who underwent RP after some time on AS. Pathologic outcomes were compared between men with and without evidence of disease reclassification on AS. Rates of adverse pathology (defined as pathologic stage ≥pT3a, RP Gleason ≥4+3, or lymph node involvement) were determined and were compared depending on the variable that defined disease reclassification. Results Of 1086 men enrolled in AS, 130 (12.0%) underwent RP after a median time of 1.96 years (range, 0.55-12.26 years) on AS. Ninety-seven (74.6%) of these men had evidence of disease reclassification on AS. Rates of adverse pathology were greater in men with evidence of reclassification compared to those without ( P = .05). Among men with disease reclassification, rates of adverse pathology ranged from 23.8% to 44.7% depending on the variable used to define reclassification. Longer time on AS was not associated with adverse pathology ( P = .68). Conclusion Adverse pathology after RP is more common in men with evidence of disease reclassification on AS compared to those undergoing RP for other reasons. However, we identified varying outcomes among these patients depending on the criterion that defined reclassification. These data may enable identification of men who can safely continue on AS despite evidence of disease reclassification.
Mucopolysaccharide-Lipoprotein Complexes in Atherosclerotic Aorta

The carbohydrate macromolecules present in the arterial wall represent families of complex compounds (Berenson et al., 1971). Although widely distributed throughout the body in all mesenchymal structures, the macromolecules are particularly important to the cardiovascular system. Most studies, including our own, over the past two decades have served largely to describe connective tissue compounds taxonomically, and have not been able to clearly define their function. That connective tissue elements form an integral part of the cardiovascular system is fundamental; still, the task remains to bridge the gap between morphological, biochemical changes of connective tissues, and the functional nature of these changes.
Strain Release Amination

To optimize drug candidates, modern medicinal chemists are increasingly turning to an unconventional structural motif: small, strained ring systems. However, the difficulty of introducing substituents such as bicyclo[1.1.1]pentanes, azetidines, or cyclobutanes often outweighs the challenge of synthesizing the parent scaffold itself. Thus, there is an urgent need for general methods to rapidly and directly append such groups onto core scaffolds. Here we report a general strategy to harness the embedded potential energy of effectively spring-loaded C–C and C–N bonds with the most oft-encountered nucleophiles in pharmaceutical chemistry, amines. Strain-release amination can diversify a range of substrates with a multitude of desirable bioisosteres at both the early and late stages of a synthesis. The technique has also been applied to peptide labeling and bioconjugation.
An Algorithmic, Pie-Crusting Medial Soft Tissue Release Reduces the Need for Constrained Inserts Patients With Severe Varus Deformity Undergoing Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Abstract Background We studied the need to use a constrained insert for residual intraoperative instability and the 1-year result of patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) for a varus deformity. In a control group, a "classic" subperiosteal release of the medial soft tissue sleeve was performed as popularized by pioneers of TKA. In the study group, an algorithmic approach that selectively releases and pie-crusts posteromedial structures in extension and anteromedial structures in flexion was used. Methods All surgeries were performed by a single surgeon using measured resection technique, and posterior-stabilized, cemented implants. There were 228 TKAs in the control group and 188 in the study group. Outcome variables included the use of a constrained insert, and the Knee Society Score at 6 weeks, 4 months, and 1 year postoperatively. The effect of the release technique on use of constrained inserts and clinical outcomes were analyzed in a multivariate model controlling for age, sex, body mass index, and severity of deformity. Results The use of constrained inserts was significantly lower in study than in control patients (8% vs 18%; P = .002). There was no difference in the Knee Society Score and range of motion between the groups at last follow-up. No patient developed postoperative medial instability. Conclusion This algorithmic, pie-crusting release technique resulted in a significant reduction in the use of constrained inserts with no detrimental effects in clinical results, joint function, and stability. As constrained TKA implants are more costly than nonconstrained ones, if the adopted technique proves to be safe in the long term, it may cause a positive shift in value for hospitals and cost savings in the health care system.
Abstract T P330: Depression Cognition Screens

Introduction/Background: Evidence suggests that approximately 1/3 of stroke survivors suffer from post stroke depression (PSD) and changes to their cognition. Delay in identifying these patients can effect rehabilitation resulting in poorer functional outcomes, reduced cognitive performance and possibly increase mortality. PSD can occur in all phases of stroke recovery with a peak incidence at 3 - 6 months. Early diagnosis is essential so to apply effective treatment or interventions that can result in enhanced recovery. As a Comprehensive Stroke Center, we at Cedar Sinai hospital are charged with the task of efficiently indentifying patients that are at risk by administrating the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ 2) to those who can participate. Research Question: Does administering the PHQ 2 during the acute phase of stroke/TIA adequately identify those at risk for Depression and cognitive decline? Methods: Plan: As per Joint Commission standard, depression cognition screens are to be conducted prior to...
An Interior-Ridge Silicon Microring Switch with Integrated Thermal Tuner

A 1-by-2 compact injection-based switch is reported utilizing interior-ridge ring resonators, demonstrating nanosecond-scale switching speed, single-mode, low-loss (0/1.3dB for thru/drop port) with efficient integrated thermal tuner (7.25µW/GHz).
Critical questions The impact and import of the contradictions and epistemic denials in the field of intercultural communication research, theorizing, teaching, and practice

Present contradictions in the intercultural communication field – the pre-eminence of western communication models and the minimization and denial of particular international and racial cultural vo...
Technical and Professional Skills of Engineers Involved and Not Involved in Engineering Service

Background Engineers must acquire increasing technical and professional skills to meet pressing global challenges, but fitting training for these skills into already crowded curricula is difficult. Engineering service may provide opportunities to gain such skills; however, prior research about learning outcomes from such activities has been primarily small-scale, anecdotal, or lacking a comparison group. Purpose/Hypothesis We aim to understand whether self-reported learning outcomes differ between engineers involved and not involved with engineering service activities. Specifically, do the two groups experience and learn different technical and professional skills in their engineering activities? Design/Method We used a sequential mixed methods approach that began with interviews and focus groups with 165 participants and continued with a questionnaire administered to over 2,500 engineering students and practicing engineers both involved and not involved with engineering service. Analyses included variable-oriented qualitative analysis and multiple linear regression models to compare perceived technical and professional skills. Results Quantitative results show that engineers involved and not involved with engineering service report comparable perceived technical skills, and that those involved in engineering service report significantly higher perceived professional skills, even when controlling for age, gender, and grade point average. Qualitative results indicate that higher professional skills can be partially attributed to the realistic, complex, and contextualized learning experiences within engineering service activities. Conclusions Engineers involved with engineering service may gain strong professional engineering skills that do not compromise their technical skills. Thus, engineering service may help educate the type of engineers the field needs to confront pressing global challenges.
Age, Body Size, Body Image, and Fit Preferences of Male Consumers:

This study examines the influence of specific physical factors (body size), demographic factors (age), and psychosocial factors (body satisfaction, social physique anxiety, and drive for muscularit...
Monitoring results of life drinking water in Chuzhou city from 2002 to 2009

Objective To investigate the hygienic condition of drinking water in Chuzhou city and to promote the drinking water quality.Methods 1048 samples taken from the water source,the factory water and the terminal water from the units of centralized water supply were continuously monitored and analyzed in Chuzhou city from 2002 to 2009.Results The numbers of the water source samples,the factory water samples and the terminal water samples were 48,48 and 952 respectively and their qualified rates were 58.3%,50.0%and 80.9% respectively.The total qualified rate was 78.4%.Conclusion The qualified rate of the water source and the factory water from units of centralized water supply was lower in Chuzhou city from 2002 to 2009.Chlorination disinfection should be reinforced,and the water quality should be purified effectively.
Mechanisms and Management of Cardiogenic Shock

Cardiogenic shock remains the most dreaded complication of acute myocardial infarction. Mortality rates remain high despite modern interventional therapy. Patients with a variety of other cardiovascular entities may also develop cardiogenic shock. Management consists of rapid stabilization of systemic arterial blood pressure, expeditious diagnostic evaluation, and definitive therapy when possible. New therapeutic modalities will be needed if patients with cardiogenic shock are to survive.
Tracking Rh Atoms in Zeolite HY: First Steps of Metal Cluster Formation and Influence of Metal Nuclearity on Catalysis of Ethylene Hydrogenation and Ethylene Dimerization

The initial steps of rhodium cluster formation from zeolite-supported mononuclear Rh(C2H4)2 complexes in H2 at 373 K and 1 bar were investigated by infrared and extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopies and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). The data show that ethylene ligands on the rhodium react with H2 to give supported rhodium hydrides and trigger the formation of rhodium clusters. STEM provided the first images of the smallest rhodium clusters (Rh2) and their further conversion into larger clusters. The samples were investigated in a plug-flow reactor as catalysts for the conversion of ethylene + H2 in a molar ratio of 4:1 at 1 bar and 298 K, with the results showing how the changes in catalyst structure affect the activity and selectivity; the rhodium clusters are more active for hydrogenation of ethylene than the single-site complexes, which are more selective for dimerization of ethylene to give butenes.
The silent and selective 5-HT1A antagonist, WAY 100635, produces via an indirect mechanism, a 5-HT2A receptor-mediated behaviour in mice during the day but not at night. Short communication.

The head-twitch response (HTR) in rodents is considered to be a functional index for the activation of 5-HT2A receptors. Intraperitoneal administration of the silent and selective 5-HT1A receptor antagonist, WAY 100635, produced the HTR in mice in a dose-dependent bell-shaped manner. The induced behaviour followed a diurnal pattern in that WAY 100635 only produced a robust HTR frequency during the light period of the 24 h daily cycle. Pretreatment with the selective 5-HT2A/C receptor antagonist, SR 46349B, potently, and in a dose-dependent manner attenuated the induced behaviour. It appears that WAY 100635 produces the HTR indirectly via disinhibition of endogenous serotonergic inhibitory tone operating on the somatodenritic pulse-modulating 5-HT1A autoreceptors. The latter antagonism seems to potentiate endogenous 5-HT release in serotonergic terminal field synapses which subsequently stimulates postsynaptic 5-HT2A receptors to produce the head-twitch behaviour.
My Beginnings as a Teacher | Researcher

Being a new teacher, whether in K-12 or at the college level, is not easy. Learning to teach on our own, putting together course work, advising and mentoring students, grading papers, working with colleagues while keeping it all together, can be very challenging, even if we are fortunate enough to have had a good teacher education foundation.
Emestrins: Anti-Cryptococcus Epipolythiodioxopiperazines from Podospora australis

Eleven emestrin-type epipolythiodioxopiperazines, including four new compounds, emestrins H–K (1–4), were isolated from the crude extracts of two strains of the coprophilous fungus Podospora australis. The structures of 1–4 were established primarily by analysis of NMR data, and the absolute configuration of C-6 in 1 was independently assigned using the modified Mosher method. Four of the known emestrins obtained (emestrins C–E and MPC1001C) were found to selectively inhibit the growth of Cryptococcus neoformans. These results also represent the first report of chemistry from any strain of P. australis.
Composite Plate Response to Shock Wave Loading

The mechanical response and characterization of composite materials under transient dynamic loading caused by shock or blast wave impingement is not well understood. Air blast is associated with a fast-traveling, high-pressure shock front followed by a lower pressure expansion wave. The timescales associated with the shock front are typically 103 faster than those associated with the expansion waves which follow. A new split-view Time-Resolved Stereo Digital Image Correlation system has been developed capable of measuring time dependent information of three component displacement vectors on two dimensional surfaces in a shock tube facility where transient aerodynamic loads on material specimens develop over the short time associated with the shock wave reflection time scales. To validate the techniques we embedded strain gauges in a S-2 glass epoxy 12.7 mm thick composite test specimen during in-house using vacuum assisted resin transfer molding fabrication. High-frequency-response, semiconductor, strain gauges were used in various combinations and locations in order to measure the transient strain rate during the impingement of the shock wave. In addition to strain gauges PZT transducers were also embedded which helped measure the frequency response of the test plate. In-house fabricated composite plates were tested under three different boundary conditions: clamped, quasi-simply supported, and bolted. Different displacements and deformation patterns were observed in each of these cases.
The discovery of the prokaryotic cytoskeleton: 25th anniversary

The year 2017 marks the 25th anniversary of the discovery of homologues of tubulin and actin in prokaryotes. Before 1992, it was largely accepted that tubulin and actin were unique to eukaryotes. Then three laboratories independently discovered that FtsZ, a protein already known as a key player in bacterial cytokinesis, had the "tubulin signature sequence" present in all α-, β-, and γ-tubulins. That same year, three candidates for bacterial actins were discovered in silico. X-ray crystal structures have since confirmed multiple bacterial proteins to be homologues of eukaryotic tubulin and actin. Tubulin and actin were apparently derived from bacterial precursors that had already evolved a wide range of cytoskeletal functions.
Transcriptional control of genes mediating ovarian follicular growth, differentiation, and steroidogenesis in pigs

The pig is an agriculturally important species, so understanding its follicular dynamics and the transcriptional events that accompany such changes is critical to optimizing reproductive outcomes. Numerous small- to medium-size antral follicles are recruited and continue growth under the influence of gonadotropins and growth factors during the follicular phase of the porcine estrous cycle. Several of these follicles are selected to mature into large preovulatory follicles whose granulosa cells acquire luteinizing hormone (LH) receptors. Healthy preovulatory follicles that have not been exposed to the LH surge are estrogenic, expressing the genes, and proteins needed for estradiol synthesis. Exposure to the LH surge, however, causes a dramatic decline in their estrogen production and a transient decrease in mRNAs for genes encoding the steroidogenic machinery, followed by a considerable rise in the expression of genes directing progesterone biosynthesis. This review provides a general overview of pig follicular development and the transcriptional regulation of genes critical to this process in the pig ovary, including those for gonadotropin receptors and steroidogenesis. Where data are lacking, related information from other species has been included, with the caveat that similar regulation has yet to be demonstrated for the pig.
Allosteric Inhibition of Bacterial Targets: An Opportunity for Discovery of Novel Antibacterial Classes

Small molecules that act through an allosteric mechanism to modulate activity of a protein target are abundantly represented in the pharmacopeia. These allosteric modulators are, however, preeminently therapeutics for eukaryotic diseases rather than therapy for prokaryotic infection. Recent examples of the success of biochemical and computational screening methods, paired with protein structural characterization, underscore the promise of allosteric activity modulation as a new approach for antibacterial discovery. In this review, we show how allostery has been leveraged to this objective. In particular, exploitation of an allosteric site on penicillin-binding protein 2a – the resistance enzyme of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus – demonstrates both that allosteric-modulating structures may themselves possess antibiotic activity and additionally may act as synergists within multi-drug combinations. Future discovery strategies against both old and new bacterial targets may exploit the opportunities offered by allosteric checkpoints within critical bacterial pathways.
Identification of critical components for anti-tumor activity of attenuated Salmonella.

3783 VNP20009, an attenuated Salmonella bacterium, preferentially replicates to high levels in solid tumors, relative to normal tissues, and possesses significant anti-tumor activity in murine animal models. During the course of generating new bacterial vectors, we discovered that some of the strains lost the tumor growth inhibition property while maintaining the ability to replicate and accumulate to high levels in tumors in vivo. In order to develop a better understanding of the anti-tumor activity induced by TAPET vectors, we undertook proteomic and genomic approaches to identify the potential tumoricidal components of VNP20009 and other closely related strains. VNP69, a variant derived from VNP20009, lost its anti-tumor activity after transposon mutagenesis, suggesting that the inserted transposon disrupted a gene or operon that directly or indirectly affects bacterial anti-tumor activity. Thus, we used genomic walking technology to identify the location of the transposon insertion and 2-D gel electrophoresis to confirm the disappearance of the gene product in VNP69. When the disrupted gene, gshB (encoding glutathione synthetase), was cloned and re-introduced into VNP69, the anti-tumor activity could be restored in a B16 melanoma-transplanted animal model. Loss of the gene in VNP69 also caused significant changes in the protein expression profile (more than 20 proteins affected), based on 2-D gel analysis, of VNP69 as compared to VNP25, which has anti-tumor activity. These data suggest that the identified gene could be a critical component of or may regulate other factors critical to the anti-tumor activity of Salmonella.
Opera in 20th Century America: Overcoming the Racialization of Sound

The summer of 2015 will bring a revival of Voodoo, a Harlem Renaissance opera by H. Lawrence Freeman, in its first performance since its 1928 premiere. It is being revived by the Harlem Opera Theater at the Miller Theater at Columbia University. The opera was the first opera written by an African-American produced in the United States. Advertised at its premier as “A Negro Jazz Opera” (Poster, 1928, H. Lawrence Freeman Papers), the opera is set on a Louisiana plantation just after the Civil War. It focuses on a love triangle between three former slaves, one of whom turns to voodoo and magic to win the affection of her lover and to be rid of her rival. The opera combines western classical music with passages of period dance music, and includes re-settings of several AfricanAmerican spirituals, such as “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”(H. L. Freeman, 1914, Voodoo Manuscript, H. Lawrence Freeman Papers). Written, conducted, played, and sung by African-Americans, Freeman’s opera uses elements of Grand Opera-- the fusion of the vital elements of music, drama and dancecombined with rhythms and melodies of jazz and African-American music-- to challenge what I want to suggest is the constructed racialization of sound. Examining the preserved papers of H. Lawrence Freeman, I will explore and undermine the racialized properties of the history of sound and music, using Eric Lott’s Love & Theft, a historical and theoretical study of blackface minstrelsy in America, as a jumping off point. Shawn MarieGarrett’s article, “Return of the Repressed” will guide me through my analysis of H. L. Freeman and his African-American contemporaries, who deracialized sound by asking the questions what is black? What is white?
Androgen Supplementation in the Prostate Cancer Patient

Testosterone (T) deficiency, also termed hypogonadism, affects a substantial proportion of older men, and causes a variety of symptoms and signs, such as erectile dysfunction, diminished libido, fatigue, depression, and diminished bone mineral density. Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) can be an effective therapy, but there has been a long-standing and widely held fear of offering TRT in the prostate cancer (PCa) patient due to the concern that higher T levels may “awaken” dormant PCa cells, and cause a recurrence or progression of the cancer. Indeed, product information packaging for testosterone products includes FDA-mandated language stating that TRT is contraindicated in men with a history of, or suspicion of prostate cancer.
Managing Complexity, Uncertainty, and Variability in Guided Wave Structural Health Monitoring

Guided waves are an attractive tool for monitoring large structures. They are able to interrogate sizable areas at once, are sensitive to structural damage, and carry information about the damage l...
Visualization and quantification of separation of liquid-vapor two-phase flow in a vertical header at low inlet quality

Abstract This paper presents the experimental study of separation of two-phase flow in a vertical header of microchannel heat exchanger based on quantified visualization using fast camera. A prototype unit, representing the real condenser has an inlet in the center of the header. Downstream of the intermediate header are two branches: lower for liquid and upper vapor flow. The header for experiment provides full visual access. R-134a is used as the fluid and mass flux through the inlet microchannels is controlled at 54 kg m−2 s−1–193 kg m−2 s−1. The results indicate that within the range of lower inlet quality (5–25%), good separation in that header can happen at low mass flux up to 90 kg m−2 s−1. Results are presented in function of liquid and vapor separation efficiencies (ηl, ηv). Two-phase flow characteristics inside the header are analyzed for better understanding of separation efficiencies ηl and ηv. The efficiency deteriorates dramatically when liquid reaches the vapor exit, with increasing inlet flow rate and/or quality. Better two-phase separation can be achieved by reducing the liquid upward momentum or the vapor, and decreasing liquid and vapor interaction.
Molecular Mechanisms of Vasodilatation

The mechanisms by which chemical substances relax vascular smooth muscle have received considerable attention in recent years. These vasodilators include β-adrenergic receptor agonists, muscarinic receptor agonists, dopamine receptor agonists, certain autacoids, calcium antagonists, nucleosides, nucleotides, and nitrogen oxide-containing agents. This chapter deals primarily with the latter agents, which include organic nitrates and nitrites, inorganic nitrites, nitroso Compounds, S-nitrosothiols, and nitric oxide.
BIBLICAL BASIS OF FORTY-YEAR GOODWILL AMORTIZATION

Current U.S. GAAP mandates amortizing goodwill over no more than 40 years. Although many commentators suggest that 40 years is an arbitrary time span, there is a Biblical basis for 40-year amortization. The Bible refers to 40 years as the life of a generation. Since amortizing goodwill over no more than 40 years corresponds to amortizing it over no more than one generation of talented employees or customers, the process is not completely arbitrary
Test Scheduling Using Mixed-Integer Linear Programming

In this chapter1, we present optimal solutions to several test scheduling problems for core-based systems. Given a set of tasks (test sets for the cores), a set of test resources (e.g., test buses, BIST hardware) and a test access architecture, we determine start times for the tasks such that the total test application time is minimized. We show that the test scheduling decision problem is equivalent to the m-processor open shop scheduling problem and is therefore NP-complete [36]. However, a commonly-encountered instance of this problem (m = 2) can be solved in polynomial time. For the general case (m > 2), we present a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model for optimal scheduling and apply it to a representative core-based system using an MILP solver available in the public domain. We also extend the MILP model to allow optimal test set selection from a set of alternatives. Finally, we present an efficient heuristic algorithm for handling larger systems for which the MILP model may be infeasible.
The Queen as the Counsellor’s Muse: Elizabeth I in The Faerie Queene’s Proems

The fact of a ruling queen in late sixteenth-century England created new definitions of and possibilities for counselling the monarch, including by those of non-traditional backgrounds and via non-traditional means, such as poetry. An analysis of one such example, Edmund Spenser’s epic-romance The Faerie Queene, reveals an especially ambitious, creative and idiosyncratic attempt to counsel Elizabeth in print. In this chapter, John Walters makes the argument that Spenser’s proems in his epic enable his narratorial persona to ask Queen Elizabeth to read his poem and heed its counsel, and the changes evident in the proems reveal much about Spenser’s shifting ideas regarding both his own status as a counsellor and the prospects for counsellors to make meaningful interventions in Elizabeth’s England.
Assessing Individual Teamwork Skills in Entry-Level Nurses

Abstract Background The Team Behavior Assessment Tool for Entry Level Nurses (TBAT-ELN) was developed to assess essential individual teamwork skills in an entry-level nurse. The newly created tool required investigation to determine reliability and validity. Method Scripted simulation videos portraying three levels of student performance were developed. Nurse educators assessed the student's performance in each video using the TBAT-ELN with both a frequency scale and a quality scale. Results Intraclass correlation coefficient of the TBAT-ELN reflected very good interrater reliability. Validity of the data produced by the tool was also supported based on relationships to other variables. Conclusion The TBAT-ELN, with either a frequency scale or quality scale, is a meaningful way to evaluate the individual teamwork skills of nursing students and new graduate nurses.
Semiconducting polymer blends that exhibit stable charge transport at high temperatures

Although high-temperature operation (i.e., beyond 150°C) is of great interest for many electronics applications, achieving stable carrier mobilities for organic semiconductors at elevated temperatures is fundamentally challenging. We report a general strategy to make thermally stable high-temperature semiconducting polymer blends, composed of interpenetrating semicrystalline conjugated polymers and high glass-transition temperature insulating matrices. When properly engineered, such polymer blends display a temperature-insensitive charge transport behavior with hole mobility exceeding 2.0 cm2/V·s across a wide temperature range from room temperature up to 220°C in thin-film transistors.
Reflections on bridging the academic/practitioner divide: “Drugs and Thugs” as a case study

The academic/practitioner divide is real. Having observed and participated in this divide over four decades it seems as if the same issues get repeated over and over. This paper offers one approach...
Knowledge Base Design and Construction: From Prototyping to Refinement

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the design and construction of knowledge-based systems from prototyping to refinement. Designing and constructing an expert system depends on the type of problem solving that the system is trying to carry out. Despite the great variety of reasoning modalities employed in expert problem solving, most expert systems are designed to capture advice-giving or interpretive knowledge about how a problem is to be solved. The ultimate success of an expert system depends on acceptable proof that it is helping solve a problem more efficiently and effectively than available, though possibly nonexpert human counterparts, simple measurement of economic gain may suffice to demonstrate the advantages of the technological solution. However, because of the social repercussions of automation, and the ethical concerns about the correct application of codified human judgments, it is essential that the technical advances of the present generation of expert systems not obscure the great need for new insights into knowledge representation, reasoning, and the underlying semantics of knowledge bases. It is particularly important that a more systematic understanding of problem solving tasks be developed in relation to both surface models of compiled expertise and underlying models of scientific reasoning.
Using Sensory Science to Evaluate Consumer Acceptance of Recipes in a Nutrition Education Intervention for Limited Resource Populations

Abstract Objective This study evaluated consumer acceptance of recipes in a nutrition education intervention and assessed participants’ intentions to change dietary behaviors. Design Study participants tasted and evaluated 16 recipes in the University of Georgia Food Talk curriculum using the 9-point hedonic scale and indicated their likelihood of engaging in behaviors to improve diet quality on a similar, ordinal scale. Setting and Participants Convenience samples of 89 to 122 adult participants in the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program in Georgia evaluated each recipe. Intervention Eight interactive nutrition education sessions in which study participants sampled and evaluated 2 recipes per session. Main Outcome Measures Mean scores for overall liking of each recipe and likelihood of engaging in promoted behaviors to improve diet quality were outcomes of interest. Analysis Descriptive statistics were generated. Relationships between overall liking of recipes and intention to engage in promoted behaviors were assessed with Spearman correlation coefficients. Results Results showed that 13 of the 16 recipes in the curriculum met criteria for acceptable sensory quality. Overall liking was significantly correlated with participants’ intentions to engage in behaviors to improve diet quality. Notable age- and sex-related differences were identified. Conclusions and Implications Evaluations of consumer acceptance may be useful in interventions designed to improve diet quality through the introduction of new recipes as improving consumer acceptance of recipes may improve program outcomes.
Roadmap for Quality by Design Implementation for Dietary Supplements.

Background Recently, there is a growing interest in quality by design (QbD) in the dietary supplements industry. Objective Effective QbD implementation necessitates a comprehensive understanding of multiple factors such as; the relationship between the critical qualities attributes (CQAs) and the scientific properties of the dietary supplement, the relationship between the manufacturing process, CQAs and the variability in raw materials. There are still two critical challenging concerns to be addressed in the implementation of QbD for herbal drugs. First, the quality variation of botanical raw materials and second, the difficulty in defining the satisfactory ranges of CQAs. Method In order to tackle these challenges, this review provides a snapshot of the numerous techniques that can be used in the identification and characterization of the botanical raw materials, therefore, will help in the successful QbD implementation for botanicals and dietary supplements. Conclusions In order to implement this approach and to be considered in the current dietary supplement regulations, fruitful discussions and collaborations between academia, industry and regulatory agencies are required.
POTASSIUM CHANNELS AND INTERNAL CALCIUM RELEASE: RELEVANCE FOR MEMORY STORAGE AND ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

The study of molecular mechanisms of associative memory and learning in animal models, both vertebrates and invertebrates, has revealed a discrete number of molecular components and cellular events that are critical for the acquisition and storage of associative learning [1 2]. Initial observations showed that cell excitability of the Hermissenda’s B photoreceptor was enhanced after the animal acquired a conditioned response, which was later discovered to be due to a long-lasting reduction of specific potassium currents [3 4]. It was also discovered that activation and/or injection of protein kinase C (PKC) caused a reduction of the same currents, mimicking the effects of conditioning [5]. Single channel studies confirmed that classical conditioning and PKC activation have similar effects on specific K+channels [6]. K+channels and PKC were also found to play a fundamental role in associative learning in mammals. The afterhyperpolarization (AHP) and the potassium current subserving the AHP were reduced in CA1 hippocampal cells of conditioned rabbits [7 8]. PKC studies revealed that the membrane associated form of this enzyme was enriched in the CA1 region of trained rabbits [9 10]. In addition, the phosphorylated form ofz20 kD GTPbinding protein was found increased in nerve cells of Hermissenda [11]. This protein, later identified as a member of the ARF-class proteins, was found to be a potent regulator of K+channels (in a conditioning-like manner) [12 13], to induce conditioning-like dendritic changes [14], to regulate axonal transport [15], and to regulate mRNA turnover [16]. This protein has been identified in vertebrates, including humans [17 18].
The lifetime social cost of autism: 1990–2029

Abstract This cost of illness analysis computes a baseline and future estimate of lifetime social costs associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) for the 50 states in the United States (US). The number of cases of ASD are estimated, then multiplied by annual direct and indirect medical and non-medical costs identified in the peer-reviewed literature. This amount is then extrapolated across the number of years each cost type is expected to be incurred to calculate a total lifetime cost for each state in the US from 1990–2019, and to project future cost for 2020–2029. From 1990–2019, there have been an estimated 2 million new cases of (ASD), with social costs of more than $7 trillion. If the future prevalence of ASD remains unchanged over the next decade, there will be an estimated additional 1 million new cases, resulting in an additional $4 trillion to the United States in social costs, however if the rate of increase in prevalence continues, costs could reach nearly $15 trillion by 2029. The financial burden of ASD is significant and identifying the modifiable causes of ASD has the potential to provide tangible benefits.