cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Organochlorine insecticide residues in Egyptian mothers’ milk

Two hundred ninety‐two mother's milk samples were collected during 1994 from ten Egyptian governorates representing rural, metropolitan, and newly reclaimed desert areas. The samples were analyzed for 14 organochlorine insecticides and metabolites using electron capture gas chromatography and confirmed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The overall samples average showed that the most abundant organochlorine insecticide residues were p,p'‐DDE, α‐endosulfan, β‐HCH and, p,p’‐DDT. Residues in the range of not detectable to less than 14μg/l whole milk were recorded for α‐HCH, heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide, aldrin, dieldrin, endrin endrin aldehyde and p,p'‐DDD. The percentage of samples exceeding the acceptable daily intake for children (ADIs) set by the FAO/WHO ranged from 19% to 44% in all governorates included in the study except the governorate of Minia in which only 2.6% of the samples exceeded the ADI values. The insecticides exceeding ADI values are mostly heptachlor and heptaclor epoxide...
Sequence of the gene for the large subunit of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase from a gymnosperm, Douglas fir.

The chloroplast rbcL gene encodes the large subunit ofribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase [ 3 ], the enzyme that catalyzes CO 2 fixation during photosynthesis [6]. rbcL nucleotide sequences data have been used extensively, and proven to be quite powerful, in studies of plant phylogeny and molecular evolution [9, 10]. Complete sequences have been determined from several monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous angiosperms, algae, photosynthetic bacteria, and a bryophyte [7, 9, 10]. We report here an rbcL gene sequence from a Pinaceous gymnosperm, Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco). rbcL was sequenced by the dideoxynucleotide chain termination method using recombinant plasmid DNA as the template [2]. In addition to the 1425 base pair (bp) coding region, we sequenced 251 bp upstream and 179bp downstream of the open reading frame (Fig. 1). The coding region has an inferred amino acid sequence that is 93.0% similar to tobacco [4], 90.3% to maize [5, 8], and 92 .4~ to liverwort [7]; its DNA sequence is 85.8%, 83.8%, and 82.6 % similar, respectively. There is a deletion of one codon and an insertion of one codon in the Douglas fir sequence relative to maize, and a deletion of two codons relative to tobacco. The 5' flanking region contains prokaryoticlike consensus promoter sequences and ribosome binding site. Possible 35 (TTGCAT) and 10 (TACAAT) regions are located at positions 80 to 85 and 103 to 108, respectively (underlined in Fig. 1) and are separated by a 17 bp AT-rich region. The Douglas fir rbcL 35 sequence differs in two nucleotide positions from angiosperm sequences (TTGCAT instead of TTGCGC) [4, 10]. The putative ribosome binding site [1] is also underlined, and located at nucleotides 242 to 246. Two likely stem-loop transcription termination structures [ 10] are present in the 3' flanking region (horizontal arrows in Fig. 1).
Microbiological Safety of Chicken Litter or Chicken Litter-Based Organic Fertilizers: A Review

Chicken litter or chicken litter-based organic fertilizers are usually recycled into the soil to improve the structure and fertility of agricultural land. As an important source of nutrients for crop production, chicken litter may also contain a variety of human pathogens that can threaten humans who consume the contaminated food or water. Composting can inactivate pathogens while creating a soil amendment beneficial for application to arable agricultural land. Some foodborne pathogens may have the potential to survive for long periods of time in raw chicken litter or its composted products after land application, and a small population of pathogenic cells may even regrow to high levels when the conditions are favorable for growth. Thermal processing is a good choice for inactivating pathogens in chicken litter or chicken litter-based organic fertilizers prior to land application. However, some populations may become acclimatized to a hostile environment during build-up or composting and develop heat resistance through cross-protection during subsequent high temperature treatment. Therefore, this paper reviews currently available information on the microbiological safety of chicken litter or chicken litter-based organic fertilizers, and discusses about further research on developing novel and effective disinfection techniques, including physical, chemical, and biological treatments, as an alternative to current methods.
Measurements of nitrite production in and around the primary nitrite maximum in the central California Current

Nitrite (NO 2 − ) is a substrate for both oxidative and reductive microbial metabolism. NO 2 − accumulates at the base of the euphotic zone in oxygenated, stratified open-ocean water columns, forming a feature known as the primary nitrite maximum (PNM). Potential pathways of NO 2 − production include the oxidation of ammonia (NH 3 ) by ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and archaea as well as assimilatory nitrate (NO 3 − ) reduction by phytoplankton and heterotrophic bacteria. Measurements of NH 3 oxidation and NO 3 − reduction to NO 2 − were conducted at two stations in the central California Current in the eastern North Pacific to determine the relative contributions of these processes to NO 2 − production in the PNM. Sensitive ( −1 ), precise measurements of [NH 4 + ] and [NO 2 − ] indicated a persistent NH 4 + maximum overlying the PNM at every station, with concentrations as high as 1.5 μmol L −1 . Within and just below the PNM, NH 3 oxidation was the dominant NO 2 − producing process, with rates of NH 3 oxidation to NO 2 − of up to 31 nmol L −1 d −1 , coinciding with high abundances of ammonia-oxidizing archaea. Though little NO 2 − production from NO 3 − was detected, potentially nitrate-reducing phytoplankton (photosynthetic picoeukaryotes, Synechococcus , and Prochlorococcus ) were present at the depth of the PNM. Rates of NO 2 − production from NO 3 − were highest within the upper mixed layer (4.6 nmol L −1 d −1 ) but were either below detection limits or 10 times lower than NH 3 oxidation rates around the PNM. One-dimensional modeling of water column NO 2 − production agreed with production determined from 15 N bottle incubations within the PNM, but a modeled net biological sink for NO 2 − just below the PNM was not captured in the incubations. Residence time estimates of NO 2 − within the PNM ranged from 18 to 470 days at the mesotrophic station and was 40 days at the oligotrophic station. Our results suggest the PNM is a dynamic, rather than relict, feature with a source term dominated by ammonia oxidation.
The distally based lateral adipofascial flap

The distally based lateral adipofascial flap can be based either on the lowermost perforator or the anterior perforating branch of the peroneal artery avoiding sacrifice of the main peroneal artery. It has been used successfully to resurface soft tissue defects either on the lateral or medial aspect of the lower third of the leg in 13 cases. The size of these flaps varied from 2.0 cm x 5.0 cm to 4.5 cm x 15.0 cm in size. These cases had minimal donor site morbidity and had positive aesthetic results. The advantages were: 1. Choice of either the lowermost perforator or the anterior perforating branch giving a wide arc of rotation; 2. Preservation of the superficial peroneal nerve; 3. Primary closure of the donor site.
Myogenic failure in posterior urethral valve disease: real or imagined?

ABSTRACTPurpose: It has been suggested that hypocontractility or myogenic failure develops in older boys with a history of 9 posterior urethral valved as the hyperactive, poorly compliant bladders decompensate with age. Also a much higher prevalence of myogenic failure has been reported than we have observed. We determine the prevalence of myogenic failure in boys with a posterior urethral valve and whether myogenic failure was a consequence of earlier detrusor instability or diminished compliance.Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the urodynamic findings of 51 boys after transurethral ablation of a posterior urethral valve. Group 1 (longitudinal group) consisted of 11 boys 12 to 19 years old who had undergone at least 1 serial urodynamic study before and 1 after age 10 years. Group 2 (younger group) included 33 boys whose urodynamic testing was performed before age 10 years. Group 3 (older group) comprised 7 previously treated boys whose initial urodynamic study was done after age 12 year...
In Memory of Glenn Theodore Seaborg [19 April 1912-25 February 1999] — Glenn T. Seaborg’s Multi-Faceted Career —

Glenn Theodore Seaborg (1912–1999) was a world-renowned nuclear chemist, a Nobel Laureate in chemistry in 1951, co-discoverer of plutonium and nine other transuranium elements, Chairman of the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission from 1961–71, scientific advisor to ten U. S. presidents, active in national and international professional societies, an advocate for nuclear power as well as for a comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty, a prolific writer, an avid hiker, environmentalist, and sports enthusiast. He was known and esteemed not only by chemists and other scientists throughout the world, but also by lay people, politicians, statesmen, and students of all ages. This memorial includes a brief glimpse of Glenn Seaborg’s early life and education, describes some of his major contributions to nuclear science over his long and fruitful career, and highlights his profound influence on nuclear science, both in the U. S. and in the international community.
Antivirals and resistance: influenza virus.

Influenza causes annual epidemics of respiratory viral infections are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Influenza vaccines have been shown to reduce the risk of infection and mitigate against some of the virus’ sequellae. Likewise, two classes of antivirals, the adamantanes (amantadine and rimantadine) and the neuraminidase inhibitors (laninamivir, oseltamivir, peramivir, and zanamivir) are currently approved for the prevention and treatment of influenza; several other classes of antivirals and immune modulators are also currently under investigation. One of the greatest challenges to our armamentarium of antivirals is the emergence of resistant mutants. In this paper, we will review the currently approved and investigational antiviral agents and the mechanisms of resistance that impact their activity.
The fine structure of the interstitial tissue of the testis of the nine‐banded armadillo

The interstitial tissue of the testis of the nine-banded armadillo is composed of blood vessels, clusters of Leydig cells, the usual connective tissue elements, and a network of lymphatic sinusoids. The endothelial walls of the sinusoids are separated from the peritubular contractile cell layer surrounding the seminiferous tubules by a thin layer of collagen. The pertibular contractile cell is characterized by filaments and dense bodies within the cytoplasm, whereas the endothelial cells lack these structures. Within each cluster, several Leydig cells surround one or more blood vessels. Adjacent Leydig cells are jointed by 2- to 3-nm wide gap junctions and desmosome-like specializations. The Leydig cell is polygonal in shape with an ovoid nucleus. The cell is characterized by an abundance of smooth endoplasmic reticulum which appears as sheets of membranes, concentric whorls around vacuoles, and a random tubular network. Only a few short cisternae of rough endoplasmic reticulum are observed. Centrioles are closely associated with the Golgi apparatus. Rod-like mitochondria with tubular cristae are scattered throughout the cytoplasm. In addition, the cells contain vacuoles resulting from lipid extraction, filaments, microtubules, and glycogen. The surface of the cell exposed to the intercellular spaces exhibit numberous pinocytotic vesicles and cell processes which indicate active movement of material across the plasma membrane. In comparison to other mammalian species, the ultrastructural organization of the interstitium and the fine structure of Leydig cell of the armadillo resemble those of the guinea pig.
The effects of anticonvulsant drugs on long-term potentiation (LTP) in the rat hippocampus

In hippocampal CA1 area, there are at least two forms of long-term potentiation (LTP): one is N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-dependent LTP (NMDA LTP), which is induced with a 25 Hz tetanus and blocked by 50 microM 2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid (APV); the other is NMDA receptor-independent LTP (VDCC LTP), which is induced by 200 Hz tetanus stimulation in the presence of APV and blocked by nifedipine, a voltage-dependent Ca++ channel (VDCC) blocker, or by the intracellular injection of 1,2-bis(2-Aminophenoxoy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (BAPTA). The effects of anticonvulsant drugs phenobarbital, phenytoin, and valproic acid on both NMDA LTP and VDCC LTP were investigated in rat hippocampal slices. The results showed that 0.1 mg/ml valproic acid significantly altered baseline population spike amplitude by 34.6%, but the other drugs had no significant effect on the baseline population spike amplitude. Phenobarbital (0.025 mg/ml) potently blocked NMDA LTP and inhibited VDCC LTP. Phenytoin (0.02 mg/ml) had no effect on NMDA LTP but reduced VDCC LTP. Valproic acid did not inhibit VDCC LTP, but it abolished the expression of NMDA LTP in a similar manner as H-7, a nonspecific protein kinase C inhibitor. These data suggest that the anti-convulsant effects of these three drugs may be via different cellular mechanisms.
Receptors for a cytotoxic lectin, abrin and their role in cell intoxication.

Abstract The nature of binding of abrin to Chinese hamster ovary cells was examined in relation to the ensuing intoxication of the treated cells. Approx. 20% of [125I]abrin bound to CHO cells at 37°C was found to be resistant to the addition or presence of 0.1 M lactose. The extent of lactose-resistant binding depended inversely upon the temperature of incubation. Among various proteins, lectins and sugars, only non-labeled abrin could strongly inhibit the lactose-resistant binding of [125I]abrin. Lactose-resistant binding could lead to an inhibition of cellular protein synthesis and to a loss of cell viability. Abrin molecules bound at the lactose-sensitive and lactose-resistant binding sites apparently have an equal probability of being internalized by CHO cells. Binding of approx. 3·103 abrin molecules per CHO cell was required to elicit 50% loss of cell viability regardless of whether the binding occurs in the presence or absence of lactose. The result of a cross-linking experiment suggested that a membrane protein with an M r of about 45 000 may be responsible for the lactose-resistant binding of abrin.
Antecedents and consequences of pharmacy loyalty behavior

Purpose – This paper aims to identify antecedents and consequences of pharmacy loyalty behavior. Design/methodology/approach – A cross-sectional study was conducted. Constructs involved were measured using an online self-administered questionnaire. Data were analyzed using multivariate logistic and linear regression. Findings – In all, 400 usable responses were obtained. General satisfaction (odds ratio [OR] = 1.52; p < 0.01; 95 per cent confidence interval [CI] = 1.12 to 2.06) and trust (OR = 1.81; p < 0.01; 95 per cent CI = 1.32 to 2.50) were found to have statistically significant relationships with loyalty behavior. General satisfaction (regression coefficient = 0.20; p < 0.01; 95 per cent CI = 0.09 to 0.31), explanation component of satisfaction with service quality (regression coefficient = 0.13; p < 0.01; 95 per cent CI = 0.04 to 0.21), consideration and technical competence components of satisfaction with service quality (regression coefficient = 0.18; p = 0.02; 95 per cent CI = 0.03 to 0.33) and ...
Populations at risk: addressing health effects due to complex mixtures with a focus on respiratory effects.

Some individuals in the population may be sensitive or susceptible be to the effects of air pollutants. Such sensitivity may be to specific pollutants or classes of pollutants. However, sensitivity...
Long-Term Activity Recording in small Aquatic Animals

Figure 1 of the paper " Long-term activity in small aquatic animals" by A. A. Heusner and J. T. Enright (28 Oct. 1966, p. 532) is ambiguous to the extent that the two negative terminals might be interpreted as a common point in the circuit. In fact, these two points must be kept separate for the proper operation of the instrument.
Now That Historians Know So Much about the Right, How Should We Best Approach the Study of Conservatism?

Kim Phillips-Fein’s review is a thoughtful survey of the last fifteen years of historical scholarship on conservatism in the United States. She recounts how a once-marginal set of questions moved to center stage and produced an avalanche of studies. As a contributor of one such study of conservatism, I am gratified to have the importance of this effort recognized in several flagship journals. The result of all this scholarly effort, Phillips-Fein notes, has been nothing short of a transformation in our understanding of the post– World War II American Right and to a lesser degree the longer tradition of American conservatism. Without a doubt, Alan Brinkley’s influential 1994 call in the American Historical Review for more attention to conservatism has been answered. Fifteen years later, Phillips-Fein’s essay prompts us to ask: Were any of the answers surprising? 1 Thanks to this effort, postwar conservatism has become, to borrow John Lewis Gaddis’s formulation, a history “we now know.” As Phillips-Fein notes, this knowledge has come from many different perspectives. We have rich portraits of the local communities where postwar conservative culture blossomed. We have comprehensive portrayals of the women and men who made up the social base of the libertarian and Christian Right. We have biographies of the leaders of the conservative movement as well as close examinations of major conservative organizations, networks, mobilizing tools, and the relationship of all this activity to the Republican party. We now have a greater understanding of modern conservative religiosity, including, for example, that evangelicalism—once thought of as appealing to men and women within rural, backwater, and poor regions— flourished in the hypermodern, privatized world of postindustrial, affluent suburbs. We have penetrating portraits of how within our modern era’s vast corporate empires of lowwage, nonunion service industries was born a powerful new grassroots theology of equal parts free-market capitalism and staunch evangelicalism. Conservative writers too, whose work was once dismissed as little more than “impulses,” “mental gestures which seek to resemble ideas,” have been richly elucidated in their multiple strands. Finally, the new
Mother and Child Speech Rates as a Variable in Stuttering and Disfluency.

Three questions were addressed in this study: (a) Do mothers of stuttering children talk faster than mothers of nonstuttering children, (b) do stuttering children talk faster than nonstuttering chi...
Feather meal: a previously unrecognized route for reentry into the food supply of multiple pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs)

Antimicrobials used in poultry production have the potential to bioaccumulate in poultry feathers but available data are scarce. Following poultry slaughter, feathers are converted by rendering into feather meal and sold as fertilizer and animal feed, thereby providing a potential pathway for reentry of drugs into the human food supply. We analyzed feather meal (n = 12 samples) for 59 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) using EPA method 1694 employing liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). All samples tested positive and six classes of antimicrobials were detected, with a range of two to ten antimicrobials per sample. Caffeine and acetaminophen were detected in 10 of 12 samples. A number of PPCPs were determined to be heat labile during laboratory simulation of the rendering process. Growth of wild-type E. coli in MacConkey agar was inhibited by sterilized feather meal (p = 0.01) and by the antimicrobial enrofloxacin (p < 0.0001) at levels found in feather meal. Growth of a drug-resistant E. coli strain was not inhibited by sterilized feather meal or enrofloxacin. This is the first study to detect antimicrobial residues in feather meal. Initial results suggest that more studies are needed to better understand potential risks posed to consumers by drug residues in feather meal.
Time-dependent increase in ribosome processivity

We created a novel tripartite reporter RNA to separately and simultaneously examine ribosome translation rates at the 5'- and 3'-ends of a large open reading frame (ORF) in vitro in HeLa cell lysates. The construct contained Renilla luciferase (RLuc), β-galactosidase and firefly luciferase (FLuc) ORFs linked in frame and separated by a viral peptide sequence that causes cotranslational scission of emerging peptide chains. The length of the ORF contributed to low ribosome processivity, a low number of initiating ribosomes completing translation of the entire ORF. We observed a time-dependent increase in FLuc production rate that was dependent on a poly(A) tail and poly(A)-binding protein, but was independent of eIF4F function. Stimulation of FLuc production occurred earlier on shorter RNA templates. Cleavage of eIF4G at times after ribosome loading on templates occurred did not cause immediate cessation of 5'-RLuc translation; rather, a delay was observed that shortened when shorter templates were translated. Electron microscopic analysis of polysome structures in translation lysates revealed a time-dependent increase in ribosome packing and contact that correlated with increased processivity on the FLuc ORF. The results suggest that ORF transit combined with PABP function contribute to interactions between ribosomes that increase or sustain processivity on long ORFs.
Partial derivative quantities from phase equilibria relationships for mixtures

A systematic formulation of multicomponent/multiphase phase equilibria as a linear algebra problem in the fugacities, mole fractions, partial molar volumes, and partial molar enthalpies is given. The algorithm takes advantage of the Gibbs-Duhem relationships for each phase and a modified Gaussian elimination technique to reduce the system of equations. These algorithmic steps allow current symbolic manipulation packages to generate useful partial derivative relationships in terms of measurable thermodynamic quantities. Features of the algorithm are demonstrated by applying a computer implementation of the method to a simple two-phase/two-component system and to the more complicated examples of a two-phase/three-component supercritical fluid chromatography experiment and a mass-conserving closed system.
Varied Diagnosis of the Observed Surface Temperature Trends in the Southeast United States

AbstractThis paper diagnoses the temperature trends in maximum (Tmax) and minimum temperatures (Tmin) over a selection of 65 stations spread over the southeast United States (SEUS) from three observed datasets. They are the Cooperative Observer network program (COOP), the COOP data corrected for documented shifts in time of observation (COOP1), and the COOP data additionally corrected for documented changes in instrumentation (COOP2). These 65 stations have been isolated for having the three observed datasets for the same time period from 1948 to 2009. The authors’ comparisons suggest that COOP2 displays stronger warming (cooling) trends in Tmax (Tmin) compared with COOP1 in all four seasons. This is consistent with the expectation from the bias correction applied for the instrument change. In comparison, the differences between COOP and COOP2 are relatively larger. In the spring, summer, and fall seasons, the median Tmax trend is warming in COOP2 while it is cooling in COOP. In the winter season, the med...
Modeling of noninvasive microwave characterization of breast tumors

This paper describes an approach for the noninvasive microwave characterization of tumors in breast tissue. Tumors are modeled as lossy dielectric targets. Their complex natural resonances (CNR) can be extracted from the time-domain response and correlated with diagnostically useful properties. Finite-difference time-domain simulation is used to obtain the time-domain response from a tumor with a short electromagnetic pulse as an input. The normal breast tissue and tumor are modeled as dispersive media using the Debye model and CNRs are extracted using Prony's method. It is shown that the locations of the dominant CNRs are separated in the complex frequency plane as functions of the tumor dielectric properties. The technique has potential as a diagnostic tool to characterize breast lesions in conjunction with other imaging modalities such as ultrasound for detection.
Sensitivity of coded aperture Raman spectroscopy to analytes beneath turbid biological tissue and tissue-simulating phantoms.

Traditional slit-based spectrometers have an inherent trade-off between spectral resolution and throughput that can limit their performance when measuring diffuse sources such as light returned from highly scattering biological tissue. Recently, multielement fiber bundles have been used to effectively measure diffuse sources, e.g., in the field of spatially offset Raman spectroscopy, by remapping the source (or some region of the source) into a slit shape for delivery to the spectrometer. Another approach is to change the nature of the instru- ment by using a coded entrance aperture, which can increase throughput without sacrificing spectral resolution. In this study, two spectrometers, one with a slit-based entrance aperture and the other with a coded aperture, were used to measure Raman spectra of an analyte as a function of the optical properties of an overlying scat- tering medium. Power-law fits reveal that the analyte signal is approximately proportional to the number of trans- port mean free paths of the scattering medium raised to a power of −0.47 (coded aperture instrument) or −1.09 (slit-based instrument). These results demonstrate that the attenuation in signal intensity is more pronounced for the slit-based instrument and highlight the scattering regimes where coded aperture instruments can provide an advantage over traditional slit-based spectrometers. © The Authors. Published by SPIE under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. Distribution or reproduction of this work in whole or in part requires full attribution of the original publication, including its DOI. (DOI: 10
A 0.11mm 2 , 5.7-to-6.7GHz, parametrically pumped quadrature LC-VCO with digital outputs

We present a quadrature VCO based on mutual parametric pumping between two LC resonators. The design occupies 0.11mm2 in 65nm CMOS, consumes 16.8mW, and achieves a phase noise of -116.7dBc/Hz at 1MHz offset from a 6.57GHz carrier, while providing CMOS quadrature outputs. The measured phase error is less than 0.3° across the entire tuning range. Relative to state-of-the-art quadrature VCOs, it compares favorably in terms of area, phase accuracy and FoMA, making it attractive for area-constrained wireline and wireless SoCs.
Area-efficient high-throughput MAP decoder architectures

Iterative decoders such as turbo decoders have become integral components of modern broadband communication systems because of their ability to provide substantial coding gains. A key computational kernel in iterative decoders is the maximum a posteriori probability (MAP) decoder. The MAP decoder is recursive and complex, which makes high-speed implementations extremely difficult to realize. In this paper, we present block-interleaved pipelining (BIP) as a new high-throughput technique for MAP decoders. An area-efficient symbol-based BIP MAP decoder architecture is proposed by combining BIP with the well-known look-ahead computation. These architectures are compared with conventional parallel architectures in terms of speed-up, memory and logic complexity, and area. Compared to the parallel architecture, the BIP architecture provides the same speed-up with a reduction in logic complexity by a factor of M, where M is the level of parallelism. The symbol-based architecture provides a speed-up in the range from 1 to 2 with a logic complexity that grows exponentially with M and a state metric storage requirement that is reduced by a factor of M as compared to a parallel architecture. The symbol-based BIP architecture provides speed-up in the range M to 2M with an exponentially higher logic complexity and a reduced memory complexity compared to a parallel architecture. These high-throughput architectures are synthesized in a 2.5-V 0.25-/spl mu/m CMOS standard cell library and post-layout simulations are conducted. For turbo decoder applications, we find that the BIP architecture provides a throughput gain of 1.96 at the cost of 63% area overhead. For turbo equalizer applications, the symbol-based BIP architecture enables us to achieve a throughput gain of 1.79 with an area savings of 25%.
Trends in food consumption: Implications for infant feeding

We now have a near consensus that Americans should reduce their consumptionof fat, especially saturated fat and cholesterol, consume a higher proportion of unsaturated fat, and eat less sugar and salt and more fruits, vegetables, and sources of complex carbohydrates. Data on what Americans are eating are fragmentary and undoubtedly outdated, because products continually change. Many, but not all, changes in consumption are in the right direction. This trend will continue, but we will be increasingly dependent on the food industries as more convenient foods are demanded. No one recommends very low fat diets for infants. There appears to be no evidence of risk at the recommended level of 30% of calories as fat. There will undoubtedly be some problems resulting from overemphasis on the risks associated with fat, sugar, and so forth, but there is no basis for questioning the general advice about what Americans should eat. Children must and eventually will learn to eat the family diet.
On completely integrable geometric evolutions of curves of Lagrangian planes

In this paper we find an explicit moving frame along curves of Lagrangian planes invariant under the action of the symplectic group. We use the moving frame to find a family of independent and generating differential invariants. We then construct geometric Hamiltonian structures in the space of differential invariants and prove that, if we restrict them to a certain Poisson submanifold, they become a set of decoupled Korteweg–de Vries (KdV) first and second Hamiltonian structures. We find an evolution of curves of Lagrangian planes that induces a system of decoupled KdV equations on their differential invariants (we call it the Lagrangian Schwarzian KdV equation). We also show that a generalized Miura transformation takes this system to a modified matrix KdV equation. In the four-dimensional case we show that there are no unrestricted compatible geometric pairs.
Testing the Woman Abuse Screening Tool to Identify Intimate Partner Violence in Indonesia

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a global public health problem. IPV prevalence in Indonesia has been estimated to be less than 1%, based on reported cases. It is likely that IPV prevalence is underreported in Indonesia, as it is in many other countries. Screening for IPV has been found to increase IPV identification, but no screening tools are in use in Indonesia. The aim of this study was to test the translated Woman Abuse Screening Tool (WAST) for detecting IPV in Indonesia. The WAST was tested against a diagnostic interview by a trained psychologist on 240 women attending two Primary Health Centers in Jakarta. IPV prevalence and the reliability, sensitivity, and specificity of the WAST were estimated. Prevalence of IPV by diagnostic interview was 36.3%, much higher than published estimates. The most common forms of IPV identified were psychological (85%) and physical abuse (24%). Internal reliability of the WAST was high (α = .801). A WAST score of 13 (out of 24) is the recommended cutoff for identi...
Evolutionary Lability and Phylogenetic Utility of Behavior in a Group of Ant-Guest Staphylinidae Beetles

Despite being commonly used as systematic characters earlier this century, relatively few systematists currently use behavioral information for phylogenetic reconstruction. A natural experiment provided by the inferred phylogenetic relationships and host associations of a tribe of ant guest beetles allows for a novel test of the phylogenetic utility of behavior. Historical and current evolutionary forces have acted in opposition during recent behavioral evolution, making it possible to determine the relative evolutionary lability of two general classes of behavioral characters. I dissected the behavioral phenotype into two components and tested for the relative presence of these two opposing forces on each behavioral component. Behavior was broken up into the continuously differing behavioral component (durations of functionally similar beetle behaviors) and the discretely differing behavioral component (species-typical behaviors). Conducting a series of statistic and cladistic tests on each component separately, I concluded that current evolutionary forces primarily determined the continuous behavioral component, because it was most similar among heterogeneric, nestmate beetle species. In contrast, I concluded that ancient evolutionary forces determined the discrete component because it was most similar among congeneric, non-nestmate species. These results support two hypotheses. First, the durations for which behaviors are performed evolve quicker than do species-typical behavioral traits. Second, species-typical behavioral characters are often as nonhomoplastic for phylogenetic reconstruction as are morphological characters.
United States cultural property legislation: observation of a combatant

A consideration of the U.S. initiatives in response to the loss of cultural property in Latin America and Canada, as seen by a participant in their formulation and implementation from 1969 to 1994; cultural and aesthetic viewpoints are seen to divide the cultural property constituencies, although the former is prevailing. The significance of the U.S. UNESCO cultural property implementing legislation for five requesting countries and for Mexico is discussed, with a final recommendation for its emendation so as to allow the United States to respond immediately to the requests of all parties to the convention.
Networks of Photos, Landmarks, and People

Abstract Social photo-sharing sites like Flickr contain vast amounts of latent information about the world and human behavior. The authors describe their recent work in building automatic algorithms that analyze large collections of imagery in order to extract some of this information. At a global scale, geo-tagged photographs can be used to identify the most photographed places on Earth, as well as to infer the names and visual representations of these places. At a local scale, the authors build detailed 3D models of a scene by combining information from thousands of 2D photographs taken by different people and from different vantage points.
Control of coupled-bunch instabilities in high-current storage rings

It is noted that intense particle beams may be subject to coupled-bunch instabilities that would grow at rates greater than the bunch oscillation frequencies. The suppression of this growth requires both reduction of the driving impedances and active feedback of bunch motions. The shunt impedances of high-order cavity resonances can be reduced by passive dampers and the beam impedance within the band of the fundamental resonance can be reduced by RF feedback around the cavity and power amplifier. The feedback of bunch motions composed of numerous coupled-bunch modes requires broadband systems for which the amplifiers are costly. Examples proposed for electron storage rings are presented. >
Experimental validation of a fundamental model for PCR efficiency

Recently a theoretical analysis of PCR efficiency has been published by Booth et al. (2010). The PCR yield is the product of three efficiencies: (i) the annealing efficiency is the fraction of templates that form binary complexes with primers during annealing, (ii) the polymerase binding efficiency is the fraction of binary complexes that bind to polymerase to form ternary complexes and (iii) the elongation efficiency is the fraction of ternary complexes that extend fully. Yield is controlled by the smallest of the three efficiencies and control could shift from one type of efficiency to another over the course of a PCR experiment. Experiments have been designed that are specifically controlled by each one of the efficiencies and the results are consistent with the mathematical model. The experimental data has also been used to quantify six key parameters of the theoretical model. An important application of the fully characterized model is to calculate initial template concentration from real-time PCR data. Given the PCR protocol, the midpoint cycle number (where the template concentration is half that of the final concentration) can be theoretically determined and graphed for a variety of initial DNA concentrations. Real-time results can be used to calculate the midpoint cycle number and consequently the initial DNA concentration, using this graph. The application becomes particularly simple if a conservative PCR protocol is followed where only the annealing efficiency is controlling.
Subject-Specific Finite Element Model of the Pelvis: Development, Validation and Sensitivity Studies

A better understanding of the three-dimensional mechanics of the pelvis, at the patientspecific level, may lead to improved treatment modalities. Although finite element (FE) models of the pelvis have been developed, validation by direct comparison with subjectspecific strains has not been performed, and previous models used simplifying assumptions regarding geometry and material properties. The objectives of this study were to develop and validate a realistic FE model of the pelvis using subject-specific estimates of bone geometry, location-dependent cortical thickness and trabecular bone elastic modulus, and to assess the sensitivity of FE strain predictions to assumptions regarding cortical bone thickness as well as bone and cartilage material properties. A FE model of a cadaveric pelvis was created using subject-specific computed tomography image data. Acetabular loading was applied to the same pelvis using a prosthetic femoral stem in a fashion that could be easily duplicated in the computational model. Cortical bone strains were monitored with rosette strain gauges in ten locations on the left hemipelvis. FE strain predictions were compared directly with experimental results for validation. Overall, baseline FE predictions were strongly correlated with experimental resultssr 2 5 0.824d, with a best-fit line that was not statistically different than the line y 5 x sexperimental strains5 FE predicted strainsd. Changes to cortical bone thickness and elastic modulus had the largest effect on cortical bone strains. The FE model was less sensitive to changes in all other parameters. The methods developed and validated in this study will be useful for creating and analyzing patient-specific FE models to better understand the biomechanics of the pelvis.fDOI: 10.1115/1.1894148g
Mercury effects on predator avoidance behavior of a forage fish, golden shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas).

Mercury contamination of fish is widespread in North America and has resulted in the establishment of fish consumption advisories to protect human health. However, the effects of mercury exposure to fish have seldom been investigated. We examined the effects of dietary mercury exposure at environmental levels in a common forage species, golden shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas). Fish were fed either an unaltered diet (12 ng/g wet wt methylmercury [MeHg] as Hg), a low-Hg diet (455 ng/g Hg), or a high-Hg diet (959 ng/g Hg). After 90 d mean fish whole-body total Hg concentrations were 41, 230, and 518 ng/g wet wt, respectively, which were within the range of concentrations found in this species in northern U.S. lakes. There were no mortalities or differences in growth rate among groups. Groups of fish from each treatment were exposed to a model avian predator and their behavioral response videotaped for analysis. Brain acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity was determined in fish after behavioral testing. Fish fed the high-Hg diet had significantly greater shoal vertical dispersal following predator exposure, took longer to return to pre-exposure activity level, and had greater shoal area after return to pre-exposure activity than did the other treatments, all of which would increase vulnerability of the fish to predation. There were no differences in brain AChE among treatments. We conclude that mercury exposure at levels currently occurring in northern United States lakes alters fish predator-avoidance behavior in a manner that may increase vulnerability to predation. This finding has significant implications for food chain transfer of Hg and Hg exposure of fish predators.
Race and Policy

Beliefs about race have played a central role in American history, literature, and education. Racial beliefs are embedded in the national identity in complex and disguised ways. These beliefs attribute presumed character traits to African Americans and other minorities, who are thought of as different in character and ability, especially the ability to govern themselves. These beliefs lead to education policies which separate, differentiate, and mandate different curricula and treatment for minorities, policies justified as being fair and democratic. These beliefs influence not only curriculum content, but how the schools are organized, financed, and administered at a deeper level than is commonly understood.
Cortical oscillations arise from contextual interactions that regulate sparse coding

Precise spike times carry information and are important for synaptic plasticity. Synchronizing oscillations such as gamma bursts could coordinate spike times, thus regulating information transmission in the cortex. Oscillations are driven by inhibitory neurons and are modulated by sensory stimuli and behavioral states. How their power and frequency are regulated is an open question. Using a model cortical circuit, we propose a regulatory mechanism that depends on the activity balance of monosynaptic and disynaptic pathways to inhibitory neurons: Monosynaptic input causes more powerful oscillations whereas disynaptic input increases the frequency of oscillations. The balance of stimulation to the two pathways modulates the overall distribution of spikes, with stronger disynaptic stimulation (e.g., preferred stimuli inside visual receptive fields) producing high firing rates and weak oscillations; in contrast, stronger monosynaptic stimulation (e.g., suppressive contextual stimulation from outside visual receptive fields) generates low firing rates and strong oscillatory regulation of spike timing, as observed in alert cortex processing complex natural stimuli. By accounting for otherwise paradoxical experimental findings, our results demonstrate how the frequency and power of oscillations, and hence spike times, can be modulated by both sensory input and behavioral context, with powerful oscillations signifying a cortical state under inhibitory control in which spikes are sparse and spike timing is precise.
Alcohol, HIV/AIDS, and Liver Disease

Globally, there are over 33 million persons living with HIV/AIDS resulting in 1.8 million deaths annually. While the rate of HIV transmission is slowing, it is estimated that 2.6 million new infections occur yearly [1]. In the United States, there are approximately 1.2 million living with HIV/AIDS, with 50,000 new HIV infections and 17,000 deaths from the disease annually [2]. For those who can obtain effective antiretroviral therapy (ART), HIV/AIDS has become a chronic disease with life expectancies over 30 years [3]. Research in the last 10 years has revealed the importance of alcohol in the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Alcohol use, in moderate or hazardous amounts, has been associated with increased acquisition of HIV infection, progression of HIV infection, deleterious effects on HIV treatment, and acceleration in the comorbidities of HIV infection [4–9]. Yet alcohol remains the “forgotten drug” of the HIV/AIDS epidemic [10].
Noble Reactions for the Actinides: Safe Gold-Based Access to Organouranium and Azido Complexes

A safe gold-based oxidative functionalization protocol has been developed, which allows access to an assortment of uranium complexes bearing azido- and carbon-functional groups. Alkyl, alkynyl, and azido complexes are accessed in a single step from commercially available or easily prepared gold complexes. This methodology works for UIII UIV and UIV UV oxidation. A new high yielding synthetic preparation of (Ph3P)Au-N3 is also presented. These reactions proceed rapidly in high yields, and represent a new class of reaction for gold. This work shows that gold chemistry is not just unique for organic transformations and holds great promise for similarly advancing organometallic chemistry. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009)
Development of a Duplex PCR Genotyping Assay for Distinguishing Clostridium perfringens Type A Isolates Carrying Chromosomal Enterotoxin (cpe) Genes from Those Carrying Plasmid-Borne Enterotoxin (cpe) Genes

About 5% of Clostridium perfringens type A isolates carry the cpe gene encoding the C. perfringens enterotoxin. Those cpe-positive type A isolates are important causes of food-poisoning and non-food-borne cases of diarrheas in humans, as well as certain veterinary cases of diarrhea. Previous studies have determined that the enterotoxigenic type A isolates causing both non-food-borne human gastrointestinal disease and veterinary disease carry their cpe genes on plasmids, while the type A isolates causing human food poisoning carry a chromosomal cpe gene. The present study reports on the successful development of a duplex PCR assay that can rapidly genotype enterotoxigenic type A isolates (i.e., determine whether those cpe-positive isolates carry a chromosomal or a plasmid-borne cpe gene). The availability of this rapid cpe genotyping assay capable of handling large numbers of samples provides a powerful new investigative tool for diagnostic, epidemiologic, and basic research purposes.
Functional significance of intimal thickening as detected by intravascular ultrasound early and late after cardiac transplantation.

BACKGROUNDDetection of transplant coronary disease remains difficult. Both intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging and functional coronary vasomotion studies have been used to evaluate this process. However, the time course of intimal thickening as assessed by IVUS and the relation between structure and function have not been explored.METHODS AND RESULTSIn 40 patients 1 to 8 years after transplantation, 108 coronary artery segments were analyzed by IVUS. Intimal index [% intimal area (lumen+intimal area)] and maximal thickness were used to quantify intimal thickening. Abnormal IVUS was present in 53 of 108 segments (49%) (mean intimal index of diseased segments, 23 +/- 2%; maximal thickness, 530 +/- 47 microns). For those patients with intimal thickening in all segments of the analyzed artery, more time had elapsed since transplantation (4.3 +/- 0.6 years) than for those whose arteries contained some normal (2.6 +/- 0.3 years) or all normal segments (2.2 +/- 0.6 years, P < .05). Both the proportion of seg...