cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
2728 Robotic Assisted Excision of a Uterine Rudimentary Horn

Video Objective The objective of this video is to portray a robotic assisted removal of a uterine rudimentary horn and excision of endometriosis in a patient with a Mullerian anomaly and dysmenorrhea. Setting The patient is a 32 year old G2P1001 who presented with a 6 month history of worsening dysmenorrhea with multiple emergency department visits secondary to pain. Patient has a history of a prior uncomplicated full-term delivery via cesarean section 1 year prior and a laparoscopic appendectomy, with a different provider, where a right salpingo-oophorectomy was performed. The patient reported her dysmenorrhea became severe after the latter surgery. She first underwent a diagnostic hysteroscopy and laparoscopy where she was diagnosed with a unicornuate uterus with a right rudimentary horn. The hysteroscopy was significant for one cervix with passage to one uterine cavity with good visualization of the left ostia, right ostia was not visualized. The diagnostic laparoscopy showed a wide appearing uterus with two definite uterine bodies. The right side appeared to be a redundant fundus with a myoma appearance, the left adnexal structures appeared normal, the right adnexal structures were surgically absent. Chromotubation was performed and the left fallopian tube was patent. Interventions Patient underwent a robotic assisted removal of the uterine rudimentary horn from a unicornuate uterus. The dissection was performed meticulously with care to excise the rudimentary horn without compromise to the right uterine vasculature or the unicornuate cavity. Hysteroscopy was then performed to confirm the integrity of the unicornuate cavity. Conclusion We hypothesize that after removal of the right fallopian tube retrograde menstrual flow was blocked and caused her severe dysmenorrhea. After the excision of the rudimentary horn the patient's pain improved and went on to naturally conceive an intrauterine pregnancy. The Patient is currently in her second trimester.
Vitamin A Deficiency in Patients Undergoing Sleeve Gastrectomy and Gastric Bypass: A 2-Year, Single-Center Review.

Introduction: Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is an underreported micronutrient deficiency after bariatric surgery (BS). Objectives: The goal of this study was to characterize VAD prevalence in patients...
Justice Is Not Blind: A Preliminary Evaluation of an Implicit Bias Training for Justice Professionals

While there are several studies that have tested efficacy of implicit bias trainings, none have tested how working within a justice profession or how one’s racial identity impact outcomes following participation in such a training. Additionally, though empathy influences bias, no studies have tested for the effect of implicit bias training on ethnocultural empathy. The present study is a program evaluation of an implicit bias training program that examines the effects of profession and racial identity on outcomes, including ethnocultural empathy. The implicit bias training was a 3-h standardized training that described how implicit biases are formed, how they impact children in the school-to-prison pipeline and adults in society, the short- and long-term consequences of those biases, and strategies for responding to one’s own implicit biases. Participants who completed implicit bias trainings were 243 justice professionals and 274 non-justice professionals. Results indicated training outcomes were significantly associated with participant gender, race, racial identity, and whether participants worked in justice or non-justice professions. In addition, participants indicated several strengths and assets of the program; how receptive participants were to implicit bias training components was significantly associated with gender, race, and whether the participants worked in justice settings. The current study provides a necessary but incomplete picture of the strengths and weaknesses of this implicit bias training, lending support for continued trainings with more in-depth and longitudinal study of them.
Botryosphaeria Stem Blight on Southern Highbush Blueberry in Florida

Botryosphaeria stem blight is the most common and damaging fungal vascular disease on southern highbush blueberry in the southern United States, causing stem and cane dieback and reductions in yield. Advanced stages of this disease may cause premature plant death, which results in significant replanting costs for growers. Biotic or abiotic stresses from a variety of sources can make plants more susceptible to infection by stem blight pathogens. This new 5-page publication is intended for Florida blueberry growers to use as a guide in the identification and management of Botryosphaeria stem blight on southern highbush blueberry. Written by Norma C. Flor, Douglas A. Phillips, and Philip F. Harmon and published by the UF/IFAS Plant Pathology Department. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pp347
Effect of residual stress on fatigue strength of 316L stainless steel produced by laser powder bed fusion process

316L stainless steel fatigue samples produced by laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) process were stress relieved at 900 °C for 2 h to understand the effect of residual stress on fatigue strength. Two groups of fatigue samples were produced: “polished” and “machined and polished”. “Polished” samples were built to final fatigue sample geometry and then polished to avoid surface roughness effect while preserving the residual stress at the surface. The machined and polished samples were built to rod shape and machined to final fatigue sample geometry (polishing was applied later to keep the same surface roughness). The purpose of the “machined and polished” samples was to see if residual stress can be removed by removing the surface material and obtain the fatigue strength of the material in the as-built (no post-heat treatment) state for later comparison. X-ray diffraction was used to measure the surface residual stress. The results show that polished samples showed significant tensile residual stress in the as-built state. The residual stress was then removed after stress relief heat treatment. Fatigue tests were conducted on the two groups of samples under as-built and stress relieved states. Results show that the fatigue strength of “polished” samples was significantly improved by the stress relief heat treatment. The stress relief heat treatment did not change the fatigue strength of the “machined and polished” samples, which is consistent with the residual stress measurement. The study suggests that stress relief heat treatment should be performed for parts produced by L-PBF process to obtain the best fatigue property and dimensional accuracy.
A Theoretical Construct of Serious Play and the Design of a Tangible Social Interface

To construct is to creatively invent one’s world by engaging in creative decision-making, problem solving, and negotiation. The metaphor of construction is used to demonstrate how a simple artifact – a building blockw can be used to facilitate the exploration of personal narratives. This chapter presents an argument for the development of tangible social interfaces and interaction design practices that are informed by the premises of twentieth century philosophical and cultural theories. Specifically, this chapter explores the historical notion of the role of play in constructing a civic society. The constructed narratives’ electronic construction kit is introduced as an example of research and development of a critical creative technology built on a wireless ad hoc 802.15.4 network platform. The game is designed to support collaborative play and learning.
It Is Possible to Reduce Biological Explanations to Explanations in Chemistry and/or Physics

Despite all the dramatic successes we have witnessed in recent years in unraveling the physics and chemistry behind biological phenomena, we still have a very long way to go. The most fundamental question of what is the difference between living and nonliving matter remains unanswered. Unlike most physical and chemical systems, living systems must—at the very least—be endowed with function, a concept that to this day remains indispensable to biology, yet is effectively missing from the vocabulary of physics and chemistry. Accordingly, we need an account of the evolution of function out of simple physical and chemical dynamics which we do not as yet have. Nevertheless, I retain a guarded optimism: we are, I believe, moving closer to answering this basic question. Yet doing so, I argue, requires fundamental transformations in the conventional approaches of both physics and chemistry.
N (H 2 )/ I CO in Galactic Bulges

Gas masses derived for the bulge regions of the Milky Way and the nearby starburst galaxy NGC 253 using the C18O rotational lines are 5-10 times lower than those from 12CO and a standard X. Also, the distributions of both isotopomers differ. It is suggested that due to the stellar potential, 12CO arises in part from optically thin intercloud gas.
Post-Divorce Father Custody

Summary This study examined the effects of different custodial arrangements following divorce and the impact they have on the adult romantic functioning of the children. It used 72 undergraduate participants coming from mother custody, father custody, or non-divorced backgrounds. Results indicated that custodial arrangement had largely no significant effect on the satisfaction felt in relationships, or in general attachment style. The gender of the participant was found to be a factor, with females exhibiting more security in romantic relationships and males showing a tendency to place relationships as secondary in their lives. While non-significant findings for the custody main effect seem discouraging at first glance, a discussion ensues speculating as to the utility of parental divorce as a useful sole independent variable in future studies. With divorce becoming commonplace in America today, it seems that studying parental styles may yield results more germane to current issues.
Two-Dimensional Mapping of Dayside Convection

Millstone Hill radar azimuth scans have been used to map the large-scale features of the ionospheric convection pattern in the vicinity of the cusp and cleft. Each scan covers 5 hours of MLT and 20° of invariant latitude, Λ, with 30 minute temporal resolution Individual “snapshots” of the convection pattern for disturbed conditions on 31 January 1982 span the entire region of convection convergence near noon and compare favorably with average model representations of the dayside region. The characteristic features of ion and electron precipitation observed during satellite overflights of the radar field of view are used to identify the cusp and cleft and to relate the location of these magnetospheric features to the pattern of ionospheric convection electric field. Cusp precipitation is seen at 70°Λ and 09 MLT at the sunward/anti-sunward convection reversal immediately after a sudden turning of interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) By from -5 nT to +5 nT while IMF Bz was-10 nT.
Adaptive trajectory based control for autonomous helicopters

For autonomous helicopters it is common to design a high-performance tracking controller for the attitude dynamics (innerloop) followed by a simpler, lower bandwidth design that tracks commanded position and velocity (outerloop). Separating these two designs places restrictions on the maximum bandwidth of the outerloop. This paper continues to make a conceptual separation between inner and outerloop designs, but, the final choice of compensator gains is made by treating both loops together. The controller design for both loops use feedback linearization with an adaptive element (neural network) to account for model inversion error. Pseudo Control Hedging is used to protect the adaptive element from actuator saturation nonlinearities and also from inner-outerloop interaction. The resulting control system allows position, velocity, attitude and angular rate commands. The outerloop however augments an attitude correction, that allows tracking of position and velocity in addition to attitude and angular rate.
A global analysis of soil microbial biomass carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in terrestrial ecosystems

Soil microbes play a pivotal role in regulating land-atmosphere interactions; the soil microbial biomass carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and C:N:P stoichiometry are important regulators for soil biogeochemical processes; however, the current knowledge on magnitude, stoichiometry, storage, and spatial distribution of global soil microbial biomass C, N, and P is limited. In this study, 3087 pairs of data points were retrieved from 281 published papers and further used to summarize the magnitudes and stoichiometries of C, N, and P in soils and soil microbial biomass at global- and biome-levels. Finally, global stock and spatial distribution of microbial biomass C and N in 0-30 cm and 0-100 cm soil profiles were estimated. The results show that C, N, and P in soils and soil microbial biomass vary substantially across biomes; the fractions of soil nutrient C, N, and P in soil microbial biomass are 1.6% in a 95% confidence interval of (1.5%-1.6%), 2.9% in a 95% confidence interval of (2.8%-3.0%), and 4.4% in a 95% confidence interval of (3.9%-5.0%), respectively. The best estimates of C:N:P stoichiometries for soil nutrients and soil microbial biomass are 153:11:1, and 47:6:1, respectively, at global scale, and they vary in a wide range among biomes.more » Vertical distribution of soil microbial biomass follows the distribution of roots up to 1 m depth. The global stock of soil microbial biomass C and N were estimated to be 15.2 Pg C and 2.3 Pg N in the 0-30 cm soil profiles, and 21.2 Pg C and 3.2 Pg N in the 0-100 cm soil profiles. We did not estimate P in soil microbial biomass due to data shortage and insignificant correlation with soil total P and climate variables. The spatial patterns of soil microbial biomass C and N were consistent with those of soil organic C and total N, i.e. high density in northern high latitude, and low density in low latitudes and southern hemisphere.« less
Leasing: reducing the game of hiding risk

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the status and implications of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and International Accounting Standards Board’s (IASB) forthcoming standard on leases. The proposal arose from concern that many lease obligations are unrecorded on the balance sheet and that current accounting for lease transactions does not represent fully the economics of many lease transactions. Design/methodology/approach – On September 20, 2012 and September 25, 2012, the Boards decided to account for some lease contracts using an approach similar to their proposed 2010 leases exposure draft (interest and depreciation) and to account for some leases using an approach that results in a straight-line lease expense. On May 13, 2013, the Boards decided to continue to account for some lease contracts on a straight-line basis, and others on an amortization basis separate from interest expense. Identification of the type of lease requires a two-step process at lease commencement, and all lease...
EFFECTS OF HIGH SOYBEAN OIL FOR GOATS IN LATE LACTATION ON INTAKE, MILK COMPOSITION AND FATTY ACID PROFILE

Animal fat and vegetable oils are generally added to livestock diets to increase energy density. Unlike other ruminants, goats can tolerate more than 6% dietary fat. Feeding a diet containing soybean oil (SO), rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) to goats can change the milk fat composition, thereby modifying the nutritional quality of the milk. PUFA such as linoleic acids are considered healthier fats since they have been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases in humans. Eighteen dairy goats (3 - 4 yr.; BW = 40 kg; 9 Saanen and 9 Alpine) in late lactation were used in an experiment to determine the effect of high PUFA (12% soybean oil; 12% SO) on feed intake, milk composition and fatty acid profile. Does were group fed once a day (2 pens per treatment) a 16% CP and 3.5 Mcal DE/kg diets containing either 6 or 12% SO for 24 d. Feed intake was recorded daily during the trial and milk yield was recorded from d-10 to d-24. Milk samples were collected 3 times a week and analyzed for protein, fat, lactose, and total solids. Milk fat was extracted and prepared for fatty acid methyl esters (FAME). The FAMEs were analyzed using a gas chromatography (GC) unit, fitted with a 60 m x 0.25 mm i.d. fused silica SP 2380 (Sigma-Aldrich) capillary column. The data were analyzed using MIXED procedures in SAS as a completely randomized design with repeated measures. Dietary treatments did not affect (P > 0.05) pen feed intake, milk yield or milk composition (fat, protein, lactose and total solids). Diet containing 12% SO decreased (P < 0.05) the proportion of saturated fatty acids (SFA; C6:0, C8:0, C10:0, C12:0, C14:0, C16:0) and increased (P < 0.01) the proportions of monounsaturated fat (MUFA; C18:1n9; C18:1t), and the predominant PUFA, linoleic acid (C18:2n6). The results indicate that goats consuming diet with 12% SO (high PUFA) in late lactation produced milk with higher proportions of PUFA and MUFA and lower proportions of SFA compared to 6% SO.
Analysis of a controlled phase gate using circular Rydberg states

We propose and analyze the implementation of a two-qubit quantum gate using circular Rydberg states with maximum orbital angular momentum. The intrinsic quantum gate error is limited by the finite Rydberg lifetime and finite Rydberg blockade shift. Circular states have much longer radiative lifetimes than low orbital angular momentum states and are therefore candidates for high-fidelity gate operations. We analyze the dipole-dipole interaction of two circular state Rydberg atoms and present numerical simulations of quantum process tomography to find the intrinsic fidelity of a Rydberg blockade-controlled phase gate. Our analysis shows that the intrinsic gate error can be less than $9\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}6}$ for circular Cs atoms in a cryogenic environment.
PIV measurements in the atmospheric boundary layer within and above a mature corn canopy. Part II Quadrant-hole analysis

Abstract Quadrant-hole (Q-H) analysis is applied to PIV data acquired just within and above a mature corn canopy. The Reynolds shear stresses, transverse components of vorticity, as well as turbulence production and cascading part of dissipation rates are conditionally sampled in each quadrant, based on stress and vorticity magnitudes. The stresses are representative of large-scale events, while the vorticity is dominated by small-scale shear. Dissipation rates (cascading energy fluxes) are evaluated by fitting −5/3 slope lines to the conditionally sampled and averaged spatial energy spectra, while the Reynolds stresses, vorticity, and production rates are calculated directly from the spatial distributions of two velocity components. The results demonstrate that sweep (quadrant 4) and ejection (quadrant 2) events are the dominant contributors to the Reynolds shear stress, consistent with previous observations. The analysis also shows a strong correlation between magnitudes of dissipation rate and vorticit...
Bone marrow biopsy and clinical staging in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

We have examined the value of bone marrow biopsy histopathology in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Cases involving a pattern of interstitial, nodular, or mixed interstitial plus nodular infiltration of lymphocytes were clinically similar and manifested a more benign course. These patterns correlated with the clinical Stages 0, I, and II. However, cases involving a pattern of diffuse or mixed diffuse plus nodular infiltration of lymphocytes formed a clinical group with a more rapidly progressive course and these patterns correlated with clinical Stages III and IV. Other measurements, e.g., calculation of the percentage of lymphatic tissue in the bone marrow biopsy specimen and of the ratio of the percentage of lymphatic tissue in marrow to the peripheral blood lymphocyte count, were found to be cumbersome to perform and of no additional value to clinical staging in prognosis indication in CLL.
Racial differences in social support and mental health in men with HIV infection: A pilot study

Abstract The mediating role of social support in the mental health and behaviours of persons coping with life-threatening chronic illness is of potentially great importance in determining the quality of life of persons with HIV infection (PWHs). As part of a biracial pilot study of the ways black and white men manage the stresses of sexually acquired HIV infection, we have examined the relationship between social support and mental health and behaviours. Forty homosexual/bisexual men (20 white and 20 black) attending a Detroit hospital-based HIV outpatient clinic were recruited for the study and underwent physical and mental health (HSCL-59 and NIMH DIS interview), behavioural and psychosocial evaluations, and a neuropsychologic screening test battery. The black and white men did not differ in terms of age, education, sexual behaviours, physical or mental health status. However, the black men were less likely to be open about their sexuality to their primary social support network, and to report that thei...
Truth and Certainty in Peter Auriol

This paper investigates the nature of truth and certainty according to the French Franciscan theologian Peter Auriol (1280-1322). In the first section, I attempt to harmonize a few different sections of Auriol’s Scriptum on book i of the Sentences: the accounts of truth as conformity in question 2 of the Prologue and question 10 of distinction 2, and the account of truth as quiddity in question 3 of distinction 19. In the second section, I explore the notion of certainty in question 1 of the Prologue. Here, Auriol’s taxonomy of propositions is explained, and the difference between scientific certainty and the certitude of faith is outlined. God works in the background in the context of both truth and certainty, and the fact that our cognitive processes are generally trustworthy makes Auriol’s epistemological position into a species of reliabilism.
Aldosterone-induced sodium appetite: dose-response and specificity.

Rats were injected subcutaneously with 0, 30, 60 or 120 μg of d-aldosterone acetate over a 24-hr period and then allowed to drink a 0.15M NaCl solution for 30 min. NaCl intake increased linearly with increasing doses of aldosterone. In a second experiment rats were injected with 0 or 120 μg doses of d-aldosterone acetate and were given 0.15M solutions of either NaHCO3, KC1, CaCl2, MgCl2, or dextrose to drink. The 120 μg dose produced an increase in the intake of the NaHCO3 solution but had no effect on the intake of the other solutions. (Endocrinology 78: 1120, 1966)
Effects of Self-Deception, Social Desirability, and Repressive Coping on Psychophysiological Reactivity to Stress

This study examined the relationship between psychophysiological reactivity to stress and three measures of defensiveness (self-deception, social desirability, and repressive coping). Physiological and psychological responses were recorded while subjects engaged in two consecutive, difficult mental arithmetic tasks. As expected, individuals high in self-deception appraised an upcoming novel mental arithmetic task as less threatening and were less psychophysiologically reactive during the task than low self-deceivers. In contrast, there were no effects for social desirability on task appraisal, but individuals high in social desirability were more physiologically reactive during the task. There were no effects for repressive coping, operationalized using a social desirability/anxiety typology, that were not accounted for by social desirability alone. The possible mechanisms underlying these effects are discussed.
The German independent socialists at the second Comintern congress

(1971). The German independent socialists at the second Comintern congress. Soviet Studies: Vol. 23, No. 1, pp. 78-95.
Cross-fostering by foreign conspecific queens and slave-making workers influences individual- and colony-level personality

Recent studies of inter-individual variation in behavior have focused primarily on its environmental causation and adaptive consequences, but commonly ignore questions regarding its proximate development. Here, we explore the effects of the late natal environment on the development of individual- and colony-level personalities in the acorn ant, Temnothorax longispinosus. This species is commonly parasitized by the slave-making ant Protomognathus americanus, and we predicted that rearing T. longispinosus with its brood parasite would alter the behavior of individual ants and the collective, colony-level personality of groups. Using a split-brood design (where brood from a single source colony is split equally across different rearing environments), we reared T. longispinosus in four conditions: their maternal queen, an unrelated conspecific queen, a slave-making queen, and a slave-making worker. Although individual aggressiveness and exploratory behavior did not differ between ants raised by their maternal queen or slave-making ants, ants raised by an unrelated conspecific queen showed increased aggressiveness 60 days after emergence. Further, groups of ants raised by slave-making workers were faster at locating new nest sites, a collective behavior, relative to groups reared by their maternal queen. Lastly, colonies containing T. longispinosus and their maternal queen had the greatest brood production at 60 days. Our results demonstrate that differences in individuals’ rearing environment can influence both individual- and colony-level personality in multi-level societies.
HIV-1 and HIV-2 infections induce autophagy in Jurkat and CD4+ T cells.

Abstract Autophagy plays important roles during innate and adaptive immune responses to pathogens, including virus infection. Viruses develop ways to subvert the pathway for their own benefit in order to escape restriction by autophagy, leading to increased viral replication and/or control over apoptosis of their host cells. The effects of HIV infection on the autophagic pathway in host cells have been little documented. Using the susceptible Jurkat cell line and CD4 + T cells, we studied the relationship of HIV-1 and -2 infections with autophagy. We found that HIV infections significantly increase transcription of ULK1, a member of the autophagy-initiated complex. Two ubiquitin-like conjugation systems, the Atg12 conjugation system and the microtubule-associated protein L chain 3 (LC3) conjugation system that control the elongation of the autophore to form the autophagosome, were activated after HIV infection, with upregulation of Atg12–Atg5 complex and increased transcription of LC3, and formed more autophagosome in infected cells detected using an EM assay. We also found that HIV-1 induced more autophagic death in Jurkat cells relative to HIV-2, and the inhibition of autophagy with 3MA and Beclin-1 knockdown decreased HIV-1 replication significantly. The results indicate that HIV is able to induce the autophagic signaling pathway in HIV-infected host cells, which may be required for HIV infection-mediated apoptotic cell death.
111)Cu2O growth modes on (111)Cu surfaces

Abstract Cuprous oxide growth modes on smooth, flat (111)Cu surfaces at 350°C were investigated by in situ UHV-RHEED and TEM techniques. Oxygen partial pressures used in this work ranged from 10 -4 to 10 -7 Torr. At 10 -7 Torr of oxygen, the initial Cu 2 O overgrowth consists of a molecular 3 X 3 hexagonal superlattice having a coincidence boundary at the Cu 2 O/Cu interface. This monolayer type of growth is strained approximately to the coincidence lattice misfit of -1.22%. At 10 -5 Torr the original oxide superlattice rapidly increases in thickness to a thereotically estimated value of approximately five monolayers. Further growth occurs by the formation of significantly less strained lamellas having more or less flat tops and coincidence lattice misfit dislocations between the lamellas and the substrate. Under other growth conditions, three-dimensional, ball-like or pyramidal islands were observed to form.
Identification of Yersinia enterocolitica genes affecting survival in an animal host using signature-tagged transposon mutagenesis

Pathogenic Yersinia species are associated with both localized and systemic infections in mammalian hosts. In this study, signature-tagged transposon mutagenesis was used to identify Yersinia enterocolitica genes required for survival in a mouse model of infection. Approximately 2000 transposon insertion mutants were screened for attenuation. This led to the identification of 55 mutants defective for survival in the animal host, as judged by their ability to compete with the wild-type strain in mixed infections. A total of 28 mutants had transposon insertions in the virulence plasmid, validating the screen. Two of the plasmid mutants with severe virulence defects had insertions in an uncharacterized region. Several of the chromosomal insertions were in a gene cluster involved in O-antigen biosynthesis. Other chromosomal insertions identified genes not previously demonstrated as being required for in vivo survival of Y. enterocolitica. These include genes involved in the synthesis of outer membrane components, stress response and nutrient acquisition. One severely attenuated mutant had an insertion in a homologue of the pspC gene (phage shock protein C) of Escherichia coli. The phage shock protein operon has no known biochemical or physiological function in E. coli, but is apparently essential for the survival of Y. enterocolitica during infection.
Testing a safety-critical application

The system operates by manipulating a small permanent magnet (known as a “seed”) within the brain using an externally applied magnetic field. By varying the magnitude and gradient of the external magnetic field, the seed can be moved along a non-linear path and positioned at a site requiring therapy, e.g., a tumor. The magnetic field required for movement through brain tissue is extremely high, and is generated by a set of six superconducting magnets located in a housing surrounding the patient’s head.
COUPLED ALDEHYDE DEHYDROGENASE AND CATALASE IN MITOCHONDRIAL EXTRACTS.

Abstract Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide is reduced to NADH 2 in extracts of mitochondria in the presence of ethanol and cysteine. The generation of NADH 2 is dependent on two coupled reactions in mitochondrial extracts: the oxidation of ethanol to acetaldehyde by the peroxidatic action of catalase, and the further oxidation of aldehyde by aldehyde dehydrogenase. At the present, no physiological role can be assigned to this couple; however, it constitutes an avid aldehyde trap and generator of NADH 2 .
The transplanted then and now: The reorientation of immigration studies from the Chicago School to the new social history 1

Abstract This article argues that assimilationist theory (seen as a specific instance of process theory) had a profound impact on immigration studies in the United States from the 1920s into the 1960s, but that this mode of conceptualization has been subsequently challenged theoretically by developments in social history. Specifically, exegetical evidence is offered for viewing the challenge as hinging on a reconceptualization of the meaning of culture and the role of social actors in creating their own history. The case is made by examining in depth two exemplars of immigration research published in different time‐periods: for the assimilationist model, W. I. Thomas et al.’s Old World Traits Transplanted, and from the new social history, John Bodnar's The Transplanted. To illustrate the impact of assimilationist thought on scholarship for nearly a half century, analyses are provided of a select number of ‘classic’ studies written between the respective appearances of the two aforementioned books.
Low temperature fast-neutron and gamma irradiation of glass fiber/epoxy composite. Part 1: deformation and fracture

Abstract Deformation and fracture processes, following 4.2 K fast-neutron and gamma irradiation and short-beam shear testing, have been studied in the S2-glass fiber/epoxy composite (a candidate ITER TF coil insulation system). Irradiation to fast-neutron fluences of 0.9 and 1.8 × 10 22 n/m 2 facilitated the glass/epoxy interface debonding by lowering the glass/epoxy interface trength. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) examination of the composite irradiated to 3.1 × 10 22 n/m 2 revealed glass/epoxy interface debonding and extensive cracking of glass fibers and epoxy. The decrease in shear strength of the composite at this neutron fluence may therefore be attributed to the combined effects of the reduced glass/epoxy interface strength and embrittlement of glass fibers and epoxy.
Color separation by use of binary optics.

We describe the preliminary design, fabrication, and demonstration of an array of micro-optics that is used to separate colors locally on the focal plane. The 64 × 64 array combines 100 μm × 100 μm, F/2 refractive microlenses with a 17-μm period grating. The microlenses concentrate the incoming radiation, while the grating disperses the radiation according to wavelength. The element, with a minimum feature size of 1 μm and total depth of 8 μm, is fabricated on a silicon wafer (for use in the 8–12-μm band) by means of a nonstandard binary-optics process.
Physical properties of poly(lactic acid) and starch composites with various blending ratios

ABSTRACT Two-phase polymer blends of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and corn or wheat starches at various ratios were prepared by using a laboratory-scale twin-screw extruder and compression molding. The blends were characterized for thermal transitions, mechanical properties, and water absorption. Starch and PLA were immiscible polymers, and the thermal behavior of PLA was not affected by starch. Crystallinity of the blends decreased in some degree as starch content increased 20–40%. Tensile strength and elongation of the blends decreased as starch content increased, but modulus increased as starch content increased up to 70%. As starch content increased to >60%, the PLA phase became discontinuous, and water absorption of the blends increased sharply. Blends made from wheat starch gave slightly better mechanical properties than those made from corn starch, and no differences in other properties were observed.
Transformation of 1,3-Dichloropropene in Soil by Thiosulfate Fertilizers

The pesticide 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) is considered to be the most promising alternative to methyl bromide for soilborne pest control. The high volatility of 1,3-D, however, has been shown to result in excessive atmospheric emissions that may impose toxicological effects on workers or residents. This study demonstrated that 1,3-D was rapidly transformed to nonvolatile products by thiosulfate fertilizers in soil, and that thiosulfate-facilitated fumigant transformation may be used to reduce 1,3-D emissions. Transformation of 1,3-D by thiosulfate was chemically based, and 1,3-D degradation in soil accelerated proportionally as thiosulfate level in soil increased. At a 4:1 thiosulfate to fumigant molar ratio, the half-life of 1,3-D was reduced to only a few hours, as compared with > 10 d for nonamended soils. The rate of thiosulfate-facilitated 1,3-D transformation was independent of soil types and was higher in moist soils and at high soil temperatures. Transformation occurred at a similar rate for ammonium, calcium, and sodium thiosulfates. As these thiosulfate compounds are commercial fertilizers, amendment of these products at the soil surface during 1,3-D fumigation may offer an effective and inexpensive approach for reducing 1,3-D emissions.
Materials interactions in the integration of PZT ferroelectric capacitors

Abstract Investigations of materials interactions that complicate the integration of PZT ferroelectric capacitors into CMOS technologies are discussed. These include interactions within the Pt/Ti electrodes structure, the reactions of sol-gel deposited PZT during crystallization with various underlying dielectrics (SiO2, Si3N4, Al2O3, and TiO2), and the impact of other integrated circuit processes on fabricated capacitors.
On the Focusing of Gravitational Radiation

We investigate the gain in intensity that can be achieved by using a massive object as a ‘lens’ to focus gravitational radiation incident on the object from a point-like source. An object of massM produces a gain in intensity of the order ofαGM/λc2 whereα is a numerical factor which depends on the mass distribution andλ is the wavelength of the radiation. For large mass, the gain is large, but occurs only in a beam of small angular width.
Magnetically regulated reference power supply

THE NEED for a highly accurate and reliable d-c voltage reference as part of a Navy Gun Fire-Control System resulted in development of the reference supply described. The customer's requirements imposed severe size and reliability restrictions. The reliability requirements resulted in the choice of magnetic amplifiers for instrument servos of the system. Upon evidence of the feasibility of their use, they were also chosen as logical components for the reference power supply.
Effect of chronic treatment with phenobarbital or 3-methylcholanthrene on the male reproductive system in rats

Abstract Treatment of rats for 4 weeks with phenobarbital (PB) did not inhibit the growth of the seminal vesicles, nor did it affect the biosynthesis of testosterone by testis microsomes. Moreover, neither the concentration of cytochrome p-450 or the 17 α-hydroxylase activity in testis microsomes were affected. In contrast, treatment with 3-methylcholanthrene (3-MC) for 4 weeks markedly decreased the weights of the seminal vesicles. The decrease was probably related to an impairmant of testosterone formation in the gonads, since testosterone biosynthesis as well as the concentration of cytochrome p-450 and the activity of 17 α-hydroxylase in testis microsomes were significantly decreased in the 3-MC treated rats. No histopathological changes were seen in testes from any of the PB or 3-MC treated rats.
alpha-Fetoprotein synthesis in transformed fetal rat liver cells.

Abstract We have reported that transformed fetal liver cells produced a variant α-fetoprotein of 65K that differed from the mature α-fetoprotein of 69K and 73K in the polypeptide backbone. In the present study, we demonstrated that the biosynthetic pathway of the variant α-fetoprotein differed from that of the mature α-fetoprotein. The 65K variant was synthesized first as a preprotein of 49.5K which was processed to a polypeptide of 59K in the presence of microsomal membranes. The latter was the precursor of the variant α-fetoprotein found in cells and medium of transformed fetal liver cells. The 65K α-fetoprotein was encoded by a mRNA of 16S while mature AFP was encoded by a mRNA of 20S.
Cellular and Molecular Aspects of Antigen Processing and the Function of Class II MHC Molecules

Antigen processing is the conversion of native antigen molecules into short peptides that can then bind to major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules. Class II MHC (MHC-II) molecules target to endocytic compartments, where they bind peptides that are produced by internalization of extracellular antigens and subsequent antigen catabolism. The resulting peptide-MHC complexes are displayed on the surface of antigen-presenting cells for recognition by T cells. Thus, MHC-II molecules first serve as peptide receptors that rescue peptides from total lysosomal degradation and transport them to the plasma membrane; the MHC-II molecules then form a composite peptide-MHC-II determinant that is recognized by the T cell receptor. Recent work has begun to clarify the molecular events and transport mechanisms that govern antigen processing.
Refinement-based verification of elastic pipelined systems

A formal verification procedure to check the correctness of synchronous elastic pipelined systems against their synchronous specification systems was developed. The procedure can deal with elastic systems that incorporate early evaluation. Note that the goal of the verification procedure is not to establish the correctness of the algorithm for synthesising elastic circuits, but instead, to find bugs and formally prove the correctness of elasticised designs. Dataflow through elastic architectures is complicated by the insertion of any number of elastic buffers in any place in the design. The authors introduce elastic token-flow diagrams, which are used to track the flow of data in elastic architectures. The authors provide a method to construct such diagrams. The authors also develop a highly automated and systematic procedure based on elastic token-flow diagrams that computes functions that map states of elastic systems to states of the synchronous parent systems. Such functions, known as refinement maps are used to compare behaviours of elastic and synchronous systems and hence prove their equivalence. The effectiveness of our methods is demonstrated by verifying 14 elastic pipelined processor models, eight of which incorporate early evaluation.
Forecasting Regional Demand for Heating Fuel

A more-efficient regional strategy is developed for predicting the residential heating demand for liquified petroleum (LP) gas. Reliable weather forecasting is necessary to predict fuel consumption, although government agencies ignore weather forecasts in setting allocation levels. The petroleum companies have developed homogeneous marketing regions, each with one city where data is collected and an office is maintained. Results of a study area including four south central states illustrate the use of mean-heating-degree days and the standard deviation of heating degree days for projecting the distribution needs of LP users. The procedure for establishing weather stations and identifying homogeneous regions is described. 18 references.
A PARALLELISM BETWEEN HUMAN BODY TEMPERATURE AND PERFORMANCE INDEPENDENT OF THE ENDOGENOUS CIRCADIAN PACEMAKER

A battery of performance tests involving manual dexterity, serial search, and verbal reasoning was given about seven times per day to 2 healthy young male subjects (22 and 25 years of age) involved in separate forced desynchrony studies, each involving several months of temporal isolation. In these studies, the period lengths (denoted T) of the imposed day lengths (sleep/wake and light/dark cycles) were 25.8 and 26.0 h for the 2 subjects. For each subject, the endogenous circadian pacemaker (ECP) failed to entrain to a period of T and instead free ran at a period length denoted tau (24.2 and 24.5 h). By educing performance rhythms (and rectal temperature rhythms) separately at tau and at T (after three complete beating cycles for the first subject and two complete beating cycles for the second subject), the hypothesis could be tested as to whether performance and temperature were parallel, both when educed at tau (indicating ECP influence) and when educed at T (indicating sleep/wake cycle influences). The hypothesis was consistently confirmed at tau and mostly confirmed at T. For most variables, when educed at T, both performance speed and body temperature showed an inverted V-shaped function, with a peak about 9 to 12 h after waking.
Hurricane-induced sediment deposition in a gulf coast marsh

Abstract Rates of sediment accumulation in four coastal marsh communities in the Mississippi River deltaic plain, Louisiana, were studied using feldspar clay marker horizons. The results indicate that normal riverine flooding contributes relatively little (
Grain‐Boundary Effect in Ceria Doped with Trivalent Cations: I, Electrical Measurements

The “grain-boundary effect,” which leads to a greatly reduced dc ionic conductivity due to the presence of a blocking layer in the vicinity of the grain boundaries, is studied in detail for ceria ceramics doped with various trivalent dopants (particularly Y3+, Gd3+, and La3+). The effects of porosity, of sintering time, and of dopant size and dopant concentration are investigated. Finally, it is shown that the grain-boundary effect virtually disappears when nearly silicon-free starting materials are used.
Interpreting the Inconsistent Data Concerning the Role of 18qLOH as a Prognostic Marker for Colorectal Cancer

Loss of function of tumor suppressor genes is a condition necessary for the development of colorectal cancer (CRC). Deletions of the long arm of chromosome 18 are present in approximately 70% of CRCs, and this site contains several genes that regulate cellular functions implicated in tumorigenesis, including cell migration, proliferation, and differentiation. Recently, genome-wide association studies also showed a relationship between specific loci on 18q and risk of developing CRC. The presence of 18q loss in tumors has also been associated with poor outcome following CRC treatment. However, despite the more than 20 years since its identification in CRC, we still lack an adequate understanding of the clinical significance of 18q loss. This review details the existing data on the relationship between tumor 18q loss of heterozygosity (18qLOH) and treatment outcome for patients with CRC.
Ionization equilibrium in soft X-ray-emitting solar flares

Studies of the flare-produced line feature at 1.9 A due to highly ionized iron show that it is emitted in conditions closely approximating steady-state ionization equilibrium. Calculations of the line flux per unit emission measure from time-dependent and steady-state ionization equilibria are compared with observed values during four flares in particular. Only for electron densities Ne ⪞ 1010 cm-3 do the time-dependent equilibrium values give as good an approximation to the observed values as the steady-state equilibrium. This lower limit is compared with values of Ne derived from analyses of the temperature decline in each of these events, and with estimates of Ne given by other workers.
Spacelab Experiments on Combustion of Heptane/Hexadecane Droplets

Results are presented from experiments on reduced-gravity combustion of individual heptane/hexadecane droplets. Initial droplet diameters ranged from 0.25 to 5.2 mm, and initial hexadecane mass fractions in the droplets were 0.058, 0.10, 0.20, and 0.40. Most droplets were burned in cabin air on Spacelab with an ambient oxygen mole fraction of about 0.21 and a pressure of about 0.1 MPa. Data were also obtained for small (0.25-mm) droplets in a ground-based apparatus that provides simulated reduced gravity environments for droplet combustion experiments. Droplets in this apparatus were burned in high-temperature gases at 0.1 MPa. Data on flame contraction (i.e., the sudden contraction of the flame from droplet heating as the surface liquid mass fraction rapidly approaches unity) were used to estimate effective liquid species diffusivities that apply to these droplets. Significant differences in effective liquid species diffusivities were observed; these differences may be related to variations in internal circulation within the droplets, as well as possible variations in droplet temperatures. The Spacelab results indicate that flame extinction can be induced by flame contraction and that the occurrence of extinction depends on the initial droplet size. It was also observed that sooting and radiant heat losses varied significantly with initial droplet size in the Spacelab experiments. Sooting decreased as initial droplet sizes increased, whereas radiant heat loss rates varied in a complex fashion with the initial droplet size.
Effects of Fermenten® supplementation to beef cattle☆

Abstract Two experiments were conducted to evaluate a commercially available supplemental N source for beef cattle (Fermenten®; Church & Dwight Co., Inc., Princeton, NJ, USA). The first experiment evaluated kinetics of in vitro NH3-N release using batch cultures of rumen fluid incubated with: control (no N added), soybean meal, urea, and Fermenten®. Ammonia-N was measured at 0, 0.5, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12 and 24 h after incubation began. A treatment by time interaction (P
pH-Sensitive brush polymer-drug conjugates by ring-opening metathesis copolymerization

Representing a new category of polymer-drug conjugates, brush polymer-drug conjugates were prepared by ring-opening metathesis copolymerization. Following judicious structural design, these conjugates exhibited well-shielded drug moieties, significant water solubility, well-defined nanostructures, and acid-triggered drug release.