cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Photoemission and STM Study of the Morphology and Barrier Heights at the Interface between Perylene and Noble Metal (111) Surfaces

Various coverages of perylene thin films on Ag(111) and Cu(111) were investigated using ultraviolet and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS and XPS) and near monolayer (ML) films by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). A Schottky junction is formed between perylene/Ag(111) and perylene/Cu(111) with hole barrier heights of 1.30 and 1.10 eV, respectively. When combined with previous measurements of the perylene/Au(111) interface, the slope S, in the plot of the hole barrier height as a function of work function, was calculated to be 0.53, which is higher than the S value for the other planar polyaromatic hydrocarbons without heteroatoms, revealing that the slope is material specific. During deposition a wetting layer of approximately 4 A thickness was initially formed followed by island formation, consistent with Stranski−Krastanov (SK) growth. Room temperature STM investigations of nominal one ML perylene films revealed coincidence-II and double row array structures with commensurate lattices on Ag(111) ...
Leaching of Warm-Pressed CsZp-Cement Composite Waste Forms

Cesium zirconium phosphate [CsZr2 (PO4)3 or CsZP] has been mixed with various cement matrix materials, warm pressed, cured and leached at different temperatures. Although hydrated portland cement minerals can immobilize most of U, La and Nd (as proxies for transuranics) they are less effective in immobilizing Cs, Sr or Ba under ordinary conditions. Earlier published work showed favorable immobilization of Cs in CsZP-cement composite waste forms which compared rather favorably with many other waste forms with respect to Cs leachability. By using warm pressing combined with suitable admixtures rates of 28 to 60 day Cs leachability or the composites have been substantially reduced, attaining values of less than 0.20 g/m2. d.
The laboratory computer as a management tool.

As a result of reductions in government spending, the use of computerized systems to detect, document, monitor, and control misuse of laboratory testing can be expected to grow. The laboratory computer system also has the potential to significantly improve internal laboratory operations, a role that has been neglected to date.
Homology and Cohomology

In Section 5.2, we defined the homology groups of open subsets of n-dimensional Euclidean space. The definition involved smoothly parametrized surfaces, linear combinations thereof (chains), and the boundary operation on those objects.
Flexural Resistance of Longitudinally Stiffened I-Girders. II: LTB and FLB Limit States

AbstractThe current AASHTO specifications impose a penalty on the strengths corresponding to the compression flange in slender-web cross sections due to bend-buckling of the web in flexural compression. This web bend-buckling factor (Rb) does not account for any potential benefits from the influence of web longitudinal stiffening. In a companion paper, the authors developed a cross-section model that can be used to estimate the flexural capacity of I-girders at the yield limit state. In this paper, an improved handling of combined web bend-buckling and lateral torsional buckling (LTB) of longitudinally stiffened I-girders is proposed based on finite-element test simulations. Results from the proposed prediction model are compared to available experimental tests. In addition, the Rb calculated from the proposed model, used in conjunction with the current specification flange local buckling (FLB) equations, is shown to provide an improved characterization of the FLB capacity of these types of members.
Evaluation of hedgehog (HH) pathway expression in cell lines and endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspirate (EUS-FNA) biopsies of pancreatic adenocarcinoma

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 47, 2006 92 Introduction: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma remains the fourth leading cause of cancer mortality in the United States. The limited availability and cellular heterogeneity of pancreatic tumors has limited our ability to identify molecular markers that define differences between normal and tumor tissues and reduced our ability to rationally design an effective treatment for this devastating disease. Recent studies suggest that activation of the HH signaling pathway is involved in the initiation, maintenance and progression of pancreatic adenocarcinoma and that targeting this pathway could potentially be used as a novel therapeutic strategy. Objective: The goals of this study were to: 1) examine HH expression in EUS-FNA biopsies obtained from patients diagnosed with pancreatic adenocarcinoma; and 2) determine the molecular basis of response to the HH pathway antagonist cyclopamine in pancreatic cancer cell lines. Methods: The expression of 46 HH pathway-associated genes was examined in 11 EUS-FNA biopsies and 11 pancreatic cancer cell lines (AsPC-1, BxPC-3, CFPAC1, HPAF-2, MiaPaCa-2, Panc-1, Panc 2.03, Panc 6.03, Panc 8.13, Panc 10.05 and S2013) using Taqman Low Density Array (TLDA). To test for response to cyclopamine, cells were cultured in medium containing different concentrations (1, 2, 3.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, 15, 17.5, 20, 22.5, 25, 27.5 or 30 μM) of cyclopamine. After 96 hours of treatment, cell viability was calculated using an MTS colorimetric assay relative to vehicle control (95% ethanol) and linear regression analysis was performed to determine the dosage at which 50% inhibition of cell growth was achieved (IC50). Results: Among the HH ligands examined, Sonic and Indian demonstrated the highest average mRNA levels in tumor compared to uninvolved pancreas (336 and 162-fold respectively). Among the HH receptors, Patched 1 and 2, expressed 1.48- and 5.38-fold higher, respectively, while Smoothened, the target of cyclopamine, demonstrated a 1.67-fold decrease in expression in tumor. The glioma-associated oncogenes, GLI-1, -2 and -3, transcription factors which have been correlated with HH pathway activity, expressed 4.18-, 10.18- and 3.34-fold higher in tumor, respectively. Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3-beta (GSK3B), a known antagonist of GLI activity, showed a 3.09-fold increase in tumor. The response to cyclopamine varied among the cell lines with IC50's ranging from 7.62 to 42.91 μM with a trend toward low Smoothened and high GSK3B mRNA levels in sensitive cell lines. Conclusion: These data suggest HH pathway expression varies among both pancreatic tumor samples and cell lines and that Smoothened and GSK3B may be indicators of response to cyclopamine. This characterization could, ultimately, be used to develop a criteria for the selection of pancreatic cancer patients who would benefit from HH inhibitor therapy.
Life-Course-Persistent Antisocial Behavior

The article reviewed the status of the Life Course Persistent category of antisocial behavior some two decades plus from its original formulation as well as the finding from the landmark Dunedin longitudinal study of antisocial behavior that this category is comprised almost entirely of males. The importance of this category for forensic psychology is the robust and remarkable finding that the small group of individuals (5-10%) who tend to cluster in this category are responsible for over half of all crimes in the United States and other developed countries, and an even greater proportion of violent crimes.
Studies on the Molecular Properties of Nerve Growth Factor and its Cellular Biosynthesis and Secretion

In the preceding chapter, Bradshaw et al. have summarized much of the historical background information arising from the discovery of and early studies on nerve growth factor (NGF) by Bueker and by Levi-Montalcini, Hamburger and their colleagues. Here we should only like to draw attention to a brief list of those historical aspects which are most pertinent to the studies to be presented below. 1. NGF was first discovered as a soluble diffusible factor present in 2 mouse sarcomas. This factor has never been isolated and purified, and thus its chemical properties are unknown. 2. Male adult mouse submandibular glands contain large amounts of NGF, whose covalent structure is known, and male glands contain much more than female glands. 3. Little, if any, NGF is present in the glands of newborn mice--a perplexing observation since the factor is believed to play a central role in the embryonic development of the autonomic and sensory nervous systems. 4. Removal of mouse submandibular glands appears to have no obvious deleterious effect upon the animal—and NGF has not been detected in the salivary glands of other mammals. 5. Treatment of newborn mice with antibody to NGF results in selective destruction of the sympathetic nervous system without other obvious pathologic changes. 6. Small amounts of a nerve growth-promoting activity have been found in experimentally-induced granulation tissue, serum, and many peripheral tissues—for reasons unknown.
Normal Linear Regression

A particularly useful extension of the normal data-generating process is one in which the random variable—the datum being generated—is normally distributed about an expected value that is a function of other known or observable quantities. The term regression is used to connote the dependence of the expectation of a dependent random variable (the “predictand”) on other “predictor” variables. If the functional dependence of the expected value of the random variable on the other quantities is linear, then the model is referred to as a linear regression model. In a normal linear regression model, the distribution of the random variable, given the independent variable(s) in the linear regression function, is normal. In the specific model with which we shall deal, not only is the distribution of the random variable normal, with mean given by a linear function of the other, predictor variables, but the precision of that normal distribution is taken to be constant, and in particular is not dependent on the values of the predictors.
Gendering Culture in Greater Syria: Intellectuals and Ideology in the Late Ottoman Period. Fruma Zachs and Sharon Halevi. New York: I.B. Tauris, 2015.

In this engaging work, Zachs and Halevi examine the Nahda in Greater Syria, looking at the ways in which gender and the "woman question" had a central place in the cultural and political discourses of the novels, magazines, journals, and newspapers of the period.
Come Together, Right Now/Over Me, Over You, Over Us

In the wake of a U.S. presidential election that will send Donald J. Trump, besmircher of the New York skyline and riverfront, to Washington D.C., I hope I can be forgiven for waxing nostalgic over a different “flat top” with “joo joo eyeballs”—one who, unlike the current orangey combed-over bogey, imagined himself in a funky self-parody “grooving up slowly.” In a 1972 New York performance of the song recorded a day after the first moonwalk in July 1969, John Lennon flirted with his audience and quite possibly his wife: “Come Together, Right Now/ Over Me, Over You, Over There” as he turned and the camera cut to Yoko Ono on keyboard. How about Over Us?
Signal processing enables the first localization of gamma rays from supermassive black holes

The highest energy photons in the universe come from jets of relativistic plasma powered by supermassive black holes. Our ability to study these jets is severely limited by a poor angular resolution of gamma-ray telescopes. However, the deep gravitational potentials surrounding galaxies act as natural ‘gravitational’ lenses. These gravitational lenses split background sources into multiple images, each with a gravitationally-induced time delay. Though gamma-ray telescopes cannot spatially resolve these multiple images, they can infer those time delays between them if the sources are intrinsically variable. These time delays depend on the position of the source relative to the lensing galaxy. A precise measurement of the time delay can be used to infer the exact location of the gamma ray sources, which is impossible otherwise. In order to obtain accurate and robust time delay measurements, I combine signal processing with Monte Carlo simulations. My approach improves angular resolution of modern instruments by six orders of magnitude (×106) and allows me to elucidate the spatial origin of gamma-ray radiation produced in extragalactic jets for the first time.
SR-Doppler Shift

The Doppler light (wavelength or frequency) shift depends on relative velocity alone. Demanding Lorentz invariance of the light wave phase, we show that the Doppler shift is reciprocal: any two observer-sources will find a reciprocal Doppler light shift which allows each of the two to identify the relative velocity vector. Time dilation, i.e. clock time of the source or the observer, does not enter this discussion. On the other hand, the aberration of line of sight is an essential element required for proper understanding the Doppler shift.
Cardiac Output Estimation using Quasi-Optimal Inputs and an Approximate Maximum Likelihood Algorithm

Abstract This paper discusses the possible use of a recursive, approximate maximum likelihood identification algorithm, based on an anesthetic gas uptake and distribution model of the body and the lungs, to develop a continuous, noninvasive estimation scheme for the determination of cardiac output and related parameters from blood-soluble anesthetic gas concentration measurements. Considering the inhaled anesthetic gas concentration as amplitude limited, on-line computation of a sub-optimal input sequence to maximize the incremental increase in information during the next measurement period is studied. Special consideration is given to different error sources affecting the estimation scheme. Computer simulations and in-vivo experiments demonstrate that these inputs (inspired anesthetic agent concentration) are implementable and that the proposed estimation scheme can be used for on-line cardiac output determination provided that the nonestimated system parameters can be measured with sufficient accuracy.
Design Based Research Re-imagined: A CHAT Formative Intervention for Expansive Learning in a Graduate Level Reading Group

We write the following case on the design of our graduate student reading group that was formed as a result of our desire to build the necessary foundation for applying CHAT literature and learning theories in our work. The Cultural Historical Activity Theory reading group (“CHATchat”) was specifically created and designed with the intention of providing a common language and set of shared constructs which members could use as a jumping board for pursuing individual research interests. The design-based research (DBR) case described here argues that the nature of the reading group became design-focused and iterative in practice. As such, the reflective process of the design of the learning environment was internalized to the object of the activity system. Therefore, the design moved from a top-down designed intervention following a set of linear steps (Edelson, 2002) towards a formative intervention, leading to expansive learning (Engestrom, 2011). Through our enactment, we found: (1) designing learning environments is not a linear process, and (2) design decisions are not always articulated and explicitly thought of a priori, especially when the nature of the activity is itself a design process. Accordingly, this case will provide insights into how a co-designed learning environment naturally developed from participants’ learning goals.
Coping with Ethical Uncertainty

Most ethical decisions are conditioned by formidable uncertainty. Decision makers may lack reliable information about relevant facts, the consequences of actions, and the reactions of other people. Resources for dealing with uncertainty are available from standard forms of decision theory, but successful application to decisions under risk requires a great deal of quantitative information: point-valued probabilities of states and point-valued utilities of outcomes. When this information is not available, this paper recommends the use of a form of decision theory that operates on a bare minimum of information inputs: comparative plausibilities of states and comparative utilities of outcomes. In addition, it proposes a comparative strategy for dealing with second-order uncertainty. The paper illustrates its proposal with reference to a well-known ethical dilemma: Kant’s life-saving lie.
Representations of Gender and Sexuality by Selected Contemporary Indian Dancers

This essay discusses representations of gender and sexuality in Contemporary Indian Dance to delineate this hybrid, multi-layered style involving movement, theatre, multimedia, as performed in Indi...
Chronic kidney disease associated with decreased bone mineral density, uric acid and metabolic syndrome.

Objective The relationship between decreased bone mineral density (BMD) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) is controversial. The associations among metabolic syndrome (MetS), serum uric acid and CKD are also unclear. We aimed to investigate the relationship between decreased BMD, MetS, serum uric acid and CKD in a general population. Methods A total of 802 subjects who visited a medical center in Southern Taiwan and underwent a BMD measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) during a health examination were enrolled in this retrospective cross-sectional study. Either osteopenia or osteoporosis was defined as decreased BMD. CKD was defined as the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of less than 60 mL/min/1.73m2. Simple and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the association between variables, decreased BMD and CKD. Results Of the 802 subjects with a mean age of 54.4±10.2 years, the prevalence of decreased BMD was 62.9%, and CKD was 3.7%. Simple logistic analysis showed that sex (OR 3.50, 95% CI 1.21–10.12, p = 0.021), age (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.07–1.21, p<0.001), BMI (OR 1.11, 95% CI 1.01–1.22, p = 0.028), waist circumference (OR 1.06, 95% CI 1.02–1.10, p = 0.002), SBP (OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01–1.04, p = 0.003), DBP (OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.00–1.06, p = 0.030), HDL-C (OR 0.97, 95% CI 0.94–1.00, p = 0.026), uric acid (OR 1.84, 95% CI 1.49–2.27, p<0.001), metabolic syndrome (OR 2.68, 95% CI 1.29–5.67, p = 0.009), and decreased BMD (OR 3.998, 95% CI 1.38–11.57, p = 0.011) were significantly associated with CKD. Multivariate analysis showed that age (OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.03–1.07, p<0.001), decreased BMD (OR 0.64, 95% CI 0.45–0.91, p = 0.013), and uric acid (OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.24–1.59, p<0.001) were significantly independently associated with CKD. Conclusions Decreased BMD, uric acid and MetS were significantly associated with CKD.. Further large and prospective cohort studies are necessary to investigate whether management of osteoporosis, hyperuricemia, or MetS might prevent the progression of CKD.
Mysticism as a Social Fact

Parallelists view mysticism as a mode of thought that allows us to experience reality “directly”. They accept the mystical experience in and for itself. For example, Capra contends that Eastern mystics have always realized “that reality transcends ordinary language”. He quotes Ananda Coomaraswamy in support of the idea that the mythical language used by mystics “embodies the nearest approach to absolute truth that can be stated in words”.1
Uveitis: contrasting the approaches in Japan and the United States.

To compare the approaches to uveitis in Japan and the United States. This report is based on the author’s personal experience, conversations with Japanese colleagues, and a literature search using the database of the US National Library of Medicine. The frequencies of specific forms of uveitis vary between the two countries. Options for therapy are affected by government regulations and the impact of insurance carriers. In both countries, there is a stepwise approach to therapy beginning with topical corticosteroids and ultimately advancing to biologics. Despite the differences, the goals for therapy, disease control with minimal toxicity, are the same. Genetic, environmental, and regulatory differences impact the approach to uveitis. Despite these factors, the goal for therapy is essentially the same.
Patient-reported versus physiologic swallowing outcomes in patients with head and neck cancer after chemoradiation.

Objective The primary objective of this project was to retrospectively investigate the relationship between patient-reported and physiologic swallowing measures after chemoradiation therapy for head neck cancer (HNC). Methods Adult patients who underwent chemoradiation therapy for HNC and presented for videofluoroscopic swallow study were reviewed retrospectively. Surgically treated patients were excluded. Patient perception of swallowing-related outcomes was assessed via the MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI) on the same day that physiologic measures of swallow function were obtained. Using vidoefluoroscopic data, the Dynamic Imaging Grade of Swallowing Toxicity (DIGEST) scale yielded measures of safety (DIGEST-S: penetration/aspiration) and efficiency (DIGEST-E: residue). Statistical analysis for correlation coefficients was performed. Results Thirty patients met the inclusion criteria. The oropharynx was the most commonly affected site (70.0%), followed by the larynx (16.7%). The median radiation dose was 72 grays (Gy), and participants were assessed a mean of 4.6 (range 0-12) years following completion of treatment. There was no correlation between the MDADI and the DIGEST-E score (Pearson rho = -0.045, P = 0.812), DIGEST-S score (Pearson rho = 0.075, P = 0.695), or summary DIGEST grade (Pearson rho = 0.046, P = 0.810). MDADI scores did not change significantly with increasing time since radiation (P = 0.375), whereas the DIGEST-E scores, DIGEST-S score, and summary DIGEST grades worsened over time (P = 0.007, P = 0.002, and P = 0.0005, respectively). Conclusion Assessment of swallowing physiology showed that function worsened after chemoradiation therapy, but this did not correlate with patient-reported quality-of-life measures. Reduced patient awareness of swallow dysfunction years after completion of chemoradiation has implications for management of dysphagia in the face of physiologic decline. Level of evidence 4 Laryngoscope, 129:2059-2064, 2019.
Vocal and locomotor coordination develops in association with the autonomic nervous system

In adult animals, movement and vocalizations are coordinated, sometimes facilitating, and at other times inhibiting, each other. What is missing is how these different domains of motor control become coordinated over the course of development. We investigated how postural-locomotor behaviors may influence vocal development, and the role played by physiological arousal during their interactions. Using infant marmoset monkeys, we densely sampled vocal, postural and locomotor behaviors and estimated arousal fluctuations from electrocardiographic measures of heart rate. We found that vocalizations matured sooner than postural and locomotor skills, and that vocal-locomotor coordination improved with age and during elevated arousal levels. These results suggest that postural-locomotor maturity is not required for vocal development to occur, and that infants gradually improve coordination between vocalizations and body movement through a process that may be facilitated by arousal level changes.
Changing Causes of US Neurological Disease Mortality From 1999 to 2017.

This study estimates neurological disease mortality rate trends in the US population from 1999 to 2017 as well as regionalized differences within the US.
The Impact on Medical Students of the 9/11 Attacks on New York's World Trade Center.

Phenomenon: Little is known about how participation in disaster relief impacts medical students. During the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, New York Medical College School of Medicine student...
Weekend Light Shifts Evoke Persistent Drosophila Circadian Neural Network Desynchrony.

We developed a method for single-cell resolution longitudinal bioluminescence imaging of PERIOD (PER) protein and TIMELESS (TIM) oscillations in cultured male adult Drosophila brains that captures circadian circuit-wide cycling under simulated day/night cycles. Light input analysis confirms that CRYPTOCHROME (CRY) is the primary circadian photoreceptor and mediates clock disruption by constant light (LL), and that eye light input is redundant to CRY; 3-h light phase delays (Friday) followed by 3-h light phase advances (Monday morning) simulate the common practice of staying up later at night on weekends, sleeping in later on weekend days then returning to standard schedule Monday morning [weekend light shift (WLS)]. PER and TIM oscillations are highly synchronous across all major circadian neuronal subgroups in unshifted light schedules for 11 d. In contrast, WLS significantly dampens PER oscillator synchrony and rhythmicity in most circadian neurons during and after exposure. Lateral ventral neuron (LNv) oscillations are the first to desynchronize in WLS and the last to resynchronize in WLS. Surprisingly, the dorsal neuron group-3 (DN3s) increase their within-group synchrony in response to WLS. In vivo, WLS induces transient defects in sleep stability, learning, and memory that temporally coincide with circuit desynchrony. Our findings suggest that WLS schedules disrupt circuit-wide circadian neuronal oscillator synchrony for much of the week, thus leading to observed behavioral defects in sleep, learning, and memory.
Speech Understanding in Modulated Noise and Speech Maskers as a Function of Cognitive Status in Older Adults

Objectives The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of different types of maskers on speech understanding as a function of cognitive status in older adults. The hypothesis tested was...
Data-induced predicates for sideways information passing in query optimizers

Using data statistics, we convert predicates on a table into data-induced predicates (diPs) that apply on the joining tables. Doing so substantially speeds up multi-relation queries because the benefits of predicate pushdown can now apply beyond just the tables that have predicates. We use diPs to skip data exclusively during query optimization; i.e., diPs lead to better plans and have no overhead during query execution. We study how to apply diPs for complex query expressions and how the usefulness of diPs varies with the data statistics used to construct diPs and the data distributions. Our results show that building diPs using zone-maps which are already maintained in today’s clusters leads to sizable data skipping gains. Using a new (slightly larger) statistic, 50% of the queries in the TPC-H, TPC-DS and JoinOrder benchmarks can skip at least 33% of the query input. Consequently, the median query in a production big-data cluster finishes roughly $$2\times $$ faster.
Infection and mRNA-1273 vaccine antibodies neutralize SARS-CoV-2 UK variant

Antibody responses against the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein correlate with protection against COVID-19. Serum neutralizing antibodies appear early after symptom onset following SARS-CoV-2 infection and can last for several months. Similarly, the messenger RNA vaccine, mRNA-1273, generates serum neutralizing antibodies that are detected through at least day 119. However, the recent emergence of the B.1.1.7 variant has raised significant concerns about the breadth of these neutralizing antibody responses. In this study, we used a live virus neutralization assay to compare the neutralization potency of sera from infected and vaccinated individuals against a panel of SARS-CoV-2 variants, including SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7. We found that both infection- and vaccine-induced antibodies were effective at neutralizing the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 variant. These findings support the notion that in the context of the UK variant, vaccine-induced immunity can provide protection against COVID-19. As additional SARS-CoV-2 viral variants continue to emerge, it is crucial to monitor their impact on neutralizing antibody responses following infection and vaccination.
Diet, Palatability, and Dietary Implications of Long-Term Weight Maintenance

Palatability relates to stimulus qualities of food which determine its acceptability. Since palatability must be assessed in terms of acceptance, palatability is generally used to refer to the hedonic response of an organism to a food which depends on its taste, smell, flavor, texture and appearance, Palatability can be influenced by a number of factors including learned associations of foods, social, cultural, and economic factors, and the internal physiological state of an organism.
Inference on quantile regression process : an alternative

A wide variety of important distributional hypotheses can be assessed using the empirical quantile regression processes. In this paper, a very simple and practical resampling test is offered as an alternative to inference based on Khmaladzation, as developed in Koenker and Xiao (2002). This alternative has better or competitive power, accurate size, and does not require estimation of non-parametric sparsity and score functions. It applies not only to iid but also time series data. Computational experiments and an empirical example that re-examines the effect of re-employment bonus on the unemployment duration strongly support this approach.
Preparative electrophoresis in liquid columns stabilized by electromagnetic rotation : II. Artifacts, stability and resolution

Abstract Temperature gradients engendered in the annular electrophoretic column can lead to disturbing thermal convection. Different types of convection and means to suppress such disturbances are discussed. Effects of temperature on the separation pattern are considered and an equation is derived for the resolving power of the separation method which is generally valid for all methods of deviation electrophoresis. It is shown that separation of two components differing 1% in their electrophoretic mobilities presents no difficulties and a basis is provided for the inference that higher resolving power can be reached by using exceedingly fine streaks.
Characterization of a 60‐kDa Thermally Stable Antigenic Protein as a Marker for the Immunodetection of Bovine Plasma‐Derived Food Ingredients

A sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (sELISA) based on 2 monoclonal antibodies (Bb3D6 and Bb6G12) that recognize a 60-kDa antigenic protein in bovine blood was previously developed for detecting bovine blood in animal feed for the prevention of mad cow disease. This study sought to establish the identity of this 60-kDa antigenic protein and consequently determine the suitability of the sELISA for detecting bovine plasma-derived food ingredients (BPFIs), which are widely used in dietary products without explicit labeling. Results from western blot confirmed the 60-kDa protein to be present in the plasma fraction of bovine blood. Further proteomic analyses involving 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-D GE) and amino acid sequencing revealed the 60-kDa protein to be bovine serum albumin (BSA). The sELISA proved capable of detecting BPFIs in all the commercial dietary supplements tested, including those that were formulated with hydrolyzed BPFIs. The assay could also detect 0.01% and 0.5% of different BPFIs in spiked raw and cooked ground beef, respectively. This assay based on the detection of BSA therefore has the potential to become a valuable analytical tool to protect consumers who avoid consuming BPFIs for religious, health, or ethical reasons.
Studies on the guinea pig pancreas. Fractionation and partial characterization of exocrine proteins.

Abstract The protein mixture discharged by guinea pig pancreatic lobules incubated in vitro has been analyzed by two complementary techniques: isoelectric focusing (which separates proteins according to charge), and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (which separates proteins according to size). Isoelectric focusing columns spanning a set of pH ranges were used to fractionate secretory proteins biosynthetically labeled with 3H- or 14C-amino acids. Effluent fractions were used to determine radioactivity distribution and to locate (by specific enzyme assays) ribonuclease, amylase, chymotrypsinogen, trypsinogen, procarboxypeptidase A and procarboxypeptidase B either directly or after trypsin activation. There are single species of the first four proteins all of which are isoelectric above pH 9.2, and two forms of each procarboxypeptidase isoelectric near pH 5 (procarboxypeptidase A) and pH 7 (procarboxypeptidase B). The average isoelectric point of secretion mass-labeled with a mixture of 15 14C-amino acids is at pH 9.2. The most acidic species isoelectric near pH 3.4 can be labeled with both 35SO42- and amino acids. Its charge complementarity with the bulk of the secretory proteins is discussed with reference to the concentration and packaging of secretory proteins in the condensing vacuoles of the acinar cells. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels resolve eight major proteins from the secretion. Six of these have been identified by cross-referencing aliquots from the isoelectric focusing columns onto the gels. No enzyme activities or potential activities have been assigned to two of the major proteins: the first has a molecular weight of 68,000 and the second appears to be slightly smaller than chymotrypsinogen. The results indicate that the guinea pig pancreas produces essentially the same complement of enzymes and zymogens as found in other species; they also demonstrate that the zymogen granules of the acinar cells contain the same proteins as the secretion discharged by pancreatic lobules upon carbamylcholine stimulation. The procedures described can be used to analyze on a protein-specific basis a variety of events in the secretory process.
Heterogeneous chemical kinetics by modulated molecular beam mass spectrometry: Limitations of the technique

The advantages and limitations of modulated molecular beam, mass spectrometry as applied to the study of heterogeneous chemical kinetics are reviewed. The process of deducing a model of the surface reaction from experimental data is illustrated by analysis of the hydrogen reduction of uranium dioxide.
F-Theory and Toric Geometry

Toric methods found their way into string theory in the context of discussions of mirror symmetry in terms of reflexive polyhedra, and in the analysis of the phase structures of string compactifications. More recently, it turned out that toric geometry is also a valuable tool for the discussion of geometric properties of manifolds that become important in the context of string and F-theory dualities.
Realitätsabbildung mittels Daten: Die menschlichen Gesichtspunkte

In diesem Kapitel kommen Uberlegungen zur Sprache, mit welchen die Realitat in einer dem menschlichen Verstandnis entgegenkommenden konzeptionellen (d.h. hardware- und softwareunabhangigen) Weise abzubilden ist.
Trajectories of Internalizing Symptoms From Early Childhood to Adolescence: Associations With Temperament and Parenting

Despite the great number of children affected by anxiety and depression, developmental trajectories of internalizing disorders are not well understood. The current study applied a group-based modeling approach to examine the interplay between the temperamental trait of negative emotionality and parenting on internalizing symptoms from early childhood to adolescence. Using data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (N = 881), analyses revealed that a four-group model best characterized trajectories of internalizing symptoms from the age of 4.5 to the age of 15. Interestingly, children with high negative emotionality were more likely to belong to groups with elevated levels of internalizing symptoms if their mothers exhibited high warmth/sensitivity. Our findings add to the understanding of developmental pathways of internalizing problems from early childhood to adolescence by suggesting that certain combinations of temperament and parenting may increase youth's propensity to develop internalizing problems.
Objective truth in matters of taste

In matters of personal taste, faultless disagreement occurs between people who disagree over what is tasty, fun, etc., in those cases when each of these people seems equally far from the objective truth. Faultless disagreement is often taken as evidence that truth is relative. This article aims to help us avoid the truth-relativist conclusion. The article, however, does not argue directly against relativism; instead, the article defends non-relative truth constructively, aiming to explain faultless disagreement with the resources of semantic contextualism. To this end the article describes and advocates a contextualist solution inspired by supervaluationist truth-value gap approaches. The solution presented here, however, does not require truth value gaps; it preserves both logical bivalence and non-relative truth, even while it acknowledges and explains the possibility of faultless disagreement. The solution is motivated by the correlation between assertions’ being true and their being useful. This correlation, furthermore, is used not only to tell which assertions are true, but also to determine which linguistic intuitions are reliable.
Single‐center Experience of Outcomes of Tracheostomy in Children with Congenital Heart Disease

Objective A subset of children with repaired congenital heart disease (CHD) may require tracheostomy for ongoing ventilatory support. Data on outcomes of children with CHD and tracheostomy are scarce. Our objectives were to describe indications for tracheostomy and outcomes, including readmission data in this population. Methods This is a retrospective chart review of children (<18 years old) with CHD who underwent tracheostomy at a single center over a 12-year period. Exclusion criteria were prematurity with isolated patent ductus arteriosus ligation. Outcomes until discharge and data on all readmissions after the initial discharge were reviewed. Results A total of 21 subjects with CHD underwent tracheostomy at a median (range) age of 4 (1–84) months and mean (standard deviation) weight of 7.2 (5.9) kg. The most common indication for tracheostomy was tracheomalacia with ventilator-dependent respiratory failure (14/21 subjects), followed by subglottic stenosis (5) and vocal cord palsy (2). Genetic syndromes were present in 13 (62%) subjects. The mean (standard deviation) post-tracheostomy length of stay was 55 (35) days. All subjects survived to discharge; 17 (81%) required home ventilation. A total of 11 (52%) subjects died during follow-up, all of whom were mechanically ventilated while three (14%) children underwent successful decannulation. The mean number of nonelective readmissions decreased from 2.4/patient-year in the first year to 1.4/patient-year in the second year, respectively. The commonest reasons for readmission were respiratory deterioration, infections, and mechanical tracheostomy-related problems. Conclusions The majority of children with CHD who underwent tracheostomy did so for ventilator dependence and tracheomalacia and had coexisting genetic syndromes. About half the cohort died; among survivors, readmissions were common but decreased after the first year. These results underscore the ongoing mortality and morbidity risks faced by this vulnerable population.
The Hate Narrative Against Public Employees, Educators, and Unions

This essay provides a rhetorical and narrative analysis of the hate narrative directed at public employees, educators, and unions by right wing Republican leaders and spokespersons. It locates specific political issues within a broader framework that depicts those of us on the left who are gainfully employed in professions, careers, and jobs that are in the public interest as enemies of capitalism, liberty, and freedom. The success of this right wing narrative cannot be denied but it may be resisted if those of us who are negatively affected by it get behind a core message that emphasizes the democratic ideal of the public good.
Working Alliance in Adolescent Outpatient Therapy: Youth, Parent and Therapist Reports and Associations with Therapy Outcomes

The perceived quality of the working alliance in psychotherapy has been a consistent predictor of engagement and outcome in adult psychotherapy, yet there is limited research on working alliance in youth psychotherapy, particularly in the context of “usual” community-based services. In this study, we examined working alliance among 78 adolescents referred for community-based psychotherapy, their parents and therapists. We investigated (1) temporal stability of alliance from 1 to 6 months into treatment, (2) consistency among adolescent, parent, and therapist reports of alliances, and (3) associations between alliance and four outcome domains: symptoms, functioning, satisfaction, and environmental impact. We found individual reports of alliance relatively stable from 1 to 6 months into treatment, but consistency among reporters on quality of their alliance was low. We also found adolescent and parent reported alliances with therapists to be positively associated with several outcome indicators.
Identifying compositionally homogeneous and nonhomogeneous domains within the human genome using a novel segmentation algorithm

It has been suggested that the mammalian genome is composed mainly of long compositionally homogeneous domains. Such domains are frequently identified using recursive segmentation algorithms based on the Jensen-Shannon divergence. However, a common difficulty with such methods is deciding when to halt the recursive partitioning and what criteria to use in deciding whether a detected boundary between two segments is real or not. We demonstrate that commonly used halting criteria are intrinsically biased, and propose IsoPlotter, a parameter-free segmentation algorithm that overcomes such biases by using a simple dynamic halting criterion and tests the homogeneity of the inferred domains. IsoPlotter was compared with an alternative segmentation algorithm, D(JS), using two sets of simulated genomic sequences. Our results show that IsoPlotter was able to infer both long and short compositionally homogeneous domains with low GC content dispersion, whereas D(JS) failed to identify short compositionally homogeneous domains and sequences with low compositional dispersion. By segmenting the human genome with IsoPlotter, we found that one-third of the genome is composed of compositionally nonhomogeneous domains and the remaining is a mixture of many short compositionally homogeneous domains and relatively few long ones.
Using the MMPI-2-RF to discriminate psychometrically identified schizotypic college students from a matched comparison sample.

This study investigates the extent to which the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–2 Restructured Form (MMPI–2–RF) profiles of 52 individuals making up a psychometrically identified schizotypes (SZT) sample could be successfully discriminated from the protocols of 52 individuals in a matched comparison (MC) sample. Replication analyses were performed with an additional 53 pairs of SZT and MC participants. Results showed significant differences in mean T-score values between these 2 groups across a variety of MMPI–2–RF scales. Results from discriminant function analyses indicate that schizotypy can be predicted effectively using 4 MMPI–2–RF scales and that this method of classification held up on replication. Additional results demonstrated that these MMPI–2–RF scales nominally outperformed MMPI–2 scales suggested by previous research as being indicative of schizophrenia liability. Directions for future research with the MMPI–2–RF are suggested.
Metoclopramide Increases the Bioavailability of Dantrolene in Spinal Cord Injury

A study was conducted to determine the effect of metoclopramide on the disposition of dantrolene in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) and in neurologically intact, able-bodied volunteers. Fifteen serum samples each were collected from 6 able-bodied volunteers and 13 patients with SCI (7 paraplegics, 6 quadriplegics) in a prospective, open-label, pharmacokinetic study of a single 100-mg oral dose of dantrolene. After a washout period, a single 10-mg intravenous dose of metoclopramide was given along with dantrolene to the patients with SCI only, and the study was repeated in sequential, crossover fashion. Concentrations of dantrolene were measured by a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) assay. Numerical integration was used to calculate area under the curve (AUC) and mean residence time (MRT). Differences were studied using paired and two-sample, nonparametric tests, with 0.05 as the significance level. Without metoclopramide, the AUC of dantrolene was larger in able-bodied volunteers than in patients with SCI, and the MRT of dantrolene was similar both groups. When patients with SCI received metoclopramide before treatment with dantrolene, the median increase in the AUC for dantrolene was 57%, with no change in MRT. This pharmacokinetic interaction is probably attributable to augmented absorption and could alter the pharmacologic action of dantrolene. Concurrent treatment of patients with SCI with metoclopramide and dantrolene should be accompanied by careful surveillance to avoid toxicity and preserve efficacy.
The Effect of Dietary Protein on Intestinal Calcium Absorption in Rats

Increasing dietary protein intake in humans acutely increases urinary calcium. Isotopic absorption studies have indicated that, at least in the short term, this is primarily due to increased intestinal Ca absorption. To explore the mechanisms underlying dietary protein's effect on intestinal Ca absorption, female Sprague Dawley rats were fed a control (20%), low (5%), or high (40%) protein diet for 7 d, and Ca balance was measured during d 4-7. On d 7, duodenal mucosa was harvested and brush border membrane vesicles (BBMVs) were prepared to evaluate Ca uptake. By d 7, urinary calcium was more than 2-fold higher in the 40% protein group compared with control (4.2 mg/d vs. 1.7 mg/d; P < 0.05). Rats consuming the 40% protein diet both absorbed and retained more Ca compared with the 5% protein group (absorption: 48.5% vs. 34.1% and retention: 45.8% vs. 33.7%, respectively; P < 0.01). Ca uptake was increased in BBMVs prepared from rats consuming the high-protein diet. Maximum velocity (V(max)) was higher in the BBMVs prepared from the high-protein group compared with those from the low-protein group (90 vs. 36 nmol Ca/mg protein x min, P < 0.001; 95% CI: 46-2486 and 14-55, respectively). The Michaelis Menten constant (K(m)) was unchanged (2.2 mm vs. 1.8 mm, respectively; P = 0.19). We conclude that in rats, as in humans, acute increases in protein intake result in hypercalciuria due to augmented intestinal Ca absorption. BBMV Ca uptake studies suggest that higher protein intake improves Ca absorption, at least in part, by increasing transcellular Ca uptake.
Purification and immunohistochemical localization of rat brain myelin proteolipid protein.

— A homogeneous preparation of proteolipid protein (PLP) from rat brain myelin was isolated by preparative gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate and chemically characterized. The results of amino acid and N-terminal amino acid analyses are reported. The same preparation of myelin PLP was used to produce specific precipitating antibodies. Rabbit and goat antisera to myelin PLP each gave a single precipitin line with purified PLP dissolved in Triton X-100. Under identical conditions, no precipitation was observed with antiserum to myelin basic protein or with control serum. Immunofluorescence localization employing antiserum to PLP demonstrated bright specific fluorescence restricted to the myelin sheaths of axons in all anatomical areas of the rat brain examined. Neuronal cell bodies and their dendrites were completely negative with respect to the presence of proteolipid protein. PLP could not be localized in the cell bodies or fibrous processes in any of the glial elements in the adult rat brain. However, myelin PLP was clearly visible in the cytoplasm and processes of actively myelinating oligodendrocytes in the corpus callosum in the brains of 10-day-old rats.