cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inflammatory dietary pattern and risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis in women

Our objective was to investigate whether a dietary pattern derived using inflammatory biomarkers is associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) risk. We prospectively followed 79,988 women in the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS, 1984–2014) and 93,572 women in the NHSII (1991–2013); incident RA was confirmed by medical records. Food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) were completed at baseline and approximately every 4 years. Inflammatory dietary pattern was assessed from FFQ data using the Empirical Dietary Inflammatory Pattern (EDIP), including 18 anti-/pro-inflammatory food/beverage groups weighted by correlations with plasma inflammatory biomarkers (interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, and tumor necrosis factor-α receptor 2). We investigated associations between EDIP and RA using Cox regression. We identified 1185 incident RA cases over 4,425,434 person-years. EDIP was not associated with overall RA risk (p trend = 0.21 across EDIP quartiles). Among women ≤ 55 years, increasing EDIP was associated with increased overall RA risk; HRs (95% CIs) across EDIP quartiles were 1.00 (reference), 1.14 (0.86–1.51), 1.35 (1.03–1.77), and 1.38 (1.05–1.83; p for trend = 0.01). Adjusting for BMI attenuated this association. Increasing EDIP was associated with increased seropositive RA risk among women ≤ 55 years (p for trend = 0.04). There was no association between EDIP and RA among women > 55 years (EDIP-age interaction, p = 0.03). An inflammatory dietary pattern was associated with increased seropositive RA risk with onset ≤ 55 years old, and this association may be partially mediated through BMI.
Understanding encountering of story leads: A case of newspaper reporting behavior at Midwestern metropolitan-area newspapers:

An interdisciplinary approach explores how journalists embrace the unexpected as part of their reporting routines using Erdelez’s framework of information encountering from the study of human infor...
Endoscopic Intramural Surgery Part II: Muscular Division

The development of endoscopic technologies and the introduction of new surgical concepts during the last decade has led to an evolution of surgical treatment of gastrointestinal disorders including achalasia, gastroesophageal reflux, gastroparesis, inflammatory bowel disease, and tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. Intramural surgery creates a novel approach to perform muscular division, submucosal dissection, and tumor removal. These procedures have proven safe and effective, and increasingly are part of the surgical endoscopist's toolbox. Intramural surgical procedures include peroral esophagomyotomy (POEM), peroral pyloromyotomy (POP), Zenker's diverticulotomy, and submucosal tunneling and endoscopic resection (STER) of lesions. The objective of this article is to describe current intramural surgery procedures that comprise muscular division, as well as clinical outcomes and its impact on surgical endoscopic practices.
Theoretical framework of the thermal memristor via a solid-state phase change material

The thermal memristor is the equivalent of the electrical memristor but in the thermal domain. The defining characteristic of the electrical memristor is the pinched Lissajous-type i-v curve (current to voltage difference); therefore, analogous behavior in the q-T curve (heat flux to temperature difference) should be the distinguishing feature of a thermal memristor. Herein, we propose a theoretical framework to realize thermal memristor devices using a solid-solid phase change material, tungsten doped vanadium dioxide. We show that by adding a periodic thermal input to the device, it is possible to obtain the characteristic pinched Lissajous type q-T curve that is indicative of the existence of a thermal memristor.
Guest Editorial Skin Lesion Image Analysis for Melanoma Detection

The papers in this special section focus on the use of image analysis to detect Melanoma. Melanoma is deadliest form of skin cancer, with roughly 91,000 new cases reported every year in the US and more than 9,000 deaths. Unlike many other cancer types, the incidence rate of melanoma has been steadily increasing in the past several decades. Early diagnosis is crucial since melanoma can be cured with a simple excision, if detected early. The goals of this special issue are to summarize the state-ofthe- art in the automated analysis of skin lesion images and to provide future directions for this exciting subfield of medical image analysis. The intended audience includes researchers and practicing clinicians, who are increasingly using digital analytic tools.
TrkB expression and dependence divides gustatory neurons into three subpopulations

During development, gustatory (taste) neurons likely undergo numerous changes in morphology and expression prior to differentiation into maturity, but little is known this process or the factors that regulate it. Neuron differentiation is likely regulated by a combination of transcription and growth factors. Embryonically, most geniculate neuron development is regulated by the growth factor brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Postnatally, however, BDNF expression becomes restricted to subpopulations of taste receptor cells with specific functions. We hypothesized that during development, the receptor for BDNF, tropomyosin kinase B receptor (TrkB), may also become developmentally restricted to a subset of taste neurons and could be one factor that is differentially expressed across taste neuron subsets. We used transgenic mouse models to label both geniculate neurons innervating the oral cavity (Phox2b+), which are primarily taste, from those projecting to the outer ear (auricular neurons) to label TrkB expressing neurons (TrkBGFP). We also compared neuron number, taste bud number, and taste receptor cell types in wild-type animals and conditional TrkB knockouts. Between E15.5-E17.5, TrkB receptor expression becomes restricted to half of the Phox2b + neurons. This TrkB downregulation was specific to oral cavity projecting neurons, since TrkB expression remained constant throughout development in the auricular geniculate neurons (Phox2b-). Conditional TrkB removal from oral sensory neurons (Phox2b+) reduced this population to 92% of control levels, indicating that only 8% of these neurons do not depend on TrkB for survival during development. The remaining neurons failed to innervate any remaining taste buds, 14% of which remained despite the complete loss of innervation. Finally, some types of taste receptor cells (Car4+) were more dependent on innervation than others (PLCβ2+). Together, these findings indicate that TrkB expression and dependence divides gustatory neurons into three subpopulations: 1) neurons that always express TrkB and are TrkB-dependent during development (50%), 2) neurons dependent on TrkB during development but that downregulate TrkB expression between E15.5 and E17.5 (41%), and 3) neurons that never express or depend on TrkB (9%). These TrkB-independent neurons are likely non-gustatory, as they do not innervate taste buds.
Exploring the Content of Suicidality among Military Personnel and Veterans

Previous research and theorizing have long sought to describe reliable typologies of suicide risk, particularly regarding soldier and veteran military samples. In the present study, we examined sui...
Gobierno mediante normas privadas: Pemex y la creación de un ejido ilegible

Este articulo se enfoca en el estudio de un ejido en el norte de Veracruz donde las acciones de Pemex en combinacion con el cacicazgo han creado un espacio ilegible para el Estado. La enorme cantidad de infraestructura petrolera se instalo y la manera irregular en la paraestatal negocio la expropiacion de una tercera parte de las tierras ejidales hace 40 anos hoy obstaculiza la regularizacion del ejido. A traves de una investigacion etnografica se analiza como esta circunstancia ha permitido que los ejidatarios mantengan una fuerte capacidad de regulacion sobre las tierras ejidales, y la manera en que la irregularidad y el manejo de la situacion desde el gobierno, mediante normas privadas, afecta la vida diaria de los habitantes en el ejido.
Well-posedness and robust preconditioners for discretized fluid–structure interaction systems

Abstract In this paper we develop a family of preconditioners for the linear algebraic systems arising from the arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian discretization of some fluid–structure interaction models. After the time discretization, we formulate the fluid–structure interaction equations as saddle point problems and prove the uniform well-posedness. Then we discretize the space dimension by finite element methods and prove their uniform well-posedness by two different approaches under appropriate assumptions. The uniform well-posedness makes it possible to design robust preconditioners for the discretized fluid–structure interaction systems. Numerical examples are presented to show the robustness and efficiency of these preconditioners.
Dilated cardiomyopathy mutation (R174W) in troponin T attenuates the length-mediated increase in cross-bridge recruitment and myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity.

This work characterizes the effect of dilated cardiomyopathy mutation in cardiac troponin T (TnTR174W) on myofilament length-dependent activation. TnTR174W attenuates the length-dependent increase ...
Update in Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy.

Purpose of reviewThe purpose of this review is to highlight updates in the standard of care recommendations for DMD, and to describe approaches to and recent advances in genetic therapies for DMD.Recent findingsTreatment of DMD patients with the corticosteroids prednisone or deflazacort remains the
Studies on platelets. X. Morphologic characteristics of megakaryocytes by phase contrast microscopy in normals and in patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.

1. The morphologic characteristics of the megakaryocytes were studied in fourteen normal or nonthrombocytopenic individuals, in nine patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (I.T.P.), in two individuals with pernicious anemia, and in two normal individuals in whom thrombocytopenia was temporarily induced by the administration of plasma from a patient with a circulating high-titer platelet agglutinin. Phase contrast microscopy was used on unfixed, unstained materials. 2. The characteristics observed in normal megakaryocytes and in those from patients with I.T.P. confirmed data previously obtained with the use of fixed and stained material. In I.T.P. the bone marrow megakaryocytic series presented the following significant findings: (a) an increase in the number of the megakaryocytes, particularly of the younger forms. Young forms were particularly prominent in I.T.P. of the "acute" variety. (b) Production of platelets by promegakaryocytes, the platelets appearing large and bizarre. (c) Lack of platelet formation at the periphery of the cell and lack of granularity in the outer layer of the mature megakaryocyte. (d) Presensce of marked degenerative changes in the nucleus and cytoplasm of the megakaryocytes. The abnormalities observed suggested the possibility of a double mechanism: one in which the circulating platelets were injured, the other in which the megakaryocyte itself was attacked. 3. In a patient with a high-titer circulating platelet agglutinin the alterations of the megakaryocytes were fundamentally similar, although the granularity of the cytoplasm appeared to be less affected and the degenerative changes more pronounced. Similar abnormalities could be reproduced in the normal individuals receiving the patient9s plasma. These results again suggested that, at least in those cases of I.T.P. in which the thrombocytopenia was due to a circulating antiplatelet factor, this acted by: (a) attacking the platelets being discharged from the megakaryocyte; (b) preventing the normal formation of platelets; (c) preventing the normal development of the megakaryocyte from younger to more mature forms.
Ocean acidification changes the vertical movement of stone crab larvae

Anthropogenic activities are increasing ocean temperature and decreasing ocean pH. Some coastal habitats are experiencing increases in organic runoff, which when coupled with a loss of vegetated co...
Determining the thermomechanical image shift for the MIGHTI instrument on the NASA-ICON satellite.

This erratum corrects a typographical error in a value, which affected some results in the paper.
On Bodily Absence in Humanitarian Multisensory VR

Humanitarian organizations, journalists, and artists are increasingly turning to virtual reality (VR) and immersive filmmaking because of its ostensibly unprecedented ability to conjure empathic feelings that lead to humanitarian action. Recent media studies scholarship attends to the possibilities and pitfalls of curating empathy through VR in the context of documentary filmmaking; however, these analyses primarily focus on VR’s unique visual address. The status of the participant’s body, as it exists in the physical world and as it is conjured within the virtual environment, remains under-explored in scholarship on immersive media and humanitarianism. In this paper, we offer a comparative analysis of embodiment in two recent multisensory VR film installations with humanitarian themes: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s Carne y Arena (2017) which stages an attempted border crossing between Mexico and the United States; and Hero (iNKStories, 2018), which places participants into an unnamed Syrian village during an air raid. Using bodily absence as a framework, we argue that agency, responsibility, and a humanitarian subjectivity are ambiguously constructed through the sensing of bodily and psychic borders within these contemporary VR installations. We conclude that humanitarian VR is better understood as a technology of encounter rather than one of empathy.
Adaptive Governance in North American Water Systems: A Legal Perspective on Resilience and Reconciliation

Governance lies at the heart of the capacity of water based social-ecological systems to manage resilience. Case studies of North American water basins reveal that the massive engineering of these systems have facilitated economic and social development to meet objectives of navigation, irrigation, flood control, hydropower, safe drinking water, recreation and pollution abatement. To meet these goals, the governance and management of these systems successfully stabilized key hydrologic and ecosystem processes, which in turn led to a decline in ecological resilience and adaptive capacity. While efforts to recover lost ecosystem functions within managed river systems are underway, the capacity to adapt to these restoration efforts and the system in general to ongoing climate change, is hindered by physical infrastructure, legal fragmentation and governmental inflexibility. Response to accelerating change and the inadequacy of fragmented legal regimes is apparent in emergence of self-organized governance at the problem or basin-regional scale. Such self-organization is categorized as adaptive governance or in this application, adaptive water governance. Self-organization alone will not allow adaptation to keep pace with accelerating global change and climate uncertainty. Adaptive water governance requires government facilitation to build adaptive capacity in time to respond to change and ensure that greater involvement of private actors and increased flexibility do not come at the expense of legitimacy, transparency, accountability, equity and justice.
Distinct roles for Notch1 and Notch3 in human adipose-derived stem/stromal cell adipogenesis

The role of the Notch signaling pathway in adipogenesis has long been controversial as the action of individual Notch receptors appears to vary with experimental conditions. In this study, we offer some explanation for the observed contradictions by comparing the role of both Notch1 and Notch3 in regulating the expression of key adipogenic regulator, PPARγ, in human adipose-derived stem/stromal cells (hADSCs) during in vitro adipogenesis. Utilizing qRT-PCR, western blot, and immunofluorescence staining, we demonstrated that Notch3 was expressed prior to the formation of lipid vesicles, while Notch1 only appeared after vesicle formation. In addition, following the induction of adipogenesis, the levels of Notch1 intracellular domain in the nucleus were significantly reduced, while the siRNA-mediated loss of Notch1 reduced transcript but not protein levels of PPARγ. The knockdown of Notch3 led to increased expression of PPARγ during early adipogenesis that was not paralleled by a decreased expression of Hes1 and Hey1, but was accompanied by a marked decrease in the protein level of β-catenin, the key functional component of the canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. This study deepens the understanding of the Notch pathway by clarifying the distinct roles of Notch1 and Notch3 during adipogenesis. We showed that Notch3 is involved in early adipogenic differentiation, while Notch1 functions later in the process. In addition, we begin to uncover the interaction between the Notch and Wnt signaling pathways that may offer novel therapeutic targets aimed at obesity and diabetes.
Interpregnancy interval in lower versus higher human development index countries: a hypothesis about pregnancy spacing.

BACKGROUND A secondary analysis was conducted of two separate datasets to observe the association between maternal age and interpregnancy interval (IPI). METHODS The IPI in a middle-income country (Guatemala) was compared with that of a very-high-income country (USA) among women with two pregnancies. RESULTS A regression model found that with each increasing year of age, the IPI increases by 1.26 months (p<0.001) in Guatemala. A regression model found that IPI decreased as women aged in the USA. CONCLUSIONS It is hypothesized that as countries progress in their development indices, women may delay childbearing, which may result in reduced IPI, as was the case in the USA compared with Guatemala in these datasets.
Science and Practice of Resilience: Disaster Systems Applications to Aging Resilience

This chapter adapts the National Academies of Science systems model of resilience to natural disasters to a resilience model for aging adults. After exploring the origins and applications of the term resilience in gerontology, medicine, and public health, we incorporate the components of disaster resilience to present a framework for quantifying resilience for elderly individuals. The recent COVID-19 pandemic reinforces the importance of a system-level resilience approach. By merging transdisciplinary knowledge of resilience using a complex systems approach, we seek to develop a generalized theory for different contexts and populations. While resilience for the elderly can be quantified at the individual level, it must also be contextualized for external structural and system-level factors that influence the types and availability of resources that adults can access to recover from aging-related adversities. Understanding resilience for elderly adults can complement studies that seek to minimize risk, vulnerability, and frailty to improve quality of life and to decrease the burden of care arising from a growing elderly population.
A Bioconjugated Chlorin-Based Metal–Organic Framework for Targeted Photodynamic Therapy of Triple Negative Breast and Pancreatic Cancers

The field of photodynamic therapy (PDT) has continued to show promise as a potential method for treating tumors. In this work a photosensitizer (PS) has been delivered to cancer cell lines for PDT by incorporation into the metal-organic framework (MOF) as an organic linker. By functionalizing the surface of MOF nanoparticles with maltotriose the PS can efficiently target cancer cells with preferential uptake into pancreatic and breast cancer cell lines. Effective targeting overcomes some current problems with PDT including long-term photosensitivity and tumor specificity. Developing a PS with optimal absorption and stability is one of the foremost challenges in PDT and the synthesis of a chlorin which is activated by long-wavelength light and is resistant to photo-bleaching is described. This chlorin-based MOF shows anti-cancer ability several times higher than that of porphyrin-based MOFs with little toxicity to normal cell lines and no dark toxicity.
Characterization of Graphs with Villainy 2

Let $f$ be an optimal proper coloring of a graph $G$ and let $c$ be a coloring of the vertices of $G$ obtained by permuting the colors on vertices in the proper coloring $f$. The villainy of $c$, written $B(c)$, is the minimum number of vertices that must be recolored to obtain a proper coloring of $G$ with the additional condition that the number of times each color is used does not change. The villainy of $G$ is defined as $B(G)=max_{c}B(c)$, over all optimal proper colorings of $G$. In this paper, we characterize graphs $G$ with $B(G)=2$.
Some Structural Transition Models

Introduction The models of chapters 1 through 5 emphasised the construction of the hazard function as the basis of model-building and thus implicitly stressed the chance character of movement between states. In economic applications as compared to applications in technology or medical science the element of choice cannot be ignored. It may be luck that an unemployed man is offered a job today, but he must choose whether or not to take it. Both choice and chance enter into the the transition process. In this chapter we shall give an account of an approach to modelling in which the choice element in each transition is emphasised. In this approach people at all times are assumed to occupy the state that they prefer, given the opportunity set that they currently face. The element of chance enters into the transition process because both the desirability of different states and the opportunities open to the economic agent vary in a partly probabilistic way over time. When econometricians model static discrete choice among K states they find it helpful to associate with each state a utility, u j , j = 1, 2, . . . , K , depending upon the characteristics both of the state and of the choosing individual such that he chooses that state affording the greatest utility. In modelling choice among two-states then, state 2 is chosen if u 2 — u 1 > 0 and state 1 otherwise. In modelling the stochastic process of movement between states it is natural to adapt this approach to a dynamic context in which a sequence of choices is to be made. Thus we associate with each state and each time point an instantaneous utility flow, u j (t) . The objective of the agent is no longer to choose the state with the greatest current utility flow. The problem in a dynamic context is to formulate a rule which tells the agent, given any vector of utility flows at time t, u(t) , which state to occupy.
Water Migration and Swelling in Engineered Barrier Materials for Radioactive Waste Disposal

Deep, underground repositories are needed to isolate radioactive waste from the biosphere. Because bentonite is an integral component of many multibarrier repository systems, information on the hyd...
Chapter 11 Oceanographic Influences on the Dynamics of Commercially Fished Populations

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of the increase in synoptic data and advances of the oceanographic processes in the coastal zone off Washington, Oregon, and Northern California to understand the dynamic behavior of exploited fished populations. It presents three examples from the Pacific Northwest: an anadromous fish, a benthic flatfish, and a benthic crustacean. Evaluation of the effect of oceanographic processes on the abundance of fish populations follows statistical analyses of long-term interannual variability or mechanistic analyses of mathematical models and field data. Effective integration of these approaches considers the appropriate temporal and spatial scales and ecological levels of organization. The statistical approach to the understanding of the effects of environment on exploited populations seeks statistical relationships between annual population data and environmental variables. It involves the use of correlation coefficients or linear regression to determine the degree of covariation between time series of annual measures of physical and population variables. The mechanistic approach identifies the actual causal mechanism through which the environment influences a fished population.
Function of Active-Site Residues of Ribulose-Bisphosphate Carboxylase/Oxygenase (Rubisco)

Chemical modification [1], site-directed mutagenesis [2–5], and X-ray crystallography [6–11] have identified Lys166, Lys329, and Glu48 as active-site residues of the homodimeric Rubisco from Rhodospirillum rubrum. (In the L8S8 Rubisco from spinach, these residues correspond to Lys175, Lys334, and Glu60.) We have used two strategies to explore the function of these residues: (a) introduction of very subtle structural changes into their side chains by combining chemical modification with site-directed mutagenesis and (b) evaluation of the ability of mutant proteins, devoid in overall carboxylase activity, to catalyze the enolization of D-ribulose-l,5-bisphosphate (RuBP), i.e. the first step in the normal reaction pathway.
ENGINEERING SOIL MAPPING FROM MULTISPECTRAL IMAGERY USING AUTOMATIC CLASSIFICATION TECHNIQUES

MULTISPECTRAL IMAGERY COLLECTED OVER SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA BY WILLOW RUN LABORATORIES, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, WAS ANALYZED AT THE LABORATORY FOR APPLICATION OF REMOTE SENSING USING ITS CURRENT CAPABILITIES FOR AUTOMATIC CLASSIFICATION. THE PROJECT INVOLVED THE EVALUATION OF IMAGERY IN 13 DISCRETE BANDS OF THE SPECTRUM AS A SOURCE OF DATA ON ENGINEERING SOILS. DETAILED COMPUTER CLASSIFICATIONS OF TWO 4-MILE SEGMENTS OF THE PENNSYLVANIA FLIGHT LINE, EACH CONTAINING PREDOMINANTLY 1 PARENT SOIL MATERIAL, WERE OBTAINED. CLASSIFICATION ACCURACY AS MEASURED BY TRAINING FIELD AND TEST FIELD PERFORMANCE WAS MORE THAN 90 PERCENT. THESE 2 SEGMENTS WERE USED AS A BASIS TO OBTAIN A COMPUTER- IMPLEMENTED MAP FOR 12 MILES OF THE FLIGHT LINE.
Similarity and Distance in Case Based Reasoning

Notions of similarity and distance play an important role in informatics. Different disciplines have developed their own treatment of related measures. We consider this problem under the viewpoint of Case Based Reasoning. While distance and similarity can be considered to be formally equivalent, there exist some differences concerning their intuitive use which have impact to the composition of global measures from local ones.
Studies on the surface and cytoplasmic membranes of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells: II. Alkali-cation-activated adenosine triphosphate hydrolysis in a microsomal membrane fraction

Abstract A membrane fraction isolated from Ehrlich ascites carcinoma microsomes contians an ATP phosphohydrolas which is strongly stimulated by K+ in the presence of Na+. The enzyme system has an absolute requirement for Na+ and Mg2+, but a number of monovalent cations can simulate K+. Ca2+, ADP and ouabain are inhibitory. The enzyme is believed to be associated with plasma membrane fragments. The quantitative relationships between enzyme activity and reactant concentration is presented and the probable relationship between ion transport in the whole cell and the alkali-cation-sensitive ATP phosphohydrolase is discussed.
A comparison of the education and work experiences of immigrant and the United States of America-trained nurses.

Aim This study examined the education and work experience of immigrant and American-trained registered nurses from 1988 to 2008. Background The USA increasingly relies on immigrant nurses to fill a significant nursing shortage. These nurses receive their training overseas, but can obtain licenses to practice in different countries. Introduction Although immigrant nurses have been in the USA workforce for several decades, little is known about how their education and work experience compares with USA-trained nurses. Yet much is presumed by policy makers and administrators who perpetuate the stereotype that immigrant nurses are not as qualified. Methods We analysed the National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses datasets from 1988 to 2008 using the Cochran–Armitage trend tests. Results Our findings showed similar work experience and upward trends in education among both groups of nurses. However, American-trained nurses were more likely to further advance their education, whereas immigrant nurses were more likely to have more work experience and practice in a wider range of healthcare settings. Discussion Although we discovered differences between nurses trained in the USA and abroad, we theorize that these differences even out, as education and work experience each have their own distinct caregiving advantages. Conclusion Immigrant nurses are not less qualified than their American-trained counterparts. However, healthcare providers should encourage them to further pursue their education and certifications. Implications for nursing and health policy Even though immigrant nurses' education and work experience are comparable with their American counterparts, workforce development policies may be particularly beneficial for this group.
Application profiles: exposing and enforcing metadata quality

In this paper, we explore a range of issues yet to be addressed in the large-scale use of application profiles. While considerable attention has been paid to human-readable application profiles, there is a growing need for machine-readable application profiles that can support quality control mechanisms including, but not limited to, data validation. We examine these issues in the context of the evolving Semantic Web and the DCMI commitment to RDF and the challenges presented. We frame the discussion in terms of select functions to be served by application profiles and our notion of data profiles. While much remains to be done to address these issues, positive movement toward solutions is dependent on the appropriate framing of those issues in terms of the needs of large-scale applications such as metadata aggregators.
4‐Bromobenzyl Chloroformate

[5798-78-7] C8H6BrClO2 (MW 249.49) InChI = 1S/C8H6BrClO2/c9-7-3-1-6(2-4-7)5-12-8(10)11/h1-4H,5H2 InChIKey = GRSFXTWVHXJJQN-UHFFFAOYSA-N (N-protecting agent for α-amino acids) Alternate Name: p-bromobenzyloxycarbonyl chloride. Physical Data: mp 12 °C; d (20 °C) 1.5588 g cm−3; nD20 1.6004. Preparative Methods: not commercially available. It may be prepared1 by the addition of a solution of 4-bromobenzyl alcohol in dioxane to a solution of excess Phosgene in toluene followed by stirring at rt for 24 h. Removal of the solvent by distillation in vacuo at 60 °C leaves a straw-colored oil. Three recrystallizations from hexane at −50 °C gives pure 4-bromobenzyl chloroformate in 78% yield as colorless needles. In a closely related alternate preparative procedure,2 the crude oily product, obtained in 98% yield, was used in a preparative reaction without further purification. Handling, Storage, and Precautions: although no details are available, the high toxicity and suspected carcinogenic properties of the closely related Benzyl Chloroformate suggest that 4-bromobenzyl chloroformate should be handled with caution.
Mechanism of interference and releasing action in atomicabsorption spectrophotometry—II: Atomic and molecular distributions in an air-acetylene flame

Abstract The variation in atomic absorption response with changes in observation height has been determined for several elements in an air-acetylene flame at different fuel: air ratios. It is shown that the greater the tendency for oxide formation, the more rapid is the final fall-off in atomic response with increasing observation height. The distribution of atoms in the flame has been compared with that of oxide molecules, and it has been found that the atomic population reaches a maximum significantly lower in the flame than does the corresponding metallic oxide population. From these observations it is concluded that the properties of the metal, rather than those of the oxide, are the factors which control many interference phenomena.
Interaction of concanavalin A and wheat germ agglutinin with the insulin receptor of fat cells and liver.

Abstract Wheat germ agglutinin enhances the specific binding of insulin to isolated fat cells and to liver cell membranes at a concentration of about 1 µg per ml. Wheat germ agglutinin increases insulin binding by increasing the rate of insulin-receptor complex formation; the protein does not alter the rate of dissociation of the insulin-membrane complex or the total number of binding sites for insulin. Higher concentrations of wheat germ agglutinin, as well as concanavalin A, block the binding of insulin to fat cells when the plant lectins are added to the cells before insulin. If the insulin-receptor complex is formed before addition of the plant lectin, only an increase in insulin binding with wheat germ agglutinin and virtually no effect of concanavalin A are demonstrable. Studies using combinations of both plant lectins suggest that these proteins are binding to different regions of the insulin receptor and that some lectin molecules can bind to the cell in a way which is without effect on insulin binding unless the other lectin is also present. Wheat germ agglutinin and concanavalin A modify insulin binding in membrane preparations in a manner similar to that described for intact fat cells. Similar alterations of insulin binding occur with soluble preparations of the insulin receptor of liver and fat cell membranes. These results indicate that the changes in the binding of insulin occur by direct binding of the plant lectins to the insulin receptor macromolecule. All of the effects of the plant lectins are reversed rapidly by adding simple sugars having selective specificity for the proteins, N-acetyl-d-glucosamine (for wheat germ agglutinin) or α-methyl-d-mannopyranoside (for concanavalin A). Digestion of fat cells with trypsin, which results in a marked fall in the affinity of the membrane receptor for insulin, similarly reduces the apparent affinity of wheat germ agglutinin for the membrane sites with which the lectin interacts to enhance glucose oxidation in the fat cells. These studies suggest that the insulin-like biological activity of wheat germ agglutinin may result from direct interactions with the insulin receptor in a way which closely resembles the interaction with insulin. If concanavalin A stimulates glucose transport by interacting with the insulin receptor, such an interaction must be somewhat dissimilar from that of insulin since tryptic digestion of cells does not markedly affect the biological response to this protein. These studies indicate that the insulin-binding macromolecules of liver and fat cell membranes are proteins of complex carbohydrate composition which have several chemically distinct sites capable of binding plant lectins in a manner which perturbs the insulin-receptor interaction.
Competitive Pricing using Data Envelopment Analysis - Pricing for Oscilloscopes

The research in this paper proposes a new technique for pricing products in competitive markets taking into account the features and prices of competing product offerings. This technique is based on a methodology known as data envelopment analysis (DEA) and is referred to as competitive pricing using data envelopment analysis (CPDEA). With the development of technology accelerating and new products coming to the market at an ever faster pace, prices of current products are often adjusted based on the state-of-the-art (SOA) technology in the market in order to remain competitive. CPDEA measures the product features that are most important to customers and calculates the performance efficiency values using the DEA method. CPDEA regards price as a performance feature, using this approach the manufacturer can adjust the price in order for a product to reach the SOA frontier and maintain competitive pricing. This research demonstrates the proposed method applied to a popular product category in the test and measurement industry: oscilloscopes. The authors investigated the features of oscilloscopes that are most important to users, then a feature dataset from different oscilloscope models was collected, and the performance efficiency values of the different models were calculated. The product prices are then adjusted in order for efficiency to be as close to 1 as possible which means that the products are considered SOA in the market. In this way, we obtain a more competitive price for the older products, while also setting the prices for the advanced products in a way that captures the value of their additional features.
Effects of small medial preoptic area lesions on maternal behavior: Retreiving and nest building in the rat

Summary Previous studies in rats have demonstrated that large lesions in the medial preoptic area (MPOA) disrupt all aspects of maternal behavior. In the present study, small bilateral electrolytic lesions in the MPOA of lactating females abolished nest building and retrieving components of maternal behavior while crouching and nursing were unaffected. Animals which failed to show retrieval and nest building behaviors tended to have a greater area of lesion within the more dorsal part of the MPOA. Although the dorsal MPOA may play a role in the maintenance of the active components of maternal behavior, i.e. nest building and retrieving, another critical factor in determining which components of maternal behavior are disrupted may be the size of the lesion. As one increases the area of damaged tissue there is also an accompanying increase in the components of maternal behavior which are disrupted. No correlation was found between damage to the Sexually Dimorphic Nucleus of the preoptic area and retrieving and nest building.
The development of hardness homogeneity in aluminum and an aluminum alloy processed by ECAP

Equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP) is an effective fabrication process for obtaining ultrafine-grained materials. This paper examines the development of homogeneity in materials processed by ECAP with emphasis on samples of pure aluminum and an Al-6061 alloy processed by ECAP for up to 8 passes at room temperature. The Vickers microhardness was recorded on the polished cross-sectional planes of each as-pressed billet and the results are plotted in the form of contour maps to provide a pictorial depiction of the hardness distributions throughout the cross-sections. The factors influencing the homogeneity are examined, including the die corner angle within the ECAP die and the number of imposed passes. It is shown that good homogeneity may be achieved through ECAP processing when the number of passes in ECAP is reasonably high.
Ion storage dosimetry

Abstract The availability of a reliable, accurate and cost-effective real-time personnel dosimetry system is fascinating to radiation workers. Electronic dosimeters are contemplated to meet this demand of active dosimetry. The development of direct ion storage (DIS) dosimeters, a member of the electronic dosimeter family, for personnel dosimetry is also an attempt in this direction. DIS dosimeter is a hybrid of the well-established technology of ion chambers and the latest advances in data storage using metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) analog memory device. This dosimeter is capable of monitoring legal occupational radiation doses of gamma, X-rays, beta and neutron radiation. Similar to an ion chamber, the performance of the dosimeter for a particular application can be optimized through the selection of appropriate wall materials. The use of the floating gate of a MOSFET as one of the electrodes of the ion chamber allows the miniaturization of the device to the size of a dosimetry badge and avoids the use of power supplies during dose accumulation. The concept of the device, underlying physics and the design of the DIS dosimeter are discussed. The results of preliminary testing of the device are also provided.
The Liberal Peace Revisited: The Role of Democracy, Dependence, and Development in Militarized Interstate Dispute Initiation, 1950–1999

We test a model of the liberal peace by examining the initiation of militarized interstate disputes at the monadic level of analysis from 1950–1999. Liberal peace theory contends that both economic dependence and democratic political systems reduce conflict propensities. Extant empirical analyses of the monadic liberal peace, however, are under-specified. First, the concept of economic dependence not only includes trade, but also foreign investment. Second, existing models do not control for the influence of economic development. Previous research on the monadic liberal peace has also failed to distinguish between the initiation of conflict and participation in conflict. We find evidence for a liberal peace: trade dependence, foreign investment, and democracy reduce a state’s propensity to initiate militarized disputes.
Transrectal Ultrasound Versus Digital Rectal Examination for the Staging of Carcinoma of the Prostate: Results of a Prospective, Multi-Institutional Trial

ABSTRACTPurpose: We determined the accuracy of transrectal ultrasonography versus digital rectal examination in staging the local extent of biopsy proved carcinoma of the prostate.Materials and Methods: A National Institutes of Health funded network was developed to perform prospective, multi-institutional trials. A total of 386 patients judged by the investigators to be candidates for radical prostatectomy underwent transrectal ultrasonography with recording of data according to a numerical analog for construction of receiver operating characteristic curves. The results of digital rectal examination were similarly recorded. After radical prostatectomy whole mount histology was performed on all surgical specimens, and pathological findings were correlated with preoperative transrectal ultrasound and digital rectal examination results.Results: The calculated area under the curve for transrectal ultrasound in predicting extra-capsular tumor extension was 0.69 compared to 0.72 for digital rectal examination ...
Effects of ambient temperature and body fat content on maternal litter reduction in Syrian hamsters

Abstract Reproduction in Syrian hamsters is sensitive to the general availability of metabolic energy. For example, females often modify their litter size by cannibalism on days 1–7 postpartum, and the number of young eaten is a function of the total supply of metabolic energy as determined by both food supply and body fat content. If the level of cannibalism is a function of energy availability, it might be expected that a drop in ambient temperature would increase cannibalism, since cold acclimation demands greater energy expenditure. We found that hamsters ate significantly more of their offspring when housed at 10 compared to 22°C during lactation. The effect of cold on cannibalism was attenuated in hamsters fattened prior to cold exposure and exaggerated in hamsters that were lean prior to cold exposure. Thus, the litter size maintained by Syrian hamsters is a function of the total supply of metabolic fuels as determined by energy sources, such as food supply and adipose tissue, and by energetic costs of thermoregulatory and other processes.
Quinidine induced lupus syndrome

Five patients with a lupus-like syndrome secondary to quinidine are described. Eleven other cases have previously been reported. The quinidine induced lupus syndrome is similar to that seen with procainamide and hydralazine treatment but occurs less frequently. The lower incidence may reflect a difference in the metabolism of quinidine. Quinidine should be considered as potentially responsible when multisystem disease appears in patients receiving this drug.
An exploratory approach to Kaplansky's Lemma leads to a generalized resultant

This result actually holds in arbitrary dimensions and the extension from finite to infinite dimensions is fairly straightforward [6, p. 64]. Aupetit [1] gives an elegant proof when F= C: (valid for any dimensions) using Liouville's theorem from complex analysis. His proof is reproduced, slightly polished, in Prasolov's recent intriguing survey of linear algebra emphasizing modern proofs of classical results [5, p. 46]. Henceforth, we assume a finite-dimensional space, so T has a minimal polynomial of degree n, say. The maximum k can be is n-1 and so we may as well assume k = n-1. Prasolov then gives a slick proof, but only for infinite fields, using minimal vector-annihilating polynomials and their subspaces [5, 13.1.2, p. 73]. It relies on the result: a vector space cannot be expressed as a finite set-theoretic union of proper subspaces, and this of course requires the underlying field to be infinite. For arbitrary fields, one can readily construct a suitable vector v using the theory of the rational canonical form [4, p. 198]. This says that T acts as a block diagonal matrix, the diagonal blocks being the companion matrices of the invariant factors d1(x) l d2(x)l . . . Ids(x) of T. The vector v consisting of O's except for a 1 in the first position corresponding to the ds(x) block has minimal annihilating polynomial ds(x). This vector v fits the bill since ds(x) is also the minimal polynomial of T. But suppose out of curiosity we look for a suitable v using the version of the rational canonical form involving elementary divisors [3, p. 262]. Now T acts as a block diagonal matrix whose diagonal blocks are the companion matrices of the elementary divisors {pi(X)e'l} of T. Here the polynomials pi(x) are irreducible and distinct. Let fi(x) = pi(X)r' 1 < i < m, be the elementary divisors of highest degree, so that flim= 1 ti(x) is the minimal polynomial of T with degree n = Lim=ldeg fi. In fact, it is sufficient to assume these are the only elementary divisors; after dealing with this case, v can be augmented with zeros to cover the general case. Thus we assume T is the n-square matrix diag(A1, A2, . . ., Am) where Ai is the companion matrix of fi, 1 < i < m. Let (vlT v2T vmT)T be the corresponding partition of our desired (column) vector v. For vi, let's try the simplest possible nonzero vector: just one nonzero entry a 1, say which should be the first entry
Adding Value to the University of Oklahoma Libraries History of Science Collections through Digital Enhancement

Much of the focus of digital collections has been and continues to be on rare and unique materials, including monographs. A monograph may be made even rarer and more valuable by virtue of hand written marginalia. Using technology to enhance scans of unique books and make previously unreadable marginalia readable increases the value of a digital object to researchers. This article describes a case study of enhancing the marginalia in a rare book by Copernicus.
Using Baltimore HIV Behavioral Surveillance Data for Local HIV Prevention Planning

In response to the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) and as part of CDC’s Enhanced Comprehensive HIV Prevention Plan (ECHPP) project, Maryland developed a comprehensive local HIV prevention plan for the Baltimore–Towson Metropolitan Statistical Area and identified a series of priority HIV prevention and service goals. The current project sought to: (1) determine how well National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS) indicators were aligned with NHAS/ECHPP-informed local HIV prevention goals (2) facilitate on-going NHBS data utilization to inform on-going local HIV prevention and service planning, and (3) build a foundation for future NHBS data utilization in local HIV decision-making. Project activities identified key HIV-related indicators in NHBS that are directly or indirectly related to local HIV priorities as informed by NHAS/ECHPP, which can be used for HIV prevention planning in the Baltimore area. Areas for enhancing NHBS and local data collection to further inform HIV prevention priorities are highlighted.