cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The fine structure of the salivary glands of the desert locust Schistocerca gregarii Forskål.

This paper describes the structure of the salivary glands of Schistocerca gregaria as seen under the electron microscope and the light microscope. The salivary glands consist of a number of acini located on both sides of the pro-, meso-, and metathoracic segments of the locust. Each acinus is drained by a duct which unites with others from the same side to form a lateral collecting duct. The ducts from the two sides join in the head capsule and open into a salivary cup on the labium. Each acinus consists of parietal cells, zymogenic cells, duct cells, tracheoblasts, sheath cells and pigment cells. The parietal and zymogenic cells are the main sites for the production of the salivary gland secretions, which pass through microvilli from the zymogenic cells to the lumen of the ducts within the acinus. Outside the acinus each duct is composed of highly specialized cells with infolded basement membranes extending about a third of the way across the cell. The cytoplasm between the membranes contains elongated mitochondria and glycogen granules. The apical border of the cell is thrown into microvilli which are closely aggregated under the cuticle lining the duct. These cells have all the features of cells previously described in vertebrates and invertebrates which are known to absorb water and/or ions. Absorption of water from the gut could allow the excretion of hypertonic saliva by the locust.
PRAP, a prolactin receptor associated protein: Its gene expression and regulation in the corpus luteum

We have recently identified, characterized, and cloned a luteal microsomal 32-kDa phosphoprotein that we named PRAP (for PRL-receptor associated protein), and we have demonstrated that PRAP binds to the intracellular domain of the short but not the long form of the PRL receptor. In this study, we used PRAP cDNA to examine the tissue specificity, the developmental expression, and the hormonal regulation of PRAP gene expression. Northern blot analysis revealed that in the corpus luteum, PRAP cDNA hybridized to multiple transcripts (5.5 kb, 4.3 kb, and 1.8 kb), with the smallest transcript (1.8 kb) corresponding to the size of the cDNA clone. However, none of these transcripts were detected in any other tissues examined. PRAP appears to be tightly regulated by steroids and PRL. When pregnant rats were treated with aminoglutethimide, a steroid synthesis inhibitor, all three PRAP transcripts became barely detectable. Similar results were obtained when all luteotropic support was removed by hypophysectomy and hysterectomy. Estradiol up-regulated PRAP expression and, more specifically, the two lower transcripts. PRL had no stimulatory effect on PRAP messenger RNA (mRNA) expression but caused a substantial increase in the level of PRAP protein when administered to hypophysectomized pregnant rat, suggesting that PRL may stabilize this protein. Similar dissociation between levels of mRNA and protein were observed during luteal development. Although both PRAP mRNA and protein were barely detectable in early pregnancy, their expression increased abruptly from midpregnancy; however, whereas levels of PRAP mRNA declined from day 18, those of the protein remained elevated until parturition. In summary, results of this study have defined the tissue specificity and developmental expression of PRAP mRNA during pregnancy. The data have also revealed that the gene expression of this protein is up-regulated by estradiol, suggesting a pivotal role for PRAP in the synergistic action of estradiol and PRL on the function of the rat corpus luteum.
Spontaneous point mutations that occur more often when advantageous than when neutral.

Recent reports have called into question the widespread belief "that mutations arise continuously and without any consideration for their utility" (in the words of J. Cairns) and have suggested that some mutations (which Cairns called "directed" mutations) may occur as specific responses to environmental challenges, i.e., they may occur more often when advantageous than when neutral. In this paper it is shown that point mutations in the trp operon reverted to trp+ more frequently under conditions of prolonged tryptophan deprivation when the reversions were advantageous, than in the presence of tryptophan when the reversions were neutral. The overall mutation rate, as determined from the rates of mutation to valine resistance and to constitutive expression of the lac operon, did not increase during tryptophan starvation. The trp reversion rate did not increase when the cells were starved for cysteine for a similar period, indicating that the increased reversion rate was specific to conditions where the reversions were advantageous. Two artifactual explanations for the observations, delayed growth of some preexisting revertants and cryptic growth by some cells at the expense of dying cells within aged colonies, were tested and rejected as unlikely. The trp+ reversions that occurred while trp- colonies aged in the absence of tryptophan were shown to be time-dependent rather than replication-dependent, and it is suggested that they occur by mechanisms different from those that have been studied in growing cells. A heuristic model for the molecular basis of such mutations is proposed and evidence consistent with that model is discussed. It is suggested that the results in this and previous studies can be explained on the basis of underlying random mechanisms that act during prolonged periods of physiological stress, and that "directed" mutations are not necessarily the basis of those observations.
In Praise of a Good Colleague: Ronald John Prokopy

Ronald John Prokopy was born on September 28, 1935, in Danbury, Con-necticut. Ron, as he was known to everyone, grew up on a farm. He earnedbachelor and doctoral degrees at Cornell University. Ron studied migra-tory behavior in alfalfa weevils for his dissertation, but his life’s researchconcerned the behavior of insects that exploited tree fruit as hosts, mostnotably tephritid ﬂies. The contributions that Ron Prokopy made to ourscience are reﬂected in an impressive list of publications, unbroken suc-cess in grantsmanship, a solid lineage of successful students and postdocs,the successful application of knowledge about insect behavior to pest man-agement, and the high regard in which he and his work are held. Beyondthese achievements, the following “key words” and phrases apply to Ron:
Changes in Serotypes and Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Invasive Streptococcus pneumoniae Strains in Cleveland: a Quarter Century of Experience

The serotypes and susceptibilities to penicillin, macrolides, and clindamycin of 1,655 invasive isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae recovered between 1979 and 2004 were determined. A precipitous decrease of 61% in the number of isolates was found following 2000, the year of 7-valent protein-conjugated pneumococcal vaccine (PCV7) introduction (139 versus 55 per 2-year period prior to versus after 2000; P < 0.001). This decrease was 84% in children <5 years old (80 versus 13 per 2-year period; P < 0.001) and 18 to 23% in other age groups (P, not significant). PCV7 serotypes decreased by 76% overall (103 versus 25 per 2-year period; P < 0.001) and by 92% in children <5 years old (65 versus 5 per 2-year period; P < 0.001), with significant decreases in six of the seven PCV serotypes. Other serotypes, except for type 19A, decreased from 32 to 22 per 2-year period, while type 19A increased from 4 to 8 per 2-year period, although none of these changes reached significance. Drug resistance emerged slowly, with the first penicillin-intermediate strain isolated in 1980 and the first macrolide/lincosamide-resistant strain isolated in 1984. The first penicillin-resistant strain was isolated in 1993. Resistance increased steadily thereafter until 2003-2004, when 51.1% of isolates were penicillin nonsusceptible and 53.3% were macrolide resistant. Clindamycin resistance remained low until 2003-2004, when 26.7% of strains were resistant; this was associated with the emergence of multidrug-resistant type 19A strains. This study documents the emergence of resistance over a quarter century among invasive pneumococci in the Cleveland area, as well as the reduction in disease caused by PCV7 serotypes following the introduction of PCV7 in 2000.
Trafficking, Migration, and the Law Protecting Innocents, Punishing Immigrants

The Trafficking Victims’ Protection Act of 2000 has been presented as an important tool in combatingthe exploitation and abuse of undocumented workers, especially those forced into prostitution. Through a close reading of the legislation and the debates surrounding its passage, this article argues that the law makes strategic use of anxieties over sexuality, gender, and immigration to further curtail migration. The law does so through the use of misleading statistics creating a moral panic around “sexual slavery,” through the creation of a gendered distinction between “innocent victims” and “guilty migrants,” and through the demand that aid to victims be tied to their willingness to assist in the prosecution of traffickers. As a result, the legislation is less a departure from, than of a piece with, other recent antisex and antiimmigrant policies.
On the Gating Mechanisms of the Light-dependent Conductance in Pecten Hyperpolarizing Photoreceptors: Does Light Remove Inactivation in Voltage-dependent K Channels?

The hyperpolarizing receptor potential of ciliary photoreceptors of scallop and other mollusks is mediated by a cGMP-activated K conductance; these cells also express a transient potassium current triggered by depolarization. During steady illumination, the outward currents elicited by voltage steps lose their decay kinetics. One interesting conjecture that has been proposed is that the currents triggered by light and by depolarization are mediated by the same population of channels, and that illumination evokes the receptor potential by removing their steady-state inactivation. Exploiting the information that has become available on the phototransduction cascade of ciliary photoreceptors, we demonstrated that the same downstream signaling elements are implicated in the modulation of voltage-elicited currents: direct chemical stimulation both at the level of the G protein and of the final messenger that controls the light-dependent channels (cGMP) also attenuate the falling phase of the voltage-activated current. Application of a protein kinase G antagonist was ineffective, suggesting that a cGMP-initiated phosphorylation step is not implicated. To ascertain the commonality of ionic pathways we used pharmacological blockers. Although millimolar 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) suppressed both currents, at micromolar concentrations only the photocurrent was blocked. Conversely, barium completely and reversibly antagonized the transient voltage-activated current with no detectable effect on the light-evoked current. These results rule out that the same ionic pores mediate both currents; the mechanism of light modulation of the depolarization-evoked K current was elucidated as a time-dependent increase in the light-sensitive conductance that is superimposed on the inactivating K current.
Modified polysulfones. III. Synthesis and characterization of polysulfone aldehydes for reactive membrane materials

Polysulfones (PSfs) containing pendant aldehyde groups have potential uses as reactive polymer supports or affinity membranes to bind enzymes and ligands. The polymeric aldehydes may also be utilized to prepare crosslinked membranes and to covalently bond inorganic species to the matrix. A series of polymers containing pendant aldehydes with degrees of substitution (DS) ranging from 0.1 to 2.0 groups per repeat unit was prepared by lithiation at the orthosulfone site and then treatment of the intermediate with dimethylformamide (DMF), a formyl equivalent electrophile. A polymer with aldehyde groups (DS 2) at the orthoether site was also prepared by lithiation of brominated PSf followed by DMF. The new polymer structures were characterized in detail by NMR spectroscopy, and their thermal properties were investigated by DSC and thermogravimetric analysis. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 39: 675–682, 2001
Hybrid finite element-mixed-potential integral equation-discrete complex image approach for inhomogeneous waveguides in layered media

Presents an efficient approach which combines the finite element method (FEM), the mixed-potential integral equation method (MPIE) and the discrete complex image method (DCIM) for the analysis of inhomogeneous waveguides in layered media. In this approach, the inhomogeneous guiding core is modeled by the FEM based on the vector E-formulation and the layered media by the MPIE. The FEM and MPIE formulations are coupled by enforcing the continuity of the tangential fields across the surface of the guiding core. The spectral integrals that arise in layered media Green's functions are efficiently evaluated using the DCIM. Numerical results for the dispersion curves of dielectric waveguides in a homogeneous medium and on a grounded substrate are presented and compared with published results.
Response of juvenile centrarchids to sublethal concentrations of waterborne selenium. I. Uptake, tissue distribution, and retention

Abstract Juvenile bluegill ( Lepomis macrochirus and largemouth bass ( Micropterus salmoides ) contained significantly elevated levels of selenium in all tissues examined after exposure to 10 μ/l for 120 days. The relative accumulation of selenium in specific tissues was: spleen > heart > liver > kidney > erythrocytes > gill > plasma > white muscle > gonad > intestine > stomach > brain. Water temperature and hardness did not affect the equilibrium concentrations or tissue distribution observed after 90 days, although earlier values were influenced. Selenium concentrations remained unchanged after 30-day elimination trials in spleen, liver, kidney, and white muscle, but exhibited a half-life retention time ≤ 15 days in gill and erythrocytes. The largest difference between species was in the selenium content of white muscle, with bluegill concentrating approximately twice that of largemouth bass. The major uptake pathway appears to be crythrocyte transport mediated by active oxo-groups on the selenium anion, with subsequent exchange at preferential sites. High apportionment into the spleen and heart may be influenced by differential formation of selenoproteins. Even though no mortality resulted under these controlled experimental conditions, possible pathologic enhancement, combined with the added body burden from dietary intake, strongly suggest the potential for toxicity in natural systems where waterborne selenium concentrations approach 10 μ/l.
Shapiro’s Inequality

Shapiro proposed an inequality in the 1954 American Mathematical Monthly, which now goes by his name. The inequality is now settled but work on the subject continues. The discussion of the history of this inequality does not always give a clear picture of the chronology and the results. In addition, the work still to be done is not always made clear. Here, we try to separate the various aspects of the problem: give the chronology and priorities; give a hint on the role of computer proofs; give the shortest route to the results; indicate the methods used in the shortest route; conjecture about the continued interest in the problem; and indicate where further work can be done.
High-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy for the treatment of benign obstructive endobronchial granulation tissue.

Background: Severe airway obstruction can occur in the setting of benign granulation tissue forming at bronchial anastomotic sites after lung transplantation in up to 20% of patients. Many of these benign lesions respond to stent placement, laser ablation, or balloon bronchoplasty. However, in certain cases, proliferation of granulation tissue may persist despite all therapeutic attempts. This study describes a series of refractory patients treated with high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy for benign proliferation of granulation tissue, causing airway compromise. Methods and Materials: Between April 2002 and June 2005, 5 patients with significant airway compromise from recurrent granulation tissue were treated with HDR brachytherapy. All patients had previously failed to maintain a patent airway despite multiple bronchoscopic interventions. Treatment was delivered using an HDR brachytherapy afterloader with 192 Ir. Dose prescription was to a depth of 1 cm. All patients were treated weekly, with total doses ranging from 10 Gy to 21 Gy in two to three fractions. Results: The median follow-up was 12 months. All patients experienced a reduction in therapeutic bronchoscopic procedures after HDR brachytherapy compared with the pretreatment period. With the exception of possible radiation-induced bronchitis in 1 patient, there were no other treatment related complications. At the time of this report, 2 patients have died and the other 3 are alive with marked symptomatic improvement and reduced bronchoscopic procedures. Conclusion: High-dose-rate brachytherapy is an effective treatment for benign proliferation of granulation tissue causing airway obstruction. The early response to therapy is encouraging and further follow-up is necessary to determine long-term durability and late effects.
Teachers' Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching and School Context: A Study of California Teachers

This article examines the relationship between the mathematical knowledge of 438 K-8 California teachers and the demographics of the schools in which they work. To measure mathematical knowledge, we used a series of multiple-choice problems meant to represent both the content teachers teach and the specialized knowledge of mathematics that teachers might possess. Teachers in schools with higher proportions of low-SES and Hispanic students performed more poorly on these measures than did teachers from other schools. Implications for policy and for further research are discussed.
Study Of Sweet Corrosion In Horizontal Multiphase, Carbon Steel Pipelines

Sweet corrosion in carbon steel pipelines carrying oil-water mixtures has long been a problem in the oil industry. A study to determine the corrosion rates and the type of deposits formed on the pipe surface under such multiphase flow conditions is described. Full pipe flow and slug flow conditions and the effect of a few inhibitors is studied. Temperatures up to 60C and several pressures, flow rates, oil-water fractions are also studied.
Coexistence of fluid and crystalline phases of proteins in photosynthetic membranes.

Photosystem II (PSII) and its associated light-harvesting complex II (LHCII) are highly concentrated in the stacked grana regions of photosynthetic thylakoid membranes. PSII-LHCII supercomplexes can be arranged in disordered packings, ordered arrays, or mixtures thereof. The physical driving forces underlying array formation are unknown, complicating attempts to determine a possible functional role for arrays in regulating light harvesting or energy conversion efficiency. Here, we introduce a coarse-grained model of protein interactions in coupled photosynthetic membranes, focusing on just two particle types that feature simple shapes and potential energies motivated by structural studies. Reporting on computer simulations of the model’s equilibrium fluctuations, we demonstrate its success in reproducing diverse structural features observed in experiments, including extended PSII-LHCII arrays. Free energy calculations reveal that the appearance of arrays marks a phase transition from the disordered fluid state to a system-spanning crystal. The predicted region of fluid-crystal coexistence is broad, encompassing much of the physiologically relevant parameter regime; we propose experiments that could test this prediction. Our results suggest that grana membranes lie at or near phase coexistence, conferring significant structural and functional flexibility to this densely packed membrane protein system.
Comedies of Transgression in Gangsta Rap and Ancient Classical Poetry

The history of literature and art offers no shortage of works created to offend or shock an audience, but few have been as incendiary as gangsta rap. Apologists cannot deny the problematic content of this form of rap?the misogynistic posturing, themes of intense violence, freewheeling and gratuitous obscenity?and some detractors hold that even the attempt to analyze the genre bestows undeserved legitimacy on its practitioners. The transgressive and counter hegemonic stance of gangsta rap has become so threatening, in fact, that its origins as a complex poetic form with deep roots in a variety of literary and ritual traditions have, for the most part, been neglected or obscured. Indeed, it is difficult to think of any poetic form in the contemporary West in which politics, race, and ideology have dictated so completely the terms of "acceptable" criticism. This is all the more remarkable for gangsta rap, insofar as so much foundational scholar ship, some even decades old, already exists within fields such as folklore, psychology, and anthropology which can articulate the nexus of literary and cultural forces that gave rise to it. As such approaches make clear, far from being an unprecedented art form that can only reflect the social pathologies idiosyncratic to American ghetto life, gangsta rap operates within a well-documented poetic tradition within African American culture that ritualizes invective, satire, obscenity, and other verbal phenomena with transgressive aims. Many critics have indeed noted that gangsta rap has, for example, links with African-American rituals of abuse, such as "the dozens" or "toasting," and a very few have even suggested that this background might be relevant to a contemporary understanding of gangsta rap. But there has been no detailed study of the genre as an example of a poetic mode operating according to principles that are conceptually prior to an author's lived reality. Ironically, the genre itself has probably been the biggest obstacle to any serious investigation of its poetic provenance. Like many forms of subjective poetry, after all, gangsta rap insists on the pretense that the "I" of its lyrics is the actual poet; and when this pretense is combined with transgressive content, it becomes even more
Host Identity Matters in the Amphibian- Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis System: Fine-Scale Patterns of Variation in Responses to a Multi-Host Pathogen

Species composition within ecological assemblages can drive disease dynamics including pathogen invasion, spread, and persistence. In multi-host pathogen systems, interspecific variation in responses to infection creates important context dependency when predicting the outcome of disease. Here, we examine the responses of three sympatric host species to a single fungal pathogen, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, which is associated with worldwide amphibian population declines and extinctions. Using an experimental approach, we show that amphibian species from three different genera display significant differences in patterns of pathgen-induced mortality as well as the magnitude and temporal dynamics of infection load. We exposed amphibians to one of four inoculation dose treatments at both larval and post- metamorphic stages and quantified infection load on day 8 and day 15 post-inoculation. Of the three species examined, only one (the Pacific treefrog; Pseudacris regilla) displayed ‘‘dose-dependent’’ responses; survival was reduced and infection load was elevated as inoculation dose was increased. We observed a reduction in survival but no differences in infection load across pathogen treatments in Cascades frogs (Rana cascadae). Western toads (Anaxyrus boreas) displayed differences in infection load but no differences in survival across pathogen treatments. Within species, responses to the pathogen varied with life history stage, and the most heavily infected species at the larval stage was different from the most heavily infected species at the post-metamorphic stage. Temporal changes in infection load were species and life history stage-specific. We show that variation in susceptibility to this multi-host pathogen is complex when viewed at a fine-scale and may be mediated through intrinsic host traits.
New Developments in the Management of Borderline Resectable Pancreatic Cancer

The optimal management of borderline resectable pancreatic cancer remains unclear. Neoadjuvant chemoradiation remains the most common approach in the United States, while neoadjuvant chemotherapy alone is also widely utilized and has demonstrated efficacy but there has been no clear consensus about a regimen that would be most beneficial in this setting. We will discuss three abstracts that were presented in the 2013 ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium in which various regimens were evaluated in the neoadjuvant setting. Image: New sign at the entrance of Tufts Medical Center on the day of its renaming (March 4, 2008). ( Wikimedia Commons )
Efficacy of family-based weight control program for preschool children in primary care

OBJECTIVE: To test the efficacy of an innovative family-based intervention for overweight preschool-aged children and overweight parents conducted in the primary care setting. METHODS: Children with BMI ≥85th percentile and an overweight parent were randomized to intervention or information control (IC). Trained staff delivered dietary and physical/sedentary activities education to parents over 6 months (10 group meetings and 8 calls). Parents in the intervention received also behavioral modification. An intention-to-treat analysis was performed by using mixed analysis of variance models to test changes in child percent over BMI (%OBMI) and z-BMI and to explore potential moderators of group differences in treatment response. RESULTS: Ninety-six of 105 randomized families started the program: 46 children (31 girls/15 boys) in the intervention and 50 (33 girls/17 boys) in the IC, with 33 and 39 mothers and 13 and 11 fathers in intervention and IC, respectively. Baseline characteristics did not differ between groups. Children in the intervention group had greater %OBMI and z-BMI decreases at 3 and 6 months compared with those assigned to IC ( P < .0021). A greater BMI reduction over time was also observed in parents in the intervention compared with parents assigned to IC ( P < .0001). Child %OBMI and parent BMI changes were correlated ( r = .31; P = .003). Children with greater baseline %OBMI were more likely to have a greater %OBMI decrease over time ( P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: Concurrently targeting preschool-aged overweight youth and their overweight parents for behavioral weight control in a primary care setting reduced child %OBMI and parent BMI, with parent and child weight changes correlating. * Abbreviations: IC — : information control %OBMI — : percent over BMI
The Soflens® Contact Lens - An Efficient, Corneal Loading, Drug Delivery System for Antiglaucoma Drugs

AbstractThe results of administering three antiglaucoma drugs to rabbits using drug-loaded Soflens® contact lenses as drug delivery systems demonstrated a marked enhancement in the miotic activity of the drugs relative to their administration as eyedrops. The use of the Soflens® systems virtually eliminated side effects of the drugs attributable to their systemic absorption. The lens system effects an efficient transfer of drug to the cornea within 15 minutes after which time it can be removed from the eye without loss of pharmacological activity.The administration of aqueous solutions of ophthalmic drugs as eye drops is still the conventional method of dosing. Drug solutions, however, are rapidly washed out of the eye by tears; therefore, relatively concentrated solutions are required to produce an adequate level of therapeutic effect. The higher the concentration, however, the more likely it is that a sufficient amount of drug will be lost through lacrimal-nasal drainage passages and subsequent absorpti...
Salicylic acid‐based poly(anhydride‐ester) nerve guidance conduits: Impact of localized drug release on nerve regeneration

Nerve guidance conduits (NGCs) can serve as physical scaffolds aligning and supporting regenerating cells while preventing scar tissue formation that often interferes with the regeneration process. Numerous studies have focused on functionalizing NGCs with neurotrophic factors, for example, to support nerve regeneration over longer gaps, but few directly incorporate therapeutic agents. Herein, we fabricated NGCs from a polyanhydride comprised of salicylic acid (SA), a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, then performed in vitro and in vivo assays. In vitro studies included cytotoxicity, anti-inflammatory response, and NGC porosity measurements. To prepare for implantation, type I collagen hydrogels were used as NGC luminal fillers to further enhance the axonal regeneration process. For the in vivo studies, SA-NGCs were implanted in femoral nerves of mice for 16 weeks and evaluated for functional recovery. The SA-based NGCs functioned as both a drug delivery vehicle capable of reducing inflammation and scar tissue formation because of SA release as well as a tissue scaffold that promotes peripheral nerve regeneration and functional recovery.
On the solution of ε y ″ = y 3

The singular perturbation boundary-value problem exhibits anomalous behavior in its first integral equation, while the numerical solution behaves reasonably. Numerical study of the first integral equation defines conditions under which the anomalous behavior occurs.
Commentary on the Makridakis Time Series Competition (M-Competition) Introduction to the Commentary the Accuracy of Alternative Extrapolation Models: Analysis of a Forecasting Competition Through Open Peer Review

In 1982, the Journal of Forecasting published the results of a forecasting competition organized by Spyros Makridakis (Makridakis et al., 1982). In this, the ex ante forecast errors of 21 methods were compared for forecasts of a variety of economic time series, generally using 1001 time series. Only extrapolative methods were used, as no data were available on causal variables. The accuracies of methods were compared using a variety of accuracy measures for different types of data and for varying forecast horizons. The original paper did not contain much interpretation or discussion. Partly this was by design, to be unbiased in the presentation. A more important factor, however, was the difficulty in gaining consensus on interpretation and presentation among the diverse group of authors, many of whom have a vested interest in certain methods. In the belief that this study was of major importance, we decided to obtain a more complete discussion of the results. We do not believe that the data speak for themselves.
Small Animal Tomographic In Vivo Flow Cytometry with Diffuse Fluorescence Light

We have developed a new approach for fluorescence sensing, enumeration and tomographic localization of rare circulating cells with diffuse light. We validate our instrument using multiple-myeloma cells in optical phantoms and in mice in vivo.
Influence of spatially heterogeneous background activity on "hot object" quantitation in brain emission computed tomography.

Purpose Our goal was to evaluate the influence of spatially heterogeneous background activity on “hot object” quantitation in brain emission CT. Method We studied the effects of spatially heterogeneous background activity on hot object quantitative recovery in simulations of both spheres and realistic brain distributions (utilizing human MRI data). Results Significant underestimation of object activity concentration was seen for both cortical and subcortical hot objects, with increasing underestimation for increasing hot object/surrounding gray matter contrast. Significant “spill-in” of counts from surrounding activity was present. Conclusion Hot objects are significantly influenced by both “spill-out” and “spill-in.” Qualitative and quantitative analyses of such objects must explicitly consider both spill-out and spill-in; this implies a correction scheme that goes beyond simple division of the observed value by a conventional recovery coefficient.
Effect of Gamma Irradiation on the Physicochemical Properties of Rye

Abstract The effect of irradiation (60Co) on the nutritional value of rye was determined using a chick growth assay. In vitro irradiation increased significantly the solubility of rye solids in water. Total protein (N × 6.25) was not changed appreciably by irradiation but its solubility in water was increased. Compared with non-irradiated rye, the pH of irradiated rye suspension in water was reduced. In vitro digestibility of irradiated rye protein determined by a mixture of trypsin, chymotrypsin, and peptidase was increased. Solubility of carbohydrate from rye in water was increased and viscosity of a water extract was decreased by irradiation. In vitro α-amylolysis of water extracts of the grain indicated no beneficial effect of gamma irradiation for α-amylase activity. In vitro enzymatic digestibility of a diet containing 62.55% irradiated rye was enhanced by a combined pepsin-pancreatin treatment over a non-irradiated rye containing dye. Dry feces, expressed as percentage of dry matter consumed, were less for chicks fed irradiated rye diets than for those fed nonirradiated rye diets. The nutritional value of rye, based on a chick growth assay, was significantly increased by gamma irradiation (60Co). Irradiation of rye decreased nitrogen and mineral excretion by chicks in relation to intake of these nutrients.
Developing Visions of High-Quality Mathematics Instruction.

By synthesizing what has been learned with regard to critical dimensions of mathematics classroom teaching and learning, and investigating the ways teachers and other school personnel characterize high-quality mathematics instruction, this study defines the notion of ‘instructional vision’ and provides an initial categorization scheme. Motivating this work is the need to reliably document change in participants’ instructional visions within an ongoing study of the institutional setting of mathematics teaching, in which we hypothesize that improvement in teachers’ instructional practices and student achievement will be greater in schools where teachers and instructional leaders have a shared vision for high-quality mathematics instruction.
Changes in Organ Physiology in the Aging Adult

Recent advances in geriatric medicine and the aging of organ physiology affect the available clinical understanding and treatments for geriatric trauma patients. The effects of aging on organ physiology are complex and interlinked. There are global cellular changes and molecular and cellular changes specific to individual organ systems that affect the host response to trauma in the elderly. As a n improved understanding of the physiologic changes of aging at the organ level allows application to a variety of clinical scenarios; we have better understanding of the host response to trauma at an older age.
Inorganic Polyphosphate Is an Essential Structural and Functional Component of the Mammalian Ion Channel TRPM8

Inorganic polyphosphate (polyP) is the largest inorganic macromolecule known in living organisms. The presence of polyP in the volcanic environment is indicative of its essential contribution to prebiotic evolution. On the other hand, the ubiquitous expression of polyP in higher eukaryotes suggests its important physiologic roles. Therefore, a question of whether polyP is a “molecular fossil” that can be viewed as a trace material from an evolutionary perspective, or, perhaps, polyP is implicated in the critical physiological processes, is yet to be determined. However, not only the ubiquitous presence of this polymer at all levels of the living hierarchy but also its expression pattern in the critical life organs like the brain, heart, liver, etc. indicates its indispensible physiological function. In this chapter, I review one of the most beautiful functions of polyP, its contribution to the formation of ion channels. This role of polyP is conditioned by its physicochemical nature. This to be said that polyP is a highly negatively charged polymorphic homopolymer, composed of tens or hundreds of phosphate residues linked by high-energy phosphoanhydride bonds. The multiple charges along the polyP’s backbone create a high capacity for ion exchange with a preference for binding multivalent cations, attributed to their higher binding energies. For instance, Ca2+ and polyP thus make stable salt formation, which can subsequently be solubilized by another mysterious polymer, polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB). PHB is a homopolymer, comprised of ketone bodies β-hydroxybutyrate. Incorporation of the PHB-polyP-Ca2+ complex into the membrane creates an ideally Ca2+-selective channel, where the cations move along the polymers, when driving force in the form of membrane potential or ion gradient is applied. The nuances of this polymeric channel formation and its association with ion channel proteins are the focus of this chapter.
Health Utility of Early Hemiarthroplasty vs Delayed Total Hip Arthroplasty for Displaced Femoral Neck Fracture in Elderly Patients: A Markov Model.

Abstract Background Treatment for femoral neck fracture among patients aged 65 years or older varies, with many surgeons preferring hemiarthroplasty (HA) over total hip arthroplasty (THA). There is evidence that THA may lead to better functional outcomes, although it also carries greater risk of mortality and dislocation rates. Methods We created a Markov decision model to examine the expected health utility for older patients with femoral neck fracture treated with early HA (performed within 48 hours) vs delayed THA (performed after 48 hours). Model inputs were derived from the literature. Health utilities were derived from previously fit patients aged more than 60 years. Sensitivity analyses on mortality and dislocation rates were conducted to examine the effect of uncertainty in the model parameters. Results In the base case, the average cumulative utility over 2 years was 0.895 for HA and 0.994 for THA. In sensitivity analyses, THA was preferred over HA until THA 30-day and 1-year mortality rates were increased to 1.3× the base case rates. THA was preferred over HA until the health utility for HA reached 98% that of THA. THA remained the preferred strategy when increasing the cumulative incidence of dislocation among THA patients from a base case of 4.4% up to 26.1%. Conclusion We found that delayed THA provides greater health utility than early HA for older patients with femoral neck fracture, despite the increased 30-day and 1-year mortality associated with delayed surgery. Future studies should examine the cost-effectiveness of THA for femoral neck fracture.
Polaronic interactions between oxygen vacancies in rutile Ti O 2

Oxygen vacancy-vacancy interactions in rutile $\mathrm{Ti}{\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ are studied in conjunction with polaron formation trends using density functional theory calculations. It is found that polarons strongly enhance the formation of oxygen vacancies in this material and also mediate the interactions between existing vacancies. At distances below 1 nm, two isolated and charge-neutral vacancies exhibit attractive interactions with an equilibrium distance of about 4 \AA{}. The attractive forces between vacancies partly arise from the polaronic transfer of excess electrons to reduce the potential energy. These discoveries provide microscopic explanations to the vacancy clustering phenomena, as well as a practical approach to stabilize the polarons at arbitrary Ti atoms in $\mathrm{Ti}{\mathrm{O}}_{2}$.
Britain's New Form of Imperialism: Raffles and the Foundation of Singapore

The founding of Singapore by the British in 1819 had a tremendous impact on the economic and political environments of the region. These transformations brought on changes not only for the small island but also the region. Such forces had great impact upon other European powers trading in the area and had implications for the trading patterns of China and Europe.
Creep-rupture behaviour of notched oxide/oxide ceramic matrix composite in combustion environment

ABSTRACTCreep-rupture tests were performed in the combustion environment on double-edge notch and centre hole oxide/oxide ceramic matrix composite specimens. The specimens were exposed to the maximum temperature of 1250 ± 50°C in the notch region where the combustion flame directly impinged. Specimens were loaded to the desired creep load levels and the loads were sustained till either the specimens ruptured or a run-out time of 25 h was achieved. Optical and scanning electron microscopes were used to characterise specimen damage. The test results were compared to its counterparts in 1200°C (isothermal) laboratory air environment. At a given creep life, the applied creep stress for both the notch types was generally lower in the combustion environment than the laboratory air environment. Finite element simulations attributed lower applied creep stress in the combustion environment to the presence of thermal gradient stresses, which were not present in the isothermal laboratory air environment.
Elucidating ultrafast electron dynamics at surfaces using extreme ultraviolet (XUV) reflection–absorption spectroscopy

Here we review the recent development of extreme ultraviolet reflection–absorption (XUV-RA) spectroscopy. This method combines the benefits of X-ray absorption spectroscopy, such as element, oxidation, and spin state specificity, with surface sensitivity and ultrafast time resolution, having a probe depth of only a few nm and an instrument response less than 100 fs. Using this technique we investigated the ultrafast electron dynamics at a hematite (α-Fe2O3) surface. Surface electron trapping and small polaron formation both occur in 660 fs following photoexcitation. These kinetics are independent of surface morphology indicating that electron trapping is not mediated by defects. Instead, small polaron formation is proposed as the likely driving force for surface electron trapping. We also show that in Fe2O3, Co3O4, and NiO, band gap excitation promotes electron transfer from O 2p valence band states to metal 3d conduction band states. In addition to detecting the photoexcited electron at the metal M2,3-edge, the valence band hole is directly observed as transient signal at the O L1-edge. The size of the resulting charge transfer exciton is on the order of a single metal–oxygen bond length. Spectral shifts at the O L1-edge correlate with metal–oxygen bond covalency, confirming the relationship between valence band hybridization and the overpotential for water oxidation. These examples demonstrate the unique ability to measure ultrafast electron dynamics with element and chemical state resolution using XUV-RA spectroscopy. Accordingly, this method is poised to play an important role to reveal chemical details of previously unseen surface electron dynamics.
Introduction: Conceptualizing Privacy Harms and Values

Privacy is widely valued, especially in individualistic cultures, because people want to control access to their bodies and to information about their personal choices. Privacy can promote a variety of goods. It can protect intimacy among friends and colleagues and create trusting relations of tolerance among strangers. Privacy can promote dignity, since it can be embarrassing to disclose secret or unconsidered thoughts or opinions, or to reveal one’s naked body or other private spaces. Privacy can also contribute to our individuality, self-respect, and autonomy; and privacy can protect us from a wide array of emotional or psychological harms associated with unwanted publicity. Privacy can also further important political and legal goods, including property rights, fraud prevention, and non-discrimination.
Impacts of roundabouts on urban air quality: A case study of Keene, New Hampshire, USA

Abstract Roundabouts have been slow to diffuse across the United States. While roundabouts have been shown to provide safety and emissions benefits to those in or adjacent to an intersection, it is not clear if converting intersections to roundabouts can provide environmental benefits to a larger geographic area. One place where roundabouts have gained favor is the small thriving city of Keene, New Hampshire (pop. 23,409). Most of developed Keene sits in a valley surrounded by steep hills that limit air circulation and have repeatedly resulted in particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) levels exceeding national standards. In 2006–2007, two of Keene's failing signalized intersections (Level of Service “F”) were converted to roundabouts. This study seeks to understand how local air quality may have changed in the time since converting to roundabouts. A before-and-after comparison was performed using data gathered by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services from 1999–2014. In the time period following roundabout conversion, ozone levels stayed the same but PM2.5 levels were as much as 40% lower. As a related result, the proportion of the year that was classified as “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” or “Unhealthy” was 0.3–1.8% lower in the “after” time period as well. Installing roundabouts at both of its signalized intersections prone to traffic delays appears to have generated air quality benefits for Keene. While PM2.5 levels were lower in adjacent neighborhoods, this benefit may be more pronounced in a place like Keene with a similar geographic setting in terms of development patterns, transport network and topographic conditions. As planners and policy-makers propose roundabouts to relieve congestion and improve safety, this research provides additional evidence that the benefits of doing so can extend beyond the immediate intersection in certain communities; particularly when a community simultaneously installs roundabouts at all of its failing signalized intersections.
Work and Energy Concepts

Twenty-four-year-old Jack Jones, a second-year orthopaedic resident, had been a track star in the decalthalon when he went to undergraduate school at Wichita State University. During medical school at the University of Kansas, he concentrated on the high jump, practiced nearly every day, and even competed in the 1996 Olympic Games tryouts. He trained constantly, running sprints and jumping when the pit was available. But on becoming a resident with a more rigid and demanding schedule, he found it almost impossible to get in his daily workout and had to be content with a more erratic calendar of practicing. Sometimes he got up at 5 a.m. to work out and jump before early morning rounds at the hospital, or he worked out late at night after coming home from the hospital. Nevertheless, he did manage to train three or four times a week and thus burn up enough calories to allow him to cope with the hospital’s food and maintain a weight of 65 kg. In his high jump, he did work and consumed energy. How much potential energy could he convert to kinetic energy by just barely clearing the six-and-a- half-foot high bar?
A Framing of Instructional Explanations: Let Us Explain With You

Our goal in this chapter is to merge our understanding of explanations with a perspectival theory of framing. We draw on Leinhardt's model of an instructional explanation and show how adding perspective, that is, the way an individual or group understands the kind of activity they are engaged in, together with the way that information is communicated, interpreted, and organized, fits comfortably within Leinhardt's analytic framework. We hypothesize that, in a good explanation (according to Leinhardt's model), the teacher is sensitive to the resources for framing that students initially have and uses instructional activities to help build a bridge between alternative framings so that s/he is explaining the new material with, rather than to, the students. In order to demonstrate how this merging plays out, we analyze a situation in which the explanation is very focused and involves the solution of a single mathematical exercise on the limit concept by a student and a more experienced other. The emergent learning environment in which the interaction takes place is also a tribute to Leinhardt as a pioneer in the research of free, open, online help forums where students can post queries from coursework and receive help and explanations from anonymous volunteers.