cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Studying the effects of temperature on energy harvesting using pre-stressed piezoelectric diaphragms

Energy harvesting is a process in which energy which would otherwise be wasted is captured, stored and then used to power a system. Devices having such capabilities enjoy an extended life particularly advantageous in systems with limited accessibility, such as biomedical implants and structure embedded micro and wireless sensors. A viable family of materials for this purpose is piezoelectric materials because of their inherent ability to convert vibrations into electrical energy. This paper uses a type of pre-stressed PZT-5A Unimorph called Thunder ® , to actively convert mechanical vibrations into useable power. The effects of temperature, 20-100oC, pressure, 138-345kPa, frequency, 2-5Hz, and load resistance, 0.47-2.0MΩ, on the energy harvesting potential of the device are studied. The data obtained is analyzed using statistical techniques that assess the significance of the factors being studied. Results showed that the effect of temperature by itself on the voltage, AC or DC, and power generation was not significant. In combination with other factors such as pressure, frequency, and load resistance however, the temperature effect becomes statistically significant. These interaction effects tend to reduce voltage and power conversion. The maximum DC voltage and power were calculated as 108V and 11641µW at 20oC, 275.8kPa, 2.5Hz and 2MΩ. Similarly the greatest peak to peak AC voltage of 338V was also measured at 20 o C and 2.5Hz. Based on the geometry of the piezoelectric diaphragm the most power density was evaluated to be 15µW/mm 3 .
HIV: replication trimmed back.

A long-standing point of intrigue has been how certain non-human primates are resistant to HIV-1. The discovery in macaque monkeys of a protein that resides in mysterious cytoplasmic bodies holds the key.
MALDI imaging of lipids after matrix sublimation/deposition

Mass spectrometric techniques have been developed to record mass spectra of biomolecules including lipids as they naturally exist within tissues and thereby permit the generation of images displaying the distribution of specific lipids in tissues, organs, and intact animals. These techniques are based on matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) that requires matrix application onto the tissue surface prior to analysis. One technique of application that has recently shown significant advantages for lipid analysis is sublimation of matrix followed by vapor deposition directly onto the tissue. Explanations for enhanced sensitivity realized by sublimation/deposition related to sample temperature after a laser pulse and matrix crystal size are presented. Specific examples of sublimation/deposition in lipid imaging of various organs including brain, ocular tissue, and kidney are presented.
Street crime and new guns: Some implications for firearms control

Abstract The first mass trace of handguns seized by the police revealed that a disproportionate number had been first sold to a retail customer in the relatively recent past. This study examines recent data from major metropolitan areas to test the “new guns” hypothesis. The consistency of the data from a variety of cities with different state and local handgun control strategies tends to confirm the hypothesis. The implications of this finding for firearms control policy and criminological theory are discussed.
The subdiaphragmatic vagus nerves mediate activation of locus coeruleus neurons by peripherally administered microbial substances

Our earlier studies demonstrated that representative microbial substances--lipopolysaccharide, peptidoglycan, and poly-inosine: poly-cytosine (poly(I):(C))--increased the spontaneous discharge rates and sensory-evoked responses of isolated locus coeruleus (LC) neurons in a dose- and time-related manner after i.p. injection into rats. We then turned our attention to the mechanism by which microbial substances administered into the peritoneal cavity affect the LC neurons. The involvement of the subdiaphragmatic vagus nerves was examined in this regard since several brain responses to peripherally administered lipopolysaccharide have been found to depend upon the integrity of these nerves. The experiments reported here show that lipopolysaccharide, peptidoglycan, and poly(I):(C) all failed to excite LC neurons after i.p. injection into rats that had previously been subjected to complete transection of the subdiaphragmatic vagus nerves. Furthermore, selective transection of the subdiaphragmatic vagus nerve trunks indicated that the dorsal trunk, and not the ventral trunk, was necessary to excite LC neurons in response to i.p. lipopolysaccharide. The inability of LC neurons to respond to i.p. lipopolysaccharide in vagotomized rats is unlikely to be attributed to a desensitization of the neurons to lipopolysaccharide since i.c.v. injection of lipopolysaccharide excited LC neurons in vagotomized rats as it did in vagus-intact rats. These findings suggest that a variety of microbial substances excited LC neurons after administration into the peritoneal cavity in a manner involving the subdiaphragmatic vagus nerves.
Measles antigen in multiple sclerosis: identification in the jejunum by immunofluorescence.

Abstract Measles virus antigen has been detected by the fluorescent antibody method in jejunal mucosa obtained from 24 patients with clinical multiple sclerosis. Deposits of antigen, various components of the complement system and on occasion immunoglobulins were identified in the epithelial basement membrane. Antigen and complement were usually found in the lamina propria, and sometimes could be seen within epithelial cells and in capillary walls. These findings support the concept that multiple sclerosis is caused by persistent measles infection, and indicate that the virus is harbored in the wall of the small intestine.
Simple Momentum-Dependent Nuclear Central Potential

A momentum-dependent potential is developed to generate nuclear single-particle spectra in agreement with experiment. The parameters of the model are obtained by fitting to experimental data on nuclides with masses greater than 160. The heavy-element neutron single-particle spectrum is compared with the spectrum generated from a Woods-Saxon potential. The potential is applied to the problem of computing the single-particle spectra of nuclides in the mass-300 region.
“The Delicious Sense of Foreignness”: American Transcendentalism in the Atlantic

Abstract This essay presents one example of the ways in which place, transiency, and change have shaped the American experience. In the mid-nineteenth century a diverse group of American Transcendentalists came together on the island of Fayal in the Azores. The Transcendentalists' reaction to the Portuguese Catholic culture they encountered in the Azores indicates a broader pattern among nineteenth-century American liberals. These tourists operated within a larger transatlantic atmosphere of uncertainty characterized at times by hope but also by crisis. This culture of uncertainty, moreover, was one of the key factors in shaping how American liberals struggled with their conceptions of religion and nation.
Microgravity combustion of isolated n-decane and n-heptane droplets

This paper presents recent experimental results on n-heptane droplet combustion from a 5.0 second Zero-Gravity Facility. For these experiments, droplet sizes from 1 mm to 1.75 mm were studied, oxygen mole fractions in nitrogen ranged from 12 to 21 percent, and the pressure was varied from 0.25 to 1 atm. Disruptive burning mechanisms were observed in some of the experiments conducted in air environments. However, this behavior was inhibited by reducing the oxygen concentration and/or the system pressure. The above results suggest that combinations of lower oxygen indices and reduced ambient pressures are important to reducing the effects of sooting on droplet vaporization-rates.
Inhibition of Vasopressin-Induced ACTH Release from the Pituitary by Glucocorticoids in Vitro

Studies of ACTH release from rat pituitary tissue incubates were performed in an effort to determine if glucocorticoids act directly on the pituitary to influence ACTH secretion. The spontaneous release of ACTH from pituitary halves or quarters incubated in Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate was not altered by the addition of 5 μg/ml of dexamethasone-21-PO4. Synthetic lysine or arginine vasopressin (10–100 mU/ml) induced release of ACTH into the incubation media. The addition of dexamethasone-21-PO4 to the incubation media in concentrations of 0.05 μg/ml or greater inhibited vasopressin-induced ACTH release. Another glucocorticoid, methylprednisolone, also inhibited vasopressin-induced ACTH release. Compound S and desoxycorticosterone, which are not glucocorticoids, in concentrations of 100 μg/ml, and thyroxine in a concentration of 2 μg/ml did not affect vasopressin-induced ACTH release. These studies are consistent with the concept that glucocorticoids act directly at the pituitary to inhibit activation of ACTH s...
Inherent Stability Modes of Low-Aspect-Ratio Wings

The development of micro aerial vehicles has been hindered by a poor understanding of the flight dynamics associated with the unique aerodynamic regime. This study experimentally estimates the aerodynamic damping derivatives of flat-plate wings with aspect ratios less than 3 at a Reynolds number of 7.5×104; when combined with previously published results detailing the lateral and longitudinal static loads, a dynamic model is developed for low-aspect-ratio wings. The initial-condition response of the linear equations of motion shows that the loading created by roll stall results in purely aerodynamic lateral modes which, unlike conventional aircraft, are not attributed to geometric features, such as the vertical tail; this response was favorably compared with the integration of the full nonlinear equations. The mode is manifested by divergent, high-amplitude perturbations in sideslip, bank angle, and roll rate; furthermore, it is seen to be affected by angle of attack variations, which significantly alter ...
Effect of Crop Rotation and Cultivar Resistance on Seed Yield and the Soybean Cyst Nematode in Full‐Season and Double‐Cropped Soybean

Soybean cyst nematode (Heterodera glycines Ichinohe) can cause considerable damage to soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.], especially in western USA growing areas that are newly infested. The objective of this study was to find cultural practices that reduce cyst nematode effect on soybean in this region. Four management systems, one having continuous susceptible soybean, a second consisting of a 3-yr rotation with 2 yr of a nonhost crop followed by susceptible soybean, and two 4-yr rotations alternating a susceptible and resistant cultivar with nonhost crops, were investigated at nematode-infested and noninfested locations. One 4-yr rotation had full-season soybean while the other had double-crop soybean. Data included soybean seed yield, yield components, and cyst nematode egg density. Grain yields of full-season, SCN-susceptible Stafford' were similar in all rotations at each location. Nonhost crops reduced nematode densities from 4000 eggs 100 cm -3 in continuously cropped SCN-susceptible plots to 1000 and 500 eggs 100 cm -3 in 3- and 4-yr rotations, respectively. However, nematode numbers rapidly increased to more than 5000 eggs 100 cm -3 by seasons end when susceptible soybean was grown. The SCN-susceptible cultivar produced 33% less grain and pods than did the SCN-resistant cultivar, Manokin, at the infested location while the cultivars yielded similarly at the noninfested site. Full-season and double-cropped soybean reacted similarly to SCN. Crop rotation reduced cyst nematode numbers, but this benefit did not reduce yield losses on subsequent SCN-susceptible soybean as numbers rapidly climbed to damaging levels.
The contemporary jewish studies of marshall sklare

By virtue of his first book, published more than 20 years ago, Marshall Sklare became the leading spokesman for the sociological study of contemporary American Jewry. He began that book—on Conservative Judaism—with the statement that much of the territory on contemporary Jewish religious movements constituted a terra incognita, though abundant material on historical aspects of the Jewish com munity existed (1955a: 15). More than any other individual, Sklare has been responsible for the development of the sociological study of Jewry. As another writer (Singer, 1975) has stated, "Sklare can be credited with almost single-handedly establishing 'contemporary Jewish studies.' " While not the field's only researcher —as Sklare himself notes in a recent essay—he has been the field's major researcher and teacher, as well as its leading spokesman. Further, he has published more prolifically and taught specifically in the area of contemporary Jewish studies (and especially the sociology of Jewry) longer than any other individual. As Sklare notes in his recent essay (1974d), there have been several approaches to the sociological study of Jewry: (1) the assimilationist approach, represented by pre-World War II Jewish sociologists who viewed American Jews "as a dying people whose existence is artificially prolonged by Gentile prejudice," and focused on ways of easing the Jews' redefinition of themselves from "Jew" to "secularist"; (2) the critical intellectual approach, represented by post-World War II, left-oriented, Jewish sociologists who viewed American Jews "as a reprehensible group which has succumbed to corruptions resulting from newly achieved class position," and praised the ghetto's "sense of community" and "left-orientation" while criticizing the current community; (3) the survivalist approach, represented by a 1950s-'70s group varying widely in Jewish commitment, being neither assimilationists nor critics per se, but focusing on identity problems of contemporary American Jewry from a pluralistic perspective (p. 165). The distinctions among these categories are not clear cut but, not adhering strictly to the suggested time sequence, are accurate overall categorizations. Sklare clearly falls into the survivalist category. Assimilationists are not interested in developing a sociology of Jewry; rather, they explain why such a sociology should not exist. The critical intellectuals, while committed to Jewish identity (but probably more universalistic than they recognize), are more concerned with criticizing than with comprehensively analyzing. On the
Tolerance induction using bone marrow transplantation.

Background: Animals reconstituted with allogeneic whole bone marrow (WBM) are often tolerant of donor-specific solid organ grafts. Clinical application of bone marrow transplantation in solid organ transplantation has been limited, however, principally by graft-versus-host disease. We previously demonstrated that hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) reconstitute lethally irradiated allogeneic mice without producing graft-versus-host disease. The purpose of this study was to determine whether tolerance to solid organ grafts could be induced in mice reconstituted with HSCs. Methods: BALB/c mice were lethally irradiated and reconstituted with allogeneic C57BL/Ka, Thy-1.1 WBM or HSCs. An isolated group was given a limited number of HSCs (250 cells) and a subpopulation of allogeneic cells known to facilitate HSC engraftment (facilitators). C57BL/Ka, Thy-1.1 neonatal heart grafts were placed in reconstituted animals either at the time of hematopoietic transplantation or 35 days later. Third-party C3H grafts were placed over 2 months after hematopoietic reconstitution. Tolerance was defined as the persistence of cardiac contraction for the duration of evaluation (125-270 days). Results: All surviving mice that were reconstituted with C57BL/Ka, Thy-1.1 HSCs, WBM, or HSCs and facilitators were tolerant of C57BL/Ka grafts long term. Third-party C3H grafts placed in reconstituted animals were rejected by day 12, whereas those placed in unmanipulated mice were rejected by day 9. Conclusion: These data indicate that tolerance to concurrently or subsequently placed solid organ grafts can be reliably achieved with limited numbers of purified HSCs in a model where immunocompetence to third-party major histocompatibility complex antigens is delayed but intact.
Impact of intraoperative hydrodebrider treatment on postoperative sinonasal inflammation

BACKGROUND The impact of intraoperative hydrodebrider sinus irrigation (HSI) during endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) on postoperative inflammation, endoscopy, and patient-reported outcomes has not been studied. METHODS A clinical trial of 12 patients with symmetric chronic rhinosinusitis were prospectively randomized to HSI on one side after undergoing bilateral ESS. The contralateral side was not treated with any irrigation and served as an internal control. Preoperative computed tomography, endoscopic, 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22), and symptom visual analog scale (VAS) scores for each side were obtained. At 1 and 3 months postsurgery, endoscopy, SNOT-22, and sinus VAS were recorded. Sinonasal mucus levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, IL-17a, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha were measured at the time of surgery, 1 and 3 months, postoperatively, from each side. RESULTS VAS scores improved on both sides (p < 0.05) and SNOT-22 improved at all postoperative time points (p < 0.05). Endoscopic scores of HSI-treated sides did not improve compared with baseline. HSI had no additional significant impact on postoperative VAS at any time point. HSI significantly decreased IL-17a levels when compared with the control side at 1 month (p = 0.034) and 3 months (p = 0.031). No significant change was seen in TNF-alpha, IL-6, or IL-10 on either side at any time point. CONCLUSION Intraoperative HSI at the time of ESS failed to establish any improvement in postoperative endoscopy or most local cytokine levels after ESS.
Medical and surgical complications of inflammatory bowel disease in the elderly: a systematic review.

The complications of therapy, hospitalization, and surgery related to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in the elderly are not well described. While multiple reviews have described the management and complications of elderly patients with IBD, none have been performed in a systematic fashion. We performed a systematic review using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines to evaluate the association between elderly patients with IBD and complications from therapy, hospitalizations, and surgery. Eligible studies were identified via structured keyword searches in PubMed and manual literature searches. A total of 5,644 publications were identified. Of these, fourteen studies met inclusion criteria, encompassing 963 elderly IBD patients (113 Crohn’s disease and 850 ulcerative colitis patients), over 37,000 hospitalizations of elderly IBD patients and over 4,500 controls. Consistent associations were observed between increased age and higher nocturnal stool frequency post-ileal pouch anal anastomosis. Only two studies met inclusion criteria for medication-related complications, one observed an increased mortality and infection risk among elderly patients treated with tumor necrosis factor antagonists and the other observed increased hospital-related complications among elderly patients treated with steroids. Elderly patients with IBD are at an increased risk of hospital- and therapy-related complications. We found a paucity of high-quality studies evaluating outcomes in elderly patients with IBD. Further studies of elderly patients with IBD are needed to further evaluate the effect of age on medical and surgical complications.
BASELINE BODY TEMPERATURES, HEART RATES, AND RESPIRATORY RATES OF MOOSE IN ALASKA

Baseline body temperatures (BT), heart rates (HR) and respiratory rates (RR) were obtained from Alaskan moose (Alces alces gigas Miller) at the Moose Research Center (MRC), Alaska. Excitability, seasons and drugs influenced the values to varying degrees. Excitability was the most influential factor. Safe expected ranges were: BT 38.4 to 38.9 C, HR 70 to 91 beats/min (b/min), and RR 13 to 40 respirations/min (r/min). These ranges incorporated all seasons, a central nervous system depressant drug and a paralyzing drug. Values which may be considered critical and an indication that corrective action should be taken include: BT 40.2 C, HR 102 b/min, and RR 40 r/min. It is recommended that persons trained in monitoring vital signs be on hand during moose capture and immobilization procedures.
Overview of battery usage in NASA/GSFC LEO and GEO spacecrafts

A survey of the batteries used in the LEO and GEO missions at the Goddard Space Flight Center is described. For each spacecraft, a tentative launch date is given, along with relevant battery parameters including battery size and description, depth-of-discharge, predicted mission temperature, and life requirement.
Relative anaerobic glycolytic capacity and pyruvate kinase activity of rabbit tissues

Abstract 1. 1. A specific glycolytic capacity and pyruvate kinase activity are demonstrated for each of five rabbit tissues. 2. 2. Pyruvate kinase activity shows a precise linear relationship to organ lactate production in the rabbit. 3. 3. These findings suggest that measurements of pyruvate kinase activity can be used as an index of tissue glycolytic capacity and imply that mechanisms exist which gear pyruvate kinase biosynthesis to rates of anaerobic glycolysis.
Ozone profiling from backscattered UV radiance measurements A new procedure

This paper presents a data analysis technique that has been developed to support a stratospheric ozone measurement and profiling program. The data consist of solar backscattered UV radiation monitored by a spacecraft. The output consists of ozone mixing ratio profiles complete with error bars throughout the atmosphere. The technique is based upon principles of nonlinear optimal estimation. It provides a number of desirable features that have not been available together in any previously constructed technique for the problem. Iteration on both radiation measurements and total ozone measurements is among these features.
An ICR investigation of ion—molecule reactions of HCN

Laboratory reaction rates and product distributions measured by the ion cyclotron resonance technique are reported for a series of reactions of HCN(+) ions with the neutral molecules HCN, CH4, NH3, H2O, CO, CO2, N2 and O2. Rate coefficients are also reported for reactions of positive ions derived from these molecules with HCN. A comparison of the results with a survey of literature values for rate coefficients of HCN(+) reactions shows some exothermic proton transfers from HCN(+) to be inefficient.
Comparative study of neural-network-based learning strategies for collective robotic search problem

One important application of mobile robots is searching a geographical region to locate the origin of a specific sensible phenomenon. A variety of optimization algorithms can be employed to locate the target source which has the maximum intensity of the distribution of illumination function. It is very important to evaluate the performance of those optimization algorithms so that the researchers can adopt the most appropriate optimization approach to save a lot of execution time and cost of both collective robots and human beings. In this paper we provide three different neural network algorithms: steepest ascent algorithm, combined gradient algorithm and stochastic optimization algorithm to solve the collective robotics search problem. Experiments with different pair of number of sources and robots were carried out to investigate the effect of source size and team size on the task performance, as well as the risk of mission failure. The experimental results showed that the performance of steepest ascent method is better than that of combined gradient method, while the stochastic optimization method is better than steepest ascent method.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Across the interface of state ethnography: Rethinking ethnology and its subjects in multicultural India

In this article, I ask how state ethnography deploys, demands, and ultimately instantiates the ethnological forms of a particular multicultural order. Extending recent interests in paraethnographics, I take as my “object” the interface of state ethnography itself. Specifically, I examine an ethnographic survey government anthropologists conducted in Darjeeling to determine the eligibility of ten ethnic groups seeking recognition as Scheduled Tribes of India. Refiguring the proverbial encounter of anthropologists and tribes, I interrogate the real-time dynamics through which both sides negotiate, take up, and take on normative ethnological paradigms—thus actualizing the ethno-logics of Indian multiculturalism within and, indeed, beyond the classificatory moment.
The development of hippocampal and dorsolateral pallial regions of the cerebral hemisphere in fetal rabbits. III. Twenty‐nine millimeter stage, marginal lamina

The structure of the cerebral hemisphere of 29 mm rabbit embryos was stuided with aniline and Golgi stains. Particular attention was devoted to the structure of the marginal lamina. In aniline stained sections it is a light, relatively acellular layer at the surface of the embryonic cerebral hemisphere and corresponds to layer I, the molecular layer, of the adult cerebral cortex. Even in early embryonic stages the marginal lamina consists mainly of terminal remifications of pyramidal cell apical dendrites and ascending axons. This layer of neuropile is of particular interest since it greatly precedes the development of other cortical zones rich in axons and dendrites. The reasons for the precocious development of dendritic branches at this level are unknown but may be related to the presence of ascending axons of nerve cells in the cortical plate or to horizontal cells. Large and small horizontal neurons are the only intrinsic cells at this level. Axons are present on the small elements, but were seen only infrequently on large cells. Some of the latter are similar to Cajal-Retzius cells of perinatal stages, but have relatively few ascending branches.
Induction and potentiation of lethal and genetic effects of ultraviolet light by tobacco smoke condensates in yeast

Tobacco smoke condensates (TSC) were tested for DNA repair inhibition in both repair proficient and different classes of repair deficient strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. TSC was also tested for induction and potentiation of mutations and mitotic gene conversion in unirradiated and uv-irradiated yeast cells. TSC was found to sensitize all the strains of yeast to uv-inactivation indicating that it acts in a nonspecific manner and does not specifically inhibit a particular repair pathway. Genetic studies showed that TSC, without exogenous metabolic activation, failed to produce mutations while it induced mitotic gene conversion in the diploid strain. At specific concentrations, TSC potentiated both mutagenic and gene convertogenic effects uv-light while at higher concentrations of TSC a reduction of mutations was observed. The results are discussed as they relate to carcinogenesis and cocarcinogenesis/tumor promotion.
Questionnaires vs observational and direct measurements: a systematic review

Background: Physical work requirements can be estimated by several different methods, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. To reduce the occurrence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders, a quantitative assessment of work-related, physical risk factors is needed. Objective: To examine the validity of self-administered questionnaires (SAQ) in assessing work-related physical demands when compared to an expert's evaluation using observational and/or direct measurement. Methods: An online search of relevant databases was conducted and identified articles were critically appraised using a quality scoring checklist. Evidence from the studies was compared and summarized. Results: A total of 12 studies evaluating work-related force, duration and frequency were identified. A critical appraisal checklist was used to assess methodological quality. The majority of the studies lacked the necessary elements of measurement validity and reliability as demonstrated by their low quality scores. Overall, there...
The Culture of Health Survey: A Qualitative Assessment of a Diabetes Prevention Coalition

In the past two decades, the fields of public health and social services have increasingly turned toward collaborative and community-based approaches to address complex health and social issues. One aspect of these approaches has been the development and implementation of community coalitions. Coalitions have been used to successfully address a wide range of issues, including cancer prevention, tobacco use, HIV/AIDS, youth violence, heart disease, diabetes, and sexual exploitation of youth runaways. In south Tucson, Arizona the SEAH coalition was developed to address diabetes and substance abuse prevention. Using a qualitative interview guide, the Culture of Health Survey, this study was aimed at identifying community perceptions of the coalition and its effectiveness in the areas of community leadership, partnerships, trust, and movement towards positive change. We also sought to document the dissemination, throughout a community, of information on the activities and functioning of a community based coalition and whether or not it was seen as one that held fast to the community values and not to individual agendas. Results highlight the importance of outreach, education, trust, and partnerships in promoting diabetes prevention through a community coalition.
Evaluating dominance as a component of non‐native species invasions

Many studies have quantified plant invasions by determining patterns of non-native species establishment (i.e. richness and absolute cover). Until recently, dominance has been largely overlooked as a significant component of invasion. Therefore, we re-examined a 6-year data set of 323 0.1 ha plots within 18 vegetation types collected in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument from 1998 to 2003, including dominance (i.e. relative cover) in our analyses. We specifically focused on the non-native species Bromus tectorum, a notable dominant annual grass in this system. We found that non-native species establishment and dominance are both occurring in species-rich, mesic vegetation types. Therefore, non-native species dominance may result despite many equally abundant native species rather than a dominant few, and competitive exclusion does not seem to be a primary control on either non-native species establishment or dominance in this study. Unlike patterns observed for non-native species establishment, relative non-native species cover could not be predicted by native species richness across vegetation types (R 2 < 0.001; P = 0.45). However, non-native species richness was found to be positively correlated with relative non-native species cover and relative B. tectorum cover (R 2 = 0.46, P < 0.01; R 2 = 0.17, P < 0.01). Analyses within vegetation types revealed predominantly positive relationships among these variables for the correlations that were significant. Regression tree analyses across vegetation types that included additional biotic and abiotic variables were a little better at predicting non-native species dominance (PRE = 0.49) and B. tectorum dominance (PRE = 0.39) than at predicting establishment. Land managers will need to set priorities for control efforts on the more productive, species-rich vegetation types that appear to be susceptible to both components of invasion.
Positioning and Stabilization of Dynorphin Peptides in Membrane Bilayers: the Mechanistic Role of Aromatic and Basic Residues Revealed from Comparative MD Simulations

There is still a significant gap in our understanding of the physicochemical properties of membrane systems with embedded peptides. This limits the ability to understand key biological mechanisms o...
THE IMPACT OF TREATED DYSFUNCTIONAL VOIDING ON THE NONSURGICAL MANAGEMENT OF VESICOURETERAL REFLUX

AbstractPurpose: We evaluated the impact of dysfunctional voiding on the nonsurgical management of vesicoureteral reflux in toilet trained children.Materials and Methods: The study population comprised 107 girls and 21 boys 3 to 10 years old who were diagnosed with vesicoureteral reflux during evaluation for urinary tract infection or dysfunctional voiding. Dysfunctional voiding was identified prospectively on the basis of typical symptoms. All patients with a urinary tract infection received antibiotic prophylaxis and oxybutynin was prescribed for all those with dysfunctional voiding. Girls with dysfunctional voiding who had no history of urinary tract infection were also given daily antibiotic prophylaxis.Results: Of the 128 patients 51 girls and 15 boys had dysfunctional voiding. Reflux spontaneously resolved in 27 of the 44 evaluable girls (61%) with normal and 19 of the 42 (45%) with dysfunctional voiding. A breakthrough urinary infection developed in 18 girls (43%) with versus only 5 (11%) without d...
The N-slit interferometer: an extended configuration

An N-slit interferometer is demonstrated with an intra-interferometric propagation path of up to 35 m. The configuration of the N-slit interferometer was extended to its maximum as allowed by the available grating, laser wavelength, and dimensions of the digital detector. Interferometric computations, based on the application of Dirac's notation, were successfully used to predict the structure and divergence of the propagating interferograms. The high sensitivity of the interferometric signal to intra-path perturbations renders this instrument particularly suitable for detecting and registering clear air turbulence, and variations in the refractive index, in the propagation path.
Minimum Broadcast Trees

"Broadcasting" is an information dissemination process in which a member of a system generates a message communicated to all other members. We model this process by ordered rooted trees and investigate a special class of rooted trees allowing broadcasting from the root to all other vertices of the tree in the minimum time (over all rooted trees with n vertices). We characterize trees from this class ("mbt") and give an algorithm deciding membership in the class. We also present an algorithm to construct all mbt's with a given number of vertices and give a recursive formula to count these trees.
DSM‐IV and beyond: what is generalized anxiety disorder?

With the advent of DSM-III in the USA (1), a new disorder termed generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) was established separately from panic disorder. Because GAD was relegated to a residual category, it soon became a confusing diagnosis. Although revisions in DSM-III-R (2) removed GAD as a residual category, they also complicated the clinical examination necessary to arrive at a GAD diagnosis. With the publication of DSM-IV (3), GAD has been further refined in an attempt to improve the reliability and discriminability of the disorder. However, it continues to be controversial, and a number of issues remain unresolved.
Graph minors XXIII. Nash-Williams' immersion conjecture

We define a quasi-order of the class of all finite hypergraphs, and prove it is a well-quasi-order. This has two corollaries of interest:*Wagner's conjecture, proved in a previous paper, states that for every infinite set of finite graphs, one of its members is a minor of another. The present result implies the same conclusion even if the vertices or edges of the graphs are labelled from a well-quasi-order and we require the minor relation to respect the labels. *Nash-Williams' ''immersion'' conjecture states that in any infinite set of finite graphs, one can be ''immersed'' in another; roughly, embedded such that the edges of the first graph are represented by edge-disjoint paths of the second. The present result implies this, in a strengthened form where we permit vertices to be labelled from a well-quasi-order and require the immersion to respect the labels.
Tissue engineering with the aid of inkjet printers

Tissue engineering holds the promise to create revolutionary new therapies for tissue and organ regeneration. This emerging field is extremely broad and eclectic in its various approaches. However, all strategies being developed are based on the therapeutic delivery of one or more of the following types of tissue building-blocks: cells; extracellular matrices or scaffolds; and hormones or other signaling molecules. So far, most work has used essentially homogenous combinations of these components, with subsequent self-organization to impart some level of tissue functionality occurring during in vitro culture or after transplantation. Emerging 'bioprinting' methodologies are being investigated to create tissue engineered constructs initially with more defined spatial organization, motivated by the hypothesis that biomimetic patterns can achieve improved therapeutic outcomes. Bioprinting based on inkjet and related printing technologies can be used to fabricate persistent biomimetic patterns that can be used both to study the underlying biology of tissue regeneration and potentially be translated into effective clinical therapies. However, recapitulating nature at even the most primitive levels such that printed cells, extracellular matrices and hormones become integrated into hierarchical, spatially organized three-dimensional tissue structures with appropriate functionality remains a significant challenge.
Multiferroic and magnetoelectric heterostructures

Abstract We review recent developments and advances in multiferroic and magnetoelectric heterostructures. Driven by the promise of new materials functionality (i.e. electric field control of ferromagnetism), extensive on-going research is focused on the search for and characterization of new multiferroic materials. In this review we develop a comprehensive overview of multiferroic materials, including details on the nature of order parameters and coupling in these materials, the scarcity of such materials in single phase form, routes to create and control the properties of these materials, and we finish by investigating such effects in a number of model materials and heterostructures. This includes an in-depth discussion of BiFeO3, an investigation of recent advances in magnetoelectric materials, and an introduction to a variety of approaches by which one can achieve novel materials functionality.
High glucose evokes an intrinsic proapoptotic signaling pathway in mesangial cells

High glucose evokes an intrinsic proapoptotic signaling pathway in mesangial cells. Background In response to chronic hyperglycemia, microvascular cells undergo stress and injury, which can lead to cell death. We characterized a proapoptotic signaling pathway whereby high glucose evokes an intrinsic, caspase-9–dependent mechanism of cell death in human mesangial cells. Methods Biochemical (caspase activity, cytochrome-c release, etc.) and morphologic (chromatin condensation and nuclear segmentation) features of apoptotic cell death were assessed in cultured human mesangial cells exposed to high glucose, a risk factor for mesangial cell injury and diabetic glomerulosclerosis. Proapoptotic signaling was also analyzed in the db/db murine model of kidney injury in diabetes. Results Incubation in high glucose caused cytotoxicity and apoptosis in mesangial cells. High glucose stimulated mitochondrial release of cytochrome-c, cleavage of procaspase-9, and caspase-9 enzyme activity, suggesting an intrinsic pathway of proapoptotic signaling. In contrast, caspase-8 was unaffected by high glucose. A cell-permeable, caspase-9-selective inhibitor blocked caspase-3 activation and prevented chromatin condensation and nuclear segmentation in cells treated with high glucose. To determine whether an intrinsic signaling pathway occurs in the diabetic kidney in vivo, apoptosis was investigated in diabetic 8- and 16-week db/db murine kidneys. Effector caspases-3 and -7 were activated in diabetic db/db kidneys but not in age-matched nondiabetic db/m controls. At 16 weeks, apoptotic cells in db/db glomeruli were identified on the basis of nuclear segmentation and DNA fragmentation. Apoptosis of glomerular cells correlated with expansion of the mesangial matrix and with worsening of albuminuria. Consistent with an intrinsic signaling pathway, caspase-9 cleavage was elevated only in db/db kidneys, whereas activation of caspase-8 and caspase-12 was undetectable. Conclusion These findings support the hypothesis that hyperglycemia evokes an intrinsic pathway of proapoptotic signaling in mesangial cells. In addition, these results point to an important role for the intrinsic pathway in microvascular injury in the diabetic kidney in vivo.
Understanding a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) in Regards to Process Safety

Abstract The safety data sheet (SDS), formerly known in the United States as the material safety data sheet (MSDS), contains important information for the safe handling of chemicals. This manuscript will cover the use of safety data sheets for process design and safe handling of chemicals. Three main categories (flammability, physical properties, and toxicity) listed in a SDS will be explained. Within each category, examples will be presented on how the specific information can be used in the design of safe chemical operations. Further, within the United States, the Department of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) revised their hazard communication standard in March of 2012. Specifically, the standard has been aligned with the United Nations’ Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). Changes include requirements for use of standardized signal words, pictograms, hazard statements, and precautionary statements. The presentation will review examples of these important changes, and relating these to the GHS for safe use of chemicals within the workplace worldwide.
Inhibition of chemically induced skin carcinogenesis by sulindac is independent of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-β/δ (PPARβ/δ)

Inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2) by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) is known to suppress skin carcinogenesis. It was further suggested that inhibition of COX2-derived prostaglandins by NSAIDs could reduce levels of putative endogenous ligands of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-beta (PPARbeta), and these ligands could potentiate tumorigenesis. However, it is currently unclear whether ligand activation of PPARbeta either inhibits or potentiates carcinogenesis. The present studies were designed to examine the mechanism of NSAID-mediated chemoprevention in skin, and, in particular, to determine the role of PPARbeta in this process. A two-stage skin carcinogenicity bioassay was performed using wild-type and PPARbeta-null mice that were fed either a control diet or one containing 0.32 g sulindac/kg diet. Significant inhibition of chemically induced skin carcinogenesis was observed in both wild-type and PPARbeta-null mice, and this was associated with a marked decrease in the concentration of skin prostaglandins including PGE(2) and PGI(2). Results from these studies demonstrate that inhibition of COX2 by dietary sulindac in mouse skin can effectively inhibit chemically induced skin carcinogenesis, and suggest that the mechanism underlying this chemopreventive effect is independent of PPARbeta. Additionally, results from these studies do not support the hypothesis that ligand activation of PPARbeta by COX-derived metabolites potentiates chemically induced skin carcinogenesis.
ON THE NATURE OF SETTLEMENT GEOGRAPHY

(1966). ON THE NATURE OF SETTLEMENT GEOGRAPHY. The Professional Geographer: Vol. 18, No. 1, pp. 26-28.
Functionalized sol–gels for mercury(II) separation: a comparison of mesoporous materials prepared with and without surfactant templates

Abstract Granular silica gels 1b (7.0 mol% ligand) and 1c (17.0 mol% ligand) containing different amounts of tethered mercapto ligand HS(CH 2 ) 3 Si(O–) 3 were prepared in one step from the co-hydrolysis of HS(CH 2 ) 3 Si(OMe) 3 and Si(OMe) 4 . Analyses of 1b revealed that it was mesoporous (pore diameter: ca. 50 A) with a large surface area (471 m 2 /g). In 0.5, 5.0, 50, and 500 ppm Hg 2+ solutions, 1b was found to have Hg 2+ uptake capacities comparable to those of sub-micron mesoporous powders prepared with two different surfactants in the current studies. 1b and 1c removed Hg 2+ ions to be below 5 × 10 −5 ppm (the detection limit of atomic absorption) from 0.368 and 50 ppm solutions, respectively. The granular 1b and 1c are easier to prepare and handle, and may offer an alternative to sub-micron powders prepared with surfactants for Hg(II) uptake.
CORPORATE GROWTH STRATEGIES

Despite the depletion of natural resources and social costs of industrial production, corporate growth will remain a central objective for managers of American corporations in the coming decade. What must change is how that objective is pursued.
Drug interaction between oral contraceptives and St. John's wort: Appropriateness of advice received from community pharmacists and health food store clerks

Abstract Objective To estimate the extent to which community pharmacists and health food store clerks provide appropriate advice regarding a drug interaction between oral contraceptives and St. John's wort (SJW). Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Three community pharmacy chains and three health food store chains in four highly populated counties in California. Participants Community pharmacists (n = 99) and health food store clerks (n = 184). Intervention Investigators, posing as consumers, telephoned pharmacists and health food store clerks and asked the following question: "Is there a problem with taking SJW with birth control pills?" Main outcome measures Respondents were classified based on their ability to correctly identify the drug interaction (yes or no) and on the overall appropriateness (i.e., the absence of incorrect advice) of their advice. Comparisons were made between men and women respondents and between pharmacists and health food store clerks. Results Community pharmacists were more likely than health food store clerks to correctly identify the drug interaction (50.5% versus 10.9%; χ 2 (1 df ) = 54.32, P 2 (1 df ) = 2.15, P = 0.14). Appropriateness of advice varied significantly among the three pharmacy chains ( P P P = 0.18). Conclusion Lack of awareness of the potentially serious drug interaction between SJW and oral contraceptives by those who sell these products places the public at risk. Training and education, more comprehensive product labeling, and policies to refer consumers to drug information centers are needed.