cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reading the Other: Ethics of Encounter

Most scholarly fields, at least in the humanities, have been asking the same questions about the politics of encounter for hundreds of years: Should we try to find a way to encounter an other without appropriating it, without imposing ourselves on it? Is encountering‐without‐appropriating even possible? These questions are profuse and taken up with intense interest in scholarship about the personal essay, specifically, which has often been credited as a philosophical form. Within debates about the ethics of the personal essay, the most significant concern is about the traditionally accepted relationship of the writer‐represented‐on‐the‐page. For example, the notable rhetoric and composition scholar, David Bartholomae, argues that students of what he calls ‘“creative nonfiction” or “literary nonfiction”’ (1995, p. 68) write ‘... as though they [are] not the products of their time, politics and culture, as though they could be free, elegant, smart, independent, the owners of all that they saw’ (p. 70). In o...
GeV laser ion acceleration from ultrathin targets: The laser break-out afterburner

A new laser-driven ion acceleration mechanism has been identified using particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations. This mechanism allows ion acceleration to GeV energies at vastly reduced laser intensities compared with earlier acceleration schemes. The new mechanism, dubbed “Laser Break-out Afterburner” (BOA), enables the acceleration of carbon ions to greater than 2 GeV energy at a laser intensity of only 1021 W/cm2, an intensity that has been realized in existing laser systems. Other techniques for achieving these energies in the literature rely upon intensities of 1024 W/cm2 or above, i.e., 2–3 orders of magnitude higher than any laser intensity that has been demonstrated to date. Also, the BOA mechanism attains higher energy and efficiency than target normal sheath acceleration (TNSA), where the scaling laws predict carbon energies of 50 MeV/u for identical laser conditions. In the early stages of the BOA, the carbon ions accelerate as a quasi-monoenergetic bunch with median energy higher than that realized recently experimentally.
Application of Bethe-Salpeter methods to some renormalization problems in potential theory

Abstract A direct adaptation of Bethe-Salpeter methods in momentum space to nonrelativistic quantum mechanics is used to reproduce some results of Bertocchi et al. on vertex renormalization in potential theory and to extend such considerations to a discussion of the normalization condition ( Z 3 = 0) as well. It is shown that the normalization condition may be cast into the usual statement of the square-integrability of bound state wave functions or alternatively into a form familiar from a dispersion theoretic treatment of scattering with bound states given by Blankenbecler et al. The generalized Ward identity is used to indicate briefly the relevance of this discussion to a study of the form factor of the composite. Some remarks are made about other equivalent formulations of the normalization condition in the nonrelativistic theory.
The Slotted Coax as a Beam Electrode

The slot-coupled TEM line has been employed at CERN as a pick-up electrode in the GHz range. It is a compact and broad band device and will prove itself commercially attractive once its coupling efficiency is competitive with an array of quarter wave loops. The slotted coupler presented in this paper is comprised of two tubes joined along their length. The bottom tube is the beam pipe and the top tube is the TEM line which picks up the electromagnetic energy from the beam particles. Energy is transferred from the beam to the TEM line through a series of slots which are mutual to the two tubes and which occur where the tubes are joined. In this device the signal voltages add in phase when the beam velocity matches the line velocity. The pick-up impedance can thus be large if the structure is long. It turns out, however, that the signal in the synchronous case is weaker than the signal obtained from an equal length array of loop couplers. In this paper the authors derive the response of the slotted line in a general non-synchronous case and explore the possible advantages of designing the coupler with reduced velocity to increasemore » the coupling efficiency. Other properties as well as a theoretical analysis of the TEM line are presented.« less
Tippecanoe and the Ladies, Too: White Women and Party Politics in Antebellum Virginia

The nineteenth-century ideology of "separate spheres," which prescribed that men occupy the public sphere of business and politics and women the domestic sphere of home and family, has exercised a powerful hold over historians of the antebellum United States. As a result, the fields of antebellum political history and women's history have used separate sources and focused on separate issues. Political historians relying on sources such as voting records, newspapers, and the writings of politicians have described the emergence in the 1840s of what the historian Joel H. Silbey has called a new "American political nation." Gone was the political world of the early republic, with its widespread antiparty sentiment, deferential behavior by voters, and political dominance by social elites. In the new order, political parties, led by professional politicians, demanded disciplined partisanship from the electorate. The "electoral universe" was in constant motion. Men participated in a frenzied cycle of party rallies, processions, committee meetings, conventions, caucuses, and elections. What about women? Since they were neither voters nor politicians, women have received only brief mention in the new political history.' Women's historians, for their part, have shown little interest in the subject of party politics. Drawing primarily on personal papers, on legal records such as wills, and on the organizational records of female associations, they have illuminated women's domestic lives, their moral reform activities, and the emergence of the woman's rights movement. Those few scholars-Paula C. Baker, Mary P. Ryan, and Michael E. McGerrwho have tried to integrate political history and women's history have not challenged the historiographical impression that the realm of antebel-
Cerebellar morphology and the effects of stimulant medications in youths with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder.

The cerebellum is emerging as a key anatomical structure underlying normal attentional and cognitive control mechanisms. Dysregulation within cerebellar circuits may contribute to the core symptoms of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). In the present study we aimed to characterize surface morphological features of the cerebellum in ADHD and healthy comparison youths. Further, we studied the association of cerebellar morphology with the severity of ADHD symptoms and the effects of stimulant treatment. We examined 46 youths with ADHD and 59 comparison youths 8–18 years of age in a cross-sectional, case–control study using magnetic resonance imaging. Measures of cerebellar surface morphology were the primary outcome. Relative to comparison participants, youths with ADHD exhibited smaller regional volumes corresponding to the lateral surface of the left anterior and the right posterior cerebellar hemispheres. Stimulant medication was associated with larger regional volumes over the left cerebellar surface, whereas more severe ADHD symptoms were associated with smaller regional volumes in the vermis. We used optimized measures of morphology to detect alterations in cerebellar anatomy specific to ADHD, dimensions of symptomology, and stimulant treatment. Duration of treatment correlated positively with volumes of specific cerebellar subregions, supporting a model whereby compensatory morphological changes support the effects of stimulant treatment.
Model for Sr ? Cs ? Ca ? Mg ? Na ion‐exchange uptake kinetics on chabazite

Many nuclear facilities throughout the world must separate strontium-90 and cesium-137 from natural waters containing calcium, magnesium, and sodium. Research showed that chabazite, a zeolite with a hexagonal ring structure, is cost-effective for this purpose. A batch kinetic uptake model for this five-component ion-exchange system was developed and tested against experimental data. The pore-diffusion model of Yao and Tien is used with the equilibrium model of Perona. The resulting model is fast and stable, and represents the experimental data well.
Complete occlusion of the left circumflex coronary artery after radiofrequency catheter ablation in an infant.

Radiofrequency catheter ablation of a left lateral accessory atrioventricular pathway was performed in a 5-week-old infant with drug-refractory supraventricular tachycardia. Energy application via a 5-French mapping and ablation catheter in the temperature-controlled mode (60°C, 30 W) at the atrial aspect of the mitral valve annulus repeatedly resulted in termination of the tachycardia by conduction block within the pathway. Tachycardia remained inducible subsequently. After a safety energy application during sinus rhythm, significant ST-segment elevation in the inferior, mid precordial, and left lateral leads was noted. Selective left coronary angiography revealed complete occlusion of the circumflex coronary artery. Moderate-to-severe mitral valve regurgitation developed, finally requiring mitral valve replacement. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 14, pp. 1004-1006, September 2003)
The Influence of Partisan Motivated Reasoning on Public Opinion

Political parties play a vital role in democracies by linking citizens to their representatives. Nonetheless, a longstanding concern is that partisan identification slants decision-making. Citizens may support (oppose) policies that they would otherwise oppose (support) in the absence of an endorsement from a political party—this is due in large part to what is called partisan motivated reasoning where individuals interpret information through the lens of their party commitment. We explore partisan motivated reasoning in a survey experiment focusing on support for an energy law. We identify two politically relevant factors that condition partisan motivated reasoning: (1) an explicit inducement to form an “accurate” opinion, and (2) cross-partisan, but not consensus, bipartisan support for the law. We further provide evidence of how partisan motivated reasoning works psychologically and affects opinion strength. We conclude by discussing the implications of our results for understanding opinion formation and the overall quality of citizens’ opinions.
DSM-V diagnostic criteria for bereavement-related disorders in children and adolescents: developmental considerations

Two bereavement-related disorders are proposed for the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V): Adjustment Disorder Related to Bereavement, to be located in the main body of the text as an official diagnostic entity; and Bereavement-Related Disorder, including a Traumatic Death Specifier, to be located in the Appendix as an invitation for further research. These diagnoses currently do not include developmentally informed criteria, despite the importance of developmental processes in the ways children and adolescents grieve. In this article, we draw upon a selective review of the empirical literature and expert clinical knowledge to recommend developmentally informed modifications and specifiers of the proposed criteria for both bereavement disorders and strategies to improve future research. This article is derived from an invited report submitted to the DSM-V Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Trauma, and Dissociative Disorders Sub-Work Group, and suggested modifica...
Using Movie Clips to Facilitate Discussion in the Post-Divorce Family

Abstract Post divorce families have many important adaptive tasks to manage in order to optimize post-divorce functioning. Some of these tasks include forming new boundaries, building effective communication strategies, and forming new family structures. Therapists are often sought out to deal with difficulties during these transitions. The author suggest utilizing movie clips with clients as a way to broach difficult subjects surrounding divorce. The authors suggest specific films may help normalize clients' experiences, spark solutions to problems, and creating a medium where problems can be solved through dialogue surrounding film messages. Specific films are suggested to therapists as venues for tackling specific post-divorce family problems.
Isolation of a streptomycin-resistant organism capable of utilizing streptomycin for growth.

ConclusionsThe isolation and cultural characteristics of a streptomycin-resistant organism capable of multiplying in aqueous solutions of streptomycin has been described.
Manganic porphyrins possess catalase activity and protect endothelial cells against hydrogen peroxide-mediated injury

Manganic porphyrins are redox active metal complexes that have been employed as superoxide dismutase mimics. We tested whether these metalloporphyrins could also dismute hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and whether they could protect endothelial cells against H2O2. Both of the manganic metalloporphyrins tested were found to catalytically dismute H2O2. These manganic porphyrins also protected endothelial cells in dose-dependent manners against H2O2-mediated injury with MnTMPyP having an EC50 of 8 microM and MnTBAP having an EC50 of 15 microM. The zinc containing analogs of these porphyrins were inactive in dismuting H2O2 and did not protect. These studies further define the antioxidant capacity of metalloporphyrins in converting superoxide to H2O2 and H2O2 to water. These data suggest that manganic porphyrins may be useful therapeutics against disease states associated with the overproduction of reactive oxygen species.
Commentary: Garson's “physicians, coverage, quality, and cost: the intertwined caduceus”

Abstract It is not sufficient to recommend that we adopt information systems, promote cost-effective care, improve processes of care through education, and implement evidence-based practice. Specific strategies must be tested, reformulated, and tested again so that policymakers will have a useful set of strategies available to them.
A neutral diphosphate mimic crosslinks the active site of human O-GlcNAc transferase

The mass spectrometry and crystallographic characterization of an irreversible O-glycosyltransferase inhibitor surprisingly indicates that the dicarbamate core reacts to form an unusual carbonyl crosslink between two active site residues, probably driven by its ability to serve as a diphosphate mimic.
Financial disclosure policy in an entry game

Abstract This paper analyzes incentives for voluntary disclosure of proprietory information. Proprietory information, if disclosed, provides strategic information to potential competitors, but can be helpful to the financial market in valuing the firm more accurately. Focusing on a stylized model of a static entry game, we show that a fully revealing disclosure equilibrium exists when the prior of the market is optimistic or the entry cost is relatively low. When the prior is pessimistic or the entry cost is high, however, both non- and partial-disclosure equilibria obtain. Our analysis predicts that competition in the product market encourages voluntary disclosure.
Skin-surface reference point for locating the condyle with teeth in centric occlusion

Abstract A landmark on the surface of the skin has been determined and described which locates the articular surface of the condyle that is in closest proximity with the inferior surface of the articular fossa of the temporal bone when the teeth are in centric occlusion. This reference point can be used to record the spatial relationship between the condyle-disc-articular fossa and the maxillae for transfer to the articulater.
Enhanced dorsolateral striatal activity in drug use: the role of outcome in stimulus-response associations.

Abstract Prolonged stimulant exposure leads to enhanced dorsolateral striatal (DLS) dopaminergic activity in response to the drug and drug-associated cues. This effect has been interpreted in light of evidence that this brain region supports the generation of habitual stimulus–response (S–R) based behaviors to propose the idea that prolonged drug use leads to the development of drug taking and seeking habits that are insensitive to the value of the rewards they procure. In this review, we discuss evidence supporting a continued role for reward value in the performance of S–R based behaviors. We describe how caching of reward value and Pavlovian to instrumental transfer can provide mechanisms for past and current reward values to regulate the performance of S–R habits. The contribution of these constructs is consistent with evidence indicating the continued interaction between ventral incentive processing and dorsal S–R processing striatal regions in the generation of habitual drug seeking behaviors.
Sudden shape change from spherical to maximally deformed for A⋍100 nuclei

Abstract One of the unusual features of neutron-rich A ⋍100 nuclei is the sudden change of nuclear shape. The analysis of B(E2) and B(M1) values from recent level lifetime measurements indicates that Sr nuclei (and perhaps also Y) nuclei obtain maximal deformations for the nuclei at the onset of deformation, which suggests a “phase change” from a spherical to a maximally deformed nuclear shape.
Sensitivity to vecuronium in myasthenia gravis: a dose-response study.

A cumulative dose plus infusion technique and integrated EMG monitoring of the first dorsal interosseous muscle were used to determine the potency of vecuronium in 20 normal patients and in ten patients with myasthenia gravis under thiamylal, N2O, O2, fentanyl anaesthesia. The mean (± SEM) values for ED50, ED90, and ED95 in the normal patients were 19 ± 1, 31 ± 1 and 36 ± 2 μg · kg− 1, respectively. Myasthenic patients showed increased sensitivity to vecuronium, the mean values for ED50, ED90, and ED95 were 10 ± 2, 17 ± 2 and 20 ± 3 μg · kg− 1, being50, 55 and 56 per cent of normal, respectively. We did not demonstrate a difference in sensitivity to vecuronium between those myasthenic patients who received pyridostigmine preoperatively and those who did not, nor among those chronically treated with corticosteroids, compared with those who were not.
Hepatic vagotomy does not disrupt the normal satiation of NaCl appetite

The necessity of the hepatic branch of the vagus nerve for the normal satiation of NaCl intake under the condition of sodium depletion was tested. Sham- or hepatic-vagotomized male, Long-Evans rats were sodium depleted by injection with Lasix (furosemide, 10 mg) and were maintained overnight on sodium-deficient diet and water. The intake of 0.3 M NaCl during a 2-h salt appetite test was not significantly different between the sham- and hepatic-vagotomized groups. In a second group of sham- or hepatic-vagotomized rats, a load of 7.5 ml of 0.5 M NaCl was given by gavage at 15 or 90 min prior to a 1-h NaCl appetite test. The preload decreased NaCl intake equivalently in both groups. Gastric emptying of a preload of NaCl at 15 and 90 min was also the same for sham- and hepatic-vagotomized rats. Thus, the hepatic branch of the vagus nerve is not necessary for the normal short-term satiation of NaCl intake under the condition of acute sodium depletion produced by furosemide.
Comment on “A planning quality evaluation tool for prostate adaptive IMRT based on machine learning” [Med. Phys. 38, 719 (2011)]

(though neither of the two thatdescribe the calculation of the OVH). However, when men-tioning the DTH, they make no mention of our previousintroduction of the concept. Furthermore, when citing ourwork they make an allusion to a possible limitation of ourdescriptor, saying “it could not account for the conditionswhen … OVH curves entangle”
Clozapine effects on force control in schizophrenic patients

We previously reported significant differences in force control (FC) function between schizophrenics treated with typical antipsychotic drugs (APD) and those treated with clozapine. Clozapine treatment was associated with an attenuation of the capacity for fine motor control. We now report that a test-retest study with 41 treatment-refractory patients confirms our earlier finding; the FC deficit is due primarily to clozapine treatment. An additional comparison was made with 10 patients who were administered the FC test repeatedly through the initial clozapine titration interval of 6-8 weeks. The results suggest that two distinct clozapine effects can be distinguished, an initial transient stage characterized by 'drowsiness' and a subsequent stage with dose-dependent emerging myoclonic features.
When Memory Fails, Intuition Reigns Midazolam Enhances Implicit Inference in Humans

People often make logically sound decisions using explicit reasoning strategies, but sometimes it pays to rely on more implicit “gut-level” intuition. The transitive inference paradigm has been widely used as a test of explicit logical reasoning in animals and humans, but it can also be solved in a more implicit manner. Some researchers have argued that the hippocampus supports relational memories required for making logical inferences. Here we show that the benzodiazepene midazolam, which inactivates the hippocampus, causes profound explicit memory deficits in healthy participants, but enhances their ability in making implicit transitive inferences. These results are consistent with neurocomputational models of the basal ganglia—dopamine system that learn to make decisions through positive and negative reinforcement. We suggest that disengaging the hippocampal explicit memory system can be advantageous for this more implicit form of learning.
The Humoral Immune Response Is Initiated in Lymph Nodes by B Cells that Acquire Soluble Antigen Directly in the Follicles

The initial step in a humoral immune response involves the acquisition of antigens by B cells via surface immunoglobulin. Surprisingly, anatomic studies indicate that lymph-borne proteins do not have access to the follicles where naive B cells reside. Thus, it is unclear how B cells acquire antigens that drain to lymph nodes. By tracking a fluorescent antigen and a peptide:MHC II complex derived from it, we show that antigen-specific B cells residing in the follicles acquire antigen within minutes of injection, first in the region closest to the subcapsular sinus where lymph enters the lymph node. Antigen acquisition, presentation, and subsequent T cell-dependent activation did not require B cell migration through the T cell area or exposure to dendritic cells. These results indicate that the humoral response is initiated as soluble antigens diffuse directly from lymph in the subcapsular sinus to be acquired by antigen-specific B cells in the underlying follicles.
The fumarate sensor DcuS: progress in rapid protein fold elucidation by combining protein structure prediction methods with NMR spectroscopy

We illustrate how moderate resolution protein structures can be rapidly obtained by interlinking computational prediction methodologies with un- or partially assigned NMR data. To facilitate the application of our recently described method of ranking and subsequent refining alternative structural models using unassigned NMR data [Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 100 (2003) 15404] for such "structural genomics"-type experiments it is combined with protein models from several prediction techniques, enhanced to utilize partial assignments, and applied on a protein with an unknown structure and fold. From the original NMR spectra obtained for the 140 residue fumarate sensor DcuS, 1100 1H, 13C, and 15N chemical shift signals, 3000 1H-1H NOESY cross peak intensities, and 209 backbone residual dipolar couplings were extracted and used to rank models produced by de novo structure prediction and comparative modeling methods. The ranking proceeds in two steps: first, an optimal assignment of the NMR peaks to atoms is found for each model independently, and second, the models are ranked based on the consistency between the NMR data and the model assuming these optimal assignments. The low-resolution model selected using this ranking procedure had the correct overall fold and a global backbone RMSD of 6.0 angstrom, and was subsequently refined to 3.7 angstrom RMSD. With the incorporation of a small number of NOE and residual dipolar coupling constraints available very early in the traditional spectral assignment process, a model with an RMSD of 2.8 angstrom could rapidly be built. The ability to generate moderate resolution models within days of NMR data collection should facilitate large scale NMR structure determination efforts.
Fully Local and Efficient Evaluation of Alternating Fixed Points (Extended Abstract)

We introduce Partitioned Dependency Graphs (PDGs), an abstract framework for the specification and evaluation of arbitrarily nested alternating fixed points. The generality of PDGs subsumes that of similarly proposed models of nested fixed-point computation such as Boolean graphs, Boolean equation systems, and the propositional modal mu-calculus. Our main result is an efficient local algorithm for evaluating PDG fixed points. Our algorithm, which we call LAFP, combines the simplicity of previously proposed induction-based algorithms (such as Winskel's tableau method for v-calculus model checking) with the efficiency of semantics-based algorithms (such as the bit-vector method of Cleaveland, Klein, and Steffen for the equational Μ-calculus). In particular, LAFP is simply specified, we provide a completely rigorous proof of its correctness, and the number of fixed-point iterations required by the algorithm is asymptotically the same as that of the best existing global algorithms. Moreover, preliminary experimental results demonstrate that LAFP performs extremely well in practice. To our knowledge, this makes LAFP the first efficient local algorithm for computing fixed points of arbitrary alternation depth to appear in the literature.
The Guiding Light for Chip Testing

Scaling of transistor feature size over time has been facilitated by corresponding improvement in lithography technology. However, in recent times the wavelength of the optical light source used for photolithography has not scaled. Starting with 180nm devices, the wavelength of optical source has remained the same at 193nm. Consequently, current and upcoming technology nodes at 65nm, 45nm, 32nm and 22nm will be using a light source with wavelength much greater than the feature size. This creates a peculiar problem where line width on manufactured devices is a function of relative spacing between adjacent lines. Despite numerous restriction on layout rules, interconnects may still suffer from constriction due to this peculiarity also known as forbidden pitch problem. In this talk, we will explore the range of issues that arise from photolithography as they relate to chip testing.
RGS proteins: impact on the treatment of depression and anxiety.

This is the publisher's version, also available electronically from "http://ijnp.oxfordjournals.org/".
Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Depression and Self-Care in Heart Failure Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance Depression and inadequate self-care are common and interrelated problems that increase the risks of hospitalization and mortality in patients with heart failure (HF). Objective To determine the efficacy of an integrative cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) intervention for depression and HF self-care. Design, Setting, and Participants Randomized clinical trial with single-blind outcome assessments. Eligible patients were enrolled at Washington University Medical Center in St Louis between January 4, 2010, and June 28, 2013. The primary data analyses were conducted in February 2015. The participants were 158 outpatients in New York Heart Association Class I, II, and III heart failure with comorbid major depression. Interventions Cognitive behavior therapy delivered by experienced therapists plus usual care (UC), or UC alone. Usual care was enhanced in both groups with a structured HF education program delivered by a cardiac nurse. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was severity of depression at 6 months as measured by the Beck Depression Inventory. The Self-Care of Heart Failure Index Confidence and Maintenance subscales were coprimary outcomes. Secondary outcomes included measures of anxiety, depression, physical functioning, fatigue, social roles and activities, and quality of life. Hospitalizations and deaths were exploratory outcomes. Results One hundred fifty-eight patients were randomized to UC (n = 79) or CBT (n = 79). Within each arm, 26 (33%) of the patients were taking an antidepressant at baseline. One hundred thirty-two (84%) of the participants completed the 6-month posttreatment assessments; 60 (76%) of the UC and 58 (73%) of the CBT participants completed every follow-up assessment ( P = .88). Six-month depression scores were lower in the CBT than the UC arm on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) (12.8 [10.6] vs 17.3 [10.7]; P = .008). Remission rates differed on the BDI-II (46% vs 19%; number needed to treat [NNT] = 3.76; 95% CI, 3.62-3.90; P P P = .008. There were no statistically significant differences between the groups on the Self-Care Maintenance or Confidence subscale scores or on physical functioning measures. Anxiety and fatigue scores were lower and mental- and HF-related quality of life and social functioning scores were higher at 6 months in the CBT than the UC arm, and there were fewer hospitalizations in the intervention than the UC arm. Conclusions and Relevance A CBT intervention that targets both depression and heart failure self-care is effective for depression but not for HF self-care or physical functioning relative to enhanced UC. Additional benefits include reduced anxiety and fatigue, improved social functioning, and better health-related quality of life. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier:NCT01028625
Acute sensory irritation from exposure to isopropanol (2-propanol) at TLV in workers and controls: Objective versus subjective effects

Objectives. Phlebotomists occupationally exposed to isopropanol (IPA) (2-propanol) and naive controls (n = 12 per group) were exposed to the time-weighted average threshold limit value of 400 p.p.m. IPA for 4 h in an environmental chamber to investigate: (i) acute effects of sensory irritation using subjective health symptom reports and objective, physiological end-points; and (ii) differences in measured effects in relation to exposure history. Methods. Before, during and after exposure subjects gave self-reports of health complaints. During exposure subjects rated the intensity of the odor, sensory irritation and annoyance. Objective end-points of ocular hyperemia, nasal congestion, nasal secretion and respiration were obtained at various times before, during and after exposure. Results were compared with exposure to phenylethyl alcohol (PEA), a negative control for irritation, and to clean air (CA), a negative control for odor and irritation, using a within-subjects design. Results. Significantly higher intensity ratings of odor, irritation and annoyance were reported during the exposure to IPA, when compared with exposure to CA or PEA. Nevertheless, the overall level of reported sensory irritation to IPA was low and perceived as ‘weak’ on average. Health symptom ratings were not significantly elevated for IPA as compared with PEA or CA exposure. The only physiological end-point that showed a change exclusively in the IPA condition was respiration frequency: relative to baseline, respiration frequency increased in response to IPA in both groups. No differences were encountered between the occupationally exposed and the control groups. Conclusions. The increase in respiration frequency in response to IPA may reflect either a reflexive change due to sensory irritation (an autonomic event) or a voluntary change in breathing in response to perception of an unpleasant, solvent-like odor (a physiological event caused by cognitive mediation). Our findings on objective end-points, including nasal and ocular sensory irritation, did not confirm subjective irritation reports. Irritation reports and odor intensity decreased, rather than increased, over time, lending credence to the cognitive argument and suggesting that the elevated subjective responses to IPA may be mediated by responses to its odor.
Raman microimaging study of interfacial profiles of hydrogels

A Raman microimaging technique was used to directly observe the interfacial profile between N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPA) and polyacrylamide (PAAM) hydrogels in water. The joined hydrogels are called bigels and are synthesized by penetrating the PAAM gel into a part of the NIPA gel network. The bigel strip contains about 97 wt % water at room temperature. The study reveals how different manufacturing parameters, such as the drying time of the NIPA substrate and the diffusion time of the PAAM pregel solution into the NIPA layer, influence the properties and extent of the bigel interface. The interface becomes thicker with increased drying time. Specifically, the average interfacial thickness of the interface after 2 h of drying is about 28 μm, but increases to 156 μm after 16 h of drying time. The extent of the interface is independent of the PAAM diffusion time. The penetration of the PAAM pregel solution into the pores of the NIPA gel is completed in less than 30 min. The topography of the surface can be well characterized by a Gaussian function with the correlation length describing the size of the interfacial region. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 82: 1040–1046;2001
Fidelity of Phenylalanyl-tRNA Synthetase in Binding the Natural Amino Acids

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases guard the fidelity of cognate amino acid incorporation during protein biosynthesis; for example, phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase (PheRS) activates and transfers only Phe to its tRNA. Since we are interested in using a computational protocol to identify nonnatural amino acids that are incorporated by wild-type PheRS, it is critical to understand the fidelity of PheRS in binding the 20 natural amino acids. To this end, HierDock, a computational protocol for predicting binding sites and relative binding affinities, was used for testing the natural amino acids in PheRS. Scanning the entire ligand-accessible protein surface for the best binding region, we find that HierDock correctly identifies the active site of Phe in PheRS and predicts Phe within 0.61 A RMSD of the crystal structure. HierDock also successfully shows PheRS discriminates for Phe, as the noncognate amino acids bind less favorably in the binding site of Phe. However, we find that Met, Cys, and Tyr bind competitively but at positions distant from the Phe binding site. This result corroborates in vitro measurements of aminoacyl adenylate formation, which show Met competes with Phe at the amino acid binding stage. We predict that the binding site of Met would not activate PheRS, as the noncognate amino acid cannot establish suitable hydrogen bonds with the PheRS reaction center. These results validate the use of HierDock in predicting the binding sites of the cognate amino acids in PheRS. The HierDock procedure calculates the discrimination of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases at the stage of binding the cognate amino acid and offers a molecular level understanding of the mistakes made in protein biosynthesis that are not readily uncovered through experiments. This technique is also useful for predicting the binding of a selected nonnatural amino acid analogue, thereby indicating whether the molecule would be incorporated into a wild-type aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase.
GneZ, a UDP-GlcNAc 2-Epimerase, Is Required for S-Layer Assembly and Vegetative Growth of Bacillus anthracis

Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, forms an S-layer atop its peptidoglycan envelope and displays S-layer proteins and Bacillus S-layer-associated (BSL) proteins with specific functions to support cell separation of vegetative bacilli and growth in infected mammalian hosts. S-layer and BSL proteins bind via the S-layer homology (SLH) domain to the pyruvylated secondary cell wall polysaccharide (SCWP) with the repeat structure [→4)-β-ManNAc-(1→4)-β-GlcNAc-(1→6)-α-GlcNAc-(1→]n, where α-GlcNAc and β-GlcNAc are substituted with two and one galactosyl residues, respectively. B. anthracis gneY (BAS5048) and gneZ (BAS5117) encode nearly identical UDP-GlcNAc 2-epimerase enzymes that catalyze the reversible conversion of UDP-GlcNAc and UDP-ManNAc. UDP-GlcNAc 2-epimerase enzymes have been shown to be required for the attachment of the phage lysin PlyG with the bacterial envelope and for bacterial growth. Here, we asked whether gneY and gneZ are required for the synthesis of the pyruvylated SCWP and for S-layer assembly. We show that gneZ, but not gneY, is required for B. anthracis vegetative growth, rod cell shape, S-layer assembly, and synthesis of pyruvylated SCWP. Nevertheless, inducible expression of gneY alleviated all the defects associated with the gneZ mutant. In contrast to vegetative growth, neither germination of B. anthracis spores nor the formation of spores in mother cells required UDP-GlcNAc 2-epimerase activity.
Continental flooding and mantle-lithosphere dynamics

The flooding of continental platforms is controlled as much by global eustatic sea level fluctuations as by epeirogenic, vertical motions. This basic, but underappreciated, geologic observation is consistent with the simplest model of mande convection. Eustatic fluctuations are driven by changes in the top thermal boundary layer of convection (the lithosphere), while epeirogenic motions are driven by convective upwellings and downwellings (subduction). Continental platforms were exposed during the Triassic before Pangea broke apart and then became flooded during the Cretaceous when the continents were dispersing. This longest term cycle in global sea level is predicted by models of mantle convection where non-subducting continental plates dynamically interact with the mantle. These dynamic models predict that apparent eustatic sea level changes can be driven by long wavelength dynamic topography.
ASF SAR processing system overview

The Alaska SAR Facility (ASF) situated at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) is currently undergoing an extensive development effort to increase its capabilities in handling new sensors and in the areas of throughput, data handling, archive, and distribution. The SAR Processing System (SPS) in particular will be much enhanced and will expand from the current single processor configuration to one that consists of three SAR processors in total. With the new SPS, the current processing capabilities for ERS-1 and JERS-1 will remain. Added will be processing capabilities for ERS-2 (late 1994) and RADARSAT (early 1995). Moreover, improvements in the areas of throughput, reliability, maintainability and operability will be achieved. >
Size determinants in territories with inflexible boundaries : Manipulation experiments on White-winged Trumpeters' territories

We investigated determinants of territory size in White-winged Trumpeters (Psophia leucoptera), frugivorous, cooperatively breeding birds that defend large, per- manent, all-purpose territories in lowland Amazonian rain forest. During a 7-mo period, we measured changes in food density at a site in Manu National Park, Peru, and conducted full-day focal samples on individuals that allowed us to record daily food intake of territorial birds. We used data from laboratory analyses on energy content of fruit species eaten by trumpeters to calculate a phenology of energy content for food available on territories of focal groups, and to calculate daily energy intake of focal trumpeters. Additionally, we used lab measurements of basal metabolic rate of trumpeters to estimate daily energy requirements of wild trumpeters. Both census and focal sample data suggested that food availability on trumpeter ter- ritories varied widely, sometimes greatly exceeding and sometimes falling short of the amount that we calculated was necessary to meet average daily energy requirements of groups. To determine whether trumpeter territory size was related to food density, we conducted fruit removals. Every day, we removed an amount of fruit from the territory that was equivalent to the amount of fruit ingested daily by the focal group during a control period preceding the removal experiment. We conducted removal experiments during pe- riods when food density on territories appeared to be abundant and also when food abun- dance appeared to be low. Trumpeter food consumption did not change when fruit was removed during periods of resource abundance; however, when experimental removals were conducted during periods of food scarcity, the total energy value of food consumed de- creased significantly. These results suggest that food abundance on trumpeter territories sometimes exceeds and sometimes is close to or below the amount needed to meet energy needs of the groups. Based on our data, we propose that territory size of White-winged Trumpeter groups reflects some minimum size needed to provide the group with a baseline level of food intake during seasonal periods of decreased food abundance.
A comparison of linear and systems thinking approaches for program evaluation illustrated using the Indiana Interdisciplinary GK-12

Logic models are based on linear relationships between program resources, activities, and outcomes, and have been used widely to support both program development and evaluation. While useful in describing some programs, the linear nature of the logic model makes it difficult to capture the complex relationships within larger, multifaceted programs. Causal loop diagrams based on a systems thinking approach can better capture a multidimensional, layered program model while providing a more complete understanding of the relationship between program elements, which enables evaluators to examine influences and dependencies between and within program components. Few studies describe how to conceptualize and apply systems models for educational program evaluation. The goal of this paper is to use our NSF-funded, Interdisciplinary GK-12 project: Bringing Authentic Problem Solving in STEM to Rural Middle Schools to illustrate a systems thinking approach to model a complex educational program to aid in evaluation. GK-12 pairs eight teachers with eight STEM doctoral fellows per program year to implement curricula in middle schools. We demonstrate how systems thinking provides added value by modeling the participant groups, instruments, outcomes, and other factors in ways that enhance the interpretation of quantitative and qualitative data. Limitations of the model include added complexity. Implications include better understanding of interactions and outcomes and analyses reflecting interacting or conflicting variables.
Bosentan for pulmonary hypertension and other pulmonary diseases: emerging evidence.

Endothelin-1 is a potent vasoconstrictor and mitogen that is primarily synthesized and released from vascular endothelial cells. Bosentan is a dual endothelin-receptor antagonist that initially received approval for treatment of WHO group I pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) for patients in functional classes III and IV. Analysis of a study conducted in functional class II patients (Endothelin Antagonist Trial in Mildly Symptomatic PAH Patients [EARLY] trial) suggest its efficacy for these less symptomatic patients. In addition, bosentan has demonstrated efficacy in patients with congenital heart disease and Eisenmengers syndrome with right to left shunting and in HIV-related PAH. Studies of bosentan in inoperable or residual chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension suggest possible efficacy. Bosentan appears promising in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis who do not have pulmonary hypertension. Combinations of bosentan with other PAH therapies such as iloprost and sildenafil may have inc...
Data scaling in remote health monitoring systems

We formalize the data scaling problem as the ability to scale down computations of stream analysis software components. Data scaling enables systems to trade computational accuracy for resources. We develop an information theoretic technique to classification problems in remote health monitoring and propose two methods for trading computational utility for bandwidth. Experiments on ECG classification reveal the potential of this approach by reporting significant resource savings for small amounts of utility degradation, e.g., 33% of bandwidth saving for only a 1% of accuracy degradation.
The Electrode Potential Dependence of Environment-Assisted Cracking of AA 7050

Thick plate, peak aged AA 7050 is susceptible to intergranular environment-assisted cracking in near-neutral 0.5 M Na 2 CrO 4 + 0.05 M NaCl solution. The effect of applied electrode potential (E APP ) on the Stage II crack growth rate (da/dt) is complex. While da/dt increases with increasing applied potential, slow growth at E APP less than -0.5 V SCE transitions after incubation to strongly E APP -dependent fast-rate EAC with hysteresis. A large potential gradient exists near the crack tip region, with the tip potential (∼0.8 V SCE ) independent of E APP , suggesting electrochemically decoupled crack tip and wake regions. Crack tip solution acidification (< pH 3.5) occurs from hydrolysis of a concentrated Al-salt solution formed by dissolution during crack advance. These crack chemistry changes are time dependent and cause the hysteresis in da/dt vs. E APP . Hydrogen uptake measured in the wake increases with increasing E APP due to increased acidification and overpotential for proton reduction. The hydrogen environment embrittlement mechanism for environmental cracking in AA 7050-T651 is supported by the correlation between E APP -dependent crack wake H concentration, local crack chemistry, and da/dt.
Management of Neonatal Testicular Torsion

AbstractPurpose: We evaluated the safety and efficacy of emergency exploration of neonatal torsion.Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 27 neonates (30 affected testicles) in a 13-year period.Results: Of the 10 testicles that were explored and fixed within 6 hours of discovery 2 (20%) were normal at physical examination at 1 year of followup. Of the remaining 20 testicles 19 were removed. One patient was lost to followup after orchiopexy. No operative or perioperative complications were associated with emergency exploration.Conclusions: Emergency exploration of neonatal torsion is safe and prudent, and may result in higher testicular salvage rates. Given reports of contralateral torsion, we also recommend contralateral orchiopexy.
Outdoor PV degradation comparison

As photovoltaic (PV) penetration of the power grid increases, it becomes vital to know how decreased power output may affect cost over time. In order to predict power delivery, the decline or degradation rates must be determined accurately. At the Performance and Energy Rating Testbed (PERT) at the Outdoor Test Facility (OTF) at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) more than 40 modules from more than 10 different manufacturers were compared for their long-term outdoor stability. Because it can accommodate a large variety of modules in a limited footprint the PERT system is ideally suited to compare modules side-by-side under the same conditions.