cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fundamentals of Soft Matter Science

Introduction Learning Objectives What Is Soft Matter? Basic Thermal Physics Intermolecular Forces Diffusion and Random Walks Self-Assembly The Phase Diagram Aggregation and Assembly Mechanical Properties of Soft Matter Questions: The Concept of Soft Materials and Their Characteristics Review of Thermal Physics Review the Mechanical Properties of Materials References Further Reading Liquid Crystals Learning Objectives Introduction to Liquid Crystals Anisotropy in Liquid Crystals The Order Parameter Thermotropic and Lyotropic Liquid Crystals Birefringence in Liquid Crystals Defect Textures Thermotropic Liquid Crystal Phases Experimental Techniques Applications of Liquid Crystals Questions The Characteristics of Liquid Crystal Materials Anisotropy and Birefringence The Structure of Liquid Crystal Phases Experimental Techniques and Liquid Crystal Technologies References Further Reading Surfactants Learning Objectives Introduction Types of Surfactants Surface Tension and Surfactants Self-Assembly and Phase Behavior Membrane Elasticity and Curvature Applications of Surfactants Experimental Methods Questions Physical and Chemical Properties of Surfactants The Hydrophobic Effect The Importance of Molecular Shape on Phase Structure and Membrane Curvature Applications and Experiments References Further Reading Polymers Learning Objectives Introduction Early Polymers Polymer Structure Liquid Crystal Polymers Polymer Solutions The Glassy and Polymer Melt Phases The Mechanical Properties of Polymers Experimental Techniques Questions Polymer Architecture Polymers in Solution Experimental Methods References Further Reading Colloidal Materials Learning Objectives Introduction Characteristics of Colloidal Systems Colloids in Suspension Competing Forces in Colloidal Dispersions Interparticle Interactions Colloidal Aggregation Colloidal Crystals Granular Materials Foams Experimental Techniques Questions Characteristics of Colloidal Systems Colloidal Aggregation and Dispersion Experimental Techniques References Further Reading Soft Biological Materials Learning Objectives Introduction The Composition of the Cell The Cell Membrane Protein Structures and Assemblies Experimental Techniques Questions Biomaterials as Soft Matter Experimental Techniques References Further Reading Glossary Appendix A: The Fourier Transform Appendix B: Physical Constants and Conversions Appendix C: Laue Scattering Theory Appendix D: Entropy and Thermodynamic Equilibrium Appendix E: The Amino Acids Index
Neural cell adhesion molecule expression and messenger RNA splicing patterns in lung cancer cell lines are correlated with neuroendocrine phenotype and growth morphology.

Diverse histological types of lung cancer express neuroendocrine (NE) markers. We studied the expression and alternative splicing forms of the neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) NKH-1, a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily, in 56 lung cancer cell lines representing all histological types. We found a strong correlation between expression of NCAM with both NE phenotype and lack of substrate adhesion in culture. Several cell lines expressed high levels of the leukocyte antigen Leu-7 (HNK-1) but were negative for NCAM antigen and mRNA, indicating that the Leu-7 antigen is distinct from NCAM. All of the NCAM-positive cell lines demonstrate a single 6.2-kilobase mRNA, and analysis of the known 3′ alternative splices shows predominant expression of only the membrane form with the small intracytoplasmic domain. We conclude that ( a ) expression of NCAM is associated with NE phenotype regardless of the histological type of lung cancer; ( b ) these cell lines share a single form of NCAM; ( c ) with few exceptions, NCAM expression is associated with cell to cell adhesion and lack of substrate adhesion (growing as floating clusters); and ( d ) Leu-7 antigen is distinct from NCAM. This form of NCAM may play a functional role in NE differentiation or may be a part of the NE program expressed by these cells.
Quantitative human chorionic gonadotropin analysis. I. Comparison of an immunoradiometric assay and a radioimmunoassay

An immunoradiometric assay (IRMA) for the quantitative analysis of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) was evaluated for specificity, sensitivity, accuracy and precision. The results were compared with those of the conventional radioimmunoassay (RIA) used in our laboratory. The IRMA is a solid-phase, double-antibody immunoassay that sandwiches the intact hCG molecule between the two antibodies. It has specificity, accuracy, and precision which are similar to those of the RIA. The RIA is based upon the assumptions that the antigenicity of the tracer is not altered by the iodination process and that the antibody reacts equally with all of the antigens, including the radiolabeled antigen. The IRMA does not use radiolabeled antigens and thus is free of the assumptions made in the conventional RIA. The IRMA may be more accurate at the lower limits of the assay because it does not require logarithmic transformations. Since the IRMA does not measure the free beta-subunit of hCG, it cannot be endorsed as the sole technique to quantitate hCG in patients with gestational trophoblastic neoplasia until the significance of the free beta-subunit in these patients is determined.
The Heidelberg Catechism on human sin and misery

The Heidelberg Catechism’s section on Sin and Misery does not provide a moralistic or legalistic perspective on the human condition. Instead, it offers, in abbreviated format, a restatement of the doctrine of original sin, which points to sin as a condition and not just an act. As such, it invites us to think more deeply about the complexities of the human condition and of human agency.
Preparation and Stabilization of Heparin/Gelatin Complex Coacervate Microcapsules

The aims of this study are to optimize conditions for the preparation, stabilization, and harvesting of heparin/gelatin microcapsules prepared by complex coacervation. Microelectrophoresis and dry coacervate weight were used to determine the optimum conditions of pH and ionic strength for maximum heparin/gelatin coacervate yield. Heparin/gelatin microcapsules were formed by complex coacervation in the presence and absence of poly(1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PVP), which was used as a stabilizer. The microcapsules were collected using a spray-drying technique. Microcapsule particle size was analyzed using an AccuSizer optical sizer. Optimized conditions for maximum coacervate yield were pH 2.6, ionic strength 10 mM, and a 1:2 heparin/gelatin A ratio. PVP stabilized the heparin/gelatin coacervate droplets and reduced droplet aggregation during spray-drying. The mean particle diameter of the spray-dried coacervate droplets was lower in the presence of PVP and was unaffected by PVP concentration (in the range 0.5–2.0% w/w). Heparin/gelatin microcapsules, prepared under conditions optimized for maximum coacervate yield, were stabilized without the use of chemical cross-linking agents. Stabilization was achieved by a combination of the addition of PVP and spray-drying.
The Effect of the Modality of Presentation of Streaming Multimedia on Information Acquisition

The proliferation of fast computer systems and high-speed Internet connections allows for the increasingly practical delivery of streaming audio and video in educational or informational presentati...
RATIONAL OR SYMBOLIC? A FIELD STUDY OF THE IMPACT OF GROUP DISCUSSION ON JOB EVALUATION RATINGS

Abstract Many organizations use job evaluation committees, but most published research has been based on ratings from individual evaluators. In this study, the effect of group discussion on job evaluation scores was examined. A comparison was made between job evaluation scores based on group discussion and scores from individual evaluators; field data involving a diverse sample of 344 jobs were used. Group discussion had a minimal, highly predictable, and mostly symbolic effect on scores. This finding validates prior experimental studies and points to the opportunity for expediting decision making in job evaluation committees.
The organization of actin filaments in the brush border of yolk sac epithelial cells

The yolk sac epithelium offers a potentially interesting cell type in which to examine brush border cytoskeletal organization because it functions not only in absorption across the microvillous membrane, but also has numerous coated pits at the bases of the microvilli which function in endocytosis. In this study we have examined the organization of actin filaments in the brush border of yolk sac endodermal cells using myosin S1 subfragment decoration. Microvilli contained bundles of actin filaments polarized such that the arrowheads pointed away from the microvillar tips. The bundles continued into the apical cytoplasm as short rootlets that intermingled with a poorly developed layer of other filaments, some of which were actin, running parallel to the apical cell surface (i.e., in the terminal web region). Decorated microfilaments were sometimes associated with coated pits and vesicles, but it was difficult to distinguish direct membrane-filament interaction from coincidental associations brought about by close proximity of coated vesicles to actin filaments emerging from the microvilli. A prominent peripheral band of microfilaments of mixed polarity was present at the level of the zonula adherens. This band of filaments may act as a contractile ring. Tension of the contractile ring, together with a poorly developed terminal web, may produce the domeshaped apical surface characteristic of these cells.
Influence of suckling on gonadotropin secretion in the female rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta).

The ability of exogenous estrogen to elicit gonadotropin surges was determined at approximately monthly intervals in postpartum female rhesus monkeys nursing their infants, in postpartum females whose infants were weaned at birth, and in pregestational females that served as foster mothers to these weaned infants. The stimulatory action of estrogen on gonadotropin secretion was abolished or severely inhibited for the first 6 months of nursing in both natural and foster mothers. In contrast, the administration of estrogen to postpartum females, whose infants were weaned at birth, elicited luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) surges on the first trial 30 days after delivery. The abolition of the positive feedback action of estrogen in nursing mothers was associated with a suppression of basal serum gonadotropin levels. These findings demonstrate that the protracted inhibition of gonadotropin secretion in lactating female rhesus monkeys is occasioned by the presence of a suckling infant and is independent of antecedent events associated with gestation and parturition.
Toward a Progressive Approach to Homeland Protection

A progressive approach to homeland protection rejects the use of fear as a political tactic but it does not ignore that the United States faces significant new threats that call for new security measures. Terrorists, it recognizes, are best treated neither as criminals nor as soldiers, but as a distinct, third category. Regardless of the nature of these new threats, a progressive approach maintains that there are some measures that are “tabooed” which it will never adopt, even in the name of national security. In determining which non-“tabooed” security measures are justified, each must be examined individually as to how it affects the essential balance between the two core values of individual rights and security. A progressive approach stands apart from others in that, in addition to this first balance, it stresses the importance of a second balance—that of oversight. While the first balance asks if a given measure is justified per se, the second balance asks whether there is sufficient control, regulat...
NMR structure of DREAM: Implications for Ca(2+)-dependent DNA binding and protein dimerization.

DREAM (calsenilin/KChIP3) is an EF-hand calcium-binding protein that binds to specific DNA sequences and regulates Ca 2+ -induced transcription of prodynorphin and c-fos genes. Here, we present the atomic-resolution structure of Ca 2+ -bound DREAM in solution determined by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Pulsed-field gradient NMR diffusion experiments and 15 N NMR relaxation analysis indicate that Ca 2+ -bound DREAM forms a stable dimer in solution. The structure of the first 77 residues from the N-terminus could not be determined by our NMR analysis. The C-terminal DREAM structure (residues 78-256) contains four EF-hand motifs arranged in a tandem linear array, similar to that seen in KChIPl, recoverin, and other structures of the neuronal calcium sensor (NCS) branch of the calmodulin superfamily. Mg 2+ is bound at the second EF-hand, whereas Ca 2+ is bound functionally at the third and fourth sites. The first and second EF-hands form an exposed hydrophobic groove on the protein surface lined by side-chain atoms of L96, F100, F114, I117, Y118, F121, F122, Y151, L155, L158, and L159 that are highly conserved in all NCS proteins. An exposed leucine near the C-terminus (L251) is suggested to form intermolecular contacts with leucine residues in the hydrophobic groove (L155, L158, and L159). Positively charged side chains of Arg and Lys (Lys87, Lys90, Lys91, Arg98, LyslOl, Argl60, and Lys 166) are clustered on one side of the protein surface and may mediate electrostatic contacts with DNA targets. We propose that Ca 2+ -induced dimerization of DREAM may partially block the putative DNA-binding site, which may suggest as to how Ca 2+ abolishes DREAM binding to DNA to activate the transcription of prodynorphin and other downstream genes in pain control.
Predicting adjustment of heart patients with the cardiac adjustment scale

Cardiac Adjustment Scale (CAS) scores for 74 cardiac patients between 31 and 64 years of age who completed a comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation program were examined to determine whether they could predict return to work, judged adjustment to cardiac disability, and participation in the rehabilitation program. CAS scores proved to be unrelated to either vocational status or program involvement. Low CAS scores were associated with maladjustment, but higher scores were associated equally with good and poor adjustment. The results suggested that the CAS alone was of little value in increasing the accuracy of prediction of psychological or vocational adjustment with the population studied.
Fractures of the acetabulum

Abstract Three cases of fracture of the acetabular rim associated with a posterior dislocation of the hip have been presented. Surgical replacement of the acetabular fragment has been described. One case of fracture of the floor of the acetabulum associated with intrapelvic dislocation of the femoral head has been presented. A method of obtaining lateral traction by means of an outrigger incorporated in a plaster cast has been described. Late examination in one case of fracture of the acetabular rim and in the case of intrapelvic dislocation showed degenerative changes in the joint, confirming the general opinion that final results in these cases must not be evaluated until from two to three years after the injury. The prognosis would seem to be more favorable when anatomical reduction is carried out early, and when the patient is not permitted to bear weight until the fracture is well healed.
Quantum Monte Carlo study of the one-dimensional extended Hubbard Hamiltonian

Abstract Using the worldline Monte Carlo method, implemented on both the vector-oriented CRAY X-MP and the massively parallel Connection Machine CM-2, we have been able to study the one-dimensional extended Hubbard model at very large lattice sizes and very low temperatures. This report presents a general overview of the methods involved and some results obtained thus far, including equilibrium energies and susceptibilities as functions of the filling ratio ϱ and the extended Hubbard parameters U and V .
Modeling and simulation of plasma etching reactors for microelectronics

As microelectronic devices continue to shrink and process requirements become ever more stringent, plasma modeling and simulation becomes increasingly more attractive as a tool for design, control, and optimization of plasma reactors. A brief introduction and overview of the plasma reactor modeling and simulation problem is presented in this paper. The problem is broken down into smaller pieces (reactor, sheath, microfeature, and crystal lattice) to address the disparity in length scales. A modular approach also helps to resolve the issue of disparity in time scales.
REGIONAL ATTITUDES ON INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

ISOLATIONISM in the United States is more related to education and socio-economic status than to geographic region. This is the cardinal fact emerging from Mr. Williams' detailed study of American attitudes toward, international affairs. His poll-based correlations offer a fresh line of approach for those concerned with making the United States more international-minded. Frederick Williams, a member of the Office of Public Opinion Research at Princeton University, is now overseas as a consultant of the War Department.
Thyroglobulin Degradation by Thyroidal Proteases: Action of Purified Cathepsin D

Cathepsin D has been purified from rabbit thyroids, and its action on thyroglobulin has been examined. The enzyme was obtained in an electrophoretically homogenous form by gel filtration, followed by ion exchange chromatography and affinity chromatography with immobilized pepstatin. In some preparations, the enzyme occurred in a high molecular weight form. The ability of cathepsin D to hydrolyze [125I]thyroglobulin to fragments with a molecular weight of less than 100K was determined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate. This activity showed a pH optimum of 3.5, was greater with reduced thyroglobulin as substrate than with the native protein, and was unaffected by potassium iodide (1–10 mM). Purified cathepsin D rapidly hydrolyzed thyroglobulin to a number of peptide intermediates. Those in the 20–45K molecular weight range had an iodothyronine content equal to or less than that of intact thyroglobulin, but the smallest peptides (apparent molecular weight, <2K) were iodothyronin...
Identification of Novel Gene Expression in Healing Fracture Callus Tissue by DNA Microarray

Fracture healing requires controlled expression of thousands of genes. Only a small fraction of these genes have been isolated and fewer yet have been shown to play a direct role in fracture healing. The purpose of this study was threefold: (1) to develop a reproducible open femur model of fracture healing that produces consistent fracture calluses for subsequent RNA extraction, (2) to use this model to determine temporal expression patterns of known and unknown genes using DNA microarray expression profiling, and (3) to identify and validate novel gene expression in fracture healing. In the initial arm of the study, a total of 56 wild-type C57BL/6 mice were used. An open, stabilized diaphyseal femur fracture was created. Animals were killed at 1, 5, 7, 10, 14, 21, and 35 days after surgery and the femurs were harvested for analysis. At each time point, fractures were radiographed and sectioned for histologic analyses. Tissue from fracture callus at all stages following fracture yielded reproducibly large amounts of mRNA. Expression profiling revealed that genes cluster by function in a manner similar to the histologic stages of fracture healing. Based on the expression profiling of fracture tissue, temporal expression patterns of several genes known to be involved in fracture healing were verified. Novel expression of multiple genes in fracture callous tissue was also revealed including leptin and leptin receptor. In order to test whether leptin signaling is required for fracture repair, mice deficient in leptin or its receptor were fractured using the same model. Fracture calluses of mice deficient in both leptin or leptin receptor are larger than wild-type mice fractures, likely due to a delay in mineralization, revealing a previously unrecognized role of leptin signaling in fracture healing. This novel model of murine fracture repair is useful in examining both global changes in gene expression as well as individual signaling pathways, which can be used to identify specific molecular mechanisms of fracture healing.
Polarization constraints in molecular dynamics simulation of aqueous solutions: The surface constraint all atom solvent (SCAAS) model

Abstract A dynamical all-atom surface-constrained model for simulation of ions in polar solvents is presented. This model, which is based on the previously proposed SCSSD model, concentrates on the key electrostatic aspect of solvent polarization. The constraints of the model ensure that the polarization and other properties of the surface molecules in systems with a small number of solvent molecules will be similar to the corresponding properties in an infinite system. The model is quite effective and is expected to be very useful in reducing the convergence problems associated with using periodic boundary conditions.
Modem Design using Continuous Phase Modulation with Coding

The combination of coding and low index modulation can result in both bandwidth and power efficient modem design. The low index modulation format is obtained by using a frequency division and multiplication network to alter the modulation index of ? for convertioned MSK to a lower value. This lower value modulation index in concert with restricted range encoding provides a system that can achieve a 2 bits/sec/Hz bandwidth efficiency at a power level equivalent to that required for MSK. The design concepts are such that data rates in the hundreds of megabits/second are practical.
Screening preferences of patients at familial risk of colorectal cancer

Our primary objective was to assess the screening preferences of patients at familial risk of colorectal cancer. Asymptomatic subjects aged 18-75 with a single first-degree relative diagnosed with colorectal cancer (n = 48) or polyps (n = 52) were asked to identify a preferred screening strategy, test features influencing their choice, and level of interest in decision-making after reviewing a decision aid describing the pros and cons of currently recommended screening tests. Although both groups preferred colonoscopy, 40% of subjects with a family history of colorectal cancer and 48% of those with a family history of polyps preferred alternative strategies. Accuracy was the most commonly identified test feature influencing test preference. Most subjects (66%) felt that selection of screening test should be a patient dominant or shared process. We conclude that patients at familial risk of colorectal cancer have distinct screening preferences that often vary from current recommendations.
An ab initio study of the comparative stabilities of the simple phosphine oxide tautomers

High level ab initio quantum mechanical model chemistries have been used to study the relative stabilities of the simple phosphine oxides tautomers OPH3/PH2OH and OPH(OH)2/P(OH)3 and related molecules. It is found that the two PH2OH isomers are virtually equi-energetic and only slightly more stable than OPH3 itself, and the oxides with one or more hydroxyl groups are significantly more stable than their hydroxide tautomers. The difference in stability arises mainly from the variation of the P=O bond energy among the various species, the P=O bond energy increasing with the number of hydroxyl groups present. The effects of solvation in aqueous solution are estimated by reaction field polarized continuum models and by explicit calculations of OPH3 and PH2OH hydrogen bound to a single water molecule. Both approaches indicate that the oxide form is significantly stabilized by its aqueous environment. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 11:73–80, 2000
α-Oxidation of 2-hydroxy tetracosanoate in the rat.

Four hours after oral administration of uniformly tritiated 2-hydroxy tetracosanoate, most of the dose was recovered in the lipids of the digestive organs and liver of the rat. In contrast to the unchanged substrate detected in the lipids of the stomach tissue, the radioactivity recovered from the cells of the intestine and from the liver was predominatly in saturated fatty acid moieties of complex lipids and the small per cent of recovered hydroxy tetracosanoate was also incorporated into these lipids.
Decoding of DBEC-TBED Reed-Solomon Codes

A problem in designing semiconductor memories is to provide some measure of error control without requiring excessive coding overhead or decoding time. In LSI and VLSI technology, memories are often organized on a multiple bit (or byte) per chip basis. For example, some 256K bit DRAM's are organized in 32K × 8 bit-bytes. Byte-oriented codes such as Reed-Solomon (RS) codes can provide efficient low overhead error control for such memories. However, the standard iterative algorithm for decoding RS codes is too slow for these applications. In this correspondence we present a special decoding technique for double-byte-error-correcting (DBEC), triple-byte-error-detecting (TBED) RS codes which is capable of high-speed operation. This technique is designed to find the error locations and the error values directly from the syndrome without having to use the iterative algorithm to find the error locator polynomial.
Ancestry in the United States census 1980-1990.

Abstract In the 1980 Census Americans were asked for the first time to report their ancestry. Unlike the question on race, an open-ended query was used for this purpose. The use of this type of question presumably allowed persons the freedom to report any ethnic group they wished (although some responses were disallowed by the Census Bureau). In 1990, when an open-ended question was asked a second time, the number and proportion of some groups in the population (e.g., English, French) showed marked declines, whereas for other groups (e.g., French Canadian, Slovak) remarkable increases occurred. This study analyzes the effect the wording of the census question in each period, in particular the listing of examples of ancestry groups, may have had on answers received. The results suggest that many respondents are influenced by the manner in which the Census Bureau lists ethnic groups.
Gaseous ammonia as a refining agent for cottonseed oils

In this investigation the application of gaseous ammonia to cottonseed oil refining was explored. The ammonia reacted quantitatively with the free fatty acids in the oil; its solubility in coftonseed oil was determined as a function of pressure. In “degumming” it was more efficient in removing phosphatides than other agents. A reduction in refining loss resulted for oils refined with gaseous ammonia as outlined and compared with the standard AOCS cup loss analysis. However, the oil colors were substantially higher even though the ammonia treated oils were re-refined with caustic solution. Results using cottonseed oil-hexane “miscellas” containing less than 70% oil showed low refining losses, but the colors were estremely high. Above 70% oil content the losses were higher, but the colors were lower. The colors never equalled “standard cup” results.
The consequences of multiple indirect pathways of interaction for species coexistence

Species in diverse communities typically have direct interactions with a small subset of other species, yet indirect effects can be traced between all of the species in a community. When multiple pathways of indirect effects link a pair of species, the magnitude and sign of the net effects depend on the details of the links in each indirect pathway. We explore the effects of alternative indirect pathways in a food web module that includes predation, competition, and mutualistic interactions; mutualisms are an important component of natural interaction networks, but are underrepresented in theoretical studies of indirect interactions. We use a conjugate variable method to partition the strength of a net indirect effect between two species that do not directly interact into two partial effects transmitted along two separate but simultaneously acting pathways: a pathway mediated by a shared predator and a pathway mediated by competing resources. Though the sign of each partial effect is generally negative, as expected, the strengths of the partial effects are different than if they occurred in isolation of one another. Summing the purely predator-mediated indirect effect and the purely resource-mediated indirect effect does not yield the net effect when they occur together. We find that when a resource-mediated pathway for an indirect effect is present, the presence of a shared predator can facilitate coexistence between apparent competitors, even allowing for the persistence of the species more vulnerable to predation. This approach holds promise for building a better understanding of the ways that indirect effects propagate through communities to affect patterns of relative abundance and coexistence.
Aerosol-synthesized SWCNT networks with tunable conductivity and transparency by a dry transfer technique.

We demonstrate an aerosol CVD process to dry deposit large-area SWCNT networks with tunable conductivity and optical transmittance on a wide range of substrates including flexible polymers. These SWCNT networks can be chemically doped to reach a sheet resistance of as low as 110 Ω/◻ at 90% optical transmittance. A wide application potential of these networks is demonstrated by fabricating SWCNT network-based devices such as a transparent capacitive touch sensors, thin-film transistors (TFTs), and bright organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs).
SERIOUS WATERBORNE AND WILDERNESS INFECTIONS

The history of our time will be marked by recurrent eruptions of newly discovered diseases (most recently, hantavirus in the American West); epidemics of diseases migrating to new areas (for example, cholera in Latin America); diseases which become important through human technologies (as certain menstrual tampons favored toxic shock syndrome and water cooling towers provided an opportunity for Legionnaires' Disease); and diseases which spring from insects and animals to humans, through man-made disruptions in local habitats. JONATHAN M. MANN IN THE PREFACE TO THE COMING PLAGUE, NEW YORK, NY, 1994, p. xv With the increasing use of travel and outdoor experiences by sportsmen and workers, the frequency of serious environmentally acquired infectious diseases appears to be increasing. 66,69,85 These infectious diseases are often caused by contact with animals, insect vectors, or contaminated water. 72,187 Many of these infections have short incubation periods; others may not manifest themselves for weeks, months, or even years after exposure. Many of these infections may be severe and require medical evaluation and treatment in an emergency center or an intensive care unit. An understanding of the epidemiology and clinical manifestations of several common infections will aid the critical care physician. 120,129
Fiber optic based evanescent wave sensor for the detection of elemental mercury utilizing gold nanorods

Abstract We developed a fiber optic based sensor using gold nanorods as the sensing medium for the detection of atmospheric elemental mercury. Mercury readily adsorbs on the nanoparticles causing a measurable shift in the longitudinal localized surface plasmon resonance. Depositing the nanorods on the surface of a bare, bent fiber optic cable provides a means to excite the resonance and determine the absorbance through the evanescent wave at the surface. The response of the system is linear with concentration, and we have been able to directly measure concentrations down to 1.0 μg/m 3 .
A numerical study of the nocturnal heat island over a medium-sized mid-latitude city (Columbus, Ohio)

A numerical investigation is conducted of the nocturnal heat island over Columbus, Ohio, a relatively flat mid-latitude city. Specifically, a cross-sectional steady-state numerical model to simulate the (thermal) structure of the nocturnal urban boundary layer is developed from a one-dimensional, time-dependent model due to Estoque. The model is applied to Columbus for special periods in September 1968 and March 1969 during which comparable experimental data were collected. The numerical simulations agree well with the observed data with respect to the detailed spatial form of the surface-based thermal boundary layer across the city. The use of the model for other metropolitan areas, for ascertaining the relative effect of city size and building geometry on the development of the thermal boundary layer, and for determining the effect of alternate land-use strategies on the thermal stratification are also discussed.
Remaking the Middle East: The Prospects for Democracy and Stability

This essay is an exploration of the ramifications for the Middle East of the profound transformations in global politics implied in the end of the Cold War and the birth of a new, American-dominated world order. In doing so, Anderson takes up an issue posed since the birth of many of today's Middle Eastern states after World War I: the influence of great-power politics in the Middle East and within the individual states of the region which, added to local traditions, result in an explosive mix. She concludes with the prospects for Middle East democracy in the new world order.
Increased cytotoxic potential of microglia from ALS-transgenic mice.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a fatal, adult-onset motor neuron disease. A subset of cases is caused by mutations of superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) gene. The mechanisms how the mutations in this ubiquitous enzyme mediate the highly selective motor neuron degeneration, however, remain poorly understood. Recent results from transgenic animal models suggest a “non-cell autonomous” mechanism; i.e., cells other than neurons play an active role in motor neuron death. To investigate a possible effect of mtSOD1 on microglial cells, we compared primary cultured microglia from mtSOD1-transgenic mice and nontransgenic litter controls at neonatal (3 days) and adult (60 days) age. We found that mtSOD1 expression increases the production of TNF-α and attenuates IL-6-release by LPS-activated adult microglia. Neonatal microglia, however, showed no differences. Our findings suggest an increased cytotoxic potential of adult mtSOD1 microglia, which only becomes apparent after microglial activation. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Morphology and Sediments of Redondo Submarine Fan, Southern California

Abstract The following abridged article is included because of the strong similarity between the modern San Pedro basin with the associated Redondo Canyon submarine fan system and the Plio/Pleistocene Ventura basin and sedimentation. Both basins were tectonically active during cycles of sediment influx with each being constrained by an outboard series of topographically positive seamounts. The interrelationship of tectonic activity during sediment influx and outboard resulted in juxtaposition of sedimentary depositional features not normally observed in the “Classic” unconstrained submarine fan model. Through Haner’s work in the modern fan setting, a better understanding of associated sedimentary features observed in ancient basin environments is now available (Haner, 1971). The Redondo Submarine Fan fills the northern end of the San Pedro basin, one of several inshore, fault-controlled basins of the continental borderland of southern California. Fan segmentation and channel morphology were analyzed in detailed echo soundings, sub-bottom seismic profiles, and box cores. They reveal a threefold segmentation of the submarine fan along its axis as indicated by changes in fan gradient and channel patterns unique to each segment. The upper fan is steepest, and the channel is entrenched. Intersection of channel with fan surface and meandering characterize the middle segment, whereas a slightly steeper lower fan gradient results in a braided channel in the lower segment. The recognition of these geomorphic divisions reveals the that both proximal and distal facies exist together in the middle segment. Movements along faults in the basin slope are responsible for steepening of the upper fan segment; he active channel responds to the displacement either by entrenchment or abandonment and creation of a new channel. Turbidity currents are confined solely to the channel of the upper fan segment, but below the intersection zone (mid fan) they flow longitudinally within the channel confines or spread laterally over the fan surface. Associated internal sedimentary structures reveal these different current deceleration environments. The total geometry of sand units, lateral and longitudinal changes in sedimentary facies, and channel morphology provide a model which has greater scope and flexibility than previous sedimentary longitudinal facies models which other writers postulated for unconstrained fan development. The model can be applied to the vertical stratigraphic changes and to the distribution of sediments on the submarine fan surface.
Has endovascular surgery reduced the number of open vascular operations performed by an established surgical practice

Abstract Objective: Driven by new technology and the trend toward minimally invasive techniques, vascular surgeons have eagerly begun performing catheter-based arterial interventional procedures, a subspecialty termed endovascular surgery. How incorporation of endovascular surgery by vascular surgeons has influenced the number of standard open peripheral vascular operations is unknown. The purpose of this observational study was to examine the effect of endovascular surgery performed by the vascular surgeons of an established vascular surgery service on the volume of open peripheral vascular operations performed. Methods: With our prospective vascular registry, we compared the number of index vascular procedures from 1996 to 1998 (immediately before the start of an endovascular program) with the numbers from 1999 to 2000 (immediately after the start of an endovascular program). Differences in proportions (endovascular versus open/standard) between the two time periods were compared with the χ2 test for homogeneity. Results: From 1996 to 1998, 122 procedures were referred to radiology for arterial intervention versus none from 1999 to 2000, reflecting the initiation of the endovascular program. During the entire study period, annual volume (endovascular + open/standard) of vascular procedures, excluding the procedures referred to radiology, increased by 70% (1996, n = 402; to 2000, n = 685). Although open procedures from 1996 to 1999 increased 49% (n = 356 to n = 531), the number decreased by 5% from 1999 to 2000 (n = 531 to n = 507). In contrast, the endovascular volume from 1996 to 2000 increased 324% (n = 42 to n = 178). A statistically significant reduction was seen over time in the proportion of open/standard cases to endovascular cases in comparison of 1996 to 1998 with 1999 to 2000 for total cases (n = 1539, 88% open; versus n = 1341, 77% open) and for all index procedures (aortoiliac, 70% versus 55%; abdominal aortic aneurysm, 100% versus 63%; brachiocephalic, 73% versus 47%; renal, 60% versus 24%) except carotid procedures (100% versus 99%) and femoral-popliteal/tibial procedures (87% versus 87%). Conclusion: The integration of endovascular procedures by vascular surgeons of an established vascular practice significantly reduced the proportion of all open vascular procedures except for carotid and femoral-popliteal/tibial intervention. These data may have important implications for the future training of general and vascular surgeons. (J Vasc Surg 2002;36:514-9.)
Photovoltaic electrolysis - Hydrogen and electricity from water and light

Abstract Two photovoltaic couples, consisting of n on p and p on n gallium arsenide, respectively, have been converted into a water splitting device. Light is allowed to fall on the p part of one couple, which is in contact with air, and on the n side platinum is plated, which contacts the solution. On the other couple, the n side is in contact with air, while on the p side ruthenium dioxide is plated, which is in contact with the solution. Such a device gives a performance (8% conversion efficiency of solar light to hydrogen) better than that of known photoelectrolysis devices operating without battery assistance. Comparison with a coupled photovoltaic-distant water electrolyzer shows, under certain circumstances, some advantages for the present device.
From philosophy of history to political philosophy: an ideological investigation of globalization

Many have argued that one of the reasons for the irresistible trend of liberal democracy is the irreversible process of globalization. The logic assumes that globalization is not only an inseparabl...
A Functional Requirement for Astroglia in Promoting Blood Vessel Development in the Early Postnatal Brain

Astroglia are a major cell type in the brain and play a key role in many aspects of brain development and function. In the adult brain, astrocytes are known to intimately ensheath blood vessels and actively coordinate local neural activity and blood flow. During development of the neural retina, blood vessel growth follows a meshwork of astrocytic processes. Several genes have also been implicated in retinal astrocytes for regulating vessel development. This suggests a role of astrocytes in promoting angiogenesis throughout the central nervous system. To determine the roles that astrocytes may play during brain angiogenesis, we employ genetic approaches to inhibit astrogliogenesis during perinatal corticogenesis and examine its effects on brain vessel development. We find that conditional deletion from glial progenitors of orc3, a gene required for DNA replication, dramatically reduces glial progenitor cell number in the subventricular zone and astrocytes in the early postnatal cerebral cortex. This, in turn, results in severe reductions in both the density and branching frequency of cortical blood vessels. Consistent with a delayed growth but not regression of vessels, we find neither significant net decreases in vessel density between different stages after normalizing for cortical expansion nor obvious apoptosis of endothelial cells in these mutants. Furthermore, concomitant with loss of astroglial interactions, we find increased endothelial cell proliferation, enlarged vessel luminal size as well as enhanced cytoskeletal gene expression in pericytes, which suggests compensatory changes in vascular cells. Lastly, we find that blood vessel morphology in mutant cortices recovers substantially at later stages, following astrogliosis. These results thus implicate a functional requirement for astroglia in promoting blood vessel growth during brain development.
Spurious correlations—causes and cures

Abstract Although the Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient is one of the most widely used statistics in the health and behavioral sciences, it is not always appreciated that the critical assumption of bivariate normality underlies its interpretation. When variables have marginal distributions which are skewed or have heavy tails which produce outliers, correlations may be either spuriously large or small. Having diagnosed problems through exploratory data analysis, one must take the appropriate corrective action, such as re-expressing (transforming) variables or selectively discarding discordant observations.
Abstract 2077: Modulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by a dietary agent for the prevention/ treatment of breast cancer

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women, affecting over 1 million women worldwide (208,000 cases in U.S.) and resulting in 400,000 deaths, yearly. The morbidity associated with breast cancer has been only partially impacted by current treatment modalities including surgery, radiotherapy, and adjuvant chemotherapy and/or hormone therapies. There is an immediate need for effective prevention and/or treatment of breast. Changes in reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a pivotal role in these processes. For example, a moderate increase in ROS promotes cell proliferation, but excessive amounts of ROS can induce apoptosis in cancer cells. Therefore, it is possible to manipulate the oxidative stress (redox) system to selectively kill cancer cells. Neem (Azadirachta indica) is a well-known medicinal plant having a wide spectrum of biological activities. In our studies, Ethanolic fraction of Neem Leaf (EFNL) significantly decreased cell viability and induced apoptosis in both estrogen receptor positive (ER+) and triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells without causing toxicity to normal primary breast epithelial cells. Oral administration of EFNL (5.0 mg/kg body weight) significantly inhibited the growth of MNU-induced mammary tumors without causing any toxicity. EFNL treatment not only inhibited the growth of established mammary tumors, but also significantly inhibited the growth of any new mammary tumors. These interesting results led us to investigate the mechanism underlying EFNL actions on breast cancer. Our results suggested that EFNL induced Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) which lead to inhibition of phosphorylation of the pro-survival signal proteins, Akt and its downstream signaling of mTOR and NF kappa B activation. Over expression of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutases (SOD1 & SOD2) or pharmacological agent [N-acetylcysteine] abrogated EFNL-induced ROS generation, inhibition of cell survival and Akt inactivation in breast cancer cells. These results clearly demonstrate that EFNL induced ROS regulates pro-survival function in breast cancer cells and provides a novel molecular target for breast cancer treatment. The results may provide a preclinical proof-of-principle for a novel targeted therapy for breast cancer cells using EFNL as a nontoxic dietary agent. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2077. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-2077
Cooperative expertise for multidisciplinary computing

As the need for multidisciplinary computing education continues to increase, consideration for distributed expertise will become critical to implementing a successful curriculum. A model of cooperative expertise is presented in which faculty maintain responsibility for their own course, creating and evaluating assignments for their students that support learning in their colleagues' courses as well. We present outcomes of an experiment to implement this model at two geographically separated institutions through three courses (two at one institution, one at the other), by faculty in computer science, media and English. Results reported include faculty analysis of student achievement in each course and student surveys of attitudes toward multidisciplinary collaboration. Overall, it appears that student learning and attitudes are enhanced by the experience.
Morphological Studies on Amaranthus cruentus

The morphology of Amaranthus cruentus was studied using scanning election and light microscopy. The A. cruentus seed consists of a single layer of cells which is intimately associated with the perispeim. In the region of the embryo, the seed coat is attached to the endosperm remaining in the mature seed. The major portion of endosperm caps the root. Large, thick-walled endosperm cells contain spherical bodies embedded in a spongy matrix. The cells of the campylotropous embryo contain material which has properties typical of lipid and lipid complexes as demonstrated by hexane extraction and by staining with osmium tetroxide. Spherical cell bodies, embedded in the lipid-containing matrix are partially digested by trypsin, thus suggesting they are proteinaceous in nature. Perisperm in the center of the seed contains starch granules in the form of amylopectin, demonstrated by iodine-potassium iodide stain and α-amylase digestion.