cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Distribution and turnover of carbon in natural and constructed wetlands in the Florida Everglades

Stable and radiocarbon isotopic contents of dissolved organic C (DOC), dissolved inorganic C (DIC), particulate organic C (POC) and plants were used to examine the source and turnover rate of C in natural and constructed wetlands in the Florida Everglades. DOC concentrations decreased, with P concentrations, along a water quality gradient from the agriculturally impacted areas in the northern Everglades to the more pristine Everglades National Park. d 13 C values of DOC in the area reflect contributions of both wetland vegetation and sugarcane from agriculture. Radiocarbon ages of DOC, POC and DIC in the Everglades ranged from 2.01 ka BP to ‘‘>modern’’. The old 14 C ages of DOC and POC were found in impacted areas near the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) in the northern Everglades. In contrast, DOC and POC in pristine marsh areas had near modern or ‘‘>modern’’ 14 C ages. These data indicate that a major source of POC and DOC in impacted areas is the degradation of historic peat deposits in the EAA. In the pristine areas of the marsh, DOC represents a mix of modern and historic C sources, whereas POC comes from modern primary production as indicated by positive D 14 C values, suggesting that DOC is transported farther away from its source than POC. High D 14 C values of DIC indicate that dissolution of limestone bedrock is not a significant source of DIC in the Everglades wetlands. As a restored wetland moves towards its ‘‘original’’ or ‘‘natural’’ state, the 14 C signatures of DOC should approach that of modern atmosphere. In addition, measurements of concentration and C isotopic composition of DOC in two small constructed wetlands (i.e., test cells) indicate that these freshwater wetland systems contain a labile DOC pool with rapid turnover times of 26–39 days and that the test cells are overall net sinks of DOC. � 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Catalytic ionic hydrogenations of ketones using molybdenum and tungsten complexes

Ketone complexes [CpM(CO)2(PR3)(η1-Et2CO)]+BAr′4− (R = Ph or Me; M = Mo or W) were prepared from hydride transfer from Cp(CO)2(PR3)MH to Ph3C+BAr′4− [Ar′ = 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl] in the presence of 3-pentanone. These ketone complexes are catalyst precursors for hydrogenation of Et2CO under mild conditions (23 °C, <4 atm H2). Analogous catalytic hydrogenations are obtained from reaction of the PCy3 complexes Cp(CO)2(PCy3)MH with Ph3C+BAr′4−. The proposed mechanism involves displacement of the ketone by H2, producing a cationic metal dihydride [CpM(CO)2(PR3)(H)2]+. Proton transfer from the dihydride gives a protonated ketone, followed by hydride transfer from the neutral metal hydride CpM(CO)2(PR3)H to produce the alcohol complex [CpM(CO)2(PR3)(Et2CHOH)]+. The free alcohol product is released from the metal through displacement by H2 or ketone, completing the catalytic cycle. In most cases, conversion of the ketone or alcohol complexes to the dihydride is the turnover-limiting step of the catalytic cycle, with ketone and alcohol complexes being observed during the reaction. For reactions using the W–PCy3 system, the dihydride [CpW(CO)2(PCy3)(H)2]+ is observed as the resting state of the catalytic process. Proton transfer is slow and becomes turnover-limiting in this case. The Mo catalysts are more active than W, and the dependence on phosphine is PCy3 > PPh3 > PMe3. The turnover rates are slow, with the fastest initial rate of about 2 turnovers per hour found for the Mo–PCy3 system. This ionic hydrogenation mechanism does not require coordination of the ketone to the metal for the hydrogenation, thus differing from traditional mechanisms where coordination of a ketone to a metal precedes insertion of the ketone into a M–H bond.
Comprehensive drive train efficiency analysis of hybrid electric and fuel cell vehicles based on motor-controller efficiency modeling

From the point of view of overall hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) and fuel cell vehicle (FCV) drive train efficiency, the research focus is mainly on the efficiency analysis of the power train components, which prove to be an integral part of modern HEV and FCV drive trains. The critical portion of any HEV electrical system consists of a power electronic converter (inverter) and a suitable traction motor. Thus, the efficiency analysis of the inverter/motor is of prime importance for the calculation of the overall efficiency of the drive trains. This paper aims at modeling the efficiencies of the traction motor/controller through efficiency maps. Efficiency maps are a convenient way to represent motor drive systems of large and complex systems, like that of a HEV. The paper uses the advanced vehicle simulator (ADVISOR) software for the simulations of a large-sized car, similar to a Chevy Lumina, over the urban dynamometer-driving schedule and highway fuel economy test drive cycles. Furthermore, the paper investigates the traction motor efficiency maps and consequent overall drive train efficiencies of commercially available Honda Insight and Toyota Prius HEVs. In all the case studies, the aim is to analyze the overall drive train efficiency over the city and highway drive cycles based on the inverter/motor efficiency maps
Optimal mechanisms for finding and selecting mates: how threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) should encode male throat colors

Male threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) use nuptial colors to attract mates and intimidate rivals. We quantified stickleback color and environmental lighting using methods independent of human perception to evaluate the information transmitted by male signals in a habitat where these signals are displayed. We also developed models of chromatic processing based on four cone photopigments (peak absorptions at 360, 445, 530, and 605 nm) characterized microspectrophotometrically in G. aculeatus and three other stickleback species. We show that a simple opponent mechanism receiving equally weighted inputs from cones with peak absorptions at 445 nm and 605 nm efficiently encodes variation in male throat colors. An orthogonal opponent mechanism—the difference between outputs of 530-nm cones and mean of outputs of 445- and 605-nm cones—produces a neural signal that could be used for species recognition and would be largely insensitive to variation in male throat color. We also show that threespine stickleback throats/photopigments are optimized for this coding scheme. These and other findings lead to testable hypotheses about the spectral processing mechanisms present in the threespine stickleback visual systems and the evolutionary interactions that have shaped this signal/receiver system.
Optimal dissemination of layered videos in P2P-Based IPTV networks

The emerging scalable video coding extension in H.264/AVC standard will enable the deployment of video streaming and distribution applications in heterogeneous environments, with different user bandwidth resources and display capacities. In this paper, we study the problem of how to distribute scalable coded media objects from a media distribution server in peer-to-peer based IPTV applications. All the media layers are divided in segments to be exchanged by peers in every playback interval. We formulate the media distribution scheme as an optimization problem, so that the time for the system to distribute all media layers to its subscribed end users is minimized. We compared the optimal distribution algorithm with an alternative heuristic algorithm through simulations. The experimental results have demonstrated the excellent performance of the proposed optimal distribution algorithm.
The application of a massively parallel computer to the simulation of electrical wave propagation phenomena in the heart muscle using simplified models

The simulation of heart arrhythmia and fibrillation are very important and challenging tasks. The solution of these problems using sophisticated mathematical models is beyond the capabilities of modern supercomputers. To overcome these difficulties, it is proposed to break the whole simulation problem into two tightly coupled stages: generation of the action potential using sophisticated models, and propagation of the action potential using simplified models. The well-known simplified models are compared and modified to bring the rate of depolarization and action potential duration restitution closer to reality. The modified method of lines is used to parallelize the computational process. The conditions for the appearance of 2D spiral waves after the application of a premature beat and the subsequent traveling of the spiral wave inside the simulated tissue are studied. >
Renal and Hepatic Transporter Expression in Type 2 Diabetic Rats

Membrane transporters are critical for the uptake as well as elimination of chemicals and by-products of metabolism from the liver and kidneys. Since these proteins are important determinants of chemical disposition, changes in their expression in different disease states can modulate drug pharmacokinetics. The present study investigated alterations in the renal and hepatic expression of organic anion and cation transporters (Oats/Octs), multidrug resistance-associated proteins (Mrps), breast cancer resistance protein (Bcrp), P-glycoprotein (Pgp), and hepatic Na+-taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (Ntcp) in type 2 diabetic rats. For this purpose, type 2 diabetes was induced by feeding male Sprague- Dawley rats a high fat diet followed by a single dose of streptozotocin (45 mg/kg, i.p., in 0.01 M citrate buffer pH 4.3) on day 14. Controls received normal diet and vehicle. Kidney and liver samples were collected on day 24 for generation of crude plasma membrane fractions and Western blot analysis of Oat, Oct, Mrp, Bcrp, Pgp, and Ntcp proteins. With regards to renal uptake transporters, type 2 diabetes increased levels of Oat2 (2.3-fold) and decreased levels of Oct2 to 50% of control kidneys. Conversely, efflux transporters Mrp2, Mrp4, and Bcrp were increased 5.4-fold, 2-fold, and 1.6-fold, respectively in type 2 diabetic kidneys with no change in levels of Mrp1, Mrp5, or Pgp. Studies of hepatic transporters in type 2 diabetic rats reveal that the protein level of Mrp5 was reduced to 4% of control livers with no change in levels of Bcrp, Mrp1, Mrp2, Mrp4, Ntcp, or Pgp. The changes reported in this study may have implications in type 2 diabetic patients.
Interpretations of a teratogen warning symbol.

Background: Warning symbols are used on teratogenic medications to communicate the message that women should (1) not take that medication if they may already be pregnant, and (2) not get pregnant while taking that medication. Communications research indicates that people interpret symbols or pictures in different ways. Other studies have shown that patients do not always receive education materials that are part of prescription protocol. Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tested the interpretation of the teratogen warning symbol and its ability to convey the correct information without accompanying education. Methods: A teratogen warning symbol currently printed on some medication packaging uses graphics and text warning the user not to get pregnant. Researchers interviewed women of childbearing age about their interpretation of the warning symbol and its meaning. Ninety-seven women were interviewed in a variety of locations, including public health clinics, literacy and job training offices, health clubs, and malls. Results: Only 21% of women interpreted correctly without prompting that they should either not take the medication if they are pregnant or not get pregnant while taking the medication. Twenty-seven percent of women first thought the symbol meant the package contained birth control medication, and 24% said it simply indicated the package contained drugs or medicine. An additional 7% said they did not know what the symbol was supposed to mean; 39% of respondents offered circumstances in which prescription medications might be shared. Conclusions: Misinterpretation of warning symbols can result in serious consequences. This research should serve as an urgent call for mandating education for all patients receiving drugs with teratogenic properties, and careful pretesting and modification of warning symbols before they are used on medications with teratogenic effects.
Interstate variation in trends of psychotropic medication use among Medicaid-enrolled children in foster care☆ , ☆☆

Abstract Background High rates of treating children in foster care with second-generation antipsychotics, both singly and in combination with other psychotropics, have focused public interest on the use of these medications, and motivated some states to implement programs to curtail usage. Objective To estimate any antipsychotic use and psychotropic polypharmacy among children in foster care during the last decade and to characterize interstate variation in these trends. Design/methods Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Medicaid Analytic Extract data files for 47 states and the District of Columbia for years 2002–2007. The study sample included an average of 686,080 children annually aged 3–18 years of age with foster care Medicaid eligibility. Repeated cross-sectional design conducted with multilevel logistic regression, clustered at the state level and controlling for patient demographics. Main outcome measures were rates of filled prescriptions for any antipsychotic medication and for psychotropic polypharmacy (defined as concurrent use of 3 or more psychotropic medication classes for at least 30 days during the year). State-level rate trajectories over time were classified as increased (≥ 5% relative increase over interval), decreased (≥ 5% relative decrease over the interval), or stable. Results The rate of any antipsychotic use increased from 8.9% in 2002 to 11.8% in 2007 (P Conclusions Although absolute rates of any antipsychotic use and psychotropic polypharmacy among children in foster care remained high, psychotropic polypharmacy began to abate during the last decade, as rates of antipsychotic use continued to rise.
A single-layer PDMS-on-silicon hybrid microactuator with multi-axis out-of-plane motion capabilities-Part i: design and analysis

This paper proposes a new single-layer electrostatic microactuator design that generates three-axis motion resulting in vertical translation and out-of-plane tilting. The new actuator design combines a micrometer-scale three-dimensional (3-D) polydimethylsiloxime (PDMS) structure fabricated using soft lithography with comb drives processed using a single mask on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer. The multi-axis actuation capability of the proposed actuator is enabled by coupling the in-plane actuation motion of the comb drives with the elastic bending of PDMS flexural microjoints. To predict the static and dynamic performance of the actuator, this paper develops a four-bar-linkage model and applies Lagrangian dynamics theory. The developed analytical model is validated using finite element analysis (FEA) and allows us to perform parametric design of the actuator. The analysis indicates that the proposed PDMS-on-silicon hybrid actuator can yield the desired multi-axis actuation capability with a dynamic bandwidth as large as 5 kHz.
Optimal toll design: a lower bound framework for the asymmetric traveling salesman problem

We propose a framework of lower bounds for the asymmetric traveling salesman problem (TSP) based on approximating the dynamic programming formulation with different basis vector sets. We discuss how several well-known TSP lower bounds correspond to intuitive basis vector choices and give an economic interpretation wherein the salesman must pay tolls as he travels between cities. We then introduce an exact reformulation that generates a family of successively tighter lower bounds, all solvable in polynomial time. We show that the base member of this family yields a bound greater than or equal to the well-known Held-Karp bound, obtained by solving the linear programming relaxation of the TSP's integer programming arc-based formulation.
Joint source-filter optimization for robust glottal source estimation in the presence of shimmer and jitter

We propose a glottal source estimation method robust to shimmer and jitter in the glottal flow. The proposed estimation method is based on a joint source-filter optimization technique. The glottal source is modeled by the Liljencrants-Fant (LF) model and the vocal-tract filter is modeled by an auto-regressive filter, which is common in the source-filter approach to speech production. The optimization estimates the parameters of the LF model, the amplitudes of the glottal flow in each pitch period, and the vocal-tract filter coefficients so that the speech production model best describes the observed speech samples. Experiments with synthetic and real speech data show that the proposed estimation method is robust to different phonation types with varying shimmer and jitter characteristics.
Second-site mutations in cyclic AMP-sensitive revertants of a Ka mutant of S49 mouse lymphoma cells reduce the affinity of regulatory subunit of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase for catalytic subunit.

Ka mutants of S49 mouse lymphoma cells are generally heterozygous for expression of wild-type and mutant regulatory (R) subunits of type lα cyclic AMP-(cAMP)-dependent protein kinase, where the mutant R subunit has a defect in cAMP-binding to one of two intrachain cAMP-binding sites. Several cAMP-sensitive revertants of such a Ka mutant were found previously to harbor second-site mutations in the mutant allele, and we have now identified three such mutations by sequence analysis of PCR-amplified cDNAs. The resulting amino acid changes were Ala98 to Thr, Gly179 to Arg, or Gly224 to Asp. The Ka mutation in these strains (Glu201 to Lys) eliminated cAMP-binding to the more aminoterminal cAMP-binding site (site A). None of the second-site mutations restored this activity in bacterially expressed recombinant R subunit. On the other hand, all three second-site mutations reduced the apparent affinity of the mutant R subunit for catalytic (C) subunit with the effects of the substitutions at Ala98 and Gly179 substantially greater than the effect of the substitution at Gly224. Patterns of phosphorylation and turnover of wild-type and mutant R subunits in intact revertant cells were consistent with reduced association of the doubly mutant subunits with C subunit, but the free mutant subunits apparently were more stable than free wild-type subunits. Differences in metabolic turnover of mutant and wild-type subunits did not correlate with the sensitivities of the isolated proteins to proteolytic cleavage. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Mixed-Drove Spatiotemporal Co-Occurrence Pattern Mining

Mixed-drove spatio-temporal co-occurrence patterns (MDCOPs) represent subsets of two or more different object-types whose instances are often located in spatial and temporal proximity. Discovering MDCOPs is an important problem with many applications such as identifying tactics in battlefields, games, and predator-prey interactions. However, mining MDCOPs is computationally very expensive because the interest measures are computationally complex, datasets are larger due to the archival history, and the set of candidate patterns is exponential in the number of object-types. We propose a monotonic composite interest measure for discovering MDCOPs and novel MDCOP mining algorithms. Analytical results show that the proposed algorithms are correct and complete. Experimental results also show that the proposed methods are computationally more efficient than naive alternatives.
Modeling analytical ultracentrifugation experiments with an adaptive space-time finite element solution for multicomponent reacting systems

We describe an extension of the adaptive space-time finite element method (ASTFEM) used in the solution of the Lamm equation to the case of multicomponent reacting systems. We use an operator splitting technique to decouple the sedimentation-diffusion process from the reaction process. The former is solved with an ASTFEM approach based on the Petrov-Galerkin method and on adaptive moving grids, and the latter is solved with the implicit midpoint Euler's method. Our solution can effectively eliminate the sedimentation errors for each component or species involved in the reaction, and it is free from oscillation near the cell bottom. It offers second-order accuracy, and guarantees conservation of mass without any additional postprocessing, and it permits modeling of multicomponent, equilibrating systems where the reaction rate can be kinetically controlled between an instantaneous reaction and a noninteracting mixture. The proposed ASTFEM solution provides improved efficiency and accuracy compared to classical approaches, especially when medium-sized and large molecules are modeled.
Raising the ante on the climate debate

Almost alone in the world of science, there is a substantial U.S. effort to discredit some basic conclusions in the global warming debate. There are always legitimate reasons to query scientific conclusions, but the tenor of the debate has taken on a flavor of its own. Since the epicenter of the dispute is in Washington, D.C., the suspicion arises that not all of the discussion is business-as-usual scientific disagreement. The most recent example of the heightening level of the dispute involves a 23 June 2005 letter from U.S. Rep. Joe Barton (R-Tex.), chair of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, to Michael Mann (University of Virginia) and his collaborators, Raymond Bradley (University of Massachusetts) and Malcolm Hughes (University of Arizona). The dispute centers on the much discussed “hockey stick” reconstruction of Mann et al. [1998,1999]. In those reconstructions, the twentieth century warming stands well above Northern Hemisphere temperature fluctuations of the last 1000 years. Other investigators, using some of the same data but with different approaches, have also reconstructed temperatures of the last millennium (see Mann et al. [2003] for a summary discussion). In general, there is more agreement than disagreement among the various reconstructions. The differences stem mainly from the scaling of the oscillations, but in all cases the late twentieth century is anomalous in a millennial context.
Worship and Moral Autonomy

A number of years ago, James Rachels presented an argument for the necessary non–existence of God. It was based upon a supposed inconsistency between worship and what might be called ‘autonomous moral agency’. In Rachels' view, one person's being the worshipper of another is partially determined by the way in which it is appropriate for the first to respond to the commands of the second. In brief, a worshipper's obedience to commands should be ‘ unqualified ’. Rachels thought that there was some kind of incoherence in the requirement that an autonomous moral agent respond to commands in this way. He concluded that there could be no being who, like God, was alleged necessarily to be a fitting object of worship.
Raw material selectivity of the earliest stone toolmakers at Gona, Afar, Ethiopia

Published evidence of Oldowan stone exploitation generally supports the conclusion that patterns of raw material use were determined by local availability. This is contradicted by the results of systematic studies of raw material availability and use among the earliest known archaeological sites from Gona, Afar, Ethiopia. Artifact assemblages from six Pliocene archaeological sites were compared with six random cobble samples taken from associated conglomerates that record pene-contemporaneous raw material availability. Artifacts and cobbles were evaluated according to four variables intended to capture major elements of material quality: rock type, phenocryst percentage, average phenocryst size, and groundmass texture. Analyses of these variables provide evidence of hominid selectivity for raw material quality. These results demonstrate that raw material selectivity was a potential component of Oldowan technological organization from its earliest appearance and document a level of technological sophistication that is not always attributed to Pliocene hominids.
In-situ measurement of interfacial pH using a rotating ring-disk electrode

A nonintrusive technique for the in-situ measurement of interfacial pH and current efficiency has been developed. A ring electrode, operated potentiometrically at opencircuit, is used to measure the pH change at a rotating disk electrode. The technique takes advantage of the well-characterized hydrodynamics at the rotating disk electrode and has the added advantage that the pH probe, the ring electrode, is not interfering with the flow field and the current distribution on the disk. To determine the pH at the disk electrode by measuring the potential of the ring, the radial transport of hydronium ions across the insulating gap and on the ring is analyzed taking into account the effect of homogeneous dissociation reactions of water and metal-hydroxide ion complexes. Shifts in the ring potential caused by hydrogen super-saturation and ohmic drop are also evaluated. A platinized ring electrode in a hydrogensaturated electrolyte is shown to provide a stable and reproducible hydrogen ion sensor with a Nernstian response to the changes in the bulk pH. Performance of the ring is evaluated by generating hydrogen at the disk electrode from a dilute acid solution, in the absence of other electrochemical reactions. The technique is then applied to determine the interfacial pH of nickel, iron and nickel-iron alloy electrodeposition with concurrent hydrogen evolution. This method was also used to measure the current efficiency of nickel electrodeposition in a fast, nonintrusive and in-situ manner.
Der erste Eindruck der Nachricht von der Röntgenschen Entdeckung auf Wissenschaftler und Laien

Selten hat in der Geschichte der Wissenschaft eine neue Entdeckung oder Erfindung in wenigen Tagen eine solche Verbreitung gefunden und einen derartig tiefen Eindruck auf das Publikum gemacht, wie die Entdeckung der Rontgenstrahlen. Zusammen mit seiner ersten Veroffentlichung hatte Rontgen an einige seiner Freunde, den Wiener Physiker F. Exner, die Berliner Professoren Warburg und O. Lummer, Prof. Voller in Hamburg und Prof. Schuster in Manchester u. a. Abzuge seiner ersten X-Strahlen-Aufnahmen geschickt und auf die Weise einen kleinen Kreis von Wissenschaftlern mit seiner wichtigen Entdeckung bekannt gemacht. Selbst diese Freunde hatten an der Echtheit der erhaltenen Bilder gezweifelt, ware ihnen nicht die exakte und zuverlassige Art der Arbeit Rontgens bekannt gewesen. So schrieb Ltmmer (529) z. B. am 15. Februar 1896: „Denn wahrlich beim Lesen der einige Tage vorher von Professor Rontgen mir zugesandten vorlaufigen Mitteilung: ‚Uber eine neue Art von Strahlen‘, konnte ich mich des Gedankens nicht erwehren, ein Marchen vernommen zu haben, wenn auch der Name des Autors und dessen stichhaltige Beweise mich von diesem Wahne schnell genug befreiten. Wohl stand es schwarz auf weis gedruckt, das man die Metallgewichte in einem geschlossenen Holzkasten photographieren und die Knochen der lebenden Hand auf die Platte zaubern konnte, aber erst die wirkliche Photographie vermochte fur jedermann die Tatsache zur Gewisheit zu stempeln. Selten durfte es sich ereignen, das eine reale physikalische Tatsache bei ihrem ersten, freilich unvollkommenen Bekanntwerden durch die Tageszeitungen scheu aufgenommen wird als Hirngespinst eines Kranken oder Spasvogels und deswegen von ernsteren Blattern nicht abgedruckt, von den Spiritisten sofort aber gedeutet wird als Offenbarung aus der vierten Dimension.“ Prof. Lummer nahm in dieser Mitteilung Bezug auf die von Prof. Warburg bei der Feier des 50jahrigen Bestehens der Berliner Physikalischen Gesellschaft am 4. Januar 1896 im Physikalischen Institut ausgestellten Rontgenschen Photographien1.
Clinical and echocardiographic features of hypereosinophilic syndromes.

Idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) represents a heterogenous group of disorders characterized by the overproduction of eosinophils. A major source of the morbidity and mortality of this syndrome is associated cardiac involvement. Several reports have focused on the pathologic findings and echocardiographic assessment of cardiovascular abnormalities associated with this disease. Typical cardiac findings include endocardial fibrosis and mural thrombus, which is most frequent in the apices of both ventricles. The thrombus may extend up to the inflow tract of the atrioventricular valves, impede normal leaflet function, and produce marked valvular regurgitation. Congestive heart failure may result from the valvular abnormalities or the resulting endomyocardial fibrosis (or both). Our study evaluates the Mayo Clinic experience with HES in a large group of patients and attempts to define the extent and significance of cardiac involvement, with emphasis on long-term follow-up.
'It's a Designer Baby!' - Opinions on Regulation of Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis

Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) is a procedure that identifies genetic defects in early embryos conceived via In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) techniques. PGD is currently used primarily, if not exclusively, for medical purposes. As the array of possible applications of PGD is expanding, some of the projected uses of genetic screening are controversial, especially those involving non- medical motivations. With the looming array of possibilities associated with genetic screening, some kind of regulation of Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis is necessary. The regulation should be carefully crafted, and should not be used as a vehicle to promulgate moral views disguised as a federal statute. The decision to conduct prenatal genetic diagnosis tests for various purposes should be made by the couple, after informed consent. The costs of PGD for health purposes should be carried by health insurance in order to prevent social inequalities. A competent authority should safeguard the quality of the genetic tests. Regulation and practice should be in a symbiotic relationship, and they should be constantly informing each other.
Summary and Future Development

In this book, kinetic uptake models of metal ions from aqueous solutions by adsorbents in various systems were presented and applied. Specifically, the uptake of metal ions from aqueous solutions by adsorbents such as hydrous oxides and activated carbon was analyzed.
Siderocalin Combats Mycobacterial Infections

The human immunoprotein siderocalin (Scn) protects against infections by binding the siderophores used by a pathogen to steal iron from host iron stores, thereby limiting bacterial growth and subsequent colonization by restricting the supply of iron. Mycobacterium tuberculosis synthesizes two siderophores, mycobactin and carboxymycobactin, with the same core structure. Unlike the alkyl side chain of mycobactin, the carboxylate chain of carboxymycobactin imparts water solubility on this siderophore, allowing it to be excreted. The variable length of the carboxymycobactin chain markedly influences binding by Scn. The structural differences in the side chains of mycobactin and carboxymycobactin and the intracellular location of M. tuberculosis challenge the ability of Scn to recognize and inactivate siderophore-mediated iron acquisition by this pathogen. We describe the physical interactions between Scn and carboxymycobactin as well as the effect of Scn on the growth of M. tuberculosis in different cellular environments. The evidence suggests that Scn is part of the defenses that prevent or limit infections of M. tuberculosis.
THE OFFENSE OF HOMICIDE BY REQUEST OF THE VICTIM INTRODUCED BY THE NEW ROMANIAN CRIMINAL CODE

Euthanasia is a murder committed under an impulse of mercy in order to end physical torments of a person suffering from an incurable disease, and whose death is, therefore, inevitable. However, there are differences between passive euthanasia and active euthanasia. The first is the withholding life-prolonging measures and resources when death is otherwise inevitable, while the second is the direct causing - death act of the incurable patient, with his consent, in order to avoid further suffering. Does one have a right to take one's life? The right to have one's life terminated at will is subject to social, ethical, and legal strictures. In some countries it is legal and also, socially acceptable to have one's life terminated given a sufficient deterioration in the quality of life and the imminence of death. In this article, the author examines the provisions of the new Criminal Code relating to the incrimination of murdering on victim’s request in terms of legality, ethics and morality.
Mild Hydrotreating of Bio-Oil: Effect of Reaction Severity and Fate of Oxygenated Species

Bio-oil derived by fast pyrolysis of biomass represents a potentially attractive source of hydrocarbon transportation fuels. Raw bio-oil however is completely unsuitable for application as a fuel due primarily to high organic oxygen content, which imparts a number of undesirable properties including high acidity and low stability. These problems can be overcome by catalytic hydrodeoxygenation (HDO); however, removing oxygen to very low levels by hydrotreating carries a strong economic penalty. Mild hydrotreating (where moderate levels of deoxygenation take place) coupled with coprocessing in a petroleum refinery represents an alternative to deep hydrotreating, which may help improve the economics of manufacture of hydrocarbon transportation fuels from biomass. This study reports on the effect of reaction severity on the quality of bio-oil produced via mild hydrotreating in a semibatch reactor using conventional hydroprocessing catalysts. Detailed speciation of oxygen functional groups in distillate and bo...
5R Manipulator Robotic Arm for a Power Wheelchair Used by BCI Unit

Although robotic arms for power wheelchairs have been developed, existing models have limitations for people who cannot use joystick controls or who need to maneuver in small spaces. This project addresses these problems by developing programs to link brain computer interface communication systems to robotic controls and by designing a smaller and more compactable robotic manipulator.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Frequency of unsafe storage, use, and disposal practices of opioids among cancer patients presenting to the emergency department.

OBJECTIVE: Approximately 75% of prescription opioid abusers obtain the drug from an acquaintance, which may be a consequence of improper opioid storage, use, disposal, and lack of patient education. We aimed to determine the opioid storage, use, and disposal patterns in patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) of a comprehensive cancer center. METHOD: We surveyed 113 patients receiving opioids for at least 2 months upon presenting to the ED and collected information regarding opioid use, storage, and disposal. Unsafe storage was defined as storing opioids in plain sight, and unsafe use was defined as sharing or losing opioids. RESULTS: The median age was 53 years, 55% were female, 64% were white, and 86% had advanced cancer. Of those surveyed, 36% stored opioids in plain sight, 53% kept them hidden but unlocked, and only 15% locked their opioids. However, 73% agreed that they would use a lockbox if given one. Patients who reported that others had asked them for their pain medications (p = 0.004) and those who would use a lockbox if given one (p = 0.019) were more likely to keep them locked. Some 13 patients (12%) used opioids unsafely by either sharing (5%) or losing (8%) them. Patients who reported being prescribed more pain pills than required (p = 0.032) were more likely to practice unsafe use. Most (78%) were unaware of proper opioid disposal methods, 6% believed they were prescribed more medication than required, and 67% had unused opioids at home. Only 13% previously received education about safe disposal of opioids. Overall, 77% (87) of patients reported unsafe storage, unsafe use, or possessed unused opioids at home. SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS: Many cancer patients presenting to the ED improperly and unsafely store, use, or dispose of opioids, thus highlighting a need to investigate the impact of patient education on such practices. Language: en
An experimental study of the dynamic mechanical properties of an AlSiCw composite

Abstract This paper presents initial results of an experimental study of the dynamic deformation and dynamic fracture behavior of a 2124-T6 aluminum alloy reinforced with 13.2 v/o SiC whiskers. Results are compared with the quasistatic behavior and with the behavior of the unreinforced 2124-T6 aluminum alloy. Two types of tests are described, one to provide static and dynamic stress-strain curves of the material in shear and the other to measure static and dynamic values of the critical stress intensity factors, KIc and KId, for tensile fracture. Results show that the presence of the reinforcing whiskers raises the dynamic and static flow stress of the material in shear. It is also evident that the reinforced material has considerably more ductility in shear than it has in axial deformation. As expected, the fracture response, as measured by the critical stress intensity factor KIc, is not as favorable for the reinforced material as for the unreinforced. However, dynamic loading raises the value of KIc for the reinforced material while producing almost no change in the unreinforced. For the reinforced material, the rate of loading is important in determining toughness, as measured by the value of KI, but has little influence on the stress-strain behavior in shear.
Enzymatic Carboxylmethylation and Non-Enzymatic Demethylation at L-Isoaspartyl Residues: Possible Applications in Peptide Chemistry

Protein carboxyl methyltransferases from human erythrocytes and bovine brain catalyze the methylation of abnormal aspartyl residues in cellular proteins and synthetic peptides (1–2). These sites of methylation appear to include the β-carboxyl group of racemized aspartyl residues in which the α-carbon is in the D-configuration (3) and the a-carboxyl group of isomerized L-aspartyl residues, in which the peptide chain is linked via the side chain β-carboxyl group (4–5). The function of these methyltransferases is not known, but it has been proposed that these enzymes play a surveillance role in the cell to identify abnormal proteins, and may participate in their degradation or rejuvenation.
Structure of Response

Moral claims must be grounded on a normative perspective. Current philosophical discussion offers several candidates for this foundation, including intuitionism, virtue-based ethics of various stripes, several varieties of rights theories and, finally, utilitarianism. A quick scan of these reveals that an iteration of utilitarian theory is best suited to the requirements of multinational commerce.
Childcare and School Management Issues in Food Allergy

Purpose of Review The goal of this review is to characterize food allergy management and anaphylaxis in schools and assess current policies and level of preparedness of schools to recognize and treat anaphylaxis.
GENETIC ANALYSIS OF TRANSPOSITION AND EXCISION BY TRANSPOSON Tn10

ABSTRACT We have localized the sites and functions encoded by transposon Tn10 which are relevant for Tn10 transposition. Analysis of deletion mutants and structural variants shows that the outer-most 70 basepairs at each end of the element encode all of the sites essential for normal transposition, and that at least one function which recognizes these ends is encoded by the 1400-base-pair inverted repeat segments which form the ends of Tn10. Genetic analysis has revealed a functional asymmetry between the left and right sides of Tn10 and a number of complexities in the functioning of the two IS10 elements as they occur in the wild type element. In addition, complementation analysis has revealed the unexpected fact that most transposition-defective mutants of Tn10 are not complementable in trans , although other data indicate that transposition functions are in fact freely diffusible. Finally, analysis of Tn10 mutants for their effect on precise excision and nearly-precise excision of Tn10 makes it clear that both events can occur by pathways which are independent of transposition functions, and that the inverted repeats of the element play a structural role in excision by these pathways.
Contingent maternities? Maternal claims-making in third party reproduction.

The new reproductive technologies have significantly impacted definitions of motherhood. Historically, mothers were defined through the act of giving birth, but egg donation, embryo donation, and surrogacy disrupt this. Now multiple women can potentially claim maternity through gestational, genetic, legal, and social ties. Although there is some legal precedent for designating parentage, there is no simple solution to identify the ‘true’ mother. I address maternal claims-making in third party reproduction via a content analysis of US patient literature for infertile women. Major tensions arise over which link to privilege, especially regarding genetic versus gestational ties in egg donation versus surrogacy; however, adding embryo donation to the analysis illuminates another crucial dimension previously overlooked – that heterosexual women's maternal claims are supported by their partner's paternity claims. Ultimately, I argue that although reproductive organisational discourse carefully constructs credible options for maternal claims-making, contemporary reproductive medicine does not define maternity through assisted reproduction as a truly autonomous connection. Rather, maternity is highly contingent and thus potentially discreditable.
Plane-wave pseudopotential implementation and performance of SCAN meta-GGA exchange-correlation functional for extended systems

We present the implementation and performance of the strongly constrained and appropriately normed, SCAN, meta-GGA exchange-correlation (XC) approximation in the planewave-pseudopotential (PW-PP) formalism using the Troullier-Martins pseudopotential scheme. We studied its performance by applying the PW-PP implementation to several practical applications of interest in condensed matter sciences: (a) crystalline silicon and germanium, (b) martensitic phase transition energetics of phosphorene, and (c) a single water molecule physisorption on a graphene sheet. Given the much-improved accuracy over the GGA functionals and its relatively low computational cost compared to hybrid XC functionals, the SCAN functional is highly promising for various practical applications of density functional theory calculations for condensed matter systems. At same time, the SCAN meta-GGA functional appears to require more careful attention to numerical details. The meta-GGA functional shows more significant dependence on the fast Fourier transform grid, which is used for evaluating the XC potential in real space in the PW-PP formalism, than other more conventional GGA functionals do. Additionally, using pseudopotentials that are generated at a different/lower level of XC approximation could introduce noticeable errors in calculating some properties such as phase transition energetics.
EFFECTIVENESS OF JIGSAW COOPERATIVE LEARNING MODEL ON CLASS X MATHEMATICS LEARNING IN SMA NEGERI 1 MAKASSAR

The effectiveness of jigsaw type cooperative learning model is described by description, the result of learning mathematics taught by applying jigsaw type cooperative learning model on the subject of quadratic equation is in high category, whereas conventional learning is in medium category. Furthermore, the result of mathematics learning taught by applying jigsaw type cooperative learning model on the subject of two-variable linear equation system is in the high category whereas conventional learning on the subject of the system of linear equations of two variables is in the medium category. Jigsaw type cooperative learning model on the subject of quadratic equation is more effective than student learning outcomes taught by using conventional learning, as well as Jigsaw type cooperative learning model on the subject system of two linear equations is more effective than student learning outcomes are taught by using learning Conventional.
Age and Online Social Media Behavior in Prediction of Social Activism Orientation

The purpose of this study was to describe the largely unexplored relationship between chronological age, displays of activism on social networking sites, and differences in orientation toward engaging in future social activism. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the Activism Orientation Scale (A0S; Corning & Myers, 2002), and the Online Social Activism Scale (OSAS). Two regression models were used in the prediction of participants’ orientation toward conventional activism behavior and high-risk activism behavior by chronological age and displays of activism on social networking sites. Both models were statistically significant. The data revealed that increased displays of activism on social networking sites were associated with a decreased orientation toward future conventional and high-risk activism behaviors. Increased age was associated with a decreased orientation toward high-risk activism behavior. Findings from this study highlight important considerations related to the expansion of activism participation from social media based platforms.
The influence of curing stresses on the extension-twist coupling in pretwisted composite laminates

An analytical model developed previously for the finite displacement of laminated composite strips exhibiting extension-twist coupling is extended to include the influence of hygrothermal stresses. A closed-form expression for the pretwist associated with the curing stresses is derived. The relationship between applied extension and twist is obtained in closed form as well and the contribution of the curing stresses is isolated. A set of pretwisted angle-ply laminated composite strips made of a Graphite/Cyanate material system is manufactured and tested. A custom made air bearing apparatus is used in the testing to allow one end of the strip to twist as axial load is applied. Test results depict the nonlinear axial force-twist behavior and the analytical predictions are in close agreement with test data and a geometrically nonlinear finite element simulation.
Distributed hepatocytes expressing telomerase repopulate the liver in homeostasis and injury

Hepatocytes are replenished gradually during homeostasis and robustly after liver injury1, 2. In adults, new hepatocytes originate from the existing hepatocyte pool3-8, but the cellular source of renewing hepatocytes remains unclear. Telomerase is expressed in many stem cell populations, and mutations in telomerase pathway genes have been linked to liver diseases9-11. Here we identify a subset of hepatocytes that expresses high levels of telomerase and show that this hepatocyte subset repopulates the liver during homeostasis and injury. Using lineage tracing from the telomerase reverse transcriptase (Tert) locus in mice, we demonstrate that rare hepatocytes with high telomerase expression (TERTHigh hepatocytes) are distributed throughout the liver lobule. During homeostasis, these cells regenerate hepatocytes in all lobular zones, and both self-renew and differentiate to yield expanding hepatocyte clones that eventually dominate the liver. In response to injury, the repopulating activity of TERTHigh hepatocytes is accelerated and their progeny cross zonal boundaries. RNA sequencing shows that metabolic genes are downregulated in TERTHigh hepatocytes, indicating that metabolic activity and repopulating activity may be segregated within the hepatocyte lineage. Genetic ablation of TERTHigh hepatocytes combined with chemical injury causes a marked increase in stellate cell activation and fibrosis. These results provide support for a 'distributed model' of hepatocyte renewal in which a subset of hepatocytes dispersed throughout the lobule clonally expands to maintain liver mass.