cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Correction: Comment on “Isomerization of the methoxy radical revisited: the impact of water dimers” by B. Bandyopadhyay et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2016, 18, 27728 and “Isomerization of methoxy radical in the troposphere: competition between acidic, neutral and basic catalysts” by P. Kumar, B. Bandyopadhyay et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2017, 19, 278

Correction for ‘Comment on “Isomerization of the methoxy radical revisited: the impact of water dimers” by B. Bandyopadhyay et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2016, 18, 27728 and “Isomerization of methoxy radical in the troposphere: competition between acidic, neutral and basic catalysts” by P. Kumar, B. Bandyopadhyay et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2017, 19, 278’ by Theodore S. Dibble et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2018, 20, 11481–11482.
An Analytical Poroelastic Model of a Nonhomogeneous Medium Under Creep Compression for Ultrasound Poroelastography Applications—Part II

An analytical theory for the unconfined creep behavior of a cylindrical inclusion (simulating a soft tissue tumor) embedded in a cylindrical background sample (simulating normal tissue) is presented and analyzed in this paper. Both the inclusion and the background are considered as fluid-filled, porous materials, each of them being characterized by a set of mechanical properties. Specifically, in this paper, the inclusion is considered to be less permeable than the background. The cylindrical sample is compressed using a constant pressure within two frictionless plates and is allowed to expand in an unconfined way along the radial direction. Analytical expressions for the effective Poisson's ratio (EPR) and fluid pressure inside and outside the inclusion are derived and analyzed. The theoretical results are validated using finite element models (FEM). Statistical analysis shows excellent agreement between the results obtained from the developed model and the results from FEM. Thus the developed theoretical model can be used in medical imaging modalities such as ultrasound poroelastography to extract the mechanical parameters of tissues and/or to better understand the impact of the different mechanical parameters on the estimated displacements, strains, stresses and fluid pressure inside a tumor and in the surrounding tissue.
Intrinsic Activity and Consciousness

Traditionally, studies of brain function have focused on task-evoked responses. By their very nature, such experiments tacitly encourage a reflexive view of brain function. While such an approach has been remarkably productive, it ignores the alternative possibility: that brain functions are mainly intrinsic, involving information processing for interpreting, responding to and predicting environmental demands. I shall argue that the latter view best captures the essence of brain function, a position that accords well with the allocation of the brain’s energy resources. Understanding intrinsic activity will require integrating knowledge from cognitive, systems, cellular and molecular neuroscience. Ultimately, understanding conscious awareness will require an appreciation of the fundamental role played by intrinsic activity in brain function.
Reproductive Strategies of Parasitoids

Reaumur (1738) was perhaps the first biologist to express wonder at the great diversity of fecundities seen among insects. Although this diversity is better documented today than in Reaumur’s time, we are only slightly closer to understanding why it exists, or why related species differ in the number of eggs they produce. For parasitoids, knowledge of the selective factors acting on egg production and the results of natural selection are necessary for a full understanding of the coevolution of host and parasitoid, host and parasitoid population dynamics, parasitoid community ecology, and for the development of a predictive science in biological control using introduced parasitoids.
Communication Failure in the ICU

Physicians need to manage expectations and clearly explain the prognosis of ICU patients to their families, particularly when the outcome is a negative one. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
A response to Labarca and Zambon on their claimed reconceptualization of the concept of element and its basis as a new representation of the periodic system.

In 2013 Labarca and Zambon published an article in which they reviewed the philosophical research on the dual concept of a chemical element. They also claimed that the notion of an element as a basic substance could be characterized by focusing upon the lightest and heaviest isotopes of each element. By further focusing on just the lightest isotopes they presented a new version of the periodic system which they proceeded to compare with the conventional format as well as a form that I have revived. On making these comparisons they claimed that of the 22 triads that they examined, 15 triads involving the lightest isotopes were more accurate than the equivalent triads using the average atomic weights of the elements in question. The present article consists of an examination of these various claims.
Alcohol use disorder and motives for prescription opioid misuse: A latent class analysis.

Introduction: Among those who misuse prescription opioids, alcohol use disorder (AUD) is associated with progression to opioid use disorder, risk of overdose, and poor treatment outcomes. However, ...
CoorSet: A Development Environment for Associatively Coordinated Components

A development environment for applications specified in an extended version of a previously developed coordination model based on associatively broadcast interactions is presented. The previous associative broadcast coordination model is extended to incorporate more complex specifications for interactions including multiple message interactions and fault-tolerance by replication. The runtime system is extended to facilitate construction and application of distributed implementation of coordination systems. An interface definition language based on the extended coordination model and a compiler for the language are defined and described. Three example applications, a generalized readers/writers problem including replication, a ”greedy reuse” algorithm and a distributed computation of Google pageranks are presented.
Sustainable crop production systems and human nutrition

There is a pressing need for redesigning agriculture to achieve sustainability and for utilizing modern genetic tools, including genetic engineering, to add nutritional value to crops for the benefit of the diverse human population. Collectively, plant foods contain most minerals, macronutrients (calories), and micronutrients essential for human nutrition. These plant foods also contain a range of bioactive compounds that can play important roles in the prevention of chronic diseases including heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, cataracts, and age-related functional decline. However, these bioactive nutrients are often present at marginal concentrations in edible plant tissues in regard to human nutrition/prevention of disease. The quantity of these nutrients in edible plant tissues is primarily dependent on crop genetics and regulated by complex and overlapping mechanisms in response to developmental and environmental cues. Environmental cues are naturally occurring - temperature, light intensity and other stressors, or result from crop production system components - fertilizer, tillage operations, etc. One strategy for sustainable, next-generation crop development is to design cropping systems that have minimal or lesser impact on the environment and to use genetic approaches to enhance crop nutritional content. This strategy is appealing since crop genetics is the primary driver of plant nutrient content and because purely managing crop production fields to optimize crop nutrient content is extremely challenging if not impossible. As an example we present the development of a next-generation sustainable tomato production system with beneficial impacts on tomato physiology and nutritional quality of the tomato fruit. Our analysis of the metabolomes of tomato cultivars in this and other cropping systems highlights the need for robust cultivars that consistently express nutritional and other desirable traits across cropping systems and under differing environmental conditions.
Interferometric scattering for fluorescence-free electrokinetic trapping of single nanoparticles in free solution

Anti-Brownian traps enable the measurement of single particles in free solution for long times by actively applying feedback forces based on an observed particle position to counteract Brownian motion. However, current implementations of anti-Brownian traps generally rely on fluorescence emission to detect a particle’s position. This reliance on fluorescence causes particles to be lost from the trap when they enter a fluorescence dark state by blinking or bleaching. Thus, there is a need for non-fluorescent methods of tracking for such traps. Scattered light provides a stable signal free of blinking and bleaching, but is very weak for small particles. However, interferometric scattering, a method of collecting the weak scattered field from a particle and interfering it with a strong reference field reflected from a nearby interface, allows particles to be tracked with sufficient speed and sensitivity. We combine interferometric scattering with our existing anti- Brownian electrokinetic (ABEL) trap to create the interferometric scattering anti-Brownian electrokinetic (ISABEL) trap. This technique enables the trapping of single nanoparticles in free solution for extended durations regardless of fluorescence blinking or bleaching. We verify the scaling of the interferometric scattering signal with the diameter of the particle for gold nanoparticles as small as 20 nm. We also demonstrate the measurement of the fluorescence brightness signal of fluorescent beads as they photobleach, while continuing to trap them with the scattering signal. The ISABEL trap extends the ability of anti-Brownian traps to new samples and new measurements across multiple scientific communities.
On the Outside

Outside the secured spaces of international negotiations, open forums and demonstrations highlight other participants and discourses in the broader conversation about climate change. Organizers intentionally structure political activity in these settings through connective forms of spatial and social practice, challenging the governmental closures of official meetings and facilitating the coming together of a diverse set of affected groups and allies. Analytical work by actors involved in these settings is also crucially connective. It illustrates the key role of alternative forms of knowledge in recognizing climate injustice and putting forth meaningful socio-ecologically relational alternatives. This “outside” work is difficult in its own ways, however. The chapter therefore also explores a series of material and political challenges associated with these transnationally connective practices and analyses.
A new oscillator coupling function for improving the solution of graph coloring problem

Abstract Conventional Boolean computational methods are inefficient in solving complex combinatorial optimization problems such as graph coloring or traveling sales man problem. In contrast, the dynamics of coupled oscillators could efficiently be used to find an optimal solution to such a class of problems. Kuramoto model is one of the most popular mathematical descriptions of coupled oscillators. However, the solution to the graph coloring problem using the Kuramoto model is not an easy task. The oscillators usually converge to a set of overlapping clusters. In this study, we mathematically derive a new coupling function that forces the oscillators to converge to a set of non-overlapping clusters with equal distance between classes. The proposed coupling function shows significant performance improvement compared to the original Kuramoto model.
Securing the Expansion of Capitalism in Colombia: Canadair and the Military Regime of General Gustavo Rojas Pinilla (1953–1957)

This chapter hones in on the relationship that unfolded between international businesses and the dictatorship of Gustavo Rojas Pinilla from 1953 to 1957. The sale of Canadair jet fighters to Colombia is used as a case study to illustrate the views and perspectives of international businesses interested in capitalizing on the military regime’s effort to open up the national market to the international business community. The case study reveals how the military regime became the gateway to Colombia’s modernization, an economic development initiative that was heavily dependent on foreign direct investment as a strategy to jumpstart the Colombian economy. Ultimately, it sheds light on how Canadian-Colombian relations evolved during the second half of the twentieth century.
Evaluation of social phobia, comfort in communication, and interprofessional value during advanced pharmacy practice experiences: A focus on pharmacy student and medical resident interprofessional education

Abstract Background We implemented and evaluated communication and interprofessional socialization after a unique rotation between final year pharmacy students and medical residents. Interprofessional educational activity Pharmacy students on an advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) in pediatric critical care completed a standard experience with (i.e. intervention group) or without (i.e. control group) a medical resident as part of the pharmacy team. The objectives of this study were to evaluate pharmacy student social phobia, communication apprehension, interprofessional socialization, value placed on interprofessional teams, and comfort interacting with a physician as a result of the APPE. Practicality and sustainability were also evaluated. Discussion Forty-six students participated (28 control, 18 intervention). Both groups had similar baseline characteristics and measure scores. No changes were observed in social phobia or communication apprehension. Both control and intervention groups showed improved scores in interprofessional socialization and valuing. Scores on the Self-Perceived Ability subscale of the Interprofessional Socialization and Valuing Scale increased for the intervention group, but not for the control group. Comfort interacting with a physician was higher in the intervention than the control group. Minimal changes to the APPE were made during the six-year study, and practicality and sustainability were positive. Implications Limited data describe interactions between pharmacy students and medical residents on APPEs. Participating students increased their comfort and self-perceived ability in interacting with a physician. Due to the limited need for extra time or financial resources, this experience could be applied and studied in additional settings to assist in preparing practice ready pharmacists.
Depressive symptoms in older adults with and without a history of incarceration: A matched pairs comparison.

Previous research has found that many incarcerated individuals have mental health conditions and that incarcerated women may be at elevated risk. These individuals have been shown to experience men...
Analysis of the Streptococcus mutans proteome during acid and oxidative stress reveals modules of co-expression and an expanded role for the TreR transcriptional regulator

Streptococcus mutans promotes a tooth-damaging dysbiosis in the oral microbiota because it can form biofilms and survive acid stress better than most of its health-associated, ecological competitors. Many of these commensals produce hydrogen peroxide, therefore S. mutans must manage both oxidative stress and acid stress with coordinated and complex physiological responses. In this study, the proteome of S. mutans was examined during regulated growth in acid and oxidative stresses, as well as in deletion mutants with impaired oxidative stress phenotypes, Δnox and ΔtreR. 607 proteins exhibited significantly different abundance levels across the conditions tested, and correlation network analysis identified several modules of co-expressed proteins that were responsive to the deletion of nox and/or treR, as well as acid and oxidative stress. The data provided evidence explaining the ROS-sensitive and mutacin-deficient phenotypes exhibited by the ΔtreR strain. SMU.1069-1070, a poorly understood LytTR system, had elevated abundance in the ΔtreR strain. S. mutans LytTR systems regulate mutacin production and competence, which may explain how TreR affects mutacin production. Furthermore, the gene cluster that produces mutanobactin, important in ROS tolerance, displayed reduced abundance in the ΔtreR strain. The role of Nox as a keystone in the oxidative stress response was also emphasized. This dataset illustrates, at high resolution, how the paradigm cariogenic species activates the stress responses which enable it to cause disease, and it provides oral microbiota researchers with a resource to both reexamine previous hypotheses regarding proteins of interest and explore newly identified co-expression modules and pathways.
Compartmentalized Neuronal Cultures

The culturing of neurons results in formation of the layer of neurons with random extensive overlapping outgrowth. To understand specific roles of somas, axons, and dendrites in complex function of neurons and to identify molecular mechanisms of biological processes in these cellular compartments, various methods were developed. We utilized AXon Investigation System (AXIS™) manufactured by Millipore. This device provides an opportunity to orient neuronal outgrowth and spatially isolate neuronal processes from neuronal bodies. AXIS device is a slide-mounted microfluidic system, which consists of four wells. Two of the wells are connected by a channel on each side of the device. Channels are connected by microgrooves (approximately 120). The size of microgrooves (10μm in width and 5μm in height) does not permit passage of cell through while allowing extension of neurites. The microfluidic design also allows for an establishment of a hydrostatic gradient when the volume in one chamber is greater than that in the other (Park et al., Nat Protoc 1:2128-2136, 2006). This feature allows for studying of the effect of specific compounds on selected compartments of neurons.
Encoding Generic Judgments: Preliminary results

Abstract Operational semantics is often presented in a rather syntactic fashion using relations specified by inference rules or equivalently by clauses in a suitable logic programming language. As it is well known, various syntactic details of specifications involving bound variables can be greatly simplified if that logic programming language has term-level abstractions (λ-abstraction) and proof-level abstractions (eigenvariables) and the specification encodes object-level binders using λ-terms and universal quantification. We shall attempt to extend this specification setting to include the problem of specifying not only relations capturing operational semantics, such as one-step evaluation, but also properties and relations about the semantics, such as simulation. Central to our approach is the encoding of generic object-level judgments (universally quantified formulas) as suitable atomic meta-level judgments. We shall encode both the one-step transition semantics and simulation of (finite) π-calculus to illustrate our approach.
From the Inside Out: Citizenship and Democracy in Multinational States

Since the fall of communism, democracy has come to be seen as the ‘only game in town’– the only legitimate form of political system. Democracy is considered legitimate because it provides for individual rights and allows the people access to the resources of the state. If ‘we the people’ defines the limits of these entitlements, the next logical question is who are ‘the people’? In contemporary developed states, the problem of diversity is most often framed as a problem of immigration; the arrival of new groups threatens both the presumed homogeneity of established nations and their democracy. We argue for a new conception of democracy, which takes into account the constructed nature of ‘the people’ that democracy empowers. This paper attempts to provide such an account by advocating a new understanding of the relationship between nationalism, citizenship, and democracy.
Nutritional Supplements for Strength Power Athletes

Over the last decade research involving nutritional supplementation and sport performance has increased substantially. Strength and power athletes have specific needs to optimize their performance. Nutritional supplementation cannot be viewed as a replacement for a balanced diet but as an important addition to it. However, diet and supplementation are not mutually exclusive, nor does one depend on the other. Strength and power athletes have four general areas of supplementation needs. First, strength athletes need supplements that have a direct effect on performance. The second group of supplements includes those that promote recovery. The third group comprises the supplements that enhance immune function. The last group of supplements includes those that provide energy or have a direct effect on the workout. This chapter reviews the key supplements needed to optimize the performance and training of the strength athlete.
On failure modes in finite width angle ply laminates

The results of a failure analysis of finite width (+ or - theta)s T300/5208 graphite-epoxy laminates subjected to thermal curing loads and applied tensile strain are presented. Stress distributions obtained from linear elastic and linear thermoelastic finite element stress analyses are used in conjunction with the tensor polynomial failure criterion to predict the mode and location of first failure in laminates with fiber angles ranging from five to seventy-five degrees. It is shown that the mode of failure is predominantly interlaminar shear for small fiber angles, shifts to combined interlaminar normal, in-plane shear and in-plane normal for intermediate angles, and is primarily transverse tension for large fiber angles. The location of initial failure shifts from the (+ or - theta)s interface for small fiber angles to the midplane for large fiber angles.
Increased risk of second malignant neoplasms in adolescents and young adults with cancer.

BACKGROUND The authors describe the incidence and characteristics of secondary malignant neoplasms (SMNs) in adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors compared with those in younger and older cancer survivors. METHODS Children aged ≤14 years, AYAs aged 15 to 39, and older adults aged ≥40 years at the time of primary diagnosis who were reported as cancer survivors in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program between 1973 and 2011 were compared in this population-based analysis. The primary analysis was the risk that an SMN would occur ≥5 years after the original diagnosis for patients who had the more common AYA cancers (leukemia, lymphoma, testicular malignancy, ovarian malignancy, melanoma, and cancers of the thyroid, breast, soft tissue, or bone). The standardized incidence ratio (SIR), absolute excess risk (AER), and cumulative incidence of SMN for the selected cancers were assessed. The risk of SMN for the entire cohort also was analyzed. RESULTS Of the 148,558 AYA survivors who were diagnosed with a selected cancer, 7384 developed an SMN 5 years after their original diagnosis. The SIRs (95% confidence intervals [CIs]) were 1.58 (95% CI, 1.55-1.62) for AYAs, 4.26 (95% CI, 3.77-4.80) for children, and 1.10 (95% CI, 1.09-1.11) for older adults, and the AERs were 22.9, 16.6, and 14.7, respectively. The cumulative incidence of SMN at 30 years was 13.9% for the AYA group. The most common SMNs in AYAs were breast cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, genital cancers, and melanoma. AYAs who had received radiation therapy had a higher cumulative incidence of SMN. CONCLUSIONS AYAs who survive cancer for more than 5 years have a higher relative risk of SMN compared with the general population and have a higher absolute risk of SMN compared with younger or older cancer survivors. Cancer 2016;122:116–123. © 2015 American Cancer Society.
CYP99A3: functional identification of a diterpene oxidase from the momilactone biosynthetic gene cluster in rice

Rice (Oryza sativa) produces momilactone diterpenoids as both phytoalexins and allelochemicals. Strikingly, the rice genome contains a biosynthetic gene cluster for momilactone production, located on rice chromosome 4, which contains two cytochromes P450 mono-oxygenases, CYP99A2 and CYP99A3, with undefined roles; although it has been previously shown that RNAi double knock-down of this pair of closely related CYP reduced momilactone accumulation. Here we attempted biochemical characterization of CYP99A2 and CYP99A3, which ultimately was achieved by complete gene recoding, enabling functional recombinant expression in bacteria. With these synthetic gene constructs it was possible to demonstrate that, while CYP99A2 does not exhibit significant activity with diterpene substrates, CYP99A3 catalyzes consecutive oxidations of the C19 methyl group of the momilactone precursor syn-pimara-7,15-diene to form, sequentially, syn-pimaradien-19-ol, syn-pimaradien-19-al and syn-pimaradien-19-oic acid. These are presumably intermediates in momilactone biosynthesis, as a C19 carboxylic acid moiety is required for formation of the core 19,6-γ-lactone ring structure. We further were able to detect syn-pimaradien-19-oic acid in rice plants, which indicates physiological relevance for the observed activity of CYP99A3. In addition, we found that CYP99A3 also oxidized syn-stemod-13(17)-ene at C19 to produce, sequentially, syn-stemoden-19-ol, syn-stemoden-19-al and syn-stemoden-19-oic acid, albeit with lower catalytic efficiency than with syn-pimaradiene. Although the CYP99A3 syn-stemodene derived products were not detected in planta, these results nevertheless provide a hint at the currently unknown metabolic fate of this diterpene in rice. Regardless of any wider role, our results strongly indicate that CYP99A3 acts as a multifunctional diterpene oxidase in momilactone biosynthesis.
Statistical Inference in Quantum Mechanics

This lecture is a brief account of a new theory of statistical inference which is applicable to classical and quantum physics and generalizes the concept of coarse-graining. The mathematical setting is non-commutative probability theory on von Neumann algebras.
Improved upper bounds for the number of rational points on algebraic curves over finite fields

Abstract Currently, the best known bounds on the number of rational points on an absolutely irreducible, smooth, projective algebraic curve of genus g , defined over a finite field %plane1D;53D; q , generally come either from Serre's refinement of the Weil bound if the genus is small compared to q , or from the optimization of the explicit formulae if the genus is large. We give methods for improving these bounds in both cases. Examples of improvements on the bounds include lowering them for a wide range of small genus when q = 8, 32, 2 13 , 27, 243, 125, and when q = 2 s , s > 1. For large genera, isolated improvements are obtained for q = 3, 8, 9.
Influence of weak electric and magnetic fields on turning behavior in elvers of the American eel Anguilla rostrata

The turning behavior of elvers of the American eel Anguilla rostrata was studied in an arena in which a horizontal electric or a vertical magnetic field could be manipulated. The objectives were to determine if the strength and polarity of a weak direct-current (dc) electric field influenced elver orientation, and to determine if any such influence was due to electric fields generated by the elvers' own swimming movements. As electric current density increased from 10-2 μA cm-2 to 102 μA cm-2, elvers turned increasingly more toward the anode, regardless of whether the anode was on the left or right side of the arena. Elvers in the lowest field turned more toward the cathode than control elvers, and elvers in the highest field turned more toward the anode than controls. There were no differences in mean turning angles of groups of elvers swimming in four different vertical magnetic field conditions (0.54 gauss, <0.02 gauss, 0.52 gauss reversed direction, and 2.00 gauss), suggesting that elvers were not influenced by internally generated electric fields. However, swimming speeds were such that the generated fields would have been of the order of 10-4 μA cm-2 or less. Elver orientation apparently could be influenced by electric fields of the magnitude generated in major ocean current systems, but probably are not influenced by electric fields generated by their own swimming in the geomagnetic field.
Morphological algorithm development case study: detection of shapes in low-contrast gray-scale images with replacement and clutter noise

This paper presents a case study of the design of a fully autonomous morphological detection algorithm. Grayscale input images contain objects to be detected among difficult clutter, replacement noise, and background tilt. The criteria for choosing algorithm structure is included, with associated grayscale and binary structuring elements based upon comparing the geometry of target and noise/clutter objects. Background cancellation is discussed, along with histogram-based techniques for final thresholding to binary detection images. Finally a performance characterization methodology for the detection algorithm is presented. In addition to conventional detection statistics, the authors consider the 'quality' of the hits and false alarms, vis-a-vis the feature set and classifier used in classification downstream of the detector in the overall system design.
An implicit high-order hybridizable discontinuous Galerkin method for nonlinear convection-diffusion equations

In this paper, we present hybridizable discontinuous Galerkin methods for the numerical solution of steady and time-dependent nonlinear convection-diffusion equations. The methods are devised by expressing the approximate scalar variable and corresponding flux in terms of an approximate trace of the scalar variable and then explicitly enforcing the jump condition of the numerical fluxes across the element boundary. Applying the Newton-Raphson procedure and the hybridization technique, we obtain a global equation system solely in terms of the approximate trace of the scalar variable at every Newton iteration. The high number of globally coupled degrees of freedom in the discontinuous Galerkin approximation is therefore significantly reduced. We then extend the method to time-dependent problems by approximating the time derivative by means of backward difference formulae. When the time-marching method is (p+1)th order accurate and when polynomials of degree p>=0 are used to represent the scalar variable, each component of the flux and the approximate trace, we observe that the approximations for the scalar variable and the flux converge with the optimal order of p+1 in the L^2-norm. Finally, we apply element-by-element postprocessing schemes to obtain new approximations of the flux and the scalar variable. The new approximate flux, which has a continuous interelement normal component, is shown to converge with order p+1 in the L^2-norm. The new approximate scalar variable is shown to converge with order p+2 in the L^2-norm. The postprocessing is performed at the element level and is thus much less expensive than the solution procedure. For the time-dependent case, the postprocessing does not need to be applied at each time step but only at the times for which an enhanced solution is required. Extensive numerical results are provided to demonstrate the performance of the present method.
Direct observation of the break‐up of a nocturnal inversion layer using elemental mercury as a tracer

[1] Concentrations of atmospheric mercury observed during July and August of 2005 in Riverside, CA and during August of 2006 at sites throughout the Los Angeles Basin indicate that a diurnal pattern of elemental mercury frequently exists within the basin during summer months. During these diurnal cycles, elemental mercury is observed to abruptly spike well above global background levels during the morning hours. These peak events were observed to be coincident across several monitoring sites throughout the Basin suggesting that mercury spikes were not a result of source plumes unique to each site but rather the impact of a basin-wide phenomenon. Atmospheric temperature profiles measured by a Radio Acoustic Sounding System (RASS) located in Moreno Valley, CA indicate that peak events coincided with the shift in surface temperature profile from stable to neutral indicating the presence of fumigation episodes, the occurrence of which is supported by a generic model of basin dispersion. The presence of mercury in the stable layer aloft is a function of point sources within the basin, and in particular a single, elevated point source located in the Port of Long Beach. The unique dynamics of atmospheric mercury observed throughout the Los Angeles Basin combined with the location of this major point source upwind of the Basin provide a novel method of directly observing atmospheric mixing associated with the break-up of the nocturnal inversion layer.
Enhanced γ-Glutamyl Transpeptidase Expression and Selective Loss of CuZn Superoxide Dismutase in Hepatic Iron Overload

Liver injury caused by iron overload is presumed to involve lipid peroxidation and the formation of products such as 4-hydroxynonenal (4HNE), which has been implicated in hepatic fibrogenesis. Cellular antioxidants that modulate the formation and detoxification of compounds such as 4HNE may represent important protective mechanisms involved in the response to iron overload. This study examines the relationship between 4HNE, collagen content, and antioxidant defenses in the livers of rats fed carbonyl iron for 10 weeks. Iron-loading resulted in significant increases in iron (8.8-fold), 4HNE (1.7-fold), and hydroxyproline (1.5-fold). Total glutathione content was unchanged by iron, but gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activity (GGT) increased sixfold and CuZn superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD) activity decreased >9%. GGT colocalized with iron deposition and was associated with increased GGT mRNA. Decreased CuZnSOD activity was paralleled by a reduction in CuZnSOD protein on Western blot and immunohistochemistry, but no decrease in CuZnSOD mRNA. Glutathione S-transferase (GST) and Mn superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) activities were also significantly increased by iron loading. These results demonstrate that iron overload significantly alters the expression of antioxidant enzymes associated with glutathione (GGT and GST) and superoxide metabolism (CuZnSOD and MnSOD). Furthermore, the localized induction of GGT may enhance detoxification of lipid peroxidation-derived aldehydes via glutathione-dependent pathways in iron-loaded hepatocytes. These alterations in antioxidant defenses may represent an adaptive response, limiting accumulation 4HNE, and thus, stimulation of collagen synthesis, accounting for the mild fibrogenic response seen in this model of iron overload.
Binding of a synthetic targeting peptide to a mitochondrial channel protein

Membrane crystals of the mitochondrial outer membrane channel VDAC (porin) fromNeurospora crassa were incubated with a 20-amino-acid synthetic peptide corresponding to the N-terminal targeting region of subunit IV of cytochrome oxidase. The peptide caused disordering and contraction of the crystal lattice of the membrane arrays. Also, new stain-excluding features were observed on the peptide-treated arrays which most likely correspond to sites at which the peptide accumulates. The stain exclusion zones associated with binding of the targeting peptide (and with binding of apocytochromec in an earlier study) have been localized on a two-dimensional density map of frozen-hydrated, crystalline VDAC previously obtained by cryo-electron microscopy. The results indicate that both the peptide and cytochromec bind to protein “arms” which extend laterally between the channel lumens. The finding that imported polypeptides bind to a specific region of the VDAC protein implicates this channel in the process by which precursor proteins are recognized at and translocated across the mitochondrial outer membrane.
Goffman's Revisions

Erving Goffman's reputation as a cynic stems from his text, The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life, which portrays the self as a manipulative confidence trickster. However, matters are more complicated than they first appear. There are two versions of the text, one published in 1956, the other in 1959, and Goffman's revisions to the latter quietly challenge the cynicism of the former. Focussing on these revisions makes the text look rather different. Goffman has two voices in The Presentation of Self and the aim of this paper is to allow each to be heard.
SIMS: an integrated, user-oriented information system

SIMS, a Social Science Information Management System, has been developed by the Social Science Data and Computation Center (DACC) at the University of Wisconsin for the purpose of providing the social scientist with a personalized data base management system (DBMS). Over the past four years many DBMS were surveyed and their basic features compared to our requirements. All systems surveyed had their strong and weak points but no one system was found to satisfy all our needs. In addition, new and improved methods and algorithms for language processing, storage and retrieval, and analysis capabilities have been developed by DACC and others since the advent of these earlier systems. These facts, coupled with the fact that conversion of existing systems seemed impractical due to their machine dependence, has resulted in the development of SIMS. It is the intent of SIMS through its features and basic design to serve as an information processing tool for social scientists and others working with large and complex data files.
Miocene evolution of the western edge of the Nevadaplano in the central and northern Sierra Nevada: palaeocanyons, magmatism, and structure

The Sierra Nevada of California is the longest and tallest mountain range in the co-terminus USA, and has long been regarded as topographically very young ( 80 Ma), and represents the western shoulder of a Tibetan-like plateau (the Nevadaplano) that was centred over Nevada. A great deal of effort has been invested in applying modern laboratory and geophysical techniques to understanding the Sierra Nevada, yet some of the most unambiguous constraints on the Sierran landscape evolution are derived from field studies of dated strata preserved in the palaeochannels/palaeocanyons that crossed the range in Cenozoic time. Our work in the Sierra Nevada suggests that neither end-member model is correct for the debate regarding youth vs. antiquity of the range. Many features of the Cenozoic palaeocanyons and palaeochannels reflect the shape of the Cretaceous orogen, but they were also affected by Miocene tectonic and magmatic events. I...
Distributed dynamic programming for discrete-time stochastic control, and idempotent algorithms

Idempotent methods have been found to be extremely fast for the solution of dynamic programming equations associated with deterministic control problems. The original methods exploited the idempotent (e.g., max-plus) linearity of the associated semigroup operator. It is now known that curse-of-dimensionality-free idempotent methods do not require this linearity. Instead, it is sufficient that certain solution forms are retained through application of the associated semigroup operator. Here, we see that idempotent methods may be used to solve some classes of stochastic control problems. The key is the use of the idempotent distributive property. We demonstrate this approach for a class of nonlinear, discrete-time stochastic control problems.
Protein-carbohydrate complementarity in mammalian gamete recognition

Recent studies suggest that gamete recognition in a number of species is mediated by complementary proteins and carbohydrates on opposing gamete surfaces. Studies in invertebrates and vertebrates have shown that carbohydrate-binding proteins on the sperm surface recognize and bind to complementary glycoconjugates on the egg's extracellular coat. This chapter reviews our current knowledge of gamete recognition in the mouse. The complementary receptors for both mouse sperm and egg have been identified, purified, and characterized. Their synthesis during gametogenesis has been defined, as have the effects of sperm capacitation and of the acrosome reaction on their expression and distribution. Their relationship to gamete receptors that function in other species is discussed. Finally, evidence is presented that suggests that one of the receptors that mediate mouse gamete recognition belongs to a family of cell surface receptors that function during multiple cellular interactions in development.
Effects of Peer Coaching on Teachers' Collaborative Interactions and Students' Mathematics Achievement

The authors examined peer coaching in the context of the Mentored Implementation Program developed in the Appalachian Mathematics and Science Partnership. The experimental design contained 6 teachers receiving peer coaching with their 202 students and 5 teachers in the control group with their 105 students. Teachers considered peer coaching a positive experience, identifying scheduling and distance as roadblocks. Centering around (a) organization of learning, (b) management of classroom, and (c) mathematical content and pedagogy, collaborative interactions during the post-classroom-observation conferences were brief and showed (a) a lack of analysis, (b) a positive tone and support, (c) a proportional pattern of talk, and (d) a lack of depth in discussion. Peer coaching was not associated with any improvement in mathematics achievement of students.
Liver, serum and adipose tissue fatty acid composition in suckling zucker rats

Young adult obese Zucker rats have altered tissue fatty acid (FA) composition. The present study was aimed at determining whether such changes were seen in either liver, serum or adipose tissue obtained from 17-day-old obese (fafa) rats in comparison to both homozygous (FaFa) and heterozygous (Fafa) lean rats. Body weights of obese pups (30.3 g) were significantly greater than those of homozygous lean rats (25.2 g) (P<0.05). Liver weight and lipid content were similar in all groups. Inguinal fat pad weight and lipid content were greatest in obese pups (573 mg) followed by heterozygous lean pups (303 mg); homozygous lean pups (146 mg) had the lowest values. There were no differences among the groups in hepatic FA composition in either triacylglycerol (TG) or phospholipid fractions. Serum TG was similar among the groups, while serum phospholipid was greater (P< 0.05) in obese (269 mg/dL) than in homozygous lean pups (184 mg/dL); heterozygous lean pups had an intermediate value not significantly different from either homozygous group. On a percent basis, there were no differences in FA composition in either serum lipid fraction among the three groups. There were a number of significant differences in adipose tissue FA composition between the groups on a percent basis. The adipose tissue FA composition on a percent basis reflected that of maternal milk. The results indicate that suckling obese Zucker rats do not have tissue FA profiles that are characteristic of essential FA deficiency.
Electrically isolated SiGe quantum dots

A variation of electric force microscopy (EFM) is used to measure the electrical isolation of SiGe quantum dots (QDs). The SiGe QDs are grown on mesas of ultrathin silicon on insulator. Near the mesa edges, the thin silicon layer has been incorporated into the QDs, resulting in electrically isolated QDs. Away from the edges, the silicon layer is not incorporated and has a two-dimensional resistivity of less than 800 TΩ per sq, resulting in relatively short RC times for charge flow on the mesa. The EFM technique we use here is a powerful probe of samples and devices with floating-gate geometries.
The Reducing Capacity of Milk as Measured by an Iodimetric Titration

Summary The reducing systems of milk have been studied by an iodimetric titration employing o -iodosobenzoate. The fat phase, the serum proteins and the dialyzable portion all exhibit reducing capacity in this method. Since milk fat emulsified in gelatin has no reducing capacity, the materials constituting the natural "fat globule membrane" must be responsible for reduction by the fat phase. Titrations of purified crystalline β -actoglobulin indicate that it probably is the principal reducing constituent of the serum proteins. Undoubtedly, ascorbic acid is the chief dialyzable reductant. Considerable variability was found in the reducing capacity of the serum proteins in various samples of milk; commercial raw milks tended to give lower values than fresh milks. Sulfosalicylic acid as used by Gould does not precipitate quantitatively the serum proteins from raw milk, but the efficiency of precipitation is greater in heated milk. Thus, the decrease produced by heat treatment of milk in the iodimetric titration values of sulfosalicylic acid filtrates is due to both decreased reactivity of protein sulfhydryl groups and increased precipitability of the serum proteins. The similarity in decreases of the reducing capacity for skim-milk, purified serum proteins and crystalline β -lactoglobulin again suggests that β -laetoglobulin is the principal reducing component of the milk proteins. The decrease in reducing titer upon heat treatment probably is due to oxidation by molecular oxygen, since heat treatment of deaerated samples in the presence of nitrogen produces little or no decrease.
Ultra-high-energy cosmic rays from superconducting cosmic strings.

Superconducting cosmic strings may play an important role in the relatively late Universe in formation of structure and in driving highly exoergic processes. With fermionic charge carriers they are expected to eject, in their last stages, high-mass particles which can subsequently decay to produce ultra-high-energy electromagnetic, neutrino, and hadronic radiation. The bosonic cosmic string may undergo a similar saturation behavior. Cosmic-ray physics places significant limits on these scenarios. Furthermore, this provides an example of a fundamental mechanism for the production of the observed ultra-high-energy cosmic rays with some characteristically unusual, perhaps observable, features.
The role of lipid, free radical initiator, and oxygen on the kinetics of lipid peroxidation.

Abstract The relationship between the concentration of unsaturated lipid, free radical initiator, and oxygen concentration on the kinetics of lipid peroxidation was determined. The rate of lipid peroxidation was studied with the thiobarbituric acid (TBA), diene conjugation (DC), and ferrithiocyanate (Fe-SCN) methods. The rate of peroxidation was half-order with respect to unsaturated lipid, initiator, and oxygen. The half-order relationship could be expressed as: rate = ( fk 1 k 2 k 3 k 6 1 2 ( azobisisobutyronitrile ) 1 2 ( RH 1 2 ( O 2 ) 1 2 . The half-order relationship was found with linoleic (18:2), linolenic (18:3), and arachidonic (20:4) acids. A linear relationship existed between the logarithm of unsaturation and the rate of peroxidation. No peroxidation of linolenic acid was indicated when the DC method was employed, but was when the TBA and Fe-SCN methods were used.