cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nonmelanoma skin cancer in the United States: Incidence

Because death from nonmelanoma skin cancer is uncommon, quantification of its morbidity is particularly important. Although its incidence is increasing rapidly, the most recent nationwide estimates are 16 years old. The purpose of this study was to estimate the 1994 nonmelanoma skin cancer incidence in the United States. We updated the 16-year-old incidence estimates to reflect the growth and changing age distribution of the population and the increases in age-adjusted incidence rates documented in two population-based studies. The projected 1994 incidence of nonmelanoma skin cancer in the United States is 900,000 to 1,200,000 cases, similar in magnitude to the overall incidence of noncutaneous cancers. Nonmelanoma skin cancer imposes an enormous public health burden on the U.S. population. Quantification of its morbidity and its prevention are important priorities.
California verbal learning test: A normative data study

Abstract This study examined the performances of a sample of 700 healthy job applicants on 26 California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) variables. Normative data are provided separately for males and females and are further stratified by age and WAIS-R Full Scale IQ scores. Replication of the original factor analysis is also presented. Subjects had previously passed basic academic skills tests and physical examinations and were deemed to be free of medical illness and cognitive impairment. They were also motivated to perform well on cognitive tests. This normative data may be useful to those who administer the CVLT in clinical practice.
Factors Influencing Clicking of Banner Ads on the WWW

This paper explores various factors influencing the clicking of banner ads on the WWW. The study indicates that several important variables affect the clicking of banner ads: (1) level of product involvement, (2) congruency between the content of a vehicle and the product category of a banner ad, (3) attitude toward the vehicle, and (4) overall attitude toward web advertising. For methodology, this study employed a between-group experimental design and measured real click-through rates with the aid of an online data collection technology called FileMaker Pro. Results of logistic regressions show that people are more likely to click banner ads if they are highly involved with products, perceive high synergy between web pages and ads, have a favorable attitude toward a vehicle, or have a favorable attitude toward web advertising in general. A total of 756 subjects participated in this research.
Targeted gene replacement at the endogenous APRT locus in CHO cells.

We demonstrate the feasibility of targeted gene replacement at an endogenous, chromosomal gene locus in cultured mammalian cells, employing a two-step strategy similar to an approach routinely used for genetic manipulation in yeast. Utilizing an APRT+ recombinant generated by targeted integration of plasmid sequences (including a functional copy of the gpt gene) at the CHO APRT locus, we have been able to select gpt− “pop-out” recombinants that have arisen by intrachromosomal recombination between APRT direct repeats at the targeted integration site. Reciprocal exchanges leading to “pop-out” of integrated plasmid/gpt gene sequences occur at a rate of ≈6.3×10−6 per cell generation. Depending on the site of crossover, such “pop-out” events result in either replacement or restoration of the original APRT target gene sequence.
Reading Rational Choice Theory

An interpretive reading is offered of contemporary sociological versions of rational choice theory, informed by the writings of Schutz, Garfinkel, Goffman, and Derrida. The topic of emotionality, as addressed by this theory, is central to the discussion. The ghost of a fully present, rational actor, as it haunts this theory, is examined, as are the terms choice and rationality.
Space allowance for dry, pregnant sows in pens : Body condition, skin lesions, and performance

Different floor space allowances for dry, pregnant sows in pens were evaluated to determine the impacts of space on sow performance, productivity, and body lesions during 2 consecutive farrowings. Treatment groups of 5 sows/pen were assigned to 1.4, 2.3, or 3.3 m(2) of floor space/sow or of 5 sows in individual stalls (1.34 m(2)). The experiment consisted of 6 replications (blocks 1 to 6), and within each block measurements were recorded for 2 consecutive pregnancies and farrowings. A total of 152 sows were measured at 1 farrowing, and 65 of those sows were measured at the successive farrowing (n = 217 records). Performance traits were BCS, BW, backfat (BF), days until rebred, and proportion culled. Litter traits were number of piglets born alive, male:female ratio, and proportions of stillborn, mummified, or dead piglets after birth. Litter performance measures were mean piglet BW and gain and litter BW. Lesion scores were assessed for several body regions. There were treatment and parity effects and interactions for several traits. An interaction of space treatment and parity occurred for sow mean BW, d-110 BW, BF, litter size, and litter and piglet BW and gain, with most effects in parity 2, 3, and 4 sows. Space affected sow mean (P < 0.001) and d-110 BW (P < 0.05) and mean BF and adjusted BF (P < 0.001); sows in pens at </=2.3 m(2) of space had greater (P < 0.05) BW and BF depth, and primiparous sows had less (P < 0.05) BW than greater parity sows. Few differences were found for litter traits, except for litter size, litter weaning BW, and pig BW gain. Sows in pens at 3.3 m(2) had the largest (P < 0.05) litters. Weaning BW was greater (P < 0.05) for litters born to sows that gestated in stalls. Sow BCS and lesion score were affected by floor space (P < 0.001) and parity (P < 0.01); BCS was reduced in sows in pens at 1.4 m(2), and their lesion score was consistently greater (P < 0.05) than that of other space allowances. Primiparous sows often had the least (P < 0.05) lesion scores. For sows in pens, linear and quadratic responses were detected for many of the traits assessed. As floor space increased, BW and BF increased (P < 0.01), but as space decreased, lesion scores increased. Although the effects of gestation system were found and lesion scores often were greater as space decreased, differences in productivity traits were unremarkable with respect to sow welfare or performance compared with industry norms.
Part-word repetitions by persons who stutter: fragment types and their articulatory processes.

One of the core features of developmental stuttering is part-word repetition followed by fluent production (resolution) of the target word. The purpose of the study is to compare the spectro-tempor...
Introduction to Special Issue on Long-Term Care

I am honored to have been named action editor by Clinical Gerontologist for this special issue on long-term care. Early in 2008, I posted a query to varied geriatric mental health LISTSERVs for sub...
Calculations of high-pressure properties of beryllium : Construction of a multiphase equation of state

We describe the construction of a three-phase equation of state for elemental beryllium. The phases considered are: the ambient hcp phase, the high-temperature bcc phase, and the liquid. The free energies of the solid phases are constructed from cold, ion-thermal, and electron-thermal components derived from ab initio electronic structure-based calculations. We find that the bcc phase is unstable near ambient conditions and that even at high pressures at which the bcc phase is stable, the bcc-hcp energy barrier can be as small as a few hundred kelvins. The liquid free energy is based on a model of Chisolm and Wallace and is constrained by using the melt curve (determined by ab initio two-phase simulations) as a reference. The high-temperature plasma limit is addressed with an average-atom-in-jellium model. Comparisons to experimental results, both for the ambient hcp phase and for the phase diagram as a whole, are discussed.
HREM imaging and microanalysis of a III-V semiconductor/oxide interface

Abstract The (100)GaAs-anodic oxide interface was studied in cross-section by high resolution electron microscopy (HREM) and microanalysis. Interfaces prepared under various oxidation conditions showed roughness ranging from 10 to 40 A, i.e. up to ten times rougher than Si-SiO 2 interfaces. The anodic oxide was partially crystalline, and the first 10–20 A of the oxide layer near the GaAs differed from the rest. X-ray microanalysis performed with a 20 A probe was largely ineffective because of intense radiation damage. It pointed out the need for improved microanalytical capabilities to complement HREM in interface research.
Multicopper oxidases: a workshop on copper coordination chemistry, electron transfer, and metallophysiology

Multicopper oxidases (MCOs) are unique among copper proteins in that they contain at least one each of the three types of biologic copper sites, type 1, type 2, and the binuclear type 3. MCOs are descended from the family of small blue copper proteins (cupredoxins) that likely arose as a complement to the heme-iron-based cytochromes involved in electron transport; this event corresponded to the aerobiosis of the biosphere that resulted in the conversion of Fe(II) to Fe(III) as the predominant redox state of this essential metal and the solubilization of copper from Cu2S to Cu(H2O)n2+. MCOs are encoded in genomes in all three kingdoms and play essential roles in the physiology of essentially all aerobes. With four redox-active copper centers, MCOs share with terminal copper-heme oxidases the ability to catalyze the four-electron reduction of O2 to two molecules of water. The electron transfers associated with this reaction are both outer and inner sphere in nature and their mechanisms have been fairly well established. A subset of MCO proteins exhibit specificity for Fe2+, Cu+, and/or Mn2+ as reducing substrates and have been designated as metallooxidases. These enzymes, in particular the ferroxidases found in all fungi and metazoans, play critical roles in the metal metabolism of the expressing organism.
Particle identification in the PHENIX experiment at RHIC (present and future)

Abstract The PHENIX (Nucl. Instr. and Meth. A 499 (2003)) detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider, BNL is designed to perform a broad study of A–A, p–A and p–p collisions to investigate nuclear matter under extreme conditions. The charged particle identification is currently provided for kaons and pions to a momentum of 2.4 GeV/ c and protons to 5 GeV/ c . These limits would be greatly extended by the now under construction Aerogel Threshold Cherenkov detector (refractive index n =1.012).
Empiricism and the Critique of Marxism on Law and Crime

In this paper I take issue with the critical reaction that has recently sought to test the empirical adequacy of Marxist accounts of law and crime. I argue that this reaction has seriously misrepresented its own conceptual object by confusing it with concepts generated in theoretical structures less alien than Marxism, such as labeling theory and conflict theory. Because it uses “naive falsificationism” as its criterion of empirical adequacy, this reaction also inadvertently lends plausibility to some of the empirical objects specified by current Marxist concepts.
Short-term results in 53 US obese pediatric patients treated with laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding

Abstract Background Obesity in the adolescent population has reached epidemic proportions. Although diet and behavior modification can help a minority of teenagers, most of these patients go on to become obese adults. Recently, surgical intervention for morbid obesity has gained increasing support. To date, this has only included gastric bypass procedures. However, this procedure carries at least a 1% mortality rate even in the hands of the most experienced surgeons. Therefore, our center has been using laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) to treat adolescents with morbid obesity. This analysis is a report of our short-term results in our first 53 patients. Methods All adolescents aged 13 to 17 years who had undergone LAGB at our institution and had been entered into our prospectively collected database since 2001 were reviewed. Data collected preoperatively included age, sex, race, and body mass index (BMI). Postoperatively recorded data included length of stay, operative morbidity, need for reoperation, as well as percentage of excess weight loss (%EWL) and BMI at 3-month intervals. Results Fifty-three teenagers aged 13 to 17 years (mean, 15.9 years) underwent LAGB at our institution since September 2001. Of these, 41 were female and 12 were male. The mean preoperative weight was 297 ± 53 lb and the mean initial BMI was 47.6 ± 6.7 kg/m 2 . The %EWL was 37.5 ± 17.0 at 6 months, 62.7 ± 27.6 at 1 year, and 48.5 ± 15.6 at 18 months of follow-up. There were no intraoperative complications. Two patients had band slips that required laparoscopic repositioning, and 2 patients developed a symptomatic hiatal hernia that required laparoscopic repair. All of these procedures were performed as outpatient procedures. A fifth patient developed a wound infection requiring incision and drainage. Other complications included mild hair loss in 5 patients, iron deficiency in 4 patients, nephrolithiasis and cholelithiasis in 1 patient, and gastroesophageal reflux in 1 patient. Conclusions Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding is not only a safe operation for morbidly obese pediatric patients, but also represents an effective treatment strategy with a %EWL of approximately 50% at both 1 year and 18 months of follow-up. Because of the minimal morbidity and complete absence of mortality of the LAGB, it is the optimal surgical option for pediatric patients with morbid obesity.
IL-6 attenuates apoptosis, while neither IL-6 nor IL-10 affect the numbers or protease phenotype of fetal liver-derived human mast cells.

Background The combination of recombinant human stem cell factor (rhSCF), rh interleukin (IL)-6 and rhIL-10 was reported to be optimal for mast cell development from cord blood progenitors and to induce chymase expression in all such mast cells earlier in their development than tryptase. Objective The effects of rhIL-6 and rhIL-10 in various combinations on the rhSCF-dependent development of human mast cells from fetal liver progenitors were examined in serum-free media. Methods Dispersed fetal liver cells were cultured in serum-free AIM-V medium with rhSCF alone, or with combinations of rhIL-6 and rhIL-10. Tryptase and chymase expression, surface Kit expression, metachromasia with toluidine blue and apoptosis were measured. Results Neither rhIL-6 nor rhIL-10 nor the two interleukins together, when included from day 0 of culture, affected the number or protease phenotype of mast cells at 1 or 3 weeks. Expression of tryptase paralleled the appearance of metachromasia and surface Kit, both of which preceded chymase expression, regardless whether a rabbit polyclonal or mouse monoclonal anti-chymase antibody preparation was used. On the other hand, rhIL-6 markedly attenuated baseline levels of apoptosis in the presence of rhSCF as well as apoptosis occurring after withdrawal of rhSCF, whereas rhIL-10 had no effect. Conclusion RhIL-6 protected fetal liver-derived mast cells from apoptosis, particularly after withdrawal of rhSCF, but neither rhIL-6 nor rhIL-10 nor the combination of these interleukins affected the numbers or protease phenotype of these mast cells.
Chaotic dynamics in Ge photoconductors

Abstract Experimental tests are presented of universal predictions of the circle map for the response of driven nonlinear oscillators, using a spatio-temporal instability associated with impurity impact ionization in liquid He cooled p-type Ge. Both the measured power spectrum and the spectrum of dimensions f (α) for drive at the critical amplitude for winding number equal to the golden mean are found to be in quantitative agreement with theory.
Local Whittle estimator for anisotropic random fields

A local Whittle estimator is developed to simultaneously estimate the long memory parameters for stationary anisotropic scalar random fields. It is shown that these estimators are consistent and asymptotically normal, under some weak technical conditions. A brief simulation study illustrates a practical application of the estimator.
Solving the two-dimensional Laplace problem on a polygonal domain with mixed Dirichlet-Von Neumann boundary conditions and using a self-refining boundary element mesh

Abstract This paper details the complete implementation of a method used for solving the twodimensional Laplace problem on a polygonal domain with mixed Dirichlet-Von Neumann boundary conditions using a self-refining boundary element mesh. Results obtained for a typically difficult problem reveal that the choice of elements and their refinement procedure are particularly effective especially when used with the conjugate gradient method for solving linear systems. The result is an effective, self-contained tool which brings added flexibility and economy of computation compared to previous approaches.
Low-temperature clustering of o-H2 impurities in p-H2 crystals

Abstract The presented explanation of anomalies in temperature dependence of pairing time for o-H 2 impurities in p-H 2 quantum crystals is based on an accurate analysis of differences in diffusion trajectories for different mechanisms of quantum diffusion. The transition between different regimes is accompanied by changes in characteristic lengths of pairing trajectories. Later stages of clustering may be influenced by coherent diffusion of pairs and triads.
Holographic optical element (HOE) imaging in DuPont holographic photopolymers

DuPont holographic photopolymers have been used to fabricate high quality holographic optical elements. The wide spectral sensitivity possible in these materials allows imaging near the desired HOE playback conditions. Multicolor imaging with ion and dye lasers using these materials is discussed. Mastering materials and methods are described for reflection and transmission HOE replication. HOE performance is compared to performance predicted by coupled- wave theory and HOE applications using these materials are described.
Hepatic Portal Venous Gas: Findings on Ultrasound and CT

A 76-year-old female with a history of Parkinson’s, dementia, and hypertension presented to the emergency department with non-bilious, non-bloody vomiting and abdominal pain for 2 days. Her exam was significant for borderline hypotension without tachycardia, abdominal distension and a palpable ventral hernia. An emergency physician performed ultrasound showed free intraperitoneal air and gas in the liver (Video). A computed tomography showed pneumoperitoneum, pneumatosis intestinalis, and hepatic portal venous gas (HPVG) (Figure). At laparotomy, she was found to have a sigmoid colon perforation from adenocarcinoma, ischemic small bowel, and a colovesicular fistula. Post-operatively her clinical status worsened, and she was transitioned to comfort care and expired on hospital day 2. Figure Computed tomography without contrast of the abdomen and pelvis showing free air (asterisks), pneumatosis intestinalis (thin arrows), and hepatic portal venous gas (large arrow). HPVG was first reported in infants with necrotizing enterocolitis.1 In adults, it is most commonly associated with mesenteric ischemia and pneumatosis intestinalis, accounting for 43% of HPGV cases2 and an associated mortality of 75%.2–3 It has been reported with other diseases such as diverticulitis, inflammatory bowel disease, obstructive pyelonephritis, pancreatitis, cholangitis, uterine gangrene, and severe shock.4 HPVG is attributed to either bacterial gas production in bowel entering mesenteric circulation4 or intraluminal air entering capillaries from impaired mucosal barrier or increased intraluminal pressure.5 HPVG spreads to the periphery of the liver whereas pneumobilia collects centrally, in the direction of bile flow. Treatment is always aimed at the underlying etiology of HPVG.
Morphology evolution of polypropylene in immiscible polymer blends for fabrication of nanofibers

Immiscible blends of cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB) and isotactic polypropylenes (iPPs) with different melting index were extruded through a two-strand rod die. The extrudates were hot-drawn at the die exit at different draw ratios by controlling the drawing speed. The morphologies of iPP fibers extracted from the as-obtained extrudates after removal of CAB by acetone were investigated by scanning electron microscopy. The influences of draw ratio, viscosity ratio, and composition ratio of CAB/iPP on the morphology evolution of iPP phase into nanofibers in the immiscible blends were studied. It was found that the thermoplastic iPP nanofibers were formed from the elongation of iPP ellipsoids, end-to-end merging of elongated iPP microfibers, and the size decrease of iPP microfibers in the processes of extrusion and drawing. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 48: 921–931, 2010
Designing Programming and Interventions for Women in the Criminal Justice System

Women are the fastest growing segment of the criminal justice population, yet the majority of research on criminal justice populations has been focused on men. Programming and interventions that reduce women’s involvement in the criminal justice system and ameliorate the negative consequences associated with criminal justice involvement are urgently needed. The overall aim of this paper is to provide a comprehensive framework for developing evidence-based, gender-specific programming and interventions to reduce criminal justice involvement and its associated consequences among women in the criminal justice system. The first section of the paper offers a conceptually guided review of the three primary factors that facilitate and complicate women’s involvement in the criminal justice system: victimization; mental disorders; and substance use. In the second section of the paper, findings from focus groups conducted with women on probation or parole identify strategies to engage this population in psychosocial interventions. The third and final section of the paper provides comprehensive recommendations for designing programming and interventions for women in the criminal justice system.
High-speed microbial community profiling.

A precomputed database of lineage-restricted reference genes yields a fast and accurate tool that uses sequence similarity alone to compute clade abundances from shotgun metagenomic data sets.
A Deterministic-Solution Based Fast Eigenvalue Solver With Guaranteed Convergence for Finite-Element Based 3-D Electromagnetic Analysis

A fast solution to both the quadratic eigenvalue problem and the generalized eigenvalue problem is developed for the finite-element based analysis of general 3-D electromagnetic problems. Given an arbitrary frequency band of interest, denoting the number of physically important eigenvalues for this band by , the proposed eigenvalue solution is capable of solving a significantly reduced eigenvalue problem of O(k) to find a complete set of eigenvalues and eigenvectors that are physically important for the given frequency band. In addition to bypassing the need of solving a large-scale eigenvalue problem of O(N), with N being the system matrix size, the reduced eigenvalue problem is constructed from O(k) solutions to a deterministic problem. As a result, the methods that have been developed to solve deterministic problems and their fast solvers can all be readily leveraged to solve eigenvalue problems. Moreover, the proposed fast eigenvalue solution has guaranteed convergence and controlled accuracy, which is theoretically proved in this paper. The solution is applicable to general 3-D problems where the structures are arbitrary, materials are inhomogeneous, and both dielectrics and conductors can be lossy. Applications to microwave devices, package structures, and on-chip integrated circuits have demonstrated the accuracy, efficiency, and convergence of the proposed fast eigenvalue solution.
A Method of Distinguishing Degree of Dispersion and Filler-Rubber Interaction in Silica- Filled Polyethylacrylate

Both the degree of dispersion and filler-rubber interaction affect mechanical properties of uncured compounds. Because the better dispersion offers a possibility of developing the enhanced interaction, the two effects are difficult to separate. However, under certain conditions of mechanical measurements, one effect dominates the other. This study seeks such conditions.The silica-polyethylacrylate system was selected for two reasons:1. The same partical-size silicas are available in forms that give different degrees of dispersion after the same mixing procedure is followed.2. In some of the samples, a heat treatment significantly enhances the filler-rubber interaction.Dynamic mechanical measurements are, in general, ineffective for separating the two effects. In tensile stress-strain measurements, the effect of dispersion dominates the behavior at relatively small strains and the effect of interaction dominates at larger strains. Qualitatively speaking, the above observation has been recognized, and the a...
Theta phase precession emerges from a hybrid computational model of a CA3 place cell

The origins and functional significance of theta phase precession in the hippocampus remain obscure, in part, because of the difficulty of reproducing hippocampal place cell firing in experimental settings where the biophysical underpinnings can be examined in detail. The present study concerns a neurobiologically based computational model of the emergence of theta phase precession in which the responses of a single model CA3 pyramidal cell are examined in the context of stimulation by realistic afferent spike trains including those of place cells in entorhinal cortex, dentate gyrus, and other CA3 pyramidal cells. Spike-timing dependent plasticity in the model CA3 pyramidal cell leads to a spatially correlated associational synaptic drive that subsequently creates a spatially asymmetric expansion of the model cell’s place field. Following an initial training period, theta phase precession can be seen in the firing patterns of the model CA3 pyramidal cell. Through selective manipulations of the model it is possible to decompose theta phase precession in CA3 into the separate contributing factors of inheritance from upstream afferents in the dentate gyrus and entorhinal cortex, the interaction of synaptically controlled increasing afferent drive with phasic inhibition, and the theta phase difference between dentate gyrus granule cell and CA3 pyramidal cell activity. In the context of a single CA3 pyramidal cell, the model shows that each of these factors plays a role in theta phase precession within CA3 and suggests that no one single factor offers a complete explanation of the phenomenon. The model also shows parallels between theta phase encoding and pattern completion within the CA3 autoassociative network. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11571-007-9018-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
High efficiency segmented thermoelectric unicouple for operation between 973 and 300 K

Abstract High efficiency segmented thermoelectric unicouples (STUs) made of n-type Bi2Te3 and CoSb3 based alloys and p-type Bi2Te3 and CeFe4Sb12 based alloys have recently been developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). A 1-D analytical model of STUs, which assumes zero side heat losses, is developed and its predictions are compared with some results of experiments performed at JPL to measure the performance parameters of two STUs, uni8 and uni12. Calculations of the effects of contact resistance and side heat losses on the performance of these STUs are presented and discussed. The results indicate that had uni8 and uni12 been well insulated and the contact resistance per leg ∼50 μΩ cm2, they could have achieved a conversion efficiency of ∼12%, in the tests performed at Tc=305–316 K and Th=872–885 K. However, the actual contact resistances of ∼146 and 690 μΩ cm2 per leg and the side heat losses of 3.7 and 1.83 W, for uni8 and uni12, respectively, limited the peak conversion efficiency in the tests to ∼5.5% and 4.6%, respectively. Calculations indicated that STUs having a total contact resistance ∼50 μΩ cm2 per leg and being well insulated on the sides could potentially achieve a peak conversion efficiency of 15% when operated between 973 and 300 K.
Treatment With Intravitreal Steroid Reduces Blood-Retinal Barrier Breakdown due to Retinal Photocoagulation

• The effect of corticosteroid treatment on blood-retinal barrier breakdown caused by argon-laser panretinal photocoagulation was evaluated in the rabbit eye. One day before photocoagulation, eyes were given either a sub-Tenon (20-mg) or intravitreal (2-mg) injection of triamcinolone acetonide. The severity of blood-retinal barrier breakdown was measured after photocoagulation using rapid sequential magnetic resonance imaging follow-ing intravenous administration of gadolinium diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid. Leakage of gadolinium diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid into the vitreous space was significantly lower in eyes that received intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide than in control eyes (P=.007); however, sub-Tenon triamcinolone acetonide produced no significant reduction in leak-age (P=.65) compared with controls. Fluorescein angiography supported the magnetic resonance imaging findings. We conclude that retinal photocoagulation in the rabbit eye produces blood-retinal barrier breakdown that is partially amenable to corticosteroid treatment.
A mechanistic understanding of plagioclase dissolution based on Al occupancy and T-O bond length: from geologic carbon sequestration to ambient conditions.

A quantitative description of how the bulk properties of aluminosilicates affect their dissolution kinetics is important in helping people understand the regulation of atmospheric CO2 concentration by silicate weathering and predict the fate and transport of geologically sequestered CO2 through brine–rock interactions. In this study, we employed a structure model based on the C space group to illustrate how differences in crystallographic properties of aluminosilicates, such as T–O (Tetrahedral site–Oxygen) bond length and Al/Si ordering, can result in quantifiable variations in mineral dissolution rates. The dissolution rates of plagioclases were measured under representative geologic carbon sequestration (GCS) conditions (90 °C, 100 atm of CO2, 1.0 M NaCl, and pH ∼ 3.1), and used to validate the model. We found that the logarithm of the characteristic time of the breakdown of Al–O–Si linkages in plagioclases follows a good linear relation with the mineral's aluminum content (nAl). The Si release rates of plagioclases can be calculated based on an assumption of dissolution congruency or on the regularity of Al/Si distribution in the constituent tetrahedra of the mineral. We further extended the application of our approach to scenarios where dissolution incongruency arises because of different linkage reactivities in the solid matrix, and compared the model predictions with published data. The application of our results enables a significant reduction of experimental work for determining the dissolution rates of structurally related aluminosilicates, given a reaction environment.
Quantitative Research: Preparation of Incongruous Economic Data Sets for Archival Data Analysis

In the field of construction engineering and management, archival data sets are not always as correct and consistent as it would be desirable. Between different sources that are studied, e.g., companies, they may differ in format or content and within them, they may still be incongruous and require substantial preparation. This makes examining theories and extracting trends from historic data more difficult than it is for carefully controlled experimental studies or for collecting new data. The purpose of this paper is not to review the regression models that the writers developed during their research, but to focus on the data preparation that had to be applied before those analyses. The objective is to outline various techniques that can be applied to archival data that are related to construction engineering and management to give researchers a set of best practices on data preparation that can assist them in gleaning truths from them.
Re-establishment of Melampus bidentatus (Say) and other macroinvertebrates on a restored impounded tidal marsh: comparison of populations above and below the impoundment dike

Abstract Macroinvertebrates were studied on an impounded marsh in Stonington, Connecticut, that has converted from a Typha-dominated system to one with typical tidal marsh vegetation during the 12 yr following the re-introduction of tidal flushing. Regions of marsh above and below the impoundment dike were compared in order to assess the extent to which tidal marsh invertebrates have recolonized the restored region. Marshes below the impoundment dike consist of two types: marshes that are dominated by Spartina patens (Ait) Muhl and have remained relatively stable for several decades and marshes in which large areas have changed form nearly pure stands of S. patens to stunted Spartina alterniflora Loisel. and forbs during the last 40 yr coincident with an increase in sea level relative to the marsh surface. In most of the areas occupied by S. alterniflora , varying amounts of S. patens persist. Melampus bidentatus Say and other tidal marsh invertebrates have become established on the restored impounded marsh and occur at moderate densities on the stable bayfront marshes and in some areas of the bayfront marshes that have exhibited dramatic vegetational change. The mean density of Melampus on the restored marsh was 83 · 0.25 m −2 , that on the S. patens-dominated bayfront marshes was 98 · 0.25 m −2 and that on the changing bayfront marshes was 117 · 0.25 m −2 . Within each marsh region, snail density varied in relation to plant cover and elevation. The size structure of the Melampus populations in different marsh regions differed. On the restored marsh 83% of the snails exceeded 8 mm in shell length, while on the S. patens-dominated marshes 95% of the snails were ⪕8 mm. Because of these differences in snail size, the mean shell-free biomass of Melampus was 2 x greater on the restored marsh (1.24 g dry wt · 0.25 m −2 ) than on the S. patens-dominated marshes (0.63 g dry wt · 0.25 m −2 ). The mean of Melampus on the changing bayfront marshes was 1.01 g dry wt · 0.25 m −2 .
Studies of plasma aldosterone in anephric people: evidence for the fundamental role of the renin system in maintaining aldosterone secretion.

When plasma aldosterone (PA) was measured in 32 predialysis samples from 18 anephric subjects more than 3 months postnephrectomy, all but two values were subnormal, 16 measurements were undetectable, i.e. below 0.35 ng/100 ml, and PA averaged only 1.7 ng/100 ml ± 0.5 (SE) in the remaining 16. In contrast, PA averaged 29.7 ± 5.6 ng/100 ml in 12 dialysis patients with kidneys. Plasma renin activity was undetectable in 15 assays of anephric subjects and averaged 0.5 ± 0.1 ng/ml/h in the remaining 17. However, these latter measurements appeared to be an artifact caused by the presence of plasma prorenin. Serum potassium fell during dialysis and appeared responsible for the concurrent 75 % fall in PA observed in six nephric patients (Δ14 ng/100 ml), and in three anephric patients (Δ3.3 ng/100 ml) with low but measurable PA values. Overt hyperkalemia was required for potassium to stimulate aldosterone into the normal range in anephric subjects. The angiotensin II analog, saralasin, also increased PA slightly in...
Reduction of jack-up and crane vessel resistance and bow swamping

Abstract A large bow wave forms when blunt-shaped vessels like self-propelled jack-up crane vessels (liftboats) operate at high speeds. Above a critical speed, this bow wave spills over the bow causing swamping. To investigate this phenomena, towing tank tests of a 1/25 scale model liftboat hull were done over a speed range of 3–8 kn. The test showed above 4 kn the bow wave formed and the vessel trimmed by the bow. At speeds above 8 kn the bow wave spilled over the bow (swamping). To cancel this critical bow wave a vertical bow plate was fitted ahead of the liftboat bow. This bow plate reduced the bow wave formation and achieved a 10–15% reduction in the towing resistance. The wave cancellation bow plate can reduce the liftboat power or increase its liftboat speed and operating range.
Elevated Cyclic Stretch Induces Aortic Valve Calcification in a Bone Morphogenic Protein-Dependent Manner

Calcified aortic valve (AV) cusps have increased expression of bone morphogenic proteins (BMPs) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1). Elevated stretch loading on the AV is known to increase expression of matrix remodeling enzymes and pro-inflammatory proteins. Little, however, is known about the mechanism by which elevated stretch might induce AV calcification. We investigated the hypothesis that elevated stretch may cause valve calcification via a BMP-dependent mechanism. Porcine AV cusps were cultured in a stretch bioreactor, at 10% (physiological) or 15% (pathological) stretch and 70 beats per minute for 3, 7, and 14 days, in osteogenic media supplemented with or without high phosphate (3.8 mmol/L), TGF-β1 (1 ng/ml), as well as the BMP inhibitor noggin (1, 10, and 100 ng/ml). Fresh cusps served as controls. Alizarin red and von Kossa staining demonstrated that 15% stretch elicited a stronger calcification response compared with 10% stretch in a fully osteogenic medium containing high phosphate and TGF-β1. BMP-2, -4, and Runx2 expression was observed after 3 days on the fibrosa surface of the valve cusp and was stretch magnitude-dependent. Cellular apoptosis was highest at 15% stretch. Tissue calcium content and alkaline phosphatase activity were similarly stretch-dependent and were significantly reduced by noggin in a dose dependent manner. These results underline the potential role of BMPs in valve calcification due to altered stretch.
The urology residency matching program in practice

Purpose: We evaluate behaviors and attitudes among resident applicants and program directors related to the American Urological Association (AUA) residency matching program and recommend changes to improve the match.Materials and Methods: Written questionnaires were mailed to 519 resident applicants and 112 program directors after the 1999 American Urological Association match. Subjects were asked about their observations, behaviors and opinions towards the match.Results: Questionnaires were returned by 230 resident applicants and 94 program directors (44% and 83% response rates, respectively.) Of the resident applicants 75% spent $1,001 to $5,000 for interviewing. Of the program directors 47% recalled that applicants asked how programs would rank the applicant and 61% of applicants recalled that program directors asked applicants how they would rank programs. Dishonesty was acknowledged by 31% of program directors and 44% of resident applicants. Of program directors 82% thought applicants “lied”, while 6...
The WISE In-orbit Calibration

The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer mission will be executed by an earth-orbiting spacecraft carrying an infrared telescope cooled by a solid hydrogen cryostat. The purpose of the mission is to conduct an allsky survey at infrared wavelengths of 3.3, 4.7, 12 and 23 microns. The 7-month period of on-orbit operations includes one month of in-orbit checkout (IOC) and 6 months of all-sky survey scans from a dawn/dusk sun-synchronous orbit. The 30-day IOC is divided into two parts by the ejection of the telescope aperture cover some two weeks after launch. The first half of the IOC phase is primarily allocated to bus characterization; the latter half will be dedicated to cover-off instrument calibrations. In this discussion, we provide a description of the instrument calibrations to be conducted during IOC and how these plans will be carried out efficiently during the limited checkout period. The on-orbit instrument checkout is an extension of the overall WISE calibration plan. The duration of onboard calibration activities is limited by the lifetime of the cryogen and the need to begin the survey quickly. Key activities were selected because they must be done and can only be done in flight.
Applications of ultrasound to organic chemistry

Ultrasound promotes efficient mixing in solid-liquid and liquid-liquid mixtures and it has also been used in several phase transfer catalysed reactions, e.g. N-alkylation of amines, synthesis of ethers and esters and hydrolysis of esters. In this Paper preliminary results are presented which support the view that the presence of oxygen in a cavitating liquid generates singlet oxygen in addition to peroxy radicals.
Visible (660 nm) resonant cavity light-emitting diodes

The demonstration of the first visible resonant cavity light-emitting diodes (RCLEDs) is reported. The devices consist of an InAlGaP strained quantum well active region surrounded by AlAs/AlGaAs distributed Bragg reflectors. Linewidths from 0.9 nm (2.6 meV) to 45 nm (12.8 meV) were obtained by varying the cavity quality factor (Q).
Search for liquids electrospraying the smallest possible nanodrops in vacuo

Prior work with electrosprays in vacuum of mixtures of ionic liquids (ILs) and the moderately high boiling point (Tb) solvents formamide (FM) and propylene carbonate (PC) (Tb of 210 and 241 °C) has shown that the charged drops produced have reasonably narrow charge/mass distributions, controllable over a wide mass/charge range. This enables their use as propellants in electrical propulsion with specific impulse Isp varying from a few hundred to a few thousand seconds (10 kV beam energy) and with excellent propulsion efficiency. However, some limitations are imposed by the finite room temperature volatility of FM and PC. Here, we seek improved performance from propellants based on the polar but viscous solvent Sulfolane (SF; e = 43.2, μ = 10.3 cP) and the low viscosity but less polar solvent tributyl phosphate (TBP; e = 8.9, μ = 3.4 cP), both with Tb > 280 °C. Neither TBP nor its low viscosity mixtures with SF achieve the electrical conductivities needed to yield high Isp. Most ILs used in SF/IL mixtures t...
Renewable energy: Back the renewables boom.

Low-carbon technologies are getting better and cheaper each year, but continued public-policy support is needed to sustain progress, says Jessika E. Trancik.
Comprehension of contrastive stress by Broca's aphasics.

Comprehension of stress as a determiner of reference for pronouns was compared in eight patients with Broca's aphasia (BA) and five age-matched control subjects. The subjects were asked to listen to sentences in which the stressed or unstressed condition of the pronoun was a critical criterion for the establishment of reference. For each sentence, subjects were shown three pictures and asked to point to the correct referent of the pronoun. While the controls were nearly perfect in both the stressed and unstressed conditions, BA patients were significantly worse than normals, showing chance performance in both cases. However, a significant disparity was found in the BA patients' selection of the object NP as the referent under stressed and unstressed conditions, indicating that BA subjects are, indeed, sensitive to the stress patterns of pronouns. It was thus hypothesized that the BA patients' chance performance was the result of an inability to implement their knowledge of stress during the processing of sentences involving discourse-related linguistic operations, such as the establishment of pronoun reference (Grodzinsky, Wexler, Chien, Marakovitz, & Solomon, 1993). To test this hypothesis, a second experiment was conducted in which discourse-related operations were eliminated. In this second experiment, comprehension of stress by the same two groups was compared in tasks involving purely morphosyntactic processes. The contrastive stress patterns of otherwise homophonous compound nouns and adjectival phrases (e.g., BLACKboard, black BOARD), rather than those of pronouns, were examined. In this grammatically "simpler" experiment (i.e., without discourse-related operations), BA subjects scored significantly above chance in their comprehension of sentences involving compound nouns; unexpectedly, however, these same subjects did not show significantly above-chance performance in their comprehension of sentences containing adjectival phrases. Nevertheless, the results obtained in these two experiments seem to support the view that aphasic patients may have a lack of processing capacity, resulting in more errors during the processing of discourse-related linguistic constructions.
Intragenic and intergenic suppression of the Escherichia coli ATP synthase subunit a mutation of Gly-213 to Asn: functional interactions between residues in the proton transport site

Subunit a of the ATP synthase F(o) sector contains a transmembrane helix that interacts with subunit c and is critical for H(+) transport activity. From a cysteine scan in the region around the essential subunit a residue, Arg-210, we found that the replacement of aGly-213 greatly attenuated ATP hydrolysis, ATP-dependent proton pumping and Delta mu(H)+-dependent ATP synthesis. Various amino acid substitutions caused similar effects, suggesting that functional perturbations were caused by altering the environment or conformation of aArg-210. aG213N, which was particularly severe in effect, was suppressed by two second-site mutations, aL251V and cD61E. These mutations restored efficient coupling; the latter also increased ATP-dependent proton transport rates. These results were consistent with the proposed functional interaction between aArg-210 and cAsp-61, the likely carrier of the transported proton. From Arrhenius analysis of steady-state ATP hydrolytic activity, the transport mutants had large increases in the transition-state enthalpic and entropic parameters. Linear isokinetic relationships demonstrate that the transport mechanism is coupled to the rate-limiting catalytic transition-state step, which we have previously shown to involve the rotation of the gamma subunit in multi-site, co-operative catalysis.
525 INCREASED DIETARY ZINC AND THE OUTCOME OF PREGNANCY IN MAGNESIUM (Mg) DEFICIENT RAT DAMS

525 INCREASED DIETARY ZINC AND THE OUTCOME OF PREGNANCY IN MAGNESIUM (Mg) DEFICIENT RAT DAMS
Diamonds (atomic structure and properties)

The atomic structure and properties of diamonds, which can now be routinely synthesized, are examined. Applications of synthetic diamonds, are described. The range of applications includes cutting, grinding, rolling (bearings), transferring pressure, decreasing friction, and recently in electronics. They are most commonly used for a hard edge on cutting tools. Problems associated with diamond manufacturing and product development are discussed. >
The compatibility of profile angles in the identification of substances. Application to the identification of asparagin

The illustrations and data collected over half a century for asparagin, when critically compared, tend to confirm the idea that the angles on all such crystals of a flat tabular habit are simply related to each other in accordance with the law of constancy of interfacial angles and the principle of symmetry. One profile angle in connection with the associated geometrical form of the crystal can serve for the calculation of all other compatible angles on related crystal forms and assumes the status of a physical constant for the purpose of identification.