cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Direct Kinetic Studies of Reactions of 3-Pentoxy Radicals with NO and O2

Kinetic studies of the reactions of 3-pentoxy with NO and O2 have been performed using laser-induced fluorescence detection of 3-pentoxy radicals. Experiments were carried out at a total pressure of 50 Torr at subambient temperatures. Arrhenius expressions are obtained for the reactions of 3-pentoxy with NO (kNO) and O2 (kO2): kNO = (5.6 ± 1.6) × 10-13 exp[(7.8 ± 0.6) kJ mol-1/RT] cm3 molecule-1 s-1 (216−276 K), and kO2 = (4.1 ± 1.2) × 10-15 exp[(2.6 ± 0.6) kJ mol-1/RT] cm3 molecule-1 s-1 (220−285 K). No pressure dependence was observed for either rate constant at 243 K between 50 and 150 Torr. The negative temperature dependence of kNO is significantly larger than that of other alkoxy radicals, and this suggests a 298 K rate constant that is only one-third to half those measured for other alkoxy radicals. The small negative temperature dependence of kO2 is different from the small positive temperature dependence observed for ethoxy and propoxy radicals but is comparable to that previously observed for 2...
Library automation and library education

Library automation has both tested the educational preparation of librarians and created new educational demands. Four major consultants—James E. Rush, Jose‐Marie Griffiths, Wilson M. Stahl, and Rob McGee—discuss the competencies currently required of professional librarians, consider the extent to which new graduates and working librarians possess these qualifications, and identify methods by which organizations and individuals can realize the goal of professional competence. In addition to addressing formal educational programs, the consultants place a great deal of emphasis on continuing education. Continuing education must become a job requirement; library managers must be responsible for creating, encouraging, and supporting such opportunities for individuals and the total organization.
Determination of specific adsorption of some simple anions at a polycrystalline silver-aqueous interface using differential capacitance and kinetic probe techniques

Abstract The specific adsorption of chloride, bromide, iodide, azide, and thiocyanate has been studied at an electropolished polycrystalline silver-aqueous interface using differential capacitance measurements. For chloride, bromide, and azide, quantitative estimates of the surface concentration of specifically adsorbed anions were obtained from capacitance-potential data in mixed fluoride electrolytes having a constant ionic strength of 0.5. The dependence of the measured capacitance upon the ionic strength of sodium fluoride was also investigated in order to check the behavior of the polycrystalline surface in comparison with the predictions of conventional double-layer models. Estimates of the specifically adsorbed charge densities of chloride, bromide, and thiocyanate anions were also obtained from a “kinetic probe” technique which entailed monitoring the response of the outer-sphere reduction rate of CO(NH3)5F2+ and Co(NH3)63+ to the addition of the appropriate adsorbing anion. At the average potential of zero charge for the polycrystalline silver surface, the standard free energies of adsorption − Δ3o for chloride, bromide, and azide were found to be within ca. 5 kJ mol−1 of the corresponding quantities obtained at mercury electrodes. However. significantly greater increases in − Δ3o in the sequence Cl−
Accretion and canal impacts in a rapidly subsiding wetland. III. A new soil horizon marker method for measuring recent accretion

A new methodology used on a large scale is reported by which short-term (≤1 yr) marsh accretion rates were measured in saltwater and brackish marshes and compared to first-time measurements made in freshwater marshes. The stable rare-earth elements (REE) dysprosium and samarium were used for soil horizon markers that were collected by a cryogenic field coring method and detected by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). Accumulation in saltwater marshes for 6 months was estimated to be 0.76±0.26 cm (n=11) and accumulation for 1 year was 1.29±0.49 cm (n=7). Accumulation in brackish marshes for 6 months was 0.51±0.34 cm (n=6) and for 1 year, 0.84±0.32 cm (n=10). These data from saline and brackish environments can be compared to first-time measurements of accumulation in a freshwater marsh of 1.53±0.66 cm (n=8) for 6-month accumulation and 2.97±0.92 cm (n=11) for 1-year accumulation. The cryogenic REE-INAA method for sampling and measuring 6-month and 1-year accretion is nonpolluting, does not alter natural marsh soil processes, and is effective in salt, brackish, and freshwater marshes. Additionally, the marker is essentially immobile, long lasting in the soil profile, and inexpensive to buy, apply, and sample. INAA analysis of the cores is expensive and time-consuming, yet the REE-INAA method yields accretion data, especially in freshwater habitats, that are obtainable in no other way. A comparison between short-term accretion and the presence or absence of man-made canals showed no statistically significant differences of accretion along transects from 0- to 50-m distance into brackish and saltwater marshes (no freshwater transects were established). Sediment depositions measured at 50 m into fresh, brackish, and saltwater marshes from natural or man-made waterways showed no statistically significant differences of accretion within each habitat over a 6-month or a 1-year time period.
Kyphoplasty Increases Vertebral Height, Decreases Both Pain Score and Opiate Requirements While Improving Functional Status

Vertebral compression fractures can result from advanced osteoporosis, or less commonly from metastatic or traumatic insults to the vertebral column, and result in disabling pain and decreased functional capacity. Various vertebral augmentation options including kyphoplasty aim at preventing the sequelae of pain and immobility that can develop as the result of the vertebral fractures. The mechanism for pain relief following kyphoplasty is not entirely understood, and the restoration of a portion of the lost vertebral height is a subject of debate. We retrospectively reviewed radiographic imaging, pain relief, analgesic intake and functional outcomes in 67 consecutive patients who underwent single- or multilevel kyphoplasty with the primary goal of quantifying the restoration of lost vertebral height. We observed a mean of 45% of the lost vertebral height restored postprocedurally. Secondarily, kyphoplasty was associated with significant decreases in pain scores, daily morphine consumption and improvement in patient-reported functional measures.
Analysis of navigability of Web applications for improving blind usability

Various accessibility activities are improving blind access to the increasingly indispensable WWW. These approaches use various metrics to measure the Web's accessibility. “Ease of navigation” (navigability) is one of the crucial factors for blind usability, especially for complicated webpages used in portals and online shopping sites. However, it is difficult for automatic checking tools to evaluate the navigation capabilities even for a single webpage. Navigability issues for complete Web applications are still far beyond their capabilities.This study aims at obtaining quantitative results about the current accessibility status of real world Web applications, and analyzes real users' behavior on such websites. In Study 1, an automatic analysis method for webpage navigability is introduced, and then a broad survey using this method for 30 international online shopping sites is described. The next study (Study 2) focuses on a fine-grained analysis of real users' behavior on some of these online shopping sites. We modified a voice browser to record each user's actions and the information presented to that user. We conducted user testing on existing sites with this tool. We also developed an analysis and visualization method for the recorded information. The results showed us that users strongly depend on scanning navigation instead of logical navigation. A landmark-oriented navigation model was proposed based on the results. Finally, we discuss future possibilities for improving navigability, including proposals for voice browsers.
Distribution of the Kurtosis Statistic b2 for Normal Samples.

SUMMARY D'Agostino & Pearson (1973) gave percentage points of the distribution of b2 for independent observations from a common univariate normal distribution. Their results can be adequately approximated, when the first three moments of the distribution of b2 have been determined, by fitting a linear function of the reciprocal of a X2 variable and then using the Wilson-Hilferty transformation. Evidence is presented suggesting that the same method of approximation is satisfactory for the b2 statistic calculated from any set of linear-least-squares residuals, on the hypothesis of normal homoscedastic errors.
Geologic characteristics of relatively high thermal inertia intracrater deposits in southwestern Margaritifer Terra, Mars

[1] Twenty-one craters in southwestern Margaritifer Terra exhibit unusually warm interior deposits in nighttime Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) infrared images. These deposits exhibit nighttime temperatures as high as 223 K and are 5–18° warmer than the surrounding plain. Thermal inertia values, derived from Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) data, are greater for the deposits than the plains, with maximum values between ∼455 and 675 J m−2 K−1 s−1/2. Analysis of THEMIS thermal inertia data having nearly an order of magnitude better spatial resolution shows that the deposits can have a thermal inertia as high as ∼1060 J m−2 K−1 s−1/2. Albedo and dust cover index values suggest that both the deposits and the surrounding region are generally dust-free. Compositional analysis with TES and THEMIS data show that though a small number of the deposits may have isolated compositional differences, the majority of the deposits have a composition similar to that of the surrounding plains. The geomorphology of the craters as viewed from Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) images shows that the deposits are coherent units, rather than sand deposits, an observation that is consistent with the relatively high thermal inertia values. If these deposits are coherent rock units, as the results of our study suggest, possible methods of formation include emplacement of primary igneous material or lithification of sediments from surrounding terrain.
Early-Childhood Obesity: How Do Low-Income Parents of Preschoolers Rank Known Risk Factors?

ObjectivesTo determine parental rankings of known factors related to early-childhood obesity and compare reports between parents of healthy weight and overweight children.MethodsParents of 2- to 5-year-old children seeking well-child care ranked card-sort statements including risks, barriers, and motivating factors for achieving a healthy weight child. Frequencies and means of ranked factors are reported and compared.ResultsOf the 150 participants, few parents (7.4%) considered low levels of physical activity a top risk factor compared with other known risks. Inability to control the food choices of alternate caregivers was the greatest perceived barrier to achieving a healthy child weight (34%). There were no differences in rankings by child weight groups.ConclusionLow-income parents of preschoolers are aware of high-risk feeding behaviors, but few recognize the risk of inactivity in their young child. Innovations that promote adequate physical activity and engage influential caregivers during counseling...
New directions in microcomputer education

Several differing goals for microcomputer education are discussed. A review of past techniques is followed by a discussion of several new directions to consider, including digital signal processing, multitasking, and parallel processing. >
Ethnic/racial misidentification in death: a problem which may distort suicide statistics.

Abstract Since the majority of suicide studies are ex post facto studies of demographic data collected by pathologists and coroner's investigators, the role of the forensic scientist in determining the accuracy of statistical analyses of death is extremely important. This paper discusses how two salient features of a decedent, surname and residence location, can be misleading in determining the ethnic/racial classification of the deceased. Because many Southern California Indians have Spanish surnames and most do not reside on an Indian reservation it is shown that the suicide statistics may represent an over-estimation of actual Mexicanu American suicidal deaths while simultaneously representing an under-estimation of the suicides among American Indians of the region.
Membrane-Cytoskeleton Interactions

Translation of cytoskeletal interactions and assembly/disassembly processes into useful activities such as cell translocation, shape changes, adhesion, or contact formation requires physical connections between the cytoskeleton and the plasma membrane. Because of their fundamental importance, associations between membranes and the cytoskeleton have been intensely studied in the past decade. A specific impetus was the discovery in many cell types of proteins related to the cytoskeleton of the erythrocyte, a cell that has long been a useful model for the study of cell membranes. This section examines the basic principles of membrane-cytoskeleton interactions from a general perspective; details of all the relevant model systems can not be considered here.
Rapid Daytime Estimation of Cloud Properties over a Large Area from Radiance Distributions

Abstract An algorithm is developed to rapidly estimate cloud properties for a large area from daytime imager data. In this context, a large area refers to a grid cell composed of many imager pixels. The algorithm assumes a gamma distribution to model the subgrid variability in the optical depth and estimates both the mean and the width of the horizontal distribution of optical depth. Optical depth in this study refers to a vertically integrated value at 0.63 μm. Mean values of the cloud-top effective particle radius and cloud-top temperature are also estimated. Retrievals were performed separately for ice and water cloud layers within a grid cell. Applications of this approach to data from NOAA's Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) are presented. Simulations indicate that this method performs well for all retrieved parameters except for thin clouds with very broad distributions of optical depth. Comparison of this approach versus rigorous pixel-level retrieval results for an actual scene with...
An ensemble based data fusion approach for early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease

As the number of the elderly population affected by Alzheimer's disease (AD) rises rapidly, the need to find an accurate, inexpensive and non-intrusive diagnostic procedure that can be made available to community healthcare providers is becoming an increasingly urgent public health concern. Several recent studies have looked at analyzing electroencephalogram (EEG) signals through the use of wavelets and neural networks. While showing great promise, the final outcomes of these studies have been largely inconclusive. This is mostly due to inherent difficulty of the problem, but also - perhaps - due to inefficient use of the available information, as many of these studies have used a single EEG channel for the analysis. In this contribution, we describe an ensemble of classifiers based data fusion approach to combine information from two or more sources, believed to contain complementary information, for early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Our emphasis is on sequentially generating an ensemble of classifiers that explicitly seek the most discriminating information from each data source. Specifically, we use the event related potentials recorded from the Pz, Cz, and Fz electrodes of the EEG, decomposed into different frequency bands using multiresolution wavelet analysis. The proposed data fusion approach includes generating multiple classifiers trained with strategically selected subsets of the training data from each source, which are then combined through a modified weighted majority voting procedure. The implementation details and the promising outcomes of this implementation are presented.
Activity–stability relationship in the surface electrochemistry of the oxygen evolution reaction

Understanding the functional links between the stability and reactivity of oxide materials during the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is one key to enabling a vibrant hydrogen economy capable of competing with fossil fuel-based technologies. In this work, by focusing on the surface chemistry of monometallic Ru oxide in acidic and alkaline environments, we found that the kinetics of the OER are almost entirely controlled by the stability of the Ru surface atoms. The same activity–stability relationship was found for more complex, polycrystalline and single-crystalline SrRuO3 thin films in alkaline solutions. We propose that the electrochemical transformation of either water (acidic solutions) or hydroxyl ions (alkaline solutions) to di-oxygen molecules takes place at defect sites that are inherently present on every electrode surface. During the OER, surface defects are also created by the corrosion of the Ru ions. The dissolution is triggered by the potential-dependent change in the valence state (n) of Ru: from stable but inactive Ru4+ to unstable but active Run>4+. We conclude that if the oxide is stable then it is completely inactive for the OER. A practical consequence is that the best materials for the OER should balance stability and activity in such a way that the dissolution rate of the oxide is neither too fast nor too slow.
Normal vs. high‐protein weight loss diets in men: Effects on body composition and indices of metabolic syndrome

Objective: This study assessed the effectiveness of a prescribed weight-loss diet with 0.8 versus 1.4 g protein·kg−1 day−1 on changes in weight, body composition, indices of metabolic syndrome, and resting energy expenditure (REE) in overweight and obese men. Design and Methods: Men were randomized to groups that consumed diets containing 750 kcal day−1 less than daily energy needs for weight maintenance with either normal protein (NP, n = 21) or higher protein (HP, n = 22) content for 12 weeks. The macronutrient distributions of the NP and HP diets were 25:60:15, and 25:50:25 percent energy from fat, carbohydrate, and protein, respectively. Assessments were made pre and post intervention. The subjects were retrospectively subgrouped into overweight and obese groups. Results and Conclusion: Both diet groups lost comparable body weight and fat. The HP group lost less lean body mass than the NP group (−1.9 ± 0.3 vs. −3.0 ± 0.4 kg). The effects of protein and BMI status on lean body mass loss were additive. The reductions in total cholesterol, HDL-C, triacylglycerol, glucose, and insulin, along with LDL-C, total cholesterol-to-HDL-C ratio, and HOMA-IR, were not statistically different between NP and HP. Likewise, macronutrient distributions of the diet did not affect the reductions in REE, and blood pressure. In conclusion, energy restriction effectively improves multiple clinical indicators of cardiovascular health and glucose control, and consumption of a higher-protein diet and accomplishing weight loss when overweight versus obese help men preserve lean body mass over a short period of time.
Mechanism of septal bounce in constrictive pericarditis: a simultaneous cardiac catheterisation and echocardiographic study

A 71-year-old man complained of dyspnoea on exertion and oedema. Chest radiograph demonstrated calcified pericardium. Echocardiogram and gated CT revealed abnormal septal motion in diastole (septal bounce) as well as a septal shift with inspiration (see online supplementary video 1 and 2). A right and left heart catheterisation with high-fidelity manometric catheters was performed simultaneously with M-mode echocardiography. Rapidly …
Step-tuning characteristics of traveling wave tube regenerative-feedback oscillators

A lack of compact, powerful, and efficient sources in the submillimeter-wave or terahertz-regime of frequencies has motivated research of microfabricated vacuum electronic devices. Regenerative-feedback traveling wave tube (TWT) oscillators have been proposed as a candidate source [1]. Recently, a compact TWT oscillator was fabricated and demonstrated with an intrinsic efficiency of ∼ 0.34% at 638 GHz [2]. This device utilized a folded waveguide structure as the slow wave circuit. By continuous variation of the beam voltage, the operating frequency was varied between 607 – 675 GHz. However, the oscillation frequency exhibited a step-tuning behavior, rather than a smooth variation with beam voltage.
Weaving silos—a leadership challenge: A cross-functional team approach to supporting web-based student services

The author reviews the evolution of Web services–from information sharing to transactional to relationship building–and the progression from first-generation to fourth-generation Web sites.
Quantitative studies of phagocytosis. Kinetic effects of cations and heat-labile opsonin.

Kinetic analysis of the initial ingestion rate of albumin-coated paraffin oil particles by human granulocytes and rabbit alveolar macrophages was undertaken to study the mechanism of action of cations and of heat-labile opsonin on engulfment .The rate of uptake of the particles was stimulated by Ca++ Mg++ Mn++, or Co++. At high concentrations (> 20 HIM) Ca++ and Mg++ inhibited the rate of ingestion . Treatment of the particles with fresh serum (heat-labile opsonin) also stimulated the rate of ingestion . 126 I -C3 was bound to the particles during opsonization . C3-deficient human serum lacked opsonic activity, which was restored by addition of purified C3 . Normal, C2-deficient, and hereditary angioneurotic edema sera had equivalent opsonic activity . The serum opsonic activity thus involved C3 fixation to the particles by means of the properdin system .Although Mg++ and heat-labile opsonin both accelerated the maximal rates of ingestion of the particles, neither altered the particle concentrations associated with one-half maximal ingestion rates . Opsonization of the particles markedly diminished the concentrations of divalent cations causing both stimulatory and inhibitory effects on ingestion rates and altered the shapes of the cation activation curves
Elbow Radiographic Anatomy: Measurement Techniques and Normative Data

Background An increase in elbow pathology in adolescents has paralleled an increase in sports participation. Evaluation and classification of these injuries is challenging because of limited information regarding normal anatomy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate normal radiographic anatomy in adolescents to establish parameters for diagnosing abnormal development. Established and new measurements were evaluated for reliability and variance based on age and sex. Methods Three orthopaedic surgeons independently, and in a standardized fashion, evaluated the normal anteroposterior and lateral elbow radiographs of 178 adolescent and young adult subjects. Fourteen measurements were performed including radial neck-shaft angle, articular surface angle, articular surface morphologic assessment (subjective and objective evaluation of the patterns of ridges and sulci), among others. We performed a statistical analysis by age and sex for each measure and assessed for inter- and intraobserver reliability. Results The distal humerus articular surface was relatively flat in adolescence and became more contoured with age, as objectively demonstrated by increasing depth of the trochlear and trochleocapitellar sulci, and decreasing trochlear notch angle. Overall measurements were similar between males and females, with an increased carrying angle in females. There were several statistically significant differences based on age and sex; but these were small and unlikely to be clinically significant. Inter and intraobserver reliability were variable; some commonly utilized tools had poor reliability. Conclusion Most commonly utilized radiographic measures were consistent between sexes, across the adolescent age group, and between adolescents and young adults. Several commonly used assessment tools show poor reliability.
Temperature sensitivity of greenhouse gas production in wetland soils of different vegetation

Organic matter decomposition regulates rates of carbon loss (CO2 and CH4) in wetlands and has implications for carbon sequestration in the context of changing global temperature. Here we determined the influence of temperature and vegetation type on both aerobic and anaerobic decomposition of organic matter in subtropical wetland soils. As in many other studies, increased temperature resulted in higher rates of respiration and methanogenesis under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions, and the positive effect of temperature depended on vegetation (source of carbon substrate to soil). Under anaerobic incubations, the proportion of gaseous C (CO2 and CH4) lost as CH4 increased with temperature indicating a greater sensitivity of methanogenesis to temperature. This was further supported by a wider range of Q10 values (1.4–3.6) for methane production as compared with anaerobic CO2 (1.3–2.5) or aerobic CO2 (1.4–2.1) production. The increasing strength of positive linear correlation between CO2:CH4 ratio and the soil organic matter ligno-cellulose index at higher temperature indicated that the temperature sensitivity of methanogenesis was likely the result of increased C availability at higher temperature. This information adds to our basic understanding of decomposition in warmer subtropical and tropical wetland systems and has implications for C models in wetlands with different vegetation types.
Multivariate statistics books are reviewed

Applied MANOVA and Discriminant Analysis, by Carl J. Huberty and Stephen Olejnik, 2006, John Wiley and Sons Inc., 111 River Street, MS 8-01, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, USA, ISBN: 0 471 46815 0, pp. 48...
Did the super-eruption of Toba cause a human population bottleneck? Reply to Gathorne-Hardy and Harcourt-Smith.

Gathorne-Hardy and Harcourt-Smith raise questions about the accuracy of estimates of the magnitude of the climatic impact of the supereruption of Toba, whether it could have caused a human population bottleneck, the form, duration and timing of the human bottleneck, and cultural capacities for behavioral responses to climatic disasters. This News and Views forum provides an opportunity to summarize the new geological, climatic and genetic evidence for the super-eruption of Toba and its consequences that supports our hypothesis (Ambrose 1998a; Ambrose and Rampino, 2000), and to address other critiques and alternative explanations (Oppenheimer, 2002; Lahr and Foley, 1998; Hawks et al., 2000).
Co-regulation of cell adhesion by nanoscale RGD organization and mechanical stimulus

Integrin-mediated cell adhesion is central to cell survival, differentiation and motility. Many cell responses induced by integrins require both receptor occupancy and receptor aggregation, and appear to be regulated by both biochemical and biophysical means. Multidomain extracellular matrix molecules may serve to foster integrin aggregation by presenting local clusters of adhesion ligands, a hypothesis supported by studies with synthetic substrates showing that cell adhesion and migration are enhanced when adhesion ligands are presented in nanoscale clusters. Here, we used a novel synthetic polymer system to present the adhesion ligand GRGDSPK in nanoscale clusters with 1.7, 3.6 or 5.4 peptides per cluster against a non-adhesive background, where the peptide is mobile on a 2 nm polyethylene oxide tether. Average ligand density ranged from 190 to 5270 RGD/microm(2). We used these substrates to study the effects of ligand density and clustering on adhesion of wild-type NR6 fibroblasts, which express alphavbeta3 and alpha5beta1, integrins known to bind to linear RGD peptides. The strength of cell-substratum adhesion was quantified using a centrifugal detachment assay to assess the relative number of cells remaining adherent after a 10 minute application of defined distraction force. An unusual relationship between cell detachment and distraction force at relatively low values of applied force was found on substrates presenting the clustered ligand. Although a monotonic decrease in the number of cells remaining attached would be expected with increasing force on all substrates, we instead observed a peak (adhesion reinforcement) in this profile for certain ligand conditions. On substrates presenting clustered ligands, the fraction of cells remaining attached increased as the distraction force was increased to between 70 and 150 pN/cell, then decreased for higher forces. This phenomenon was only observed on substrates presenting higher ligand cluster sizes (n=3.6 or n=5.4) and was more pronounced at higher ligand densities. Adhesion reinforcement was not observed on fibronectin-coated surfaces. These results support previous studies showing that biophysical cues such as ligand spatial arrangement and extracellular matrix rigidity are central to the governance of cell responses to the external environment.
IQGAP1 Regulates Reactive Oxygen Species–Dependent Endothelial Cell Migration Through Interacting With Nox2

Objective— Endothelial cell (EC) migration is a key event for repair process after vascular injury and angiogenesis. EC migration is regulated by reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton at the leading edge and localized production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) at the site of injury. However, underlying mechanisms are unclear. We reported that IQGAP1, an actin binding scaffold protein, mediates VEGF-induced activation of gp91phox (Nox2)-dependent NAD(P)H oxidase and EC migration. We thus hypothesized that Nox2 and IQGAP1 may play important roles in ROS-dependent EC migration in response to injury. Methods and Results— Using a monolayer scratch assay with confluent ECs, we show that ROS production is increased at the margin of scratch area and Nox2 translocates to the leading edge, where it colocalizes and associates with both actin and IQGAP1 in migrating ECs. Knockdown of IQGAP1 using siRNA and inhibition of the actin cytoskeleton blocked scratch injury-induced H2O2 production, Nox2 translocation and ...
FDTD wave propagation in dispersive soil using a single pole conductivity model

In FDTD modeling of lossy, dispersive soil for subsurface imaging and detection applications, the electric flux and the current are convolutions of E(t) with /spl epsiv/(t) and /spl sigma/(t) respectively. To avoid these memory-intensive computations, the convolutions can often be accurately and simply modelled as second order difference equations. In particular, by matching the corresponding Z-transform of the E-field/current relation to frequency-dependent conductivity results in a ratio of polynomials in Z/sup -1/ (where Z=e/sup j/spl omega//spl Delta/t/). A good fit to measured soil data over two decades in frequency is possible using only a single pole, two zero conductivity model. Compared to a similarly accurate three-term Debye model, this one-pole model requires one-third the storage of previously computed field values.
JAK2(V617I) results in cytokine hypersensitivity without causing an overt myeloproliferative disorder in a mouse transduction-transplantation model.

A germline JAK2V617I point mutation results in hereditary thrombocytosis and shares some phenotypic features with myeloproliferative neoplasm, a hematologic malignancy associated with a somatically acquired JAK2V617F mutation. We established a mouse transduction–transplantation model of JAK2V617I that recapitulated the phenotype of humans with germline JAK2V617I. We directly compared the phenotypes of JAK2V617I and JAK2V617F mice. The JAK2V617I mice had increased marrow cellularity with expanded myeloid progenitor and megakaryocyte populations, but this phenotype was less severe than that of JAK2V617F mice. JAK2V617I resulted in cytokine hyperresponsiveness without constitutive activation in the absence of ligand, whereas JAK2V617F resulted in constitutive activation. This may explain why JAK2V617I produces a mild myeloproliferative phenotype in the mouse model, as well as in humans with germline JAK2V617I mutations.
Dynamic earthquake rupture simulations on nonplanar faults embedded in 3D geometrically complex, heterogeneous elastic solids

Dynamic propagation of shear ruptures on a frictional interface in an elastic solid is a useful idealization of natural earthquakes. The conditions relating discontinuities in particle velocities across fault zones and tractions acting on the fault are often expressed as nonlinear friction laws. The corresponding initial boundary value problems are both numerically and computationally challenging. In addition, seismic waves generated by earthquake ruptures must be propagated for many wavelengths away from the fault. Therefore, reliable and efficient numerical simulations require both provably stable and high order accurate numerical methods.We present a high order accurate finite difference method for: a) enforcing nonlinear friction laws, in a consistent and provably stable manner, suitable for efficient explicit time integration; b) dynamic propagation of earthquake ruptures along nonplanar faults; and c) accurate propagation of seismic waves in heterogeneous media with free surface topography.We solve the first order form of the 3D elastic wave equation on a boundary-conforming curvilinear mesh, in terms of particle velocities and stresses that are collocated in space and time, using summation-by-parts (SBP) finite difference operators in space. Boundary and interface conditions are imposed weakly using penalties. By deriving semi-discrete energy estimates analogous to the continuous energy estimates we prove numerical stability. The finite difference stencils used in this paper are sixth order accurate in the interior and third order accurate close to the boundaries. However, the method is applicable to any spatial operator with a diagonal norm satisfying the SBP property. Time stepping is performed with a 4th order accurate explicit low storage Runge-Kutta scheme, thus yielding a globally fourth order accurate method in both space and time. We show numerical simulations on band limited self-similar fractal faults revealing the complexity of rupture dynamics on rough faults.
Tax Litigation in Illinois

I Ef^HE past five years in Illinois have been a period of very unusual interest in the field of tax litigation. It would be difficult to find another instance in which so many important cases, involving questions of such vital consequence from a legal and fiscal point of view, have found their way to the court of last resort of the state and to the federal courts within an equal period of time. Included in the series of cases were several involving the validity under the present state constitution of forms of taxation which, though familiar elsewhere, were novel in Illinois experience.' The enactment of these new tax laws was a result of substantially the same forces and conditions which operated to clog the courts with suits in which the legality of administrative acts and procedures incident to the enforcement of the general property tax was subjected to vigorous and bitter attack by thousands of embittered property owners. They were in response to the need for more revenue and a wider distribution of the tax burden. For many years the burden of taxation on real property has been steadily increasing. Attempts which have been made on several occasions to amend the antiquated revenue article of the state constitution2 in such a manner as to empower the legislature to establish a modern revenue system based upon the principle of an equitable distribution of the tax burden have foundered upon the shoals of jealousy and suspicion between the people of the urban and rural areas
Improved chemical and mechanical stability of peptoid nanosheets by photo-crosslinking the hydrophobic core

Peptoid nanosheets can be broadly functionalized for a variety of applications. However, they are susceptible to degradation when exposed to chemical or mechanical stress. To improve their strength, photolabile monomers were introduced in order to crosslink the nanosheet interior. Photo-crosslinking produced a more robust material that can survive sonication, lyophilization, and other biochemical manipulations.
A Proof of the Reflective Property of the Parabola

(1987). A Proof of the Reflective Property of the Parabola. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 94, No. 7, pp. 667-668.
Cycloguanil and Its Parent Compound Proguanil Demonstrate Distinct Activities against Plasmodium falciparumMalaria Parasites Transformed with Human Dihydrofolate Reductase

The lack of suitable antimalarial agents to replace chloroquine and pyrimethamine/sulfadoxine threatens efforts to control the spread of drug-resistant strains of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Here we describe a transformation system, involving WR99210 selection of parasites transformed with either wild-type or methotrexate-resistant human dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), that has application for the screening of P. falciparum-specific DHFR inhibitors that are active against drug-resistant parasites. Using this system, we have found that the prophylactic drug cycloguanil has a mode of pharmacological action distinct from the activity of its parent compound proguanil. Complementation assays demonstrate that cycloguanil acts specifically on P. falciparum DHFR and has no other significant target. The target of proguanil itself is separate from DHFR. We propose a strategy of combination chemotherapy incorporating the use of multiple parasite-specific inhibitors that act at the same molecular target and thereby maintain, in combination, their effectiveness against alternative forms of resistance that arise from different sets of point mutations in the target. This approach could be combined with traditional forms of combination chemotherapy in which two or more compounds are used against separate targets.
The role of efflux in bacterial resistance to soft metals and metalloids

Bacteria have evolved various types of resistance mechanism to toxic soft metals and metalloids, including cadmium/zinc, copper/silver and arsenic/antimony. Active efflux of the metal is a frequently utilized stratagem to produce resistance by lowering the intracellular concentration to subtoxic levels. Reduction to a less-toxic form or to a form recognized by an efflux system also occurs. Pumps utilized for resistance may have evolved from normal cellular systems. For example, plasmid-mediated cadmium resistances may have evolved from a common ancestor of the pump involved in zinc homoeostasis. Pumps are more efficient than carriers and may have evolved by developing carriers that associate with ATPase subunits.
Observation of New Physical Properties of Zinc-Aluminium and Tin-Lead Superplastic Alloys

The paper reports the initial results of efforts to utilise superplastic alloys in conventional metal forming operations, by exploring strain rate sensitivity (SRS) of the eutectoid zinc-aluminium alloy (78 wt % Zn, 22 wt % Al) and the eutectic tin-lead alloy (63 wt % Sn, 37 wt % Pb) at high strain rates and temperatures. Compression tests were conducted at strain rates from (i) 10−2 − 3 × 10−1 s−1 and (ii) 8 × 101 − 2.2 × 102 s −1 at 250 °C, 270 °C and 290 °C for the Zn-Al alloy and at room temperature and 170 °C for the Sn-Pb alloy.
The Impact of Credit Line Drawdowns on Investment Evidence from the Financial Crisis

Using a unique dataset of credit line drawdowns and liquidity hedging, we study the relation between credit line usage and corporate investment. In line with theoretical predictions that credit lines aid firms to invest during times of limited credit availability, our findings reveal that the liquidity insurance function of lines of credit does facilitate the undertaking of value-enhancing investments during severe credit market conditions. Although the financial crisis did reduce firm investment, this effect was mitigated somewhat by credit line usage. We also find that in contrast to non-crisis times, during the crisis older, higher net worth firms were more likely to have access to credit lines. Similarly, firms with a higher firm value and bond rating were more likely to have extensive credit line drawdowns during the crisis than non-crisis years.
MRI Changes in Sydenham’s Chorea

Cerebral MRIs of 24 children with Sydenham’s chorea and 48 matched controls were compared at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.
Teachers’ experiences collaborating in expanded school mental health: implications for practice, policy and research

AbstractTeachers are critical partners in expanded school mental health (ESMH) collaborations that aim to bring educators, community mental health professionals and families together to leverage expertise and resources for addressing non-academic barriers to learning. Although teachers are in a unique position to observe the day-to-day mental health needs of students, their roles in ESMH collaborations have been largely ignored leaving little research-based guidance for maximizing this practice strategy. To address this gap, this study explored 384 teachers’ experiences with ESMH collaboration including the types of collaborations they are engaged in, what influences those relationships and what they perceive to be the benefits of this practice strategy. The findings support previous conceptual and research contributions focused on collaboration, as well as suggest some specific influences on collaborative relationships between teachers and community mental health professionals. Implications for practice,...
Energy-efficient route planning for autonomous aerial vehicles based on graph signal recovery

We use graph signal sampling and recovery techniques to plan routes for autonomous aerial vehicles. We propose a novel method that plans an energy-efficient flight trajectory by considering the influence of wind. We model the weather stations as nodes on a graph and model wind velocity at each station as a graph signal. We observe that the wind velocities at two close stations are similar, that is, the graph signal of wind velocities is smooth. By taking advantages of the smoothness, we only query a small fraction of it and recover the rest by using a novel graph signal recovery algorithm, which solves an optimization problem. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed method, we first demonstrate the necessity to take wind into account when planning route for autonomous aerial vehicles, and then show that the proposed method produces a reliable and energy-efficient route.
Fundamental Limits of Cyber-Physical Systems Modeling

This article examines the role of modeling in the engineering of cyber-physical systems. It argues that the role that models play in engineering is different from the role they play in science, and that this difference should direct us to use a different class of models, where simplicity and clarity of semantics dominate over accuracy and detail. I argue that determinism in models used for engineering is a valuable property and should be preserved whenever possible, regardless of whether the system being modeled is deterministic. I then identify three classes of fundamental limits on modeling, specifically chaotic behavior, the inability of computers to numerically handle a continuum, and the incompleteness of determinism. The last of these has profound consequences.
Viral Agents in Diarrhea

Until the early 1970s, little evidence existed to strongly implicate viruses as important causes of human diarrhea. Earlier, there had been an occasional statistical association of enterovirus and adenovirus recovery from infants with diarrhea when compared to recovery rates of well children. In a small number of sporadic cases of illness, these viruses were shown to cause diarrhea, in view of virus isolation and documentation of a specific antibody rise during convalescence. Echovirus occasionally produced laboratory infection in adults1,2 and epidemic diarrhea in newborn nurseries.3 Adenoviruses were felt to play a role in wintertime diarrheal illness, where they were isolated from children with diarrhea and respiratory symptoms. Diarrhea was a known complication of measles and chicken pox in malnourished children4,5 and inflammatory changes in the intestinal mucosa of such children were reported.6,7 Acute diarrhea associated with childhood exanthems is not a common problem in the United States, probably reflecting the importance of malnutrition in the evolution of intestinal complications.
Data Model to CSS Mappings.

This initial draft document contains formative data model content for select areas of Re-Engineering Phase 2 IDC System. The purpose of this document is to facilitate discussion among the stakeholders. It is not intended as a definitive proposal.
Thyroid Function Variation in the Normal Range, Energy Expenditure, and Body Composition in L-T4-Treated Subjects.

Purpose It is not clear whether upper limits of the thyrotropin (TSH) reference range should be lowered. This debate can be better informed by investigation of whether variations in thyroid function within the reference range have clinical effects. Thyroid hormone plays a critical role in determining energy expenditure, body mass, and body composition, and therefore clinically relevant variations in these parameters may occur across the normal range of thyroid function. Methods This was a cross-sectional study of 140 otherwise healthy hypothyroid subjects receiving chronic replacement therapy with levothyroxine (L-T4) who had TSH levels across the full span of the laboratory reference range (0.34 to 5.6 mU/L). Subjects underwent detailed tests of energy expenditure (total and resting energy expenditure, thermic effect of food, physical activity energy expenditure), substrate oxidation, diet intake, and body composition. Results Subjects with low-normal (≤2.5 mU/L) and high-normal (>2.5 mU/L) TSH levels did not differ in any of the outcome measures. However, across the entire group, serum free triiodothyronine (fT3) levels were directly correlated with resting energy expenditure, body mass index (BMI), body fat mass, and visceral fat mass, with clinically relevant variations in these outcomes. Conclusions Variations in thyroid function within the laboratory reference range have clinically relevant correlations with resting energy expenditure, BMI, and body composition in L-T4-treated subjects. However, salutary effects of higher fT3 levels on energy expenditure may be counteracted by deleterious effects on body weight and composition. Further studies are needed before these outcomes should be used as a basis for altering L-T4 doses in L-T4-treated subjects.
The Vitis vinifera x V. rotundifolia hybrids as phylloxera resistant rootstocks

In greenhouse and field tests of rooted vines and seedlings, a considerable number of vinifera X rotundifolia F 1 hybrid clones exhibit high tolerance or immunity to the root form of phylloxera, as judged by the formatirm of lesions or the insects found lodged on the roots. The formation of root lesions is related to the anatomical structure, the more closely it resembles the rotundifolia, the fewer and smaller the lesions. Phylloxera samples from five different areas in California have not been found to differ in gross morphology or in their reaction to the VR hybrids. The species rotundifolia contributes genes exhibiting considerable dominance for resistance in the F 1 generation. Unlike the rotundifolia parent, the VR hybrids can be successfully used as rootstocks for vinifera grapes, although observations are only for eight years and hence preliminary. Although the VR hybrids are less easy to propagate than many common rootstocks, the variation is great enough between clones to permit selection.