cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
[Determination of 4 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in spicy strips by vacuum concentration coupled with isotope dilution gas chromatography-mass spectrometry].

Objective A method based on isotope internal standard dilution was established for the determination of four polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAH4) including chrysene, benzo [a] anthracene, benzo [b] fluoranthene and benzo [a] pyrene in spicy strips sold in the markets. Methods The hot strips were homogenized and the target compounds were extracted with n-hexane, concentrated in vacuum, saponified and purified by solid phase extraction column, then the pretreated samples were separated by DB-EUPAH column(20 m×0. 18 mm, 0. 14 μm), detected by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS)and quantified by internal standard of isotope. Results The recoveries of PAH4 in different concentration levels of hot noodles were 91. 0%-103. 5%, and the relative standard deviation(RSD)was 1. 89%-6. 73%(n=6). The detection limit was 0. 30 μg/kg and the quantitative limit was 1. 0 μg/kg. The content of PAH4(sum) in 27 collected samples ranged from 1. 35 μg/kg to 11. 44 μg/kg, and the detection rate was 100%. Conclusion With less solvent consumption, good purification effect and blank control, the method is simple, rapid and accurate and meets the detecting requirements of PAH4 in hot strips.
Chapter 38 - Sleep, Anxiety, and Depression

Abstract Insomnia is often overlooked and underdiagnosed in the United States, resulting in the difficulty of differentiating sleep disorders from depression, anxiety, or other mental disorders. Sleep quality is not only reflected in sleep duration, but also in the time it takes people to fall asleep, the frequency of awakenings, being awake during the sleep period, and time spent asleep while in bed. Good sleep is a multidimensional construct encompassing sleep quality in addition to sleep quantity. The coexistence of sleep disorders and depression is often seen in clinical settings, especially in patients experiencing psychiatric disorders, and that underlines the close association between sleep and mental health. In fact, depressive symptoms are approximately 33% more common among people with short sleep duration ( Existing diagnostic tools and guidelines should guide efforts toward implementing evidence-based practice and development of patient-centered interventions for individuals with symptoms of any of these three disorders. A thorough examination, including demographic characteristics, sleep history, medical and psychiatric conditions, lifestyles, past experiences of self-help, and pharmaceutical interventions should contribute to efforts to identify any underlying causes of either anxiety, depression, or sleep disorders.
Asian Wealth in the United States: Some Legal Answers and Policy Questions

Private wealth in Asia is substantial. In 2019, the Asia-Pacific region had approximately 6.5 million high net worth individuals (HNWIs) with investable assets of approximately US$22.2 trillion. This represented approximately 33 percent of the global population of HNWIs and approximately 30 percent of global HNWI investable wealth. These percentages are larger than the corresponding percentages for any other region. In second place was North America, which had approximately 32.1 percent of the global HNWI population and approximately 29.3 percent of global HNWI investable wealth. The largest markets in the Asia-Pacific region are Japan and China, with HNWIs numbering approximately 3.4 million in Japan and approximately 1.3 million in China. Private wealth often is invested internationally. Such wealth is known as ‘outbound’ wealth from the perspective of the country of origin and ‘inbound’ wealth from the perspective of the country of destination. The US is both a source of outbound wealth and a destination for inbound wealth. This paper, prepared for a conference on ‘Asian Wealth in the Global Context’, is about Asian wealth in the United States. Such a broad topic, however, must be narrowed in order to become manageable in one essay. This paper explores the use of US law and legal institutions to transmit private wealth by individuals who are citizens and residents of Japan or China, the nations in Asia with the greatest number of HNWIs. The wealth transmission examined here occurs in the form of a donative transfer at death, typically within the family and often across generations. This paper proceeds in two main parts. The first focuses on the current law. It examines the use of five prominent mechanisms in US law for the deathtime transmission of private family wealth. These are wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, life insurance policies, retirement accounts, and survivorship interests in real property by joint tenancies or transfer-on-death deeds. The part explores the extent to which these US mechanisms are available to individuals who are citizens and residents of Japan or China. In considering this question, the paper examines not only US succession and trust law but also US tax law. The second main part turns from law to policy. It raises five policy questions about US wealth transfer law and its use by individuals who are noncitizens and nonresidents.
Production of Trapped Deuterium via Deuteron-Cathode Bombardment in a DC Glow Discharge

A simple deuterium DC glow discharge was employed to study the production of densely packed deuterium clusters with high binding energies in palladium. The incident ions create damage cascades leading to the production of defects such as vacancies, dislocations, and voids. These defects trap interstitial deuterons with binding energies dependent on the trap’s geometry and volume. 1 Varying fluences of incident ions were used (1E18 ions/cm 2 , 1E19 ions/cm 2 , and 1E20 ions/cm 2 ) and incident energies dependent on cathode bias (-0.75 kV, -0.875 kV, and -1.0 kV). Thermal Desorption Spectroscopy (TDS) was used to estimate the clusters’ trapping energies. 2 There appeared to be a deuterium trapping limit dependent on defect concentration where once a distinct defect density was met any further damage was counterproductive in deuterium trapping. The condition that produced the most trapped deuterium was -0.75 kV in 1 Torr deuterium with a fluence of 1E18 ions/cm 2 . Some samples were observed under SEM and TEM. The results showed surface pit and blister formations which grew in concentration as the fluence increased. Beneath the surface formations, cross-section images showed large voids and holes in the material with cracks at grain boundaries. TEM images displayed the resulting damage structure which extended ~250 nm into the cathode for a sample at 1.0 Torr and -1.0 kV. A proposal is that as the damage concentration increased, these voids grew to such an extent that they formed the blisters and eventually ruptured.
What You value or what you know? Which mechanism explains the intergenerational transmission of business ownership expectations?

Abstract Purpose Research has consistently shown that the children of business owners are more likely to become business owners themselves. However, what mechanism(s) underlies this intergenerational correlation is still not clear. In this research I assess the importance of several mechanisms proposed to drive the children of business owners to expect to become business owners. Methodology/approach Quantitative analyses of representative data from the 1988 to 1992 National Education Longitudinal Study are employed. Findings Results are inconsistent with arguments asserting that the children of business owners expect to become business owners because of: the transmission of human capital or financial capital; the expectation of inheriting a business; a heightened awareness of the viability of business ownership; or preferences for having lots of money, leisure time, being successful in work, or steady employment. Findings are consistent with the notion that the intergenerational correlation in business ownership is a result of shared preferences and/or traits, and this effect is particularly strong when accompanied by awareness of paternal business ownership. Originality/value Identifying which mechanism underlies the intergenerational transmission may inform how to increase rates of business ownership, particularly among underrepresented groups, which is a matter of increasing policy interest. However, our understanding is limited because: the intergenerational transfer is consistent with numerous mechanisms; and employment outcomes are often used to make inferences about preceding processes. This chapter focuses on expectations that precede outcomes to clarify which mechanism operates in one stage of the transmission process.
Influence of the anode processes on discharges driven by thermionic emission

The influence of electron reflection and secondary electron emission due to electron impact from the anode on discharges driven by thermionic emission is studied by the self-consistent one-dimensional particle-in-cell Monte Carlo collisions model. Two regimes are considered. In the first regime, the two-stream instability is excited and large anode sheath potential is obtained. It is found that in this regime, the reflected electrons play a significant role. In the second regime, the instability is not excited and the anode sheath potential is small. The dominant anode process in this regime is the secondary electron emission. It is shown that in both regimes, the anode processes significantly influence the plasma parameters.
A Growth Curve Analysis of Literacy Performance among Second-Grade, Spanish-Speaking, English-Language Learners.

The literacy growth of 260 second-grade English learners (ELs) with varying degrees of English language proficiency (e.g., Beginning, Early Intermediate, Intermediate, Early Advanced and Advanced E...
The Effects of STS Issue Investigation and Action Instruction versus Traditional Life Science Instruction on Seventh Grade Students' Citizenship Behaviors

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of employing an STS instructional model that addresses each of the four goal levels of STS education versus an instructional model containing only life science content, on seventh grade students' participation in citizenship action on STS issues. A modified version of the non-equivalent control group quasi-experimental research design was used with seventeen intact seventh grade life science classes, ten of which received STS instruction (N = 264) and seven of which received life science instruction (N = 136) over 20 school days. The STS instruction sequentially addressed each of the four goal levels for STS education. Data were collected using the Actions Taken on Public Issues instrument to measure citizenship behaviors. ANOVA and repeated measures ANOVA were employed to analyze data. It was concluded from the findings that employment of an STS issue investigation with an action instructional model that addressed the four goal levels of STS education significantly increased seventh grade students' participation in citizenship actions on STS issues. Implications and recommendations are provided.
More Efficiency and Increased Equity in Taxation under Mayo

This paper addresses the impact of Mayo Foundation primarily from a Public Choice perspective analyzing the impact of the case on the behavior of the major actors in this case specifically and in tax policy generally. The paper suggests that rent-seeking behavior will shift increasing the focus on regulator rent-seeking at the IRS. Furthermore, the IRS's procedures will likely take center stage in light of the increased deference. While it is too early to tell how Congress and the Court will deal with procedural issues that will likely arise as a result of the increased deference, this paper suggests that the IRS will likely bolster its notice-and-comment procedures. There will also be further scrutiny of the IRS position that its regulations are predominantly interpretative and exempt from certain procedures. This paper suggests that the ultimate result will be slightly reduced and altered rent-seeking behavior. Pressure for increased procedure in IRS rule making. Finally the paper looks at the specific facts of the case and analyzes the choice to exclude medical residents from the student exemption. The paper suggests that increasing the sunk cost investment necessary to become a doctor will likely result in higher medical costs. Due to the increased barrier to entry it is plausible that this policy could not only be socially unproductive but could lead to a net loss for taxpayers. The increased deference will likely make tax policy more effective, efficient and consistent. It will also likely reduce rent-seeking in tax policy. That said, the particular case of FICA taxes on medical residents should be empirically studied because while there are strong policy reasons supporting allowing young doctors to begin building social security credits, it plausible that this tax could ultimately net a loss for tax payers as a whole. Ultimately it is an empirical question that should be answered. As a final matter, it is likely that such cost/benefit analysis for tax policy might be advantageous to ensure that policies are in the best interest of tax payers. Such cost/ benefit analyses are required by executive order for other regulations. This order should perhaps be expanded to cover IRS interpretative rule making, or even better congress should include IRS rule making in their bill on the matter.
Flemish and Non-Flemish Perceptions of Flemish National Identity as Manifested in Online News Sources

The purpose of this content analysis is to gain greater understanding of the ways in which the Flemish and non-Flemish perceptions differ with regard to Flemish national identity. This research is important because these perceptions continue to influence the Flemish national narrative, and because understanding the ways in which these perceptions differ is of concern to Belgians challenged with reconciling the existence of multiple national identities. Alexander Dhoest’s (2003) conceptualization of four themes common to national narratives―shared history, shared culture, national language, and national character―provide the analytical framework for this study.
Concerted evolution of ruminant stomach lysozymes. Characterization of lysozyme cDNA clones from sheep and deer.

Contradictory evolutionary histories of ruminant lysozymes have been predicted by analysis of genomic blots (Irwin, D.M., Sidow, A., White, R., and Wilson, A.C. (1989) in The Immune Response to Structurally Defined Proteins: The Lysozyme Model (Smith-Gill, S.J., and Sercarz, E.E., eds) pp. 73-85, Adenine Press, Guilderland, NY) and sequences of cow stomach lysozyme cDNAs (Irwin, D.M., and Wilson, A.C. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 11387-11393). Genomic blots indicate that the amplification of the lysozyme gene family occurred 40-50 million years ago, while the cDNA sequences imply that the stomach genes began diverging from one another after the splitting of the deer and cow lineages, 25 million years ago. To resolve this contradiction, we characterized 111 stomach lysozyme cDNAs from two additional ruminant species: domestic sheep and axis deer. The cDNA sequences of the coding region of mature lysozyme together with the 3'-untranslated region were obtained from abomasum (true stomach) mRNA with the use of the polymerase chain reaction. The two primers for amplifying the cDNA were a lysozyme-specific primer, encoding a conserved sequence at the amino terminus of mature stomach lysozyme, and oligo(dT) as a general mRNA primer. Comparison of the cDNA sequences from these species to one another and to those of the cow revealed that different parts of the ruminant stomach lysozyme genes have had different evolutionary histories. The 3'-untranslated region has evolved in a divergent fashion since the original duplications 40-50 million years ago, supporting the genomic blot interpretation; by contrast, the coding region has evolved in a concerted fashion, that is, the multiple sequences within a species have evolved in unison. The 3'-untranslated portion of the lysozyme genes appears to have escaped from concerted evolution due to inability to initiate concerted evolution, rather than due to reduced sequence similarity. The process of concerted evolution in stomach lysozymes may have had roles both in adapting lysozyme to the stomach environment in early ruminants as well as in retarding amino acid sequence evolution in the well adapted lysozyme of modern ruminants.
The Cambrian explosion

The sudden appearance of fossils that marks the so-called 'Cambrian explosion' has intrigued and exercised biologists since Darwin's time. In On the Origin of Species, Darwin made it clear that he believed that ancestral forms 'lived long before' their first fossil representatives. While he considered such an invisible record necessary to explain the level of complexity already seen in the fossils of early trilobites, Darwin was at a loss to explain why there were no corresponding fossils of these earlier forms. In chapter 9 of the Origin, entitled 'On the imperfection of the geological record', he emphasized the 'poorness of our palaeontological collections' and stated categorically that 'no organism wholly soft can be preserved'. Fortunately much has been discovered in the last 150 years, not least multiple examples of Cambrian and Precambrian soft-bodied fossils. We now know that the sudden appearance of fossils in the Cambrian (541-485 million years ago) is real and not an artefact of an imperfect fossil record: rapid diversification of animals coincided with the evolution of biomineralized shells. And although fossils in earlier rocks are rare, they are not absent: their rarity reflects the low diversity of life at this time, as well as the low preservation potential of Precambrian organisms (see Primer by Butterfield, in this issue).
Body mass index and risk of leukemia in older women

Overweight [body mass index (BMI) 25.0-29.9 kg/m(2)] and obesity (BMI >/=30 kg/m(2)) are risk factors for several malignancies. The Iowa Women's Health Study was examined to determine whether increased BMI was associated with leukemia development. Over 40,000 Iowa women (ages 55-69 years) completed a self-administered lifestyle and health questionnaire in 1986 that included current height and weight. Two hundred women developed leukemia during the period 1986 to 2001 including 74 acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) and 88 chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The risk of AML was increased among women who reported being overweight or obese (relative risk, 1.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.0-3.4; relative risk, 2.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-4.5; P(trend) = 0.006) compared with women of normal weight. There was little evidence of a positive association for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (P(trend) = 0.6). Given the prevalence of overweight and obesity in the United States, the population attributable risk of AML due to obesity could approach 30%.
Duration of empiric antibiotics for suspected early-onset sepsis in extremely low birth weight infants.

OBJECTIVES: To study multicenter antibiotic practices for suspected early-onset sepsis (EOS) with negative blood cultures (NegBCs) and to identify opportunities for reduction of antimicrobial exposure. DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: Thirty academic hospitals (University HealthSystem Consortium) located in 24 states. METHODS: Data were from a survey of 790 extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants. Total antibiotic exposures (antibiotic-days per patient) were calculated. RESULTS: On admission to the NICU, 94% of 790 ELBW infants had BCs performed and empiric antibiotics initiated. When PosBC and NegBC infants were compared, 47 patients with PosBCs were similar to 695 with NegBCs in birth weight, gestational age (GA), and mortality. Patients with suspected EOS but NegBCs given ampicillin/aminoglycosides were grouped by length of administration and GA. For GA of 26 weeks or younger, 170 infants given a short (≤ 3 days) and 157 given a long (≤ 7 days) course were similar regarding birth weight, mortality, antepartum history, and CRIB scores, but were different (P <.01) in number receiving a third antimicrobial (3% and 17%) and antibiotic-days (23 and 38). For GA of 27 weeks or older, 113 infants given a short and 77 given a long course differed (P <.01) in number receiving a third antimicrobial (2% and 23%) and antibiotic-days (19 and 30). CONCLUSIONS: Most suspected EOS infants with NegBCs are given antibiotics, but no antepartum historical risk factors or neonatal clinical signs explained prolonged administration. Discontinuing empiric antibiotics when BCs are negative in asymptomatic ELBW infants can reduce antimicrobial exposure without compromising clinical outcome.
Evidence of Sex-specific Differences in Masticatory Jaw Movement Patterns

The complexity of human oral functional movements has not been studied in detail quantitatively, and only recently have studies begun to evaluate whether such movements contain sex-specific characteristics. Therefore, the purposes of this study were: (1) to quantify in detail the jaw movements and associated masticatory electromyographic activity occurring during gum chewing, and (2) to explore these data for evidence of sex specificity. Fourteen male and 17 female subjects participated in the study. Approximately 11 right- and 11 left-sided chewing cycles and associated masticatory electromyographic activity were sampled from each subject. The samples were quantified into 165 variables per chewing cycle, averaged to create a single multivariate vector for each subject, and then analyzed by a step-wise discriminant analysis. With a combination of 6 variables, a jackknifed cross-validation test found the probability of correct classification to be 93.5%. These findings support the hypothesis that masticato...
A comprehensive analytical model for garbage collection algorithms

We present an analytical model that allows to compare all known garbage collection (GC) algorithms w.r.t. various performance measures. The overhead functions are natural and accurate; natural in the sense that they are given in terms of easy to measure and tune parameters, accurate in the sense that they account for all relevant sources of time and space overhead of the different algorithms. Space overhead accounted for includes mark bits, mark stack, reference count bits/tables, entry tables for area-GC, object tables etc. as well as storage fragmentation. Time overhead components are e.g. time to mark/scan/copy nodes, update reference counts, check for forwarding pointers, synchronization costs etc.
Seeing the eyes of god in human form: iconography and impersonation in african and hindu traditions of trance performance in the southern caribbean

ABSTRACTThis article links analysis of the body and of visual culture within religious studies through comparative examination of two southern Caribbean ritual traditions: Shango, or Orisha Worship (African), and Shakti Puja, or Kali Worship (Hindu). Both are centered upon subaltern ceremonies of trance performance and spirit mediumship. The article examines a primary difference in the impersonation of divinity evident between the two traditions—performing with one's eyes open on the African side versus closed on the Hindu side—and accounts for this contrast in terms of inverse relations between religious iconography and use of the body as a vehicle of ritualized form, referred to here as inverse conventions of “iconopraxis.” However, this level of differentiation is built upon a deeper, but no less cultural use of the body as a tool of entranced ritual praxis shared by each tradition. Each tradition therefore exploits similar phenomenological affordances of the human body in order to cultivate alter-cult...
Animal behavior in urban ecosystems: Modifications due to human-induced stress

Wildlife-human interactions are increasing in prevalence as urban sprawl continues to encroach into rural areas. Once considered to be unsuitable habitat for most wildlife species, urban/suburban areas now host an array of wildlife populations, many of which were previously restricted to rural or pristine habitats. The presence of some wildlife species in close proximity to dense human populations can create conflict, forcing resource managers to address issues relating to urban wildlife. However, evidence suggests that wildlife residing in urban areas may not exhibit the same life history traits as their rural counterparts because of adaptation to human-induced stresses. This creates difficulty for biologists or managers that must address problems associated with urban wildlife. Population control or mitigation efforts aimed at urban wildlife require detailed knowledge of the habits of wildlife populations in urban areas. This paper describes the history of wildlife in urban areas, provides examples of wildlife populations that have modified their behavior as an adaptation to urban stresses, and discusses the challenges that resource managers face when dealing with urban wildlife.
Cumulants of bilinear forms and quadratic forms and their applications

In this paper, mixed cumulants of general bilinear forms, quadratic forms and linear forms are given up to order 4. These results are useful in deriving approximations to the distributions of sums of squares and F-ratios from unbalanced analysis of variance models from non-normal universes. As an illustration, the results are applied to derive mixed cumulants of sums of squares in a three stages nested unbalanced random effects models from non-normal universes.
Defective response to Toll-like receptor 3 and 4 ligands by activated monocytes in chronic hepatitis C virus infection.

Toll-like receptors (TLR) have a critical role in innate immunity against pathogens. We investigated the cytokine response to TLR stimulation in peripheral blood cells of subjects infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and / or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the Women Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) cohort. Interleukin (IL)-6 in response to TLR3 and TLR4 ligands such as polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid and lipopolysaccharide was significantly compromised in HCV-infected women. High spontaneous secretion of IL-6 suggested pre-existing cell activation as a factor mediating reduced responses to TLR3 and TLR4 stimulation. To a lesser extent, tumour necrosis factor-α and IL-1β responses to TLR stimulation were also compromised. Monocytes, but not B cells or NK cells, were identified as the cell population spontaneously secreting cytokines and also as the cells responding to TLR stimulation. These results highlight a functional defect in antigen-presenting cells of women with HCV infection or co-infection. In women with existing HIV co-infection, decreased cytokine function of antigen-presenting cells suggests another mechanism contributing to immune dysfunction in addition to the HIV-associated CD4 defect.
Learning versus Performance in Short-Term Project Teams:

In this article, the authors propose and test hypotheses about the relationship between learning and performance and the team processes that are most predictive of learning and performance in short-term project teams. Results show a moderate but nonsignificant relationship between learning and performance. Results also reveal that team processes most predictive of team learning include interpersonal understanding, proactivity in problem solving, and creating clear work procedures (a negative predictor). Team processes most predictive of team performance include interpersonal understanding, proactivity in problem-solving, and confronting members who break norms (a negative predictor). Results suggest that the needs of short-term project teams differ from those of longer-term teams. They also suggest the potential for tension between learning and performance in short-term project teams. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.
Action potential of somatic and autonomic nerves

Abstract Under similar experimental conditions at 25°C, the compound action potential was recorded from the saphenous, sympathetic, splanchnic, and cervical vagal nerves. As expected, the amplitude and duration of a given component in the response recorded from those nerves were different; however, the response thresholds and conduction velocities of the recorded component were almost the same. These observations would indicate that the fibers within a given component in those nerves had similar histologic properties (such as diameter and myelination) and excitability characteristics. The experiment also showed that in the sympathetic and splanchnic nerves, there was a large A-delta component; in the vagus, a large C component.
A multi-segment foot model based on anatomically registered technical coordinate systems: Method repeatability in pediatric feet

Several multi-segment foot models to measure the motion of intrinsic joints of the foot have been reported. Use of these models in clinical decision making is limited due to lack of rigorous validation including inter-clinician, and inter-lab variability measures. A model with thoroughly quantified variability may significantly improve the confidence in the results of such foot models. This study proposes a new clinical foot model with the underlying strategy of using separate anatomic and technical marker configurations and coordinate systems. Anatomical landmark and coordinate system identification is determined during a static subject calibration. Technical markers are located at optimal sites for dynamic motion tracking. The model is comprised of the tibia and three foot segments (hindfoot, forefoot and hallux) and inter-segmental joint angles are computed in three planes. Data collection was carried out on pediatric subjects at two sites (Site 1: n=10 subjects by two clinicians and Site 2: five subjects by one clinician). A plaster mold method was used to quantify static intra-clinician and inter-clinician marker placement variability by allowing direct comparisons of marker data between sessions for each subject. Intra-clinician and inter-clinician joint angle variability were less than 4°. For dynamic walking kinematics, intra-clinician, inter-clinician and inter-laboratory variability were less than 6° for the ankle and forefoot, but slightly higher for the hallux. Inter-trial variability accounted for 2-4° of the total dynamic variability. Results indicate the proposed foot model reduces the effects of marker placement variability on computed foot kinematics during walking compared to similar measures in previous models.
DEPOSITION OF ULTRAFINE AEROSOLS IN HUMAN TRACHEOBRONCHIAL AIRWAYS

Theoretical modeling of ultrafine particle deposition in human airways can be employed as a valuable complement to difficult and expensive in vitro and in vivo experimental studies. If such modeling can be shown to be reasonably accurate (compared with laboratory data), versatile (simulate different conditions), and compact (easy to use), it would then be warranted to use it for the extrapolation of theoretical results in risk assessment applications. In this study, a closed-form solution proposed by Martonen et al. (in press), which quantitatively describes convective particle diffusion in a conduit including wall irregularities and entrance effects, has been validated by experimental data from the literature. Theoretical predictions of particle deposition efficiencies are not only in agreement with the best-fit empirical correlation presented by Cohen and Asgharian (1990) over a wide range of dimensionless diffusion parameters but also match individual experimental measurements with regard to effects of...
Cyclodextrin-Enhanced Electrokinetic Remediation of Soils Contaminated with 2,4-Dinitrotoluene

The removal of 2,4-dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT), a munitions waste constituent and an industrial intermediate, from contaminated soils was evaluated using enhanced electrokinetic (EK) remediation. Two model soils were spiked with 480 mg of 2,4-DNT/kg of dry soil for the EK experiments. The spiked soils were kaolin, a low-buffering clayey soil, and glacial till, a high-buffering silty soil. The glacial till was obtained from a field site and contained 2.8% organic matter. Deionized (DI) water and cyclodextrin solutions were used as the EK purging solutions. Cyclodextrin was selected as a nonhazardous solubility enhancer for enhancing the desorption and removal of 2,4-DNT from soils in EK remediation. Two aqueous solutions of hydroxypropyl β-cyclodextrin (HPCD) at concentrations of 1 and 2% were selected for kaolin and glacial till, respectively, based on results for batch extraction of 2,4-DNT from the same soils. During the EK experiments, greater current and electro-osmotic flow were observed for HPCD solutions than for DI water. After the completion of the EK experiments, the soils in the EK cell were extruded and the residual 2,4-DNT in the soils was determined. Less 2,4-DNT remained in the kaolin soil (up to 94% transformed) than in the glacial till soil (20% transformed) due to strong retention of 2,4-DNT by the soil organic matter in glacial till. For kaolin, less 2,4-DNT remained in the soil using HPCD solutions than using DI water. For glacial till, comparable levels of 2,4-DNT remained in the soil for both EK solutions. Since no 2,4-DNT was detected in the effluents from the EK cells, the decrease in 2,4-DNT concentration in the kaolin and glacial till soils was attributed to electrochemical transformation of 2,4-DNT to other species.
Coherent state path integral for linear systems

We present a computation of the coherent state path integral for a generic linear system using 'functional methods' (as opposed to discrete time approaches). The Gaussian phase space path integral is formally given by a determinant built from a first-order differential operator with coherent state boundary conditions. We show how this determinant can be expressed in terms of the symplectic transformation generated by the (in general, time-dependent) quadratic Hamiltonian for the system. We briefly discuss the conditions under which the coherent state path integral for a linear system actually exists. A necessary - but not sufficient - condition for existence of the path integral is that the symplectic transformation generated by the Hamiltonian is (unitarily) implementable on the Fock space for the system.
Impact of universal disinfectant cap implementation on central line-associated bloodstream infections.

Background Central line–associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) result in increased length of stay, cost, and patient morbidity and mortality. One CLABSI prevention method is disinfection of intravenous access points. The literature suggests that placing disinfectant caps over needleless connectors decreases CLABSI risk. Methods A quasi-experimental intervention study was conducted in a >430-bed trauma I center. In addition to an existing standard central line bundle, a new intervention consisting of a luer-lock disinfectant cap with 70% alcohol was implemented in all intravenous (IV) needleless connectors on patients with peripheral and central lines. Compliance to the disinfectant cap was monitored weekly. A generalized linear model using a Poisson distribution was fit to determine if there were significant relationships between CLABSIs and disinfectant cap use. Impacts on costs were also examined. Results The rate of CLABSI decreased following implementation of the disinfectant cap. The incidence rate ratios (.577, P = .004) for implementing the disinfectant caps was statistically significant, indicating that the rate of patient infections decreased by >40%. Increased compliance rates were associated with lower infection rates. Disinfectant cap use was associated with an estimated savings of almost $300,000 per year in the hospital studied. Conclusions Use of a disinfectant cap on IV needleless connectors in addition to an existing standard central line bundle was associated with decreased CLABSI and costs.
The Use of Dielectric Lenses in Reflection Measurements

In order to minimize the effects of Presuel diffraction due to short range in the measurement of radar cross sections, a dielectric lens of low dielectric constant was introduced. The lens action was investigated by direct measurement of the shape of the incident phase front at the target, both with the lens in place and without it. The result of the phase measurement showed a reduction of phase variation over the exit aperture of the lens from 150 to 33°. In addition to the measurement of phase, the radar cross section of each of a set of metal cylinders was measured both with and without the lens, for comparison. The measured broadside radar cross section of a cylinder of length equal to about 80 per cent of the lens diameter was doubled by the addition of the lens. Calculation showed that the lens effectively eliminated phase error and that the residual error in measured results was essentially all due to anisotropy of the antenna of the simulated radar system used for the measurements.
Midurethral sling shortening for persistent stress urinary incontinence

We describe techniques and objective and subjective outcomes for women who underwent midurethral sling (MUS) shortening for persistent stress urinary incontinence (SUI). This is a case series of women who underwent MUS shortening for SUI within 8 weeks of initial MUS placement. Objective and subjective findings including Urinary Distress Inventory (UDI)-6 and Urinary Impact Questionnaire (UIQ)-7 scores are reported, and shortening techniques are described. Between June 2007 and June 2010, three women underwent MUS shortening for persistent SUI within 8 weeks of initial MUS placement. Shortening was performed with either midline plication or mesh excision and reapproximation. Five months postoperative to shortening, one woman reported subjective improvement in SUI symptoms, and two had subjective and objective resolution of SUI. All showed improvement from baseline in UDI-6 and UIQ-7 scores. There were no erosions. MUS shortening may offer a safe and effective option for management of persistent SUI.
Nitrofurazone-induced DNA damage to tissues of mice

Cytotoxicity and DNA damage by nitrofurans has previously been correlated with metabolic reduction of these drugs in vitro. In the present study, nitrofurazone increased the rate of disappearance of stable [3H]thymidine labelled DNA from tissues of mice fed 0.1% nitrofurazone in the diet. Significant loss of labelled DNA occurred within 25 days after the start of the diet in all tissue observed, and loss was in relation to the rate of metabolic reduction of nitrofurazone. A similar correlation was found when another endpoint for DNA damage was used; nitrofurazone reduced by mouse tissue slices caused DNA single-strand breaks in cultured mouse L cells incubated in vitro with the tissues. Again, the ability of each tissue to produce toxic nitrofurazone metabolites determined the amount of DNA damage to the L cells.
Pacific plate reconstructions and uncertainties

Abstract The Pacific plate is positioned into the hotspot reference frame, first directly relative to the Pacific hotspots, and then indirectly relative to the African hotspots by using seafloor spreading data. The reconstructions are repeated for 10, 15, 37, 48, and 61 Ma. The errors associated with each link for both approaches are expressed by covariance matrices which can be combined to yield the overall error in the case of the relative plate motion circuit. Assuming the hotspots are fixed, and that the reconstructions record the true relative positions of the plates, the reconstructions should be equivalent within their uncertainties. In fact, however, there is agreement within the uncertainties only for 10 Ma, with the misfit increasing with age for the earlier reconstructions. These misfits can he accounted for by three alternative explanations: large hotspot location uncertainties, a shift in time of the Pacific group of hotspots relative to the African group, or an additional plate boundary in the relative plate motion circuit, which we assume to be in Antarctica. By examining each of these possibilities in turn, we conclude that the uncertainties in individual hotspot locations required to bring the reconstructions into agreement are unreasonably large, and that the data available at present do not allow us to distinguish which of the remaining two possibilities may be the primary source of reconstruction errors.
Subviral components of a wild mouse embryo-derived type C oncornavirus.

Abstract A wild mouse embryo-derived nontransforming type C virus, WM-1504E, which showed in vivo neurotropic and lymphomagenic activities, was analyzed for biochemical and antigenic characterizations. The virions contained two major species of RNA, 70 S and 4 S. The 70 S RNA was heat dissociated into a heterogeneous species with peak distributions at 35 S, 18 S, and 4 S regions. The gel filtration pattern in guanidine-hydrochloride and neutralization by antibody against MuLV polymerase of the virion associated reverse transcriptase resembled those of MuLV enzyme. Virions contained six major protein groups as detected by agarose gel filtration in guanidine-hydrochloride. The two largest proteins were glycoproteins, and the next largest protein contained the group-specific antigenic determinants of murine type C oncornaviruses. The approximate molecular weights of the major proteins as determined by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis were: 100,000 (and 11,000), 76,000, 29,000, 16,000, 13,500, and 11,000 daltons. The last group also contained a polypeptide of 10,000 daltons. These values correspond closely to those of MuLV (Moloney) proteins. It is concluded that WM-1504E virus represents a murine type C oncornavirus.
Cancer mortality among printing plant workers.

Abstract A proportionate cancer mortality study was conducted among employees of the U.S. Government Printing Office. Although limited by small numbers, there was a significantly higher proportion of deaths from multiple myeloma, leukemia, Hodgkin's disease, and colon cancer. The excess deaths from myeloma were confined to white workers in the composing room, where lead is the major occupational exposure, while deaths from leukemia occurred primarily in bindery workers who may have had exposure to benzene. Despite methodologic limitations, these findings are consistent with other epidemiologic and experimental studies suggesting that printers are at higher risk for certain cancers.
Distortion fluctuation control for 3D wavelet-based video coding

In this work, we propose a method to control distortion fluctuation in 3D wavelet based video coding. A novel technique of assigning priorities to temporal subbands at different levels are used to smoothen the temporal PSNR. The wavelet filter properties are explored and an optimum criterion is derived to reduce the distortion fluctuation.
An in situ neutron diffraction mechanical study of superelastic NiTi and NiTi-TiC composites

Superelastic NiTi and NiTi-TiC composites were subjected to static uniaxial compressive loading while neutron diffraction spectra were simultaneously acquired. A methodology was established to obtain quantitative strain, texture and phase volume fraction information during the forward and reverse stress-induced martensitic transformation. Despite the presence of 10 vol.% of stiff TiC particles, a macroscopic compressive strain of 3% was obtained in the composite on loading and was fully recovered on unloading. The observed behavior suggests that the martensite accommodates the mismatch with the transforming austenite (while they co-exist) and the TiC particles (in the case of the composite). Superelastic NiTi was also subjected to simultaneous neutron diffraction and uniaxial compressive cycling. The average phase strain in the mechanically-loaded austenite (at a given stress) remained unaltered during the load-unload cycles. However, differences in both volume fraction and texture of austenite and martensite were noted as cycling progressed, suggesting that these factors are responsible for the changes in the macroscopic stress-strain response of NiTi with mechanical cycling.
Evaluating Intercept-Slope Interactions in Latent Growth Modeling

The effects of misspecifying intercept-covariate interactions in a 4 time-point latent growth model were the focus of this investigation. The investigation was motivated by school growth studies in which students' entry-level skills may affect their rate of growth. We studied the latent interaction of intercept and a covariate in predicting growth with respect to 3 factors: sample size (100, 200, and 500), 4 levels of magnitude of interaction effect, and 3 correlation values between intercept and covariate (.3, .5, and .7). Correctly specified models were examined to determine power and Type I error rates, and misspecified models were examined to evaluate the effects on power, parameter estimation, bias, and fit indexes. Results showed that, under correctly specified models, power increased as expected with increasing sample size, larger magnitude of interaction, and larger intercept-covariate correlation. Under misspecification, omitting a non-null interaction results in significant change in the estimat...
ANNOD: a navigator of natural-language organized (textual) data

ANNOD is the name of a system developed at the National Library of Medicine (NLM), which implements a set of linguistic and empirical techniques that permit retrieval of natural language information in response to natural language queries. The system is based on Dr. Gerard Salton's SMART [1] document retrieval system and is presently implemented on a mini-computer as part of an Interactive TExt Management System, ITEMS.[2] Actual experience with retrieval of information from NLM's Hepatitis Knowledge Base (HKB), an encyclopedic hierarchical, full-text file, is presented. The techniques used in ANNOD include: automatic stemming of words, common word deletion, thesaurus expansion, a complex empirical matching (ranking) algorithm (similarity measure), and techniques expressly designed to permit rapid response in a mini-computer environment. Preliminary testing demonstrates high efficiency in identifying portions of a text which are relevant to users.
Distinct Binding Sites in the Structure of α2-Macroglobulin Mediate the Interaction with β-Amyloid Peptide and Growth Factors

Abstract α2-Macroglobulin (α2M) and its receptor, low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein (LRP), function together to facilitate the cellular uptake and degradation of β-amyloid peptide (Aβ). In this study, we demonstrate that Aβ binds selectively to α2M that has been induced to undergo conformational change by reaction with methylamine. Denatured α2M subunits, which were immobilized on polyvinylidene difluoride membranes, bound Aβ, suggesting that α2M tertiary and quaternary structure are not necessary. To determine whether a specific sequence in α2M is responsible for Aβ binding, we prepared and analyzed defined α2M fragments and glutathioneS-transferase-α2M peptide fusion proteins. A single sequence, centered at amino acids (aa) 1314–1365, was identified as the only major Aβ-binding site. Importantly, Aβ did not bind to the previously characterized growth factor-binding site (aa 718–734). Although the Aβ binding sequence is adjacent to the binding site for LRP, the results of experiments with mutated fusion proteins indicate that the two sites are distinct. Furthermore, a saturating concentration of Aβ did not inhibit LRP-mediated clearance of α2M-MA in mice. Using various methods, we determined that the K D for the interaction of Aβ with its binding site in the individual α2M subunit is 0.7–2.4 μm. The capacity of α2M to bind Aβ and deliver it to LRP may be greater than that predicted by theK D, because each α2M subunit may bind Aβ and the bound Aβ may multimerize. These studies suggest a model in which α2M has three protein interaction sites with distinct specificities, mediating the interaction with Aβ, growth factors, and LRP.
Kim's Causal efficacy

Etude du probleme de la causation mentale chez J. Kim. Dans le cadre du debat sur le reductionnisme et l'anti-reductionnisme opposant N. Bloch et J. Fodor, l'A. montre que la conception de l'explication causale n'implique pas l'idee d'efficacite causale au sein de la theorie realiste de Kim.