cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Application of a caprylate/chromatography purification process for production of a high potency rabies immune globulin from pooled human plasma.

Abstract Background Human rabies immunoglobulin (RIG) is an integral part of post-exposure prophylactic treatment of rabies (along with rabies vaccination). Infiltration of most, if not all, of the RIG dose at the wound site is recommended. RIG produced by a caprylate/chromatography manufacturing process (RIG-C; HyperRAB) increased the potency and purity of this product over the existing licensed RIG from a solvent/detergent process (RIG-S/D; HyperRAB-S/D). Methods A series of studies were conducted to characterize the content and purity of RIG-C. A single-dose pharmacokinetic study in rabbits was performed to compare intramuscular (IM) immunoglobulin products manufactured by two different purification processes, solvent/detergent (IGIM-S/D) and caprylate/chromatography (IGIM-C). Results RIG-C was found to be a highly purified IgG formulation with high monomer content and formulated with twice the anti-rabies potency of RIG-S/D while maintaining the same overall protein concentration. RIG-C facilitates IM administration at the wound site by halving the injection volume. The new caprylate/chromatography process eliminated detectible levels of pro-coagulant impurities and IgA that were carried through in the prior S/D process. These impurities have been associated with thrombotic complications and allergic reactions in susceptible patients. After single dose administration, IGIM-C was pharmacokinetically equivalent to IGIM-S/D in rabbits. Conclusion RIG-C is a more potent RIG formulation with less impurities yielding a safer and more convenient product with similar pharmacokinetic profile.
COVID-19 Infections and Asthma

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has infected over 200 million and led to the deaths of over 4.3 million people. While there are known risk factors for severe disease, asthma was initially hypothesized to be a risk factor for severe disease given the association between asthma exacerbations and respiratory viral illnesses in general. Fortunately, clinical outcomes for patients with asthma overall are similar to patients without asthma, without convincing evidence that asthma is a risk factor for severe disease. This may be explained in part by the decreasing gradient of angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) receptor from the upper to lower respiratory epithelium and that aeroallergen sensitized asthmatics can have up to 50% reduction in ACE2 receptor expression. Vaccination for patients with asthma is recommended for all without clear contraindications. COVID-19 specific treatment options are available depending on the severity of disease, we caution the use of systemic corticosteroids in asthmatic patients not requiring supplemental oxygen given an association with worse outcomes. Post-acute COVID-19 syndrome or long-haul COVID does not appear to be more prevalent in the asthma population, a multi-disciplinary approach to care is a reasonable option.
INFLUENCES OF JOHN B. WATSON’S BEHAVIORISM ON CHILD PSYCHOLOGY

Watson’s 1913 manifesto, and later elaborations of it, changed child psychology into a natural science based on experimental research and stimulus-response theorizing. These influences probably resulted partly from the philosophical and theoretical attractiveness of a natural science approach, partly from the objectivity and persuasiveness of an experimental approach, and partly from misunderstandings and misrepresentations of his behaviorism. These points are discussed in the first two major sections of this paper, respectively on Watson’s influence on child psychology in general and, as a concrete illustration, his influence specifically in the domain of emotions and emotional development. The latter section shows, for example, that misinterpretations of Watson’s theory of emotions led to many experimental investigations in an area that had been overwhelmingly nonexperimental. The final section is a ruminative summary in that its conclusions come largely from considerations given in the first two sections but also partly from considerations not covered there.
Metropolitan Growth and Security in Asia-Pacific: Correcting the Dislocation of Public Policy

International development agencies have recently been warning of a ‘dark side of urban growth.’ Fast-growing cities are characterized as potentially destabilizing forces preventing human progress. Indeed, in Asia-Pacific, the world’s fastest urbanizing region to date, the number of large-scale conflicts is now en par with those taking place in Africa. The central analytical question, then, is whether urbanization and armed conflict in the region are not only coexisting but in fact causally linked. Here, one possible direction appears rather obvious across countries; large-scale conflict has played a role in catalyzing urban concentration. The opposite trajectory is less evident. Have growing cities fuelled insecurity, and if so, at which levels? The article first illustrates the dimensions of metropolitan growth and insecurity in Asia-Pacific. The associations rendered by this analysis are then examined in more detail by investigating the dynamics of urban growth and insecurity in five countries in the region; Sri Lanka, Nepal, Indonesia, East Timor and the Solomon Islands. This approach produces several new insights. First, causal relations between different measures of urbanization and large-scale conflict in Asia-Pacific appear moderate at best. On the contrary, the comparative case study analysis suggests that the varying strength of state institutions in the region is the dominant explanatory factor in this context. At the same time, local-level insecurity in Asia-Pacific is on the rise. However, although the latter can be associated with rapidly growing cities, it is not the spatial concentration of poor people per se that seems to cause local insecurity. Rather, features such as asset deprivation and limited access to services, typical of rapidly urbanizing areas, have exacerbated the gap between the urban rich and the urban poor. These findings lend only limited credibility to concerns about fast-growing cities as cradles of national or even regional instability. They do, however, remind planners and politicians that human security in cities cannot be achieved by local interventions alone. On the contrary, rising delinquency and victimisation as symptoms of rapid metropolitan concentration can only be addressed effectively where local urban policies are supported by cogent national agendas to reduce inequality.
DNA ligase and the pyridine nucleotide cycle in Salmonella typhimurium.

Abstract Bacterial DNA ligases use NAD as an energy source. In this study we addressed two questions about these enzymes. First, what is the physiological consequence of completely removing the NAD-dependent enzyme and replacing it with an ATP-dependent DNA ligase? We constructed Salmonella typhimurium strains in which the endogenous NAD-dependent DNA ligase activity was inactivated by an insertion mutation and the ATP-dependent enzyme from bacteriophage T4 was provided by a cloned phage gene. Such strains were physiologically indistinguishable from the wild type, even under conditions of UV irradiation or treatment with alkylating agents. These results suggest that specific functional interactions between DNA ligase and other replication and repair enzymes may be unimportant under the conditions tested. Second, the importance of DNA ligation as the initiating event of the bacterial pyridine nucleotide cycle was critically assessed in these mutant strains. Surprisingly, our results indicate that DNA ligation makes a minimal contribution to the pyridine nucleotide cycle; the Salmonella strains with only an ATP-dependent ligase had the same NAD turnover rates as the wild-type strain with an NAD-dependent ligase. However, we found that NAD turnover was significantly decreased under anaerobic conditions. We suggest that most intracellular pyridine nucleotide breakdown occurs in a process that protects the cell against oxygen damage but involves a biochemical mechanism other than DNA ligation.
A Comparative Review of Oxybutynin Chloride Formulations: Pharmacokinetics and Therapeutic Efficacy in Overactive Bladder

Antimuscarinic agents remain the mainstay of treatment of overactive bladder. However, the utility of some of these agents is limited due to tolerability concerns, multiple daily dosage regimens, lack of formulary coverage, and high cost. This can lead to problems with long-term compliance and may preclude optimal management. Oxybutynin has been the most widely prescribed antimuscarinic agent for more than 30 years. To meet the needs of tolerability and compliance, oxybutynin has evolved from an immediate-release pill to a once-daily oral dose and is now available as a topical gel. This review compares the various oxybutynin formulations in terms of pharmacokinetics, efficacy, and tolerability issues.
To chat or not to chat? He ahí la función metalingüística

?Aces o haces? Este no es mas que uno de los multiples ejemplos de opciones gramaticalmente binarias con las que muchos jovenes del siglo XXI se van a tener que enfrentar ?o lo hacen ya? en contextos academicos y de registros mas formales que los «e-mails», «chats» o «SMS» . Mi estudio muestra evidencia ?tras un analisis cualitativo? de que el dilema que abre este apartado es una realidad; tambien se analizan las repercusiones y consecuencias negativas e involucion linguistica producidas por el uso excesivo e inadecuado de las tecnologias de comunicacion emergentes en las ultimas decadas.
Origins of the Solar Wind in the Corona

Coronal holes are the most well-established coronal source of steady-state solar wind. Coronal mass ejections associated with flares and/or eruptive prominences are another clearly identified source of solar wind, a transient component that accounts for approximately 5% of the total solar mass loss. The role of other coronal structures in the generation of the solar wind is less clear. Streamers and the interfaces between streamers and other coronal regions are potential sources of low speed wind, a hypothesis consistent with existing observations. However, measurements of mass flows in these features are needed to confirm this. The necessary data can be obtained using recently developed remote sensing techniques, particularly if acquired in conjunction with Ulysses. Small-scale dynamical phenomena observed at the base of the corona (spicules, macrospicules and high speed jets) and small-scale structures observed in polar coronal holes (polar plumes) may or may not play a significant role in supplying mass, momentum and energy to the solar wind. New measurements are required to determine the role, if any, of small-scale structures in the generation of the solar wind.
Improving mobile node tracking performance in NLOS environments using cooperation

It is well-known that non-line-of-sight (NLOS) propagation degrades the accuracy of localization in indoor and harsh environments. In such environments, source nodes either do not have connections with a sufficient number of anchor nodes due to strong attenuation or have very poor range estimates due to NLOS propagation. Cooperative localization, in which a source node communicates with both anchor nodes and other source nodes, can benefit such scenarios by providing additional measurements that can significantly improve the localization performance. While most of the earlier works have studied static node localization in noncooperative networks, cooperative tracking of mobile nodes in NLOS environments is still an open problem. To address this open problem, in this work we develop an technique for cooperative tracking applicable to NLOS environments. More specifically, we develop a novel node tracking algorithm based on semidefinite programming (SDP) which has the ability to mitigate NLOS propagation. Our simulations show that the proposed SDP estimator outperforms the classic extended Kalman filter for cooperative networks in NLOS environments.
Quasi-One-Dimensional Conductors

The highly anisotropic systems which are referred to as quasi one-dimensional conductors are characterized by rather small bandwidths (< 1 eV) and simple tight binding bandstructures. The thermoelectric power is therefore larger than in typical metals and more easily analyzed to obtain information on anisotropic bandstructure and cation-anion charge transfer. The metal-insulator transitions present in many of these systems are also easily probed by thermopower. Perhaps most interestingly these narrow band conductors show sizeable effects relating to the onsite Coulomb interaction. The correlated electrons retain a spin degree of freedom which is observable in the thermopower as an “entropy per carrier” contribution of \( \frac{k}{e} \) ln 2 or — 60 μV/K. All highly conducting TCNQ salts of the form R+(TCNQ) 2 − saturate to this value at room temperature.
Travel distances, socioeconomic characteristics, and health disparities in nonurgent and frequent use of Hospital Emergency Departments in South Carolina: a population-based observational study

Nonurgent use of hospital emergency departments (ED) is a controversial topic. It is thought to increase healthcare costs and reduce quality, but is also considered a symptom of unequal access to health care. In this article, we investigate whether convenience (as proxied by travel distances to the hospital ED and to the closest federally qualified health center) is associated with nonurgent ED use, and whether evidence of health disparities exist in the way vulnerable populations use the hospital ED for medical care in South Carolina. Our data includes 6,592,501 ED visits in South Carolina between 2005 and 2010 from the South Carolina Budget Control Board and Office of Research and Statistics. All ED visits by South Carolina residents with unmasked variables and nonmissing urgency measures, or approximately 76 % of all ED visits, are used in the analysis. We perform multivariable linear regressions to estimate correlations between (1) travel distances and observable sociodemographic characteristics and (2) measures of nonurgent ED use or frequent nonurgent ED use, as defined by the New York University ED Algorithm. Patients with commercial private insurance, self-pay patients, and patients with other payment sources have lower measures of nonurgent ED use the further away the ED facility is from the patients’ home address. Vulnerable populations, particularly African American and Medicaid patients, have higher measures of nonurgent ED scores, and are more frequent users of the ED for both nonurgent and urgent reasons in South Carolina. At the same time, African Americans visit the hospital ED for medical conditions with higher primary care-preventable scores. Contrary to popular belief, convenient access (in terms of travel distances) to hospital ED is correlated with less-urgent ED use among privately insured patients and self-pay patients in South Carolina, but not publicly insured patients. Unequal access to primary care appears to exist, as suggested by African American patients’ use of the hospital ED for primary care-treatable conditions while experiencing more frequent and more severe primary care-preventable conditions.
On the Stability of Thermoelastic Materials

A notion of material stability is introduced and discussed in the setting of nonlinear thermoelasticity. Necessary and sufficient conditions are established for the stability of a general thermoelastic material. The adiabatic theory and the theory that accounts for heat conduction are considered separately.
El Ojo que Llora: biopolítica, nudos de la memoria y arte público en el Perú de hoy

El articulo analiza los debates en torno a la construccion y materializacion de la memoria colectiva en Peru en relacion con la guerra interna en la que Sendero Luminoso fuera enfrentado por fuerzas estatales, dejando un altisimo saldo de muertos en la region andina. El Ojo que Llora, monumento publico erigido en conmemoracion de los caidos en tales enfrentamientos, es estudiado en sus aspectos esteticos, eticos e ideologicos a traves de los debates que suscitara su composicion a la vez que como ejemplo de los problemas representacionales que plantea la materializacion de un conflicto politico cercano en el tiempo y polemico tanto en sus estrategias como en su interpretacion.
Iron Deficiency and Reduced Work Capacity: A Critical Review of the Research to Determine a Causal Relationship

The causal relationship between iron deficiency and physical work capacity is evaluated through a systematic review of the research literature, including animal and human studies. Iron deficiency was examined along a continuum from severe iron-deficiency anemia (SIDA) to moderate iron-deficiency anemia (MIDA) to iron deficiency without anemia (IDNA). Work capacity was assessed by aerobic capacity, endurance, energetic efficiency, voluntary activity and work productivity. The 29 research reports examined demonstrated a strong causal effect of SIDA and MIDA on aerobic capacity in animals and humans. The presumed mechanism for this effect is the reduced oxygen transport associated with anemia; tissue iron deficiency may also play a role through reduced cellular oxidative capacity. Endurance capacity was also compromised in SIDA and MIDA, but the strong mediating effects of poor cellular oxidative capacity observed in animals have not been demonstrated in humans. Energetic efficiency was affected at all levels of iron deficiency in humans, in the laboratory and the field. The reduced work productivity observed in field studies is likely due to anemia and reduced oxygen transport. The social and economic consequences of iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) and IDNA have yet to be elucidated. The biological mechanisms for the effect of IDA on work capacity are sufficiently strong to justify interventions to improve iron status as a means of enhancing human capital. This may also extend to the segment of the population experiencing IDNA in whom the effects on work capacity may be more subtle, but the number of individuals thus affected may be considerably more than those experiencing IDA.
The effects of disulfiram on the repletion of brain catecholamine stores.

Abstract It was shown that following depletion of catecholamines from the heart or brain by various depleting agents the catecholamine levels could be rapidly restored by administering large amounts of DOPA (1). Since the rapid restoration results from new synthesis of dopamine and norepinephrine it can be assumed that an effective inhibitor of dopamine-β-hydroxylase will restore only the levels of dopamine but not of norepinephrine. It is also conceivable that in animals treated with a dopamine-β-hydroxylase inhibitor the depleted norepinephrine stores in specific regions of the CNS will be repleted with dopamine following L-DOPA administration. It was therefore of interest to investigate the effects of disulfiram, a recently described potent inhibitor of dopamine-β-hydroxylase (2,3), on the repletion of depleted brain catecholamine stores.
Adaptation and recovery of the rat chorda tympani response to NaCl.

Abstract Responses of the rat chorda tympani nerve to NaCl were obtained after adapting the tongue to NaCl for varying periods of time. Longer adapting durations produced greater reductions in both the phasic and tonic components of the integrated chorda tympani response to a subsequently presented stimulus. Both portions of the response recovered slowly with the presentation of a distilled water rinse. Recovery of the steady-state response followed a time course that was the inverse of the slow decline in the response to the adapting stimulus, while the transient showed a slightly steeper recovery function. These and other data suggest a model of the probable sequence of events leading to the first-order neural response, which proposes that the receptor potential is proportional to the number of occupied receptor sites minus the influence of a slowly building adaptive process and that the chorda tympani response is sensitive to both the amplitude of the receptor potential and its rate of change. Thus, the rate sensitivity of the chorda tympani nerve can be accounted for under an occupation model of taste receptor stimulation.
Semiconductor Superlattices Studied by Grazing X-ray Scattering and Diffraction

Semiconductor superlattices have been studied by grazing incidence x-ray scattering and x-ray diffraction. For superlattices of 100-period InGaAs/GaAs, lateral structural ordering has been found to occur in the material. For one particular sample (M1400), periodic thickness modulations have been observed in the InGaAs layers. X-ray results also provide evidence for an improvement of interface quality by using interrupt-growth method for 55-period AlAs/GaAs superlattices grown by MBE.
On classification of orthogonal multiplications à la do carmo-wallach

The space of range-equivalence classes of full orthogonal multiplications F: ℝn×ℝn→ℝp, n≤p ≤n2, is shown to be a compact convex body lying in so(n)⊗so(n). Furthermore, the dimension of the space of equivalence classes is determined to be (n2(n−1)2)/4−n(n−1).
Hydroxyl free-radical spin-adduct in rat brain synaptosomes Observations on the reduction of the nitroxide

Understanding the prevalence and action of hydroxyl free-radicals species in biological systems, is improved by spin-trapping techniques. The hydroxyl free-radical rapidly adds to the spin-trap 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-1-oxide (DMPO) to form a relatively stable nitroxyl free-radical spin-adduct (DMPO-OH), but it was found that DMPO-OH becomes diamagnetic, presumably by chemical reduction, when it is added to rat brain synaptosomes. DMPO-OH reduction by synaptosomes was a time-dependent process, starting immediately and continuing up to 20 min or more, when almost all the spin-adduct is reduced. During synaptosomal reduction, the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) high field line of DMPO-OH is broadened indicating restrictions on the motion of the nitroxide. This wasnot due to simple absorption of DMPO-OH to proteins. Experiments with the spin-adduct in glycerol at low temperatures showed that DMPO-OH experienced, during synaptosomal reduction, restricted motion having a correlation time of about 3.3·10−9 s. This value would be expected if DMPO-OH was near the polar region of the hydrocarbon layer of a membrane bilayer. Synaptosomal membrane transport of DMPO-OH was tested by competition studies, since it was presumed that this nitroxide was transported and then reduced inside the synaptosomes. Several compounds tested, including amino acids, neurotransmitters, food dyes, and many others, that may have acted competitively in transport were not effective in slowing down reduction of DMPO-OH. However, it was found that azide, cyanide and heating of the synaptosomes markedly decreased the rate of synaptosomal reduction of DMPO-OH. Azide at 50μM manifested one-half of its maximal inhibitory effect. Experiments with 1-octanol to obtain a measure of the membrane partition of DMPO-OH demonstrated that the octanol/water distribution was 1.83. Experiments with glass microfibre filtration to determine synaptosomal binding revealed that DMPO, as well as apparently DMPO-OH, were not specifically retained by synaptosomes. All of these results combined with past work on nitroxide reduction by biological systems, suggest that DMPO-OH reduction by synaptosomes is due to its interaction with and reduction by electron transport carrier of mitochondria within the synaptosomes.
Politics and Judicial Assertiveness in Emerging Democracies: High Court Behavior in Malawi and Zambia

Focused on High Court behavior in Malawi and Zambia, this article examines the factors affecting judicial assertiveness vis a vis other power-holders in the state. Drawing from strategic understandings of judicial decisionmaking, the analysis focuses on whether and how political factors shape judicial behavior. The findings lend support for those who have emphasized such factors, in particular by indicating that judicial assertiveness is somewhat dependent on larger political conditions. The findings also suggest that the strategic view can be refined. For one, scholars should more directly consider how political factors interact with judicial preferences to shape decisionmaking. Further, scholars should appreciate how political conditions may encourage judges to embrace positions of political neutrality.
Updating FEM using state-space-based signal processing techniques

Until recently, attempts to update Finite Element Models (FEM) of large structures based upon recording structural motions were mostly ad hoc, requiring a large amount of engineering experience and skill. Studies have been undertaken at LLNL to use state-space based signal processing techniques to locate the existence and type of model mismatches common in FEM. Two different methods (Gauss-Newton gradient search and extended Kalman filter) will be explored, and the preliminary results from a simulated 10 degree of freedom (DOF) building model will be discussed.
Methods to improve spatial resolution of EEG

Given the complexity of neocortical source activity which largely determines observed EEG phenomena, it is of interest to categorize four types of sources. Whereas dipole localization methods are generally applicable only to one of these types, methods to improve spatial resolution apply to all four types of sources. The four types are: type I, localized and stationary, i.e., EEG due to a single dipole source that remains at fixed location over some time scale of interest in a particular application; type II, distributed and stationary, i.e., EEG sources form a dipole layer but important spatial characteristics remain relatively constant over the period of interest; type III, localized and nonstationary, i.e., EEG due to dipole source which move between a small number of well-defined locations; and type IV, distributed and nonstationary. Most EEG phenomena probably fit this last category, depending on accuracy required and length of time scale. >
Zero etch clear - a new modular clear coat system with excellent scratch/mar performance

The aggravated demands regarding the etch/mar resistance of clear coats due to aggressive atmosphere pollution has led to new clear coat systems with extraordinary etch performance. One of the most promising key-chemistries is based on the epoxy/acid reaction. In contrast to the introduced clear coats on this chemistry basis, this new clear coat system has changed the former drawbacks, storage stability and scratch resistance to advantageous properties. Key ingredients are an epoxyfunctional acrylic resin and an acidic polyester resin. By incorporation of latent acidic groups into the epoxy acrylate and by branching of the resin during synthesis a high cross-linking density even at lower baking temperatures is realised. Although a high reactive system is obtained the material shows excellent storage stability. The scratch resistance is attributed to the structure of the tailor-made high-functional, highly branched acidic polyester. Furthermore, there is an extraordinary broad application field: waterborne, solventborne, high solids and powder clear formulations have been developed. The superior etch performance of the waterborne as well as the solventborne epoxy/acid clear coats is proven in laboratory etch tests and especially in outdoor weathering tests in aggressive atmosphere, e.g. at Jacksonville.
Nonlinear quasi-static and seismic analysis of the Hagia Sophia using an effective medium approach

Abstract An effective medium approach is applied to elasto-plastic masonry to facilitate numerical modeling of the fourteen century old Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey. The analysis is treated in two distinct stages: quasi-static to account for the deformations incurred by the structure under gravitational loading during its construction phase, and dynamic to account for the response to numerous seismic excitations. Both historical and physical evidence suggest that the mortars employed throughout the Hagia Sophia were highly compliant on the construction time scale; recent chemical analysis of the mortars appears to confirm that they may not have had time to fully cure before the structure's construction was completed. The resulting highly compliant initial behavior of the masonries is modeled within an effective medium elasto-plasticity framework which is demonstrated here as capable of matching the existing magnitude and pattern of deformations in the structure. With the eventual curing of the mortar, the properties of the masonries throughout the structure became significantly stronger; this is taken into account in modeling the seismic response of the structure to a number of earthquake excitations. Specifically, a hardening elastoplastic behavior with increased strength is used to explore the initiation of partial failure mechanisms in the structure under strong seismic loading.
Recovery of Absorption Spectra from Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) Microspectroscopic Measurements of Intact Spheres

An infrared spectrum recorded from a microscopic sample depends on spectral properties of the constituent material as well as on morphology. Many samples or domains within heterogeneous materials can be idealized as spheres, in which both scattering and absorption from the three-dimensional shape affect the recorded spectrum. Spectra recorded from such objects may be altered to such an extent that they bear little resemblance to spectra recorded from the bulk material; there are no methods, however, to reconcile the two from first principles. Here we provide the mathematical description of the optical physics underlying light-spherical sample interaction within an instrument. We use the developed analytical expressions to predict recorded data from spheres using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopic imaging. Recorded spectra are shown to depend strongly on the size of the sphere as well as the optical arrangement of the instrument. Next, we present theory and experiments demonstrating the recovery of the complex refractive index of the material using data recorded from a sphere. The effects of the sample morphology on the measured spectra can be removed, and using the imaginary part of the index, the shape-independent IR absorption spectrum of the material is recovered.
A computational microscopy study of nanostructural evolution in irradiated pressure vessel steels

Abstract Nanostructural features that form in reactor pressure vessel steels under neutron irradiation at around 300°C lead to significant hardening and embrittlement. Continuum thermodynamic-kinetic based rate theories have been very successful in modeling the general characteristics of the copper and manganese nickel rich precipitate evolution, often the dominant source of embrittlement. However, a more detailed atomic scale understanding of these features is needed to interpret experimental measurements and better underpin predictive embrittlement models. Further, other embrittling features, believed to be subnanometer defect (vacancy)-solute complexes and small regions of modest enrichment of solutes are not well understood. A general approach to modeling embrittlement nanostructures, based on the concept of a computational microscope, is described. The objective of the computational microscope is to self-consistently integrate atomic scale simulations with other sources of information, including a wide range of experiments. In this work, lattice Monte Carlo (LMC) simulations are used to resolve the chemically and structurally complex nature of CuMnNiSi precipitates. The LMC simulations unify various nanoscale analytical characterization methods and basic thermodynamics. The LMC simulations also reveal that significant coupled vacancy and solute clustering takes place during cascade aging. The cascade clustering produces the metastable vacancy-cluster solute complexes that mediate flux effects. Cascade solute clustering may also play a role in the formation of dilute atmospheres of solute enrichment and enhance the nucleation of manganese-nickel rich precipitates at low Cu levels. Further, the simulations suggest that complex, highly correlated processes (e.g. cluster diffusion, formation of favored vacancy diffusion paths and solute scavenging vacancy cluster complexes) may lead to anomalous fast thermal aging kinetics at temperatures below about 450°C. The potential technical significance of these phenomena is described.
HIV/AIDS and family planning services integration: review of prospects for a comprehensive approach in sub-Saharan Africa

In most parts of the world, family planning and HIV-related services are usually offered separately. Family planning services, especially those that are government-supported, primarily serve married women and couples of reproductive age, while HIV-related services target individuals at higher-risk of exposure to HIV. However, the integration of family planning into HIV/AIDS programmes, or vice versa, would permit women of reproductive age who are infected or affected by HIV to benefit from family planning and/or HIV-prevention counselling and services. Sub-Saharan Africa is characterized by low modern contraceptive prevalence (below 20%), along with unmet needs for contraception, high use of abortion and the feminisation of HIV. Furthermore, the majority of children infected by HIV live in this region. The use of contraception would permit HIV-positive women to avoid unintended pregnancies and would reduce the number of children who are born with the virus. However, funding for family planning has decreas...
FLOUR DUST EXPOSURE VARIABILITY IN FLOUR MILLS AND BAKERIES

As part of a longitudinal study to explore the exposure-response relationship between flour dust exposure and work-related symptoms and skin sensitivity the authors formed exposure groups and estimated various components of variability. This paper describes the between-exposure group, the between-worker and the within-worker variation of personal flour dust exposure in bakeries, flour mills and packing stations. In total 346 samples were collected in 13 exposure groups. The geometric means of the exposure groups ranged from 0.3 up to 9.0 mg m-3. Between-worker variances within exposure groupings were less than the overall between-worker component although substantial differences in exposure between workers remained in some exposure groups. Overall the largest variance component was the between-exposure group component followed by the considerably smaller between-worker and within-worker components.
Building the Holocene clinothem in the Gulf of Papua: An ocean circulation study

Received 31 August 2006; revised 21 August 2007; accepted 15 November 2007; published 28 March 2008. [1] This paper investigates the role that tidal and wind-driven flows and buoyant river plumes play in the development of the Holocene clinothem in the Gulf of Papua. Time series data from bottom tripods and a mooring were obtained at four locations near the mouth of the Fly River during portions of 2003 and 2004. Flows in the Gulf of Papua during calendar year 2003 were hindcast every 3 h using the Navy Coastal Ocean Model (NCOM) with boundary conditions from the Navy Atmospheric Prediction System, the east Asian seas implementation of NCOM, and the OTIS Tidal Inversion System. Results show that tidal flows on the modern clinoform are strong and are landward and seaward directed. Peak spring tidal velocities can provide the shear stresses necessary to keep sediment up to sand size in motion as the wind-driven and baroclinic currents distribute it from the river mouths across and along the shelf in two circulation states. During the monsoon season, the clinoform topset is swept by a seaward surface flow and landward bottom flow, reflecting river plumes and coastal upwelling. Seaward, this structure evolves into a SW directed surface current over the clinothem foreset with accompanying landward directed near-bed currents that trend obliquely up the foreset to the WSW over much of the clinothem. During the trade wind season, the inner and outer topset are swept by NE directed, contour-parallel surface currents, underneath which lie obliquely landward near-bed currents. These modeled flows and complex gyres in shallow water coupled with wave- and current-supported gravity flows or river floods can explain the form, internal clinoform shapes, and mineralogy of the modern Gulf of Papua clinothem.
Detection and characterization of the lignin peroxidase compound II-veratryl alcohol cation radical complex.

Lignin peroxidases (LiP) from the white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium oxidize veratryl alcohol (VA) by two electrons to veratryl aldehyde, although the VA cation radical (VA•+) is an intermediate [Khindaria, A., et al. (1995) Biochemistry 34, 6020−6025]. It was speculated, on the basis of kinetic evidence, that VA•+ can form a catalytic complex with LiP compound II. We have used low-temperature EPR to provide direct evidence for the formation of the complex. The EPR spectrum of VA•+ obtained at 4 K was explained by a model for coupling between the oxoferryl moiety of the heme (S = 1) and VA•+ (S = 1/2) similar to the model proposed for an oxyferryl and a porphyrin π cation radical of horseradish peroxidase. The coupling constant suggested that VA•+ was equally ferro- and antiferromagnetically coupled to the oxoferryl moiety. The spectrum was simulated with g⊥ only marginally greater than g∥. This was surprising since the only other known organic radical coupled to the heme iron in a peroxidase is...
Reactions to ethical dilemmas: A study pertaining to certified public accountants

This study discusses how perceptions of ethics are formed by certified public accountants (CPAs). Theologians are used as a point of comparison. When considering CPA ethical dilemmas, both subject groups in this research project viewed ‘confidentiality’ and ‘independence’ as more important than ‘recipient of responsibility’ and ‘seriousness of breach’. Neither group, however, was insensitive to any of the factors presented for its consideration. CPA reactions to ethical dilemmas were governed primarily by provisions of the CPA ethics code; conformity to that code may well be evidence of higher stage moral reasoning.
The effect of mating structure and progeny distribution on heterozygosity versus the number of alleles as measures of variation

Heterozygosity and the number of alleles are both measures of the genetic variation of a population. They are qualitatively similar if the distribution of the number of progeny is Poisson, but not necessarily for other distributions. In particular, selfing decreases heterozygosity and also decreases the number of alleles when the progeny distribution is Poisson, but decreases heterozygosity and increases the number of alleles when there are two progeny per individual. This is because heterozygosity is closely related to the breeding structure (inbreeding) of the population, whereas the number of alleles is more influenced by the variation of the sampling process. Branching processes are employed to model the dynamics of mutant alleles, with drift and subsequent mutation contributing to extinction. In populations of four individuals, double first cousin mating has greater heterozygosity, but fewer alleles, than half-sib mating.
Exclusion and Guard Zones in DS-CDMA Ad Hoc Networks

The central issue in direct-sequence code-division multiple-access (DS-CDMA) ad hoc networks is the prevention of a near-far problem. This paper considers two types of guard zones that may be used to control the near-far problem: a fundamental exclusion zone and an additional CSMA guard zone that may be established by the carrier-sense multiple-access (CSMA) protocol. In the exclusion zone, no mobiles are physically present, modeling the minimum physical separation among mobiles that is always present in actual networks. Potentially interfering mobiles beyond a transmitting mobile's exclusion zone, but within its CSMA guard zone, are deactivated by the protocol. This paper provides an analysis of DS-CSMA networks with either or both types of guard zones. A network of finite extent with a finite number of mobiles and uniform clustering as the spatial distribution is modeled. The analysis applies a closed-form expression for the outage probability in the presence of Nakagami fading, conditioned on the network geometry. The tradeoffs between exclusion zones and CSMA guard zones are explored for DS-CDMA and unspread networks. The spreading factor and the guard-zone radius provide design flexibility in achieving specified levels of average outage probability and transmission capacity. The advantage of an exclusion zone over a CSMA guard zone is that since the network is not thinned, the number of active mobiles remains constant, and higher transmission capacities can be achieved.
Structure-dependent spectroscopic properties of europium and terbium chelate complexes used in biomedical imaging analysis

Quantum efficiency, (Phi) , and molar absorption coefficients, (epsilon) , are determined for Terbium and Europium polyazamacrocylic, phosophonic acid chelating agents that have been shown to be used in biomedical imaging applications.
Some Welfare Implications of the Adoption of Mechanical Cotton Harvesters in the United States

The role of technological innovation in agricultural development has been a topic of considerable interest among agricultural economists (e.g., Hayami and Ruttan). Several studies have examined the welfare consequences for society that have occurred as a result of technological change in the agricultural sector (Bieri, de Janvry, and Schmitz; Schmitz and Seckler; Martin). Although in many cases the benefits to society from technological change may be substantial, costs are often imposed on certain groups in society. The technology used in cotton production in the United States has changed dramatically since World War II. The rate of substitution of mechanical cotton harvesters for hand labor was quite rapid. In 1950 less than 10% of the cotton crop was mechanically harvested. By 1970 virtually all cotton produced in the United States was picked by machine. The socioeconomic ramifications of the adoption of this new technology have been complex and far reaching. This note focuses on only one aspect of the economic impacts of adopting mechanical cotton pickers: the potential economic welfare gains to the producers and consumers of cotton in the United States.
Determination of Raptor Migratory Patterns Over a Large Landscape

Abstract Each autumn, tens of thousands of raptors pass over Hawk Ridge in Duluth, Minnesota, on their southbound migration, but migratory pathways leading to Hawk Ridge are unknown. To address this issue, we counted migrating raptors between mid-August and mid-November 2008 from 24 observation points along eight transects perpendicular to the shoreline between Duluth and the Minnesota-Canadian border. Our goals were to determine migratory pathways over a large area (>2000 km2) and identify how these movements were affected by weather, time of day, season, and characteristics of the landscape. A total of 4303 raptors of 14 different species were counted during the 2008 migration season. Exploratory analyses suggested that migratory raptors concentrated near the northern shoreline of Lake Superior, particularly during midday when winds are westerly. Average migration height differed between soaring raptors (buteos and eagles) and accipiters, with >40% of soaring raptors observed higher than 100 m above the...
Portraits of a Lady: Visions of Modernity in Porfirian Oaxaca City

This article explores the relationship between the photographic regimentation of sex workers and ideas of modernity in Porfirian Oaxaca City, Mexico. In particular, it examines the development of the commercial sex trade and how it played an integral role in the construction of the mutually defining discourses and practices of tradition and modernity. Following an examination of the era9s reigning medical-legal notions of crime, deviance, and race and the city government9s attempts to define and regulate the trade, the article focuses on different ways in which city officials and female sex workers utilized photographs in registries of prostitution among other elements of the capital9s regulatory apparatus to harness dominant notions of modernity for their own separate ends.
One step antibiotic disk method for obtaining axenic cultures of multicellular marine algae

A simple and rapid method for obtaining axenic plant material has been devised where antibiotic-containing paper disks are applied to nutrient agarose or agar plates upon which small pieces of plant have been spread. By applying multiple disks to the agarose plate, susceptibility to a large number of antibiotics can be tested simultaneously. Clear zones are produced around those disks where contaminating bacteria are susceptible. Plant pieces are then removed from the clear zones and separately tested for sterility to identify the axenic pieces. The method has been successfully applied to multicellular marine algae (e.g.Enteromorpha, Porphyra, laminaria, Gracilaria andAgardhiella). Pieces fromAgardhiella plants survive better on nutrient medium solidified with agarose when α-naphthaleneacetic acid and zeatin are present in the medium.
The origins of tropical marine biodiversity

Recent phylogeographic studies have overturned three paradigms for the origins of marine biodiversity. (i) Physical (allopatric) isolation is not the sole avenue for marine speciation: many species diverge along ecological boundaries. (ii) Peripheral habitats such as oceanic archipelagos are not evolutionary graveyards: these regions can export biodiversity. (iii) Speciation in marine and terrestrial ecosystems follow similar processes but are not the same: opportunities for allopatric isolation are fewer in the oceans, leaving greater opportunity for speciation along ecological boundaries. Biodiversity hotspots such as the Caribbean Sea and the Indo-Pacific Coral Triangle produce and export species, but can also accumulate biodiversity produced in peripheral habitats. Both hotspots and peripheral ecosystems benefit from this exchange in a process dubbed biodiversity feedback.
A direct comparison of the defense mechanisms of nondepressed people and depressed psychiatric inpatients

Abstract This report presents a direct comparison of defensive styles (as measured by the Defense Mechanisms Inventory [DMI]) in a sample of depressed psychiatric inpatients and samples of nondepressed male and female normative groups. Consistent with the “depressive realism” literature, nondepressed men and women were more likely than their depressed counterparts to bias their perceptions in an overly cheerful, optimistic direction. Counternormative sex differences were also found. Depressed men were more likely to use internalizing defenses and depressed women were more likely to use externalizing defenses than their respective nondepressed comparison groups. Overall, as has been speculated, there was a relationship within depressed subjects between depression severity and the amount of negatively biased self-perception.