cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Progressive Failure Modeling for Dynamic Loading of Woven Composites

A three parameter constitutive model was developed for representing tensile progressive damage of the nonlinear large-deformation rate-dependent behavior of polymer-based composite materials, which was characterized using off-axis composite specimens. A strain based failure criterion was proposed that reduces data for different loading directions and strain rates to a single representation. A method of combining the nonlinear constitutive theory and the failure strain methodology for different strain rates is suggested. The strength of the material was successfully represented with a single material constant, for all strain rates and tensile loading directions.
Presence: Philosophy, History, and Cultural Theory for the Twenty-First Century

The pulse of Anglophone scholars in humanities departments during the last decades of the twentieth century quickened at the mention of Hayden White, Jacques Derrida, Hans-Georg Gadamer, and Richar...
A Silicon Nanoparticle-based Polymeric Nano- composite Material for Glucose Sensing

Abstract A novel non-enzyme glucose sensing material has been prepared by incorporating ultrasmall (1–3 nm) silicon nanoparticles in polyaniline, a conducting polymer, as a nano-composite material (NCM). When deposited on electrodes, the composite material with three-dimensional loading of the nanoparticles showed a significantly enhanced amperometric response to glucose, compared to the nanoparticles deposited on bare electrodes and electrodes immobilized with the enzyme, glucose oxidase. The linear range of the glucose response of NCM electrodes covered both the hypo- and hyper-glycaemic glucose levels. The sensitivity of the NCM electrodes was 2.5 μA cm −2 mM −1 . The NCM electrodes’ selectivity for glucose against interfering agents was achieved by covering the composite material with a Nafion membrane. The glucose response of Nafion–NCM electrodes was characterized with single 1 μl drops of glucose-solution, showing a sensitivity of 2.2 μA cm −2 mM −1 . The NCM electrode’s long-term in vitro glucose response appeared to be reasonably stable over a period of 40 days.
Polarons, Bipolarons, and π-Dimers of Bis(3,4-ethylene-dioxythiophene)-(4,4‘-dialkyl-2,2‘-bithiazole)- co-Oligomers. Direct Measure of the Intermolecular Exciton Transfer Interaction

The oxidative behavior of bithiazole-ethylenedioxythiophene co-oligomers is described. The acceptor−donor−acceptor (A−D−A) compounds, 5,5‘-bis(4,4‘-dialkyl-2,2‘-bithiazol-5-yl)-(3,4,3‘,4‘-bis(ethylenedioxy)-2,2‘-dithienyl) (1, 2), are sequentially oxidized by NOBF4 through the paramagnetic monocation to the diamagnetic dication. The monocations form diamagnetic π-dimers, the allowed π−π electronic transitions of which are interpreted in terms of molecular exciton theory to give nearest-neighbor exciton coupling constants, J ≅ 0.2 eV. The spectra of the dications show that they are bipolarons; that is, the two charges share a common lattice deformation. The D−A−D co-oligomers, 5,5‘-bis(3,4-ethylenedioxythien-2-yl)-4,4‘-dibutyl-2,2‘-bithiazole (3) and 5,5‘-bis(3,4,3‘,4‘-bis(ethylenedioxy)-2,2‘-dithien-5-yl)-4,4‘-dibutyl-2,2‘-bithiazole (4), are oxidized in a single step to the corresponding bipolarons.
Membrane-bound orientation and position of the synaptotagmin C2B domain determined by site-directed spin labeling.

Site-directed spin labeling is used to determine the orientation and depth of insertion of the second C2 domain from synaptotagmin I (C2B) into membrane vesicles composed of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylserine (PS). EPR line shapes of spin-labeled mutants located with the Ca2+-binding loops of C2B broaden in the presence of Ca2+ and PC/PS vesicles, indicating that these loops undergo a Ca2+-dependent insertion into the membrane interface. Power saturation of the EPR spectra provides a position for each spin-labeled site along the bilayer normal, and these EPR-derived distance constraints, along with a high-resolution structure of the C2B domain, are used to generate a model for the domain orientation and position at the membrane interface. Our data show that the isolated C2B domain from synaptotagmin I penetrates PC/PS membranes, and that the backbone of Ca2+-binding loops 1 and 3 is inserted below the level of a plane defined by the lipid phosphates. The side chains of several loop residues a...
Using standardized patients to assess professionalism: a generalizability study.

Background: Assessment of professionalism in undergraduate medical education is challenging. One approach that has not been well studied in this context is performance-based examinations. Purpose: This study sought to investigate the reliability of standardized patients’ scores of students’ professionalism in performance-based examinations. Methods: Twenty students were observed on 4 simulated cases involving professional challenges; 9 raters evaluated each encounter on 21 professionalism items. Correlational and multivariate generalizability (G) analyses were conducted. Results: G coefficients were .75, .53, and .68 for physicians, standardized patients (SPs), and lay raters, respectively. Composite G coefficient for all raters reached acceptable level of .86. Results indicated SP raters were more variable than other rater types in severity with which they rated students, although rank ordering of students was consistent among SPs. Conclusions: SPs’ ratings were less reliable and consistent than physicia...
Public Opinion, Sexual Difference and the Welfare State:

There are significant differences between the roles played by women and men in achieving welfare goals. Feminist theorists have analysed the implications of these differences and postulated that gender is a major force in shaping ideas. However, this view has been challenged by some writers, including post-structuralist and deconstructionist feminists, who have drawn attention to the significant differences in outlook, behaviour and circumstances among women. This paper assesses the relevance of these arguments by exploring the connection between sex and ideas about statutory provision of social services and government and private provision of health care and education. The analysis is based on data from a national survey of attitudes to state and private welfare in Australia.
The olfactory and cognitive deficits of parkinson's disease: Evidence for independence

In the present study we sought to determine whether the olfactory deficits of parkinsonism are related to the cognitive and perceptual-motor manifestations of the disease. Pearson correlation coefficients were computed among a number of olfactory, neurological, and neuropsychological measures obtained from 58 Parkinson's disease patients, including the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test, a modified Randt memory test, a reaction time test, a finger-tapping test, ratings of motor and neurological function, and selected verbal and performance subtests of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale–Revised. Data from 38 patients with Parkinson's disease who received odor detection threshold testing were also evaluated. The intercorrelation matrix was subjected to a principal components factor analysis which yielded six clear-cut factors: cognitive/memory, gross motor, oral motor, fine motor, olfactory, and tremor. The olfactory factor received strong and nearly exclusive loadings from the olfactory measures (which did not evidence meaningful loadings on any of the other factors). A ten-trial jackknife procedure revealed the factor structure to be stable. Further support of the independence of the olfactory variables from the other measures was provided by multiple regression and canonical correlation analyses. Overall, these findings lend support to the hypothesis that the olfactory disorder of parkinsonism is independent of the cognitive, perceptual-motor, and memory manifestations of the disease.
MOBE‐ChIP: a large‐scale chromatin immunoprecipitation assay for cell type‐specific studies

Cell type-specific transcriptional regulators play critical roles in the generation and maintenance of multicellularity. As they are often expressed at low levels, in vivo DNA-binding studies of these regulators by standard chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays are technically challenging. We describe here an optimized ChIP protocol termed Maximized Objects for Better Enrichment (MOBE)-ChIP, which enhances the sensitivity of ChIP assays for detecting cell type-specific signals. The protocol, which is based on the disproportional increase of target signals over background at higher scales, uses substantially greater volume of starting materials than conventional ChIPs to achieve high signal enrichment. This technique can capture weak binding events that are ambiguous in standard ChIP assays, and is useful both in gene-specific and whole-genome analysis. This protocol has been optimized for Arabidopsis, but should be applicable to other model systems with minor modifications. The full procedure can be completed within 3 days.
Plant secondary compounds deterrent but not toxic to the grass specialist acridid Locusta migratoria: Implications for the evolution of graminivory

Abstract Six plant secondary compounds that are quite widespread in nature were shown to be deterrent to the grass specialist, Locusta migratoria. These were then tested for their post-ingestional effects over the whole of the last larval instar. To enhance the possibility of an effect, experiments were conducted where the food ration was less than half of that normally taken by insects feeding ad libitum. In no case was there any indication of a detrimental effect or any trend suggesting one. In one case (amygdalin) there was a significant increase in growth rate with the addition of the secondary compound to the diet. The evolutionary implication of these findings are discussed. Resume Phagodissuasion et absence de toxicite de composes secondaires vegetaux sur le specialiste de graminees, Locusta migratoria; consequences sur l'evolution du ‘graminivorisme' 6 composes secondaires vegetaux: sinigrine, acide cafeique, acide vanilique, linamarine, amygdaline et gramine, tres repandus dans la nature, se montrent phagodissuasifs pour le specialiste de graminees, Locusta migratoria. C'est pourquoi leurs effets apres ingestion sont examines sur tous les stades larvaires. Pour mettre en evidence une influence eventuelle, les experiences sont realisees avec une ration alimentaire correspondant a la moitie de celle qu'absorbent des criquets consommant a volonte. Dans un cas, l'addition d'un compose secondaire dans le regime alimentaire (amygdaline) produit une augmentation significative du taux de croissance. La discussion porte sur les consequences evolutives de ces resultats.
Total and organic phosphorus in waters of the Bering Sea, Aleutian Trench and Gulf of Alaska

Abstract Total phosphorus was determined on some 170 samples from eleven stations in the Bering Sea, the Aleutian Trench, and the Gulf of Alaska. Samples ranged in depth from the surface to 7000 m. In these samples organic phosphorus, estimated as the difference between total and inorganic phosphorus, bears an inverse relationship to the distribution of inorganic phosphorus. Surface waters, generally low in inorganic phosphorus, contain up to 1·0 μg. at./L organic phosphorus, with a grand average of 0·27 μg. at./L for the upper 200 m. The amount of organic phosphorus present in surface waters reaches values as high as 47 per cent of the total. On the other hand, waters below about 200 m. have little or no measurable amounts of organic phosphorus. In its vertical distribution, total phosphorus varies at the most by a factor of three and is more or less uniform with depth compared to the inorganic phosphorus. Inferences are drawn concerning the nature of organic matter and the state of organic phosphorus in deep waters. The observed distribution of various forms of phosphorus substantiates the theory that the major part of the phosphorus cycle is enacted in the surface layers.
Do CRA Agreements Influence Lending Patterns

This article considers the broader impact of Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) agreements—bank pledges to extend a certain volume of lending to targeted groups and communities—by examining whether they are associated with changes in lending to lower–income and minority communities in the markets where they are initiated. We find the number of newly initiated CRA agreements in a county to be associated with significant increases in CRA, minority and overall conventional mortgage lending in a county over a three–year period. The results are consistent with the view that the increases in lending represent new lending, with some evidence suggesting that the increases in lending are relatively short–lived. Overall, the results are consistent with the notion that lenders view CRA agreements as a form of insurance against the potentially large and unknown costs associated with fair lending violations, poor CRA performance ratings and adverse publicity from CRA–related protests of mergers or other applications. The results are also consistent with the view that the effectiveness of CRA agreements in increasing lending activity is ultimately determined by the persistence and sophistication of community groups in monitoring compliance with CRA agreements.
The Effects of Acute Exposure to Stressors and Drug Grow with the Passage of Time

Sensitization refers to the ability of a strong stimulus to increase the subsequent response to that same, or a different agent. As such, sensitization represents one of the simplest and most common forms of learning. The sensitizing stimulus can be coincident with the augmented response, as is the case when a loud, background noise increases the startle response of rats to brief tone (Davis, 1974), or it can precede the behavioral measurement by days or weeks (Antelman, 1988a; Kandel, 1976). While it was once thought that most instances of sensitization were short lived (Domjan and Burkhard, 1986), more recent work indicates that sensitization is a more enduring phenomenon that, in many instances, actually grows with the passage of time (Antelman, 1988a).
Respiratory Assessment in Child and Adolescent Residential Treatment Settings: Reducing Restraint‐Associated Risks

TOPIC: Crisis situations of youth in treatment settings may require restraints. Restraints should only be used in situations where there is imminent danger to the child and when there is no alternative. They are meant to maintain the child's safety, but there is risk for respiratory compromise. PURPOSE: Nursing care of children in restraints must include respiratory assessment and, when indicated, immediate intervention to prevent disastrous outcomes. SOURCES: Review using PubMed and established texts confirms that clinical skills and knowledge is essential to child and adolescent psychiatric nursing. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical assessment and awareness of risks in physical restraints is essential for the safety and well-being of the child.
Quality of service support for wireless Internet service providers

A large number of Internet service providers (ISP) view wireless technology as an attractive option to replace all or part of the hard-wired infrastructure that currently dominates the local loop/last mile. Therefore, these ISP must provide quality of service support to these applications consistent with that offered by the backbone. However, this is a very challenging task in the wireless environment due to the instability of the wireless channel and the diverse quality of service requirements dictated by different multimedia applications. We introduce a resource allocation algorithm for the wireless link that distributes information from the ISP facility to the homes. The algorithm takes into account the wireless channel characteristics, the quality of service required by the applications as well as a pricing value function. Our solution is based on 'time-value' scheduling algorithms originally developed for scheduling real-time processes during transient faults.
REFLECTIONS ON MY LIFE IN ARCHAEOLOGY

I was born in October 1939, the oldest of three children. Dad was an agricultural economist employed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture; Mom was a stay-at-home mother and part-time school librarian, with a vivid imagination and strong literary and historical interests, and our home was full of books. Since the 1780s, five generations of my father's family had owned and worked the same farm in western Maine, and that was where Dad was born and grew up. My mother's parents immigrated to America from Germany in 1884 and 1890; they met in Montana, worked a homestead there, and eventually became cattle ranchers in Alberta. After 1910, they took up a less rigorous life of farming in Connecticut and along the shore of Lake Cayuga in upstate New York, and it was there that Mom was born.
Vertical coupling between gap plasmon waveguides

This work examines vertical coupling between gap plasmon waveguides for use in high confinement power transfer and power splitting applications at 1.55 microm free space wavelength. The supermode interference method is used to obtain key coupler performance parameters such as coupling length, extinction ratio, net coupled output power, radiated power, and reflected power as a function of waveguide center-to-center spacing, core refractive index, and gap width. The initial power distribution among the two coupler supermodes is obtained via the mode matching method for a single input waveguide feed. Excellent agreement with three-dimensional finite difference time domain simulations is observed for the case of square 50 nm gaps with core refractive indices of 2.50 and a center-to-center spacing of 112 nm. Local maxima in the net coupled output power are found to coincide with local minima in the coupling length. An increase in the core refractive index from 1.00 to 2.5 increases the local maximum net coupled output power from 6.4% to 49% but decreases the extinction ratio from 12.7 to 6.94. A sweep of the width of the core from 25 to 100 nm increases the net coupled output power from 43.7% to 52.0%, but increases the coupling length from 1.58 to 3.19 ???m and decreases the extinction ratio from 7.39 to 6.57.
Channeling crystals for positron production

Particles traversing at small angles along a single crystal axis experience a collective scattering force of many crystal atoms. The enormous fields can trap the particles along an axis or plane, which is called channeling. High energy electrons are attracted by the positive nuclei and therefore produce strongly enhanced so called bremsstrahlung and pair production. These effects could be used in a positron production target. A single tungsten crystal is oriented to the incident electron beam within 1 mrad. At 28 GeV/c the effective radiation length is with 0.9 mm, about one quarter of the amorphous material. So the target length can be shorter, which yields a higher conversion coefficient and a lower emittance of the positron beam. This makes single crystals very interesting for positron production targets. >
Broadband Infrared Access with a Multi-Spot Diffusing Configuration: Performance

We evaluate transmission link performance for a Multi-Spot Diffusing Configuration (MSDC) for indoor wireless optical LANs. MSDC utilizes a multibeam transmitter and a composite receiver consisting of 7 narrow field-of-view (FOV) branches. Numerical evaluation is performed for two values of the receiver FOV corresponding to the cases when at least one or two diffusing spots are covered by a branch. Required optical power is used as a measure for MSDC link evaluation. The composite receiver provides angle diversity, which allows implementation of effective combining techniques. Selection Combining (SC) and Maximal Ratio Containing (MRC) methods have been analyzed. Our simulation results show that MSDC can reach much higher bit rates than a diffuse link can, without any channel equalization. MSDC link employing angle diversity receiver with larger FOV (each receiver branch capturing at least two diffusing spots) and using MRC method shows a promising performance for up to several hundreds of Mbps. System robustness against shadowing and blockage is also investigated. MSDC is more robust when an obstacle is located near the receiver, while this may cause severe problems in a diffuse link.
Octave band eleven watt power amplifier MMIC

The design and performance of a two-stage 3.0-6.0 GHz MMIC (monolithic microwave IC) power amplifier that has established a new standard for power output and bandwidth in MMIC form is reported. The amplifier produces 11 W+or-1 dB from 3.0 to 6.0 GHz, with maximum power outputs of 13.5 W and 10.5 W at the respective S and C radar bands, and a minimum power of 9 W. This benchmark eclipses the best power level reported earlier for both two-stage (8 W at C-band) and single-stage (10 W at C-band) narrowband MMIC power amplifiers with a continuous bandwidth coverage of 67%. The yield of this MMIC, based upon 0.5- mu m gate-length selective-implant MESFET technology, averaged 43%, with a 57% yield from the best wafer. >
A CO 2 -laser-triggered spark gap

A coaxial spark gap triggered by a high-pressure CO 2 laser has been constructed. High-voltage pulses with subnanosecond rise time and very low jitter have been obtained. The observed low-laser energy threshold required to initiate switching suggests an application of the spark gap in controlling and manipulating high-intensity infrared radiation by electrooptic shutters.
New functionality of chalcogenide glasses for radiation sensing of nuclear wastes

Data about gamma radiation induced effects in Ge40Se60 chalcogenide thin films and radiation induced silver diffusion within these are presented. Blanket films and devices were created to study the structural changes, diffusion products, and device performance. Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, current vs. voltage (I–V) and impedance measurements expound the behavior of Ge40Se60 glass and silver diffusion within this glass under radiation. Raman study shows that there is a decrease in the area ratio between edge shared and corner shared structural units revealing structural reorganization occurring in the glasses as a result of gamma radiation. X-ray diffraction studies revealed that with sufficiently radiation dose it is also possible to create Ag2Se in selenium-depleted systems. Oxidation of the Ge enriched chalcogenide backbone is confirmed through the electrical performance of the sensing elements based on these films. Combination of these structural and diffusion products influences the device performance. The I–V behavior is characterized by increase in current and then stabilization as a function of radiation dose. Additionally, device modeling is also presented using Silvaco software and analytical methods to shed light on the device behavior. This type of sensor design and material characterizations facilitate in improving the radiation sensing capabilities of silver containing chalcogenide glass thin films.
Discourse segmentation in aid of document summarization

This paper describes work to enhance a sentence-based summarizer with notions of salience, dynamically adjustable summary size, discourse segmentation, and awareness of topic shifts. Our experiments study strategies to diversify the application of a baseline summarizer, by making it aware of finer-grained 'aboutness', capable of discerning changes of topic, and sensitive to longer-than-usual documents. Evaluated against the corpus used in the development of the baseline summarizer, summaries derived either by means of segmentation analysis alone, or by a mix of strategies for combining salience calculation and topic shift detection, are shown to be of comparable, and under certain conditions even better quality. We describe the summarization and segmentation procedures, outline a number of strategies for mixing the two, evaluate the overall impact of discourse segmentation, and suggest an interface design capable of using the notion of topic shifts to contextualize a summary and facilitate the mediation between it and the full document source.
L-2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid inhibits human immunodeficiency virus type 1 replication in mononuclear phagocytes and lymphocytes

We investigated the effects of L-2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (OTC; Procysteine), a cysteine prodrug, on human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) expression in both adult peripheral and cord blood mononuclear phagocytes and lymphocytes. OTC suppressed HIV-1 expression in monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) and lymphocytes in a dose-dependent fashion as determined by HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) activity. This inhibitory effect of OTC occurred with three HIV-1 strains (two laboratory-adapted strains and one primary isolate). Addition of OTC to chronically HIV-1-infected MDM cultures also suppressed RT activity by 40 to 50% in comparison to untreated controls. The inhibitory effects of OTC on HIV-1 were not caused by toxicity to MDM or lymphocytes because there was no change in cell viability or cellular DNA synthesis, as evaluated by trypan blue dye exclusion and [3H]thymidine incorporation, at doses of OTC that inhibit virus replication. These observations indicate that OTC has the potential to limit HIV-1 replication in mononuclear phagocytes and lymphocytes and may be useful in the treatment of HIV-1 infection and AIDS.
Soil nematode communities are ecologically more mature beneath late- than early-successional stage biological soil crusts

Biological soil crusts are key mediators of carbon and nitrogen inputs for arid land soils and often represent a dominant portion of the soil surface cover in arid lands. Free-living soil nematode communities reflect their environment and have been used as biological indicators of soil condition. In this study, we test the hypothesis that nematode communities are successionally more mature beneath well-developed, late-successional stage crusts than immature, early-successional stage crusts. We identified and enumerated nematodes by genus from beneath early- and late-stage crusts from both the Colorado Plateau, Utah (cool, winter rain desert) and Chihuahuan Desert, New Mexico (hot, summer rain desert) at 0‐10 and 10‐30 cm depths. As hypothesized, nematode abundance, richness, diversity, and successional maturity were greater beneath well-developed crusts than immature crusts. The mechanism of this aboveground‐belowground link between biological soil crusts and nematode community composition is likely the increased food, habitat, nutrient inputs, moisture retention, and/or environmental stability provided by late-successional crusts. Canonical correspondence analysis of nematode genera demonstrated that nematode community composition differed greatly between geographic locations that contrast in temperature, precipitation, and soil texture. We found unique assemblages of genera among combinations of location and crust type that reveal a gap in scientific knowledge regarding empirically derived characterization of dominant nematode genera in deserts soils and their functional role in a crust-associated food web. # 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
A method for the calculation of normal‐mode vibrational frequencies using symmetry coordinates. Application to the calculation of secondary deuterium isotope effects on carbocations

A method is introduced for the calculation of normal-mode vibrational frequencies of polyatomic molecules based on numerical differencing of analytical gradients in symmetry coordinates. This procedure requires a number of gradient evaluations equal to the largest number of symmetry coordinates belonging to any single irreducible representation of the molecular point group (plus a single gradient evaluation at the equilibrium configuration), which is fewer than the 3N-6 (N atoms) gradient evaluations needed for schemes based on Cartesian or internal coordinates. While the proposed method will not generally be as efficient as procedures which involve the direct calculation of energy second derivatives analytically (as are now available for single-determinant wavefunctions) it appears to be equally accurate, and it should be the method of choice for frequency calculations involving multideterminant wavefunctions for which analytical second-derivative algorithms have yet to be developed. The method is illustrated by the calculation of equilibrium secondary deuterium-isotope effects on a number of reactions involving simple carbocations.
Teaching surgical decision-making: an interactive, web-based approach.

Background. Skillful surgical care demands proper patient assessment and decision-making. These skills are honed through long hours and years of clinical practice. A decrease in work hours is reducing the number of cases managed by medical students and residents. We have developed a set of interactive, web-based teaching modules to help fill this gap. Materials and methods. The modules aim to teach surgical decision-making in a convenient, nonthreat-ening manner. Surgical case material is presented in a graphically rich environment, including video and sound to enhance realism. At the end of each web-page, the user must make a management decision. The correct answer is subsequently provided with immediate feedback. Medical students used and evaluated the modules during their surgical clerkships. Additionally, students took a pretest and 1-week delayed posttest after completing the modules to assess the program's efficacy. Results. Eight modules involving pediatric and general surgery have been completed. Medical students gave high ratings to the quality of the modules and found the interactive format both engaging and educationally effective. Eighty-seven percent of medical students rated the program's educational value as above average to excellent. On pre- and posttest analysis, students' scores improved an average of 24.8% (P < 0.001). Conclusion. Students enjoy web-based educational material. Additional modules covering a range of surgical topics are in development. Web-based modules appear to be an effective clinical teaching tool, well-suited for integration into the clinical curriculum.
Black Feminists and Du Bois: Respectability, Protection, and Beyond

Throughout his life, W.E.B. Du Bois was an advocate for black women. However, in his article of 1898, "The Study of the Negro Problems," he posits a model of the intellectuals, the investigators who analyze Negro problems, as male. In other writings, the most important being "The Damnation of Women," Du Bois focuses his attention on black women as mothers, workers, and activists but not as intellectuals. This is why contemporary black feminist intellectuals continue to claim him as an important ancestor even as they critique some of his failures around gender. The author's research attempts to enhance and extend the intellectual agendas Du Bois set in motion by being attentive to both gender and race.
Logic synthesis for testability

This paper presents a multilevel logic synthesis method that achieves 100% single stuck-at fault testability. We assume any cell library composed of AND/OR gates. The Fixed Polarity Reed-Muller forms are used to build the initial design. Algebraic factorizations and redundancy removal are two major steps that are used in deriving the final circuit. A predetermined set of input patterns is applied to identify redundancies and serves as the test set for the resulting circuit. Therefore, test pattern generation is not needed. Experimental results show that our method produces circuits with area comparable to Berkeley SIS 1.2.
Femtosecond laser-assisted compared with standard cataract surgery for removal of advanced cataracts

Purpose To compare effective phacoemulsification time (EPT) for the removal of brunescent cataracts treated with femtosecond laser–assisted cataract surgery with standard cataract phacoemulsification techniques. Setting Ruhr University Eye Hospital, Bochum, Germany. Design Comparative prospective case study. Methods The Lens Opacities Classification System III (LOCS III) grading system was used to measure eyes divided into 4 groups having cataract surgery. Groups 1 and 2 contained eyes with LOCS III grade nuclear opalescence (NO) 3 cataracts treated with standard cataract surgery and femtosecond laser–assisted cataract surgery, respectively. Groups 3 and 4 contained brunescent cataracts, LOCS III grades NO5, treated with standard cataract surgery and femtosecond laser–assisted cataract surgery, respectively. Results There were 240 eyes, with 60 eyes in each group. The EPT in Group 1 ranged from 0.46 to 3.10 (mean 1.38); the EPT in all eyes in Group 2 was 0 ( P P P = .013). Groups 4 and 1 were the most statistically similar of all groups compared, suggesting that EPT for a femtosecond laser–treated grade 5 cataract was most similar to that of a standard-treated grade 3 cataract. Conclusion Femtosecond laser pretreatment for brunescent cataracts allowed for a significant reduction in EPT compared with manual standard phacoemulsification techniques. Financial Disclosure Drs. Hatch, Talamo, and Dick are consultants to Abbott Medical Optics, Inc. Dr. Schultz has no financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.
Why Miranda Does Not Prevent Confessions: Some Lessons from Albert Camus, Arthur Miller and Oprah Winfrey

Why do 80% of suspects in custodial interrogation waive their Miranda rights and talk to the police? This paper contends that "the right to remain silent" is a relatively recent gloss on the Fifth Amendment right not to be a witness against oneself. In fact, remaining silent in the face of accusations is actually counter-intuitive. The paper then considers Camus' "The Fall" and Miller's "After the Fall." Each work is an extended confession ---- and in each work the confessant, oddly enough, is a lawyer. The paper contends these works illustrate that a confessant is by definition "making his case," that is, performing in the role of a lawyer for himself. Further, police interrogation tactics actually pretend to help the suspect "make a case for himself," thus creating the illusion that assistance of counsel is unnecessary.
Essential Thrombocythemia: Another ''Heterogeneous Disease'' Better Understood?

T HE TWO GUIDING principles that I learned during my medical training were that (1) disease presentations are heterogeneous and (2) therapy must be “individualized.” The article by Harrison et al[1][1] in this issue of BLOOD addresses both of these issues by carefully defining the incidence of
Differential responses of nitrifying archaea and bacteria to methylene blue toxicity.

UNLABELLED Methylene blue, a heterocyclic aromatic chemical compound used to treat fish diseases in the ornamental fish aquaculture industry, is believed to impair nitrification as a side effect. However, very little is known about the toxicity of methylene blue to nitrifying micro-organisms. Here, we report the susceptibility of six bacterial and one archaeal ammonia-oxidizing micro-organisms to methylene blue within the range of 10 ppb to 10 ppm. Remarkably high susceptibility was observed in the archaeal species Nitrosopumilus maritimus compared to the bacterial species. Ammonia oxidation by Nitrosopumilus maritimus was inhibited 65% by 10 ppb of methylene blue. Of the bacterial species examined, Nitrosococcus oceani was the most resistant to methylene blue toxicity. For similar inhibition of Nitrosococcus oceani (75% inhibition), one thousand times more methylene blue (10 ppm) was needed. The examination of single cell viability on Nitrosomonas marina demonstrated that methylene blue is lethal to the cells rather than reducing their single cell ammonia oxidation activity. The level of susceptibility to methylene blue was related to the cell volume, intracytoplasmic membrane arrangement and the evolutionary lineage of nitrifying micro-organisms. Our findings are relevant for effectively using methylene blue in various aquaculture settings by helping minimize its impact on nitrifiers during the treatment of fish diseases. In the future, resistant nitrifiers such as Nitrosococcus oceani may be purposely added to aquaculture systems to maintain nitrification activity during treatments with methylene blue. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY The susceptibility of six bacterial and one archaeal nitrifying micro-organisms to methylene blue was tested. Remarkably high susceptibility was observed in the archaeal species compared to the bacterial species. The level of resistance to methylene blue was related to the cell volume, cytomembrane system and the taxonomic position of the nitrifying micro-organisms. This may be significant in the design and management of engineered nitrification systems and the stability of the nitrification process in various ecosystems if these systems are exposed to harmful chemicals or toxins.
Membrane engineering via trans unsaturated fatty acids production improves Escherichia coli robustness and production of biorenewables

Constructing microbial biocatalysts that produce biorenewables at economically viable yields and titers is often hampered by product toxicity. For production of short chain fatty acids, membrane damage is considered the primary mechanism of toxicity, particularly in regards to membrane integrity. Previous engineering efforts in Escherichia coli to increase membrane integrity, with the goal of increasing fatty acid tolerance and production, have had mixed results. Herein, a novel approach was used to reconstruct the E. coli membrane by enabling production of a novel membrane component. Specifically, trans unsaturated fatty acids (TUFA) were produced and incorporated into the membrane of E. coli MG1655 by expression of cis-trans isomerase (Cti) from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. While the engineered strain was found to have no increase in membrane integrity, a significant decrease in membrane fluidity was observed, meaning that membrane polarization and rigidity were increased by TUFA incorporation. As a result, tolerance to exogenously added octanoic acid and production of octanoic acid were both increased relative to the wild-type strain. This membrane engineering strategy to improve octanoic acid tolerance was found to require fine-tuning of TUFA abundance. Besides improving tolerance and production of carboxylic acids, TUFA production also enabled increased tolerance in E. coli to other bio-products, e.g. alcohols, organic acids, aromatic compounds, a variety of adverse industrial conditions, e.g. low pH, high temperature, and also elevated styrene production, another versatile bio-chemical product. TUFA permitted enhanced growth due to alleviation of bio-product toxicity, demonstrating the general effectiveness of this membrane engineering strategy towards improving strain robustness.
Unique detection of organic vapors below their auto-ignition temperature using III–V Nitride based triangular microcantilever heater

Abstract We report on the unique detection of dilute volatile organic compounds below their auto-ignition temperature using a novel AlGaN/GaN heterostructure based triangular microcantilever heater. With a low input power of 12 mW, the microcantilever heater was found to reach a maximum temperature of 330 °C at the tip, which was verified through infrared microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Unique threshold voltages were observed for various organic analytes with different functional groups, beyond which the heater current started to increase sharply in presence of analytes, which correlated strongly with their latent heat of evaporation. Dilute vapors with concentrations as low as 50 parts per million (ppm) could be detected selectively with a noise limited resolution down to 5 ppm. On the other hand, the magnitude of change of current for a fixed applied voltage was found to be dependent on the molecular dipole moment of the analytes, which can likely be attributed to the strong surface polarization of AlGaN. A simple circuit model has been proposed to explain the observations. Heat transfer and Joule heating simulations were performed using finite element method to model the electro-thermal characteristics of the microcantilever heater, which were in good agreement with the experimental observations.
Kinetic Orientation Experiments on Adult Alfalfa Weevils

Observed behavior of adult alfalfa weevils, Hypera postica (Gyllenhal), seems to be inconsistent with the hypothesis that weevils rely primarily upon olfactory cues to locate their principle host plant, Mcdicago sativa (Meyer and Raffensperger, 1974). In light of this disparity, the existing experimental data which support an olfactory orientation hypothesis were carefully reexamined.
Micropipette aspiration of human blood platelets: a defect in Bernard- Soulier's syndrome

Previous reports have suggested that platelets from patients with Bernard-Soulier's syndrome (BSS) are not giant cells. Rather, they are normal-sized in suspension, but spread out on glass slides more readily than control cells, yielding the impression of being giant. The present study has used cell sizing techniques, electron microscopy, and micropipette aspiration to evaluate platelets from three patients with BSS. Cell sizing techniques revealed that BSS platelets were considerably larger than normal. The increased size was confirmed in electron microscopic studies of BSS platelets fixed in suspension. However, the BSS platelets did not contain increased amounts of internalized surface membrane considered to be the source of membrane necessary for excessive spreading. A possible explanation for increased spreading of BSS platelets was found in studies of their resistance to deformation in micropipettes. BSS platelets were much less resistant to deformation than normal cells or other abnormal platelets when aspirated under the same negative pressure. Their unusual deformability may explain the tendency of BSS platelets to spread more readily than normal cells on glass slides.
391 BETA-BLOCKER FOR CHRONIC WOUND HEALING.

Objective This study evaluates the safety and efficacy of topical beta-adrenergic antagonists plus standard care compared to standard care alone as measured by time to complete re-epithelialization in the treatment of venous ulcer. Methodology This is a randomized, parallel-group, placebo-controlled study. The sample is 40 healthy volunteers between 18 and 85 years of age who have a nonhealing venous ulcer with a surface area between 2 to 20 cm2. Participants are recruited and treated at the Northern California VA Dermatology Clinic. After 2 weeks of initial screening, study participants are randomized. The beta-adrenergic antagonist (BAA) treatment group receives topical timolol maleated ophthalmic solution in addition to standard care. The dosage used is 0.25 mg/3cm2 /day, which is comparable to the recommended ocular dosage. The placebo group receives saline solution in addition to standard care. Participants apply medication daily with protocol-specified standard care at home. Participants visit the clinic weekly for up to 12 weeks for determination of re-epithelialization. At each visit, wound tracing and photography of study ulcer are performed post-debridement. Following determination of 100% wound closure, subjects are seen for one follow-up visit 1 month after. Final evaluation of the durability of the wound closure of the study ulcer is made as assessed by the investigator, planimetry, and photography. Findings The expected outcome of this clinical trial is an increased wound healing rate of 60% to 90% in the BAA treatment group and without significant increase in the placebo group. Conclusion Venous ulcer accounts for 80% of leg ulcers in the US and is slow and difficult to heal. Our laboratory has demonstrated that beta-adrenergic agonists decrease the cell migration rate in in vitro and ex vivo assays and that beta-adrenergic antagonists increase wound healing in in vitro assays. Based on these findings, we hypothesize that beta-adrenergic antagonists will accelerate epithelial cell migration in vivo. This translational research study may help point to a more effective therapeutic approach for venous ulcer and thus significantly improve patients9 quality of life as well as reduce the time and cost of venous ulcer management.
Determination of dimethyl fumarate in beverages by dispersive solid- phase extraction and high performance liquid chromatography

Objective To establish a method for the determination of dimethyl fumarate( DMF) in milk drinks,carbonated drinks and tea drinks by dispersive solid- phase extraction and high- performance liquid chromatography( dSPE- HPLC). Methods After the beverage was acidized by formic acid and cleaned by dSPE with the adsorbent of Welchom? PSA,the separation was performed on a Kromasil C 18( 250 mm × 4. 6 mm i. d.,5 μm) column by using the mobile phase of acetonitrile/ water( 55 /45,v / v) in isocratic elution. Detection was carried out by HPLC at the wavelength of 220 nm,and the quantitation was performed by an external standard method. Results Under the acidic conditions,PSA was the most effective adsorbent to adsorb fatty acids,organic acids,pigments and sugars in the matrix compared with the C 18,PRS and WCX adsorbents. The optimal conditions for 2. 0 g samples were mixture of 30 μl formic acid and 100 mg PSA. Calibration curve was linear within the range of 0. 1 mg / L ~ 10. 0 mg / L with a correlation coefficient( r) of 0. 9995,and the limit of quantification( LOQ) was 0. 1 mg / kg. The extraction recoveries were in the range of 86. 0% ~ 102. 0%,and the RSDs were between 0. 6% and 6. 3%. Conclusion The developed dSPE- HPLC method is simple,speedy with less interference for the determination of DMF in beverages.
Analysis of the human immunodeficiency virus-1 RNA packageome

All retroviruses package cellular RNAs into virions. Studies of murine leukemia virus (MLV) revealed that the major host cell RNAs encapsidated by this simple retrovirus were LTR retrotransposons and noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs). Several classes of ncRNAs appeared to be packaged by MLV shortly after synthesis, as precursors to tRNAs, small nuclear RNAs, and small nucleolar RNAs were all enriched in virions. To determine the extent to which the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) packages similar RNAs, we used high-throughput sequencing to characterize the RNAs within infectious HIV-1 virions produced in CEM-SS T lymphoblastoid cells. We report that the most abundant cellular RNAs in HIV-1 virions are 7SL RNA and transcripts from numerous divergent and truncated members of the long interspersed element (LINE) and short interspersed element (SINE) families of retrotransposons. We also detected precursors to several tRNAs and small nuclear RNAs as well as transcripts derived from the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) intergenic spacers. We show that packaging of a pre-tRNA requires the nuclear export receptor Exportin 5, indicating that HIV-1 recruits at least some newly made ncRNAs in the cytoplasm. Together, our work identifies the set of RNAs packaged by HIV-1 and reveals that early steps in HIV-1 assembly intersect with host cell ncRNA biogenesis pathways.
Cardiocirculatory effects of physiological doses of beta-endorphin.

Beta-endorphin has been implicated in the cardiovascular depression that occurs in shock. While pharmacologic doses of beta-endorphin cause hypotension, physiologic doses of beta-endorphin have not been studied. In this study, six dogs (group I) were given IV beta-endorphin (peak concentrations previously determined in canine shock, 3,200 pg/ml); 5 minutes prior to beta-endorphin infusion, four dogs (group II) were given naloxone, 2 mg/kg bolus, and continuous infusion, 2 mg/kg/hr. In group I, beta-endorphin decreased stroke volume (from 0.99 +/- .12 to 0.57 +/- .08 ml/kg), dP/dt (from 3,167 +/- 140 to 2,875 +/- 412 mmHg X sec), and coronary blood flow (from 2.5 +/- .47 to .68 +/- .11 ml/min/gm), while heart rate rose significantly. Naloxone pretreatment maintained dP/dt, stroke volume, and coronary blood flow with no change in heart rate or mean arterial pressure. This study confirms that beta-endorphin depresses contractility and coronary blood flow in normovolemic nonstressed dogs, suggesting that beta-endorphin is in part responsible for cardiovascular depression in shock.