cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Single Specimen Approach for J -Integral Evaluation for Semi-Elliptical Surface Cracks

Recently, the authors have demonstrated load separation in the test records of specimens with semi-elliptical surface cracks. By treating the two-dimensional crack as an equivalent one-dimensional crack, they were able torepresent the load in the plastic region as a multiplication of two separable functions: a crack geometry function and a material deformation function. Such a treatment may allow the energy rate interpretation of J formulated for two-dimensional geometries to be utilized in this complex three-dimensional geometry. Moreover, load separation may yield a new single specimen technique for J p l evaluation. The objective of this paper is to develop and verify this single specimen J p l form in semi-elliptical surface cracks. A computational finite element model has been developed to generate data for wide ranges of crack length to thickness ratio and crack length to crack width ratio. The computational model has been verified by comparing its numerical results to elastic-plastic experimental test records and also Newman and Raju linear elastic results. The effects of material hardening, specimen thickness, specimen width have been also studied. A single specimen J p l form has been developed for semi-elliptical surface cracks. Such a form will allow the estimation of J from the load versus crack mouth opening displacement test record of a single specimen.
Developing Research Skills Across the Undergraduate Curriculum

This chapter describes consortial efforts within the Great Lakes Colleges Association to share expertise and programming to build research skills throughout the undergraduate curriculum. Strategies to scaffold research skill development are provided from Allegheny College, Kalamazoo College, and The College of Wooster.
Microbial Extracellular Enzymes and their Role in Dissolved Organic Matter Cycling

Publisher Summary Heterotrophic bacteria are faced with the fundamental challenge of obtaining sufficient carbon and energy from the organic substrates in their environment. The outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria is spanned by porins— trimeric proteins that form inlet channels between the outer membrane and the periplasmic space. The geometry of the porins defines the substrate uptake limit that is on the order of 600 daltons, approximately equivalent to a trisaccharide. A microbial cell in general tightly controls production and activities of enzymes, because enzyme production represents an investment of: carbon, nitrogen, and energy. Several general approaches have been used to measure the activities of extracellular enzymes in aquatic systems. The extent to which dissolved enzymes contribute to the total hydrolytic activity in flesh and marine waters may also be affected by differences in freshwater and marine dissolved organic carbon sources and composition. The precise relationship between potential hydrolysis rates measured with externally added substrates; and the rates at which complex microbial communities in marine systems hydrolyze and ultimately remineralize a spectrum of organic macromolecules actually available as substrates is unknown. More realistic and diverse methods are needed to measure the activities of extracellular enzymes on a wide range of substrates— such as glycoproteins, lipid complexes, and heterogeneous particulate and dissolved organic matter.
Prospective Study of Fluorodeoxyglucose–Positron Emission Tomography Imaging of Lymph Node Basins in Melanoma Patients Undergoing Sentinel Node Biopsy

PURPOSE: To prospectively compare positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of regional lymph node basins to sentinel node biopsy (SNB) in patients with American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage I, II, and III melanoma localized to the skin. METHODS: Patients with cutaneous melanoma with Breslow's depth greater than 1 mm (AJCC T2-4N0M0) or localized regional cutaneous recurrence (TxN2bM0) underwent whole-body imaging of glucose metabolism with fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET followed by SNB. PET scans were interpreted in a blinded fashion and compared with histologic analyses of SNB specimens and clinical follow-up examination. Nodal tumor volumes were estimated. RESULTS: Eighty-nine lymph node basins were evaluated by FDG-PET and SNB in 70 assessable patients. Eighteen patients (25.7%) had lymph node metastases at the time of FDG-PET imaging: 17 proved by SNB (24.3%) and one by follow-up examination (1.4%). Median tumor volume in positive sentinel node basins was 4.3 mm3 (range, 0.07 to 523 mm3). Sen...
Fiber-optic Nonlinear Endomicrocopy for Intrinsic Imaging of Biological Tissues

We report on a fiber-optic scanning endomicroscopy system based on a customized double-clad fiber (DCF) and a miniature compound lens that enables two-photon autofluorescence imaging of biological tissues for the first time.
Ethanol and fish oil induce NFκB transactivation of the collagen α2(I) promoter through lipid peroxidation–driven activation of the PKC-PI3K-Akt pathway

To analyze whether fish oil, as a source of polyunsaturated fatty acids from the n-3 series, could synergize with ethanol to promote collagen I upregulation in vivo, collagen α2(I) promoter-βGal (COL1A2-βGal) transgenic mice were fed a diet enriched in fish oil in the presence of ethanol (ethanol group) or dextrose (control group). Ethanol-fed mice showed mild steatosis, increased alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), nonsterified fatty acids, and plasma alcohol levels along with elevated cytochrome P450 2E1 activity, lipid peroxidation end products, and low glutathione (GSH) levels, which suggested enhanced oxidant stress and liver injury. Increased transactivation of the COL1A2 promoter assessed by βGal activity was shown in vivo and by transfection with deletion constructs for the collagen α1(I) promoter (COL1A1) and COL1A2 promoters in vitro. Transcriptional regulation of both COL1A1 and COL1A2 promoters was validated by nuclear in vitro transcription run-on, northern blot analysis, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction, which was followed by the subsequent upregulation of collagen I protein with no changes in matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP 13). To further analyze the potential mechanism for collagen I upregulation, an in vitro coculture model was designed with primary stellate cells seeded on the bottom plate of a Boyden chamber and the rest of the liver cells plated on a cell culture insert, and fish oil or fish oil plus ethanol were added. The combination of fish oil plus ethanol increased nuclear factor κB binding to the COL1A2 promoter both in vivo and in the cocultures and also resulted in increased phosphorylation of protein kinase C, activation of PI3 kinase, and phosphorylation of Akt. The in vitro addition of vitamin E prevented such activation and collagen I increase. Furthermore, inhibitors of all 3 kinases blocked the increase in collagen I and NFκB binding to the COL1A2 promoter; the latter was also prevented by vitamin E. Conclusion: These results suggest that fish oil (mainly n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids [PUFAs]) can synergize with ethanol to induce collagen I, transactivating the COL1A2 promoter through a lipid peroxidation-PKC-PI3K-Akt-NFκB-driven mechanism in the absence of overt steatosis and inflammation. (HEPATOLOGY 2007;45:1433–1445.)
Structural VAR, MARMA and open economy models

Abstract In this paper we examine a number of issues in the context of structural VAR and MARMA open economy macro models. In particular, we examine whether VAR or MARMA is the more appropriate specification; whether expectations are forward or backward looking, and whether a number of restrictions imposed on such models are supported by empirical evidence. Prior restrictions are imposed by means of Lagrange multipliers, which makes many of the tests noted above routine.
Fluoresence of some 17α-substituted steroids in concentrated HCl

Abstract Several testosterone and 19-nortestosterone derivatives fluoresced intensely when dissolved in 37% HCl and subjected to U.V. light. Free testosterone did not fluoresce in HCl, nor did 17β-estradiol, estrone, progesterone, hydrocortisone, DOC or corticosterone. Fluorescence of 17α-methyltestosterone (MT) was unstable and a linear relationship of concentration to fluoresence was only achieved by prior treatment of the HCl reagent with an excess of non-fluorescent steroid (testosterone) or of ascorbic acid. The method can easily detect as little as 0.001 μg MT/ml concentrated HCl containing ascorbic acid. HCl-induced fluorescence may offer a practical approach to the assay of blood levels of certain 17α-alkyl or alkynyl testosterone and 19-nortestosterone derivatives.
Population Size Identification for CDMA Eavesdropping

In this paper we develop a novel iterative-least-squares-type method that identifies the population size of direct-sequence CDMA signal mixtures without any knowledge about the signatures of the active spread-spectrum signals in the system or the channel state and in the absence of pilot signaling (training sequence). Simulation studies demonstrate the performance of the proposed method and offer favorable comparisons with corresponding schemes based on the conventional Akaike information criterion, the minimum description length criterion, as well as their more recent modified versions.
Appetitive Pavlovian conditioned stimuli increase CREB phosphorylation in the nucleus accumbens.

Abstract The transcription factor cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) has been shown to regulate an animal’s behavioral responsiveness to emotionally salient stimuli, and an increase in CREB phosphorylation in the NAc has been observed during exposure to rewarding stimuli, such as drugs of abuse. Here we show that CREB phosphorylation increases in the NAc also during exposure to cues that an animal has associated with delivery of natural rewards. Adult male Sprague–Dawley rats (rattus norvegicus) were trained to associate an auditory stimulus with delivery of food pellets, and CREB phosphorylation was examined in the striatum following training. We found that repeated tone-food pairings resulted in an increase in CREB phosphorylation in the NAc but not in the adjacent dorsal striatum or in the NAc 3 h after the final training session. We further found that the cue itself, as opposed to the food pellets, the training context, or tone-food pairings, was sufficient to increase CREB phosphorylation in the NAc. These results suggest that the processing of primary rewarding stimuli and of environmental cues that predict them triggers similar accumbal signaling mechanisms.
Fluorescent compounds in the protein skeleton of a gorgonian coral and their possible role in cross-linking

Abstract 1. 1. Fractionation of both acid and alkaline hydrolysates of a gorgonian skeleton yields three blue-fluorescent compounds. 2. 2. Absorption, fluorescence and mass spectra indicate that the fluors are substituted benzenoid compounds. 3. 3. Chemical tests indicate the absence of aldehyde, hydroxyl, amino and indole groups, and the presence of carboxyl groups. 4. 4. The possible role of such compounds in cross-linking of the skeleton are discussed and compared with other known or suspected protein tanning agents.
What is a minimum-phase network?

THE terms ?minimum-phase? and ?nonminimum-phase? as applied to network functions were probably first introduced and defined by Bode.1 Since their introduction these terms have become almost household words in circuit theory circles. There seems to be unanimity of opinion as to the definitions of minimum and nonminimum-phase networks, but there is less than unanimity in understanding of the properties of these two classes of networks. What is it that is minimum about a minimum-phase network? Is it the algebraic value or the absolute value of the phase angle that is a minimum? Is it the total change in phase angle as frequency varies from zero to infinity that is a minimum? Should the angle considered be angle of lead or angle of lag?
Confronting Modernity in the Cinemas of Taiwan and Mainland China

List of illustrations Acknowledgements Introduction Part I. On the Cultural and Ideological Margins: 1. Continuity and subversion 2. Allegorical and realistic portrayals of the cultural revolution Part II. In Search of Tradition in the Midst of Modernization: 3. From a voiceless father to a father's voice 4. Melodrama of the city Part III. The Third-World Intellectual in the Era of Globalization: 5. The Zhang Yimou model 6. Culture and violence 7. A postcolonial reflection Epilogue Notes Glossary Bibliography Filmography Index.
Anomaly constraints on nonlinear sigma models

Abstract Anomalies in nonlinear sigma models can sometimes be cancelled by local counterterms. We show that these counterterms have a simple topological interpretation, and that the requirements for anomaly cancellation can be easily understood in terms of 't Hooft's anomaly matching conditions. We exhibit the anomaly cancellation on homogeneous spaces G H and on general riemannian manifolds M . We include external gauge fields on the manifolds and derive the generalized anomaly-cancellation conditions. Finally, we discuss the implications of this work for superstring theories.
The paradox of nitric oxide in cirrhosis and portal hypertension: too much, not enough.

Chronic liver diseases are often characterized by portal hypertension, an important component of which is increased intrahepatic vascular resistance (IHVR). We have long understood that structural changes, viewed by light microscopy, are largely irreversible with our current therapeutic tools. In supplementing liver histology with liver and vascular physiology, we have encountered the existence of dynamic, nonstructural components that are in fact, reversible. Bhatal et al. first showed in in-vitro perfused cirrhotic rat livers, that nitroprusside and papaverine reduced portal resistance up to 15%. This change represents up to 28% of the magnitude by which the IHVR of the cirrhotic liver exceeds that of normal livers.1 Interestingly the magnitude of effect in the diseased liver seems to be similar for different vasodilators, whereas it is almost negligible in the normal liver.2 This difference shows the presence of an enhanced intrinsic vascular tone in the intrahepatic microvascular bed of the cirrhotic liver that is not present in nondiseased livers. For years, nitrovasodilators were in clinical use as vasorelaxants before a mechanism of action was uncovered. Investigators identified nitric oxide (NO), an endothelium-derived relaxing factor, in 1987.3 It is now established that NO is a key factor in the hemodynamic abnormalities associated with liver cirrhosis and chronic portal hypertension. Owing to the lack of a basement membrane and to the presence of fenestrae, sinusoidal endothelial cells are anatomically and biologically distinct from endothelial cells in other vasculature. They are, however, similar to other endothelial cells in that they produce and release NO.4 By means of sinusoidal and other endothelial cells, the liver modulates local intrahepatic vascular tone and resistance and determines the physiological adaptation or pathophysiological dysfunction of the intrahepatic microcirculation. Under physiologic and tightly regulated conditions, nitric oxide synthases (NOS) generate NO. Alterations in the synthesis of NO, which is seen in cirrhosis, may therefore form a basis for future developments in its therapy. Furthermore, the development of optimal potential therapy is dependent on a detailed knowledge of the chemistry and metabolism of NO, and especially the diverse effects it induces. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to (1) summarize the chemical reactions in which NO participates and the effects mediated by those reactions, (2) give a short overview of the regulation of NOS, and (3) to outline the available data and current concepts regarding the involvement of NO in the hemodynamic abnormalities associated with liver cirrhosis. By no means, in this review, are we denying the participation of other mediators not only in the increased intrahepatic vascular resistance (e.g., endothelins) but also in the vasodilatation and hyperdynamic state observed in the splanchnic (e.g., anandamide) and systemic circulation (e.g., sodium and water retention). However, the focus of this review is NO.
Factors affecting measurement of aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase activity in mouse skin.

Mouse skin exhibits relatively high aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) activity when measured under optimal conditions. The enzyme is unequally distributed in the cutaneous layers with the highest concentration in the epidermis. Subcellularly, it is localized in the microsomal fraction. As much as two-thirds of the enzymatic activity was destroyed when harsh homogenization techniques were used during tissue preparation. Incorporation of the reduced pyridine nucleotide NADH into an incubation mixture containing NADPH increased epidermal AHH activity by one-third. When methods that maximize activity were employed, the AHH activities of skin of C 57 BL/6 inbred mice and, of ICR Swiss random-bred mice were 5 to 10 times as active as lung tissue and about one-tenth as active as liver.
Endogenous aspartoacylase expression is responsive to glutamatergic activity in vitro and in vivo

Aspartoacylase (ASPA) is an enzyme that functions to catabolize the neuronal amino acid derivative N-acetyl-L-aspartic acid (NAA). Loss of this function results in the failure of developmental myelination. NAA synthesis and catabolism are tightly compartmentalized within neurons and oligodendrocytes, respectively, and there is evidence to suggest the developmental regulation of ASPA activity is transcriptional. NAA has no known direct physiological mode of action, and the identification of a transcriptional regulator of aspa would provide an opportunity to link NAA to relatively more characterized physiological contexts with a view to definitive functional classification. Using transcriptional and immunohistochemical endpoints, we define a window of postnatal development punctuated by increases in aspa within a pre-existing population of oligodendrocytes in the rat brain. Ontological mining of expression data generated in aspa-null rats during this developmental window identifies both neuronal and oligodendroglial transcriptional abnormalities that suggest an association between glutamatergic synaptic activity and ASPA. Glutamate, but not NAA, is shown to activate endogenous aspa expression in vitro, and endogenous aspa expression is upregulated in the brains of animals over expressing vesicular glutamate transporter type-I (vglut1). These results define a discrete period of postnatal development within which glutamate provides a means by which the tightly compartmentalized NAA metabolic cycle can function in sync with normal development and may be a factor in pathological models of dysregulated NAA metabolism.
Pleiotropic biological effects of the neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM)

Abstract Many cell adhesion molecules have a distinct pattern of expression and a reasonably well-defined role as a recognition molecule. In contrast, the neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) is broadly expressed and perturbations of its function affect many diverse aspects of embryonic development. Recently, evidence has been obtained suggesting that the molecule serves to contribute to not only adhesive preferences among cells but also to regulate contact between cell membranes. In the latter mode it can influence a wide variety of contact-dependent cell interactions.
Source of high-frequency oscillations in oblique saccade trajectory

Most common eye movements, oblique saccades, feature rapid velocity, precise amplitude, but curved trajectory that is variable from trial-to-trial. In addition to curvature and inter-trial variability, the oblique saccade trajectory also features high-frequency oscillations. A number of studies proposed the physiological basis of the curvature and inter-trial variability of the oblique saccade trajectory, but kinematic characteristics of high-frequency oscillations are yet to be examined. We measured such oscillations and compared their properties with orthogonal pure horizontal and pure vertical oscillations generated during pure vertical and pure horizontal saccades, respectively. We found that the frequency of oscillations during oblique saccades ranged between 15 and 40 Hz, consistent with the frequency of orthogonal saccadic oscillations during pure horizontal or pure vertical saccades. We also found that the amplitude of oblique saccade oscillations was larger than pure horizontal and pure vertical saccadic oscillations. These results suggest that the superimposed high-frequency sinusoidal oscillations upon the oblique saccade trajectory represent reverberations of disinhibited circuit of reciprocally innervated horizontal and vertical burst generators.
Current status and future needs for standards of radionuclides used in positron emission tomography.

Abstract Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is being increasingly used as a quantitative technique for detecting disease and monitoring patient progress during treatment. To ensure the validity of the quantitative information derived from the imaging data, it is imperative that all radioactivity measurements that are part of the imaging procedure be traceable to national or international standards. This paper reviews the current status of standards for positron emitting radionuclides (e.g., 18F, 68Ge/68Ga, and 124I) and suggests needs for future work.
A new type of domain structure in the superconducting intermediate state

We have investigated a new size-limited type of intermediate state structure consisting of just a single superconducting domain. The structure exhibits simple behavior, certain aspects of which can be understood within the framework of the Landau theory. A slight change in magnetic field configuration transforms the single domain into essentially two, and these manifest all the complex path-dependent features normally associated with the intermediate state. Es wird ein neuer grosen-begrenzter Typ von Zwischenzustandsstruktur untersucht, der nur aus einer einzigen supraleitenden Domane besteht. Die Struktur zeigt einfaches Verhalten; gewisse Aspekte lassen sich im Rahmen der Landauschen Theorie verstehen. Eine leichte Anderung der magnetischen Feldkonfiguration transformiert die einzelne Domane im wesentlichen in zwei und diese zeigen alle komplexen wegabhangigen Merkmale, die normalerweise mit dem Zwischenzustand verknupft sind.
Antarctic glossopterid diversity on a local scale: the presence of multiple megasporophyll genera, Upper Permian, Mt. Achernar, Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica.

PREMISE OF THE STUDY The glossopterids are a group of plants that thrived during a time of global warming similar to what is happening on the Earth today as well as the transition from archaic plant groups to the ancestors of modern groups. The diversity of the glossopterid clade is based on the megasporangiate structures assigned to the group, because the vegetative and pollen-bearing structures vary little. The presence of numerous reproductive genera from a single Upper Permian locality in the central Transantarctic Mountains provides important data on local glossopterid diversity in Antarctica. METHODS Impression/compression fossils were imaged with a Leica 5000C digital camera on a dissecting microscope or a Fujifilm FinePix S1pro digital camera. KEY RESULTS Two megasporangiate taxa are described: Scutum leiophyllum, which represents the first confirmed record of the genus in Antarctica, and Lidgettoniopsis ramulus, a new morphology consisting of a pinnate structure with oppositely attached megasporophylls. Plumsteadia ovata specimens indicate that this genus can be larger than previously recorded and illustrate the vegetative surface with a distinct midrib. CONCLUSIONS The presence of a laminar, multiovulate structure and a pinnate structure at the same site indicates that local-level glossopterid diversity in Antarctica is greater than previously hypothesized. The discovery of a new megasporophyll morphology in Antarctica (confirming the presence of three distinctive morphologies on the continent) shows that Antarctic glossopterid heterogeneity is on a par with other Gondwanan continents. The diversity of the Antarctic landscape reveals that high polar latitudes can sustain a diverse ecosystem during times of global warming.
A macromolecule which gives rise to thyrotropin releasing-hormone.

Chemical and enzymatic treatment of a high-molecular weight fraction from a frog brain extract resulted in formation of a “TRH-Like material” (TRH-i). Sequential treatment with trypsin and carboxypeptidases A and B, acetic acid and then chemical amidation generated a quantity of TRH-i equivalent to 25% of the endogenous TRH. TRH-i was similar to TRH (pGlu·His·ProNH2) as assessed by molecular weight estimations, radioimmunoassay and susceptibility to serum inactivation. TRH and TRH-i also competed with [3H]-TRH for binding to TRH receptors, stimulated prolactin synthesis and uridine uptake, and “down-regulated” TRH receptors in pituitary cells. These results suggest the possibility that TRH may be processed from a macromolecular precursor.
Using theorem provers to guarantee closed-loop system properties

This paper presents a new approach for leveraging the power of theorem provers for formal verification to provide sufficient conditions that can be checked on embedded control designs. Theorem provers are often most efficient when using generic models that abstract away many of the controller details, but with these abstract models very general conditions can be verified under which desirable properties such as safety can be guaranteed for the closed-loop system. We propose an approach in which these sufficient conditions are static conditions that can be checked for the specific controller design, without having to include the dynamics of the plant. We demonstrate this approach using the KeYmaera theorem prover for differential dynamic logic for two examples: an intelligent cruise controller and a cooperative intersection collision avoidance system (CICAS) for left-turn assist. In each case, safety of the closed-loop system proved using KeYmaera provides static sufficient conditions that are checked for the controller design.
Hollow and habitable within; Symmes's theory of Earth's internal structure and polar geography

In 1818, John Cleves Symmes (1780-1829) circulated a flyer announcing his theory of Earth's structure and polar geography. Declaring that Earth is "hollow, and habitable within; containing a number...
Switchable ferroelectric diode and photovoltaic effect in BiFeO3.

Unidirectional electric current flow, such as that found in a diode, is essential for modern electronics. It usually occurs at asymmetric interfaces such as p-n junctions or metal/semiconductor interfaces with Schottky barriers. We report on a diode effect associated with the direction of bulk electric polarization in BiFeO3: a ferroelectric with a small optical gap edge of ∼2.2 electron volts. We found that bulk electric conduction in ferroelectric monodomain BiFeO3 crystals is highly nonlinear and unidirectional. This diode effect switches its direction when the electric polarization is flipped by an external voltage. A substantial visible-light photovoltaic effect is observed in BiFeO3 diode structures. These results should improve understanding of charge conduction mechanisms in leaky ferroelectrics and advance the design of switchable devices combining ferroelectric, electronic, and optical functionalities.
Microstructure and properties of lead ferroniobate ceramics (Pb(Fe0.5Nb0.5)O3)

Abstract Pure, single phase stoichiometric Pb(Fe0.5Nb0.5)O3 (PFN) powders were successfully formed by molten salt synthesis using a mixture of NaCl and KCl salts. The sinterability and changes in microstructure of these powders, and the dielectric properties of sintered samples, were studied for both pure PFN and PFN with additives such as PbO and Li2CO3. The dielectric properties were sensitive to specimen density, the type of additive and the amount of additive. Pure PFN specimens, which were sintered at 1100 °C for 13 h, exhibited high dielectric constant values (12 270 at 1 MHz). PFN ceramics sintered with PbO as an additive showed inferior dielectric properties, although PbO served as a sintering aid and increased the specimen density. The dielectric properties of PFN with Li2CO3 additive are promising, because they exhibit both high dielectric constant values (14 000 at 1 MHz) and low values of d.c. conductivity. The improved dielectric properties with the addition of Li2CO3 might be attributed to the substitution of Fe by Li.
The Perception of Music: Comments on Peacocke

Discussion et reponse de l'auteur autour de l'ouvrage "The Philosophy of Literature" de Peter Lamarque.
The impact of psychological trauma on wages in post-conflict Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract In the last three decades, armed conflict has increasingly been fought among civilian populations, resulting in greater physical and mental tolls. Soldiers returning from combat with psychological trauma are now receiving medical and policy attention for reintegration into the workforce. However, there is little attention on the impacts and options available to civilians who may face similar problems achieving labor force success after exposure to war-related trauma. Using the Bosnia and Herzegovina Living Standards Measurement Survey for years 2001–2004, we study wage attainment for 7659 respondents in relation to a series of psychological trauma measures which correspond to those used in PTSD diagnosis. In standard OLS regression, all subcomponents of PTSD have a negative impact; however, once unobserved individual heterogeneity is taken into account, some of the individual elements of psychological trauma have positive impacts on wage attainment. This is one of the first studies to find evidence of Posttraumatic Growth using information beyond psychometric instruments. The impact of the PTSD condition itself is insignificant in both models, and we do not find evidence of selection bias. We determine that the traditional means of predicting wages in labor economics are relevant in a post-conflict environment.
The first 85% kraft lignin-based thermoplastics

Interest in the development of lignin-containing polymeric materials has been upheld more or less continuously for the past 20 years. Tendencies toward high moduli and poorly defined thermal transitions have been regarded as imposing inevitable limitations upon the use of lignin derivatives for such purposes. Incorporation of more than 25–40% (w/w) lignin had usually resulted in materials that were brittle and weak. For the first time, however, from homogeneous blends containing 85% (w/w) underivatized industrial kraft lignin with poly(vinyl acetate) and two plasticizers, a series of thermoplastics has been fabricated with promising mechanical properties. The tensile behavior of these new polymeric materials depends directly upon the degree of association between the intrinsic kraft lignin components. In extending to values about 25 MPa and 1.5 GPa, respectively, the tensile strengths and Young's moduli vary linearly with the effective Mw for the kraft lignin species, under conditions where the proportions of the individual molecular components, both associated and discrete, do not change. Moreover, melt-flow index measurements indicate that these polymeric materials are amenable to thermal processing by extrusion molding. Thus a significant step has been taken toward developing a new generation of thermoplastics that are lignin-based in a very fundamental way. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 35: 1899–1910, 1997
NMR solution structure and receptor peptide binding of the CC chemokine eotaxin-2.

The human CC chemokine eotaxin-2 is a specific agonist for the chemokine receptor CCR3 and may play a role in the recruitment of eosinophils in allergic diseases and parasitic infections. We report...
Management of ultrasound images by a picture archiving and communications system

Management of ultrasound images by a picture archivingand communications systemR. H. Choplin, J. M. Boehme, N. T. Wolfman, R. E. Bechtold,N. E. Watson, and C. D. MaynardBowman Gray School of MedicineDepartment of Radiology300 South Hawthorne Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27103ABSTRACTSince October, 1988, a picture archiving and communications system has been ourprimary means of managing ultrasound images. The ultrasound area was selectedbecause of satisfactory image resolution with PACS, relatively low volume (18-20 casesper day), and minimal clinician request for the images. We have performed over 6,000examinations, comprising over 50,000 images during this time period. The images andexamination reports, stored on optical disks, are available on line for one week beforeremoval to shelf archiving. When shelf archived studies have required de-archiving,most have been retrieved within five minutes. Rapid, reliable image acquisition allowedfor decrease in the study performance time. Display monitor illuminance stabilityeliminates density variation associated with improper exposure of films. Immediateavailability of images makes possible on-line monitoring of technologist performed cases.No images have been lost. Technical problems have included image degradationbecause of pixel shift artifact, hardware and software failure, and duplicate entry ofpatient demographic data. Despite rapid initial display and review, subsequent imagereview is 6-10 times slower than with film based studies. If PACS are to succeed,automatic archiving and de-archiving, improved system reliability, and improved speedof display must be developed.
Carbonic anhydrase: General perspective and advances in glaucoma research

The chemistry and physiology of carbonic anhydrase are reviewed in relation to pharmacological progress in the development of sulfonamide inhibitors. The major organ systems are briefly dicussed. From the medical point of view, the major thrust is now for the treatment of glaucoma. The physiology of aqueous humor formation with respect to ion transport is discussed, and it is shown that a key event is the catalytic formation of HCO3− from CO2 and OH−. The newly formed HCO3− is linked to NA+ and fluid movement to produce aqueous humor. Inhibition of HCO3− sunthesis sulfonamides reduces aqueous formation and lowers pressure in normals and in glucoma. Four sulfonamides have been used sytemically, the chief being acetazolamide. None of these works topically; they do not reach the ciliary process in adequate concetrations. New programs have begun, searching for sulfonamides of different properties that cross the cornea in effective concetrations to inhibit carbonic anhydrase in the ciliary porcess. The key to the problems seems to be to search for a balance between water and lipid solubility, maintaining high activity against the enzyme. This has been achieved, and new structures described from this and other laboratories lower pressure in the rabbit nearly as well as systemic sulfonamides. Corneal permeabilities to test compounds (in vitro) in rabbit and man are similar, but accession to the auqeous (in vivo) is less in man. This may make the goal difficult, and the reasons for this difference are being explored.
Complications associated with the use of bone morphogenetic protein in pediatric patients.

BACKGROUND Recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein (rhBMP) has been found to be a powerful adjunct to healing nonunions and obtaining fusions. Despite the apparent clinical efficacy and good safety profile reported with rhBMP use in adults, there is little data regarding the safety of this product in pediatric patients. We evaluated the use of rhBMP-2 in pediatric patients to determine if any complications were associated with its use. METHODS We performed a retrospective review of 81 patients, all less then 18 years old, in whom rhBMP-2 was used. Theoretical complications associated with rhBMP-2 use were compiled based on a review of the published literature on rhBMP-2. A review of each patient's chart and radiographs was performed to record the occurrences of complications, which may have been associated with the use of rhBMP-2. RESULTS A total of 16 complications were found, which may have been attributed to the use of rhBMP-2. There were no incidences of systemic toxicity associated with rhBMP-2 use. Nine patients were noted to have some local operative site problem, 3 deep infections were noted, 1 patient was found to have a postoperative compartment syndrome, 2 patients were found to have neurologic complications (1 with progressive myelopathy and 1 with weakness and dural fibrosis), and 1 patient with neurofibromatosis and previously diagnosed intracranial gliomas was found to have subsequent enlargement of these gliomas. In reviewing these complications, only the case of dural fibrosis and subsequent weakness was thought to possibly be directly related to the use of rhBMP-2. CONCLUSION We found few complications in pediatric patients, which were felt to be directly attributable to the use of rhBMP-2. As such, rhBMP-2 use seems to be relatively safe in this young patient population. Due to the current use of this product in pediatric patients in an "off-label" fashion, we recommend a thorough discussion of the possible risks and benefits of this product with the family before its use. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Therapeutic studies-Level IV.
SO 2 photolysis as a source for sulfur mass-independent isotope signatures in stratospehric aerosols

Abstract. Signatures of sulfur isotope mass-independent fractionation (S-MIF) have been observed in stratospheric sulfate aerosols deposited in polar ice. The S-MIF signatures are thought to be associated with stratospheric photochemistry following stratospheric volcanic eruptions, but the exact mechanism responsible for the production and preservation of these signatures is debated. In order to identify the origin and the mechanism of preservation for these signatures, a series of laboratory photochemical experiments were carried out to investigate the effect of temperature and added O2 on the S-MIF produced by two absorption band systems of SO2: photolysis in the 190 to 220 nm region and photoexcitation in the 250 to 350 nm region. The SO2 photolysis (SO2 + hν → SO + O) experiments showed S-MIF signals with large 34S/34S fractionations, which increases with decreasing temperature. The overall S-MIF pattern observed for photolysis experiments, including high 34S/34S fractionations, positive mass-independent anomalies in 33S, and negative anomalies in 36S, is consistent with a major contribution from optical isotopologue screening effects and data for stratospheric sulfate aerosols. In contrast, SO2 photoexcitation produced products with positive S-MIF anomalies in both 33S and 36S, which is different from stratospheric sulfate aerosols. SO2 photolysis in the presence of O2 produced SO3 with S-MIF signals, suggesting the transfer of the S-MIF anomalies from SO to SO3 by the SO + O2 + M → SO3 + M reaction. This is supported with energy calculations of stationary points on the SO3 potential energy surfaces, which indicate that this reaction occurs slowly on a single adiabatic surface, but that it can occur more rapidly through intersystem crossing. Based on our experimental results, we estimate a termolecular rate constant on the order of 10−37 cm6 molecule−2 s−1. This rate can explain the preservation of mass independent isotope signatures in stratospheric sulfate aerosols and provides a minor, but important, oxidation pathway for stratospheric SO2. The production and preservation of S-MIF signals requires a high SO2 column density to allow for optical isotopologue screening effects to occur and to generate a large enough signature that it can be preserved. In addition, the SO2 plume must reach an altitude of around 20 to 25 km, where SO2 photolysis becomes a dominant process. These experiments are the first step towards understanding the origin of the sulfur isotope anomalies in stratospheric sulfate aerosols.
The Philosophical Basis of Soil Classification and Its Evolution

The system of soil classification used in the U.S. system of soil taxonomy has been criticized as being based on the flawed 19th century logic of John Stuart Mill. Mill postulated that objects have self-evident properties that will be apparent to any observer. Further, these properties reflect inherent differences between objects. However, language shapes perception to a great extent, and knowledge of external reality can be obtained only by observation. It cannot be assumed that all observers, particularly those using different languages, will find the same things important. Therefore, different observers are likely to categorize in different ways. In order to avoid arbitrary classifications, an inductive method is used based on tests of predictive ability. This allows the creation of a classification system that follows the regularities of nature, within the constraints on perception imposed by any linguistic division. Classification in natural history as well as in soil science has moved from a noncontextual naming of independent objects to a bounded self-consistent system in which each entity is defined in relation to all others in the system. This represents an evolutionary process that proceeds through the adoption of the inductive method and ultimately leads to the creation of a classification system consistent with the underlying principles of the discipline. The current system of soil classification is consistent with the progressive nature of this process and is not in need of fundamental modification
Protein interactions with platinum-DNA adducts: from structure to function.

Because of the efficacy of cisplatin and carboplatin in a wide variety of chemotherapeutic regimens, hundreds of platinum(II) and platinum(IV) complexes have been synthesized and evaluated as anticancer agents over the past 30 years. Of the many third generation platinum compounds evaluated to date, only oxaliplatin has been approved for clinical usage in the United States. Thus, it is important to understand the mechanistic basis for the differences in efficacy, mutagenicity and tumor range between cisplatin and oxaliplatin. Cisplatin and oxaliplain form the same types of adducts at the same sites on DNA. The most abundant adduct for both compounds is the Pt-GG intrastrand diadduct. Cisplatin-GG adducts are preferentially recognized by mismatch repair proteins and some damage-recognition proteins, and this differential recognition of cisplatin- and oxaliplatin-GG adducts is thought to contribute to the differences in cytotoxicity and tumor range of cisplatin and oxaliplatin. A detailed kinetic analysis of the insertion and extension steps of dNTP incorporation in the vicinity of the adduct shows that both pol β and pol η catalyze translesion synthesis past oxaliplatin-GG adducts with greater efficiency than past cisplatin-GG adducts. In the case of pol η, the efficiency and fidelity of translesion synthesis in vitro is very similar to that previously observed with cyclobutane TT dimers, suggesting that pol η is likely to be involved in error-free bypass of Pt adducts in vivo. This has been confirmed for cisplatin by comparing the cisplatin-induced mutation frequency in human fibroblast cell lines with and without pol η. Thus, the greater efficiency of bypass of oxaliplatin-GG adducts by pol η is likely to explain the lower mutagenicity of oxaliplatin compared to cisplatin. The ability of these cellular proteins to discriminate between cisplatin and oxaliplatin adducts suggest that there exist significant conformational differences between the adducts, yet the crystal structures of the cisplatin- and oxaliplatin-GG adducts were very similar. We have recently solved the solution structure of the oxaliplatin-GG adduct and have shown that it is significantly different from the previously published solution structures of the cisplatin-GG adducts. Furthermore, the observed differences in conformation provide a logical explanation for the differential recognition of cisplatin and oxaliplatin adducts by mismatch repair and damage-recognition proteins. Molecular modeling studies are currently underway to analyze the mechanistic basis for the differential bypass of cisplatin and oxaliplatin adducts by DNA polymerases.
A mini drivepoint sampler for measuring pore water solute concentrations in the hyporheic zone of sand‐bottom streams

A new method for collecting pore-water samples in gravel streambeds is presented. We developed a mini drivepoint solution sampling (MINIPOINT) technique to collect pore-water samples at 2.5-cm vertical resolution. The sampler consisted of six small-diameter stainless steel drivepoints arranged in a 10-cm-diameter circular array. In a simple procedure, the sampler was installed in the streambed to preset drivepoint depths of 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, 10.0, 12.5, and 15.0 cm. Sampler performance was evaluated in the Shingobee River, Minnesota, and Pinal Creek, Arizona, by measuring the vertical gradient of chloride concentration in pore water beneath the streambed that was established by the uninterrupted injection to the stream for 3 d. Pore-water samples were withdrawn from all drivepoints simultaneously. In the first evaluation, the vertical chloride gradient was unchanged at withdrawal rates between 0.3 and 4.0 ml min− but was disturbed at higher rates. In the second evaluation, up to 70 ml of pore water was withdrawn from each drivepoint at a withdrawal rate of 2.5 ml min−1 without disturbing the vertical chloride gradient. Background concentrations of other solutes were also determined with MINIPOINT sampling. Steep vertical gradients were present for biologically reactive solutes such as DO, NH4+, NO3−, and dissolved organic C in the top 20 cm of the streambed. These detailed solute profiles in the hyporheic zone could not have been determined without a method for close interval vertical sampling that does not disturb natural logic mixing between stream water and groundwater.
The effect of inhomogeneous magnetic field on the modes of bounded plasmas

In this note the dispersion relations of the symmetric slow-wave mode propagating in a non-homogeneious and anisotropic plasma bounded by two planes are discussed. It was Found that symmetric modes propagating in a homogeneous plasma with a. non-homogeneous magnetic field have multiple allowed frequency bands which are affected by the degree of inhomogeneity of the magnetic field.
Analyzing the metastatic phenotype

The dissemination of cells from a primary tumor, resulting in the progressive growth of metastatic carcinoma in distant sites, is the most common cuse of death of cancer patients. The observations from clinical studies and the results of experimental studies using rodent tumors and human cancer cells implanted into immunodeficient host animals suggest that metastasis is not a random event, but rather the result of a sequence of selective events, many of which involve interactions with elements of the microenvironment of the primay and metastatic tumors. Analysis of the metastatic potential of a human tumor cell population has been greatly improved by the introduction of orthotopic models of tumor growth and metastasis, which have demonstrated that implanting human tumor cells into the appropriate tissue in an immunodeficient rodent can increase both tumor take and incidence of metastasis. This will be the models that should be used to validate the identity of candidate metastasis-associated genes, and determine the value of new forms of therapy, either genetic of pharmacological, for controlling metastatic cancer growth.