cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Shielding of viruses such as SARS-Cov-2 from ultraviolet radiation in particles generated by sneezing or coughing: Numerical simulations of survival fractions.

SARS-CoV-2 and other microbes within aerosol particles can be partially shielded from UV radiation. The particles refract and absorb light, and thereby reduce the UV intensity at various locations within the particle. Previously, we demonstrated shielding in calculations of UV intensities within spherical approximations of SARS-CoV-2 virions within spherical particles approximating dried-to-equilibrium respiratory fluids. The purpose of this paper is to extend that work to survival fractions of virions (i.e., fractions of virions that can infect cells) within spherical particles approximating dried respiratory fluids, and to investigate the implications of these calculations for using UV light for disinfection. The particles may be on a surface or in air. Here, the survival fraction (S) of a set of individual virions illuminated with a UV fluence (F, in J/m2) is assumed described by S(kF) = exp(-kF), where k is the UV inactivation rate constant (m2/J). The average survival fraction (Sp) of the simulated virions in a group of particles is calculated using the energy absorbed by each virion in the particles. The results show that virions within particles of dried respiratory fluids can have larger Sp than do individual virions. For individual virions, and virions within 1-, 5-, and 9-µm particles illuminated (normal incidence) on a surface with 260-nm UV light, the Sp = 0.00005, 0.0155, 0.22, and 0.28, respectively, when kF = 10. The Sp decrease to <10-7, <10-7, 0.077, and 0.15, respectively, for kF = 100. Results also show that illuminating particles with UV beams from widely separated directions can strongly reduce the Sp. These results suggest that the size distributions and optical properties of the dried particles of virion-containing respiratory fluids are likely important to effectively designing and using UV germicidal irradiation systems for microbes in particles. The results suggest the use of reflective surfaces to increase the angles of illumination and decrease the Sp. The results suggest the need for measurements of the Sp of SARS-CoV-2 in particles having compositions and sizes relevant to the modes of disease transmission.
Risk and Respectability: Reinventing Sexuality in State-NGO HIV Prevention Programs

The “AIDS industry” has been a contested topic for scholars of sex work and sexuality in India. Predictions of an AIDS crisis in India in the 1990s led to an influx of global funding for HIV prevention programs targeted toward sex workers, sexual minorities, and transgender people. These programs were managed by a state agency, the National AIDS Control Organization, but implemented through non-governmental and community-based organizations (NGOs and CBOs). Existing scholarship shows that this incorporation of civil society into state programs both furthered epidemiological surveillance into intimate life and created openings for activist claims on the state. In this article, I argue that HIV prevention programs, as mediators of state public health imperatives and the everyday lives of “at-risk” targets, became sites for cultivating new ways of naming, embodying, and practicing sexuality. Drawing on ethnographic and in-depth interview fieldwork in Bangalore, I show how HIV prevention workers cultivated respectable ways of dressing, speaking, soliciting clients, and moving through public space, while learning how to speak openly in the right contexts and at the right times. HIV drop-in centers became a route to respectable sexuality, an index of class and caste, that enabled new individual and collective engagements with the state while generating room for collective care. As sociologists increasingly turn to the state’s production of legible subjects, HIV prevention programs in India provide an instructive site for demonstrating how, at the interface of state and civil society, sexual respectability was central to both surveillance and the formation of collective demands.
Dead Time Analysis of a Power-Hardware-in-the-Loop Emulator for Induction Machines

The power-hardware-in-the-loop (PHIL)-based machine emulator systems use controlled power converters to mimic machine behavior. This testing method allows testing of the drive inverter and drive controller prior to the manufacture of an electric motor prototype. In this paper, a PHIL-based machine emulation system is used to mimic the behavior of a three phase induction machine (IM) which is connected to the grid. However, it is essential for the emulator inverter to have a dead time between the upper and lower switches. This dead time in the emulator inverter leads to lower order harmonics which deteriorate the motor emulation accuracy. Thus, it is important to investigate and analyze the effect of dead time in emulation. A detailed analysis of the dead time effect on motor emulation is presented. Experimental results are obtained from the emulator system and from a squirrel cage induction motor to validate the proposed emulator with various dead times.
Sensory alternation and vigilance performance: the role of pathway inhibition

Posner's theory of pathway inhibition leads to the expectation that stimulus heterogeneity should attenuate the event rate effect and the decrement function in sustained attention. These predictions were tested through a sensory alternation procedure in which stimulation was shuttled between the auditory and visual modalities. Subjects detected slight reductions in the duration of recurrent flashes of light or bursts of white noise at two event rates (5 and 40 events/min) during a 50-min vigil. Consistent with the model, sensory alternation eliminated the event rate effect. It did not, however, moderate the decrement function. Although pathway inhibition can account for the effects of event rate, other factors are probably responsible for the vigilance decrement.
How Taking a Word for a Word Can Be Problematic: Context-Dependent Linguistic Markers of Extraversion and Neuroticism

This study conceptually extends recent research on linguistic markers of psychological processes by demonstrating that psychological correlates of word use can vary with the context in which the words are used. The word use of 90 participants was analyzed across two theoretically defined communication contexts. Information about participants’ public language use was derived from recorded snippets of their daily conversations with others. Information about their private language use was derived from stream-of-consciousness essays. Personality trait–word use associations emerged as highly context dependent. Extraversion as a public trait was related to verbal productivity in public but not private language. Neuroticism as a private trait was related to the verbal expression of emotions in private but not public language. Verbal immediacy was indicative of Extraversion in public and Neuroticism in private language use. The findings illustrate the importance of considering communication contexts in research on psychological implications of natural language use.
Antibiotic Use after Free Tissue Reconstruction of Head and Neck Defects: Short Course vs. Long Course.

Abstract Background: Free tissue reconstruction has become the standard of care for most major defects in the head and neck. Surgical site infection (SSI) can lead to vessel thrombosis and eventual flap loss. The use of antibiotics after free tissue reconstruction has not been studied in the current environment of heightened bacterial antibiotic resistance. We compared the use of short-term and longer-term antibiotics in a series of patients receiving free tissue reconstructions. Methods: A retrospective review was performed of 147 patients receiving 149 free flaps who were treated with either short-course (≤2 d; n = 149 [43%]) or long-course (>2 d; n = 85 [57%])) post-operative antibiotics from 2009 to 2014. The outcomes examined were infection, return to the operating room, length of hospital stay, and patient death up to six weeks post-surgery. In addition, risk factors associated with SSI were explored. Results: Surgical site infection, flap dehiscence, flap loss, and length of stay were not different...
Preliminary experimental results of spot size scaling in laser induced damage to optical coatings

The laser damage threshold of various thin film coatings has been assessed using 1.06 μm radiation at a pulse length of 6ns FWHM. Samples of conventional coatings of several materials have been tested as a function of film thickness and spot size. Beam diameters employed range from approximately 9μm and larger. From these preliminary data, previously observed scaling has been verified, i.e., thinner films are more damage resistant, while smaller spot sizes yield higher damage thresholds, as expected. The samples employed in these tests were conventional coatings of ThF 4 , ZrO 2 and HfO 2 as well as specially prepared "low defect" coatings of Cerac and RAP grown ThF 4 . These "low defect" coatings are initial efforts and unfortunately showed no advantage over conventional coatings in terms of damage threshold.
Reversal of Nitrate Inhibition of Nodulation by Indolyl-3-acetic Acid

NITRATE appears to have an influence on the action of indolyl-3-acetic acid (IAA) in the initiation and development of the symbiosis between legumes and bacteria of the genus Rhizobium. For example, it is often suggested that IAA is responsible for the curling of root hairs that is taken to be a prelude to the bacterial invasion of the legume root1, and Thornton2 noted that the percentage of lucerne root hairs that were deformed in the presence of Rhizobium meliloti culture filtrates was reduced if the plants were simultaneously supplied with NaNO3. IAA is likewise proposed to be involved in the nodulation process itself3, the nodule biogenesis likewise being repressed by nitrate. Recently, Tanner and Anderson4 suggested that the inhibition may be attributable to a destruction of auxin by the nitrite produced from the bacterial reduction of nitrate. In this communication, it is demonstrated that not only may nitrate influence the lAA-induced changes but also that IAA may, conversely, mitigate the inhibition of nodulation by nitrate.
Chronic food restriction and dopamine transporter function in rat striatum.

Abstract The present communication reports on DA uptake in rat striatum in a model of chronic food restriction. The Km for DA uptake was unaltered, but the Vmax was reduced by 32%, not supporting the idea that the enhanced behavioral sensitivity to cocaine or d -amphetamine upon chronic food restriction is due to a greater density of DAT at the plasma membrane for drug interaction. Chronic food restriction did not alter the potency of cocaine or d -amphetamine in inhibiting DA uptake in the striatum, suggesting that the enhanced behavioral sensitivity to these drugs upon chronic food restriction is not due to their enhanced affinity for DAT. These results point to factors other than DAT density or affinity underlying the sensitized response to psychostimulants in food restriction.
The risks and reconstruction model for resettling displaced populations

Abstract Involuntary population displacements and resettlement entailed by development programs have reached a magnitude and frequency that give these phenomena worldwide relevance and require policy-guided solutions. The author extracts the general trends and common characteristics revealed by a vast body of empirical data, to construct a theoretical model of displacement and reconstruction. The model captures the socioeconomic content of both segments of the process: forced displacement and reestablishment. It identifies the key risks and impoverishment processes in displacement as: (a) landlessness; (b) joblessness; (c) homelessness; (d) marginalization: (e) food insecurity; (f) loss of access to common property resources; (g) increased morbidity; (h) community disarticulation. Conversely, the model suggests that reconstructing and improving the livelihood of those displaced require risk-reversals through explicit strategies backed up by adequate financing. Flawed approaches to reconstruction and the intrinsic limitations of cost-benefit analysis are discussed. The paper shows how the proposed model can be used by practitioners and researchers as a diagnostic tool, a predictive tool, a problem-resolution tool and a research-guidance tool.
Responses of microbial community from northern Gulf of Mexico sandy sediments following exposure to Deepwater Horizon crude oil.

In the present study, microbial community responses to exposure to unweathered Macondo Well crude oil and conventional diesel in a sandy beach environment were determined. Biodegradation was assessed in mesocosm experiments with differing fuel amounts (2,000 and 4,000 mg/kg) and with or without inorganic nutrient amendment. Carbon dioxide production was measured daily for 42 d. Aerobic alkane, total hydrocarbon, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) degraders were enumerated in treated and control mesocosms and changes in their abundances were measured weekly. Hydrocarbon mineralization occurred in all treatments. In the inorganic nutrient-amended treatments, the degradation rates were 2.31 and 2.00 times greater in the 2,000 mg/kg diesel and crude oil treatments, respectively, and 3.52 (diesel) and 4.14 (crude) times higher for the fuel types at the 4,000 mg/kg fuel concentrations compared to unamended treatments. Microbial lag phases were short (<3 d) and alkane and total hydrocarbon degrader numbers increased by five orders of magnitude compared to the uncontaminated treatments within 7 d in most treatments. Hydrocarbon degrader numbers in diesel and in crude oil treatments were similar; however, the PAH degraders were more abundant in the crude oil relative to diesel treatment. These findings indicate that hydrocarbon degradation by extant microbial populations in the northern Gulf of Mexico sandy beach environments can be stimulated and enhanced by inorganic nutrient addition. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2012; 31: 1004–1011. © 2012 SETAC
Quark-Pair Production in Proton-Nucleus Collisions

The cross sections for pair production of quarks in proton-nucleus collisions are calculated using the cross section for the production of massive photons measured by Christenson et al. in a recent $\ensuremath{\mu}$-pair experiment. A comparison with upper limits on the total quark production cross section measured at CERN and Serpukhov reveals that pointlike fractionally charged quarks with mass \ensuremath{\lesssim} 3 GeV/${\mathit{c}}^{2}$ do not exist as free particles.
Environmental effects during application of materials at temperatures above 1200 °C

Abstract The materials which may have properties for use at temperatures above 1200 °C are examined and shown to be some refractory metal alloys, a few intermetallics, a number of ceramics, and composites. It is shown that the most important form of environmentally induced degradation of these materials at temperatures above 1200 °C is oxidation. The oxidation of each of these types of material is then examined. It is shown that, in order for materials to possess adequate oxidation resistance at temperatures above 1200 °C, external scales of Al 2 O 3 or SiO 2 must be formed as reaction products.
Management of congenital and acquired pulmonary vein stenosis.

Background Pulmonary vein (PV) stenosis, whether congenital or after repair of total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC), continues to carry a poor prognosis. Methods A retrospective review identified 36 patients who underwent repair of PV stenosis between December 1989 and June 2003. Fourteen with congenital PV stenosis underwent scar excision and primary repair (n = 2), intraoperative stent placement (n = 4), or sutureless pericardial marsupialization (n = 8). Twenty-two with acquired PV stenosis after TAPVC repair underwent anastomotic revision and/or vein repair (n = 11) or sutureless pericardial marsupialization (n = 11). Follow-up ranged from 1 month to 14 years (median, 30 months). Results Among the 14 patients with congenital PV stenosis, 8 died (3 early deaths, 4 late deaths with restenosis, and 1 late noncardiac death). Among the six survivors, five (4 after marsupialization) have not developed restenosis. Among 11 of 22 patients with acquired PV stenosis undergoing anastomotic revision or vein repair, there were 5 deaths (2 early, 2 late with restenosis, and 1 late noncardiac death) and 1 of the six survivors has developed restenosis. Of the remaining 11 undergoing marsupialization, there was one late death (with restenosis) and 10 survivors have no restenosis. Congenital etiology, use of marsupialization technique, presence of associated defect, and extent of disease were identified as risk factors for poor outcome. Conclusions Patients with pulmonary vein stenosis continue to have a guarded prognosis. Sutureless pericardial marsupialization was associated with satisfactory midterm results and appears superior to other conventional techniques.
Cost efficiency among credit card banks

Abstract Credit card banks produce a single, relatively homogeneous output, permitting exceptionally clean empirical tests of cost efficiency. The high net interest margins and fees on credit card loans also suggests a large potential for managerial slack or expense preference behavior, possibly fostering a wider range of cost efficiency than observed for general-purpose banks. This paper presents estimates of cost efficiency for a sample of monoline credit card banks over the period 1984–1993; the findings are similar to those previously reported for general-purpose banks. We also explore empirical correlates of the estimated cost efficiency.
Adsorption-controlled growth of PbTiO3 by reactive molecular beam epitaxy

Epitaxial lead titanate films have been grown on (001) SrTiO3 substrates by reactive molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Growth of stoichiometric phase-pure epitaxial PbTiO3 films is achieved by supplying a continuous excess of lead and ozone to the surface of the depositing film. Results obtained from RBS composition analysis, measured film thicknesses and flux measurements using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AA) indicate that the film growth rate is completely determined by the incident titanium flux supplied to the surface. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) results show that films grow smoothly in a layer-by-layer fashion with an RMS roughness of <0.5 nm. The sticking coefficient of titanium is determined to be approximately unity while the excess lead, lead oxide and ozone desorb. Lead and ozone beam equivalent pressures have been measured in the MBE environment. Thermodynamic analysis is used to help describe the processes that prevent the incorporation of PbO into films under adsorption-controlled growth conditions.
Case report 619

A case of intraosseous lipoma of the sacrum with dystrophic calcification and cystic degeneration is presented. The differential diagnosis of fat-containing bone tumors is considered.
Moving toward new statin guidelines in a post-JUPITER world: Principles to consider

The recently completed study Justification for the Use of Statins in Prevention: An Intervention Trial Evaluating Rosuvastatin (JUPITER) demonstrates that statin therapy reduces vascular events in apparently healthy men and women with low levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (mean, 104 mg/dL) who are at elevated risk due to high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels greater than 2 mg/L. Among 17,802 trial participants, rosuvastatin resulted in a 44% reduction in the primary end point of all vascular events (P < 0.00001), a 54% reduction in myocardial infarction (P = 0.0002), a 48% reduction in stroke (P = 0.002), a 46% reduction in need for arterial revascularization (P < 0.001), and a 20% reduction in all-cause mortality (P = 0.02). All subgroups with elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein benefited, including those traditionally considered to be at low risk, such as women, nonsmokers, and those with Framingham risk scores less than 10%. Absolute risk reductions within JUPITER result in a number needed to treat at 5 years of 25, a value comparable or superior to that of other interventions routinely used in primary prevention, including statin therapy among those with hyperlipidemia. Although lifestyle interventions remain critical, the screening and treatment strategy tested in JUPITER is likely to impact on new guidelines for cardiovascular disease prevention.
Cold Model Study of Raceway in COREX Melter Gasifier

In this paper, the method of cold model is applied to study raceway in COREX Melter-Gasifier drawing on the experience of raceway in blast furnace. The influence factors, blasting volume, charging rate which simulates coke consumption, bed packing height have been considered. The results show that the shape of raceway is ellipsoidal and blasting volume, charging rate, bed packing height have effect on raceway. The raceway penetration depth and raceway height expand with increasing blasting volume and charging rate. However, the size of raceway decreases with increasing bed packing height.
Microstructural aspects of superplasticity

The microstructural aspects of the superplastic phenomenon are reviewed. The experimental results of a very large number of investigations are critically analysed in the context of: grain shape and size; grain growth; grain boundary sliding and migration, grain rotation and rearrangement; diffusion and dislocation activity. It is shown, that in spite of often conflicting evidence in the literature, a common pattern of microstructural behaviour emerges for all the materials and conditions investigated to date.
The vortical flow above the drain-hole in a rotating vessel

The problem of slow draining of incompressible fluid from a rotating cylindrical vessel is considered. Transient effects, internal viscosity, boundary friction and finite cylindrical boundaries are included. In addition a tornado model formulated by Turner is solved and compared with some experiments on rotating turbulence of Hopfinger, Browand & Gagne.
The German crisis of 1931: evidence and tradition

The German currency was controlled and German banks closed in July 1931. Does it matter whether poor currency management or poor banking practice led to the crisis? This paper argues that it does—because the choice indicates which decisions led to the Great Depression. This issue is so emotional that evidence has been subordinated to tradition in recent academic discussion. Data and economic analysis indicate clearly that the crisis originated in the currency, not the banks. The most useful model for this crisis is Krugman’s first generation model of financial crises.
Deactivation of Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators in Terminal Illness and End of Life Care

Cardiology professional societies have recommended that patients with cardiovascular implantable electronic devices complete advance directives (ADs). However, physicians rarely discuss end of life handling of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), and standard AD forms do not address the presence of ICDs. We conducted a telephone survey of 278 patients with an ICD from a large, academic hospital. The average period since implantation was 5.15 years. More than 1/3 (38%) had been shocked, with a mean of 4.69 shocks. More than 1/2 had executed an AD, but only 3 had included a plan for their ICD. Most subjects (86%) had never considered what to do with their ICD if they had a serious illness and were unlikely to survive. When asked about ICD deactivation in an end of life situation, 42% said it would depend, 28% favored deactivation, and 11% would not deactivate. One quarter (26%) thought ICD deactivation was a form of assisted suicide, 22% thought a do not resuscitate order did not mean that the ICD should be deactivated, and 46% responded that the ICD should not be automatically deactivated in hospice. The answers did not correlate with any demographic factors. Almost all (95%) agreed that patients should have the opportunity to execute an AD that directs handing of an ICD. When asked who should be responsible for discussing this device for an AD, 31% said electrophysiologists, 45% said general cardiologists, and 14% said primary care physicians. In conclusion, the results of the present study highlight the lack of consensus among patients with an ICD on the issue of deactivation at the end of a patient's life. These findings suggest cardiologists should discuss end of life care and device deactivation with their patients with an ICD.
A Linear Algebra Approach to the Analysis of Rigid Body Velocity From Position and Velocity Data

The instantaneous velocity of a rigid body in space is characterized by an angular and translational velocity. By representing the angular velocity as a matrix and the translational component as a vector the velocity of any point in the rigid body may be found if the position of the point and the parameters of the angular and translational velocities are known. Alternatively, the parameters of the rigid body velocity may be determined if the velocity and position of three points fixed in the body are known. In this paper, a new matrix-theory-based method is derived for determining the instantaneous velocity parameters of rigid body motion in terms of the velocity and position of three noncollinear points fixed in the body. The method is shown to possess certain advantages over traditional vectoral solutions to the same problem.
Transport of agrichemicals to ground and surface water in a small central indiana watershed

The occurrence, distribution, concentrations, and pathways of agrichemicals in water were investigated in the Sugar Creek watershed, a poorly drained agricultural watershed typical of many watersheds in the midwestern USA. Water samples from Sugar Creek, two tile drains, and 11 wells along a groundwater flowpath to Sugar Creek were collected between May 1992 and August 1996 and analyzed for N and pesticide compounds. Nitrate was the principal N species and pesticides were common in alluvial water-bearing units in the Sugar Creek floodplain. In the confined stratified drift aquifers, ammonia was the principal N species and pesticides were rare. Tile drains directly affected the water quality in Sugar Creek by transporting soil pore water and shallow groundwater containing high concentrations of nitrate (NO 3 ) and pesticides to the creek. When tile drains were flowing (typically December through July), elevated NO 3 concentrations (2-10 mg/L NO 3 N) in the creek correlated with high NO, concentrations (2-23 mg/L NO 3 N) in tile drains discharging to the creek. Likewise, with concentrations of atrazine and atrazine metabolites, seasonal trends in the tile-drain effluent were similar to seasonal trends in Sugar Creek. When tile drains went dry, NO 3 concentrations in the creek were low, indicating most groundwater discharge to the creek consisted of old or denitrified water. Trace levels of pesticides in the creek at low flow probably were the result of seepage from alluvial water-bearing units.
Stimulation of stearoyl-CoA desaturase activity by sn-glycero-3-phosphate in mouse liver microsomes

The addition of sn-glycero-3-phosphate at about 4 mM concentration to an in vitro incubation system doubles the activity of mouse liver microsomal stearoyl-CoA desaturase. The effect is specific for glycero-3-P since sn-glycero-1-phosphate and sn-glycero-2-phosphate are ineffective in altering the rate of desaturation. With the addition of glycero-3-P, about 98% of the oleoyl-CoA formed is found as glycerides whereas without that addition, at least 50% of the oleate formed is in the unesterified form. Studies in which glyceride synthesis was achieved before the addition of NADH resulted in relatively little desaturation, showing that esterified stearate is not desaturated. These results suggest that glycero-3-P stimulation of desaturase activity is a consequence of the removal of oleoyl-CoA from the active site of the enzyme by glyceride synthesis.
Plant regeneration from apple seedling explants and callus cultures

Leaf, cotyledon, and hypocotyl explants were obtained from 3-week-old seedlings of open-pollinated ‘Golden Delicious’ (Malus domestica bork H.) grown in vitro. They were placed on modified Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing B5 vitamins, sucrose and agar, supplemented with 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), and maintained at 25°C±2 in the light or in the dark to assess morphogenetic responses. Leaf and cotyledon explants cultured in the dark for an initial 3 weeks, then transferred to light for 4 weeks, produced 5- to 20-fold more adventitious shoots than those cultured for 7 weeks in the light. Conversely, light did not significantly influence the number of adventitious shoots formed on hypocotyl explants. Five-minute daily exposures of leaf explants to red light (651 nm) suppressed adventitious shoot formation by 80%; five-minute exposure to far-red light (729 nm) immediately following the red light counteracted the red suppression.
Detoxification of lithocholic acid, A toxic bile acid: Relevance to drug hepatotoxicity

Lithocholic acid, a monohydroxy, secondary bile acid, is formed by bacterial 7-dehydroxylation of the primary bile acid chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) and of the secondary bile acid ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA). Lithocholic acid and its precursor CDCA are toxic when fed to the rabbit, rhesus monkey, and baboon, but not when CDCA, as well as UDCA, is used for therapeutic purposes in man. Older studies showed that the species specific toxicity of lithocholic acid could be explained by efficient sulfation of lithocholic acid in man and in chimpanzee, but not in the rabbit, rhesus monkey, or baboon. Rodents detoxify lithocholic acid by hydroxylation, but this does not occur in species in which it is toxic. Recent studies suggest that lithocholic acid induces its own detoxification by activating nuclear receptors to promote transcription of genes encoding sulfotransferase. In addition, work with CaCo2 cells suggest that lithocholic acid may undergo sulfation in the enterocyte and be effluxed back into the intestinal lumen. The evolution of trihydroxy bile acids in vertebrates may have occurred to decrease the formation of lithocholic acid. Lithocholic acid is a rare example of a toxic endobiotic; a variety of mechanisms have evolved to solve the problem of efficient detoxification.
Zinc and Alcoholic Liver Disease

Zinc deficiency is one of the most consistent nutritional/biochemical observations in alcoholic liver disease (ALD). The objectives of our research are to determine how alcohol interferes with cellular zinc homeostasis and if zinc deficiency is a causal factor in the development of ALD. Metallothionein (MT) is a major protein responsible for cellular zinc homeostasis. MT-transgenic (MT-TG) mice with hepatic overexpression of MT and elevation of zinc level were resistant to ethanol-induced liver injury. MT-knockout (MT-KO) mice with a reduction of hepatic zinc were more susceptible to alcohol toxicity. However, zinc treatment also provided beneficial effects on alcohol hepatoxicity in MT-KO mice, suggesting a MT-independent action. Dietary zinc supplementation normalized hepatic zinc level and attenuated the pathological changes in the liver of mice chronically fed alcohol. Several mechanisms were involved in zinc action against alcoholic cytotoxicity. Zinc enhanced cellular antioxidant capacity and corrected alcohol metabolic switch from alcohol dehydrogenase to cytochrome P4502E1. Zinc attenuated cytokine production and TNF-α receptor- and Fas-mediated cell death pathways. Zinc restored activities of hepatocyte nuclear factor-4α (HNF-4α) and peroxisome proliferation activator-α (PPAR-α), and enhanced hepatic fatty acid β-oxidation and lipid secretion. Hepatoma cell cultures showed that zinc deprivation induces lipid accumulation via inactivating HNF-4α and PPAR-α. These results suggest that alcohol exposure interferes with hepatic zinc homeostasis, leading to cellular zinc deprivation. Inactivation of zinc proteins due to zinc release is likely an important molecular mechanism in the pathogenesis of ALD.
Sewage sludge as a single precursor for development of composite adsorbents/catalysts

New York City origin sewage sludge was pyrolyzed and converted into adsorbents. Pyrolysis conditions were modified in order to evaluate the development of catalytic surface towards hydrogen sulfide oxidation. The holding time ranged from 0.5 h to 2 h and the final temperature was 650 °C, 800 °C and 950 °C. The resulting materials were characterized using adsorption of nitrogen (surface area and pore volume), thermal analysis, X-ray diffractions, XRF, SEM-EDX, TEM and pH measurements. On these materials adsorption/oxidation of hydrogen sulfide from moist air was carried out and the products of the surface oxidation were evaluated. The results indicated development of catalytic surface with an increase in pyrolysis temperature and holding time. As a result of solid state high temperature reactions between main components of sewage sludge, mainly iron, zinc, copper, phosphorus, silica and alumina, new mineral phases are formed which are very active in the oxidation process. Moreover, the presence of catalytic metals and organic vapors results in formation of carbon nanotubes on the surface of sewage sludge derived adsorbents as a result of self imposed chemical vapor deposition process.
Simple method to measure the interaction potential of dielectric grains in a dusty plasma.

A simple minimally perturbative method is introduced which provides the ability to experimentally measure both the radial confining potential and the interaction potential between two individual dust particles, levitated in the sheath of a radio-frequency (RF) argon discharge. In this technique, a single dust particle is dropped into the plasma sheath to interact with a second individual dust particle already situated at the system's equilibrium point, without introducing any external perturbation. The resulting data are analyzed using a method employing a polynomial fit to the particle displacement(s), $X(t)$, to reduce uncertainty in calculation. Employing this technique, the horizontal confinement is shown to be parabolic over a wide range of pressures and displacements from the equilibrium point. The interaction potential is also measured and shown to be well described by a screened Coulomb potential and to decrease with increasing pressure. Finally, the charge on the particle and the effective dust screening distance are calculated. It is shown for the first time experimentally that the charge on a particle in the sheath of an RF plasma decreases with increasing pressure, in agreement with theoretical predictions. The screening distance also decreases with increasing pressure as expected. This technique can be used for rapid determination of particle parameters in dusty plasma.
Imaging insulating oxides: scanning tunneling microscopy of ultrathin MgO films on Mo(001)

Using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) we have studied the structure of an insulating thin film, MgO grown on Mo(001). Although the bandgap in bulk MgO is 7.8 eV, the films are sufficiently conducting to perform STM. Stable tunneling and imaging can be obtained for MgO films up to 25 A thick. Growth at room temperature produces uniform films with small domains of between 20 and 60 A in diameter. The domains have random shapes with the perimeter of the domains exhibiting no preferred orientation. Films as thick as 8 layers typically have 3 atomic layers exposed. Films grown at temperatures in excess of 1000 K exhibited three-dimensional MgO islands with exposed substrate. Close inspection of these films determined that at voltages as low as 2.5 V and for films as thick as 5 ML the STM directly measures oxide film morphology.
Sensitivity of an eigenvalue of a multivariable control system

In determining the sensitivity of response of a linear time-invariant dynamic system, extensive use is made of the concepts of eigenvalue and eigenvector sensitivity. In an earlier paper, a closed-form expression for the eigenvalue-sensitivity coefficient was obtained. The purpose of this article is to arrive at an elegant closed-form expression for the evaluation of eigen vector-sensitivity coefficients.
Museums in postcolonial Europe: an introduction

Abstract Government ministries have historically played a central role in sponsoring imperial ambitions overseas, in supporting the establishment of museums in which to display the acquired spoils and glorious symbols of geopolitical power, and in mobilizing public support for these expansionist ventures. In turn, decolonization has entailed an interrogation of relationality between former colonial powers and colonized subjects alongside claims and demands that have been made by ethnic minorities and immigrants insisting upon improved representation in the genealogies of European nation-states. Museological practices have been subjected to greater scrutiny in light of these political and social transformations, and a comparative transhistorical and transcolonial analysis of European museums stands to improve the contextualization of these experiences and legacies. In addition to the refurbishment and restructuring of colonial era museums, new spaces have also been inaugurated thereby further highlighting ...
A sequencing algorithm for Qβ RNA

Abstract A computer algorithm for sequencing bacteriophage Qβ RNA is described. It uses data on pancreatic and T1 ribonuclease digested fragments which were obtained by Weissmann, Billeter and collaborators from synchronized synthesis of Qβ RNA in vitro. Conventional methods of sequences reconstruction from fragment data require many man hours and may miss multiple solutions. It is shown that within the limits of experimental accuracy many multiple solutions may occur and the algorithm described here reconstructs all solutions exhaustively and efficiently. The algorithm has been successfully tested on artificial data as well as on actual data for the first 175 nucleotide segment of Qβ RNA.
A study of the resolution of dental films and screens.

Abstract A comparison of different films and screens was made by measuring their resolving power with a “test pattern.” Twelve pairs of screens and eight types of film were tested with all possible combinations. Four observers read the radiographs. The data showed that resolution was affected by screens, films, and observers; the effect of screens on resolution was much greater than that of films; screens varied more greatly in their resolving ability than did films; the slower the screen, the higher was the resolution, and vice versa; films designed to be processed automatically did not differ significantly in their resolving ability when they were processed manually.
Analysis and quantitation of fructooligosaccharides using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry.

Inulin is a class of fructooligosaccharide (FOS) derived from plants, which is often used as a natural food ingredient. Inulin is currently used as an additive in baked goods, dairy products, infant formula, and dietary supplements as a result of its purported health-promoting properties. The growth of health-promoting lactobacilli and bifidobacteria is supported by FOS, giving it the classification of a prebiotic; however, its ability to selectivity stimulate only beneficial bacteria has not been demonstrated. In order to better understand the role of inulin and FOS as prebiotics, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry has been used for qualitative and quantitative analysis on bacterial growth. A method using an internal standard has been developed to quantify the consumption of FOS by Bifidobacterium longum bv. infantis using a calibration curve. Due to the differential consumption of FOS, the calibration curve was modified to include inte...
TU‐A‐BRB‐04: Incorporating Beam‐Specific Target Volumes Into Beam Angle Selection in Proton Therapy

Purpose: Due to range uncertainty and its interplay effect with setup error and internal tissue heterogeneity, proton beams usually use a large distal and proximal margin, especially when the distal margin falls in a low density tissue, such as lung. As a result, beam angle selection is very important for proton therapy. In this study, we incorporate beam‐specific planning target volumes (bsPTVs) into a beam angle optimization process to minimize required treatment volumes for each beam and combination of two beams along with other dose restrictions to the organ at risks (OARs) in the beam path. Methods: The bsPTVs were constructed for each beam angle over 10 degrees interval by taking into account both the range and setup error. Subsequently, doses from each beam angle were approximated using analytical dose model assuming uniform‐dose distribution throughout the target volume. The objectives set included the volume of bsPTV for each beam, the volume of intersection between multiple bsPTVs, and mean doses to OARs in the beam path. Results: A software tool was developed and applied to optimize two‐beam arrangement for a lungcancer patient. Objectives were plotted as figure‐of‐merits in color maps and bsPTVs were overlaid on axial CTimages to assist the interpretation of results and the eventual angle selection. Conclusions: We found that the intersection of beam‐specific PTV is a convenient tool for minimizing the combined high dose volume by selecting the best combination of beam angles. Our visual tools that display trade‐offs between different objectives were found helpful for angle selection as well as the interpretation of results. Supported in part by NCI P01 CA021239
Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) for lung transplantation

Surgeons have often been reluctant to use cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) during single (SLTx) and double lung (DLTx) transplantation surgery because of the potential adverse sequelae of CPB including haemorrhage and activation of complement leading to sequestration of neutrophils and platelets in the pulmonary capillary bed, endothelial damage, increased capillary permeability and pulmonary oedema. To clarify the effect of CPB on lung transplant recipients, we reviewed our last four years' experience in 74 patients of whom 30 required CPB support. Indications for CPB were mean pulmonary artery pressure of greater than 50 mmHg, haemodynamic instability, hypoxia or hypercarbia. Patients undergoing SLTx were placed on CPB via the femoral artery and vein, while those undergoing DLTx were cannulated in the standard fashion using the ascending aorta and right atrium. All patients were administered aprotinin prior to CPB. Intraoperatively and postoperatively, haemorrhage was not a major problem. The 30-day mortality in the CPB group and the non-CPB group were 20% and 4.6%, respectively which was not statistically significant (p = 0.06). We conclude that CPB during lung transplantation is a safe, effective method to support these severely ill patients and should not be avoided because of concerns over adverse sequelae of CPB on postoperative graft function.
Excited state redox chemistry of polypyridyl chromium(III) complexes. A determination of the chromium(III)–(II) self-exchange rate [1]

Abstract Ultraviolet excitations of polypyridyl chromium(III) complexes in alcoholic or aquaeous alkaline media have been found to result in formation of chromium(II) complexes apparently in competition with formation of the thermally equilibrated 2 E chromium(III) excited state. The upper state process probably involves oxidation of solvent species and can be used as a device for generating very reactive chromium(II) polypyridyl complexes. By selective excitation of one polypyridyl complex in the presence of a second, the Cr(PP) 3+, 2+ 3 self-exchange rate has been investigated and found to be approximately diffusion controlled. This is consistent with the self-exchange rate inferred from the very rapid reactions of other metal complexes with chromium polypyridyl species.
Chronic opioid therapy as alternative treatment for post-herpetic neuralgia

Neurosurgical procedures such as the dorsal root entry zone operation, ganglionectomy, and spinal-cord stimulation have been offered to patients with intractable post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN). Poor efficacy or high morbidity have limited the overall usefulness of these procedures. We recently conducted a preliminary open-label study with long-acting oral opioids. The mean pretreatment pain score, on a scale of 0 to 10 (0=no pain) was 9.0±0.3 (mean±SEM, N=20). At two months of treatment the average pain score was 40±0.4 (p<0.001, paired t test), and at six months the average pain score was 3.8±0.2 (p<0.001, N=16). These observations warrant a controlled opioid trial for patients affected by PHN
Cardiac output in erythrodermic skin disease

Abstract Cardiac output was measured in 6 patients with erythrodermic skin disease. Four patients had a significant elevation of cardiac output. Satisfactory treatment of psoriasis in 2 patients resulted in a decrease in cardiac output and regression of heart failure. The significance of these observations is discussed.
Response of American sycamore seedlings to maleic hydrazide and sodium chloride

American sycamore (Platanus occidentals L.) seedlings grown in a hydroponics system were treated with a growth regulator, maleic hydrazide (MH) or sodium chloride, or a combination of the two. Application of maleic hydrazide or sodium chloride retarded plant growth, but combined application did not show significant interaction effects. Treatment with both sodium chloride and MH reduced the dry weight of plant tissue to a greater extent than sodium chloride application alone. Elemental analyses of various plant parts revealed that MH was generally without effect on the level of either sodium or chloride ions. In old stem tissue, however, treatment with MH had no effect in the absence of sodium chloride but was associated with lower chloride content in its presence.
A review of the gobioid fish genus Gobioides

The gobioid genusGobioides Lacepede, 1800 shares with the amblyopine gobies (Gobiidae: Amblyopinae) an eel-like, elongate body with a continuous dorsal fin and an affinity for shallow water, muddy bottom habitats. Due to similarities in external morphology and habitat requirements, some workers consideredGobioides allied with amblyopine gobies. Others, however, dispute a close relationship betweenGobioides and the Amblyopinae; morphological and ecological similarities are considered to be homoplasious. Results of this study concur with placingGobioides separate from amblyopine gobies and within the gobiid subfamily Gobionellinae.Gobioides is easily distinguished from the Amblyopinae by its larger eyes (small inGobioides vs. inconspicuous in the Amblyopinae), fewer dorsal and anal-fin rays (14–20 vs. 27–48), and different fin element to vertebra ratios (1∶1 vs. 2∶1).Gobioides reaches lengths of 500 mm SL or greater whereas amblyopines rarely exceed 300 mm SL.Gobioides comprises five species (G. africanus, G. broussoneti, G. grahamae, G. peruanus, andG. sagitta). Although these gobies occupy habitats with similar conditions,Gobioides and amblyopines are nowhere sympatric.Gobioides occurs in tropical and subtropical coastal waters of the eastern and western Atlantic as well as the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean. In the eastern Atlantic.Gobioides is known from Senegal to Zaire. In the western Atlantic.Gobioides is reported from South Carolina to southern Brazil. In the eastern Pacific,Gobioides is known from Mexico to Peru.
Rehabilitation of schizophrenia

A review of our experience with rehabilitation of schizophrenia reveals that while we have developed many techniques and service models, and are more sure of what can be efficacious, there are still many limitations to our knowledge. We know that we can raise competencies of schizophrenia patients to quite decent levels of daily living, but we have not achieved manpower useage or program structure to achieve this. We have made gains in understanding the processes of socialization, residential care, vocational rehabilitation, and education, but have yet to realize the community based resources to fully utilize this experience.