cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Region 4 of σ as a target for transcription regulation

Summary Bacterial σ factors play a key role in promoter recognition, making direct contact with conserved promoter elements. Most σ factors belong to the σ70 family, named for the primary σ factor in Escherichia coli. Members of the σ70 family typically share four conserved regions and, here, we focus on region 4, which is directly involved in promoter recognition and serves as a target for a variety of regulators of transcription initiation. We review recent advances in the understanding of the mechanism of action of regulators that target region 4 of σ.
Aplicabilidade do Teorema de Bayes no Monitoramento de Redes Sociais

O teorema de Bayes tem se mostrado como uma ferramenta importante no auxilio a tomada de decisao. O site Causa Brasil monitora as questoes e reivindicacoes nas redes sociais, e um site atualizado a cada hora e calcula os percentuais de cada causa baseado nas ultimas 24h, contem um historico de 55 dias. O clipping da Radiobras divulga as principais noticias das midias com maior impacto no Brasil. O teorema de Bayes calcula incertezas, fazendo previsoes, baseado na experiencia do pesquisador ou no historico da situacao. Utilizando o site Causa Brasil e relacionando-o com as noticias divulgadas no clipping da Radiobras diariamente, criou-se um historico para verificar se existe alguma relacao entre as noticias da midia com as causas das redes sociais. O objetivo desse estudo foi criar bases tecnicas para fazer previsoes da repercussao de fatos, utilizando o teorema de Bayes, nas redes sociais com as noticias ou acontecimentos. O teorema de Bayes e explicado e exemplificado ao longo do texto. Os resultados nao foram significativos e nao se pode chegar a conclusoes quanto as possiveis probabilidades para o uso do teorema de Bayes. No entando desenvolveu-se uma metodologia para, com mais dados, futuramente utilizar o teorema de Bayes.
Carma1 and MALT1 are required for stimulation-dependent mTORC1 activation in T cells (IRC2P.455)

Stimulation of T cells through the T cell receptor (TCR) and co-stimulatory molecules induces a diverse set of signaling events leading to T cell activation. Some characteristics of T cell activation are cellular proliferation, increase in cell size and changes in metabolic pathways. Our work has primarily focused on understanding the roles that Carma1, MALT1 and Bcl10 (the CBM complex) play in T cell activation, specifically, elucidating their requirement in distinct T cell signaling pathways. Here, we show a requirement for Carma1 and MALT1 in activation of mTORC1. In the absence of Carma1 or MALT1, we noted impaired TCR/CD28-induced stimulation of ribosomal protein S6, p70S6K and 4E-BP1 phosphorylation. Further investigation into the specific molecular mechanism revealed constitutive association of MALT1 and p70S6K. Surprisingly, Bcl10 was not required for S6 or S6K phosphorylation in T cells. Pharmacological inhibition of this pathway with a MALT1 protease inhibitor (z-VRPR-fmk) impaired T cell proliferation upon TCR and co-stimulatory molecule stimulation, though this did not affect T cell “blasting” or early activation. Additionally, inhibition of MALT1 activity impaired T cell activation-induced glycolysis, as seen by a decrease in oxygen consumption rate (OCR) and extracellular acidification rate (ECAR). Thus, these findings present a novel mechanism for mTORC1 activation in T cells, through Carma1 and MALT1, leading to cellular proliferation and increased glycolysis.
Intravenous curcumin efficacy on healing and scar formation in rabbit ear wounds under nonischemic, ischemic, and ischemia-reperfusion conditions.

Curcumin, a spice found in turmeric, is widely used in alternative medicine for its purported anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. The goal of this study was to test the curcumin efficacy on rabbit ear wounds under nonischemic, ischemic, and ischemia–reperfusion conditions. Previously described models were utilized in 58 New Zealand White rabbits. Immediately before wounding, rabbits were given intravenous crude or pure curcumin (6 μg/kg, 30 μg/kg, or 60 μg/kg) dissolved in 1% ethanol. Specimens were collected at 7–8 days to evaluate the effects on wound healing and at 28 days to evaluate the effects on hypertrophic scarring. Student's t test was applied to screen difference between any treatment and control group, whereas analysis of variance was applied to further analyze for all treatment groups in aggregate in some specific experiments. Treatment with crude curcumin suggested accelerated wound healing that reached significance for reepithelialization in lower and medium doses and granulation tissue formation in lower dose. Purified curcumin became available and was used for all later experiments. Treatment with pure curcumin suggested accelerated wound healing that reached significance for reepithelialization in lower and medium doses and granulation tissue formation in lower dose. Treatment with pure curcumin significantly promoted nonischemic wound healing in a dose–response fashion compared with controls as judged by increased reepithelialization and granulation tissue formation. Improved wound healing was associated with significant decreases in pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1 and IL-6 as well as the chemokine IL-8. Curcumin also significantly reduced hypertrophic scarring. The effects of curcumin were examined under conditions of impaired healing including ischemic and ischemia–reperfusion wound healing, and beneficial effects were also seen, although the dose response was less clear. Systemically administrated pure curcumin significantly promotes nonischemic wound healing and reduces hypertrophic scarring. Improvements in wound healing were associated with decreased inflammatory markers in wounds. Further study is needed to optimize dosing in ischemic and ischemia–reperfusion wound healing. In aggregate, the studies strongly support the systemic administration of curcumin to improve wound healing.
Structural Rectification of Non-planar Document Images: Application to Graphics Recognition

Document analysis and graphics recognition algorithms are normally applied to the processing of images of 2D documents scanned when flattened against a planar surface. Technological advancements in recent years have led to a situation in which digital cameras with high resolution are widely available. Consequently, traditional graphics recognition tasks may be updated to accommodate document images captured through a camera in an uncontrolled environment. In this paper the problem of document image rectification is discussed. The rectification targets the correction of perspective and geometric distortions of document images taken from uncalibrated cameras, by synthesizing new views which are better suited for existing graphics recognition and document analysis techniques. The proposed approach targets cases in which the document is not necessarily flat, without relaying on specific modeling assumptions, and by utilizing one or more overlapping views of the document. Document image rectification results are provided for several cases.
Romanticism, Maternity, and the Body Politic: A love too thick: Gothic mothers and monstrous sympathies

Thou too curb thy zeal O Mother, that impulsive ardour rule, That love inordinate, which urges on To weakness, and perverts to criminal The sweetest, best emotions of thy soul. Dr. Hugh Downman, Infancy. A Poem This here Sethe talked about love like any other woman; talked about baby clothes like any other woman, but what she meant could cleave the bone … “Your love is too thick,” he said. Toni Morrison, Beloved I have argued in the previous chapter that Enlightenment representations of mother–child bonds frequently offer us decidedly Gothic perspectives of maternity that problematized writers' attempts to graft the physical dynamics of motherhood onto the bodies of nations, accentuated women's accountability for societal degeneration, and idealized the sufferings and sacrifices of fond mothers. This chapter explores some of the literary lines of inheritance of this theoretical model and also traces lines of resistence in newly emerging late eighteenth-century Gothic literatures and in Romantic women writers' representations of the all-but Gothic experience of maternity. The Gothic attributes of motherhood evident in works by social theorists and medical writers would come to characterize more generally the experience of maternity for many popular writers of the period, who suggested not only that maternal sympathy frequently rendered women sacrificial victims, but that sympathy might be transmuted in pathological obsession, turning mothers themselves into oppressive victimizers and, to invoke Downman's terms, “perverting to criminal the sweetest, best emotions of [their] soul[s].”
Concept of complex trait genetics

Complex traits are those for which there is no single main-effect cause with high predictive power. These traits generally involve multifactorial causation, including gene–gene and/or gene–environment interaction, although generally an exhaustive set of causal factors has not been possible to enumerate. Common complex chronic diseases in humans illustrate this heterogeneous category of traits and possible reasons for the difficulty human genetics and epidemiology have had in parsing them. It may be that a history of success with “simpler” diseases, those caused by strong environmental risk factors or single genes with strong effect, predisposes investigators to assume a similar model for complex disease. However, there are numerous reasons that complex diseases do not conform to the same model. Keywords: complex traits; complex disease; common chronic disease; human genetics; epidemiology
Shady Practices: Agroforestry and Gender Politics in The Gambia

Shady Practices: Agroforestry and Gender Politics in The Gambia. Richard A. Schroeder. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1999.
Haloacetic acid‐degrading bacterial communities in drinking water systems as determined by cultivation and by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism of PCR‐amplified haloacid dehalogenase gene fragments

Aims: To characterize the HAA-degrading bacteria in drinking water systems. Methods and Results: Haloacetic acid (HAA)-degrading bacteria were analysed in drinking water systems by cultivation and by a novel application of terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (tRFLP). Substantial similarities were observed among the tRFLP patterns of dehI and dehII gene fragments in drinking water samples obtained from three different cities (Minneapolis, MN; St Paul, MN; Bucharest, Romania) and from one biologically active granular activated carbon filter (Hershey, PA). The dominant fragment in the tRFLP profiles of dehI genes from the drinking water samples matched the pattern from an Afipia sp. that was previously isolated from drinking water. In contrast, the dominant fragment in the tRFLP profiles of dehII genes did not match any previously characterized dehII gene fragment. PCR cloning was used to characterize this gene fragment, which had <65% nucleotide sequence identity with any previously characterized dehII gene. Conclusions: Afipia spp. are an appropriate model organism for studying the biodegradation of HAAs in drinking water distribution systems as encoded by dehI genes; the organism that harbours the most prominent dehII gene in drinking water has yet to be cultivated and identified. Significance and Impact of the Study: The development of a novel application of tRFLP targeting dehI and dehII genes could be broadly useful in understanding HAA-degrading bacteria in numerous environments.
Ion density calculator (IDC): A new efficient model of ionospheric ion densities

[1] We present a new computationally efficient and accurate model of ion concentrations in the bottomside ionosphere based on the photochemistry. There has long been a need for efficient and accurate specification of ionospheric molecular ion concentrations. Incoherent scatter radars need to specify the relative ion concentrations in order to accurately determine plasma temperatures. Full physical ionospheric models are available but too costly and cumbersome for many applications. The international reference ionosphere (IRI) model is an efficient empirical model that accurately specifies the electron density but the molecular ion concentrations are based on limited data sets. Our new ion density calculator (IDC) model uses chemical equilibrium to determine all ion concentrations except the O+ density, which cannot be derived from chemical equilibrium above ∼180 km due to the increasing importance of diffusion. The IDC model overcomes this problem by using an iterative technique to solve for the O+ density given the electron density that is provided by the radar or the IRI model and the fact that the total ion concentration must sum to the electron density. This quasi-chemical model produces very good agreement with satellite measured ion densities and significantly improves electron and ion temperatures from incoherent scatter radars. It also produces good agreement with the Field Line Interhemispheric Plasma (FLIP) physical ionosphere model, which solves the continuity, momentum, and thermal equations. Comparisons with the IRI model point out the shortcomings of the most recent version, IRI-2007 in representing molecular ion densities.
Osmotically sensitive Brucella in infected normal and immune macrophages.

When Brucella suis is grown in tissue cultures of normal guinea pig macrophages, the Brucella multiplies significantly without the induction of osmotically sensitive forms. In immune macrophages in the presence of normal guinea pig serum, there is a reduction in the number of intracellular Brucella and no multiplication is seen over a 72-hr period. After 6 hr of exposure to immune macrophages, however, approximately 50% of the surviving intracellular Brucella are osmotically sensitive, i.e., they will survive and grow only on medium containing 0.2 m sucrose. Brucella grown in immune macrophages, in the presence of rabbit antiserum against whole guinea pig serum, show the presence of osmotically sensitive forms, although at a reduced level compared to the number seen with immune macrophages in normal guinea pig serum.
Appearance of Defective Virions in Clones of Reovirus

Virus obtained from five plaques of reovirus was serially passaged in L cells. Defective virions arose in each clone by the seventh passage. Such defective virions lacked the largest of the 10 segments of the double-stranded ribonucleic acid genome.
The Science of Two‐Timing: The State of Infidelity Research

This article provides an overview of research on infidelity in an effort to synthesize past studies and orient future studies. It begins with infidelity estimates, followed by a synopsis of evolutionary explanations prominent in both popular and academic writing. Despite the potential utility of evolutionary arguments, I argue that infidelity needs to be understood as a dynamic social process subject to influence by the context in which it is embedded. This conceptualization urges scholars to attend to the component, proximate, and psychological factors that affect one’s decision to engage in infidelity. Accordingly, I categorize empirical infidelity research in this manner. I conclude by addressing new developments and avenues for future research.
Psychodynamic Issues in the Treatment of Binge Eating: Working with Shame, Secrets, No-Entry, and False Body Defenses

Two clinical moments from patients in treatment for Binge Eating Disorder (DSM 5) are described where a manifest problem with body image difficulty was initially denied. Each patient entered treatment with the desire to lose weight as well as gain a fuller understanding of self and mastery over addictive eating patterns that caused considerable psychological anguish. An integrated treatment matrix of practical, contemporary psychodynamic interventions and more behavioral, experiential and supportive tools allowed each patient to uncover and work through heretofore split off aspects of their bodily selves. Defense mechanisms such as ‘no entry’ fantasies and ‘the false body’ that have recently been described in the analytic literature are applied in formulating each case example. The author underscores how therapists must probe for secrets in the personal and family history that are ‘hidden, but in plain view’ and pursue them in order for the patient to embrace a more coherent, true sense of her/his bodily self. These secrets often contain a less conscious rationale for treating the body poorly and perpetuating hated, shameful and derogatory aspects of body image that may become externalized onto the therapist. These externalizations can further complicate countertransference reactions that must be acknowledged and worked through by the therapist in personal or self-analysis.
Amino acid substitution (histidine to tyrosine) in a glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase variant (G6PD Hektoen) associated with over-production

Abstract The structural difference between the normal human glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and the Hektoen variant associated with fourfold increased enzyme concentration was elucidated by peptide mapping of their tryptic and chymotryptic peptides. A single amino acid substitution, from histidine in the normal enzyme to tyrosine in the variant enzyme, was found. These findings indicate that a single-step base change in a structural gene resulting in an amino acid substitution may also increase production of the variant protein.
How to effectively use consultants

Apart from a few pioneering medical centers, most medical organizations lack the internal knowledge and technical expertise to develop a comprehensive digital imaging business plan, create medical imaging architectures, select vendor(s), and implement picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) and other information systems. Many of these processes are only done once (eg, vendor selection and initial implementation) and developing such one-time expertise in-house is wasteful and inefficient. It is highly unlikely that an inexperienced hospital-based group undertaking their first and only PACS project will be able to match the experience and depth of a well-organized consulting group with prior experience. Organizations therefore are looking to consulting groups to fill their internal resource gaps. This report presents the benefits of engaging consultants, guide-lines for selecting a consulting group, and insight on effectively using the consultants. The presentation is based on actual experiences using consultants for planning, selecting, and implementing a PACS a Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati.
Behavioral Regulatory Mechanisms in Populations of the Butterfly Mechanitis isthmia in Costa Rica: Adaptations to Host Plants in Secondary and Agricultural Habitats (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Ithomiinae)

The egg-mass oviposition and group behavioral patterns of larvae of the neotropical butterfly Mechanitis isthmia (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Ithomiinae) were studied in northern Costa Rica. While most ithomiine butterflies of Central and South America are forest-dwelling forms with single ovipositions, solitary larvae, and larval host plants (Solanaceae) possessing smooth, papery, and non-pilose leaves, Mechanitis thrives in a broad range of secondary and agricultural habitats where the larval host plants are Solanum species with thick fleshy leaves covered with trichomes (defensive hairs) and spines. Along with a few other ithomiine genera, Mechanitis exhibits various forms of group behavior atypical for the subfamily as a whole; it differs from virtually all other ithomiines by its highly developed egg mass oviposition and synchronous habits (feeding, resting, molting) of the larvae. We suspected that this group behavior was related to its ability to exploit solanaceous host plants not used by other ithomiines, and to thrive in secondary habitats exposed to direct sun light. By observing oviposition and behavioral patterns of the larvae on host plants at various times over several years, we discovered that cooperative feeding and cooperative web-building were the two obvious advantages of group behavior. Young larvae collectively cut away trichomes to feed on leaf tissue and build silken webs apparently to protect themselves from being punctured. But mortality of eggs and young larvae is very high, from a variety of predators, and appears to be a trade-off for group behavior. Larvae do not exhibit cooperative defense against predators. The data are discussed in terms of the ability of this butterfly to exploit weedy Solanum species and its relatively high ineffectiveness as a defoliator of these plants in secondary and agricultural habitats.
Playing to the (Twenty-First Century) Crowd: On the Ground at Chester 2010

This piece offers a review of the following plays from the Chester 2010 performances: Abraham and Isaac/Moses; Balaam and Balaack; the Raising of Lazarus, Entry in to Jerusalem, and Judas' Plot.
Stamp transfer electrodes for electrochemical sensing on non-planar and oversized surfaces

This article describes a new alternative approach to the fabrication of printed electrochemical sensors and biosensors based on the transfer of electrode patterns comprising common conductive and insulating inks from elastomeric stamps to a wide variety of rigid and flexible substrates. This simple, low cost, yet robust methodology is demonstrated to be well-suited for the formation of electrochemical sensors on non-planar substrates and large objects/structures, which have traditionally been off-limits to conventional screen printing techniques. Furthermore, the stamped electrode devices are shown to exhibit electrochemical performance that rivals that of their screen printed counterparts and display resilience against severe mechanical deformation. The stamp transfer approach is further extended to the demonstration of epidermal electrochemical sensors through the transfer of the electrode patterns directly onto the skin. The resulting sensors demonstrate a wide range of usability, from the detection of various physiological analytes, including uric acid on the skin, to the identification of residues originating from the handling of munitions and explosives. The migration of printable electrochemical sensors to non-conventional (non-planar and/or oversized) surfaces provides new opportunities within the personal healthcare, fitness, forensics, homeland security, and environmental monitoring domains.
Noise-induced hearing loss in rural schoolchildren.

Sixty-eight schoolchildren (mean age, 15.2 years) received audiological assessments and filled out questionnaires concerning their histories of noise exposure. Eighteen percent of this population and more than one in four males (26%) were revealed to have audiograms consistent with noise-induced hearing loss. The frequent use of guns for recreational purposes over several years was characteristic of individuals with hearing loss
Conversion as a Migration Strategy in a Transit Country: Iranian Shiites Becoming Christians in Turkey:

The role of religion during migration processes has been overlooked by scholars in the past although the relationship between religion and migration has a long history. Normally, religion is considered as an integrating agent, but for some Iranian asylum seekers in Turkey, religion and especially religious conversion is used as a tool for migration. This article draws on the migration histories of Iranian asylum seekers in Turkey who initially intended to go further west only to have stayed in Turkey either because of the long procedures of asylum application in Turkey or because they were rejected and have become “illegal aliens” who do not want to return to Iran. Turkey still preserves geographic limitation of the 1951 Geneva Convention on Refugees. Therefore it does not accept non-European asylum seekers to settle on Turkish soil. Ironically, however, most asylum applications were made by people from the Middle East, mainly from Iran. Based on the extensive fieldwork carried out in various cities in Turkey where the Iranian migrants are heavily concentrated, this article demonstrates how conversion from Shi’a Islam to Christianity is used as a migration strategy and how and to what extent these asylum seekers use religion and their newly acquired social and religious networks within churches of the transit country to reach ultimately the West as refugees. As conversion is sustained through social networks as well as churches and missionaries, this unique situation can be explained by employing the social capital theory within the context of an institutional component.
Oxygen ion conductivity in BaBi4Ti3MO14.5 (M=Sc, In and Ga)

BaBi4Ti3MO14.5 (M=Ga, In and Sc), compounds that consist of intergrowths between the Aurivillius phase Bi4Ti3O12 and brownmilleritelike-layers of BaMO2.5 were synthesized and their oxygen ion conductivities were measured using complex impedance. All three materials display a discontinuity in Arrhenius plots of their ionic conductivity. A phase transition at this discontinuity is confirmed by differential thermal analysis and is consistent with an oxygen vacancy order-disorder transition. For BaBi4Ti3ScO14.5 there is an observed hysteresis for this phase transition. At 900°C the conductivities are 2.5×102 S·cm −1 for BaBi4Ti3ScO14.5 and 4.9×10−2 S·cm−1 for BaBi4Ti3InO14.5 and 4.5×10−2S·cm−1 for BaBi 4Ti3GaO14.5.
TLR–Dependent Control of Francisella tularensis Infection and Host Inflammatory Responses

BACKGROUND Francisella tularensis is the causative agent of tularemia and is classified as a Category A select agent. Recent studies have implicated TLR2 as a critical element in the host protective response to F. tularensis infection, but questions remain about whether TLR2 signaling dominates the response in all circumstances and with all species of Francisella and whether F. tularensis PAMPs are predominantly recognized by TLR2/TLR1 or TLR2/TLR6. To address these questions, we have explored the role of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) in the host response to infections with F. tularensis Live Vaccine Strain (LVS) and F. tularensis subspecies (subsp.) novicida in vivo. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS C57BL/6 (B6) control mice and TLR- or MyD88-deficient mice were infected intranasally (i.n.) or intradermally (i.d.) with F. tularensis LVS or with F. tularensis subsp. novicida. B6 mice survived >21 days following infection with LVS by both routes and survival of TLR1(-/-), TLR4(-/-), and TLR6(-/-) mice infected i.n. with LVS was equivalent to controls. Survival of TLR2(-/-) and MyD88(-/-) mice, however, was significantly reduced compared to B6 mice, regardless of the route of infection or the subspecies of F. tularensis. TLR2(-/-) and MyD88(-/-) mice also showed increased bacterial burdens in lungs, liver, and spleen compared to controls following i.n. infection. Primary macrophages from MyD88(-/-) and TLR2(-/-) mice were significantly impaired in the ability to secrete TNF and other pro-inflammatory cytokines upon ex vivo infection with LVS. TNF expression was also impaired in vivo as demonstrated by analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and by in situ immunofluorescent staining. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE We conclude from these studies that TLR2 and MyD88, but not TLR4, play critical roles in the innate immune response to F. tularensis infection regardless of the route of infection or the subspecies. Moreover, signaling through TLR2 does not depend exclusively on TLR1 or TLR6 during F. tularensis LVS infection.
Properties of lean turbulent methane-air flames with significant hydrogen addition

Abstract We examine the combustion of mixed H2-CH4-air fuels using two-dimensional simulations that incorporate detailed kinetics and a mixture-averaged model for differential species transport. The mixtures range from lean H2-air at ϕ = 0.37 to lean CH4-air at ϕ = 0.7 . For each mixture, we compute the quasi-steady propagation of a flame into flow with superimposed low-level turbulent fluctuations, so that the resulting flames are in the laminar flamelet regime. We examine the resulting global flame characteristics, and quantify how the chemistry depends on local flame curvature. We then examine in more detail how the methane chemistry is modulated by the presence of hydrogen. In particular, we find that the local methane burning speed shows a strong positive correlation with local flame curvature when sufficient hydrogen is added to the mixture. Moreover, for higher hydrogen concentrations, the mixtures exhibit cellular burning patterns that are traditionally associated with thermodiffusively unstable fuel mixtures. Various pathways for the oxidation of methane are identified and are shown to be amplified considerably in the presence of H2 combustion, which varies considerably along the flame surface.
Dynamical study of phase fluctuations and their critical slowing down in amorphous superconducting films

We report a comprehensive study of the complex ac conductance of amorphous superconducting InO${}_{x}$ thin films. We measure the explicit frequency dependency of the complex conductance and the phase stiffness over a range from 0.21 to 15 GHz at temperatures down to 350 mK using a novel broadband microwave Corbino spectrometer. The dynamic ac measurements are sensitive to the temporal correlations of the superconducting order parameter in the fluctuation range above ${T}_{c}$. Among other aspects, we explicitly demonstrate the critical slowing down of the characteristic fluctuation rate on the approach to the superconducting state and show that its behavior is consistent with vortex-like phase fluctuations and a phase-ordering scenario of the transition.
Formation of subsurface crevices in aluminum alloy 2024-T3 during deposition of cerium-based conversion coatings

Abstract The processing variables that contributed to the formation of subsurface crevices under cerium-based conversion coatings on AA 2024-T3 were investigated. Focused ion beam milling revealed the presence of subsurface crevices underneath a small fraction (∼ 10%) of coated areas, typically in areas with large cracks through the coatings. A solution of sodium chloride and H2O2 etched AA 2024-T3 and produced features similar to subsurface crevices, which confirmed that crevices formed during deposition due to the composition of the coating solution. Using sodium nitrate in place of sodium chloride resulted in no etching of the substrate. Thus, coatings free of subsurface crevices could be produced by using cerium nitrate instead of cerium chloride in the coating solution. Electrodeposited coatings, even those deposited from solutions containing chloride ions and H2O2, were also free of subsurface crevices. As a result, subsurface crevices are not inherent to cerium-based conversion coatings, but rather were formed due to certain process parameters, specifically the presence of chloride ions and hydrogen peroxide in the coating solution.
The permanent of 0,1 matrices and Kallman's algorithm

Abstract The Kallman algorithm for the computation of the permanent, per(A), of a matrix A has been ported to the Cray C90, tested on other platforms, and compared against several alternative algorithms. This report presents results of these comparisons for test cases where the permanent is known and also for cases of the adjacency matrix taken from molecular chemistry applications. The accompanying code includes both C90 and Personal Computer versions of the Kallman algorithm, and these have been evaluated on the Cray C90, a single processor of the Cray T3D and SiliconGraphics Onyx2, and the PC platform. The Cray C90 FORTRAN 77 version presented here compiles without modification using the Cray Fortran 90 compiler and timing comparisons with FORTRAN 77 are discussed. Included with the package are six test cases taken from the molecular chemistry application with matrix orders n=30,44,48,52,56, 60, and data for orders n=5 to 20 in a special case where the value of the permanent is known.
Level-dependent new Tamm--Dancoff calculations

Excitation energies using the level-dependent new Tamm-Dancoff method are calculated for four one-dimensional symmetric anharmonic oscillators. Convergence of the calculated excitations is demonstrated numerically and compared with the excitations obtained by integrating Schrodinger's equation numerically. The treatment is developed to illustrate how expansions other than level-dependent Wick expansions may be used to transform the T-recursion system into the π-recursion system. Specifically, numerical results for adjacent energy level differences for the sixth-degree oscillator are obtained using numerical solutions of the fourth-degree oscillator to construct the transformation that carries the T-recursion system into a π-recursion system.
Children in custody in Brazil

15 years after Brazil adopted one of Latin Americas most progressive juvenile justice laws substantially reflecting the guarantees contained in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) the countrys juvenile detention centres continue to be grossly deficient. Many facilities are decaying filthy and dangerously overcrowded failing to meet basic standards of health and hygiene. Beatings are common and most complaints of ill-treatment are never investigated by state detention authorities. Human Rights Watch has inspected 23 juvenile detention centres in the Brazilian states of Amapa Amazonas Maranhao Para Rio de Janeiro and Rondonia and has undertaken preliminary research on detention conditions in Sao Paulo. About 12 400 young people aged 12-21 years were in Brazils juvenile detention system as of January 2004 the federal ministry of justice reported. Of that total 2800 were in pretrial detention. Under Brazils Statute of the Child and Adolescent detention for a maximum of 3 years is the most serious of six possible juvenile dispositions; other possible sentences include warnings probation and placement in facilities similar to halfway houses. Reflecting international standards the Statute provides that detention should be used only as a measure of last resort and then only for the shortest time necessary for rehabilitation. (excerpt)
Multiple driving factors explain spatial and temporal variability in coral calcification rates on the Bermuda platform

Experimental studies have shown that coral calcification rates are dependent on light, nutrients, food availability, temperature, and seawater aragonite saturation (Ω arag), but the relative importance of each parameter in natural settings remains uncertain. In this study, we applied Calcein fluorescent dyes as time indicators within the skeleton of coral colonies (n = 3) of Porites astreoides and Diploria strigosa at three study sites distributed across the northern Bermuda coral reef platform. We evaluated the correlation between seasonal average growth rates based on coral density and extension rates with average temperature, light, and seawater Ω arag in an effort to decipher the relative importance of each parameter. The results show significant seasonal differences among coral calcification rates ranging from summer maximums of 243 ± 58 and 274 ± 57 mmol CaCO3 m−2 d−1 to winter minimums of 135 ± 39 and 101 ± 34 mmol CaCO3 m−2 d−1 for P. astreoides and D. strigosa, respectively. We also placed small coral colonies (n = 10) in transparent chambers and measured the instantaneous rate of calcification under light and dark treatments at the same study sites. The results showed that the skeletal growth of D. strigosa and P. astreoides, whether hourly or seasonal, was highly sensitive to Ω arag. We believe this high sensitivity, however, is misleading, due to covariance between light and Ω arag, with the former being the strongest driver of calcification variability. For the seasonal data, we assessed the impact that the observed seasonal differences in temperature (4.0 °C), light (5.1 mol photons m−2 d−1), and Ω arag (0.16 units) would have on coral growth rates based on established relationships derived from laboratory studies and found that they could account for approximately 44, 52, and 5 %, respectively, of the observed seasonal change of 81 ± 14 mmol CaCO3 m−2 d−1. Using short-term light and dark incubations, we show how the covariance of light and Ω arag can lead to the false conclusion that calcification is more sensitive to Ω arag than it really is.
Organic Electronics: The Ions Have It†

Organic electronics research has focused primarily on flexible, inexpensive versions of traditional semiconductor technologies. Although mixed ionic/electronic conduction in conjugated organic materials introduces exciting functionality, the understanding of the fundamental processes that take place is still in its infancy. In this Research News article, the advantages, applications, and basic research needs that relate to the incorporation of ionic carriers in organic electronic materials and devices are discussed and placed in the broader context of the field.
Learning and memory in the SAMP8 mouse

The SAMP8 (P8) mouse strain develops deficits in learning and memory relatively early in its lifespan. This review provides an overview of the age-related changes that occur in P8 mice. Behavioral studies with P8 mice show impaired acquisition and retention as early as 4 months of age. Deficits in acquisition and retention occur with both aversive and appetitive training tasks. Anatomical studies have detected a number of age-related changes that occur in the central nervous system of P8 mice. The age-related increase in amyloid beta protein is well correlated with the age-related decline in learning and memory. Antibody to amyloid beta protein injected prior to training alleviated impaired acquisition and retention, whereas post-training injections alleviated retention deficits in older P8 mice. Biochemical studies have detected numerous age-related changes with reduced NMDA receptor activity most closely related to impaired learning and memory in P8 mice. Pharmacological studies have found age-related functional changes in the ability of drugs to improve memory processing in P8 mice in the septum and the hippocampus. The specific pattern of pharmacological changes and the inferred change in neurotransmitter activity suggest that age-related impairment in memory processing may be due to impaired septohippocampal interactions. The proposal that P8 mice may be a useful model for studying the early phases of age-related dementia of the Alzheimer type, while still requiring considerable study, seems reasonable.
Muscular, Skeletal, and Neural Adaptations Following Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injury is associated with adaptations to the muscular, skeletal, and spinal systems. Experimental data are lacking regarding the extent to which rehabilitative methods may influence these adaptations. An understanding of the plasticity of the muscular, skeletal, and spinal systems after paralysis may be important as new rehabilitative technologies emerge in the 21st century. Moreover, individuals injured today may become poor candidates for future scientific advancements (cure) if their neuromusculoskeletal systems are irreversibly impaired. The primary purpose of this paper is to explore the physiological properties of skeletal muscle as a result of spinal cord injury; secondarily, to consider associated changes at the skeletal and spinal levels. Muscular adaptations include a transformation to faster myosin, increased contractile speeds, shift to the right on the torque-frequency curve, increased fatigue, and enhanced doublet potentiation. These muscular adaptations may be prevented in individuals with acute paralysis and partially reversed in individuals with chronic paralysis. Moreover, the muscular changes may be coordinated with motor unit and spinal circuitry adaptations. Concurrently, skeletal adaptations, as measured by bone mineral density, show extensive loss within the first six months after paralysis. The underlying science governing neuromusculoskeletal adaptations after paralysis will help guide professionals as new rehabilitation strategies evolve in the future.
Expanded Service-Shipboard Data Multiplex System (ES-SDMS): A Fiber Optic Data Bus For Shipboard Applications

Rockwell International Corporation's Expanded Service Shipboard Data Multiplex System (ES-SDMS) is a high-speed fiber-optic data transfer system suited for any Navy combatant that requires survivability, operational flexibility, noise immunity, and future growth potential. This state-of-the-art system replaces the point-to-point wiring required to interconnect systems and subsystems aboard ships. ES-SDMS accommodates most types of ship-board data transfers, including intercomputer, sensor, voice, and video signals. ES-SDMS is now in development for a number of shipboard applications.
Influence of dissolved organic matter and Fe(II) on the abiotic reduction of pentachloronitrobenzene.

Nitroaromatic pesticides (NAPs) are hydrophobic contaminants that can accumulate in sediments by the deposition of suspended solids from surface waters. Fe(II) and dissolved organic matter (DOM), present in suboxic and anoxic zones of freshwater sediments, can transform NAPs in natural systems. We studied the reduction of pentachloronitrobenzene (PCNB) to pentachloroaniline (PCA) in controlled studies using Fe(II) and surface water DOM isolates from Pony Lake, Antarctica, and Suwannee River, GA, in unfiltered and 0.45 μm filtered solutions. We observed rapid reduction of PCNB to PCA in the presence of Fe(II) and DOM (t1/2 ≈ 30 min to 4 h) and very limited reduction in DOM-only systems. DOM in unfiltered systems inhibited iron colloid formation and potentially limited the formation of reactive Fe(II)−iron colloid surface complexes, causing reductive transformation in Fe(II)−DOM media to be slower in some cases relative to Fe(II)-only controls. Conversely, in 0.45 μm filtered solutions, PCNB reduction in Fe...
Pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis of the posterior elements

Three cases of pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis involving only the posterior elements are presented. This unusual location creates difficulty in distinguishing vertebral osteomyelitis from neoplasms and arthridites. All three patients had involvement of the articular facet, a helpful indication against neoplasms. However, vertebral osteomyelitis should be differentiated from erosive arthridites.
Shock-vortex interaction over a 65-degree delta wing in transonic flow

Transonic flow over a 65-deg swept-back, sharp-edged, cropped delta wing is investigated computationally using the time-accurate solution of the unsteady, compressible, full Navier-Stokes equations with an implicit, upwind, flux-difference splitting, finite-volume scheme. Coarse and fine O-H grids are used to obtain the solution. The grid consists of 125 x 85 x 84 points in the wrap-around, normal, and axial directions, respectively. The results are presented for an angle of attack of 20 deg Mach number of 0.85 and Reynolds number of 3.23 x 10 exp 6. With the fine grid, the results show that a system of shocks has been captured over the upper wing surface and that the leading-edge vortex core experiences an unsteady supersonic vortex breakdown after passing through a spanwise shock near the wing trailing edge. The computed results at a certain time are in good agreement with the experimental data. Topological aspects of the vortex breakdown flowfield are also presented and discussed.
An international assessment of the metrological equivalence of higher-order measurement services for creatinine in serum

The Consultative committee for amount of substance-metrology in chemistry (CCQM)-K80 Key Comparison directly assessed the equivalence of many of the world's higher-order value-assigned materials (HOVAMs) for creatinine in human serum. This 2009 international study compared the certified values and uncertainties of the materials using measurements made under repeatability conditions. The study evaluated 17 materials submitted by 6 national metrology institutes (NMIs). The creatinine quantity in these materials ranged from 3 mg/kg to 57 mg/kg (about 0.3 mg/dL to 6 mg/dL or 30 nmol/L to 500 nmol/L). All materials were stored and prepared according the specifications provided by the participating NMIs. Samples were processed and analyzed under repeatability conditions by one analyst using isotope-dilution liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry in two measurement campaigns. The certified values and repeatability measurements were compared using uncertainty-weighted generalized distance regression. The instrumental repeatability relative standard deviation was 1.2%. The measurement design required assessment of within-unit and between-campaign variability in addition to measurement repeatability. At a 95% level of confidence, the certified values for all 17 materials agreed to within their assigned uncertainties. CCQM-K80 demonstrated the metrological equivalence of the currently available HOVAMs for creatinine in human serum and of the creatinine measurement services provided by the participating NMIs.
Diet and Syndrome X.

Syndrome X is a cluster of abnormalities, associated with resistance to insulin-mediated glucose uptake, that increases risk of coronary heart disease. Increased carbohydrate intake (with reciprocal decreased fat intake) within the boundaries of menus that can be followed in the free-living state have not been shown to decrease insulin resistance directly, by enhancing insulin sensitivity, or indirectly, by producing and maintaining weight loss. Moreover, such diets accentuate the metabolic abnormalities that constitute Syndrome X. Substitution of monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, or both for saturated fat results in the same reduction in low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol concentration as seen in diets low in fat and high in carbohydrates but without any untoward effects on the various manifestations of Syndrome X. Consequently, substituting unsaturated fat for saturated fat, without increasing intake of dietary protein or carbohydrate, may be useful for patients with hypercholesterolemia, Syndrome X, or both.
Signal-processing operations on A-law companded speech

A method of multiplication and accumulation of A-law companded numbers for signal processing of speech is presented. It is based on conversion of A-law to scientific notation and results in efficient hardware implementation.
An evacuation planner algorithm in flat time graphs

In this paper, we present an evacuation planner algorithm that does not use the time-expanded graphs. Given a transportation network with nodes and edges, where nodes have capacity/occupancy and edges have capacity/travel time, the proposed algorithm can be used to plan the evacuation routing that minimizes the evacuation time. In order to avoid the use of time-expanded graphs, we are using the quickest paths instead of the shortest paths to construct the evacuation routing. By combining the quickest paths, we can get a routing scheme that has short evacuation time that is scalable with the increase of number of evacuees. The simulation results show that our algorithm is scalable and the found evacuation routes have short evacuation time.
Expandable computed-tomography architecture for nondestructive inspection

The Radon transform and its inverse, commonly used for computed tomography (CT), are computationally burdensome for single processor computers. Since projection-based computations are easily executed in parallel, multiprocessor architectures have been proposed for high-speed operation. In this paper, we describe an architecture for a high-speed (30 MHz raster-scan image data rate), high accuracy (12-bits per pixel) computed-tomography system for use in non-destructive inspection system. This architecture reconstructs images from fan- or parallel-beam data using either single-pass or iterative reconstruction techniques. Our architecture uses a number of identical processor modules in a pipeline. Each processor module consists of memory for data storage, a commercially available digital signal processing (DSP) chip for filtering, and our custom IC which performs 450 million mathematical operations per second (MOPS). This architecture can reconstruct CT images as large as 1024 X 1024 pixels from a variety of image reconstruction algorithms. The details of the implementation and performance of our expandable architecture are discussed.