cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of nanogel drug carriers and their formulations with nucleoside 5'-triphosphates.

The aim of the study is to synthesize and characterize nanogel carriers composed of amphiphilic polymers and cationic polyethylenimine for encapsulation and delivery of cytotoxic nucleoside analogs 5′-triphosphates (NTPs) into cancer cells. Nanogels were synthesized by a novel micellar approach and compared with carriers prepared by the emulsification/evaporation method. Complexes of nanogels with NTP were prepared; particle size and in vitro drug release were characterized. Resistance of the nanogel-encapsulated NTP to enzymatic hydrolysis was analyzed by ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatography. Binding to isolated cellular membranes, cellular accumulation and cytotoxicity were compared using breast carcinoma cell lines CL-66, MCF-7, and MDA-MB-231. In vivo biodistribution of the 3H-labeled NTP encapsulated in different types of nanogels was evaluated in comparison to the injected NTP alone. Nanogels with a particle size of 100–300 nm in the unloaded form and less than 140 nm in the NTP-loaded form were prepared. An in vitro release of NTP was >50% during the first 24 h. Nanogel formulations ensured increased NTP drug stability against enzymatic hydrolysis as compared to the drug alone. Pluronic®-based nanogels NG(F68), NG(F127), NG(P85), and NGM(P123) demonstrated 2–2.5 times enhanced interaction with cellular membranes and association with various cancer cells compared to NG(PEG). Among them, NG(F68) and NG(F127) exhibited the lowest cytotoxicity. Injection of nanogel-formulated NTP significantly modulated the drug accumulation in different mouse organs. Nanogels composed of Pluronic® F68 and P123 were shown to display certain advanced properties compared to NG(PEG) as a drug delivery system for NTP analogs. Formulations of nucleoside analogs in active NTP form with these nanogels will improve the delivery of these cytotoxic drugs to cancer cells and the therapeutic potential of this anticancer chemotherapy.
Health Services at Large Public Institutions: Funding, Utilization, and Staffing

Abstract When a mandatory health fee policy for students on campuses of the State University of New York (SUNY) was instituted in fall 1991, the projection was that the policy, which was at the option of individual institutions, would result in significant changes for SUNY health service operations. The changes would affect funding sources, staffing requirements, utilization rates, and services offered. In the past, the SUNY system had been inconsistent in health fee policies. This study was conducted to assist in implementing the mandatory health service fees. The authors surveyed 53 public higher education institutions viewed as comparable to the University at Buffalo in terms of location in an equivalent state, enrollment of 10,000 or more students, similar academic disciplines, average SAT scores, faculty salaries, and graduate enrollment. Two institutions that no longer met the original criteria were not included. The final tabulation was based on data from 42 institutions, for a return rate of 82%. ...
WE‐C‐AUD‐07: Investigation of the Impact of Leaf Design On the Radiation Leakage Through a Multileaf Collimator for Use in Proton Radiotherapy

Purpose: To investigate the impact of leaf design on the radiation leakage through a multileaf collimator(MLC) for use in protonradiotherapy.Method and Materials: Using the Geant4 toolkit, a simulation program was developed to study the dose inadvertently administered to patients undergoing protonradiotherapy as a result of radiation leakage through the closed leaves of a MLC. In the model, the MLC comprised two opposing banks of tungsten‐alloy leaves, arranged perpendicularly to the beam axis. Each leaf was composed from a cuboid base, together with a step along the beam direction—in order to cover the gaps that would otherwise exist between neighbors—in both of the sides that abut leaves in the same bank, and in the end that faces the opposing bank. A simplified beam nozzle was modeled to provide a uniform fluence of protons over the upstream face of the MLC. Energy deposits were recorded in a voxelized water phantom adjoining the downstream face of the MLC. The radiation leakage was assessed as a function of gap and step size, leaf material and beam properties.Results: For a 5 × 5 cm2 field of 230 MeV protons incident on the MLC in the absence of interleaf gaps, the mean dose deposited in a 40 × 40 × 40 cm3 water phantom is 0.66 % of that when the field impinges directly on the phantom (“intraleaf leakage”). With realistic gaps of width 0.125 mm, this increases by a further 0.38 % if no steps are added, reducible to 0.04 % with steps of size 0.2 mm (“interleaf leakage”). The interleaf leakage dose distribution correlates highly with leaf design. Conclusion: Interleaf leakage through a protonMLC can be effectively removed by incorporating steps into the leaf design. Intraleaf leakage can be minimized by appropriate choice of leaf material.
Human rights as social construction

Part I. This-Worldly Norms, Local Not Universal: 1. Human rights: political not theological 2. Human rights: political not metaphysical 3. Generating universal human rights out of local norms Part II. This-Worldly Resources for Human Rights as Social Construction: 4. Cultural resources: individuals as authors of human rights 5. Neurobiological resources: emotions and natural altruism in support of human rights Part III. This-Worldly Means of Advancing the Human-Rights Idea: 6. Translating human rights into local cultural vernaculars 7. Advancing human rights through cognitive re-framing Part IV. Human Rights, Future Tense: Human Nature and Political Community Reconceived: 8. Human rights via human nature as cultural choice 9. The human-rights state Part V. Coda: 10. What is lost, and what gained, by human rights as social construction.
The outpatient management and special considerations of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy

Abstract With 50–90% of pregnant women experiencing nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP), the burden of illness can become quite significant if symptoms are under-treated and/or under-diagnosed, thus allowing for progression of the disease. The majority of these women will necessitate at least one visit with a provider to specifically address NVP, and up to 10% or greater will require pharmacotherapy after failure of conservative measures to adequately control symptoms. As a result, initiation of prompt and effective treatment in the outpatient setting is ideal. Once NVP is diagnosed and treatment is started, it is crucial to track symptoms in order to assess for a decrease in or resolution of symptoms as well as an escalation in symptoms requiring additional therapy. Of note, co-existing gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Helicobacter pylori infection, and psychosocial factors may have a negative impact on the management of NVP. Ultimately, every woman has her own perception of disease severity and desire for treatment. It is critical that both the provider and patient be proactive in the diagnosis and management of NVP.
Compartmentation in amino acid transport across the blood brain barrier.

Under steady-state conditions, the transport rates for amino acids from blood to brain have been found to be about half that seen using the intraarterial injection technique. Using a method that mathematically mimics the constant infusion procedure, we were able to reconcile this apparent discrepancy. At less than 1 min after subcutaneous injection of [14C]tyrosine in mice, we have observed a rate of entry into brain of 19.7 nmol/g/min, while from 1–15 min we have measured the rate at 6.4 nmol/g/min. Using methionine sulfoximine as an inhibitor of the γ-glutamyl cycle, the early rate was reduced to 10.0 nmol/g/min and the later rate to 3.7 nmol/g/min. These data are consistent with a two-compartment system regulating amino acid transport into the neurons. A mathematical model fit to these data indicates that the first compartment contains 8.3 nanomoles of tyrosine per gram brain or about 6.7% of the brain total. It is speculated that the first compartment consists primarily of the astrocytes.
Potato early dying: Management challenges in a changing production environment

The potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) had its start in the Andean highlands of South America, where archeological evidence indicates it has been cultivated for at least 8,000 years (72). Today it is grown on all continents except Antarctica. Serving as a primary food source to indigenous people when the Spanish explorers arrived in Peru in the mid-1500s, the potato traveled the globe as a valuable staple, fueling armies, improving diets, and changing economies (Fig. 1). The importance of the potato goes beyond the feeding of nations, however. Today potato starch is used in the production of paper, adhesive, and textile goods, and in edible binding agents and low-fat food additives. The potato yields up a highly absorbent biodegradable material for use in disposable diapers. It provides starch products to keep oil well drilling bits smooth and to hold together the ingredients in lipsticks and cosmetic creams, and it provides a substance that works as a flocculation agent in water purification systems, replacing petroleumbased chemicals (33). China is the world’s largest producer of potatoes, followed by the Russian Federation (33). It is the most important vegetable crop in North America, where in 2000, nearly 690,000 ha were grown, with an average yield of 32.6 metric tons/ha and a farm gate value of over $2.7 billion. The potato is subject to several diseases caused by root-infecting pathogens. Two of particular significance are the soilborne fungi Verticillium dahliae and V. alboatrum. The potato root is also a host to the root-lesion nematode Pratylenchus penetrans. The two fungal pathogens alone, or in conjunction with P. penetrans, cause a disease called potato early dying (PED), also known as early die, early maturity wilt, and Verticillium wilt (64). This disease is endemic in many potato production areas of the United States, particularly in the Midwest and Pacific Northwest. In fields with a long history of potato production, it is a consistent yield constraint that requires intensive management. On land new to potato production, it may be absent in the first few years the crop is grown, but it almost invariably develops over time, requiring implementation of control measures to maintain high yields. In the last decade, the North American potato industry has undergone considerable changes. Production is increasingly being
Preparation of particulate mono- and multilayers from surfactant-stabilized, nanosized magnetite crystallites

The preparation of particulate films and Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) Films from lauric acid-stabilized, ca. 130 A diameter magnetite (Fe 3 O 4 ) particles is described. A hexane solution of surfactant-stabilized magnetite colloids was dispersed on a water subphase in a Langmuir film balance, and the structure of the resultant film was investigated by a range of techniques as a function of compression. Electron microscopic investigation of the particulate film demonstrated that compression resulted in the production of circular domains of magnetite particles in a lauric acid matrix and ultimately to a close-packed array of magnetite crystallites. The domains appeared to consist of a monoparticulate layer of crystals, with some aggregation occurring at higher compressions
Genetic enhancement and the fate of the worse off.

When reflecting on arguments in the debate about genetic tech- nologies, decision makers must try to be empathetic to those who are worse off. Disparities in health and health care in the U.S. pale when global facts are con- sidered. Although U.S. citizens ought to be concerned about the worse off in the U.S., such concern ultimately must be balanced against the urgent imperative to address the plight of those in poor countries. It is a matter of fairness that care and concern be directed to those who are truly worse off in global terms.
Anesthesia for carotid and cerebrovascular procedures in interventional neuroradiology.

Interventional neuroradiology (INR) continues to evolve as a clinical specialty. About one-third of interventional neuroradiologists now report having admitting privileges. As the complexity of cases coupled with more patient comorbidities increases, the involvement of anesthesiologists in INR realm becomes more important. Research as to how to manage these patients in terms of anesthesia is slowly emerging. Procedures include embolization of arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), aneurysms, and vascular tumors. The procedures can be lengthy and uncomfortable, and patients often require sedation or anesthesia in addition to continuous monitoring of the cardiorespiratory and neurologic systems. Outcome studies indicate that endovascular coiling is superior to neurosurgical clipping if measured as survival and development of seizure states at 1 year even though the risk of rebleeding is higher in the coiling group. The case for carotid artery
The surface susceptibility of a simple metal

Abstract The magnetic surface response of a simple metal to a uniform magnetic field is calculated for a jellium model of a metal surface. We find a positive surface contribution to the measured susceptibility of finite samples.
Laboratory determination of compost physical parameters for modeling of airflow characteristics

Physical parameters of 12 co-compost cover materials were experimentally determined and predicted variations in airflow characteristics were evaluated under varying moisture contents. Predicted air-filled porosity showed high correlation with measured air-filled porosity, facilitating development of a reliable model of air-filled porosity that makes it possible to predict the effect of varying moisture content and compost bed height on air-filled porosity and permeability. Predicted air-filled porosity decreased with increasing moisture content and compost depth for all materials. Air-filled porosity of corn stalks, oat straw, soybean straw, leaves, alfalfa hay, wheat straw, silage, wood shavings and sawdust was in the range of 38-99%. Turkey litter, soil compost blend and beef manure showed air-filled porosity values less than 30% near saturation and the bottom of pile. In concert with the findings of other researchers, effective particle size of all materials increased with increasing moisture content from 20% to 80% of water holding capacity (WHC). It increased dramatically near saturation. In general, permeability increased with increasing air-filled porosity and decreasing bulk density, but the relationship between permeability and moisture content is complex. Permeability is dependent on the balance between particle size and air-filled porosity. If the influence of aggregated particle size on the permeability is significant, it will compensate for the effect of reduced air-filled porosity caused by compaction and moisture content. In this case, permeability will increase; in the reverse case, it will decrease. Permeability decreased for corn stalks, oat straw, silage, wood shavings, soybean straw, sawdust, turkey litter and wheat straw with increasing moisture content from 20% WHC to 50% WHC, regardless of the depth of the compost bed. But the permeability increased with increasing moisture level from 50% to 80% WHC at moderate to shallow simulated bed depths. The soil compost blend and leaves showed the permeability increasing when the moisture increased not only from 50% to 80% WHC but also from 20% to 50% WHC. Permeability of alfalfa hay and beef manure always decreased with increasing moisture levels and pile depth. In this study the maximum wet bulk density and mechanical strength decreased with increasing the moisture content. The method described for determining physical properties under varying moisture contents and compost bed depths will be very useful for designing and modeling airflow characteristics of a mortality composting process with a variety of materials.
Solution of nonlinear problems of elastoplasticity by finite elementmethod.

By using the finite element and direct stiffness method, piecewise linear load deflection relationship, and step-by-step computational algorithm, a general procedure for the solution of problems of elastoplasticity is developed. The change of material properties at each step is expressed in the general differential form of Prandtl-Reuss equations of the theory of plastic deformations, with special treatment of the plane strain case. The effect of initial stresses is also considered when the rotations at each step are not negligible, although the strains are assumed small compared to unity. Application of the principle of virtual work to define the equilibrium of an element subject to initial and additional stresses yields a geometrical stiffness matrix which satisfies macroscopic equilibrium requirements. Computational difficulties arising from the repeated solution of large numbers of linear simultaneous equations are overcome by using an iteration method with an over-relaxation factor. The accuracy of the propagated solution is improved by the application of half-step procedure, which is a special case of the Runge-Kutta method.
Calculation of wiggler spectrum and its absorption in media

Abstract The thermal and structural analyses of beamline and optical components exposed to high heat loads from insertion devices at the third generation synchrotron radiation facilities often require accurate determinations of the absorbed power profile. We have extended the existing PHOTON program (which calculates bending magnet spectra and their absorption in media) to the wiggler regime by taking into account the softening of the energy spectrum as the beam is observed off-axis in the horizontal direction. We describe a model for the wiggler power density and the total power in terms of commonly used parameters. Primarily using Wiggler B at the Advanced Photon Source (APS) as the model source, we find an absorbed power profile in a beryllium window that is markedly different from the power profile of the wiggler source itself: the absorbed power density increases rather than decreases in the horizontal direction. This finding may have a significant impact on the design of windows and other beamline components exposed to high heat load from insertion devices.
Child writers’ construction and reconstruction of single sentences and construction of multi-sentence texts: contributions of syntax and transcription to translation

Children in grades one to four completed two sentence construction tasks: (a) Write one complete sentence about a topic prompt (sentence integrity, Study 1); and (b) Integrate two sentences into one complete sentence without changing meaning (sentence combining, Study 2). Most, but not all, children in first through fourth grade could write just one sentence. The sentence integrity task was not correlated with sentence combining until fourth grade, when in multiple regression, sentence integrity explained unique variance in sentence combining, along with spelling. Word-level skills (morphology in first and spelling in second through fourth grade) consistently explained unique variance in sentence combining. Thus, many beginning writers have syntactic knowledge of what constitutes a complete sentence, but not until fourth grade do both syntax and transcription contribute uniquely to flexible translation of ideas into the syntax of a written sentence. In Study 3, eleven syntactic categories were identified in single- and multi- sentence composing from second to fifth grade. Complex clauses (independent plus subordinate) occurred more often on single-sentence composing, but single independent clauses occurred more often on multi-sentence composing. For multi-sentence text, more single, independent clauses were produced by pen than keyboard in grades 3 to 7. The most frequent category of complex clauses in multi-sentence texts varied with genre (relative for essays and subordinate for narratives). Thus, in addition to syntax-level sentence construction and word-level transcription, amount of translation (number of sentences), mode of transcription, and genre for multiple sentence text also influence translation of ideas into written language of child writers. Results of these studies employing descriptive linguistic analyses are discussed in reference to cognitive theory of writing development.
FINGERYEYES: Impressions of Cup Corals

In When Species Meet (2008) Donna Haraway proposes that creatures’ identities and affinities emerge through their encounters, their relationships. Following Haraway's lead, I attend to how different species sense and apprehend one another, leaving impressions—concrescences of perceptual data, or texture. This essay reports on fieldwork alongside marine biologists and with a population of cup corals (B. elegans) housed at the Long Marine Laboratory, Santa Cruz, California. While I assisted researchers who were studying metabolic rates and reproductive strategies in coral communities, these cup corals simultaneously taught me that being and sensing are inextricably enfolded. We were variously situated—corals generating generations, me interpretations. We met through a material-semiotic apparatus I call “fingeryeyes.” As an act of sensuous manifesting, fingeryeyes offers a queer reading of how making sense and sensual meaning are produced through determinable and permeable species boundaries.
Counterion-Hopping along the Backbone of Single-Stranded DNA in Nanometer Pores : A Mechanism for Current Conduction

Molecular dynamics calculations are performed to investigate ionic current conduction through nanopores in the presence of single-stranded DNA. We find the counterions to be strongly attracted to the phosphate groups of the DNA, with resident time on the order of nanoseconds, while coions are strongly excluded. The diffusion constant of the counterions is calculated and used to estimate the ionic current through the pore, which gives a similar magnitude as in experiment. The results suggest a counterion-hopping mechanism along the ssDNA backbone in the current conduction through nanopores.
Investigation of the Relationship Between Color M-Mode Early Diastolic Propagation Velocity and Left Ventricular Adverse Pressure Gradients

Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) and diastolic heart failure are conditions that affect the filling dynamics of the heart and affect 36% of patients diagnosed with congestive heart failure [1]. Although this condition is very prevalent, it currently remains difficult to diagnose due to inherent atrio-ventricular compensatory mechanisms including increased heart rate, increased left ventricular (LV) contractility, and increased left atrial pressure (LA). A greater comprehension of the governing flow physics in the left ventricle throughout the introduction of the heart’s compensatory mechanisms has great potential to substantially increase the understanding of the progression of diastolic dysfunction and in turn advance the diagnostic techniques.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Scientists and the Acid Rain Policy in Canada and the United States

The acid rain issue came into prominence because scientists kept telling the world of acid rain's potential devastating effects. Yet, the acid rain debate was marked by mistrust between American an...
Origin and significance of the deviations from a pseudo first order rate law in the coupled transport of metal species through supported liquid membran

Abstract A new equation describing the permeation rate of metal species in the coupled transport through supported liquid membranes (SLM) was derived. The equation assumes that the concentration profile within the membrane never goes to zero and contains the independently measurable distribution ratios of the permeating metal species between the organic liquid membrane and the aqueous feed and strip solutions. The equation was experimentally verified by measuring the distribution ratios and the permeation rates of Eu3+ through SLMs consisting of a 0.1 F solution of bis(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (carrier) in n-dodecane absorbed on a thin microporous polypropylene film. The conclusion was reached that the deviations from a pseudo first order rate law, often observed when measuring the coupled transport of metal species at low concentration through SLMs, originate in the non-negligible value of the distribution ratio at the SLM—strip solution interface. Nevertheless, these deviations can easily be taken into account in a quantitative way and, by an appropriate linearization of the permeation data, information can be obtained on two, newly defined, permeability coefficients of the SLM.
Influence of Simulation Details on Thermodynamic and Transport Properties in Molecular Dynamics of Fully Flexible Molecular Models

In this work, we examine the impact of details of molecular dynamics simulation and data analysis protocols on resulting thermodynamic and transport properties of interest in the study of lubricant components. Of particular importance is understanding how viscosity computed from the fluctuation-dissipation formalism is influenced by simulation details, including the differences obtained between employing an atomic vs. molecular formalism to describe the stress tensor, the impact of the size of timestep, and the type of integration scheme employed. Understanding how these simulation details affect the computed properties of interest helps us to establish simulation protocols for examining transport properties of low molecular weight isomers, where we hope to resolve differences in transport properties as a function of fine structural features of the molecules.
Transposable element small RNAs as regulators of gene expression

Transposable elements (TEs) are a source of endogenous small RNAs in animals and plants. These TE-derived small RNAs have been traditionally treated as functionally distinct from gene-regulating small RNAs, such as miRNAs. Two recent reports in Drosophila and Arabidopsis have blurred the lines of this distinction. In both examples, epigenetically and developmentally regulated bursts in TE expression produce gene-regulating small RNAs. In the Drosophila early embryo, maternally deposited TE-derived PIWI-interacting small RNAs (piRNAs) play a role in regulating the nanos mRNA through small RNA binding sites in the nanos 3′ untranslated region (UTR). In Arabidopsis , when Athila retrotransposons are epigenetically activated, their transcripts are processed into small RNAs, which directly target the 3′UTR of the genic oligouridylate binding protein 1B ( UBP1b ) mRNA. Based on these two examples, we suggest that other TE-derived small RNAs regulate additional genes and propose that, through small RNAs, the epigenetic status of TEs could widely influence the genic transcriptome.
A numerical study of coal devolatilization in an entrained-flow reactor

Abstract This paper reports a numerical study of the steady, turbulent reacting two-phase flow in an experimental axisymmetric bench-scale entrained-flow reactor using a readily available computer code. Emphasis is focused on the temperature history and heating rates of individual coal particles. This information, which is difficult to obtain experimentally, plays an important role in assessing coal devolatilization experiments. Numerical simulations are presented and analyzed for reactor temperatures in the range 1000–1650 K (1500–2500°F). The coal considered is of subbituminous type with a particle size range of 20–100 microns. The results illustrate the details of the coal devolatilization process as predicted by a two-competing thermal reaction model. In particular, the mechanism by which the particle temperature history affects this process is elucidated. It is shown that the measured trends of volatile yields with reactor temperature can be predicted with this simple model provided that the temperature history is known. The predicted gas component yields agree fairly well with measurements in the higher-temperature range ( > 1300 K). In the lower-temperature range, the equilibrium chemistry assumption seems not to be appropriate.
Stresses in fibers spanning an infinite matrix crack

Abstract The stresses in a unidirectional fiber composite subjected to tension parallel to the fibers, which has a single matrix crack bridged by fibers, are analyzed. Of interest is whether the enhanced load sustained by the fibers causes them to fail. In particular, we attempt to gain insight into the effect of the fiber-matrix interface on the stresses experienced by the fibers. As a preliminary approach to this issue, the analogous two-dimensional problem is studied. To simulate the influence of a real interface, we allow for interfacial slippage governed by a Coulomb friction law. Results for the dependence of the fiber stress on the fiber volume fraction, the interface parameters, and the load are presented.
Looking back and looking forward: Psychological and legal interventions for domestic violence

Summary This article traces the history of the last 40 years in identifying and assessing domestic violence victims and its impact on the family. Although there is a long and unfortunate history of domestic violence or intimate partner abuse, only since the United Nations, the United States, and other countries began to focus on the civil rights of women, has the focus been on understanding the dynamics of power and control in these relationships and studied the commonalities with other forms of gender violence and intersections with other aspects of cultural norms and values. Overcoming barriers to resources including changes in the criminal justice, civil, and family laws has been a critical step to protecting women and children from further abuse. Custody laws and presumptions of shared parental access continue to place these families in danger. Trauma therapy with an emphasis on reducing power and control issues together with using the courts to help solve problems (therapeutic jurisprudence) are among the recommendations.
The Determinants of Crime in Tucson, Arizona1

This paper examines the geography of violent crime across the neighborhoods of Tucson and South Tucson, Arizona. The research is informed by the tenets of modern social disorganization theory, which has a strong ecological or environmental basis. Three different crime indices are computed; each represents an annual average during the five-year period 1995-1999. The most comprehensive index captures aggravated assaults, homicides, robberies, and sexual assaults. After providing a factor-ecological study of the study area, using 27 variables taken from the 1990 census, various regression models are developed to explain violent crime patterns. These models use a smaller array of ten demographic, economic, and social attributes to predict patterns at the block group level. A number of variables are found to be significant across all models, thereby providing further support for social disorganization theory. Stability in the signs and values of the estimates suggest that a general model of violent crime can b...
Geochemical reconnaissance of heavy metals in kaolin after electrokinetic remediation.

The development or implementation of electrokinetic soil remediation technique requires a good knowledge of how the contaminants are retained within the soil-water system. This paper investigates the speciation and extent of migration of the heavy metals, Cr(VI), Cr(III), Ni(II), and Cd(II), during electrokinetic soil remediation. A geochemical assessment of how the contaminants are held within the kaolin soil under induced electric potential is made by using the equilibrium model MINEQL+. The study is performed for three different contaminant cases: the Cr(VI) existing alone in the soil, the Cr(VI) combined with Ni(II) and Cd(II) in the soil, and the Cr(VI) combined with Ni(II) and Cd(II) in the soil in the presence of a reducing agent (sulfide). The adsorption of the studied metals by kaolin was implemented as an electrostatic behavior. FITEQL 4.0 model was used to determine the equilibrium constants of the electrostatic adsorption model of kaolin for the studied metals by optimizing the experimental ti...
Diagnostics of the large‐scale mixing properties from stratospheric analyses

[1] We present diagnostics of the large-scale mixing of stratospheric flows for January 2000 using meteorological analyses produced by the GEOS-3 system of the Data Assimilation Office (DAO) at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), and the Met Office (METO). To characterize the mixing properties of these numerical weather prediction (NWP) systems we calculate diffusion coefficients, contour lengthening rates, and equivalent mixing lengths. Qualitatively, our results show relatively good agreement between the mixing parameters in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere and reveal similar zones of weak and strong mixing in the middle and upper stratosphere. These parameters, however, exhibit substantial quantitative differences in the middle and upper stratosphere. For January 2000, averaged values for the northern hemisphere (NH) show that the GEOS-3 and ECMWF flows have strong mixing capabilities while the METO winds result in relatively weak mixing and strong transport polar barriers.
Microsurgical management of craniopharyngiomas.

A retrospective analysis of 34 patients who underwent microsurgical therapy for craniopharyngioma from 1975 to 1989, a period when CT imaging was routinely used, is presented. Mean follow-up was 6.4 years with no patients lost to follow-up. Those who underwent subtotal resection with adjuvant radiation had a significantly better recurrence-free interval compared with those who either underwent total or subtotal surgical resection only (p < 0.05 and p < 0.025). Among patients treated with surgery alone, the total resection group had a recurrence rate of 20% and those with a subtotal resection 60%. Those with subtotal resection and radiation had a 12% rate of recurrence. Endocrine and visual deficits were common after surgery. Based on this review, our results suggest that with a policy of attempted total resection where possible, subtotal removal along with adjuvant radiation, in cases where total resection was deemed unsafe, may be more effective than aggressive total resection alone as the initial manage...
Convective Heat Transfer Due to Acoustic Streaming Across the Ends of a Kundt Tube

Convective heat transfer due to acoustic streaming across the ends of a tube supporting a standing sound wave is investigated. Analytical techniques are used along with the numerical solver PHOENICS for the solution of the complete elliptic form of the equations governing the steady transport due to the streaming motion. A parametric study of the effects of the controlling acoustic and geometric variables is conducted, and Nusselt number correlations are developed for air. The results obtained can be used in the thermal analysis of test cells for containerless processing of materials in space using acoustic levitation.
Citizen scientists analyzing tropical cyclone intensities

A new crowd sourcing project called CycloneCenter enables the public to analyze historical global tropical cyclone (TC) intensities. The primary goal of CycloneCenter, which launched in mid-September, is to resolve discrepancies in the recent global TC record arising principally from inconsistent development of tropical cyclone intensity data. The historical TC record is composed of data sets called “best tracks,” which contain a forecast agency's best assessment of TC tracks and intensities. Best track data have improved in quality since the beginning of the geostationary satellite era in the 1960s (because TCs could no longer disappear from sight). However, a global compilation of best track data (International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS)) has brought to light large interagency differences between some TC best track intensities, even in the recent past [Knapp et al., 2010Knapp et al., 2010]. For example, maximum wind speed estimates for Tropical Cyclone Gay (1989) differed by as much as 70 knots as it was tracked by three different agencies.
New Policy Issues in Black Aging: a State and National Perspective

This article explores the author's early interest and involvement in services to minority elderly at both the state and national level while serving as Florida's Director of Aging and Adult Services. Activities of the Joint Task Force on Minority Affairs of the National Association of State Units on Aging and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging are described Three main issue areas impacting our black elderly are examined -- economic issues, health care issues, and access to social services and housing. Each issue area is broken down into specific concerns and unmet needs. Several answers and/or solutions to address these concerns or meet the needs are discussed with special emphasis on the roles of both state and federal government responsibility in each area. Finally, some suggestions are offered for new program directions or possible pilot projects to improve and increase service delivery to this very unique and historically underserved population.
Transfer RNA Modulates the Editing Mechanism Used by Class II Prolyl-tRNA Synthetase

Abstract Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases catalyze the attachment of amino acids to their cognate tRNAs. To prevent errors in protein synthesis, many synthetases have evolved editing pathways by which misactivated amino acids (pre-transfer editing) and misacylated tRNAs (post-transfer editing) are hydrolyzed. Previous studies have shown that class II prolyl-tRNA synthetase (ProRS) possesses both pre- and post-transfer editing functions against noncognate alanine. To assess the relative contributions of pre- and post-transfer editing, presented herein are kinetic studies of an Escherichia coli ProRS mutant in which post-transfer editing is selectively inactivated, effectively isolating the pre-transfer editing pathway. When post-transfer editing is abolished, substantial levels of alanine mischarging are observed under saturating amino acid conditions, indicating that pre-transfer editing alone cannot prevent the formation of Ala-tRNAPro. Steady-state kinetic parameters for aminoacylation measured under these conditions reveal that the preference for proline over alanine is 2000-fold, which is well within the regime where editing is required. Simultaneous measurement of AMP and Ala-tRNAPro formation in the presence of tRNAPro suggested that misactivated alanine is efficiently transferred to tRNA to form the mischarged product. In the absence of tRNA, enzyme-catalyzed Ala-AMP hydrolysis is the dominant form of editing, with “selective release” of noncognate adenylate from the active site constituting a minor pathway. Studies with human and Methanococcus jannaschii ProRS, which lack a post-transfer editing domain, suggest that enzymatic pre-transfer editing occurs within the aminoacylation active site. Taken together, the results reported herein illustrate how both pre- and post-transfer editing pathways work in concert to ensure accurate aminoacylation by ProRS.
Elevated atmospheric CO2 stimulates soil fungal diversity through increased fine root production in a semiarid shrubland ecosystem

Soil fungal communities are likely to be central in mediating microbial feedbacks to climate change through their effects on soil carbon (C) storage, nutrient cycling, and plant health. Plants often produce increased fine root biomass in response to elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2 ), but the responses of soil microbial communities are variable and uncertain, particularly in terms of species diversity. In this study, we describe the responses of the soil fungal community to free air CO2 enrichment (FACE) in a semiarid chaparral shrubland in Southern California (dominated by Adenomstoma fasciculatum) using large subunit rRNA gene sequencing. Community composition varied greatly over the landscape and responses to FACE were subtle, involving a few specific groups. Increased frequency of Sordariomycetes and Leotiomycetes, the latter including the Helotiales, a group that includes many dark septate endophytes known to associate positively with roots, was observed in the FACE plots. Fungal diversity, both in terms of richness and evenness, increased consistently in the FACE treatment, and was relatively high compared to other studies that used similar methods. Increases in diversity were observed across multiple phylogenetic levels, from genus to class, and were distributed broadly across fungal lineages. Diversity was also higher in samples collected close to (5 cm) plants compared to samples in canopy gaps (30 cm away from plants). Fungal biomass correlated well with soil organic matter (SOM) content, but patterns of diversity were correlated with fine root production rather than SOM. We conclude that the fungal community in this ecosystem is tightly linked to plant fine root production, and that future changes in the fungal community in response to elevated CO2 and other climatic changes will be primarily driven by changes in plant belowground allocation. Potential feedbacks mediated by soil fungi, such as soil C sequestration, nutrient cycling, and pathogenesis, are discussed.
Surgical Goniosynechialysis for Angle-closure Glaucoma

Abstract Fifteen patients with synechial angle-closure glaucoma uncontrolled by medical and laser therapy were treated with surgical goniosynechialysis. Five patients were treated with goniosynechialysis alone, and ten were treated with goniosynechialysis in combination with other surgical procedures. The procedure was successful, in terms of reducing synechiae, in 14 eyes (93%). The extent of angle closure was reduced from 340° ± 45° (mean ± standard deviation) preoperatively to 80° ± 70° postoperatively; the mean reduction was 260° ± 95° ( P P P P
Anomaly-free quantization of Wess-Zumino lagrangian and strings on the group manifold

Abstract We quantize the nonlinear σ-model with a Wess-Zumino term in 1 + 1 dimensions by requiring both conformal and chiral symmetries, following the method of Faddeev and Shatashvili. On this basis we consider a string model moving on a group manifold; the critical dimension is found to be 26.
Evaluation of the surgical procedure of sagittal split osteotomy of the mandibular ramus.

Abstract The present article introduces a statistical analysis of a surgical procedure, bilateral sagittal split osteotomy of the mandibular rami, which was performed at the University of Minnesota Hospital. A general survey of our experience with this surgical procedure in forty-one cases is also presented.
Predator–spreaders: Predation can enhance parasite success in a planktonic host–parasite system

The “healthy herds” hypothesis suggests that selective predators, by acting as parasite sinks, may inhibit the start of epidemics and reduce prevalence of infection. Here, we describe a counter-example using field patterns, experiments, and a model. The predator Chaoborus releases infective spores of a fungal parasite and, in doing so, may facilitate epidemics in Daphnia populations. In the field, epidemics occur in lakes with higher Chaoborus densities. Experiments revealed that nonselective Chaoborus release many of the spores contained in their prey. Since these released spores remain infective, this predator can catalyze epidemics when a lake's physical environment might otherwise impede them. Without Chaoborus, Daphnia dying of infection may sink to the lake bottom before releasing spores. A model tracking hosts and spores in the water column (where hosts contact spores) and in bottom sediments (where they cannot) illustrates this mechanism. Thus, by dispersing spores while feeding, this predator spr...
Colorless Green Ideas Sleep Furiously: Is the Emergence of "Sustainable" Practices Meaningful?

The title of the presentation comes from a famous passage by Noam Chomsky (Chomsky 1957) showing that sentences that make sense syntactically or structurally may carry no meaning. So one might ask whether the emergence of green practices in firms signals a meaningful sea change or remains merely some familiar, but meaningless pattern. And further, given the spate of books and articles (for example see, (Hart 1997)) that suggest that [only] firms with sustainable strategies will be tomorrow’s winners, one should ask whether the moral or romantic exhortations that usually accompany these texts are sufficient motivators to induce a critical mass of firms to move to sustainable trajectories. Reasons to remain skeptical exist on both accounts.
Organizational Cognition in a Jazz Ensemble

The interaction of organizational structure and organizational cognition in a simple professional bureaucracy (a jazz ensemble) is examined using a combination of participant observation and cognitive mapping. The ethnographic results show that the ensemble has distinctive elements of professional bureaucracy and simple structure, but that it is dominated by the simple structure elements of direct supervision (criticism) and leader vision (musical arrangement). The cognitive mapping shows that these last two themes are firmly embedded in the cognitive schema of the ensemble—arrangement is the most potent causal variable in the schema, and criticism is the variable which drives the deviation-counteracting (negative feedback) loops of the schema. But the professional bureaucratic notion of member skills is also potent in the cognitive schema, and there were some unexpected results concerning the potency of satisfaction and performance quality, both of which are leading outcomes in the schema. Some implicati...
Development of 31 polymorphic microsatellite markers for the mole salamander ( Ambystoma talpoideum ) using Illumina paired-end sequencing

We isolated and characterized a total of 31 microsatellite loci from the mole salamander, Ambystoma talpoideum. Loci were screened in 20 individuals from a single location in Aiken, South Carolina. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 3 to 11, observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.000 to 0.700, and the probability of identity values ranged from 0.031 to 0.400. These new loci will provide tools for examining the genetic diversity, structure, mating system, and adult morph determination of A. talpoideum.
European‐American and African‐American Mothers' Emotion Socialization Practices Relate Differently to Their Children's Academic and Social‐emotional Competence

The current study examines whether the relation between mothers' responses to their children's negative emotions and teachers' reports of children's academic performance and social-emotional competence are similar or different for European-American and African-American families. Two hundred mothers (137 European-American, 63 African-American) reported on their responses to their five-year-old children's negative emotions and 150 kindergarten teachers reported on these children's current academic standing and skillfulness with peers. Problem-focused responses to children's negative emotions, which have traditionally been considered a supportive response, were positively associated with children's school competence for European-American children, but expressive encouragement, another response considered supportive, was negatively associated with children's competence for African-American children. The findings highlight the need to examine parental socialization practices from a culturally specific lens.