cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Origin of Clothing Lice Indicates Early Clothing Use by Anatomically Modern Humans in Africa

Clothing use is an important modern behavior that contributed to the successful expansion of humans into higher latitudes and cold climates. Previous research suggests that clothing use originated anywhere between 40,000 and 3 Ma, though there is little direct archaeological, fossil, or genetic evidence to support more specific estimates. Since clothing lice evolved from head louse ancestors once humans adopted clothing, dating the emergence of clothing lice may provide more specific estimates of the origin of clothing use. Here, we use a Bayesian coalescent modeling approach to estimate that clothing lice diverged from head louse ancestors at least by 83,000 and possibly as early as 170,000 years ago. Our analysis suggests that the use of clothing likely originated with anatomically modern humans in Africa and reinforces a broad trend of modern human developments in Africa during the Middle to Late Pleistocene.
Assessing differential gene expression with small sample sizes in oligonucleotide arrays using a mean-variance model

The identification of the genes that are differentially expressed in two-sample microarray experiments remains a difficult problem when the number of arrays is very small. We discuss the implications of using ordinary t-statistics and examine other commonly used variants. For oligonucleotide arrays with multiple probes per gene, we introduce a simple model relating the mean and variance of expression, possibly with gene-specific random effects. Parameter estimates from the model have natural shrinkage properties that guard against inappropriately small variance estimates, and the model is used to obtain a differential expression statistic. A limiting value to the positive false discovery rate (pFDR) for ordinary t-tests provides motivation for our use of the data structure to improve variance estimates. Our approach performs well compared to other proposed approaches in terms of the false discovery rate.
Remarks on translation by sign modulation

It is shown that if sign modulation is applied in both the sample and transform domains to a signal whose dimension is not an integral multiple of four, then a phase error results in the transformed signal. Although this result is inconsequential to radix-two algorithms, it is extremely important to the increasingly popular prime-radix and mixed-radix fast Fourier transform (FFT) algorithms. >
A dual-polarized Ku-band microstrip antenna array: a compact feeding network and a refinement strategy using microwave holographic imaging

Future SAR imaging of terrestrial snow cover may require a 15m-spaceborne, dual- polarized Ku-band microstrip antenna array. The entire array consists of sixty 16x16-element subarrays, each mounted on a deployable panel. At the operating frequency of 13.4GHz, the radiation pattern is desired to have a reasonable envelop in the narrow beam direction (xz-plane), with the broad beam in yz-plane steerable up to plusmn6deg. To prevent the grating lobe when scanning the beam using T/R modules, the spacing between two rows of the 16x16 subarray (two 1x16 arrays) can not exceed 0.85lambda0. By considering the dual-polarization requirement, the design of each 1x16 array is quite challenging since there is not enough space in the y-direction to accommodate the feeding network with conventional corporate feeding structure. In this paper, a novel compact feeding network based on a single-layered substrate is applied to design and fabricate the 1x16 array. In particular, a refinement strategy of the feeding network is proposed by constructing the measured aperture field of the array using microwave holographic imaging technique (Ramat-Samii, 1985 and 1987).
Designing with High Performance Plastics in Off-the-Road and Automotive Equipment Applications

High performance polyimide polymers have increasingly replaced metal parts in off-road and automotive equipment. Known for excellent properties at high temperature, load and speed, polyimides have proved their effectiveness in sealing and bearing applications. By taking advantage of polyimide's strength, low deformation under load, low wear rate, self-lubricity and chemical and temperature resistance, the design engineer is able to optimize part and assembly design. Improved performance, weight reduction, and cost savings may be realized.
Quality of life and treatment outcomes : Prostate carcinoma patients' perspectives after prostatectomy or radiation therapy

BACKGROUND Of the estimated 317,000 men in the United States diagnosed with prostate carcinoma in 1996, 57% will have localized disease, and their 5-year relative survival rate will be 98%. Limited information exists on patient-reported quality of life (QOL) and the incidence and severity of treatment-related side effects. The purpose of this study was to identify and compare patients' self-reported QOL and treatment side effects 1-5 years after radical prostatectomy or radiotherapy. METHODS Data collection for this cross-sectional study included a mailed, self-administered survey with three parts: a demographic survey, the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G), and a newly developed Prostate Cancer Treatment Outcome Questionnaire (PCTO-Q). The FACT-G measured the effect of prostate carcinoma on overall QOL in the two treatment groups. The PCTO-Q assessed the patients' perceptions of the incidence and severity of specific changes in bowel, urinary, and sexual functions. The test-retest reliability of the PCTO-Q in a pilot study was 91.2%. RESULTS Two hundred seventy-four eligible men completed the questionnaires; 132 (48%) reported having undergone prostatectomy and 142 (52%) reported having undergone radiotherapy. After age adjustment, the radiotherapy group reported more bowel dysfunction (P = 0.001), whereas the prostatectomy group reported more urinary problems (P = 0.03) and more sexual dysfunction (P = 0.001). Scores for the FACT-G were similar in the two treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS Men undergoing treatment for clinically localized prostate carcinoma continue to experience difficulty long after treatment. In this study, the prostatectomy group fared worse in regard to sexual and urinary functions, whereas the radiotherapy group experienced more bowel dysfunction. Survivor-reported QOL and treatment outcomes can assist physicians in counseling patients in the selection of the preferred course of treatment. Cancer 1997; 79:1977-86. © 1997 American Cancer Society.
Ordering the Final Events in Yeast Exocytosis

In yeast, assembly of exocytic soluble N-ethylmaleimide–sensitive fusion protein (NSF) attachment protein receptor (SNARE) complexes between the secretory vesicle SNARE Sncp and the plasma membrane SNAREs Ssop and Sec9p occurs at a late stage of the exocytic reaction. Mutations that block either secretory vesicle delivery or tethering prevent SNARE complex assembly and the localization of Sec1p, a SNARE complex binding protein, to sites of secretion. By contrast, wild-type levels of SNARE complexes persist in the sec1-1 mutant after a secretory block is imposed, suggesting a role for Sec1p after SNARE complex assembly. In the sec18-1 mutant, cis-SNARE complexes containing surface-accessible Sncp accumulate in the plasma membrane. Thus, one function of Sec18p is to disassemble SNARE complexes on the postfusion membrane.
Comprehensive Analysis of Protein Modifications by Top-down Mass Spectrometry

Mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics is playing an increasingly important role in cardiovascular research. Proteomics includes identification and quantification of proteins and the characterization of protein modifications, such as posttranslational modifications and sequence variants. The conventional bottom-up approach, involving proteolytic digestion of proteins into small peptides before MS analysis, is routinely used for protein identification and quantification with high throughput and automation. Nevertheless, it has limitations in the analysis of protein modifications, mainly because of the partial sequence coverage and loss of connections among modifications on disparate portions of a protein. An alternative approach, top-down MS, has emerged as a powerful tool for the analysis of protein modifications. The top-down approach analyzes whole proteins directly, providing a "bird's-eye" view of all existing modifications. Subsequently, each modified protein form can be isolated and fragmented in the mass spectrometer to locate the modification site. The incorporation of the nonergodic dissociation methods, such as electron-capture dissociation (ECD), greatly enhances the top-down capabilities. ECD is especially useful for mapping labile posttranslational modifications that are well preserved during the ECD fragmentation process. Top-down MS with ECD has been successfully applied to cardiovascular research, with the unique advantages in unraveling the molecular complexity, quantifying modified protein forms, complete mapping of modifications with full-sequence coverage, discovering unexpected modifications, identifying and quantifying positional isomers, and determining the order of multiple modifications. Nevertheless, top-down MS still needs to overcome some technical challenges to realize its full potential. Herein, we reviewed the advantages and challenges of the top-down method, with a focus on its application in cardiovascular research.
Automated segmentation of lateral ventricles in brain CT images

It is estimated that every year, 1.5 million people in the United States sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Over 50,000 of these patients will not survive, and many others will be left permanently disabled. TBI is known to be accompanied by an increase in intracranial pressure (ICP), as the presence of hematomas compresses the brain tissue. Severe ICP can be fatal, and so must be monitored. This typically requires cranial trepanation, a risky procedure for the patient. However, some signs of increased ICP are visible on medical scans. For example, the lateral ventricles may change in size and position, depending on the location of the original injury. In this paper, we focus on automatic processing of CT brain images to segment and identify the lateral ventricles, using both iterated conditional models (ICM) and maximum a posteriori spatial probability (MASP). The ideal midline of the brain is found via exhaustive search based on skull symmetry and tissue features. The horizontal shift in the ventricles associated with increased ICP can then later be calculated based on the ideal midline. The novelty of the proposed method lies in its combination of anatomical features with template matching against MRI images, its stepwise improvement of the detected actual midline, and its comparison of two existing methods, ICM and MASP, for ventricle detection. The relatively large size of the CT dataset used for testing increases the reliability of the results.
On the estimation of the K parameter for the Rice fading distribution

We study the statistical performance of two moment-based estimators for the K parameter of Rice fading distribution, as less complex alternatives to the maximum-likelihood estimator. Our asymptotic analysis reveals that both estimators are nearly asymptotically efficient, and that there is a compromise between the computational simplicity and the statistical efficiency of these two estimators. We also show, by Monte Carlo simulation, that the fading correlation among the envelope samples deteriorates the performance of both estimators. However, the simpler estimator, which employs the second and the fourth moments of the signal envelope, appears to be more suitable for real-world applications.
Microfabrication of nanopore devices without nanolithography

This paper introduces a novel microfabrication method for engineered nanopore devices that does not require nanolithography. Nanopores are compositionally constructed at the intersection of two orthogonal sacrificial nanometer gap spacers. Arrays of rectangular nanopores 10 times 12 nm bounded by polycrystalline silicon and silicon nitride walls were fabricated on silicon nitride membranes. The nanopore electrical conductivity was tested in a 1 M KCl aqueous solution with 0.25 muM of 5 nm Au nanoparticles. Discrete current spikes about 120 mus wide have been recorded characteristic of nanoparticle translocation events.
Measurement of Coherent Thermal Emission From Subwavelength Grating Structures by the Excitation of Magnetic Polaritons

Tailoring radiative properties such as spectral control of thermal emission is beneficial in many applications such as space cooling and energy harvesting. The effect of magnetic polaritons (MPs) on spectral modulation has been analyzed previously and shown to exhibit omnidirectional behaviors when magnetic polaritons are excited in metallic grating structures with a dielectric spacer on a metallic film. The present work provides an experimental demonstration of coherent thermal emission from such a microstructure in the infrared region at both room and elevated temperatures. Samples with different patterns are fabricated to study the geometric effect on the MPs. The emittance at elevated temperatures is directly measured using a home-built emissometer, while the room-temperature emittance is indirectly obtained from the reflectance measurements. The rigorous coupled-wave analysis and the LC model are employed to elucidate the mechanisms, by incorporating the Drude model with a temperature-dependent scattering rate.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Combining Azadirachtin and Paecilomyces fumosoroseus (Deuteromycotina: Hyphomycetes) to Control Bemisia argentifolii (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae)

Both azadirachtin and Paecilomyces fumosoroseus (Wize) Brown & Smith have been used to control the whitefly Bemisia argentifolii Bellows & Perring, but with only moderate effectiveness. Azadirachtin is a botanical insecticide derived from the neem tree, and P. fumosoroseus is an entomopathogenic fungus. To test whether these two agents might be more effective for whitefly control if used together, different rates of each were combined in laboratory bioassays in factorial treatment. Both tank mixes and separate sprays were tested. Up to 90% nymphal mortality was obtained when both the fungus and azadirachtin were combined, a significant increase over the 70%, or less, mortality obtained when only one agent was used; however, the combined effects were less than additive. Azadirachtin had moderately inhibitory effects on growth and germination of P. fumosoroseus, which may explain this antagonism.
The Psychology of Deception

INTRODUCTION.. . ...... ......... . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... . . . ......... . . ... ..... ... . ... . ..... 133 HISTORICAL APPROACHES TO A PSYCHOLOGY OF DECEPTION ...... ... .. . . . . . 1 34 The Early Promise for a Psychology of Deception 1 34 Jastrow's Psychology of Deception . .... ..... .. . . . . .... ..... . . .. .. .. .. .. ... . .. . . . . . 1 35 Dessoir and Binet .... . . . . . . . . . . . . ........ ....... . ........ . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..... ...... ..... .. 1 36 Triplett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 37 THE CONTEMPORARY SCENE . . .. . . . . .. ... .. ...... . . .... ........ . ..... . . .. 1 39 The Psychological Data Base . . . . . .... ..... .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. ........ ..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 39 Informal Survey of the Remaining Literature on Deception...... . . . . . . .. . . . .. .. . . . . . . . . . 140 CATEGORIES AND EXAMPLES OF DECEPTION . . .. . .... . . . . . . . 140 Nonhuman Deception ....... . . . . . . . .. . . ....... . . .. . . . . ..... . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . 140 Children and Deception ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143 Psychic Fraud . . ........ ..... . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. . ..... . .. .. .. ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....... ... . . . . . . . . 145 Other Cases 148 BORDERLINE AND RELATED CASES..... . . . . . . . .. ... . .. ......... ..... . . ... . . . . . . .. . . . .. . . .. 1 50 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS . . . .. ...... ..... . . ...... ... ........ .. .... ........ . . .. . . .. ..... 1 5 1
Life-history Responses of Ageneotettix deorum (Scudder) (Orthoptera: Acrididae) to Host Plant Availability and Population Density

The effects of variation in host plant availability and population densities on reproductive allocation in grasshoppers have received relatively little attention. The effect of increased host plant availability and population density on survival and reproductive allocation were examined in a widely distributed grasshopper, Ageneotettix deorum (Scudder). The experimental treatments consisted of ambient-level and fertilized vegetation with two A. deorum density treatments in a 2 32 factorial design. Both food plant availability and population density played important roles in the observed life history variation. Although the rate of egg pod production was not density- dependent, density-dependence was evident in the number of eggs per pod. Average survival did not respond to food plant availability, but reproduction was limited by host plant availability in the ambient-level treatment. Food limited A. deorum with ambient-level resources produced egg pods more slowly and with fewer eggs per pod. The rate of egg pod production averaged 64% higher with fertilized vegetation than with ambient vegetation. The availability of higher protein host plants may have been the primary limiting factor for egg production. The effects of food availability and grasshopper density acted in an additive manner on reproductive allocation. As a result, the per capita availability of nutrients was likely the limiting factor for reproduction in both resource and density treatments. Variation in host plant availability had a much larger effect on recruitment and
Correlation of dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE MRI) with 18f-fluoromisonidazole positron emission and computed tomography (18F-FMISO PET/CT) in assessing tumor hypoxia in a series of head and neck cancer (HNC) patients with nodal metastases

6083 Background: 18F-FMISO PET/CT is a noninvasive hypoxia imaging modality. Hypoxia can develop within the tumor which typically corresponds to regions with poor blood perfusion. DCE-MRI can yield...
Osteotomy of the upper portion of the tibia for degenerative arthritis of the knee. A preliminary report by Mark B. Conventry, MD. From the Section of Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Foundation, Rochester, Minnesota. 1965.

Thirty knees of twenty-two patients have been operated on in the past four years (1960-1964) to correct the varus or valgus deformity resulting from degenerative changes. Six knees in four other patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis had similar procedures. An upper tibial wedge osteotomy was used in the general region of the closed epiphysis. The thrust of weight-bearing and other stresses was thus lessened on the degenerated tibial condyle and transferred to the more normal condyle. The results at from one to …
THE CHALLENGES TO DARWINISM SINCE THE LAST CENTENNIAL AND THE IMPACT OF MOLECULAR STUDIES.

What has happened to Darwinism since the last centennial? For the present purposes I shall take the view that nothing fundamental whatsoever has changed. There is a point to this stance that is something beyond a device for getting your attention. I will contend that all the many current so-called challenges arise from: 1) an overly narrow construction of Darwinism; 2) a misunderstanding of the meaning of terms such as neutralism and Lamarckism; 3) the attribution of personal metaphysical beliefs to Darwin's theory; or 4) the requiring of neo-Darwinism to have been fleshed out to the point where everything in nature is predictable within the bounds of stochastic mutation theory.
Shame and glory: a sociology of hair*

Doth not nature itself teach you, that if a man have long hair it is a shame unto him? But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her. So wrote St. Paul to the people of Corinth (1 Cor. 11: 14- 15); the shame of one sex is the glory of the opposite sex. Indeed the debate over hair symbolism is both ancient and complex, and applies not only to gender but also to politics, as Hippies, Skins and Punks, among others, have recently demonstrated. Hair is perhaps our most powerful symbol of individual and group identity powerful first because it is physical and therefore extremely personal, and second because, although personal, it is also public rather than private. Furthermore, hair symbolism is usually voluntary rather than imposed or 'given'. Finally, hair is malleable, in various ways, and therefore singularly apt to symbolize both differentiations between, and changes in, individual and group identities. The immense social significance of hair is indicated by economics: the hair industry is worth $2.5 billion in the USA (New York Times, 7.1.85).
Characterizing the composition of molecular motors on moving axonal cargo using "cargo mapping" analysis.

Understanding the mechanisms by which molecular motors coordinate their activities to transport vesicular cargoes within neurons requires the quantitative analysis of motor/cargo associations at the single vesicle level. The goal of this protocol is to use quantitative fluorescence microscopy to correlate (“map”) the position and directionality of movement of live cargo to the composition and relative amounts of motors associated with the same cargo. “Cargo mapping” consists of live imaging of fluorescently labeled cargoes moving in axons cultured on microfluidic devices, followed by chemical fixation during recording of live movement, and subsequent immunofluorescence (IF) staining of the exact same axonal regions with antibodies against motors. Colocalization between cargoes and their associated motors is assessed by assigning sub-pixel position coordinates to motor and cargo channels, by fitting Gaussian functions to the diffraction-limited point spread functions representing individual fluorescent point sources. Fixed cargo and motor images are subsequently superimposed to plots of cargo movement, to “map” them to their tracked trajectories. The strength of this protocol is the combination of live and IF data to record both the transport of vesicular cargoes in live cells and to determine the motors associated to these exact same vesicles. This technique overcomes previous challenges that use biochemical methods to determine the average motor composition of purified heterogeneous bulk vesicle populations, as these methods do not reveal compositions on single moving cargoes. Furthermore, this protocol can be adapted for the analysis of other transport and/or trafficking pathways in other cell types to correlate the movement of individual intracellular structures with their protein composition. Limitations of this protocol are the relatively low throughput due to low transfection efficiencies of cultured primary neurons and a limited field of view available for high-resolution imaging. Future applications could include methods to increase the number of neurons expressing fluorescently labeled cargoes.
Comments on the Blood-Feeding Tribe Cleradini (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae: Rhyparochrominae) and Description of a New Genus and New Species with the Legs Modified for Grasping

Information is presented on the Cleradini, including their habit of feeding on vertebrate blood and their possible involvement in human trypanosomal diseases. Prehensocoris indonesensis , a new species in a new genus, is described from Java and Borneo. Its relationships to other genera in the tribe are discussed, and its complex spines on all femora are noted as distinguishing it from all other described Cleradini. It is hypothesized that these spines are an adaptation for grasping or clinging to the host.
Ultrasensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric methodologies for quantification of five HIV-1 integrase inhibitors in plasma for a microdose clinical trial.

HIV-1 integrase strand transfer inhibitors are an important class of compounds targeted for the treatment of HIV-1 infection. Microdosing has emerged as an attractive tool to assist in drug candida...
Lagrange Interpolation Learning Particle Swarm Optimization.

In recent years, comprehensive learning particle swarm optimization (CLPSO) has attracted the attention of many scholars for using in solving multimodal problems, as it is excellent in preserving the particles’ diversity and thus preventing premature convergence. However, CLPSO exhibits low solution accuracy. Aiming to address this issue, we proposed a novel algorithm called LILPSO. First, this algorithm introduced a Lagrange interpolation method to perform a local search for the global best point (gbest). Second, to gain a better exemplar, one gbest, another two particle’s historical best points (pbest) are chosen to perform Lagrange interpolation, then to gain a new exemplar, which replaces the CLPSO’s comparison method. The numerical experiments conducted on various functions demonstrate the superiority of this algorithm, and the two methods are proven to be efficient for accelerating the convergence without leading the particle to premature convergence.
CT in pelvic trauma.

SUMMARY The use of computed tomography is extremely important in the care of patients with pelvic trauma. We believe that it should be performed on all patients with severe pelvic injury. It depicts the pelvic anatomy in exquisite detail, enabling one to plan therapy on the basis of pathologic anatomy rather than the presumed mechanism of injury. CT is more expensive than tomography but gives considerably more information at a lower radiation dose. It is also of considerable value in postoperative follow-up for determination of the adequacy of reduction and fracture healing.
Effects of murine norovirus on atherosclerosis in ldlr(-/-) mice depends on the timing of infection.

We previously reported that murine norovirus (MNV), a virus prevalent in United States research institutions, increased atherosclerotic lesion size in Ldlr−/− mice when the mice were infected 8 wk after feeding an atherogenic diet. To determine whether the timing of MNV infection relative to atherosclerosis development altered the disease phenotype and to examine potential mechanisms by which MNV influences the disease process, we fed Ldlr−/− mice an atherogenic diet for 16 wk. Three days after initiating the atherogenic diet, half of the mice received MNV4 and the other half vehicle only (clarified cell-culture lysate; controls). Both groups of mice developed large aortic sinus lesions (control compared with MNV4: 133 ± 8 × 103 µm2 compared with 140 ± 7 × 103 µm2) that were not significantly different in size. Because the timing of MNV infection relative to atherosclerosis development and hypercholesterolemia differed between our previous and the current studies, we examined whether hypercholesterolemia altered MNV4-induced changes in bone-marrow–derived macrophages. MNV4 infection increased the potential of macrophages to take up and store cholesterol by increasing CD36 expression while suppressing the ABCA1 transporter. Thus, the effects of MNV4 infection on atherosclerotic lesion size appear to be dependent on the timing of the infection: MNV4 infection promotes only established lesions. This effect may be due to MNV4’s ability to increase cholesterol uptake and decrease efflux by regulating CD36 and ABCA1 protein expression.
Mitral valve replacement in idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome

Idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome is a rare systemic disease that can cause one form of endocardial fibrosis. Endocardial fibrous tissue with overlying thrombus formation in idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome leads to a restrictive cardiomyopathy that may produce mitral and/or tricuspid regurgitation. This report describes a patient with idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome who underwent mitral valve replacement and successful steroid therapy for an usually localized form of endocardial fibrosis.
The People of the Person are Multiple in the Person: The Ebb and Flow of Personhood in West African Spirituality

Along with mobility, migration, and flows that elicit external transformations among human beings and their societies, there are movements that equally influence our inner experience as humans. According to Amadou Hampate Ba, for example, a Malian traditionalist living during the 20th century, the human being is a receptacle of all of the forces existing in the universe that incessantly move in and out of our core. In the Fulani tradition of which Ba was a part, not only is the human being a medium of interaction between various universal forces but also, in connection to this universal status, a potential interlocutor of the Supreme Being. However, in her or his role as a medium, the person is vulnerable to the duality of forces that often lead to contradiction from within and without. The role of the human being is to surmount these contradictions, in order to become harmonized with all of the energies that penetrate the human core, which, in turn, lead to the capacity to communicate with the Supreme being. Once the balance is established, the person can become the guarantor of harmony between beings in the material and spiritual worlds, controlling the movements and flows within her or himself as well as within the environment.
The Trans Fat Smackdown

This blog entry details the FDA's reevaluation of the safety of trans fats in food products.
Nanostructured Materials for Improving Water Quality: Potentials and Risks

Publisher Summary This chapter examines the most current information regarding metal contamination in water and the in situ remediation of inorganic contaminants, specifically chromium (Cr). It focuses on the use of Palladium nanoparticles (PdNPs) for the catalytic conversion of Cr (VI) to Cr (III) using formic acid (FA) and sulfur. It utilized colloidal PdNPs as catalyst for the reduction of Cr (VI) to Cr (III). This chapter studies the reaction kinetics of Cr (VI) reduction and the effects of other parameters such as temperature, formic acid concentration, pH, Pd loading, and elemental hydrogen. Based on the experimental results, this approach has shown that colloidal PdNPs enhanced the reduction rate of Cr (VI) to Cr (III). The removal of 99.8 percent Cr (VI) from complex aqueous media using PdNPs was achieved within minutes as opposed to approximately 90 percent removal using Bioremediation-Pd method. Along with the discussion of their enormous technological and economic potential, this chapter also discusses the specific risks related to the environmental applications of nanomaterials.
Uterine Tumors and the Environment

Uterine adenocarcinomas of the endometrium are the eighth leading cause of cancer deaths in women affecting primarily postmenopausal women. Although uterine leiomyomas are benign, they are the most common pelvic tumor and are the leading cause for hysterectomy in women. Thus, uterine tumors have a significant impact on women’s health. The uterus is exquisitely sensitive to the ovarian steroid hormones, estradiol and progesterone, and is therefore a target tissue for endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Such chemicals occur almost ubiquitously in our environment and may have profound effects on normal uterine development and function. This chapter provides an overview of what is known about the effects of various classes of EDCs on the incidence of uterine tumors in animal models. The importance of choosing the correct animal model, particularly when using rodent models, is discussed. This chapter also summarizes the different types of uterine tumors that occur in women as well as findings from epidemiological studies that implicate EDCs in uterine tumor development. The development of various human uterine cell lines for in vitro studies has allowed the identification of the mechanisms of action of EDCs and how these chemicals interact with estrogen receptor (ER) to act as either estrogen agonists or antagonists. Discussion of the transgenerational effects of exposure to EDCs is also included. Although it has been difficult to show a direct link between environmental exposure to EDCs and an increased incidence of uterine tumors in women, the use of in vivo animal models, cell culture systems, and limited epidemiological data suggests a causal relationship between the two. Future studies will undoubtedly lead to an increased understanding of the potential clinical importance of environmental toxicants in the uterus.
Stitching Women’s Lives: Interpreting the Artifacts of Sewing and Needlework

In our introduction to this book, James Symonds and I characterized interpretive historical archaeology as a multifaceted congeries of contextual, politically and socially engaged approaches to the study of human lives and experiences. American historical archaeologists have employed variants of interpretive archaeology in their work since, at the very least, the 1970s (see, e.g., Ascher and Fairbanks, 1971; Deetz, 1977; Leone, 1977), although, apart from the noteworthy exceptions by Ascher and Fairbanks, Deetz, and Leone cited above, interpretive historical archaeologies failed to gain prominence in the field until after postprocessual archaeology (Hodder, 1991) and postcolonial theory (Trigger, 2005:444–478; Wilkie, 2009:337) gained firm traction as alternatives to the long-entrenched canon of processualism (Beaudry, 1996, 2007).
Monitoring sepsis using electrical cell profiling

Sepsis is a potentially lethal condition that may be ameliorated through early monitoring of circulating activated leukocytes for faster stratification of severity of illness and improved administration of targeted treatment. Characterization of the intrinsic electrical properties of leukocytes is label-free and can provide a quick way to quantify the number of activated cells as sepsis progresses. Iso-dielectric separation (IDS) uses dielectrophoresis (DEP) to characterize the electrical signatures of cells. Here, we use IDS to show that activated and non-activated leukocytes have different electrical properties. We then present a double-sided version of the IDS platform to increase throughput to characterize thousands of cells. This new platform is less prone to cell fouling and allows faster characterization. Using peripheral blood samples from a cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) model of polymicrobial sepsis in mice, we estimate the number of activated leukocytes by looking into differences in the electrical properties of cells. We show for the first time using animal models that electrical cell profiling correlates with flow cytometry (FC) results and that IDS is therefore a good candidate for providing rapid monitoring of sepsis by quantifying the number of circulating activated leukocytes.
Microbiology of Hydroponically-Grown Lettuce

The microbial quality of lettuce ( Lactuca sativa L. var. "Ostinata") cultivated in a hydroponic system was evaluated. Over a 3-month study period, samples of lettuce, nutrient solution, and peat-vermiculite growing mixture from the greenhouse were analyzed for total aerobic bacteria, yeasts, molds, and coliforms. There was a consistent amount of each type of organism occurring within each sample group for a given month, and the numbers of aerobic bacteria and coliforms present were generally similar to those reported for lettuce and leafy vegetable crops propagated by the conventional method of agriculture. Over the study period, the modal values for each type of organism in lettuce were: aerobic bacteria, 7.9 × 106 CFU/g (range of 3.8 × 104 to 2.3 × 108); coliforms, 1.5 × 104 CFU/g (range of none detected to greater than or equal to 5.3 × 107); molds, 2.9 × 103 CFU/g (range of 1.2 × 102 to 5.3 × 104); and yeasts, 2.4 × 104 CFU/g (range of 6.9 × 102 to 2.3 × 106). The primary organisms associated with the growing system were Citrobacter freundii , Enterobacter cloacae , and Enterobacter agglomerans . No organisms of human health concern (i.e. Salmonella spp., Clostrium botulinum , Escherichia coli , or Staphylococcus aureus ) were detected in the samples. The bacteriology of lettuce produced for market by this type of hydroponic farming and packaging appears to be generally comparable to that of field-grown lettuce and to present no unique microbiological hazards to consumers.
A remark on boundary estimates on unbounded Z(q) domains in

The goal of this note is to explore the relationship between the Folland–Kohn basic estimate and the Z(q)-condition. In particular, on unbounded domains, we prove that the Folland–Kohn basic estimate is equivalent to a uniform Z(q) condition. As a corollary, we observe that despite the Siegel upper half space being strictly pseudoconvex and biholomorphic to the unit ball, it fails to satisfy uniform strict pseudoconvexity and hence the Folland–Kohn basic estimate fails.
Detecting faint nearby companions to geostationary satellites with optical interferometry

One of the main problems faced by the Space Situational Awareness community is the detection and characterization of faint objects around geosats. Independent of the origin of these objects, whether they are debris or controlled spacecraft, they can potentially harm these assets and contaminate the geobelt environment. The challenge of detecting these companion objects comes from their proximity and brightness ratio relative to geosats. Here we present a novel interferometric fringe nulling technique, aimed at solving these issues. This technique takes advantage of the fact that the presence of companions introduces large phase fluctuations in the fringe phase observed by an interferometer, when the interferometer is observing a target at spatial frequencies where the fringe amplitude is near zero. We describe the ongoing development of this technique at the Navy Precision Optical Interferometer, and the results of simulations of interferometric observations of satellites with companions. We also present the current state of the NPOI and related SSA work being done with this interferometer, as well as undergoing upgrades to the system.
The flexure of isotropic beams

In this chapter we consider the stress and displacement in an isotropic cantilever, that is to say, a prismatic beam fixed at one end, the root, and in equilibrium under the action of a force applied in the plane of the free end.
59 Diastolic blood pressure, subclinical myocardial damage, and cardiac events: implications for blood pressure control

Background The optimal systolic blood pressure (SBP) treatment goal is in question, with SPRINT (Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial) suggesting benefit for 120 mm Hg. However, achieving an SBP this low may reduce diastolic blood pressure (DBP) to levels that could compromise myocardial perfusion. Objectives This study sought to examine the association of DBP with prevalent and progressive myocardial damage (using high-sensitivity cardiac Troponin-T, hs-cTnT). We also examined prospective associations between DBP and coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, or death over 21 years; overall and stratified by subgroups of interest. Methods We studied 11,565 adults from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. We evaluated cross-sectional DBP and hs-cTnT (dichotomized at 14 ng/L) associations with logistic regression, longitudinal associations between DBP and hs-cTnT change using generalised linear models adjusted for attrition, and prospective associations between DBP and events with Cox regression. Results Mean baseline age was 57 years, 57% of patients were female, and 25% were black. Compared with persons who had DBP between 80 to 89 mm Hg at baseline (ARIC visit 2), the adjusted odds ratio of having hs-cTnT ≥14 ng/l at that visit was 2.2 [95% CI: 1.2–4.1] and 1.5 [1.0–2.3] in those with DBP Conclusions Particularly among adults with an SBP ≥120 mm Hg, and thus elevated pulse pressure, low DBP was associated with subclinical myocardial damage and CHD events. When titrating treatment to SBP
Molecular Structure-Based Large-Scale Prediction of Chemical-Induced Gene Expression Changes

The quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) approach has been used to model a wide range of chemical-induced biological responses. However, it had not been utilized to model chemical-induced genomewide gene expression changes until very recently, owing to the complexity of training and evaluating a very large number of models. To address this issue, we examined the performance of a variable nearest neighbor (v-NN) method that uses information on near neighbors conforming to the principle that similar structures have similar activities. Using a data set of gene expression signatures of 13 150 compounds derived from cell-based measurements in the NIH Library of Integrated Network-based Cellular Signatures program, we were able to make predictions for 62% of the compounds in a 10-fold cross validation test, with a correlation coefficient of 0.61 between the predicted and experimentally derived signatures—a reproducibility rivaling that of high-throughput gene expression measurements. To evaluate ...
Statistical thermodynamics and magnetic moments of Landau quantized group VI dichalcogenides

This work is focused on the determination of the Helmholtz free energy and the magnetic moments of the 'Dirac-like' group VI dichalcogenides subject to Landau quantization. We employ a technique described by Wilson to relate the free energy to the Green's function for the dichalcogenides in a high magnetic field, which was recently evaluated explicitly in terms of elementary functions. In the course of this analysis, the partition function is determined as a function of the magnetic field as well. The results exhibit the role of the quantizing magnetic field in the Helmholtz free energy at arbitrary temperature, and they are also employed to obtain the magnetic moments of the dichalcogenides. Explicit analytic formulas characteristic of de Haas-van Alphen oscillatory phenomenology are presented in the degenerate limit, and nondegenerate Landau quantization effects are also presented for the dichalcogenide magnetic moments.
Reducing drainage water phosphorus concentration with rice cultivation under different water management regimes

Abstract Phosphorus is a critical water quality indicator of farm drainage systems. In South Florida, rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivation has the potential to reduce phosphorus concentration in drainage water through crop uptake under varying flooding systems. A two-year study was conducted to assess drainage water quality under four different flooding systems conventionally used for rice production – 15 cm continuous flood; 5 cm continuous flood; 15 cm with midseason drawdown; and 5 cm with midseason drawdown. In the first growing season, 15 cm continuous flood treatment had the highest reduction of total phosphorus and particulate phosphorus concentrations in drainage water. However, in the second growing season, we did not observe significant differences among water treatments, which was likely due to the release of phosphorus from other sources like soil and rice straw to the water column which masked treatment effects. On average, in both years, all flood treatments reduced total phosphorus concentrations by 42 ± 8% between inflow and outflow water. No phosphorus fertilizer was added and with each harvest, rice grain potentially removed 15.7 ± 3 kg phosphorus ha−1. The results indicate that rice cultivation in fertile soils can successfully reduce phosphorus concentrations in drainage water under well managed water-flow conditions.
The Stability of Factors Influencing the Choice of Medical Specialty Among Medical Students and Postgraduate Radiology Trainees.

Abstract Objective To investigate whether general psychological motivating factors that guide career selection of a medical specialty differ over the course of medical school and to compare differences in motivating factors among students choosing "controllable" lifestyle specialties, students choosing "uncontrollable" lifestyle specialties, and a cohort of radiology residents. Materials and Methods An anonymous survey was distributed to first- through fourth-year medical students and radiology residents at a single institution. Participants were asked to select their top three of seven factors that most influenced their choice of medical specialty. Fourth-year students were asked to designate the specialty to which they had applied. Results The survey was distributed to 259 students and 47 radiology residents with a response rate of 93.8% (243 of 259) and 95.7% (45 of 47), respectively. The top three factors indicated by medical students were finding the daily work fulfilling, work–life balance, and interest in the subject. These top three factors were common to all medical student classes and did not differ between students choosing "controllable" versus "uncontrollable" fields. The factors uncommonly selected were similar personality to others in the field, attending income, competitiveness or prestige, and job market conditions. For radiology residents, the top three motivating factors were the same as for medical students. Conclusion Three out of seven motivating factors were universally important to trainees, regardless of their stage of medical training or their selection of a controllable versus uncontrollable lifestyle specialty. These data suggest the variety of career choices made by students may not derive from differing underlying values.
On the Modeling of Soil Liquefaction by Finite Element Method

ABSTRACT A numerical procedure based on the finite element technique is presented for evaluating the characteristics of soil liquefaction and the foundation response under seismic loading. Effects of soil-structure interaction on the on-set and propagation of liquefaction are studied. Application is demonstrated through solution of a numerical problem involving two partially embedded structures and underlying soil medium subjected to cyclic excitation at the rigid bedrock.
Shear failure of a granite pin traversing a sawcut fault

Abstract Fault heterogeneities such as bumps, bends, and stepovers are commonly observed on natural faults, but are challenging to recreate under controlled laboratory conditions. We study deformation and microseismicity of a 76 mm-diameter Westerly granite cylinder with a sawcut fault with known frictional properties . An idealized asperity is added by emplacing a precision-ground 21 mm-diameter solid granite dowel that crosses the center of the fault at right angles. This intact granite ‘pin’ provides a strength contrast that resists fault slip. Upon loading to 80 MPa in a triaxial machine, we first observed a M -4 slip event that ruptured the sawcut fault, slipped 40 µm, but was halted by the granite pin. With continued loading, the pin failed in a swarm of thousands of M -6 to M -8 events known as acoustic emissions (AEs). Once the pin was fractured to a critical point, it permitted complete rupture events ( M -3) on the sawcut fault (stick-slip instabilities). Subsequent slip events were preceded by clusters of foreshock-like AEs, all located on the fault plane, and the spatial extent of the foreshock clusters is consistent with our estimate of a critical nucleation dimension h* . We also identified an aseismic zone on the fault plane surrounding the fractured rock pin. A post-mortem analysis of the sample showed a thick gouge layer where the pin intersected the fault, suggesting that dilatancy of this gouge propped open the fault and prevented microseismic events in its vicinity. Recorded microseismicity separates into three categories: slip on the sawcut fault, fracture of the intact rock pin, and off-fault seismicity associated with pin-related rock joints. We found that pin fracture events were exclusively implosive (anticrack) even though the shear process zone was overall dilatant. This shows how aseismic effects can lead to unexpected seismic manifestations of certain faulting processes.