cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Academic Scientists and Entrepreneurship: Differences Across Academic Fields

This study examines the roles of institutional pressures of industry and science in determining the likelihood of academic scientists starting new technology startups. The findings complement the conventional wisdom that stresses a positive association between academic scientists’ research appliedness and entrepreneurial entry. In the presence of low institutional pressure from industry (i.e., in the field of electrical engineering and computer science), this study confirms the conventional wisdom and found the positive association between academic scientist’s research appliedness and entrepreneurial entry. Interestingly, in the presence of high institutional pressure from industry (i.e., in the field of life sciences), the degree to which academic scientists’ research is applied is negatively related to entrepreneurial entry. This study thus highlights the interplay of institutional pressures of science and industry in explaining entrepreneurial entry across academic disciplines. Implications for the tec...
Effects of plastic protective caps on the calibration of therapy beams in water.

Plastic 6 0Co buildup caps have been widely used to protect ionization chambers when calibrating high‐energy x‐ray and electron beams in water, and have been used consistently by the Radiological Physics Center. Recent calibration protocols base their calculations on a theory that assumes that no protective cap is used during calibration in phantom. The change in ionization within the chamber due to the presence of a protective cap has been investigated for acrylic and polystyrene caps of various wall thicknesses, using6 0Co and x‐ray beams from 6–25 MV and electron beams from 7–18 MeV. The change has been shown to be small, no more than 0.5% for x rays and 0.7% for electrons using acrylic 6 0Co caps. The change for polystyrene is seen to be as much as twice that for acrylic. Empirical correction factors to compensate for this effect have been determined. A basis in theory for photons is suggested by an extension of the theory in recent protocols. The effect for electrons is explained only qualitatively.
Postcaval Thrombosis and Delayed Shunt Migration After Pleuro‐Peritoneal Venous Shunting for Concurrent Chylothorax and Chylous Ascites in a Dog

Simultaneous chylothorax and chylous ascites related to intestinal lymphangiectasia was diagnosed in a 4-year-old spayed female dog. Palliative pleural and peritoneal drainage was accomplished by placement of fenestrated silastic sheeting into surgically created diaphragmatic defects, and implantation of a pleuro-peritoneal venous shunt. The immediate postoperative period was complicated by acute renal failure secondary to postcaval thrombosis originating at the site of placement of the efferent pump catheter and extending to the level of the renal veins. Rapid resolution of this complication was accomplished with systemic anticoagulation. Clinical signs related to fluid accumulation resolved for 10 weeks after which acute decompensation occurred and the dog was euthanatized. Postmortem examination showed that reaccumulation of fluid was associated with migration of the efferent limb of the shunt from the caudal vena cava.
The High Point Drug Market Intervention: Examining Impact across Target Areas and Offense Types

Abstract The High Point Police Department in North Carolina was the first law enforcement agency to implement a series of “pulling levers” interventions in specific neighborhoods in order to reduce crime problems associated with street-level drug markets. The High Point Drug Market Intervention (DMI) has since received considerable attention among practitioner and researcher audiences given the promise of the strategy seen in prior research. However, no study to date has examined the relative impacts across the different target neighborhood contexts as well as among crime outcomes within High Point. A series of interrupted time series models indicates the initial neighborhood (West End) experienced the greatest offense reductions between the preintervention and postintervention period. The second site (Daniel Brooks) showed more modest crime declines, and the latter two sites (Southside and East Central) did not demonstrate significant crime changes. Potential explanations and directions for future studie...
Charged residue versus ion evaporation for formation of alkali metal halide cluster ions in ESI

Alkali metal halides have been used as probes to gain insight into the electrospray ionization (ESI) mechanism. Relative abundances of monatomic alkali cations and halide anions were found to be dependent on the solvation energies of the ions. Results are consistent with predictions based upon two proposed ESI models: the ion evaporation model (IEM) and the charged residue model (CRM). In the study of gas-phase cluster ions originating from equimolar mixtures of two alkali metal halides, a dependence of the relative abundances of the cluster ions on the solvation energies was present in one case, but absent in another. In the first case, where two different ions participated in the droplet charge excess while the counter ion was fixed, the relative abundance of a cluster ion increased with decreasing solvation energy of the cluster ion. In the second case, where the ion constituting the droplet charge excess was held constant and the counter ions varied, the relative abundance of a cluster ion increased with increasing solvation energy. Experimental results were rationalized by an extended charged residue model which proposes that preferential enrichment of the less strongly solvated ions constituting the droplet charge excess can take place during the uneven fission process. Thus, when ions constituting the droplet charge excess are varied, preferential enrichment of the ions of lower solvation energies will lead to the formation of more abundant cluster ions containing these ions. On the other hand, when the ion constituting the droplet charge excess is held constant, the lack of correlation between the solvation energies and the observed relative abundances of cluster ions suggests that gas-phase ions are not formed by ion evaporation as entities, but rather they are formed as a result of several combined events: uneven droplet fission, increased salt concentration due to continuous solvent evaporation, and a tendency to form more stable cluster ions in the later stages of the droplet lifetime.
Symmetrically notched elastic bar

Abstract The problem of determining the distribution of stress and the deformation of a bar of an elastic solid having two equal and opposite, sharp notches, is investigated. The bar is deformed by equal pressures applied normal to the faces of the notches. The stress intensity factor is calculated and its variation with the depths of the notches relative to the width of the bar, for the special case of uniform pressure, is shown.
Vapor wall deposition in Teflon chambers

Abstract. Teflon chambers are ubiquitous in studies of atmospheric chemistry. Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation can be underestimated, owing to deposition of SOA-forming vapors to the chamber wall. We present here an experimental protocol and a model framework to constrain the vapor–wall interactions in Teflon chambers. We measured the wall deposition rates of 25 oxidized organic compounds generated from the photooxidation of isoprene, toluene, α-pinene, and dodecane in two chambers that had been extensively used and in two new unused chambers. We found that the extent of prior use of the chamber did not significantly affect the sorption behavior of the Teflon films. Among the 25 compounds studied, the maximum wall deposition rate is exhibited by the most highly oxygenated and least volatile compounds. By optimizing the model output to the observed vapor decay profiles, we identified that the dominant parameter governing the extent of wall deposition of a compound is its wall accommodation coefficient (αwi), which can be correlated through its volatility with the number of carbons and oxygens in the molecule. By doing so, the wall-induced deposition rate of intermediate/semi-volatile organic vapors can be reasonably predicted based on their molecular constituency. The extent to which vapor wall deposition impacts measured SOA yields depends on the competition between uptake of organic vapors by suspended particles and the chamber wall. The timescale associated with vapor wall deposition can vary from minutes to hours depending on the value of αw,i. For volatile and intermediate volatility organic compounds (small αw,i), gas-particle partitioning will dominate wall deposition for typical particle number concentrations in chamber experiments. For compounds characterized by relatively large αw,i, vapor transport to particles is suppressed by competition with the chamber wall even with perfect particle accommodation.
Fast Solid-State Camera

A fast solid-state camera has been designed to record diagnostic pictures of unpredictable high-speed events. The sensor is an array of silicon photodiodes that are read out in parallel. The system design features a variable framing rate to 100,000 frames/ second, continuous recording with asynchronous stop trigger, a solid-state memory holding 256 frames, and electronics having a dynamic range exceeding 2000:1. The image data is retained in a circular memory permitting the camera to run continuously until the event occurs. Immediately afterward the camera is shut down with a memory of 256 frames covering the event. The camera can be synchronized with similar cameras covering different aspects of the same scene. Operation of the camera is monitored and controlled by a microcomputer. The operator can select framing rate, image presentation on the CRT, and synchronization of multiple cameras.© (1980) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Utility of lyophilized PMA and ionomycin to stimulate lymphocytes in whole blood for immunological assays.

Background: The need to implement robust biomarkers in clinical trials has never been greater, and such efforts can be easily compromised by reagent instability or simple human error during assay set-up. Many biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies are introducing efforts to conduct biomarker studies under more rigorous settings, and the use of plates or tubes pre-loaded with stimulation or staining reagents could be of value for studies that involve flow cytometry. Methods: Five reagents lyophilized from ethanol or CHAPS buffer stock solution of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) and ionomycin were benchmarked against standard DMSO liquid formulation for their stimulation equivalency. The median fluorescence intensity of phosphorylated ribosomal protein S6 in lymphocytes was assessed on a BD FACSCalibur™. Results: We demonstrate here that tubes pre-loaded with lyophilized versions of the liquid reagents can provide equivalent stimulation in healthy volunteer specimens. Conclusions: The value of this approach is that it safeguards against omission or erroneous addition of bulk liquid formulations of PMA and ionomycin to the reaction vessel (i.e., plate or tube) and also lends itself to extended stability/shelf-life of these reagents. On the basis of this initial success, we plan to expand our evaluation of lyophilized reagents so that they can be incorporated into our clinical biomarker campaigns as appropriate. © 2009 Clinical Cytometry Society
Socially-Relevant Design: The TOYtech Project at Smith College

As issues of professional and ethical responsibility are receiving greater emphasis in engineering programs, the view of engineering as a profession in service to humanity is becoming more widespread. One approach to fostering this perspective among engineering students is the inclusion of socially relevant design projects throughout the curriculum. In this paper we present an example of one such project used in the introduction to engineering course at Smith College (the largest women's college in the U.S.) in which students are challenged to design toys that introduce children to the principles that underlie technology (TOYtech, or Teaching Our Youth Technology). Based on student surveys, we found that the majority of the course learning objectives were achieved through the implementation of the project, with students emphasizing that the project taught them about the importance of working well in teams and of considering the societal impact of engineering practice. In addition, we present our findings regarding the psychological type distribution of our inaugural class of first-year engineering students and compare these to national values for female engineering students as a whole. These preliminary Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) data suggest that our students are particularly responsive to the ethic of social responsibility in engineering, and that they are strong communicators in addition to possessing a well-organized, practical approach to problem solving.
The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains, by Nicholas Carr. New York, NY: W. W. Norton, 2010. 276 pp. $26.95. ISBN 0393072223 hardcover.

Nicholas Carr has a problem and I think I have it, too. You might have it as well even if you don't know it yet. How many times, sitting down in front of the computer to do some piece of significan...
Projection optical lithography

Projection optical lithography has had a remarkable history and, most probably, it will have an equally successful future for at least another decade. To date, it has met all the major challenges posed by the semiconductor industry roadmap. In order to do so, it has undergone important transformations, and has greatly expanded the frontiers of the science and engineering of optics. This paper will review the most recent developments, including transitioning to the short wavelengths of 193 nm and 157 nm, moving toward ultrahigh numerical apertures facilitated by liquid immersion, and incorporation of a range of resolution-enhancing techniques such as optical proximity correction and phase-shifting masks.
Multiple predator-avoidance behaviours of the freshwater snail Physella heterostropha pomila: responses vary with risk

Summary 1 We examined the predator-avoidance behaviour, exhibited in response to chemical cues, of two populations of the snail Physella heterostropha pomila. Snails were subjected to four treatments simulating different degrees of predation risk: control water (low risk), or water from tanks containing nonforaging crayfish (intermediate risk), crushed conspecifics (high risk) or crayfish consuming conspecifics (high risk). Data were analysed using three-way ANOVA models (population × predator chemicals × injured conspecific chemicals). 2 Physella increased its avoidance behaviour as risk increased. Crayfish cue elicited a significantly greater response than from controls. Cues from injured conspecifics elicited the strongest response. 3 Physella exhibited several types of avoidance behaviour, including burial into the substratum, moving to the water surface, and crawling out of the water. The type of cue present influenced response type. Cues from crayfish reduced burial and increased movement to the water surface or out of the water. Cues from injured-conspecifics significantly increased crawling completely out of the water. 4 The two populations differed in the type and degree of response exhibited. One population exhibited significantly greater ‘reactivity’ (i.e. any avoidance behaviour) in response to foraging crayfish, and more burial and crawl-out behaviours were exhibited in high-risk treatments.
Synergistic effects of cyclic tension and transforming growth factor-β1 on the aortic valve myofibroblast

Abstract Background Phenotypically, aortic valve interstitial cells are dynamic myofibroblasts, appearing contractile and activated in times of development, disease, and remodeling. The precise mechanism of phenotypic modulation is unclear, but it is speculated that both biomechanical and biochemical factors are influential. Therefore, we hypothesized that isolated and combined treatments of cyclic tension and transforming growth factor-β1 would alter the phenotype and subsequent collagen biosynthesis of aortic valve interstitial cells in situ. Methods and results Porcine aortic valve leaflets received 7- and 14-day treatments of 15% cyclic stretch (Tension); 0.5 ng/ml transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF); 15% cyclic stretch and 0.5 ng/ml transforming growth factor-β1 (Tension+TGF); or neither mechanical nor cytokine stimuli (Null). Tissues were homogenized and assayed for aortic valve interstitial cell phenotype (smooth muscle α-actin) and collagen biosynthesis (via heat shock protein 47, which was further verified with type I collagen C-terminal propeptide). At both 7 and 14 days, smooth muscle α-actin, heat shock protein 47, and type I collagen C-terminal propeptide quantities were significantly greater (P Conclusions Elevated transforming growth factor-β1 levels, in the presence of cyclic mechanical tension, resulted in synergistic increases in contractile and biosynthetic proteins in aortic valve interstitial cells. Since cyclic mechanical stimuli can never be relieved in vivo, the presence of transforming growth factor-β1 (possibly from infiltrating macrophages) may result in overly biosynthetic aortic valve interstitial cells, leading to altered extracellular matrix architecture, compromised valve function, and, ultimately, degenerative valvular disease.
The diffusion of indium in lead films containing gold

Some results on the lateral diffusion of indium in thin lead films containing 2.5 wt.% Au are described. At room temperature the diffusion rate is high with a diffusion coefficient D of about 2.5 x 10-12 cm2 s-1 and an activation energy of 0.26±0.1 eV. The indium concentration profile along the films is highly irregular and is characterized by a sharp peak within the diffused film area at the diffusion front. Some of the irregularities are explained by the formation of filaments of near-stoichiometric AuIn2 and by diffusion around grains of varying size. The preferential formation of AuIn2 is likely to be the cause of the lower diffusion rate observed in the Pb-Au films in comparison with pure lead films. It is found that hillocks are nucleated in the vicinity of the indium diffusion front, indicative of strain relaxation.
Failure of a variety of antiestrogens to mimic estrogen action in the induction of sexual receptivity in a female lizard

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether nonsteroidal antiestrogens could act as estrogens by inducing or facilitating estrogen-induced sexual receptivity in a female lizard (Anolis carolinensis). Experiments were conducted to (1) test the ability of enclomiphene (ENC) and zuclomiphene (ZUC) to induce sexual receptivity in estrogen-untreated ovariectomized females; (2) to determine the effect of ENC and ZUC pretreatment on E2B induction of sexual receptivity; and (3) to examine the ability of a variety of antiestrogens to act as estrogens by inducing sexual receptivity in females pretreated with a behaviorally ineffective estrogen treatment regimen.
Cross-shelf transport causes recruitment to intertidal populations in central California

The control of recruitment to intertidal barnacle populations along the central California coast was examined from April to mid-October 1988. Four recruitment pulses occurred during periods of relaxation in alongshore winds and cessation of coastal upwelling. In each case recruitment ended when strong equatorward winds reappeared and upwelling resumed. Data on SST, salinity, adjusted sea level, and satellite (AVHRR) images revealed alternating periods of onshore and offshore transport of the surface water layer. The onset ofthe largest recruitment pulse was associated with the advection of warm, clear, low-salinity water into the nearshore region. This oceanic water mass also contained a different zooplankton assemblage than the water mass it replaced.
Changes in epibiotic burden during the intermolt of Daphnia determined by hypodermal retraction stages

We calibrated four stages of hypodermal retraction and cuticle regeneration with five stages of parthenogenetic egg development in Daphnia. Using the hypodermal retraction stages, we found that epibiotic burden increased with elapsed intermolt time for juvenile, male, and female Daphnia bearing parthenogenetic or ephippial eggs. The rate of increase of burden was similar for adult females of two Daphnia species and for males and females of D. pulex. Rate of increase of burden was similar between juvenile and adult females of D. galeata mendotae and D. pulex.
Implementing an Inference Engine for RDFS/OWL Constructs and User-Defined Rules in Oracle

This inference engines are an integral part of semantic data stores. In this paper, we describe our experience of implementing a scalable inference engine for Oracle semantic data store. This inference engine computes production rule based entailment of one or more RDFS/OWL encoded semantic data models. The inference engine capabilities include (i) inferencing based on semantics of RDFS/OWL constructs and user-defined rules, (ii) computing ancillary information (namely, semantic distance and proof) for inferred triples, and (iii) validation of semantic data model based on RDFS/OWL semantics. A unique aspect of our approach is that the inference engine is implemented entirely as a database application on top of Oracle database. The paper describes the inferencing requirements, challenges in supporting a sufficiently expressive set of RDFS/OWL constructs, and techniques adopted to build a scalable inference engine. A performance study conducted using both native and synthesized semantic datasets demonstrates the effectiveness of our approach.
Accelerator Radiocarbon Dating at the Molecular-Level

Molecular level 14C dating is the isolation of specific classes of molecules for their 14C dating by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). Complex matrices such as fossil bone are difficult to date due to their extreme chemical heterogeneity. By isolating individual amino acids, contaminants (humates) are removed and crystalline amino acids result. Bones with ≥0·1–0·2% N and collagenous compositions can be dated accurately because structural collagen is present; contaminants are removable with XAD resin. Bones with ⩽0·1% N and non-collagenous compositions yield dates hundreds to thousands of years too young because most of the preserved organic matter is exogenous. Accelerator 14C dates on collagenous and non-collagenous bones are not comparable due to intrinsic dating inaccuracies. AMS 14C dating of amino acids demonstrated that (1) post 10,800 year ages for North American megafauna are due to sample contamination, not Holocene ages on extinct fauna, (2) a Clovis age (10,900 years) was established for a human fossil from the Anzick site, Montana, (3) Holocene ages cannot be established absolutely for many North American human fossils because the bones were non-collagenous, (4) accurate ages are attainable on vertebrate fossils as small as passerine birds from Pacific Island localities, (5) well preserved bones are datable without their destruction by extracting protein with water at high temperatures, and (6) stratigraphic anomalies to 45,000 years in European Upper Paleolithic rock shelters are recognizable by dating bone directly.
SOME PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF BACTERIOPHAGE R17 AND ITS RIBONUCLEIC ACID.

The molecular weight of bacteriophage R17 in 0·15 M -NaCl + 0·015 M -sodium citrate ( S 20,w = 79 to 80 s) was measured by light scattering and found to be 3·6 ± 0·3 million. The molecular weight (by light scattering) of RNA prepared from R17 phage was measured at salt concentrations between 0·1 and 0·01 M -Na + , and found to be 1·1 ± 0·1 million, independent of the counterion concentration. Evidence that the one million molecular weight represents a single polynucleotide chain and not an aggregate of subunits was obtained from measurements of the sedimentation coefficient as a function of time of heating at 70 and 90°C. Brief exposure to 70°C had little effect on the sedimentation coefficient even though the helical regions were melted when the RNA was exposed to this temperature; at 90°C the slow decrease in sedimentation coefficient is consistent with random degradation, the first-order rate constant for bond scission being 2·9 × 10 −7 sec −1 . The solution conformation of bacteriophage RNA is more compact than that of other ribonucleic acids studied to date. However, there is no evidence that this tighter packing reflects an unusual secondary structure. Comparison of the relative absorbance-temperature profiles and reactivity with formaldehyde of R17 RNA with tobacco mosaic virus and E. coli ribosomal RNA reveal only slight differences; these are consistent with the guanine-cytosine content of the three different RNA's.
Changing perceptions: Do engineering activities make a difference in K-12 environments?

K-12 educators often incorporate projects into the science curriculum. Students conduct the activity, fill out answers on a corresponding lab sheet, strive toward results, and then move on to a new topic. With such an abrupt change in pace and lack of assessment, a question emerges: do these activities have a lasting impact on student learning or are these labs extraneous additions to the general curriculum? In an effort to integrate engineering concepts into a middle school environment, sixth graders were tasked with a design lab popularly known as “the marshmallow challenge,” which requires student teams to construct a tower from uncooked spaghetti, tape, and a single marshmallow. Approximately two months after the activity, the students who participated were asked to take a survey with four components: identification, opinion, objective, and open ended. The fifteen question survey was designed to determine if students enjoyed the activity and if students retained information from the short lecture before the activity. The results for the objective portion were averaged between classes and compared; this paper presents an analysis of those scores. Also, commonalities between written student responses are examined and discussed. These results are applicable to schools wishing to evaluate the effectiveness of brief activities similar to “the marshmallow challenge.”
Situational bias: A special form of discrimination

Discrimination in the schools can take many forms. This article discusses one kind and suggests ways of dealing with it. Mr. Snyder is an assistant professor in the Bureau of Educational Research and Service at The Ohio State University.
One-year protocol liver biopsy can stratify fibrosis progression in liver transplant recipients with recurrent hepatitis C infection.

Determinants of progression to cirrhosis in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection have been well described in the immunocompetent population but remain poorly defined in liver transplant (LT) recipients. This cohort study determines the factors contributing to the development of fibrosis and its rate of progression in the allograft. Predictive factors analyzed include: demographics, host and donor factors, surgery-related variables (cold and warm ischemia time), rejection episodes, cytomegalovirus infection (CMV), and immunosuppression. Over 12 years, 842 adult LTs were performed at our institution; 358 for the indication of HCV. A total of 264 patients underwent protocol liver biopsies at month 4 and yearly after LT. Using the modified Knodell system of Ishak for staging fibrosis, the median fibrosis progression rate was .8 units/year (P .8 units/year) was best identified by liver histology performed at 1 year. Donor age > 55 years was associated with rapid fibrosis progression and development of cirrhosis (P 35 years (P = .01), donor age > 55 years (P = .005), and use of female donor allografts (P = .03). In conclusion, fibrosis progression in HCV-infected LT recipients occurs at a rate of .8 units/year. Increased donor age has a major impact on disease progression, graft failure, and patient survival. A liver biopsy performed at 1 year posttransplant can help identify those patients more likely to develop progressive disease and may allow better targeting of antiviral therapy. (Liver Transpl 2004;10:1240–1247.)
APA, NAMI, NMHA, and evidence-based behavioural medicine: a comment

In February of 2005, The American Psychiatric Association (APA), National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), and the National Mental Health Association (NMHA) released a statement publicly criticising the use of evidence-based research reviews for policy decisions affecting patients. Further, they argued against the use of evidence-based standards to guide reimbursement for healthcare services. We reviewed the statement and are concerned that many of the arguments are incorrect or misleading. In this note, we offer our responses by reproducing quotes from the APA-NAMI-NMHA statement and commenting on the merits of the arguments. The statement suggests that clinical experience should be given great weight in evidence-based decisions. The statement argues: “… true evidence-based approaches marry all available and appropriate scientific research with clinical experience to ensure treatments lead to the best possible outcomes.” We agree that clinical expertise is essential to discern which treatments supported by scientific evidence best match the needs and preferences of particular patients. In the best and most widely quoted definition of evidence-based medicine, Eddy states “Evidence-based medicine is the integration of best research evidence with clinical expertise and patient values.”1 However, clinical judgment is known to vary2 even among experts. Dr Eddy reports widely divergent estimates of breast cancer implant rupture rates by 58 experts (around 50% of experts estimate a 10% or lower implant rupture rate and 20% estimate a 75% or higher rupture rate with the rest scattered in between); he has reported similar findings for experts’ judgment in other health conditions. One of the reasons that evidence-based guidelines have come to replace strictly clinical judgment is that there is substantial evidence for regional variation in the application of medical care.3–,5 For example, Medicare spends nearly twice as much for each Southern California recipient in comparison to each recipient …
Occurrence of Household Mold and Efficacy of Sodium Hypochlorite Disinfectant

The occurrence and distribution of mold on household surfaces and the efficacy of bleach-based (sodium hypochlorite, NaOCl) disinfectants on mold viability and allergenicity was documented. Household microenvironments prone to increased moisture were specifically targeted. Using the sticky tape method, 1330 samples were collected from non-porous indoor surfaces of 160 homes across the United States, and analyzed for mold. Homes were randomly selected and recruited via phone interviews. Culture and immunoassays were used to measure the viability and reduction of allergenic properties of Aspergillus fumigatus following 2.4% NaOCl treatment. All homes and 72.9% of surfaces tested positive for mold. Windowsills were the most frequently contaminated site (87.5%) and Cladosporium the most commonly identified mold (31.0%). Five-minute exposures to 2.4% NaOCl resulted in a >3 to >6-log10 reduction of culturable mold counts in controlled laboratory studies. Organisms were nonculturable after 5- and 10-min contact ...
Enhanced Catalytic Combustion Using Sub-micrometer and Nano-size Platinum Particles

Sub-micrometer and nano-size catalytic particles are significantly more reactive than their bulk counterparts and can be used to enhance the performance of catalytic combustors. Their high specific surface areas (typically 1−200 m2/g) and unique morphologies contribute to their enhanced reactivity. Differences in adsorbed species and/or their distributions may also play an important role yet are not clear. The purpose of this study is to quantify the effects of particle size, catalyst loading, and flow residence time on the reactivity of methanol−air premixtures over dispersed platinum (Pt) nanoparticles. As such, experiments were conducted in an atmospheric flow tube reactor seeded with 2−5, 200, and 500 nm Pt particles distributed on a substrate made from deactivated fused silica wool. Temperature measurements and exhaust gas species analyses were obtained for the different size particles, catalyst loadings, and flow conditions. Materials characterization of the particles was also conducted, and scannin...
Design considerations for flat-plate-photovoltaic/thermal collectors

Abstract Several potentially useful features in the design of photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) collectors are explored in order to determine their effectiveness and interaction. Based on a computer simulation of flat-plate PV/T collectors that is applicable to a wide range of designs, the present work focuses on air-type collectors employing single crystal silicon PV cells. Features explored center on two main areas: increasing the solar absorptance and reducing the infrared emittance. The results of the simulations can be summarized as follows: for PV cells covering greater than approximately 65% of the total collector area, a selective absorber actually reduces the thermal efficiency when used with a gridded-back cell. The requirements for the low emissivity coating are an infrared emissivity of less than 0.25 and a solar transmissivity of greater than 0.85. The optimum combination for an air PV/T was found to consist of gridded-back PV cells, a nonselective secondary absorber, and a high-trans-missivity/low-emissivity cover above the PV cells.
Subjective and objective binge eating in relation to eating disorder symptomatology, negative affect, and personality dimensions.

Author(s): Brownstone, Lisa M; Bardone-Cone, Anna M; Fitzsimmons-Craft, Ellen E; Printz, Katherine S; Le Grange, Daniel; Mitchell, James E; Crow, Scott J; Peterson, Carol B; Crosby, Ross D; Klein, Marjorie H; Wonderlich, Stephen A; Joiner, Thomas E | Abstract: ObjectiveThe current study explored the clinical meaningfulness of distinguishing subjective (SBE) from objective binge eating (OBE) among individuals with threshold/subthreshold bulimia nervosa (BN). We examined relations between OBEs and SBEs and eating disorder symptoms, negative affect, and personality dimensions using both a group comparison and a continuous approach.MethodParticipants were 204 adult females meeting criteria for threshold/subthreshold BN who completed questionnaires related to disordered eating, affect, and personality.ResultsGroup comparisons indicated that SBE and OBE groups did not significantly differ on eating disorder pathology or negative affect, but did differ on two personality dimensions (cognitive distortion and attentional impulsivity). Using the continuous approach, we found that frequencies of SBEs (not OBEs) accounted for unique variance in weight/shape concern, diuretic use frequency, depressive symptoms, anxiety, social avoidance, insecure attachment, and cognitive distortion.DiscussionSBEs in the context of BN may indicate broader areas of psychopathology.
The Decline of Inner Suburbs: The New Suburban Gothic in the United States

In this article, we critically examine transformation and decline in US suburbs. We identify four distinct, chronological phases of development: suburban utopias, suburban conformity, suburban diversity, and suburban dichotomy. An element of this new suburban dichotomy is what we term suburban gothic. We theorize that the forces of an aging housing stock, land-use planning, and deindustrialization contribute to the divergent realities of US suburbs.
Proliferation resistance of borosilicate glass as a host form for weapons-grade plutonium

To examine the proliferation resistance of borosilicate glass, a process to extract and recover a plutonium analog (thorium) from borosilicate glass was developed and examined. The glass matrix examined was a modified standard frit consisting of the ARM-1 frit (with simulated fission products) loaded with 2 wt.% thorium (as an analog for plutonium) and 2 wt.% each of three rare earth elements (Gd, Sm, Eu), which were added for criticality control and to possibly increase the proliferation resistance of the glass matrix. The plutonium analog was extracted from the crushed glass with a nitric acid dissolution process, and subsequently decontaminated using a solvent extraction process. The acid dissolution process was able to extract 88.4 {+-} 6.8% of the plutonium surrogate from the glass host form. The bench top solvent extraction process was 30.2 {+-} 10.9% efficient in recovering the plutonium analog as a purified product. Overall, this process was able to extract 26.7 {+-} 9.9% of the plutonium analog from the glass as a purified product. To quantify the proliferation resistance of borosilicate glass as a host form for weapons-grade plutonium, MCNP was used to determine the compressed critical mass of a plutonium alloy with the same composition as themore » product of the extraction process. For the average product composition, the compressed critical mass was 4.7 kg of material. On Average, one compressed critical mass could be recovered from 613 kg of borosilicate glass (2 wt.% Pu loading).« less
Tissue hemolysins as lysin-inhibitor complexes.

1. Lytic substances are enzymatically produced at 37°C. from tissue slices or homogenates (mouse liver, kidney, etc.) and appear in the medium in which the tissue fragments are suspended. Their concentration increases with the time during which the tissue is kept at 37°C. (preincubation), and is accompanied by pH changes, so that the lytic activity as finally measured is a function of both the time of preincubation and of the pH. The optimum pH for lysin production is above 7.0, but the lysins, once produced, hemolyze red cells more rapidly at low pH's than at high ones. The enzyme system which produces the lysins is inactivated by heating to 100°C. for 5 minutes. Sodium iodoacetate and fluoride interfere with lysin production principally by reducing the concomitant pH shift; KCN accelerates the production of lytic material in mouse liver homogenates. 2. Comparison of the lytic activity of the supernatant fluid of a preincubated homogenate with the much greater lytic activity of the substances which can be extracted from the same supernatant fluid by alcohol and ether points to these extractable substances existing in the supernatant fluid as lysin-inhibitor complexes of relatively low lytic activity. These complexes are formed enzymatically during preincubation from non-lytic complexes in the tissue. The latter may be lipoproteins, and the highly lytic ether-extractable substances may be fatty acids or their soaps. 3. The diffusibility of the lysin-inhibitor complexes is small. 4. Lytic substances which are ether-insoluble can be extracted with alcohol from tissues as well as from serum. These "lysolecithin-like" substances exist in the supernatant fluids of homogenates as lysin-inhibitor complexes. 5. Lysis of mouse red cells by substances contained in mouse tissue (liver and kidney) is often accompanied by the formation of methemoglobin and choleglobin. Mouse red cells containing choleglobin are abnormally fragile both osmotically and mechanically, and it is possible that a process involving the production of choleglobin, accompanied or followed by globin denaturation, is one which contributes towards the hemolysis which occurs in systems containing tissue slices or homogenates.
Should both HDL-C and LDL-C be targets for lipid therapy? A review of current evidence

The current guidelines for treatment of high-risk of lipid disorders do not specify a therapeutic target level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) for prevention of vascular disease in high-risk populations. However, there is a substantial body of evidence from basic science and epidemiologic studies and from clinical trials, providing the strong, consistent message that raising HDL-C by therapeutic means will effectively and independently reduce cardiovascular risk. This review summarizes epidemiologic evidence and the results of a meta-analysis of 23 published, prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials. It focuses on the effects of lipid therapies on coronary stenosis progression, as measured by quantitative arteriography and/or, on clinical cardiovascular endpoints. Among the seven drug/treatment classes into which individual study results were categorized and averaged, reduction in stenosis progression and reduction in clinical events are both very highly correlated with the composite lipid variable (%ΔHDL-C - %Δ low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-C]; where %Δ is percent change relative to the placebo group response). This holds true for all lipid drug classes or combinations of lipid drug therapy, with the exception of the unexpectedly anomalous effects of the torcetrapib-atorvastatin combination. There is a strong and consistent body of evidence that therapeutic HDL-C-raising is at least as effective as comparable percentages of LDL-C-lowering for reduction of atherosclerosis progression or clinical cardiovascular events over a broad range of risk levels. Adoption of this strategy into guidelines probably awaits results of at least one large controlled HDL-C-raising clinical trial, of which two are ongoing and one other is planned.
Environmental Samplingwith Multiscale Sensing

Environment reconstruction through sampling is a difficult task and usually requires a large amount of resources. In this paper, a sampling technique is presented that approaches exhaustive sampling performance with only sparse samples. The goal is achieved by combining information from sensors of different types and resolutions. Image processing techniques are employed to extract global information. This information is passed on to the local sensors to optimize the number and locations of low-level sampling points. The sampled values are then applied back to the image to reconstruct the whole field. The technique is tested in the lab setup and shown to achieve a better result than traditional sampling methods.
Circulation cleaning III. The kinetics of a simple detergent system

Summary Cleaning of milk films by solutions of sodium hydroxide is shown to follow the kinetics of a first-order reaction. A molar velocity constant is calculated, and the role of solution temperature is evaluated in terms of its effect on the rate of the reaction. The reaction between solutions containing hydroxide ion and milk films exhibits a Q 10 of 1.6 under these conditions, and the effect of temperature on the reaction rate constant is linear, at least within the limits of 36 to 82° C. Application of kinetics to detergency permits temperature effects to be measured rather than estimated, and will allow studies of compatibility, incompatibility, or complementary interaction of detergent fractions, and selection of detergents best suited to particular requirements.
INTERACTIVE EFFECTS OF ATMOSPHERIC CO2 AND SOIL‐N AVAILABILITY ON FINE ROOTS OF POPULUS TREMULOIDES

The objective of this experiment was to understand how atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and soil-nitrogen (N) availability influence Populus tremuloides fine-root growth and morphology. Soil-N availability may limit the growth response of forests to elevated CO2 and interact with atmospheric CO2 to alter litter quality and ecosystem carbon (C) and N cycling. We established a CO2 × N factorial field experiment and grew six genotypes of P. tremuloides for 2.5 growing seasons in 20 large open-top chamber/root-box experimental units at the University of Michigan Biological Station in northern lower Michigan (USA). In this paper we describe an integrated examination of how atmospheric CO2 and soil-N availability influence fine-root morphology, growth, mortality, and biomass. We also studied the relationship between root biomass and total soil respiration. Over 80% of the absorbing root length of P. tremuloides was accounted for by roots <0.4 mm in diameter, and specific root length (100–250 m/g) was much great...
Heart Failure in African Americans

The demographics of the United States are changing, and in the next few decades there will no longer be a racial/ethnic majority population. Increased awareness of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in special populations is warranted as these populations increase. Heart failure carries a substantial burden on those affected, particularly African Americans, who have a disproportionate burden of heart disease. Current treatments for heart failure include angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, β-blockers, angiotensin II–receptor antagonists, and vasodilating agents. This review discusses the unique characteristics of CVD in African Americans and addresses the need for targeted treatments to reduce the excess burden found in this population.
Synchrony and desynchrony in integrate-and-fire oscillators

Due to many experimental reports of synchronous neural activity in the brain, there is much interest in understanding synchronization in networks of neural oscillators and its potential for computing perceptual organization. Contrary to Hopfield and Herz (1995), we find that networks of locally coupled integrate-and-fire oscillators can quickly synchronize. Furthermore, we examine the time needed to synchronize such networks. We observe that these networks synchronize at times proportional to the logarithm of their size, and we give the parameters used to control the rate of synchronization. Inspired by locally excitatory globally inhibitory oscillator network (LEGION) dynamics with relaxation oscillators (Terman & Wang, 1995), we find that global inhibition can play a similar role of desynchronization in a network of integrate-and-fire oscillators. We illustrate that a LEGION architecture with integrate-and-fire oscillators can be similarly used to address image analysis.
The Emerging Importance of Genetics in Epidemiologic Research III. Bioinformatics and Statistical Genetic Methods

Abstract PURPOSE: To outline potential benefits of integrating recent developments in bioinformatics and statistical genetics with traditional epidemiologic studies to localize genes influencing complex phenotypes and examine genetic effects on disease susceptibility. METHODS: An overview of bioinformatic and statistical approaches for localizing disease-susceptibility genes as well as challenges associated with identifying functional DNA variants and context-dependent genetic effects concludes this three-part series on the importance of genetics in epidemiologic research. RESULTS: Rapidly evolving bioinformatic and statistical methods are providing invaluable information on newly-discovered genes and molecular variation influencing human diseases that is readily available to epidemiologic researchers. CONCLUSIONS: Integrating bioinformatics and molecular biotechnology with epidemiologic methods of assessing disease risk is rapidly expanding our ability to identify genetic influences on complex human diseases. These technological advances are likely to have a profound impact on current knowledge of complex disease etiology, and may reveal novel approaches to disease treatment and prevention.