cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Simulation of the effect of remediation on EDB and 1,2-DCA plumes at sites contaminated by leaded gasoline.

An analytical model is used to simulate the effects of partial source removal and plume remediation on ethylene dibromide (EDB) and 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCA) plumes at contaminated underground storage tank (UST) sites. The risk posed by EDB, 1,2-DCA, and commingled gasoline hydrocarbons varies throughout the plume over time. Dissolution from the light nonaqueous phase liquid (LNAPL) determines the concentration of each contaminant near the source, but biological decay in the plume has a greater influence as distance downgradient from the source increases. For this reason, compounds that exceed regulatory standards near the source may not in downgradient plume zones. At UST sites, partial removal of a residual LNAPL source mass may serve as a stand alone remedial technique if dissolved concentrations in the source zone are within several orders of magnitude of the applicable government or remedial standards. This may be the case with 1,2-DCA; however, EDB is likely to be found at concentrations that are orders of magnitude higher than its low Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of 0.05 μg/L (micrograms per liter). For sites with significant EDB contamination, even when plume remediation is combined with source depletion, significant timeframes may be required to mitigate the impact of this compound. Benzene and MTBE are commonly the focus of remedial efforts at UST sites, but simulations presented here suggest that EDB, and to a lesser extent 1,2-DCA, could be the critical contaminants to consider in the remediation design process at many sites.
Estimating Soil Water Retention Curve from Particle-Size Distribution Data Based on Polydisperse Sphere Systems

Soil hydraulic properties are necessary for understanding water and solute movement in subsurface vadose zone environments. Previous statistical models of soil hydraulic properties have postulated a pore-size distribution from the particle-size distribution by assuming an empirical relationship between pore sizes and particle sizes. This pore-size distribution has been used to develop the soil water retention curve and/or the relative conductivity curve. In this study, we develop soil water retention models from particle-size distribution data based on the results obtained by Torquato and coworkers on polydisperse particle systems. We model soils as systems of randomly placed spheres of random sizes and derive expressions for the soil water retention curve based on the statistical description of the systems. Two special cases of homogeneous systems of polydisperse spheres are considered: fully penetrable spheres (FPS) and totally impenetrable spheres (TIS). A lognormal particle-size distribution is assumed. More than 100 soils are used to corroborate the models. It is found that the TIS model works well for sand and loamy sand soils.
SU-E-T-277: Modeling Normal Tissue Complication Probability Based On Compiled Clinical Data From Skin Cancer Radiotherapy

Purpose: Our objective is to model normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) based on published clinical data of head/face non‐melanoma skin cancers to determine optimum treatment schemes using advanced radiotherapy (RT) technologies. Methods: Reports citing crude estimates of erythema, desquamation and telangiectasia for primary basal and squamous cell carcinoma (BCC & SCC, resp) of the head/face were used in model development. The models had the form: NTCP = 1/(1+exp(‐(BED + BEDprolif x T — TD50)/k), where BED is the LQ model based biological effective dose. Uncomplicated tumor control functions (UCTCs) were created using NTCP models together with our own separately published TCP models. Values of BED maximizing UCTC were calculated and compared with 5 × 7.2 Gy in one week and 15 × 3 Gy in 3 weeks treatment schedules (BED 14 = 54.5 & 54.6 Gy, respectively). Results: Literature search yield six reports useful in the development of a TCP model for BCC/SCC. The reported a median total dose of 39.0 Gy (range: 23.9–52.4 Gy), dose per fraction of 3.3 Gy/fx (range: 1.7–7.3 Gy/fx), & total treatment time of 28.7 days (range: 12–40 days). Three NTCP and 12 UTCP models were generated for treatments with tumors of size 2cm. Maximum UCTC occurred at biological effective doses (BEDs) ranging from 36.25–52.25 Gy to the BCC/SCC tumors 2 cm in size. Conclusion: Three NTCP models for endpoints observed in skin cancer RT were developed based on published data, which can depend on the size of irradiated skin area (future work will explore the area–NTCP relationship further). BED values for single and multiple fraction treatments were identified to maximize UCTC for tumors > 2 cm in size, though smaller tumors may benefit from treatment schedules with lower BED.
Counteracting Age Stereotypes: A Self-Awareness Manipulation

The major goals of the present study were to (a) examine age differences in susceptibility to age stereotypes and (b) test a self-awareness manipulation in counteracting age stereotypes. Young and older adults read two sets of descriptors that only differed in the to-be-ignored age-related information. In the high self-awareness condition, participants saw themselves via a computer video camera. In the low self-awareness condition, they saw prerecorded images of a stranger. Overall, older adults were more likely than young adults to make age-stereotypical judgments in the low self-awareness condition. No age differences were found in the high self-awareness condition.
On Poynting's theorem for a moving conductor medium

Abstract By using the method of statistical averaging of Boltzmann's equation, the law of conservation of electromagnetic energy for a moving conductor medium is found.
Summary of Silurian and Lower Devonian Basin and Basin-Slope Limestones, Copenhagen Canyon, Nevada

A platform-basin couplet persisted in north-central Nevada during Silurian and Early Devonian time. A western dolomite suite accumulated on the shallow-subtidal and peritidal carbonate platform, while a time-equivalent lime-stone-clastic suite accumulated in the subtidal, below wave base, basin, and basin-slope regime. At Copenhagen Canyon, the Roberts Mountains Formation, Windmill Limestone, and Rabbit Hill Limestone were deposited in the limestone-clastic suite basin. The Roberts Mountains and Windmill Formations are time correlative with the Lone Mountain Dolomite platform-margin facies. The Rabbit Hill Limestone is time correlative with the basal Nevada Group (lower Kobeh Member of the McColley Canyon Formation) platform facies. Extracted from GSA Special Paper 159, Silurian and Lower Devonian Basin and Basin-Slope Limestones, Copenhagen Canyon, Nevada, by Jonathan C. Matti, Michael A. Murphy, and Stanley C. Finney.
Stability of the Sargasso Sea Subtropical Frontal Zone

Abstract Recent studies suggest that eddy Properties are significantly influenced by the mean current shear associated with the western Sargasso Sea subtropical frontal zone (SFZ). Between 19° and 34°N, the mean density structure is characterized by three layers separated by a climatologically permanent upper (“seasonal”) thermocline that shoals, and a lower (main) thermocline that deepens, toward the north; the thermoclines are separated by the wedge-shaped southern part of the subtropical mode water pool. The SFZ is evident as a zonal band between about 26° and 32°N where subtropical frontogenesis between the westerlies and trades enhances the slope of the mean seasonal thermocline. Classical linear as well as more recent nonlinear stability theories predict that the mean SFZ flow should be unstable. The linear eigenvalue problem suggests that the most unstable perturbations have wavelengths between 150 and 200 km. Analysis of a channel version of the Miami isopycnic-coordinate primitive equation numeri...
MR coil sensitivity inhomogeneity correction for plaque characterization in carotid arteries

We are involved in a comprehensive program to characterize atherosclerotic disease using multiple MR images having different contrast mechanisms (T1W, T2W, PDW, magnetization transfer, etc.) of human carotid and animal model arteries. We use specially designed intravascular and surface array coils that give high signal-to-noise but suffer from sensitivity inhomogeneity. With carotid surface coils, challenges include: (1) a steep bias field with an 80% change; (2) presence of nearby muscular structures lacking high frequency information to distinguish bias from anatomical features; (3) many confounding zero-valued voxels subject to fat suppression, blood flow cancellation, or air, which are not subject to coil sensitivity; and (4) substantial noise. Bias was corrected using a modification of the adaptive fuzzy c-mean method reported by Pham et al. (IEEE TMI, 18:738-752), whereby a bias field modeled as a mechanical membrane was iteratively improved until cluster means no longer changed. Because our images were noisy, we added a noise reduction filtering step between iterations and used about 5 classes. In a digital phantom having a bias field measured from our MR system, variations across an area comparable to a carotid artery were reduced from 50% to <5% with processing. Human carotid images were qualitatively improved and large regions of skeletal muscle were relatively flat. Other commonly applied techniques failed to segment the images or introduced strong edge artifacts. Current evaluations include comparisons to bias as measured by a body coil in human MR images.
Morphological consequences of altered calcium-dependent transmembrane signaling on the development of cultured cerebellar Purkinje neurons.

Morphometric analyses of cultured rat Purkinje neurons, visualized with anti-calbindin, demonstrated that elevated KCl (10 mM) significantly increased dendritic outgrowth and branching. The response was blocked by NiCl2 (50 μM; R-type Ca2+ channel antagonist). Cells grown in low external Ca2+ (100 nM) showed no loss of responsiveness to elevated potassium. However, thapsigargin (1 μM; Ca2+-ATPase blocker) inhibited dendrite outgrowth, suggesting that intracellular calcium stores may be important in governing development.
Blood D-3-hydroxybutyrate and the regulation of plasma concentrations of free fatty acids in the fasted rat.

Abstract Acetoacetate or DL-3-hydroxybutyrate were infused into fasted rats at rates comparable to the endogenous rate of ketone body release. Blood samples taken before and during infusion were analyzed for concentrations of ketone bodies, free fatty acids, and immunoreactive insulin. During infusion of acetoacetate or DL-3-hydroxybutyrate, blood concentrations of total ketone bodies doubled. While the HBA AcAc ratios remained constant in rats infused with DL-3-hydroxybutyrate, the ratios decreased significantly during infusion of acetoacetate, reflecting increases in acetoacetate concentrations without proportionate increases in concentrations of D-3-hydroxybutyrate. Blood concentrations of free fatty acids decreased more rapidly in the rats infused with DL-3-hydroxybutyrate than in the rats infused with acetoacetate. The decrease in free fatty acid concentrations was related to increases in blood D-3-hydroxybutyrate in both the DL-3-hydroxybutyrate-infused rats and in the acetoacetate-infused rats. Plasma immunoreactive insulin concentrations were significantly higher in the DL-3-hydroxybutyrate-infused rats than in the acetoacetate-infused rats. Acetoacetate and DL-3-hydroxybutyrate were infused into depancreatized, functionally hepatectomized fasted rats at rates comparable to those used in the intact fasted rats. Only small decreases in free fatty acid concentrations were observed during infusion. From these experiments it was concluded that increases in blood concentrations of D-3-hydroxybutyrate were more effective than acetoacetate in causing decreases in free fatty acid concentrations in the fasting rat. The pancreas is required for this effect.
A low-cost MIMO mesh testbed based on 802.11n

In this paper, we present a configurable and inexpensive MIMO mesh network research platform based on IEEE 802.11n and open source software. There are two requirements for such a research testbed. First configurability: the researcher needs the ability to modify hard- and software on each ISO/OSI layer. Secondly, the testbed has to comprise hundreds of nodes to make sound conclusions on network performance. Therefore, a single mesh node has to be cheap. Both requirements have contradicting implications and a tradeoff is necessary. We propose a solution based on off-the-shelf 802.11n hardware with Atheros WiFi chips, the open source WiFi driver ath9k, and the Click Router API. This represents a good tradeoff. Procurement costs for a single network node are below 100$. The solution yet allows a variety of adjustments based on the open-source driver and a highly configurable WiFi hardware. We evaluated our platform and present measurement results.
Quantitation of tumor foci in an experimental murine tumor model using computer-assisted video imaging

A method is described in which both number and diameter of lung tumor foci obtained from an experimental murine tumor model of pulmonary metastasis are quantified using a digital imaging device. Lungs obtained from mice previously inoculated with tumorigenic cells are stained with India ink and Fekete's solution. Using appropriate exposure settings and top-lighting, a charged-coupled device digital camera is used to obtain the image of the organ. The image is then analyzed by the associated video imaging analysis software. Diameter of tumor foci on the image is expressed in image pixels and foci are quantitated. Density and size threshold parameters are set, thereby eliminating the variability resulting from the subjective nature of manual enumeration of tumor foci. The method is objective and reproducible and should be useful for studies where quantifying tumor foci diameter and number directly from the organ is required.
Inclusion of the hydrostatic stress component in formulation of the yield condition

Abstract The paper discusses a yield condition which takes into consideration the influence of hydrostatic stresses. It is shown that many experimental observations made in plasticity can be described satisfactorily by such a yield condition. An application to the determination of the burst pressure of a perfectly plastic spherical shell is given.
The vortex interaction in a propeller/stator flow field

The vortex interaction encounered in the flow field of a propeller and a stator has been investigated using smoke flow visualization. A stator at angle of attack was used to generate a line vortex which interacted with the helical vortex filaments generated by a propeller. Changes in the relative vortex strengths and vortex rotational directions yielded several distinct vortex structures. Axial flow in the vortex cores is determined to influence the development of the vortex interaction.
Models of coxsackievirus-B3-induced myocarditis: recent advances

Currently, animal models are available that closely resemble human myocarditis. Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3)-induced myocarditis models fall into two major categories: direct viral damage models and virus-triggered autoimmune models. Debate focuses on whether CVB3 can cause autoimmune heart disease or whether myocardial inflammation is due to direct damage or persistence of virus. Recent findings strengthen the argument that CVB3 triggers autoimmune myocarditis in mice without the requirement for active viral replication.
Salinity and flooding level as determinants of soil solution composition and nutrient content in Panicum hemitomum.

A greenhouse experiment was conducted to examine the effects of salinity and flooding level on interstitial solute speciation and solute uptake byPanicum hemitomum grown on intact marsh substrates. The experimental set-up consisted of a factorial arrangement of treatments (5 salinity levels×3 flooding levels) with 4 replications.
Increases in Expression of 14-3-3 Eta and 14–3–3 Zeta Transcripts during Neuroprotection Induced by Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol in AF5 Cells

The molecular mechanisms involved in NMDA-induced cell death and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-induced neuroprotection were investigated in vitro using an AF5 neural progenitor cell line model. By microarray analysis, Ywhah, CK1, Hsp60, Pdcd 4 and Pdcd 7 were identified as being strongly regulated by both NMDA toxicity and THC neuroprotection. The 14-3-3 eta (14–3–3η; gene symbol Ywhah) and 14-3- zeta (14–3–3ζ; gene symbol Ywhaz) transcripts were deceased by NMDA treatment, and increased by THC treatment prior to NMDA, as measured by cDNA microarray analysis and quantitative real-time RT-PCR. Other 14-3-3 isoforms were unchanged. While up-regulation of 14–3–3ζ expression was observed 30 min after treatment with THC plus NMDA, down-regulation by NMDA alone was not seen until 16 hr after treatment. By Western blotting, THC increased 14-3-3 protein only in cells that were also treated with NMDA. Over expression of 14-3-3η or 14-3-3ζ by transient plasmid transfection increased 14-3-3 protein levels, and decreased NMDA-induced cell death. These data suggest that increases in 14-3-3 proteins mediate THC-induced neuroprotection under conditions of NMDA-induced cellular stress.
Survey of health maintenance organization instructions to members concerning emergency department and 911 use.

Abstract Study objective: Anecdotal concerns suggest that health management organization (HMO) membership instructions may deter members from calling 911 or going to an emergency department for a perceived emergency. This study examines such instructions, specifically in regard to their definition of an emergency condition and associated instructions. Methods: Member instructions were requested from 28 HMOs in 3 large West Coast cities with HMO penetration exceeding 30%. Fifteen (54%) provided membership materials. Features examined included the definition of an emergency, instructions for calling 911, specific instructions regarding chest pain and stroke, and mention of costs associated with emergency care. Results: Instructions and definitions varied widely. Six HMOs (40%) included chest pain in their definition of an emergency; 2 (13%) included symptoms of stroke. Ten (67%) made mention of calling 911 or going to the ED somewhere within their instructions; 4 (27%) provided no options for calling 911 or seeking ED care. Three (20%) cited higher costs associated with ED care. Eleven (73%) indicated that claims would be denied for visits determined on retrospective review to be nonemergencies. Conclusion: Instructions varied considerably. Most did not include chest pain or symptoms of stroke in their definition of an emergency. Most did include directions to call 911 or go to an ED. Other instructions may lead members to call the HMO first during an emergency. [Neely KW, Norton RL: Survey of health maintenance organization instructions to members concerning emergency department and 911 use. Ann Emerg Med July 1999;34:19-24.]
Safety measures for terrain classification and safest site selection

Two safety measures for terrain classification are described: safety score and safety grade. The terrain safety score s is a multi-valued quantitative measure in the form of a crisp numeric value in the continuous unit interval [0.0, 1.0], that is, $$0.0 \leq s \leq 1.0$$ . The terrain safety grades $$\{S_1,S_2,\ldots,S_n\}$$ are qualitative measures in the form of linguistic fuzzy sets defined by a human expert that cover the ranges of values of s, with adjacent grades having smooth (i.e., non-abrupt) and overlapping boundaries. The safety grade of a terrain segment is inferred from a set of linguistic rules provided by the human expert that relate the terrain qualities to the terrain safety grades. The safety score for the terrain segment is then computed simply from the safety grades in the activated rules. Safety margin of a terrain is also introduced as a quantitative measure of the degree of terrain safety. Validation and confidence in the sensory data are discussed. The terrain safety score and the sensor confidence score are combined and represented by the fused safety/confidence grid. Given the safety/confidence grid of a terrain patch, two new methods for selection of the safest site are presented: Peak-with-High-Neighbors (PHN) and Center-of-Largest-Area (CLA). These two methods are then illustrated by a numerical example. The methods presented in this paper are computationally fast, and are thus strong viable candidates for real-time implementation. Similar fuzzy rule-based terrain classifiers have previously been implemented successfully in rover navigation experiments and spacecraft landing simulations at JPL.
Effect of pregnancy, milk yield, and somatic cell count on bovine milk fat hydrolysis.

Abstract During 12 mo, 1818 milk samples were collected from Holsteins and Jerseys (n = 261) to evaluate effects of advancing lactation and pregnancy on milk fat hydrolysis. Aliquots, cooled immediately and stored 48 h at 4°C, were analyzed for free fatty acid content. Holsteins had higher acid degree values than Jerseys (.90 vs. .62). No difference in values was detected between alternate a.m. (.74) and p.m. (.76) sampling times. Repeatability of acid degree values from lactation to lactation was low (.22). Days in milk, days pregnant, and milk yield had curvilinear effects on acid degree values, whereas SCC effects were linear. Estimated acid degree value at 335 d in milk (average dry-off) was lowered from .80 to .63 when adjusted for days pregnant and to .48 when adjusted also for milk yield. These responses agree with the increased acid degree values associated with two late lactation events: increasing day pregnant and decreasing milk yield. Estrogen secreted by the developing fetal-placental unit could mediate changes in milk composition that promote milk fat hydrolysis.
Mechanical stress effects on Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 thin-film ferroelectric capacitors embedded in a standard complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor process

We report experimental investigations of externally applied mechanical stress on 70 nm Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 ferroelectric capacitors embedded within a 130 nm complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor manufacturing process. An average increase in the remnant polarization of 3.37% per 100 MPa compressive uniaxial stress was observed. The maximum polarization increased by 2.68% per 100 MPa, while the cycling endurance was not affected by stress. The significant difference between experiment and the lattice distortion model suggests that two mechanisms are responsible for the polarization change. These results indicate that stress engineering may be used to enhance the signal margin in ferroelectric random access memory and enable technology scaling.
Tracking Cell Lineage and Fate into Cerebellar Circuits

Understanding how cells from different neuronal and glial lineages contribute to functional circuits has been complicated by the difficulty in tracking cells as they integrate into brain circuits. Sudarov et al. (J Neurosci 31(30):11055–11069, 2011) used a powerful genetics-based lineage marking approach to birth date ventricular zone-derived cells in the mouse cerebellum. The authors use their novel tools to elucidate the spatial and temporal dynamics of how distinct ventricular zone lineages are generated and assemble into the cerebellar microcircuitry. In this journal club, we discuss and evaluate the author's major findings.
Status of searches for Higgs and physics beyond the standard model at CDF

This article presents selected experimental results on searches for Higgs and physics beyond the standard model (BSM) at the Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF). The results are based on about 350 pb{sup -1} of proton-antiproton collisions data at {radical}s = 1.96 TeV, collected during Run II of the Tevatron. No evidence of signal was found and limits on the production cross section of various physics processes BSM are derived.
The retinal rod as a chemical photomultiplier

Abstract In vertebrates, the excitation of the retinal rod photoreceptors by a single photon can be represented by a cyclic-GMP cascade. We construct a mathematical model for describing this mechanism and conduct a noise analysis of the process. Our results show that the relative noise of the rod photocurrent, which ensues from a filtering of the discrete multiplication process, is determined primarily by the first stage of the excitatory cascade. This stage is associated with the activation of transducin in the rod outer segment. Our analysis also shows that the conversion of the discrete multiplied signal into a current reduces the output relative noise when it is measured in terms of the variance-to-mean ratio.
Transcription factor control of asymmetric cell divisions that establish the stomatal lineage

The establishment of new cell lineages during development often requires a symmetry-breaking event. An asymmetric division in the epidermis of plants initiates a lineage that ultimately produces stomatal guard cells. Stomata are pores in the epidermis that serve as the main conduits for gas exchange between plants and the atmosphere; they are critical for photosynthesis and exert a major influence on global carbon and water cycles. Recent studies implicated intercellular signalling in preventing the inappropriate production of stomatal complexes. Genes required to make stomata, however, remained elusive. Here we report the identification of a gene, SPEECHLESS (SPCH), encoding a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor that is necessary and sufficient for the asymmetric divisions that establish the stomatal lineage in Arabidopsis thaliana. We demonstrate that SPCH and two paralogues are successively required for the initiation, proliferation and terminal differentiation of cells in the stomatal lineage. The stomatal bHLHs define a molecular pathway sufficient to create one of the key cell types in plants. Similar molecules and regulatory mechanisms are used during muscle and neural development, highlighting a conserved use of closely related bHLHs for cell fate specification and differentiation.
Amphiphilic multi-arm-block copolymer conjugated with doxorubicin via pH-sensitive hydrazone bond for tumor-targeted drug delivery

Folate-conjugated unimolecular micelles based on amphiphilic hyperbranched block copolymer, Boltorn H40-poly(l-aspartate-doxorubicin)-b-poly(ethylene glycol)/FA-conjugated poly(ethylene glycol) (H40-P(LA-DOX)-b-PEG-OH/FA), were synthesized as a carrier for tumor-targeted drug delivery. The anticancer drug DOX was covalently conjugated onto the hydrophobic segments of the amphiphilic block copolymer arms by pH-sensitive hydrazone linkage. The size of the unimolecular micelles was determined as approximately 17-36 and 10-20 nm by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), respectively. The release profiles of the DOX from the H40-P(LA-DOX)-b-PEG-OH/FA micelles showed a strong dependence on the environmental pH values. The DOX release rate increased in the acidic medium due to the acid-cleavable hydrazone linkage between the DOX and micelles. Cellular uptake of the H40-P(LA-DOX)-b-PEG-OH/FA micelles was found to be higher than that of the H40-P(LA-DOX)-b-PEG-OH micelles because of the folate-receptor-mediated endocytosis, thereby providing higher cytotoxicity against the 4T1 mouse mammary carcinoma cell line. Degradation studies showed that the H40-P(LA-DOX)-b-PEG-OH/FA copolymer hydrolytically degraded into polymer fragments within six weeks. These results suggest that H40-P(LA-DOX)-b-PEG-OH/FA micelles could be a promising nanocarrier with excellent in vivo stability for targeting the drugs to cancer cells and releasing the drug molecules inside the cells by sensing the acidic environment of the endosomal compartments.
Measurement-driven admission control on wireless backhaul networks

IEEE 802.11 wireless networks perform poorly in the presence of large traffic volumes. Measurements have shown that packet collisions and interference can lead to degraded performance to the extent that users experience unacceptably low throughput, which can ultimately lead to complete network breakdown [12]. An admission control framework that limits network flows can prevent network breakdown and improve the performance of throughput and delay-sensitive multimedia applications. In this paper, we present a measurement-driven admission control scheme that leverages wireless characteristics for intelligent flow control in a static wireless network. Experiments on the 25 node UCSB MeshNet show that the proposed admission control scheme can enhance network performance such that the QoS requirements of real time applications, such as VoIP, can be met.
Reference interval computation: which method (not) to choose?

Abstract Background When different methods are applied to reference interval (RI) calculation the results can sometimes be substantially different, especially for small reference groups. If there are no reliable RI data available, there is no way to confirm which method generates results closest to the true RI. Methods We randomly drawn samples obtained from a public database for 33 markers. For each sample, RIs were calculated by bootstrapping, parametric, and Box-Cox transformed parametric methods. Results were compared to the values of the population RI. Results For approximately half of the 33 markers, results of all 3 methods were within 3% of the true reference value. For other markers, parametric results were either unavailable or deviated considerably from the true values. The transformed parametric method was more accurate than bootstrapping for sample size of 60, very close to bootstrapping for sample size 120, but in some cases unavailable. Conclusions We recommend against using parametric calculations to determine RIs. The transformed parametric method utilizing Box-Cox transformation would be preferable way of RI calculation, if it satisfies normality test. If not, the bootstrapping is always available, and is almost as accurate and precise as the transformed parametric method.
Users, uses, and value of Landsat imagery in the United States

▸Lack of comprehensive information regarding Landsat users ▸Previous surveys focused only on known sub-populations ▸Surveys tended to be technical in nature ▸Very little information about the value of Landsat to users
Do Agricultural Commodity Prices Respond to Bans against Bioengineered Crops

Bans against bioengineered food ingredients by major food companies have been broadly reported and have been often taken to signal demand shifts away from commodities in favor of identity-preserved non-bioengineered crops. Yet, the impacts of such bans have not been quantified and, indeed, the market size for non-bioengineered crops remains unknown. We tested whether either the Chicago Board of Trade soybean futures prices (commodity) or the Tokyo Grain Exchange non-GMO soybean futures prices (identity preserved market) responded to firm bans of bioengineered food ingredients. Neither the Chicago Board of Trade soybean futures prices nor the Tokyo Grain Exchange non-GMO soybean futures prices respond to bans. On a abondamment parle de l'embargo que les grandes societes agroalimentaires imposent sur les ingredients genetiquement modifies et souvent dit que de tels embargos signifient une reorientation de la demande des denrees de base vers les produits dont on a su preserver l'identite et qui n'ont pas ete modifies genetiquement. Pourtant, on n'a pas quantifie l'incidence de tels embargos et on ignore toujours l'importance du marche des produits non modifies. Les auteurs ont verifie si le prix a terme du soja au Chicago Board of Trade (denrees de base) et le prix a terme du soja non OGM a la bourse des grains de Tokiy (produits non modifies) fluctuent avec les embargos sur les ingredients alimentaires genetiquement modifies. Aucun des deux prix ne varie avec de tels embargos.
Political negotiation as a process of modifying utilities

Abstract : Negotiating techniques are discussed in terms of the theory of bargaining and game theory.
Macchess: Unique Opportunities for Structural Biology at a Synchrotron Source

MacCHESS (“Macromolecular diffraction at CHESS”) is an NIH funded facility at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source; we provide a user facility with exceptional staff support. A special MacCHESS strength is developing new x-ray methods to benefit the entire structural biology community.Crystallography - High-flux monochromatic beamlines equipped with large CCD detectors, air bearing-based goniometers, selection of 100-µm or 20-µm beam size, cryocooling, excellent crystal centering systems, and crystal automounters are available. BSL-2 biohazards can be handled. Methods for collecting and processing multi-crystal data sets are under development.BioSAXS - A dedicated beamline features a dual SAXS/WAXS setup using 2 Pilatus detectors and an integrated computer-controlled flow system including robotic sample loading from 96-well trays, a capillary cell with a replaceable insert, and a convenient graphical interface. An HPLC system allows sample preparation immediately before taking data. Microfluidic “lab-on-a-chip” units are under development. Periodic workshops are held to educate users in the intricacies of BioSAXS.Pressure cryocooling - A new method for cryocooling crystals under pressure reduces both cooling-induced degradation and the need for penetrating cryoprotectants, and can stabilize mobile ligands and possibly reaction intermediates. We offer pressure-cooling as a service to CHESS users, while continuing to develop the method. Several sample mounting techniques are now available, and the technique has promise for use with biological samples other than crystals.More information - To request beamtime, fill out a simple on-line proposal form at http://www.chess.cornell.edu. Mail-in service is available for crystallography. We welcome a chance to collaborate on “non-standard” experiments. For more information, contact User Administrator Kathy Dedrick (kd73@cornell.edu).
Spectral transmission through the cuticle of the american cockroach, Periplaneta americana.

Abstract Small pieces of cuticle were removed from the following areas of the cockroach, P. americana , to determine the relative transmittance qualities across the visible and infrared regions of the spectrum: wing tip; abdominal tergite and sternite; light and dark pigmented areas of the pronotum; vertex; two pairs of wing tips plus underlying tergite. The transmittance across the spectral areas investigated showed significant differences in μW/cm 2 between the cuticular areas assayed. A single wing tip possessed high transmittance qualities whereas the vertex and lesser pigmented cuticle showed considerably lower per cent transmission.
Focusing on emotion in group therapy what clients, what problems, and what for

-The problems discussed by the clients in three cognitive-behavioral (problem-solving emphasis) therapy groups of 16-week duration were classified by the therapists as (1) problems of inadequate or inappropriate emotional experience, (2) problems of inadequate or inappropriate emotional expression, or (3) other. Employing diagnoses made by therapists not involved in the present study, having a problem involving inadequate emotional experience was significantly associated with the client also having an Axis I1 personality diagnosis, while having problerns involving inadequate emotional expression was not associated with such a d ~ ~ ~ n o s ~ s . Also, when rated by outsiders, the 16-week group experience helped significantly more with problems of inadequate emotional expression than with those involving inadequate emotional experience.
Homosexual Identity Expression among Lesbian and Gay Adolescents: An Analysis of Perceived Structural Associations.

Theoretical and empirical analysis of homosexual identity neglects the influence of structural factors on identity expression. The Negotiated Identity Model proposes that perceptions of external fo...
Substance P and adrenocorticotropic hormone do not affect T-lymphocyte adhesion to vascular endothelium or surface expression of adhesion receptors

Abstract Substance P (SP) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) are peptides that have been shown to have both neurological and immunological effects. Because of the demonstrated effects upon immune function, we examined the effects of these peptides on T-lymphocyte adhesion to vascular endothelium and surface adhesion receptor expression. Neither the adhesion assays nor the expression assays showed any statistically significant effect of SP (10 μM) or ACTH (1 μM) for any incubation period used. We conclude that, while SP and ACTH have a variety of immunomodulatory effects, direct modulation of T-lymphocyte adhesion to vascular endothelium is probably not one of them.
Conserved regions in mammalian β-globins: Could they arise by cross-species gene exchange?

Comparison of the nucleotide sequences from the coding regions of the four mammalian β-globin genes shows that different parts of these genes have evolved at two different rates. Those codons designating amino acids 1–20, 41–91 and 109–146 have accumulated substitutions in a random fashion as the molecular clock hypothesis would predict. The codons at positions 21–40 and 91 to 108 behave as if they evolved at a much slower rate. Each of the slowly evolved regions contains an intron. Conservation of the coding sequences flanking the introns are hypothesized to be the result of cross-species gene exchange.
Connections between the lines: augmenting social networks with text

Network data is ubiquitous, encoding collections of relationships between entities such as people, places, genes, or corporations. While many resources for networks of interesting entities are emerging, most of these can only annotate connections in a limited fashion. Although relationships between entities are rich, it is impractical to manually devise complete characterizations of these relationships for every pair of entities on large, real-world corpora.In this paper we present a novel probabilistic topic model to analyze text corpora and infer descriptions of its entities and of relationships between those entities. We develop variational methods for performing approximate inference on our model and demonstrate that our model can be practically deployed on large corpora such as Wikipedia. We show qualitatively and quantitatively that our model can construct and annotate graphs of relationships and make useful predictions.
Analysis and sequencing of the active-site peptide from native and organophosphate-inactivated acetylcholinesterase by electrospray ionization, quadrupole/time-of-flight (QTOF) mass spectrometry.

A method to identify and sequence recombinant mouse acetylcholinesterase (rMoAChE) including the native and organophosphate-modified active-site peptides was developed using capillary liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization, quadrupole/time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Addition of 2-propanol to the reversed-phase gradient system and a decreased gradient slope improved the peptide resolution and the signal of the active-site peptide. The highest protein coverage and active-site peptide signal were achieved when the rMoAChE:chymotrypsin ratio of 5:1 was used with digestion at 37 °C. rMoAChE and the active-site peptide were identified and sequenced from chymotryptic digests of native, methyl paraoxon-, and ethyl paraoxon-inactivated rMoAChE showing unequivocally that the exact modification site was the active-site serine.
Quantitation of antigen in tissue by immunofluorescence image analysis

A method is described to measure antigen(s) in tissue section using an image analysis system to quantitate immunofluorescence following staining with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-conjugated antibody. The antigen utilized was an 125I-labeled goat anti-glomerular basement membrane antibody (1409 cpm/micrograms) administered intravenously to each of 11 Sprague-Dawley rats in doses ranging from 1.09 to 34.72 mg IgG. 24 h later, both kidneys were obtained for quantitative immunofluorescence following staining of tissue sections with FITC-labeled rabbit anti-goat IgG and for determination of radioactivity which reflects the amount of goat IgG present in isolated glomeruli. A linear correlation (r = 0.97) was observed between the dose of administered goat 125I-IgG and the amount bound to isolated glomeruli over the entire dosage range. A highly significant correlation (r = 0.98) was also seen between the mean brightness per glomerulus as determined by quantitative immunofluorescence and the amount of 125I-IgG bound per glomerulus but only at values less than 500 pg of IgG per glomerulus. Above these levels no correlation was observed, suggesting the presence of hidden epitopes in the bound goat IgG or the lack of availability of the FITC-labeled rabbit antibody.
What Dermatologists Do Not Know about Smallpox Vaccination: Results from a Worldwide Electronic Survey

The risk of a bioterrorist attack with smallpox has increased owing to breakthroughs in the de novo synthesis of long-chain DNA molecules. Although the leading roles of dermatologists in diagnosing recent outbreaks of cutaneous anthrax and monkeypox demonstrate the importance of dermatologist preparedness for bioterrorism, dermatologist knowledge regarding smallpox vaccination has not been extensively examined. We conducted a cross-sectional worldwide electronic survey of all members of the American Academy of Dermatology with available e-mail addresses. The response rate was 23% (1,303/5,723): 34% of respondents were women, 52% were age 50 or older, 85% practiced in the US, and 90% reported English as their primary language. Less than 37% indicated the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated rate of death owing to smallpox vaccination (1 in 1,000,000), and many failed to identify vaccination contraindications: previous myocardial infarction (83%), angina (83%), congestive heart failure (78%), steroid eye drop use (65%), and the non-emergency vaccination of those younger than age 18 (95%). Widespread dermatologist smallpox vaccination knowledge deficits pinpoint opportunities for educational efforts.
Ignition of Thermite Using the Potassium Chlorate “Rocket” Reaction: A Systematic Demonstration of Reaction Chemistry

Presented here is a set of demonstrations that are used as visual tools for engaging students in a discussion of reaction chemistry and thermodynamics. Students are first shown a series of simple exothermic reactions: (1) the reaction of H2SO4 with sugar, (2) the decomposition of KClO3, and (3) the reaction of H2SO4 with KClO3. These three basic reactions are then combined as a pyrotechnic chlorate demonstration in which H2SO4 is used to ignite a KClO3 + sugar mixture. It is finally shown that this latter reaction is very effective for igniting the highly exothermic thermite redox reaction.
Artificial nails: are they putting patients at risk? A review of the research.

The use of artificial nails has become a popular fashion trend, and many health care workers are following this trend. There is debate whether artificial nails are putting patients at risk of nosocomial infections. Researchers have shown that the colony counts on artificial nails are greater than the colony counts on native nails. Artificial nails have also been linked to poor hand washing practices and more tears in gloves. These factors lead to an increased risk of transmitting bacteria to patients. This transmission could greatly affect patients because the hospitalized patient's risk of nosocomial infection is high. The purpose of this article is to review the data related to the bacterial and fungal contamination of artificial nails and their implications for health care workers. Most of the review describes findings of studies of surgical patients and health care workers who work in surgery departments, but the research applies to any area where there is a risk of transferring potential pathogens to immunocompromised patients.
Neutrophil aggregating activity and septic shock in humans: Neutrophil aggregation by a C5a-like material occurs more frequently than complement component depletion and correlates with depression of systemic vascular resistance

Complement activation frequently accompanies septic shock. Our study goals were to determine the optimal method of complement quantification, and to evaluate complement-generated mediators in the pathogenesis of septic shock cardiovascular dysfunction. Sera from 108 acute episodes of septic and nonseptic critical illness were studied. The 54 episodes of blood culture-positive septic shock had statistically higher neutrophil aggregating activity (by a C5a-like material) compared with 42 episodes of blood culture negative septic shock and 12 episodes of nonseptic shock. In 47 episodes of sepsis-induced adult respiratory distress syndrome, peak neutrophil aggregating activity was higher in nonsurvivors than survivors. A significant negative correlation was found between increased neutrophil aggregating activity and decreased systemic vascular resistance index (SVRI) in culture positive (n = 54, r = −.346, P < .02) and clinical septic shock (n = 42, r = −.30, P < .05). Abnormally elevated neutrophil aggregating activity (increased circulating C5a-like material) was demonstrated more frequently than depletion of either C3, C5, or CH-50 in clinical septic shock. This study suggests that elevated C5a (measured by neutrophil aggregation) is the most frequent manifestation of sepsis-induced complement activation. The negative correlation between neutrophil aggregation and SVRI suggests that complement activation may be important in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular dysfunction in human septic shock.
Creating a synthetic after-tax zero-coupon bond using US Treasury STRIP bonds: implications for the true after-tax spot rate

For an individual or company that is subject to taxes, we develop a method that uses laddered Separate Trading of Registered Interest and Principal (STRIP) bonds to determine the value (and composition) of a portfolio that replicates a risk-free after-tax cash flow that will occur on a single future date. In contrast to previous approaches, our method does not require rebalancing or short sales. In addition, we show that the standard after-tax risk-free spot rate, defined as the after-tax yield on a US Treasury STRIP bond, is correct only for a flat-term structure. Using our method, we provide a true measure of the after-tax risk-free spot rate that applies to any term structure.
An exact test for neutrality based on the Ewens sampling distribution

Using the Ewens sampling distribution of selectively neutral alleles in a finite population, it is possible to develop an exact test of neutrality by finding the probability of each configuration with the same sample size and observed number of allelic classes. The exact test provides the probability of obtaining a configuration with the same or smaller probability as the observed configuration under the null hypothesis. The results from the exact test may be quite different from those from the Ewens-Watterson test based on the homozygosity in the sample. The advantages and disadvantages of using an exact test in this and other population genetic contexts are discussed.