cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect on Growth, Photosynthesis, and Oxidative Stress of Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes Exposure to Marine Alga Dunaliella tertiolecta

Single walled carbon nanotubes were carboxylated by microwave assisted acid oxidation f-SWCNTs and examined for their ecotoxicity on marine alga chlorophyte Dunaliella tertiolecta. Toxicity was evaluated based on growth, photosynthetic activities, oxidative stress, and intracellular glutathione in the concentration range of 0.1–20 mg/L f-SWCNT. Physical interactions between the f-SWCNT and alga were examined using light microscopy and scanning electron microscope. Increasing the nanotube concentration increased the toxic effects where growth inhibition was as high as 30%, photosynthetic yield decreased by as much as 18%, and intracellular glutathione reduction reached 95%. The results from f-SWCNTs were somewhat different when compared to our previous study using the same algae and functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes, where exposure led to longer lag phase and higher growth rate inhibition.
Joyce’s Mirror Stages and “The Dead”

In this chapter, Ellen Scheible argues that Joyce’s portrayal of Gabriel Conroy’s interaction with women in “The Dead” forms a precursory narrative of national identity that is echoed in Portrait and Ulysses. In “The Dead,” Joyce stages frustrated confrontations between Gabriel and the reflective female figures that mirror Gabriel’s inadequacies in order to show the gendered aspects of national and personal identity formation in modern Ireland. Gabriel must undergo a version of the Lacanian mirror stage that Stephen Dedalus later experiences on the beach in Portrait and that Leopold Bloom experiences with Gerty MacDowell in Ulysses. However, Gabriel’s moments of recognition occur within two intimate domestic spaces: his aunts’ pantry and a hotel room, suggesting that Joyce saw the Irish struggle for independence as an internal, domestic conflict prior to 1916. Scheible argues that in the cultural framework of Joyce’s Dubliners, the nation struggled and often failed to develop its identity outside of an “emasculating and overly feminized domestic interior.”
An Overview of State-Level Criminal Justice

To explore how the state might facilitate translational research requires an understanding of the structure and relationships of state agencies and organizations. This chapter discusses those agencies under the control of the governor including state criminal justice planning agencies, state police and patrol, and corrections. State legislatures, as bodies that enact criminal statutes, also hold great potential in furthering the aims of translational criminology. While not a part of state government, third-sector entities such as statewide criminal justice associations can also play a significant role in promoting the translation of research into evidence-based practice. The point is that state agencies and organizations are in a unique position to advance the goals of translational criminology.
Non-Continuous Retracts

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the results concerning connectivity and almost continuous retracts (ACR) relevant to fixed point theory—especially retracts using these types of functions. N, subset of M, is an almost continuous (connectivity) retract—abbreviated ACE (CR)—of M if there exists an almost continuous (connectivity) function f : M→N, which leaves each point of N fixed. Much of the study of CRs and ACRs has been motivated by the hope of proving fixed point theorems. Recent results have indicated that there may be some hope of obtaining fixed point results using ACRs.
Bound Cu2+ as a Structural and Functional Probe of the Cytochrome b6f Complex

Much of our knowledge about the mechanisms of cytochrome (cyt) bc1 and b 6 f complexes has come from the use of specific inhibitors of the catalytic sites [1]. Most of these inhibitors bind at the quinol oxidase (Qo) and/or quinone reductase (Qi) sites. Another class of bc1 complex inhibitors are certain metal ions, such as aluminum, cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, silver and zinc [2,3], which have been proposed to block a key proton channel, leading from the Qo site to the aqueous phase [3]. In this paper we show that copper is a redox-sensitive inhibitor of higher plant cyt b 6 f that binds to the cyt f protein.
Mechanisms of Molecular Sorting in Endosomes

Since the time of Metchnikoff over a century ago, it has been clear that eucaryotic cells interact with their environment by eating some of it via endocytosis. As long as 50 years ago, it was suspected that endocytosis brought about the internalization of enormous amounts of extracellular material and, consequently, of a cell’s plasma membrane (Lewis, 1931). Only recently, however, has it been documented that endocytosis is also characterized by a high degree of specificity, both in the initial recognition events leading to the selective uptake of certain extracellular macromolecules and in the subsequent intracellular events that control the fate of internalized membrane, fluid, and solutes.
Automorphism groups that are subgroups of SU(n,1)

We study the question of when the automorphism group of a bounded domain in Cn is a subgroup of the automorphism group of the unit ball in Cn .
Using Electronic Resource Guides to Enhance Information Literacy Skills

The importance of teaching information literacy skills toAÂ college students cannot be overstressed. Due to the explosion of electronic information resources, it is critical that engineering and science students learn key research skills that help them locate, evaluate, and utilize informationAÂ effectively, efficiently and ethically. Such skills will help them become informed students, and instill a desire for lifelong learning ensuring they will be valued employees and citizens in the future. Incorporating information literacy skills into a curriculum or specific courses in an organized manner is difficult. The ABET standards for information literacy highlight the importance of including this instruction in the engineering curriculum. At numerous institutions, the individual instructor determines how and when this is accomplished. For many instructors, there is not enough time in the academic calendar to do all that is required. Consequently, information literacy skills may be mentioned in passing or completely eliminated to make room for other topics in the syllabus. Academic libraries have developed tools to help students learn basic skills online and to enhance these skills as their research becomes more varied and complex. At George Mason University, librarians have developed two different tools to assist both students and faculty researchers: InfoGuides (sometimes called LibGuides) target undergraduates, while Research Portals assist faculty researchers and graduate students. Each of these tools allows librarians to highlight various resources and provides a platform for collaboration and instruction. This presentation will discuss ways that engineering faculty can use electronic research guides to help students develop their information literacy skills. Examples of these tools and how they are used will be provided.AÂ
Progressive Clustering and Characterization of Increasingly Higher Dimensional Datasets with Living Self-organizing Maps

Long-lived consortiums in genomics generate massive highly-dimensional datasets over the course of many months or years with substantial blocks of data added over time. Algorithms designed to characterize and cluster this data are designed to run once on a dataset in its entirety, and thus, any analysis of these collections must be entirely re-done from scratch every time a new block of data is added. We describe a novel progressive clustering approach using a variation of the self-organizing map (SOM) algorithm, which we call the Living SOM. Our software package is capable of clustering highly-dimensional data with all of the power of regular SOMs with the added benefit of incorporating additional datasets as they become available while maintaining the initial structure as much as possible. This allows us to evaluate the impact of the new datasets on previous analyses with the potential to keep classifications intact if appropriate. We demonstrate the power of this technique on a collection of gene expression experiments done in an embryonic time course of development for mouse from the ENCODE consortium.
Playgrounds in the Zombie Apocalypse: The Feral Child

In the episode ‘The Grove’ (4.14) from AMC's The Walking Dead, Lizzie and Mika Samuels, sisters and two of the child survivors of the zombie apocalypse, brutally meet their ends. Lizzie, no longer ...
Assessing the Irritable and Defiant Dimensions of Youth Oppositional Behavior Using CBCL and YSR Items.

Research suggests that irritability and defiance are distinct dimensions of youth oppositionality that are differentially associated with internalizing and conduct problems, respectively. Because m...
Barium Isotopes Track the Source of Dissolved Solids in Produced Water from the Unconventional Marcellus Shale Gas Play

Waters coproduced with hydrocarbons from unconventional oil and gas reservoirs such as the hydraulically fractured Middle Devonian Marcellus Shale in the Appalachian Basin, USA, contain high levels of total dissolved solids (TDS), including Ba, which has been variously ascribed to drilling mud dissolution, interaction with pore fluids or shale exchangeable sites, or fluid migration through fractures. Here, we show that Marcellus Shale produced waters contain some of the heaviest Ba (high 138Ba/134Ba) measured to date (δ138Ba = +0.36‰ to +1.49‰ ± 0.06‰) and are distinct from overlying Upper Devonian/Lower Mississippian reservoirs (δ138Ba = -0.83‰ to -0.52‰). Marcellus Shale produced water values do not overlap with drilling mud barite (δ138Ba ≈ 0.0‰) and are significantly offset from Ba reservoirs within the producing portion of the Marcellus Shale, including exchangeable sites and carbonate cement. Precipitation, desorption, and diffusion processes are insufficient or in the wrong direction to produce the observed enrichments in heavy Ba. We hypothesize that the produced water is derived primarily from brines adjacent to and most likely below the Marcellus Shale, although such deep brines have not yet been obtained for Ba isotope analysis. Barium isotopes show promise for tracking formation waters and for understanding water-rock interaction under downhole conditions.
Practicing Antimicrobial Stewardship: De-Escalating Antibiotics in Patients With Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Neutropenic Fever

We compared risk of recurrent fever in patients with acute myeloid leukemia undergoing induction chemotherapy with febrile neutropenia without an infectious source in which antibacterials were de-escalated before neutrophil recovery versus continued. There was less recurrent fever when antibacterials were de-escalated early with no increased adverse events.
Vulnerability of rangeland beef cattle production to climate-induced NPP fluctuations in the US Great Plains.

The vulnerability of rangeland beef cattle production to increasing climate variability in the US Great Plains has received minimal attention in spite of potentially adverse socioeconomic and ecological consequences. Vulnerability was assessed as the frequency and magnitude of years in which net primary production (NPP) deviated >±25% from mean values, to represent major forage surplus and deficit years, for a historic reference period (1981-2010), mid-century (2041-2065), and late-century (2075-2099) periods. NPP was simulated by MC2, a dynamic global vegetation model, driven by five climate projections for representative concentration pathway (RCP) 4.5 and 8.5. Historically, 4-4.7 years per decade showed either NPP surpluses or deficits. The future number of extreme years increased to 5.4-6.4 and 5.9-6.9 per decade for RCP 4.5 and 8.5, respectively, which represents an increase of 33%-56% and 38%-73%, respectively. Future simulations exhibited increases in surplus years to between 3 and 5 years in the Northern Plains and 3-3.5 in the Southern Plains. The number of deficit years remained near historic values of 2 in the Northern Plains, but increased in the Southern Plains from 2.5 to 3.3 per decade. Historically, NPP in extreme surplus and deficit years both deviated 40% from mean NPP in all three regions. The magnitude of deficit years increased by 6%-17% in future simulations for all three regions, while the magnitude of surplus years decreased 16% in the Northern Plains and increased 16% in the Southern Plains. The Southern Plains was the only region to exhibit an increase in the magnitude of both surplus and deficit years. Unprecedented future variability of NPP may surpass the existing adaptive capacity of beef producers and adversely impact the economic viability of rangeland cattle production and ecological sustainability of rangeland resources.
Bioresorbable, Wireless, Passive Sensors as Temporary Implants for Monitoring Regional Body Temperature

Measurements of regional internal body temperatures can yield important information in the diagnosis of immune response-related anomalies, for precisely managing the effects of hyperthermia and hypothermia therapies and monitoring other transient body processes such as those associated with wound healing. Current approaches rely on permanent implants that require extraction surgeries after the measurements are no longer needed. Emerging classes of bioresorbable sensors eliminate the requirements for extraction, but their use of percutaneous wires for data acquisition leads to risks for infection at the suture site. As an alternative, a battery-free, wireless implantable device is reported here, which is constructed entirely with bioresorbable materials for monitoring regional internal body temperatures over clinically relevant timeframes. Ultimately, these devices disappear completely in the body through natural processes. In vivo demonstrations indicate stable operation as subcutaneous and intracranial implants in rat models for up to 4 days. Potential applications include monitoring of healing cascades associated with surgical wounds, recovery processes following internal injuries, and the progression of thermal therapies for various conditions.
A partial multiparametric optimization strategy to improve the computational performance of model predictive control

Abstract Determining the optimal manipulated action for large scale model predictive control formulations requires significant computational overhead. It has been demonstrated that the offline, explicit solution provided by multiparametric programming has the capacity to greatly improve the online computational performance of MPC strategies. For large scale problems, developing and deploying the full multiparametric solution remains an open challenge. In this work, a partial multiparametric solution is utilized to improve the initialization procedure for a hot start strategy. The hot start strategy provides an improved technique for determining the optimal solution of large scale MPC formulations, and the partial multiparametric solution ensures the initialization is suitable under varying conditions. The efficacy of the proposed strategy is verified on randomly generated large scale MPC problems.
Sacramental Preaching in the Culture of Ableism

One of the challenges of preaching is that it may not simply be teaching about God but can itself become a revelatory event in which listeners experience the presence of God. In Preaching the Prese...
Repair of DeBakey Type I Acute Aortic Dissection

Acute DeBakey type I aortic dissection remains one of the most lethal cardiovascular emergencies. Surgical mortality after acute aortic dissection repair are 17-18%—and the extent of repair has been controversial. Herein, we describe our current “tear-oriented” approach to treat DeBakey type I aortic dissection. We believe the surgical techniques selected should be based on each surgeon's experience, focusing on minimizing the complexity of the procedure and reducing surgical morbidity and mortality rather than preventing future reoperations.
Provision of health care for prisoners during the COVID-19 pandemic: an ethical analysis of challenges and summary of select best practices

This paper aims to analyze the COVID-19 pandemic response in prisons, focusing on the USA, which imprisons a higher percentage of its population than any other country in the world.,This paper evaluates the current pandemic response in prisons based on legal and ethical imperatives for providing health care to prisoners.,Themes of best practices identified include increasing rapid detection of new cases, reducing transmission and advocating for both short- and long-term ethical health care policies. Halting progress now could risk dire consequences and is unacceptable on legal, ethical and public health grounds.,This paper does not involve primary research with prisoners; rather it focuses on reviewing the pandemic response in prisons. Although it may be possible to translate findings in this study to similar environments (e.g. jails and detainment centers), there are unique characteristics pertaining to each that deserve separate, focused analyses.,Outbreaks that occur within prisons are likely to spread to the community and vice versa. Analyses based on ethics, law and public health point to the same conclusion: preventing significant outbreaks within prisons will benefit not only prisoners but also the general public. Furthermore, even though the scientific understanding of the pandemic may change with future research, the ethical and legal principles highlighted in this paper will continue to be foundational when considering just care for prisoners.
Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) has evolved, on the basis of seminal research and transformative drug development, from a disease with a predictable short survival and limited curative potential, to a highly treatable and increasingly, functionally curable blood cancer. The genesis of prototypical small molecule inhibitors against a discrete genetic and molecular anomaly—the Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome and its product, the activated ABL kinase—validated the potential of specific targeted therapy and revolutionized the approach to cancer therapy. Five oral agents are licensed for use in Ph-positive (Ph+) leukemias. The use of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT), once a common curative path when feasible and available, has declined severely and treatment-free remission to arrive at “functional cure” is increasingly sought and feasible after defined treatment and remission duration parameters are met. Given high remission and potential cure rate, careful attention needs to be paid to potential therapy-related adverse events, including metabolic and vascular/cardiovascular changes with significant morbidity.
Blood type change identifies late dominance reversal of chimerism after double umbilical cord blood transplantation with review of the literature.

BACKGROUND A 30-year-old man underwent double umbilical cord blood transplantation (UCBT) for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with reduced intensity conditioning. The cords had identical HLA types and were each a 5/6 match to the patient. Following transplantation, cord 2 initially dominated all tested cell populations. At day +306, we observed an unusual reversal of dominance chimerism pattern in which cord 1 instead dominated all tested populations. STUDY DESIGN & METHODS Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based short tandem repeat (STR) assays were performed on the peripheral blood and bone marrow samples. The white blood cell (WBC) populations from the peripheral blood were manipulated for testing to create subpopulations enriched for CD3, CD33, and CD56. RESULTS Chimerism studies on day +77 showed the following: cord 1: 44%-CD3; 0%-CD33; 16%-CD56; cord 2: 56%-CD3; 100%-CD33; 84%-CD56. Cord 2 initially dominated in all tested cell populations. Chimerism studies performed on post-transplantation day +306 uncovered a reversal of dominance chimerism pattern in which cord 1 now dominated in all cell populations (cord 1: 82%-CD3; >95%-CD33; 67%-CD56; cord 2: 18%-CD3; <5%-CD33; 33%-CD56). Between days +127 and +244, the patient's blood type shifted from B Rh-positive to A Rh-negative. CONCLUSION The change in the patient's blood type identified a late reversal of dominance chimerism pattern. This is a rare occurrence, previously cited only once, which is inconsistent with published data that early high CD3 counts and unseparated bone marrow chimerism predominance at day +100 predict long-term cord dominance in double UCBT in the vast majority of cases.
The Impact of Failed Antidepressant Trials on Outcomes in Children and Adolescents with Anxiety and Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: To identify predictors of medication-placebo differences in double-blind placebo-controlled antidepressant trials in children and adolescents with anxiety and depression. Methods: Clinic...
Precision medicine in juvenile idiopathic arthritis—has the time arrived?

Summary The introduction of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug therapies for treating children and adolescents with chronic arthritis (ie, juvenile idiopathic arthritis [JIA]) has revolutionised care and outcomes. The biologic revolution continues to expand, with ever-changing immunological targets coming to market after basic research and clinical trials. The first class of biologics that was beneficial for children with JIA was tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors. If used early and aggressively, TNF inhibitors are capable of inducing disease remission for most of the seven subtypes of JIA, with the exception of systemic JIA (which more frequently responds to interleukin [IL]-1 or IL-6 inhibition). Nevertheless, there are still subsets of patients with JIA with disease that is difficult to treat or who develop extra-articular features that require a different therapeutic approach. Although finding an effective biological therapy for individual children with JIA can be trial and error, ongoing research and clinical trials are providing insight into a more personalised approach to care. In addition, redefining the JIA classification, in part based on shared similarities with various adult arthritides, could allow for extrapolation of knowledge from studies in adults with chronic arthritis.
Differentiating HMOs through Customer Retention Strategy: An Empirical Examination

In an increasingly competitive health-care services environment, HMO profitability is becoming important and difficult to achieve. We draw forth a theory of increased profitability through higher market share that is achieved through the strategy of retaining existing customers by increasing overall satisfaction. We then propose and test differences in the delivery of service quality between high-customer retention and low-customer retention HMOs. Specifically, we show that high-retention HMOs have attractive physical facilities, are perceived as caring, have competent employees, are responsive, and overall have satisfied customers.
Transcription units for mRNA production in eukaryotic cells and their DNA viruses.

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews that in bacteria the rate of protein synthesis for any specific protein is controlled by the supply of mRNA for that protein. In turn, the supply of any one mRNA is governed mainly by the decision to promote or restrict t transcription of the gene corresponding to that particular mRNA. The chapter discusses that in a number of instances where qualitative or quantitative changes occur in protein synthesis in eukaryotic cells, corresponding shifts of transcription also appear to occur. However, the assumption of a complete parallel in the possible mechanisms of gene control between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells seems unwarranted when the details of mRNA production and utilization are considered. The chapter also reviews that the new developments in mRNA formation make it possible to define in molecular terms that are not wholly speculative, how and at what level eukaryotic gene expression may be regulated. Moreover, since individual primary transcripts can be measured, experiments can now settle whether process vs. discard decisions occur or whether differential use of multiple mRNAs of complex primary transcripts occurs. Once the manner of regulation is settled for several eukaryotic genes a much more coherent plan to search for regulatory proteins can be designed. Success in the identification and mode of action of regulatory proteins for eukaryotic genes is therefore not too much to hope for in the next few years.
Embodiment, Environment, Disability Culture: Learning to Feel Ourselves in Space

In this short montage essay, I am sharing different student and teacher perspectives on a pedagogical exercise that allows us to relearn being in space. The exercise confounds conventional disability simulation exercises, imaging ourselves to be different than who we are, by substituting an experience of who we are already, perceived differently, with a more mindful attention.
New Roles for UUVs in Intelligence Surveillance, and Reconnaissance

Abstract : Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) is a key mission area for today's military applications. While this involves all types of platforms on land, air, and sea, the emerging capabilities of Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) provide a new dimension to ISR operations. In the recently completed Navy UUV Master Plan, ISR was the number one ranked capability for future UUV development. On-going efforts at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center (SSC) San Diego combine expertise in both ISR and UUV systems to meet these emerging requirements. The technologies and systems involved in implementing these missions are discussed, emphasizing developments in sensors, communications and system autonomy.
Mutants of Tetrahymena thermophila with temperature sensitive food vacuole formation: II. Physiological and morphological studies

Abstract We studied 13 independently isolated, nitrosoguanidine-induced mutants of Tetrahymena thermophila having heat-sensitive capacity for food vacuole formation. Mutants belonging to the vacA complementation group have defects in the development of a new oral apparatus (OA) and not in phagocytosis per se; OAs formed at 30 °C are functional for at least three cell generations after transfer to 39 °C, while OAs formed at 39 °C are non-functional with regard to phagocytosis. Morphologically, the mutant OAs appear normal under light microscopy. One mutant forms a functional OA and normal contractile vacuole pores (CVP) at 22 °C, but after transfer to 30 °C these organelles disintegrate and vacuole-less cells swell without dividing. Finally, one mutant may be defective in phagocytosis; all daughters formed during the first three cell generations after transfer from 22 °C to 30 °C make food vacuoles, but at a rate which decreases with time. After 24 h at 30 °C food vacuole formation is practically stopped. With one exception, all mutants grow with wild-type generation times at temperatures restrictive for food vacuole formation in growth medium supplemented with high concentrations of iron, copper and folinic acid. The results indicate the feasibility of using a mutant approach to help dissect the developmental mechanisms responsible for the construction of the OA, and to determine the route of entry for compounds required for cell multiplication.
Training and maintenance of a picture-based communication response in older adults with dementia

We examined whether adults with dementia could learn to emit a picture-based communication response and if this skill would maintain over time. Three women with moderate to severe dementia were taught to exchange a picture card for a highly preferred activity. All participants quickly learned to exchange the picture card and maintained this response without practice.
Demonstration of a Deoxycytidine Kinase Activity in Extracts of Bacillus megaterium KM

Extracts of Bacillus megaterium KM have been shown to possess a deoxycytidine kinase activity which functions optimally with guanosine triphosphate as the phosphoryl donor.
The problem of Who: Multiple personality, personal identity and the double brain

Abstract The received view of multiple personality disorder (MPD) presupposes a form of realism, according to which the ‘secondary personality’ is an independent conscious entity joined to the psyche of the host. The received view of MPD is endorsed by the majority of psychologists, as are the major diagnostic criteria for MPD. Realism of this type, gives rise to a certain problem concerning the personal identity of the secondary personality, namely, who this individual is. It is argued that three broad answers to the Question of Who in the context of MPD have been proposed in the history of psychology and psychiatry: psychological realism (Janet and the Dissociationist School); psychological anti‐realism (Freud and the Psychoanalytic School), and neural realism (Wigan, Sperry and Gazzaniga). These views are examined. In addition, the relationship of the Question of Who to the traditional problem of personal identity is examined. It is argued that philosophers such as Locke, Reid and Parfit have either ov...
Spectral components of the α-band of cytochrome oxidase.

Abstract Oxidative redox titrations of the mitochondrial cytochromes were performed in near-anoxic RAW 264.7 cells by inhibiting complex I. Cytochrome oxidation changes were measured with multi-wavelength spectroscopy and the ambient redox potential was calculated from the oxidation state of endogenous cytochrome c . Two spectral components were separated in the α-band range of cytochrome oxidase and they were identified as the difference spectrum of heme a when it has a high ( a H ) or low ( a L ) midpoint potential ( E m ) by comparing their occupancy during redox titrations carried out when the membrane potential (Δ Ψ ) was dissipated with a protonophore to that predicted by the neoclassical model of redox cooperativity. The difference spectrum of a L has a maximum at 605 nm whereas the spectrum of a H has a maximum at 602 nm. The Δ Ψ -dependent shift in the E m of a H was too great to be accounted for by electron transfer from cytochrome c to heme a against Δ Ψ but was consistent with a model in which a H is formed after proton uptake against Δ Ψ suggesting that the spectral changes are the result of protonation. A stochastic simulation was implemented to model oxidation states, proton uptake and E m changes during redox titrations. The redox anti-cooperativity between heme a and heme a 3 , and proton binding, could be simulated with a model where the pump proton interacted with heme a and the substrate proton interacted with heme a 3 with anti-cooperativity between proton binding sites, but not with a single proton binding site coupled to both hemes.
Active antennas for 20–90 MHz: Examples and practical limits

High external noise levels at HF and VHF allow simple, poorly-matched antennas to achieve the best possible (external-noise dominated) sensitivity. However, the large fractional bandwidths of these systems leaves them extremely susceptible to non-linear effects from strong in-band signals, resulting in a trade-off between sensitivity and linearity. We review some existing designs and consider if modifications to the front end electronics may result in greater overall performance. We demonstrate three designs representing the range of possibilities.
In vitro study of magnetic particle seeding for implant assisted-magnetic drug targeting

Abstract The concept of using magnetic particles (seeds) as the implant for implant assisted-magnetic drug targeting (IA-MDT) was analyzed in vitro . Since this MDT system is being explored for use in capillaries, a highly porous ( e ∼70%), highly tortuous, cylindrical, polyethylene polymer was prepared to mimic capillary tissue, and the seeds (magnetite nanoparticles) were already fixed within. The well-dispersed seeds were used to enhance the capture of 0.87 μm diameter magnetic drug carrier particles (MDCPs) (polydivinylbenzene embedded with 24.8 wt% magnetite) under flow conditions typically found in capillary networks. The effects of the fluid velocity (0.015–0.15 cm/s), magnetic field strength (0.0–250 mT), porous polymer magnetite content (0–7 wt%) and MDCP concentration ( C =5 and 50 mg/L) on the capture efficiency (CE) of the MDCPs were studied. In all cases, when the magnetic field was applied, compared to when it was not, large increases in CE resulted; the CE increased even further when the magnetite seeds were present. The CE increased with increases in the magnetic field strength, porous polymer magnetite content and MDCP concentration. It decreased only with increases in the fluid velocity. Large magnetic field strengths were not necessary to induce MDCP capture by the seeds. A few hundred mT was sufficient. Overall, this first in vitro study of the magnetic seeding concept for IA-MDT was very encouraging, because it proved that magnetic particle seeds could serve as an effective implant for MDT systems, especially under conditions found in capillaries.
Physical Activity and Quality of Life Improvements of Patients With Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Completing a Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program

INTRODUCTION: Pulmonary rehabilitation is effective for patients with COPD, but its benefit is less clearly established in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), especially in regard to levels of physical activity and health-related quality of life. The objectives were to determine whether pulmonary rehabilitation increased physical activity as assessed by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and improved quality of life and symptoms as assessed by the St George respiratory questionnaire for IPF (SGRQ-I) and the Borg dyspnea index (BDI). METHODS: Subjects who met current criteria for IPF were randomized to a 3-month pulmonary rehabilitation program ( n = 11) or to a control group ( n = 10). The rehabilitation group participated in twice-weekly, 90-min exercise sessions (24 total sessions). The control group maintained its preceding, normal physical activity. All subjects underwent 6-min walk tests to assess the postexertion BDI. The SGRQ-I and a 5-point self-assessment of health were completed at baseline, after 3 months of intervention or observation, and after 3-month follow-up. All subjects completed the IPAQ weekly. RESULTS: Subjects in the rehabilitation group maintained significantly higher levels of physical activity throughout the 3-month rehabilitation program (rehabilitation: 51,364 ± 57,713 [mean ± SD] metabolic equivalent of task-minutes; control: 20,832 ± 37,155, P = .027 by 2-tailed Mann-Whitney test). SGRQ-I symptom domain scores improved considerably by −9 ± 22 in the rehabilitation group, whereas in the control group they worsened (16 ± 12 rehabilitation compared with control, P = .013 by 2-tailed Mann-Whitney test). During the 3-month follow-up, self-reported physical activity levels in the rehabilitation group were 14,428 ± 8,884 metabolic equivalent of task-minutes and in the control group 16,923 ± 32,620 ( P = .17 by 2-tailed Mann-Whitney test), demonstrating substantial reversal of activity in the rehabilitation group. BDI scores after 6-min walk tests did not change significantly. CONCLUSIONS: A 3-month rehabilitation program significantly improved symptoms (SGRQ-I) and physical activity levels (IPAQ) in subjects with IPF while they participated actively in the program. (ClinicalTrials.gov registration [NCT01118221][1].) [1]: /lookup/external-ref?link_type=CLINTRIALGOV&access_num=NCT01118221&atom=%2Frespcare%2F59%2F12%2F1872.atom
Detection Thresholds for Small Haptic Effects

In prior research we reported on experiments to measure the smallest haptic effects the FHD can meaningfully communicate to an operator (Dosher and Hannaford, 2001). These experiments varied the force displayed to the subject, with all other factors held constant. In this paper we report on experiments studying the effects of varying the size, shape, and pulse-duration of a haptic feature. We again measure the smallest haptic effects that can be meaningfully communicated to an operator; however, using a variation of icon widths, icon waveforms, and static pulse-widths. In this paper we measure the smallest detectable haptics effects with active exploration of saw-tooth shaped icons sized 3, 4 and 5 mm, a sine-shaped icon 5 mm wide, and static pulses 50, 100, and 150 ms in width. Smooth shaped icons resulted in a detection threshold of approximately 65 mN, twice that of saw-tooth shaped icons. In the case of static icons, longer pulse-widths corresponded to slightly higher threshold values.
GROUND-BORNE NOISE AND VIBRATION FROM UNDERGROUND RAIL SYSTEMS

Abstract Ground-borne noise is one of the main causes of environmental impact from urban rail transit systems. The vibration resulting from track-train interaction is transmitted through the tunnel 3tructure and the surrounding ground to adjacent buildings. The resulting vibrations of the walls and floors of these buildings cause secondary radiation of noise. This paper presents a method for estimating A-weighted sound levels as well as noise and vibration spectra due to ground-transmitted vibration in buildings near subways.
Chronic telogen effluvium : Increased scalp hair shedding in middle-aged women

Abstract Background: Diffuse loss of scalp hair is a common problem in middle-aged women. A segment of these cases represents idiopathic chronic telogen effluvium (CTE). Objective: The purpose was to establish distinctive clinical and pathologic criteria for the diagnosis of CTE to facilitate its differentiation from androgenetic alopecia (AGA) and systemic causes of chronic diffuse hair loss. Methods: A group of 355 patients (346 females, 9 males) with diffuse generalized thinning of scalp hair of unknown origin were classified as having CTE and were included in the study. Characteristically they presented with a history of hair loss with both increased shedding and thinning of abrupt onset and fluctuating course and showed diffuse thinning of hair all over the scalp, frequently accompanied by bitemporal recession. Two 4 mm punch biopsy specimens were taken mostly from the mid or posterior parietal scalp of these patients. The biopsies were performed at these same areas in 412 patients with AGA (193 male, 219 female). Similar paired biopsy specimens were also taken from 22 normal control subjects (13 males, nine females). Specimens were sectioned horizontally and vertically and were examined for terminal and velluslike (miniaturized) hairs, follicular stelae, follicular units, and perifollicular inflammation and fibrosis. Results: In horizontal sections of 4 mm punch biopsy specimens from patients with CTE the average number of hairs was 39, the terminal/velluslike hair ratio was 9:1, 89% of the terminal hairs were in anagen, and 11% were in telogen. In AGA these values were 35, 1.9:1, 83.2%, and 16.8%, respectively, and in normal control subjects 40, 7:1, 93.5%, and 6.5%, respectively. Significant degrees of inflammation and fibrosis were present in only 10% to 12% of cases of CTE and normal controls, but occurred in 37% of cases of AGA. CTE ran a prolonged and fluctuating course in many patients. Conclusion: CTE, which usually affects 30- to 60-year-old women, starts abruptly with or without a recognizable initiating factor. It may be distinguished from classic acute telogen effluvium by its long fluctuating course and from AGA by its clinical and histologic findings.
Magnetic hyperfine interactions in GdAl 3

We have studied the magnetic hyperfine interactions in GdAl3 using155Gd Mossbauer spectroscopy between the temperatures of 4K and 90K. Previous studies on GdAl3 have shown that antiferromagnetic ordering occurs at 18K, and that a fit of the susceptibility to 1/(T-θp) yields a θp value of −89K. The large ratio of θp to TN is indicative of magnetic frustration between competing ferro-and antiferromagnetic interactions, which may be due to a combination of the oscillatory nature of the RKKY interaction and the geometry of the hexagonal lattice. Our studies show that the saturation magnetic hyperfine field at the Gd site is −24.0 T, with the moments lying in the basal plane. The efg at the gadolinium site is 2.55(1)×1017V cm−2 which is considerably larger than the value predicted by a point charge calculation. This difference may indicate that there is a conduction electron contribution. A helical magnetic structure has been calculated from RKKY theory.
Ultrasound Devulcanization of Sulfur Vulcanized SBR: Crosslink Density and Molecular Mobility

Abstract Sulfur-cured SBR vulcanizates are devulcanized by high power ultrasonic irradiation in a continuous process under various processing conditions. Crosslink density and gel fraction of devulcanized rubber are measured. The unique dependence of crosslink density on gel fraction of devulcanized samples obtained at various processing conditions is established. DSC studies indicate a significant increase in the glass transition temperature of the devulcanized rubber having crosslink density lower than that of the original vulcanizates. Solid state NMR studies confirm that these changes in Tg are due to a decrease of molecular mobility as measured by a decrease in spin-spin relaxation time. Ultrasonic devulcanization is accompanied by a significant increase in xcis-trans isomerization. Chemical changes explaining the observed phenomena are discussed.
Strategic footholds for medical education about domestic violence.

In Minnesota training about interpersonal violence against women has been successfully incorporated into the curriculum of a family medicine residency program and the three medical schools. Residents in the community-oriented program learn to focus on domestic violence during patient examinations as part of clinical activity through provider networks by working with other community groups and as members of state or national organizations. This hierarchy was incorporated into a "matrix of community medicine" that describes appropriate activities at each level for each activity involved in providing community-oriented primary care (defining the population assessing problems intervening monitoring and building community partnerships). The resulting framework was used to describe the scope of potential involvement in domestic violence by the residency program. The matrix was also used to display the issues resources and programs available to train residents about domestic violence. The medical schools incorporate discussions of domestic violence in preclinical courses at all sites allow students to work with abuse victims during clinical rotations and offer a variety of extracurricular activities. This training is enhanced by using the community agencies and resources that represent years of experience in the field. The training is challenging because responding to cases of domestic violence is difficult and time consuming. Teachers must be able to move past their personal discomfort with the subject and approach the issue with stamina.
Exploiting Microscopic Spectrum Opportunities in Cognitive Radio Networks

In this paper, we are interested in cognitive radio networks (CRNs) whose operation does not rely on channel sensing. A spectrum server is responsible for collecting spectrum availability and location information from primary radio networks (PRNs), and broadcasting this information to cognitive radios. By subscribing to this broadcast, a CR knows about the spectrum opportunities without sensing channels. Spectrum opportunity under this paradigm presents a multi-level structure that generalizes the well-known channel-sensing-based binary structure. This multi-level structure reflects a {\em microscopic} spectrum opportunity for CRs, and can be exploited to increase the CRN throughput. Under this structure, we study efficient spectrum access in a multi-CR environment, with the objective of maximizing the network-wide utilization of spectrum opportunity. The difficulty of our problem comes from the fact that different CRs may decide the same channel to be available, but at different levels. Therefore, channel access needs to be carefully coordinated. Both centralized and distributed solutions are provided, supporting different modes of operation. Numerical results verify the accuracy of our algorithms and the significant gain achieved by the multi-level framework.
The nonspectral Birkhoff-regular differential operators determined by −D2

The class of nonspectral Birkhoff-regular differential operators L in L2[0, 1] determined by −D2 and by boundary values B1, B2 is reexamined. For the family of projections {P0k}k = 1m ∪ {Pk}k = k0∞ ∪ {P′k}k = k0∞ which map L2[0, 1] onto the generalized eigenspaces of L, the norms of the Pk and P′k tend to ∞, while in sharp contrast, the family of all finite sums of the projections {P0k}k = 1m ∪ {Pk + P′k}k = k0∞ is uniformly bounded in norm. In addition, the expansion u = ∑k = 1m P0k u + ∑k = k0∞(Pk + P′k)u is valid for all u ϵ L2[0, 1], even though there exist u in L2[0, 1] for which both series ∑k = k0∞ Pku and ∑k = k0∞ P′ku diverge.
Observation of recent Microsoft Zero-Day vulnerabilities

Zero-Day vulnerabilities are an intriguing and ever increasing problem. Microsoft has been one of the more exploited companies having Zero-Day vulnerabilities. This paper intends to identify some relationships within the Zero-Day vulnerabilities identified in nineteen news articles from 2010. We tried to collect data on vulnerability report date, attack report date, vulnerability patch date, vulnerability life cycle category, exploit implemented, Microsoft product affected, and affected functionality. Based on these data, we analyzed the duration between vulnerability notification date and attack date, the distribution of different vulnerability life cycle categories, the most common Microsoft product affected, and the most common exploitation technique used. Our data shows that Potential for Attacks is the most common vulnerability life cycle category, Windows XP SP3 is the most affected system, and the most common exploitation technique is by using malicious code without user input.
Lymphoproliferation and cytokine profiles in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells stimulated by cryptococcus neoformans

Cell-mediated immunity is critical to host defenses against the fungal infection cryptococcosis. Here, two functions critical to effective cell-mediated immunity (CMI), lymphoproliferation and cytokine release, were studied in Cryptococcus neoformans-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from seven healthy donors (controls) and two patients with cryptococcosis. PBMC responses to C. neoformans were compared with responses to Candida albicans. Control and patient PBMC had significant lymphoproliferation in response to whole C. neoformans, with peak proliferation seen following 8 days of culture, but only patient PBMC proliferated when stimulated with C. neoformans mannoprotein. C. neoformans-stimulated control PBMC released IL-2, IFN-γ, and IL-10 into the supernatant with peak or near peak concentrations of these three cytokines generally seen by day 1. Release of IL-4 was low or undetectable. In contrast, C. neoformans-stimulated patient PBMC released IFN-γ, which peaked on day 7, as well as...