cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Changes in metal mobility associated with bark beetle-induced tree mortality

Recent large-scale beetle infestations have caused extensive mortality to conifer forests resulting in alterations to dissolved organic carbon (DOC) cycling, which in turn can impact metal mobility through complexation. This study analyzed soil-water samples beneath impacted trees in concert with laboratory flow-through soil column experiments to explore possible impacts of the bark beetle infestation on metal release and transport. The columns mimicked field conditions by introducing pine needle leachate and artificial rainwater through duplicate homogenized soil columns and measuring effluent metal (focusing on Al, Cu, and Zn) and DOC concentrations. All three metals were consistently found in higher concentrations in the effluent of columns receiving pine needle leachate. In both the field and laboratory, aluminum mobility was largely correlated with the hydrophobic fraction of the DOC, while copper had the largest correlation with total DOC concentrations. Geochemical speciation modeling supported the presence of DOC–metal complexes in column experiments. Copper soil water concentrations in field samples supported laboratory column results, as they were almost twice as high under grey phase trees than under red phase trees further signifying the importance of needle drop. Pine needle leachate contained high concentrations of Zn (0.1 mg l−1), which led to high effluent zinc concentrations and sorption of zinc to the soil matrix representing a future potential source for release. In support, field soil-water samples underneath beetle-impacted trees where the needles had recently fallen contained approximately 50% more zinc as samples from under beetle-impacted trees that still held their needles. The high concentrations of carbon in the pine needle leachate also led to increased sorption in the soil matrix creating the potential for subsequent carbon release. While unclear if manifested in adjacent surface waters, these results demonstrate an increased potential for Zn, Cu, and Al mobility, along with increased deposition of metals and carbon beneath beetle-impacted trees.
Locast H2Flow: contextual learning through mobile video and guided documentary production

In this paper we present the design considerations of Locast H2Flow, an educational tool created to guide learning in a local urban space. In particular, we explore the prospect of utilizing mobile devices to scaffold the learning process. Challenged by missions and guided by templates on a mobile phone, the students construct geo-referenced video reportages and documentaries about sustainable water issues within their community. A deployment with a class of high school students in Italy provides initial user feedback on the learning experience and the scaffolding overall of the learning process.
Charting the Ethics of the English School: What “Good” is There in a Middle-Ground Ethics?

This article aims to advance our understanding of the development of English School thinking on international ethics by outlining three phases of ethical inquiry within the British Committee. The article argues that, throughout the life of the Committee, its outlook was conditioned by a pervading moral skepticism, which was reflected in the School's commitment to a “middle-ground ethics”; however, at various times the Committee members’ views changed about how maximalist the “good” could be that oriented this ethical position. Awareness of this ebb and flow helps us better understand Hedley Bull's characterization of the ethics of pluralism and solidarism within the School as well as the precise challenge contemporary English School theorists face if they are to move beyond the normative cul-de-sac that British Committee members encountered in each phase of their ethical discussions.
Integrating and querying web databases and documents

There exist many interrelated information sources on the Internet that can be categorized into structured (database) and semistructured (documents). A key challenge is to integrate, query and analyze such heterogeneous collections of information. In this paper, we defend the idea of building web metadata repositories using relational databases as the main source and central data management technology of structured data, enriched by the semistructured data surrounding it. Our proposal rests on the assumption that heterogeneous relational databases can be integrated (i.e. entity resolution is assumed to work well) and thus can serve as references for external data. That is, we tackle the problem of integrating information in the deep web, departing from databases. We discuss a prototype system that can integrate and query metadata and related documents, based on relational database technology. Metadata includes database ER model elements like database name, table, and column (entity, attribute). Web document data include files, documents and web pages. Links between metadata and external documents are built with SQL queries. Once databases and documents are linked, they are managed and queried with SQL. We discuss an interesting scientific application of our solution with a water pollution database.
Sleep in women across the life cycle from adulthood through menopause.

A significant body of literature has endorsed the view that the sleep of women differs in many respects from that of men. Beyond gender differences, however, are questions about sleep within cohorts of women. For example,in adult women ages 20-45 years, there are women with regular menstrual cycles, women taking oral contraceptives, pregnant and lactating women, and women entering menopause. Given that each of these states is associated with a unique hormonal environment, it is important to determine whether there are clinically significant differences in the sleep of women in these phases of life. This article presents what is known currently about the sleep of women from adulthood through menopause and provides recommendations for evaluation and treatment.
Circumcision in the time of HIV: when is there enough evidence to revise the American Academy of Pediatrics' policy on circumcision?

There have been 3 recent studies in Africa, involving >10000 men, that have demonstrated a marked protective effect of male circumcision with respect to the acquisition of HIV infection.1–3 The protective effect was 60% in each of the 3 trials. Furthermore, men who were circumcised were no more likely than uncircumcised men to engage in risky sexual behavior.2–4 Commentaries5,6 appearing in the same issue that published the 2 latest trials strongly affirm circumcision as a means of preventing HIV infection. Reviews of the literature7,8 have concluded that there is substantial evidence to support the conclusion that circumcision significantly reduces the rate of HIV infection, and one review concluded that “male circumcision is the most compelling evidence-based preventive strategy to emerge since the results of mother-to-child transmission clinical trials.”9 In the United States in 2005 there were 1434 new cases of HIV infection in children and young adults 19 years of age or less10 and 453 new cases of syphilis in the same age … Address correspondence to Joseph D. Dickerman, MD, Department of Pediatrics, University of Vermont College of Medicine, D201 Given Building, Burlington, VT 05405. E-mail: joseph.dickerman{at}uvm.edu
Reliability and validity of dyspnea measures in patients with obstructive lung disease

Dyspnea, the clinical term for shortness of breath, is the primary symptom and an important outcome measure in evaluations of patients with lung disease. It is a subjective symptom that has proved difficult to quantify. Many dyspnea measures are available, yet it is difficult, based on the existing literature, to determine the most reliable and valid. In this study, we evaluated 6 measures of dyspnea for reliability and validity: (a) Baseline Dyspnea Index (BDI) and Transition Dyspnea Index, (b) UCSD Shortness of Breath Questionnaire (SOBQ),(c) American Thoracic Society Dyspnea Scale, (d) Oxygen Cost Diagram, (e) Visual Analog Scale, and (f) Borg Scale. Subjects were 143 patients (74 women) and 69 men) with obstructive lung disease, ages 40 to 86, FEV(1.0) 0.36 to 3.53 L, FVC 1.07 to 5.74 L. Dyspnea measures were assessed for test-retest reliability internal consistency, interrater reliability, and construct validity (i.e., correlations among dyspnea measures and correlations of dyspnea measures with exercise tolerance, health-related quality of life, lung function, anxiety, and depression). Results suggest that the SOBQ and BDI demonstrated the highest levels of reliability and validity among the dyspnea measures examined.
A fast algorithm to determine fractal dimensions by box counting

Abstract A new algorithm is used to determine fractal dimensions by box counting for dynamic and iterated function systems. This method is fast, accurate, and less dependent on data specific curve fitting criteria than the correlation dimension.
Langmuir Turbulence under Hurricane Gustav (2008)

Extreme winds and complex wave fields drive upper-ocean turbulence in tropical cyclone conditions. MotivatedbyLagrangianfloatobservationsofbulkverticalvelocityvariance(VVV)underHurricaneGustav (2008), upper-ocean turbulence is investigated based on large-eddy simulation (LES) of the wave-averaged Navier–Stokesequations. To realistically capture wind- and wave-driven Langmuir turbulence (LT), the LES model imposes the Stokes drift vector from spectral wave simulations; both the LES and wave model are forced by the NOAA Hurricane Research Division (HRD) surface wind analysis product. Results strongly suggest that without LT effects simulated VVV underestimates the observed VVV. LT increases the VVV, indicating that it plays a significant role in upper-ocean turbulence dynamics. Consistent with observations, theLES predictsasuppressionofVVVnearthehurricaneeyeduetowind-wavemisalignment. However,this decrease is weaker and of shorter duration than that observed, potentially due to large-scale horizontal advection not present in the LES. Both observations and simulations are consistent with a highly variable upper ocean turbulence field beneath tropical cyclone cores. Bulk VVV, a TKE budget analysis, and anisotropy coefficient(ratioofhorizontaltoverticalvelocityvariances)profilesallindicatethatLTissuppressedtolevels closer to that of shear turbulence (ST) due to misaligned wind and wave fields. VVV approximately scales with the directional surface layer Langmuir number. Such a scaling provides guidance for the development of an upper-ocean boundary layer parameterization that explicitly depends on sea state.
Design of system for managing fuzzy relationships for integration of spatial data in querying

Abstract In this paper we present the design of two essential components for the spatial querying system we have been developing. The overall system architecture utilizes multiple levels of agents to process external sources of spatial data. Upon a user query, agents are spawned to mine various web sources, integrate the spatial data and return the correctly formulated query result to the user. Here we specifically describe a rule-based component for processing spatial relationships that is used both for the active agents and at the user interface to provide a dynamic query response. We also describe the database that is being used to maintain the spatial relationships uncovered in the query. The design and implementation of the two major components, the expert system using the expert system shell Fuzzy clips and the database in a C++, Oracle database environment, are described in some detail.
Considerations in enhancing resolution, speed, and sensitivity in capillary gas chromatography and gas chromatography—mass spectrometry

Abstract Chromatographic theory predicts enhanced efficiency, sensitivity, and speed through reduction in the internal diameter of an open tubular column. However, with smaller diameter columns (0.10 mm I.D. or less) hardware compatibility plays a significant role in affecting system performance. Both the theoretical and practical considerations of open tubular columns for ultrahigh-resolution gas chromatography are examined. Applications in gas chromatography and gas chromatography—mass spectrometry within the practical realm of operation are presented.
Studies of a calcium-sensitive ATPase in chick heart ventricle cells

Summary A highly active ATPase has been isolated in a particulate fraction which is believed to be localized primarily in the plasma membrane of cardiac ventricle cells. Isolation involved the osmotic lysis of cultured ventricle cells. This study reports an attempt to distinguish between various ATPase fractions present in the membrane preparation and to elucidate the nature of the structural relationships which may exist between the enzyme system and the plasma membrane. Studies with calcium showed that the effect of this divalent cation on the Mg-ATPase activity was dependent on the concentration of magnesium in the medium. At concentrations of magnesium above 0.5 mM, calcium exerted an inhibitory effect on the ATPase activity. If the enzyme was exposed to magnesium prior to the addition of calcium, the enzyme was partially protected from inhibition by calcium. Below 0.4 mM magnesium, calcium activated the enzyme. Studies with desoxycholate and trypsin suggested the presence of a Ca-stimulated Mg-ATPase, apparent at low levels of magnesium, and a Ca-inhibited Mg-ATPase, apparent at high levels of magnesium. It is proposed that the calcium sensitivity of the Mg-ATPase may be significant in cardiac excitation-contraction coupling. Studies with calcium, strontium, tetracaine, and procaine indicate that, while they do not act in an identical manner, they may share some of the same sites on the membrane Mg-ATPases. In view of the hypothesized mechanism of attachment of the local anesthetics to membrane phospholipids, it is proposed that at least some of the Mg-ATPase enzymes are structurally situated within, or in close proximity to, the phospholipids of the membrane.
Double diastereoselection in asymmetric dihydroxylation

Abstract New ligands give improved double diastereoselection in asymmetric dihydroxylation (AD) of chiral olefins.
Infliximab reverses suppression of cholesterol efflux proteins by TNF-α: a possible mechanism for modulation of atherogenesis

Tumor necrosis factor- (TNF-) α is a proinflammatory proatherogenic cytokine. Infliximab, an anti-TNF-α monoclonal antibody, is effective in treating rheumatoid arthritis. However, its impact on cardiovascular burden and lipid transport is unclear. The present study investigates the effect of TNF-α and infliximab on reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) proteins. Uptake of modified lipoproteins by macrophages in the vasculature leads to atherogenic foam cell formation. RCT is mediated by proteins including ATP binding cassette transporters A1 (ABCA1), G1 (ABCG1), liver X receptor- (LXR-) α, and 27-hydroxylase. RCT counteracts lipid overload by ridding cells of excess cholesterol. THP-1 human monocytes were incubated with either TNF-α alone or TNF-α with infliximab. Expression of proteins involved in cholesterol efflux was analyzed. TNF-α significantly reduced both ABCA1 and LXR-α mRNA (to 68.5 ± 1.59%, P < 0.05, and 41.2 ± 0.25%, P < 0.01, versus control set as 100%, resp.). Infliximab nullified the TNF-α effect. Results were confirmed by Western blot. Infliximab abolished the increase in foam cells induced by TNF-α. TNF-α treatment significantly reduces ABCA1 and LXR-α expression in monocytes, thus bringing about a proatherogenic state. The anti-TNF drug infliximab, commonly used in rheumatology, restored RCT proteins. This is the first report of an atheroprotective effect of infliximab on RCT in monocytes.
A double concave hydrocarbon buckycatcher.

Double Diels−Alder addition of isocorannulenofuran to dibenzocyclooctadiyne followed by deoxygenation produces a molecular tweezers C60H28 with two corannulene pincers and a tetrabenzocyclooctatetraene tether. X-ray crystal structure determination of its inclusion complex with buckminsterfullerene C60 provides experimental evidence for the importance of attractive concave−convex π−π interactions in the supramolecular chemistry of fullerenes with buckybowls. An association constant of 8600 ± 500 M-1 was estimated for the complex formation by NMR titration experiment in toluene-d8.
Modification of left‐right pairing during the development of individual crest synapses in the rat interpeduncular nucleus

The synaptic organization of the rat interpeduncular nucleus is highly ordered in the normal adult. By 90 days of age, 90% of crest synapses in its intermediate subnuclei are formed by two cholinergic endings, one from each medial habenula. Stereological calculation of the number of crest synapses per intermediate subnucleus, based on total samples of crest synapses in 3–4 sections through the subnucleus, allows comparisons of afferent pairing among ages without interference by other developmental changes. Between 21 and 90 days of age, the total number of crest synapses per intermediate subnucleus increases tenfold (p ≤ 10−8), from 90,000 at 21 days of age, through 130,000 at 28 days, 440,000 at 45 days, to 1,000,000 at 90 days. The volume of the intermediate subnucleus increases fivefold during the same interval. Electron microscopic degeneration was used to estimate the pairing of left and right habenula afferents at crest synapses at the same ages. Through 21 days of age, only one-third of crest synapses are formed with pairing of one left and one right medial habenula afferent, whereas two-third have both afferent endings arising from the same medial habenula. At 28 days of age left-right pairing has increased to 43%, and at 45 days of age 53%, or 240,000, are so paired. The number of same-side paired crest synapses at 45 days, 210,000, is 3.5 times the number so paired at 21 days (p = .003). This indicates continued formation of considerable numbers of crest synapses with this transient mode of pairing as late as 45 days of age. Since the number with same-side pairing in the adult, 100,000, is half the number at 45 days (p ≤ 10 −8), remodeling of afferent pairing must continue to be an important process in the development of interpeduncular nucleus throughout the period of synaptogenesis. Conversely, the data are inconsistent with the principal alternative, a marked change in synapse formation after 21 days of age such that newly forming crest synapses are initially left-right paired. The remodeling may involve any of several modes of synapse elimination and/or altered pairing. It appears to be similar to remodeling observed in a number of other systems, although these have rarely addressed connectivity at the level of individual synapses. Since the cellular and molecular mechanisms of remodeling in general remain to be discovered, a system where these processes can be experimentally approached in terms of their level of action at individual synaptic sites may facilitate analysis.
Barrett's esophagus with high-grade dysplasia: An indication for prophylactic esophagectomy

OBJECTIVE. The authors review the results and outcomes of esophagectomy (prophylactic esophagectomy) for patients with Barrett's esophagus and high-grade epithelial dysplasia (HGD). SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA. The role of prophylactic esophagectomy for Barrett's esophagus with HGD is controversial, with some authors recommending surgery and others favoring endoscopic surveillance until biopsy diagnosis of carcinoma is made. METHODS. Between 1982 and 1994, 30 consecutive patients with HGD underwent esophagectomy and had the pre- and postoperative pathology reviewed at our institution. The medical records were reviewed to determine patient characteristics, preoperative endoscopic data, surgical approach, operative morbidity and mortality, length of hospitalization, and treatment outcome. Patients were divided into two groups based on whether invasive adenocarcinoma was found in the resection specimen (group 1) or not (group 2). RESULTS. The duration of reflux symptoms was 22 +/- 14 years for group 1 and 9 +/- 11 years for group 2 (p = 0.05). There was one operative death (3.3%) and six complications (20%). In 13 patients (43%, group 1), invasive adenocarcinoma was found in the resected esophagus. The American Joint Committee on Cancer stage for these patients was stage I (8 patients), stage II (2 patients), and stage III (3 patients). One stage I patient died of adenocarcinoma (72 months) in an incompletely excised HGD segment. Other stage I and II patients are alive without adenocarcinoma with an 18-and 63-month mean follow-up, respectively. Outcome for stage III patients was one operative death, one noncancer death (6 months), and one patient with metastatic adenocarcinoma (26 months). For group 2 (57%), there were no adenocarcinoma deaths (40 months). CONCLUSIONS. High-grade epithelial dysplasia is an indication for esophagectomy because of the prevalence of occult adenocarcinoma (43%). Esophagectomy can be performed safely, and survival in patients with completely resected Barrett's esophagus and early-stage adenocarcinoma is excellent.
2-Octyl cyanoacrylate tissue adhesive and muscle attachment to porous anophthalmic orbital implants.

Purpose: To investigate the tolerance and efficacy of a topical bioadhesive for direct muscle attachment to porous orbital motility implants. Methods: Ten New Zealand White rabbits underwent unilateral enucleation with unwrapped 12-mm spherical porous implants placed into the muscle cone. Four animals received porous polyethylene implants and 6 received bone-derived hydroxyapatite implants. Small amounts of a bioadhesive (2-octyl cyanoacrylate) were applied to the underside of the muscles. Muscles were placed onto the desired location of the implant with pressure for 15 seconds. The conjunctiva was closed with a 6-0 plain gut suture, and the animals were observed for 6 weeks. At 6 weeks, animals were killed and the surgical orbit was exenterated. Orbits and implants were processed for histologic analysis. In addition, tensile strength testing of muscle-implant attachments was performed and compared with various other types of muscle-implant or muscle-sclera attachments. Results: All cases resulted in integration of the muscles without slippage. All unwrapped hydroxyapatite implants (n = 6/6) had small anterior implant exposures without infection, significant inflammation, or exposure. No exposures were noted in porous polyethylene implants (n = 0/4). All implants were filled with fibrovascular tissue by 6 weeks. 2-Octyl cyanoacrylate yielded tensile strengths similar to that of sutured muscle coupling. Conclusions: 2-Octyl cyanoacrylate is well tolerated in the orbit, inducing minimal inflammation. It effectively attaches muscles to porous implants without hindering permanent integration or vascularization. The exposure rate for unwrapped hydroxyapatite spheres was not caused by the adhesive, as evidenced by the lack of exposures in the porous polyethylene implant group. 2-Octyl cyanoacrylate may be effective in reducing the cost and time for enucleation surgeries when porous motility implants are used.
VLSI neural network circuit using a multiple-input transconductance amplifier and digital multiplexers

A neural network is designed using a multiple-input transconductance amplifier (MITA) and digital multiplexers. The MITA is used to construct the summation of synaptic weights and digital multiplexers are used to provide a more precise multiplication operation and a smaller circuit size. Short-term memory activities of the neural network obtained from Pspice circuit simulation compare favourably with those calculated directly from the neural network algorithm.
Air Quality Modeling in Support of the Near-Road Exposures and Effects of Urban Air Pollutants Study (NEXUS)

A major challenge in traffic-related air pollution exposure studies is the lack of information regarding pollutant exposure characterization. Air quality modeling can provide spatially and temporally varying exposure estimates for examining relationships between traffic-related air pollutants and adverse health outcomes. A hybrid air quality modeling approach was used to estimate exposure to traffic-related air pollutants in support of the Near-Road Exposures and Effects of Urban Air Pollutants Study (NEXUS) conducted in Detroit (Michigan, USA). Model-based exposure metrics, associated with local variations of emissions and meteorology, were estimated using a combination of the American Meteorological Society/Environmental Protection Agency Regulatory Model (AERMOD) and Research LINE-source dispersion model for near-surface releases (RLINE) dispersion models, local emission source information from the National Emissions Inventory, detailed road network locations and traffic activity, and meteorological data from the Detroit City Airport. The regional background contribution was estimated using a combination of the Community Multi-scale Air Quality (CMAQ) and the Space-Time Ordinary Kriging (STOK) models. To capture the near-road pollutant gradients, refined “mini-grids” of model receptors were placed around participant homes. Exposure metrics for CO, NOx, PM2.5 and its components (elemental and organic carbon) were predicted at each home location for multiple time periods including daily and rush hours. The exposure metrics were evaluated for their ability to characterize the spatial and temporal variations of multiple ambient air pollutants compared to measurements across the study area.
Configuration of elastic tissue of aortic media in aortic coarctation.

Abstract In 9 cases of coarctation of the aorta, in 4 of which blood pressure in the radial and femoral arteries had been measured, sections of the aorta proximal and distal to the coarctation were examined histologically in search of changes in the elastic tissue that might be ascribed to inactivity. Sections of the common iliac arteries also were examined in 5 of these cases. Similar material was studied from 10 control human subjects. Structural changes that could be ascribed to inactivity were not found. It is concluded that, although the blood pressure in the aorta distal to the coarctation was relatively decreased, the absolute levels of mean pressure present in this segment of the aorta in these patients were high enough to maintain the normal configuration of aortic elastic tissue.
Systems thinking on intensification and sustainability: systems boundaries, processes and dimensions

‘Sustainable intensification’ is gaining popularity among academics and donor agencies without much examination of the ambiguities in both terms, made worse by combining them. The terms can be made more serviceable by distinguishing between definitions by extension and definitions by intension . Difficulties with the term ‘intensification’ are addressed by considering the System of Rice Intensification (SRI). This reverses Green Revolution thinking about intensification as a matter of increasing material inputs. Changes in crop management can raise food output by reducing such inputs, with increased reliance on knowledge and management that use available resources more productively and sustainably. Its initial increases in labor inputs are usually transitory. Conjunctions of different disciplines and different levels of analysis and action are considered with reference to the factors of nestedness and contingence . Subjects bearing on sustainable intensification which can benefit from disciplinary convergence include: biogeochemistry to address problems of climate change; part-time farming to adapt to changing economic opportunities; and symbiotic endophytes that can enhance crop health and growth. The concept of ‘causation’ is disaggregated to consider ‘processual’ as distinguished from ‘mechanistic’ causation. Systems thinking is likely to be more productive for addressing interactions within and between subsystems rather than for theorizing about systems as a whole.
The contribution of a virtual biology laboratory to college students’ learning

The virtual laboratories developed by a life sciences department at a public university in the US were designed for use by college students enrolled in an introductory biology course. The results analyses conducted to examine their effectiveness indicated that self‐selected users of the virtual laboratories outperformed non‐users on laboratory practical exams and on items relevant to the laboratories included on the final practical exam but not on the final exam or other tests. A second comparison of two groups of users and non‐users, matched by their results on the first hourly exam confirmed the findings. The finding that the users were more successful than the non‐users could not be supported by a conclusion that the students had initial differences in quality. The results were replicated in a second semester, virtual laboratories‐relevant final exam items, but not on the final exam or other tests. Users expressed positive attitudes toward the virtual laboratories.
Endocrinological study of testicular descent in the rabbit

Abstract The process of testicular descent was investigated in the rabbit. In the rabbit, the testis descends on or about the sixth postnatal day and by 22 days of age, the testes are almost always (27 of 28 testes) found in the scrotum. The administration of 17β-estradiol (E 2 ) daily from Day 1 to Day 21 of age completely inhibits testicular descent ( 0 26 ) at Day 22 of age. This inhibition of testicular descent by E 2 at Day 22 of age is completely reversible by the simultaneous treatment with 3α-androstanediol (3α-Diol) ( 12 12 ) and only partially reversible by the simultaneous treatment with dihydrotestosterone (DHT) ( 12 20 ) or human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) ( 9 18 ). Testosterone does not reverse the inhibition of testicular descent produced by E 2 ( 1 20 ). The plasma testosterone level at Day 22 of age (600 ± 274, pg/ml ± SEM) was suppressed in the E 2 -treated group ( 2 plus hCG (2367 ± 1224 pg/ml). From these data, it was concluded that in the rabbit (a) testicular descent appears to be an androgen-mediated event, (b) the active androgen involved in this event is most likely 3α-Diol or DHT, and (c) testicular descent appears to be under the regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis.
Initial stages of dark and light adaptation.

Both light and dark adaptation show rapid fluctuations in their early stages. The effects of the fluctuations may be quite large compared to the transitions customarily referred to as visual adaptation, and they serve to enhance the familiar adaptation effects. The nature of these rapid transient changes is described empirically for several experimental conditions. The transient fluctuations do not appear to have a photochemical basis.The dark-adaptation transient effect seems to show two phases: an early small reduction of sensitivity, and a subsequent large and rapid sensitivity increase, which leads into the familiar dark-adaptation curve. The early threshold rise seems to be associated with the receptor, but the rapid subsequent threshold drop appears to be associated with neural pathways higher than the receptor. The light-adaptation transient shows but one effect: a sudden loss of sensitivity overshooting the terminal sensitivity level, followed by a rapid increase back to the terminal level. Some evidence indicates that the light-adaptation transient is the combined effect of a major peripheral process and a small central process.
Of ‘witch's brews’ and scholarly communities: the dangers and promise of academic parrhesia

In a series of lectures in the early 1980s, Michel Foucault resurrected the Greek word for frankness or truth-telling—‘parrhesia’—to investigate the inter-relationships and tensions that existed between freedom, truth-telling and political power. He concluded that in order for one to ‘tell the truth’ against a powerful superior, one needs the courage to oppose a community of which the parrhesiastes (‘truth teller’) is a member. This paper uses parrhesia to investigate the practice of the international relations (IR) scholar in speaking out against his or her scholarly community. Tony Smith's 2007 book Pact with the devil is used as an example of academic-intellectual parrhesia not only to illustrate the content of a potential form of parrhesia, but to demonstrate the challenges IR scholars who wish to practise academic parrhesia face in criticizing members of their academic community. Smith's critique of democratic peace theory specifically, and liberal IR theory more generally, is particularly noteworthy...
A Hybrid Coherence Model for Noise Reduction in Reverberant Environments

In this letter, we propose a novel dual-microphone technique for enhancement of speech degraded by background noise and reverberation. Our algorithm is based on a prediction of the coherence function between the noisy input signals, considering both direct and reverberant speech and noise components received by the sensors, and therefore, is capable of dealing with both coherent and diffuse noise. After predicting the coherence function, the signal to noise ratio (SNR) can be estimated by solving a quadratic equation obtained from the real and imaginary parts of the function. Objective evaluation in a room with reverberation time T 60 = 465 ms, demonstrated noticeable improvements in SNR and quality of the outputs processed with the proposed algorithm over the baseline (front microphone), as well as a recently proposed coherence-based noise reduction algorithm.
Homelessness and food insecurity

Abstract Numerous assistance programs are designed to alleviate homelessness and food insecurity in the US, two of the more severe possible consequences of poverty. While we expect families with a higher probability of homelessness to also be at higher risk of food insecurity, after controlling for observed factors the relationship is not immediately apparent. To analyze this relationship, we use a unique data set with food insecurity information on both housed and homeless families. After instrumenting for the probability of homelessness, we find that families more prone to homelessness have higher levels of food insecurity. When we use dichotomous measures of food insecurity, however, the effects of homelessness are smaller.
Room-Temperature Gas Sensing Based on Electron Transfer between Discrete Tin Oxide Nanocrystals and Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes

A new gas-sensing platform for low-concentration gases (NO{sub 2}, H{sub 2}, and CO) comprises discrete SnO{sub 2} nanocrystals uniformly distributed on the surface of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The resulting hybrid nanostructures are highly sensitive, even at room temperature, because their gas sensing abilities rely on electron transfer between the nanocrystals and the CNTs.
Mechanical ventilation for status asthmaticus in children

We retrospectively reviewed the time course of recovery of pediatric patients in status asthmaticus who were undergoing mechanical ventilation for life-threatening respiratory failure to evaluate the results with current medications and technology. Ten patients between 2 and 18 years of age underwent intubation on 20 occasions. Mechanical ventilation was maintained for a mean of 2 days. Positive end-expiratory pressure was introduced in the recovery phase to prevent hypoxemia. Twelve episodes (Group 1) involved intubation 48 hours. The two groups did not differ in regard to age, pharmacologic therapy, preintubation arterial blood gas data, or initial ventilator settings, but the rise in pH and fall in Paco 2 differed significantly over the first 12 hours of therapy. In the group 2 patients, peak pressures were not increased >60 cm H 2 O despite elevated Paco 2 values, and aggressive sodium bicarbonate therapy for pH correction was not pursued. Complications were few and all patients survived. We conclude that asthma patients have variable resolution of airway obstruction during mechanical ventilation and that controlled hypoventilation can be a safe therapy for the patients with more severe obstruction.
Diagnostic celiac plexus block and outcome with neurolysis

Pain is one of the most troubling symptoms for many of the over 10 million cancer patients in America. For many patients, traditional medications and treatments are not effective and they are severely debilitated by their pain, causing needless suffering at the end of life. Pancreatic cancer in particular is associated with severe, unrelenting pain that may not be responsive to opioids and other medication therapies. Celiac plexus neurolysis is a procedure with demonstrated efficacy for patients with visceral pain arising from an upper abdominal malignancy. Although a variety of techniques exist, efficacy is generally achieved in 70-90% of patients regardless of technique. Most providers will perform a diagnostic block of the celiac plexus to ensure benefit before proceeding to the neurolytic block; however, others advocate proceeding directly to the neurolytic block. In this article, we review the techniques for chemical neurolysis of the celiac plexus, discuss the literature supporting the different approaches, and discuss factors that may influence the decision to proceed with diagnostic block prior to the neurolytic procedure.
Influence of zinc deficiency on dry matter digestibility in ruminants.

Abstract Previously it was established that when fed at the same level of intake as normal animals, zinc-deficient calves grew at a much slower rate and required more feed per unit of weight gain (5). This research was conducted to determine whether a zinc deficiency affected digestibility in goats and calves. Dry matter digestibility of a purified diet was determined with two zinc-deficient and two control goats in four seven-day total collection periods. A comparable experiment was conducted with calves using three nine-day collection periods. Dry matter digestibilities were not affected by the zinc deficiency. Thus, the reduced feed efficiency in zinc-deficient animals (5) is caused by a reduced utilization of digested nutrients.
Stowage and retention of radioactive packages during transport: which rules should be acceptable?

AbstractRules, recommendations and standards for stowage of cargos on various means of transport, which are dependent on the mode of transport and are issued by the country in which the transport is taking place, have been used for decades and have been regularly revised to take into account the latest technology, good practices and experience feedback. Most of the radioactive materials transport community, including insurers and the safety authorities, has confidence in these measures to provide the best level of safety when followed. Despite this wide international recognition, these rules, recommendations and standards continue to be considered by some competent authorities in charge of transport of radioactive material as insufficient to comply with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regulations. The problem arises mainly from the Recommendations for Package Stowage and Retention during Transport, established by the IAEA and published as Appendix IV of TS-G-1·1. These recommendations are ma...
Assessing the Effects of Municipal Term Limits on Fiscal Policy in U.S. Cities

The arguments for and against term limits have been the subject of debate since the mid-1990s. Proponents claim term limits bring new energy and ideas to government, while opponents argue they shift power to special interests and the bureaucracy. Analyses of the true effects of term limits have been focused on their implementation at the state level. This article examines the effects of term limits on taxation, city employment, and spending on other public policies at the municipal level. Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau and pooled cross-sectional time series models, the authors find that the presence of term limits has only a modest effect on economic and distributive public policies in U.S. cities as a city’s economic milieu has a greater effect on taxation and policy expenditures.
Dihedral Angles in Magnesia and Alumina: Distributions from Surface Thermal Grooves

Dihedral angles, Ψs, from surface thermal grooves were measured using a metal reference line technique for polycrystalline MgO, undoped Al2O3, and MgO-doped Al2O3. The values of Ψs span the following ranges: 89° to 116° for MgO at 1520 K, 76° to 166° for undoped Al2O3 at 1870 K, and 90° to 139° for MgO-doped Al2O3 at 1870 K. For all three systems, the median Ψs values are 105° to 113°, implying that the median γgb/γs is 1.1 to 1.2, in contrast to metals where γgb/γs ranges typically from 1/4 to 1/2. The widths in Ψs distributions were different for the three materials with the width increasing in the following order: MgO, MgO-doped Al2O3, undoped Al2O3. For all three materials, the grainboundary grooves and their corresponding Ψs were not symmetrical with respect to the surface normal. The asymmetry for MgO was due to the pinning of the grain boundaries by the surface thermal grooves. The range of inclination angles of the grain boundary to the surface was a function of Ψs, with the maximum inclination angles of ∼13°, in quantitative agreement with theory.
Harnessing Human Potential in Haiti

tion. A review of secondary sources and statistics from international organizations reveals a dysfunctional educational system that is vastly insufficient to cover the country’s development needs. The reconstruction of a competitive Haiti can only succeed by harnessing the country’s most valuable asset, its human talent. A combination of improved funding, smart allocation of resources, and use of low-cost modern technology may allow Haiti to leapfrog to significantly higher performance levels.
STARS: The Stellar Absorption and Refraction Sensor

The Stellar Absorption and Refraction Sensor (STARS) is a compact, large-aperture instrument that combines a UV-IR imaging spectrograph with a co-aligned visible-light imager to make simultaneous absorptive and refractive stellar occultation measurements. The absorption measurements provided by the spectrograph allow the determination of vertical profiles of atmospheric constituents. The coincident refraction observations made by the image yield high-precision measurements of atmospheric density, pressure, and temperature and provide independent knowledge of both the refracted light path and Rayleigh extinction, which are critical in reducing the uncertainty in the retrieved constituent profiles in the lower atmosphere. STARS employs a two-axis gimbaled telescope to acquire and track the star and a two-axis, high-precision, fast-steering mirror to correct for spacecraft jitter and maintain the star within the spectrograph field of view. The relative star position measured by the imager provides position feedback to the active tracking loop of the fast-steering mirror. With funding from NASA's Instrument Incubator Program, a laboratory facility has been developed to demonstrate the overall instrument performance and, in particular, its capability to acquire and track a setting, refracting, and scintillating star, to compensate for various degrees of platform jitter, and to provide the pointing knowledge required for accurate determination of the atmospheric quantities. The combination of built-in image tracking and motion compensation capabilities, small size, and limited spacecraft resource requirements makes STARS and its tracking mechanism suitable for deployment on existing and future commercial spacecraft platforms for applications that require high-precision pointing. In this paper, we present details of the instrument design and its expected performance based on our laboratory tests.
Psychological Processes Influencing Lighting Quality

(2001). Psychological Processes Influencing Lighting Quality. Journal of the Illuminating Engineering Society: Vol. 30, No. 1, pp. 124-140.
Chemical modification of carotid body chemoreception by sulfhydryls

Sulfhydryl reagents cause striking augmentation of the chemoreceptor responses of the carotid body to hypoxia. This indicates that a cellular plasma membrane protein with a reactive sulfhydryl group is a constituent part of the chemoreceptor architecture and provides a means of identification, localization, and isolation of the protein.
Hybrid gamma ray imaging—Model and results

Abstract We report on a hybrid gamma-ray radiation imaging system for industrial applications that combine the advantages of a multi-aperture mechanical collimator with electronic collimation. The combination offers both efficiency and good angular resolution, and is unique since a single gamma ray can contribute information to both modalities simultaneously. The mechanically collimated camera is most effective for imaging lower energy photons while electronic collimation uncouples spatial resolution from efficiency for higher energies. Our proposed Hybrid Gamma Ray Imager combines a high-resolution URA coded aperture with a Compton scatter camera to provide a broader range of energy response suitable for a wider range of industrial applications (50 keV–2 MeV). The primary detector is a large-area LaCl3:Ce scintillator coupled directly to a Hammamatsu PSPMT, chosen to provide portability, efficiency and energy resolution. A pixellated CsI(Na)/PSPMT combination serves as the secondary absorption detector. Point and ring-shaped radiation sources (140, 364, 662 and 1275 keV) are simulated. The results show coverage over a broad energy range of radiation and better images than either a mechanical or an electronic imager at intermediate energies. The sensitivity loss of the electronic imager due to the introduction of the mechanical collimator is recognized.
Controlled Release of Anti-inflammatory siRNA from Biodegradable Polymeric Microparticles Intended for Intra-articular Delivery to the Temporomandibular Joint

As the next step in the development of an intra-articular controlled release system to treat painful temporomandibular joint (TMJ) inflammation, we developed several biodegradable poly(DL-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)-based microparticle (MP) formulations encapsulating a model anti-inflammatory small interfering RNA (siRNA) together with branched poly(ethylenimine) (PEI) as a transfecting agent. The effect of siRNA loading and N:P ratio on the release kinetics of siRNA-PEI polyplexes was determined, and the size and N:P ratio of the polyplexes released over time was characterized. Polyplex-loaded PLGA MPs were prepared using an established double emulsion technique. Increasing the pH of the release samples enabled siRNA-PEI dissociation and subsequent measurement of the release of each component over 28 days. Polyplex diameter was measured for all release samples and compared to freshly prepared siRNA-PEI under simulated physiologic conditions. Systematic variation of siRNA loading and N:P ratio resulted in distinct siRNA and PEI release profiles. Polyplex diameter remained constant despite large variations in the relative amounts of siRNA and PEI. Excess PEI was sequestered through complexation with 500–1,000 nm diameter PLGA MP-derived particles, including small MPs and PLGA degradation products. These PLGA MP formulations show exciting potential as the first intra-articular TMJ controlled release system.
Loss of PIKfyve in platelets causes a lysosomal disease leading to inflammation and thrombosis in mice

PIKfyve is a lipid kinase essential for regulation of membrane homeostasis and vesicle trafficking along the endosomal-lysosomal pathway. Here the authors show that mice lacking PIKfyve exclusively in their platelets exhibit a systemic disorder characterized by multi-organ inflammation and thrombosis due to aberrant platelet lysosome function.