cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Management of Nerve Injuries (with Emphasis on Nerve Action Potential (NAP) Recordings)

There are three relatively large categories of peripheral neuropathies that may be helped by the neurosurgeon with operative experience with nerves. These are nerve injuries, entrapments, and tumors. A number of good texts address these entities. Of course, there are also less frequent occasions where the neurosurgeon is involved in working up and managing a medical neuropathy [6, 7, 45]. This is usually done by nerve and/or muscle biopsy and under exceptional circumstances, operative exploration for suspected but not proven neural pathology.
A New Behavioral Measure of Cognitive Flexibility

Individual differences in cognitive flexibility may underlie a variety of different user behaviors, but a lack of effective measurement tools has limited the predictive and descriptive potential of cognitive flexibility in human-computer interaction applications. This study presents a new computerized measure of cognitive flexibility, and then provides evidence for convergent validity. Our findings indicate moderate to strong correlations with the Trail Making Task, and in particular, those aspects of the task most closely associated with cognitive flexibility. Results of this study provide support for the validity of a new measure of cognitive flexibility. We conclude by discussing the measure's potential applicability in the field of HCI.
From the pasar to the mamak stall: refugees and migrants as surplus ghost labor in Malaysia’s food service industry

This paper examines how different groups of migrant workers and communities become absorbed into the informal and formal economies of the developing South. Due to the unique historical context of l...
Variable impact of dupilumab on patch testing results and allergic contact dermatitis in adults with atopic dermatitis.

Background Previous case reports and series suggested that dupilumab may be an effective treatment for allergic contact dermatitis (ACD). Little is known about the impact of dupilumab on patch test results and comorbid ACD in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD). Objective Determine the impact of dupilumab on patch testing results and improvement of ACD in patients with AD. Methods A retrospective study of patients with AD treated with dupilumab who underwent patch testing (n = 7) or had concomitant ACD (n = 6). Results In all, 7 patients with AD were patch tested while taking dupilumab; in all of these patients, at least 1 positive patch test reaction was observed, with a total of 25 different allergens having a reaction graded as 1+ or stronger and few irritant reactions. In 1 patient, multiple previously positive relevant patch test results were not duplicated upon repeat patch testing. In the 6 patients with AD and concomitant ACD, dupilumab and allergen avoidance resulted in substantial or complete resolution of AD signs and symptoms but resolution of ACD in only 3 patients. However, 3 patients had at least 1 flare of ACD upon re-exposure to relevant allergens. Limitations Retrospective and uncontrolled study. Conclusions Dupilumab had variable impact on patch testing results and resolution of comorbid ACD in adult patients with AD.
Robust Pareto optimal approach to sustainable heavy-duty truck fleet composition

Abstract Heavy-duty trucks are the main carrier of the most of freight in the United States today. The U.S. Department of Energy’s projections show that, under the reference case, the truck vehicle-miles-travelled (VMT) on the national highway system will further increase in the near future. This outlook with regard to U.S. Class 8 Heavy-Duty Trucks (HDTs) raises concerns regarding environmental, economic, and social impacts of these vehicles and HDT fleets. However, the transition to sustainable trucking is a challenging task for which multiple sustainability objectives must be considered and addressed, such as minimizing the life-cycle costs (LCCs), life-cycle GHGs (LCGHGs), and life-cycle air pollution externality costs (LCAPECs) of trucks while composing a truck fleet. This study proposes a hybrid life-cycle assessment-based robust Pareto optimal approach to developing a HDT fleet mix, accounting for the sector-specific average payloads of 5 U.S. economic sectors. The results of this study indicate that battery-electric, hybrid, and diesel HDTs make up most of the fleet mixes in the studied sectors in order to optimize their environmental, economic, and social impacts. It is therefore concluded that, given the relevant objectives and constraints, the current techno-economic circumstances in the U.S. and current forms of electricity generation should both be improved in order for HDT fleet mixes to achieve greenhouse gas emission reductions of 30% or greater. The findings of the study will support decision-making processes by public and private organizations and help them to develop environmentally, economically, and socially optimized fleet mixes for their operations.
The Environmental Policy Influencers

Chapter 5 discusses how working-class and other disadvantaged groups are often left out of environmental decision-making processes, yet they have important knowledge and perspectives to offer. In this chapter I particularly refer to my activist experience.
L’effacement: by Samir Toumi, Algiers, Éditions Barzakh, 2016, 216 pp., DA700/ €17 (softcover), ISBN: 978-9931-04-018-7

After Alger, le cri (Editions Barzakh, 2013), Samir Toumi revisits Algeria’s national metanarrative in his latest novel, L’effacement, in which a strange ailment plagues the unnamed narrator. One y...
On the Theory of Transport of Fluids in Fractured Media for the Safety Analysis of a Nuclear Waste Repository

A systematic theory is developed of the role of fractures in the transport of radionuclides by groundwater through fractured rocks from the nuclear waste repository to be built in deep geologic formations to the biosphere. Fractures are grouped into four ''irreducible'' types: joints, nodes, shear zones, and fracture zones, and their geometrical and sorption characteristics, having bearings on radionuclide transport, are expressed in mathematical terms. The question of radioactivity retention in various fracture types is then carefully studied using idealized geometries to mimic natural forms. Fundamental transport equations are derived for the fracture-pore complex, taking into consideration the special physical characteristics of fractures and the effects of sorption therein.
Transcriptional Responses of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to Inhibition of Lipoprotein Transport by a Small Molecule Inhibitor.

ABSTRACT Lipoprotein transport from the inner to the outer membrane, carried out by the Lol machinery, is essential for the biogenesis of the Gram-negative cell envelope and, consequently, for bacterial viability. Recently, small molecule inhibitors of the Lol system in Escherichia coli have been identified and shown to inhibit the growth of this organism by interfering with the function of the LolCDE complex. Analysis of the transcriptome of E. coli treated with one such molecule (compound 2) revealed that a number of envelope stress response pathways were induced in response to LolCDE inhibition. However, Pseudomonas aeruginosa is refractory to inhibition by the same small molecule, but we could demonstrate that E. colilolCDE could be substituted for the P. aeruginosa orthologues, where it functions in the correct transport of Pseudomonas lipoproteins, and the cells are inhibited by the more potent compound 2A. In the present study, we took advantage of the functionality of E. coli LolCDE in P. aeruginosa and determined the P. aeruginosa transcriptional response to LolCDE inhibition by compound 2A. We identified key genes that responded to LolCDE inhibition and also demonstrated that the same genes appeared to be affected by genetic depletion of the native P. aeruginosa LolCDE proteins. Several of the major changes were in an upregulated cluster of genes that encode determinants of alginate biosynthesis and transport, and the levels of alginate were found to be increased either by treatment with the small molecule inhibitor or upon depletion of native LolCDE. Finally, we tested several antibiotics with differing mechanisms of action to identify potential specific reporter genes for the further development of compounds that would inhibit the native P. aeruginosa Lol system. IMPORTANCE A key set of lipoprotein transport components, LolCDE, were inhibited by both a small molecule as well as genetic downregulation of their expression. The data show a unique signature in the Pseudomonas aeruginosa transcriptome in response to perturbation of outer membrane biogenesis. In addition, we demonstrate a transcriptional response in key genes with marked specificity compared to several antibiotic classes with different mechanisms of action. As a result of this work, we identified genes that could be of potential use as biomarkers in a cell-based screen for novel antibiotic inhibitors of lipoprotein transport in P. aeruginosa.
Achievement of a Minimum Clinically Important Difference for Back Disability Is a Suitable Predictor of Patient Satisfaction Among Lumbar Fusion Patients

Objective Meeting patient expectations is believed to impact satisfaction scores; however, the influence of achieving a minimum clinically important difference (MCID) is scarcely reported. This study aims to evaluate meeting patient expectations or MCID achievement for pain and disability as predictors of patient satisfaction. Methods A retrospective review of single or multilevel lumbar fusion patients was performed. Patients with missing preoperative Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) expectation questionnaires were excluded. Preoperative expectations and postoperative satisfaction scores for visual analog scale (VAS) back, VAS leg, and ODI were collected. Meeting expectations was defined as scores less than or equal to preoperative expectations. Achievement of MCID was evaluated. Improvement of all outcomes and correlations with satisfaction scores were evaluated using the Student's t-test and Pearson coefficient. Achievement of MCID or meeting expectations as predictors of satisfaction were evaluated and compared using linear regression and Suest test. Results The study included 144 patients. All outcomes significantly improved and demonstrated significant correlations with satisfaction scores (P Conclusions Meeting preoperative expectations and achievement of an MCID for pain and disability measures was significantly associated with satisfaction. Achievement of MCID may be a more consistent and suitable replacement as a predictor of satisfaction over meeting patient expectations.
An Empirical Energy Landscape Reveals Mechanism of Proteasome in Polypeptide Translocation

Abstract The ring-like ATPase complexes in the AAA+ family perform diverse cellular functions that require coordination between the conformational transitions of their individual ATPase subunits1,2. How the energy from ATP hydrolysis is captured to perform mechanical work by these coordinated movements is not known. In this study, we developed a novel approach for delineating the nucleotide-dependent free-energy landscape (FEL) of the proteasome’s heterohexameric ATPase complex based on complementary structural and kinetic measurements. We used the FEL to simulate the dynamics of the proteasome and quantitatively evaluated the predicted structural and kinetic properties. The FEL model predictions were widely consistent with experimental observations in this and previous studies and suggested novel features of the mechanism of proteasomal ATPase. We find that the cooperative movements of the ATPase subunits result from the design of the ATPase hexamer entailing a unique free-energy minimum for each nucleotide-binding state. ATP hydrolysis dictates the direction of substrate translocation by triggering an energy-dissipating conformational transition of the ATPase complex.
Tumor Vasculature as a Target for Cancer Therapy

The delivery of nutrients to and the removal of waste products from cells are required for the development, growth, and maintenance of all tissues, including ones that have undergone malignant transformation. Therefore, both normal and tumor tissues are dependent on a functional circulatory system. Blood vessels, which consist of endothelial cells, support cells (smooth muscle cells or pericytes), and a basement membrane, are responsible for the efficient transport of nutrients and wastes to and from tissues. In the context of a solid tumor, blood vessels are the supply lines that are required for the persistence, expansion, and metastasis of the tumor. Vascular targeting aims at developing strategies to selectively block the flow of blood in tumors, resulting in damage (e.g., coagulation) of the tumor’s blood supply while not perturbing blood flow in normal tissue. Thus, there has been an increased interest in finding tumor vasculature-specific markers that can be exploited as vascular targeting agents. Although a marker that is absolutely specific for tumor vasculature has not yet been found, there are a variety of candidates under investigation that warrant our attention. These include markers of endothelial cell activation and proliferation, markers of stress and hypoxia, ligand : receptor pairs, undefined endothelial cell antigens, and proteins that are expressed in newly formed or remodeled basement membrane. In this chapter, we will discuss some of the strategies that are being investigated to utilize these markers to selectively attack the vasculature of tumors.
Positive Behaviors, Problem Behaviors, and Resiliency in Adolescence

This chapter examines risk and protective factors within adolescents and their environments and the manifestation of those factors in terms of risk behaviors or resiliency. A detailed exploration of four major risk behaviors in adolescents (i.e., teenage sexual activity, alcohol and/or substance use/abuse, delinquency and antisocial behavior, and school failure) is presented along with the risk factors found to be associated with them. Evidence is presented with regard to the co-morbidity of those risk behaviors and risk factors. Understanding risk behaviors forms a foundation to understand the influence of risk behaviors on the developmental trajectory of young people. Moreover, specific attention to major risk behaviors also offers a basis for understanding the importance of multiple ecological influences, multiple constitutional influences, and the interactions that occur between them. The chapter then investigates the beginning of resiliency research and follows the field's development through to its current status and theoretical understanding of resiliency. Empirical findings related to protective factors and their interaction with risk factors are also presented. These interactions are critical to the overall development of adolescents, both in positive and negative directions. Understanding why so many are able to overcome adversity provides us with some direction in intervention efforts. Keywords: adolescence; developmental trajectories; positive youth development; resiliency; risk behavior; risk factors
Logic model optimization for LSSD structures

A method that optimizes the logical description of an LSSD (level-sensitive scan design) structure is described. The logic model thus created results in improved efficiency of test generation, fault simulation, and failure diagnosis. Extensive testing with this system has resulted in logic-gate-count reduction up to 40%, reduction in simulation CPU time by a factor of 2, and improvement in efficiency and effectiveness in the testing environment. Significant model gate count is achieved with only a minor increase in the CPU time. >
Timing analysis and delay-fault test generation using path-recursive functions

The authors introduce an efficient method for generating the functional forms of path analysis problems. They demonstrate that the resulting function is linear in the size of the circuit. The functions are then tested for satisfiability either using a Boolean network satisfiability algorithm suggested by T. Larrabee (1989) or through the construction of BDDs. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is shown for timing analysis and robust path delay-fault test generation. This method also holds promise for both static and dynamic hazard analysis, and for test generation using all other delay-fault models, tau -irredundant fault models, and stuck-open fault models. >
Crystalline photoactive copper indium diselenide thin films by pulsed laser crystallization of nanoparticle-inks at ambient conditions

Direct pulsed laser crystallization (DPLC) of large area printed nanoparticle-inks is investigated to form a crystalline copper indium diselenide (CIS) thin film. This technique has great potential to be utilized in scalable device production due to its atmospheric processing and high yield rate. It is found that CIS nanoparticles of 20 nm-diameter can grow to micro scale large crystals in a film after DPLC. The internal imperfections including grain boundary, inter crystal gaps and voids were reduced significantly. The effects of laser intensity and pulse number on the deposited thin film are investigated. The localized field enhancement around nanoparticle contacts is believed to be responsible for nanoparticle welding and crystal growth near the CIS film surface area during DPLC. The complete crystallization of CIS nanoparticles along the depth direction is attributed to thermal diffusion driven rapid melting/solidification. Moreover, it was found that the microstructure change in the CIS film after DPLC influences the optical and electrical performance significantly. A typical increase of 7.9% (visible range) and 19.2% (near infrared range) in the optical absorbance is obtained under optimal DPLC conditions and a band-gap shrinkage (ΔEg) of the CIS thin film after DPLC leads to broader acceptance of solar spectrum of 100 nm. The results from the Raman spectrum and photoluminescence (PL) of the thin films under various laser conditions reveal that the improvement of the optoelectronic properties of the CIS thin film is related to the reduction of the crystal defect level in the thin film.
A New Method for Finding Geographic Centers, with Application to U.S. States

The geographic center of a region is a fundamental geographic concept, and yet there is no commonly accepted method for its determination. This article discusses some of its history as well as its definition and calculation, and a new method for its calculation is suggested. The new method minimizes the sum of squared great circle distances from all points in the region to the center. This entails (1) projecting regional boundary points using an azimuthal equidistant projection, (2) finding the geographic center of the projected two-dimensional region, and (3) then transforming this location back to a latitude and longitude. This new approach is used to find the geographic center of the contiguous United States and to provide a new list of the geographic centers for U.S. states. This list improves on the widely used but inaccurate list published by the United States Geological Survey in 1923.
Improvement versus stability in gravity-scalar coupling☆

Abstract Conformal invariance requires a massless scalar field to couple nonminimally with gravity; as a result its stress tensor is no longer positive. Improvement is nevertheless shown to be compatible with positive energy for the total system, provided the scalar field's amplitude does not exceed the (inverse) Einstein constant. The system's properties in presence of cosmological, mass and self-interaction terms are also treated.
Neural networks for mobile robot visual exploration

This work describes the implementation of some of the neural systems that will enable a mobile robot to actively explore and learn its environment visually. These systems perform the real-time extraction of robust visual features, the segmentation of landmarks from the background and from each other using binocular attentional mechanisms, the predictive binocular tracking of landmarks, and the learning and recognition of landmarks from their features. Also described are preliminary results of incorporating most of these systems into a mobile robot called MAVIN, which can demonstrate the visual exploration of simplified landmarks. Finally, we discuss plans for using similar neural strategies to extend MAVIN's capabilities by implementing a biologically plausible system for navigating through an environment that has been learned by exploration. This explorational learning consists of quantizing the environment into orientation-specific place fields generated by the view-based spatial distribution of landmarks, and associating these place fields in order to form qualitative, behavioral, spatial maps.
Formulation and Predicted Properties of Nematic Eutectic Mixtures of Esters

Abstract Techniques are described both for formulating new nematic liquid crystal (LC) eutectic mixtures and for calculating several of their predicted properties. Ester LC components from various structure classes are used. Emphasis is placed on obtaining mixtures which have relatively short average molecular length, and which are suitable for dynamic scattering electro-optical applications. Examples are given of binary eutectic mixtures made with LC esters of essentially the same molecular length. Selection rules are described for mixing short length components, both from homologous series and from different classes of esters. Approximate class values of birefringence, dielectric anisotropy, and viscosity are assigned to each type of ester structure, based on experimental results in selected mixtures of short molecular length. Properties of multi-component eutectic mixtures are calculated, and comparisons are shown between the predicted and the observed values of melting point, clearpoint, viscosity, di...
Characterization of iron-manganese concretions in Kentucky alfisols with perched water tables

Iron-manganese concretions are common in upper sola of Alfisols in the Inner Bluegrass Region of Kentucky. Their nature and quantities appear to be related to the fluctuation of seasonal perched water tables above clayey argillic horizons. This study was conducted to examine changes in the macro-and micromorphology, chemistry and mineralogy of concretions as a function of size, color and soil depth. Total Mn and Fe contents increased, while SiO2 decreased with concretion size. Black concretions contained higher Mn, while brown concretions were higher in Fe. Crystalline Mn- and Fe-oxides fractionated with a sequential extraction procedure increased, but amorphous Mn and Fe decreased with concretion size. Goethite was the only crystalline Fe oxide mineral identified by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. Manganese oxide minerals were very difficult to detect due to the diffuse nature of their XRD peaks and poor crystallinity. Examination of soil thin sections showed concretions of soil horizons overlying restrictive clayey layers to exhibit differentiated fabrics, sharp external boundaries and generally spherical shapes. Concretions found within clayey restrictive layers or above lithic interfaces usually had less structural organization, softer matrices and diffuse external boundaries due to longer term saturated conditions. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) examinations suggested that the concretionary matrix, in spite of its density, has numerous cavities and an extensive micropore system within which dissolved plasmic Fe and Mn can diffuse and precipitate.
Relative dental development in hominoids and its failure to predict somatic growth velocity

Estimates of age-at-death are a function of the sidereal growth rate of the tissue(s) being employed to gauge development, and cannot be made without a priori knowledge of that growth rate. The latter cannot be determined from any inherent differences in pattern in the developing tissues of extant taxa. Such similarities and/or differences are usually the result of functional specialization and are independent of somatic developmental rate. The primary differences in dental maturational pattern among hominoids, for example, are a direct consequence of dentognathic functional specializations, and bear no direct relationship per se with somatic growth velocity. The similarities of developmental patterns between dentitions of individual fossil specimens and those of extant taxa, therefore, cannot be used to estimate age-at-death.
Traitement d’une infection d’un stent et d’un faux anévrisme de l’artère rénale

Rationnelle L’infection d’un stent de l’artere renale avec faux-anevrysme est extremement rare, avec quatre cas rapportes dans la litterature. Nous en presentons un cinquieme cas avec un traitement complexe et le sauvetage du rein. Methodes et resultats Une femme de 56 ans avait eu un stenting de l’artere renale droite pour hypertension. En postoperatoire, elle a developpe une infection a Staphylococcus methicilline-resistant, traitee avec des antibiotiques. L’echo-duplex a huit mois montrait un faux-anevrysme de l’artere renale droite juste distale au stent. L’angio-tomodensitometrie (CTA) montrait des anevrysmes mycotiques proximal de 2,8cm et distal de 4,2cm. Des antibiotiques et une angiographie de planification furent prescrits. Une incision bi-sous-costale et un decollement duodenal furent realises. L’aorte au-dessous de l’artere mesenterique superieure et au-dessous de la veine renale etait mobilisee, de meme que l’artere et la veine renale droites, l’artere hepatique, et la veine saphene. Apres heparinisation, l’aorte etait clampee, de meme que l’artere renale droite au hile. Le rein etait perfuse avec du serum froid. Le stent renal etait explante, et une anevrysmectomie etait realisee. L’ostium de l’artere renale etait aveugle. Un pontage saphene hepatorenal etait fait, et la permeabilite etait confirmee par examen duplex peroperatoire. En postoperatoire, la creatinine etait normale, le scanner renal montrait un rein droit fonctionnel, et l’examen duplex montrait un pontage permeable. La malade sortait au 11eme jour postoperatoire avec des antibiotiques au long cours. Le duplex a huit mois et la CTA montraient un pontage permeable et un succes du traitement. Conclusion L’infection d’un stent de l’artere renale avec faux-anevrysme est rare et peut etre diagnostiquee par examen duplex. Le sauvetage renal peut etre obtenu mais impose l’ablation du stent et un pontage veineux.
Heart rate changes following habituation testing of the motor response in normal human fetuses

Abstract We examined the heart rate (HR) response immediately following habituation testing in 54 normal human fetuses between 34 and 40 weeks of gestation to determine if cardiac self-regulation was a function of the rate of motor habituation. All fetuses received eight trials of a 1-s vibroacoustic stimulus (VAS) with a 10-s interstimulus interval. A score of 0–10 was assigned for each trial based on subjective assessment of intensity and duration of the fetal motor response. Motor habituation was evaluated in terms of the rate of response decrement over trials. For each fetus the average post-VAS HR was calculated in 1-min blocks for the first 7 min following habituation testing. When subjects were divided into slow and fast motor habituators, we found that fetuses who were slow habituators displayed a significantly greater increase in HR above baseline at each of the first 7 min following habituation testing as compared to fetuses whose motor response habituated more rapidly, F (1,52) = 4.88, P = 0.03. However, there was no difference between slow and fast motor habituators in the rate at which the HR returned toward prestimulus levels. To further examine these results, we divided the 54 fetuses into four groups based on the medians of the slope of the post-VAS HR regression line and the variability in HR about this line. We found that fetuses whose HR decreased slowly after habituation testing displayed significantly greater variability in their cardiac response as compared to fetuses whose HR decreased more rapidly ( X 2 = 4.74, P = 0.03). These findings could not be explained in terms of either gestational age, features of the prestimulus HR pattern, or the rate of motor habituation. We conclude that, although there were significant differences between slow and fast motor habituators in the magnitude of the HR response following testing, the rate and variability in return of HR toward prestimulus values provided a marker for individual differences in cardiac self-regulation which was independent of the rate of motor habituation.
Magnetization Directions of Individual Nanoparticles

The magnetization directions of individual monodomain nanoparticles as small as 5 nanometers in diameter are determined using the Foucault method of Lorentz microscopy. A model is developed to explain the images and diffraction patterns of samarium cobalt nanoparticles as a function of the aperture shift direction. Thermally induced changes in the magnetization direction of superparamagnetic magnetite nanoparticles were observed but with a much slower rate than expected, due to surface anisotropy. When the time scale for magnetization reversal is much shorter than the data acquisition time, as in carbon-coated iron cobalt alloy nanoparticles, the images show an average of such thermally induced changes.
Chiral Recognition of Propranolol with β-Cyclodextrin in the Presence of 1- and 2-Butanol

The purpose of this work is to investigate the chiral recognition characteristics of β-cyclodextrin with two propranolol enantiomers in the presence of organic additives. Steady-state fluorescence measurements of propranolol β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) complexes were performed for solutions containing either 1- or 2-butanol. For each 2-butanol isomer solution, the interactions were assessed by comparing the changes in the fluorescence of (R)-(+)- propranolol versus (S)-(-)-propranolol as a function of CD concentration. A similar comparison study was done for the propranolol enantiomers in the presence of 1-butanol. The intensity changes for propranolol are relatively small upon addition of β-CD in the presence of the butanol alcohol. However, the present work shows that the interaction of (R)-(+)-propranolol with β-CD is influenced by the chirality of 2-butanol in contrast to (S)-(-)-propranolol.
Magnetite in sediments as an indicator of coal combustion

Abstract Magnetic susceptibility gives an accurate measurement of the magnetite concentration in sediments. In all geographical areas studied, the magnetite concentration in recent lake, estuarine and ocean sediments has been affected by coal burning which releases magnetite spheres to the atmosphere. Graphs of percent magnetite and percent spheres vs depth (age) in the various sediments can be used to give information on the history of coal burning in an area as well as the efficiency of air pollution controlling devices. Chromium, Zn, Ti and Fe concentrations in the sediments were affected by the input of magnetic spheres. Cadmium, Cu, Mn, Ni and Pb concentrations were not affected.
Comparison of Variational Results and Solutions of Faddeev Equation for a Local Potential

A comparison is made between the results obtained for a three-body system with a local Yukawa potential, using the Faddeev method and a variational technique. The result of this comparison shows that with the type of trial function used, the variational method yields upper and lower bounds which are very close to each other and consistent with the results obtained by Ball and Wong. On the other hand, our variational study rules out definitely the possibility of a ground-state collapse phenomenon claimed by Osborn, since Osborn's ground-state energy is even lower than the lower bound of our calculation when the potential depth is large.
Decision-Support Tool for Assessing the Environmental Effects of Constructing Commercial Buildings

Construction of commercial buildings consumes significant amounts of energy and produces lots of emissions and waste. Where should environmental improvement efforts be focused during design and construction? The Construction Environmental Decision-Support Tool allows designers and industry practitioners to quantify energy use, emissions, and waste generation rates due to the construction phase of commercial buildings. A case study of the Bren School at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and several relevant construction scenarios are analyzed. When considering the complete building over its entire life cycle, the construction phase comprised 2% of energy consumption, 1% of C O2 emissions, 7% of CO emissions, 8% of N Ox emissions, 8% of P M10 emissions, and 1% of S O2 emissions. This is due to the dominance of the long-term use phase (50 years) compared to a relatively short construction phase (2 years) . Scaling up to the national level, however, construction impacts of projects are significant....
Oscillator strengths for resonance lines of some silicon and sulfur ions.

Si and S ion oscillator strengths for resonance lines in solar spectrum, discussing spin-spin and spin-other orbit interactions
Frequent gains at chromosome 7q34 involving BRAF in pilocytic astrocytoma

Relatively little is known about the molecular changes that promote the formation or growth of pilocytic astrocytomas. We investigated genomic alterations in 25 pilocytic astrocytomas, including 5 supratentorial and 20 posterior fossa tumors, using oligonucleotide array comparative genomic hybridization. Large changes were identified in 7 tumors and included gains of chromosomes 5, 6, and 7 and losses of chromosomes 16, 17, 19, and 22. The most common alteration was a 1.9-MB region of low-level gain at chromosome 7q34 identified in 17 of 20 posterior fossa tumors. In most tumors, the region of gain ended within the BRAF locus and encompassed only exons that encode the BRAF kinase domain. We confirmed copy number increase at the 7q34 locus using quantitative polymerase chain reaction with primers adjacent to the HIPK2, RAB19B, and BRAF genes. Western blot analysis revealed that 3 of 6 pilocytic astrocytomas with 7q34 gain contained high levels of phosphorylated extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) and nitrogen-activated protein kinase/ERK kinase (MEK), while 1 tumor lacking 7q34 gain and 2 normal brain specimens did not. Immunohistochemical stains of a tissue microarray containing 43 pilocytic astrocytoma identified ERK phosphorylation in 35 (81%). These data indicate that focal gains at chromosome 7q34 and increased BRAF-MEK-ERK signaling are common findings in sporadic pilocytic astrocytomas.
A 500-year-long record of tephra falls from Redoubt Volcano and other volcanoes in upper Cook Inlet, Alaska

Abstract Volcanic ash layers preserved in glacial-lacustrine sediments at Skilak Lake on the Kenai Peninsula of southcentral Alaska constitute a record of eruptions at Redoubt Volcano and other Alaskan volcanoes which affected the upper Cook Inlet area during the last 500 years. High-resolution magnetic susceptibility profiling delineates similar sequences of tephra layers in several 1-m-long lake sediment cores. Electron microprobe analyses of glass shards from the tephras indicate correlation of some ash layers with known reference tephras from the source volcanoes, while other ash layers record previously unknown prehistoric eruptions. Skilak Lake cores contain ash from the historic 1912 Katmai eruption, the 1902 Redoubt eruption, and the 1883 Mount St. Augustine eruption as well as prehistoric ash layers erupted from Crater Peak at Mt. Spurr ca. 250–350 years ago, from Redoubt Volcano at ca. 300–400 years ago and again at ca. 350–450 years ago, and a 500-year-old ash from Mount St. Augustine. Still older tephras from Redoubt Volcano and Crater Peak at Mt. Spurr are found lower in the cores. The cores indicate that volcanoes in the Cook Inlet area have erupted every 10–35 years during the 20th century, and ash falls have occurred at Skilak Lake at least once every 50–100 years for the last 500 years, with Redoubt, Spurr, and Augustine Volcanoes being the most important sources of tephra.
Embryogenesis in Hymenolepis diminuta. I. Morphogenesis.

Abstract Gametogenesis in Hymenolepis diminuta followed the pattern observed in other cestodes. Three phases of embryonic development could be distinguished: cleavage, preoncosphere, and oncosphere. Cleavage resulted in the formation of three types of blastomeres: macromeres, mesomeres, and micromeres. The preoncosphere phase began with the detachment of five large cells whose cytoplasm surrounded the embryo, forming the embryonic envelope. The micromeres underwent early degeneration. The embryonic cells increased in number to about 80; then most of these cells also degenerated, leaving only about 25 cells in the oncosphere. The hooks and penetration glands developed in the preoncosphere phase. Among the five cells forming the original layer of the embryonic envelope, two types of nuclei were distinguished. Two nuclei took part in the formation of the outer envelope. Early in development these moved toward the periphery, where they degenerated. Simultaneously the envelope hardened forming the shell. Three other nuclei moved toward the embryo, where they also degenerated as the embryophore was formed around them. The cytoplasmic layer remaining between the shell and the embryophore became the inner envelope of the embryo. The oncospheral membrane developed around the embryo in the early preoncosphere phase. The morphogenesis of the embryos developing in worms grown in vitro did not differ from that in worms reared in the laboratory rats. Abnormalities were found in embryos from both techniques; however, they were more frequent in those grown in vitro.
Mesoproterozoic plate tectonics: A collisional model for the Grenville-aged orogenic belt in the Llano uplift, central Texas

The Llano uplift of central Texas, United States, exposes the core of a Mesoproterozoic orogenic belt that formed along the southern margin of Laurentia during Grenville time. A new collisional model is proposed that reconciles differences in structural stacking, apparent tectonic transport, and deformation conditions between the eastern and western portions of the uplift and explains uplift and exhumation of high-pressure eclogitic rocks, emplacement of ophiolitic rocks, and subsequent late-stage to postcollisional plutonism. Our model proposes that subduction with southward polarity resulted in collision of an exotic arc with Laurentia, emplacement of ophiolitic rocks, and telescoping of the intervening basinal sediments, followed by overriding of the arc and margin of Laurentia by a southern continent with transport toward Laurentia. The model further proposes that convergence led to subduction of the Laurentian margin, resulting in high-pressure metamorphism, but buoyancy forces due to subduction of continental crust under the southern continent resulted in uplift and retrotransport away from Laurentia, in a manner similar to that proposed for the Alpine orogeny. Slab breakoff resulted in upwelling of the asthenosphere, leading to intrusion of juvenile granitic plutons. Subduction along strike caused continued contraction that waned with time. The eastern uplift records continent-arc-continent collision, whereas the western uplift records continent-continent collision; the two regions also expose different crustal levels in the orogen. The striking similarity with Phanerozoic orogens, including emplacement of ophiolites and formation of high-pressure rocks, implies that plate tectonic processes including subduction were active prior to the Neoproterozoic.
2-phase circulating shift register for switched-capacitor N-path filters

A novel circulating shift register for switched-capacitor N-path filters is presented. The configuration affords a means of increasing the allowable discharge time for the shift register capacitors and eliminates clock feedthrough at the signal frequency. The shift register employs a simple 2-phase clock signal for any number of paths.
Brain development in offspring of rats treated with nicotine during pregnancy.

Lorsque le rat a ete traite par des injections journalieres de nicotine au cours de la gestation, le developpement des reponses du jeune rat a l'electrochoc est retarde. Ce modifications, qui refletent des alterations dans la maturation des systemes inhibiteurs et excitants du systeme nerveux central au cours de la croissance persistent jusqu'a la 5e semaine post-natale. Ces resultats indiquent que la nicotine est capable de provoquer des modifications dans le developpement du cerveau a l'etat foetal.
Molecular genetics of Epichloë typhina and Acremonium coenophialum

Abstract The close associations between grasses and endophytes, whereby the fungi constitute maternally inherited components of the symbiotic entities (symbiota), make genetic engineering and other genetic manipulations of the endophytes an attractive approach to improvement of forage, pasture and turfgrass cultivars. A number of protective alkaloids are produced by the endophytes. Although insecticidal, nematocidal and antimicrobial metabolites produced by the mycosymbionts are desirable agronomic characteristics, anti-mammalian activities which are problematic for livestock farmers need to be mitigated. As a necessary prerequisite for endophyte genetic engineering, the authors have developed a transformation protocol for the tall fescue symbiont Acremonium coenophialum Morgan-Jones et Gams. The approach used was to introduce the antibiotic resistance gene, hph, which was obtained from the bacterium Escherichia coli and modified in vitro to allow expression in fungi. Successful incorporation of this ‘chimeric’ gene into the fungal genome was detected by resistance of the transformants to hygromycin B and by DNA hybridization analysis. The wide variation in the amounts and/or types of protective alkaloids produced by different isolates of Epichloe typhina (Fr.) Tulasne (Acremonium typhinum Morgan-Jones et Gams), and other Acremonium spp., raises the prospect of employing the sexual cycle of E. typhina as an alternative genetic system for development of new endophyte strains. However, there is a lack of phenotypically variable characters to follow in Mendelian crosses. Therefore, restriction fragment length polymorphisms should be identified and used for genetic mapping. Preliminary studies of this approach are presented. Genetic manipulations and other approaches to cultivar development based on the endophytes should be done with an understanding of their evolutionary biology and the basis for host preference. Previous studies have added much to the understanding of the alkaloid production potential of different isolates, and the degree of host specificity of both choke pathogens and non-pathogenic endophytes. This paper presents a phylogenetic analysis using DNA sequence information. The results support four conclusions: (1) the endophytes have evolved from E. typhina; (2) the endophytes do not have a strict coevolutionary relationship with their grass hosts; (3) loline production, characteristic of certain symbiota, is not a good indicator of phylogenetic affinities of the fungal symbionts; (4) there is a close relationship between isolates of A. coenophialum from tall fescue, and Acremonium lolii Latch, Samuels et Christensen from perennial ryegrass and a non-pathogenic A. typhinum from red fescue.
Laser induced formation of micro-rough structures

Abstract Laser induced micro-rough structures (LIMS) are a by-product of laser ablation process and are created during multiple pulse irradiation on the surface of the material. Although LIMS have been found to be deleterious for the thin film deposition process, these surfaces have wide variety of applications in synthesis of adherent coatings in thermal expansion mismatched systems. Earlier models, based on interference effects of the laser beam, to explain the evolution of LIMS, are not consistent with the experimental results. Experiments were conducted on a wide variety of materials (e.g. SiC, alumina, YBaCuO superconductor, etc.) to understand the mechanisms for generation of the micro-rough structures. A novel model was developed to explain the characteristics of LIMS such as (i) feature orientation (ii) evolution of surface structures as a function of pulses, (iii) formation of LIMS within a energy window near ablation threshold and (iv) periodicity which is independent of the laser wavelength and incident angle.
Cellular reprogramming in the F3 mouse with paternal F0 radiation history.

Purpose : In the mouse, paternal F 0 acute irradiation of Type B spermatogonia produces biological effects in offspring, including altered signalling kinase activities and protein levels. It was hypothesized that these effects represented cellular reprogramming that would alter the response of somatic cells in these offspring to an acute ionizing radiation exposure. Materials and methods : Nineteen-day-old third generation (F 3) CD1 mice with and without an acute 1.0 Gy paternal F 0 radiation history each received an acute dose of 1.0 Gy from attenuated 137 C γ-rays. Kidney PKC and MAPK activities, and p53 protein levels were evaluated immediately following F 3 irradiation. The same endpoints and DNA damage were evaluated in kidney-derived fibroblast primary cell cultures 3 weeks post-irradiation. Results : Kidneys had significantly decreased PKC and MAPK activities and p53 protein levels related to F 0 irradiation and increased PKC and MAPK activities following F 3 irradiation irrespective of F 0 radiati...
Fast fracture and crack arrest according to the Dugdale model

Abstract Dynamic effects near a propagating crack tip in a ductile material have been investigated on the basis of a model with a strip-zone of yielding. In the analysis of fast fracture the unknown variables are the speeds of the leading and trailing edges of the yield zone, where the latter defines the position of the actual crack tip. Propagation of the crack tip is governed by two conditions: the usual one that the cleavage stress is bounded at the leading edge of the yield zone, and a second condition which involves the yield stress and the stretch of the fiber at the trailing edge of the yield zone. By combining well-known results for transient dynamic stress-intensity factors and crack-opening displacements corresponding to external loads, with steady-state dynamic results for the fields corresponding to the cohesive tractions in the yield zone, the dynamic problem of fast fracture has been analyzed for both the Mode III and the Mode I case. The results can be used to investigate crack arrest when a propagating crack tip enters a region of higher ductility.
Determination of SRS-A release from guinea-pig lungs by a radioimmunoassay.

A sensitive radioimmunoassay for leukotrienes (LTs) has been developed. Rabbits were immunized with a conjugate of LTD4 and bovine serum albumin, prepared by using 1,5-difluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene as the coupling agent. The assay can detect 0.045 pmol LTD4 at a final plasma dilution of 1:72. 50% displacement of bound 3H-LTD4 was obtained with 0.43±0.03 pmol LTD4. LTC4, LTE4 and LTF4 cross-react 159%, 57% and 85%, respectively, whereas LTB4, 5-HETE and prostaglandins did not. The assay was validated by measuring the antigen-induced release of LTs from sensitized guinea-pig chopped lungs. High correlation (0.9434, p<0.05) was found when LTs were simultaneously determined by this assay and a bioassay on guinea pig ileum.