cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dark adaptation in five-year-old children and adults.

Abstract Relative photopic and scotopic sensitivity was determined for five-year-old children and adults by measuring the cone and rod thresholds for detection under conditions of dark adaptation. Dark adaptation curves became steeper with greater separation of the photopic and scotopic branches of the curves as the size of the test stimulus was increased, a result previously reported in the literature. No large difference was found between adult and child dark adaptation curves, indicating that both the photopic and scotopic systems are well matured by five years of age.
Depressed delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity in alcoholic hepatitis

Delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity was studied in 10 patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis, 9 patients with either inactive alcoholic cirrhosis or alcoholic fatty liver, and 10 age-matched controls. The mean response of the alcoholic hepatitis group was significantly less compared to controls for SK-SD (P<0.001), mumps (P<0.001), trichophyton (P<0.025), andCandida albicans (P<0.025). Upon clinical recovery, the response of the 6 surviving patients with alcoholic hepatitis was similar to controls for 4 of the 5 antigens tested, and the improvements in response to SK-SD andCandida albicans were significant (P<0.02 and P<0.05). The mean percentage and absolute numbers of thymus-derived lymphocytes were significantly less in the alcoholic hepatitis group compared with controls. Both the alcoholic hepatitis patients and patients with less advanced alcoholic liver disease had a diminished response to concanavalin A and phytohemagglutinin. This study demonstrates a reversible depression of delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity in alcoholic hepatitis. Several mechanisms may help account for this finding. We recommend that skin tests in patients with alcoholic hepatitis be interpreted with this phenomenon in mind.
Plasma effects of active ion beam injections in the ionosphere at rocket altitudes

Data from ARCS rocket ion beam injection experiments are primarily discussed. There are three results from this series of active experiments that are of particular interest in space plasma physics. These are the transverse acceleration of ambient ions in the large beam volume, the scattering of beam ions near the release payload, and the possible acceleration of electrons very close to the plasma generator which produce intense high frequency waves. The ability of 100 ma ion beam injections into the upper E and F regions of the ionosphere to produce these phenomena appear to be related solely to the process by which the plasma release payload and the ion beam are neutralized. Since the electrons in the plasma release do not convect with the plasma ions, the neutralization of both the payload and beam must be accomplished by large field-aligned currents (milliamperes/square meter) which are very unstable to wave growth of various modes.
The Qing Dynasty and Its Neighbors: Early Modern China in World History

Peter C. Perdue's China Marches West argues that the Qing dynasty's ability to break through historical territorial barriers on China's northwestern frontier reflected greater Manchu familiarity with steppe culture than their Chinese predecessors had exhibited, reinforced by superior commercial, technical, and symbolic resources and the benefits of a Russian alliance. Qing imperial expansion illustrated patterns of territorial consolidation apparent as well in Russia's forward movement in Inner Asia and, ironically, in the heroic, if ultimately futile, projects of the western Mongols who fell victim to the Qing. After summarizing Perdue's thesis, this essay extends his comparisons geographically and chronologically to argue that between 1600 and 1800 states ranging from western Europe through Japan to Southeast Asia exhibited similar patterns of political and cultural integration and that synchronized integrative cycles across Eurasia extended from the ninth to the nineteenth centuries. Yet in its growing vulnerability to Inner Asian domination, China proper—along with other sectors of the "exposed zone" of Eurasia—exemplified a species of state formation that was reasonably distinct from trajectories in sectors of Eurasia that were protected against Inner Asian conquest.
Neurosteroids in the context of stress: implications for depressive disorders.

Animal models indicate that the neuroactive steroids 3α,5α-THP (allopregnanolone) and 3α,5α-THDOC (allotetrahydroDOC) are stress responsive, serving as homeostatic mechanisms in restoring normal GABAergic and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) function following stress. While neurosteroid increases to stress are adaptive in the short term, animal models of chronic stress and depression find lower brain and plasma neurosteroid concentrations and alterations in neurosteroid responses to acute stressors. It has been suggested that disruption in this homeostatic mechanism may play a pathogenic role in some psychiatric disorders related to stress. In humans, neurosteroid depletion is consistently documented in patients with current depression and may reflect their greater chronic stress. Women with the depressive disorder, premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), have greater daily stress and a greater rate of traumatic stress. While results on baseline concentrations of neuroactive steroids in PMDD are mixed, PMDD women have diminished functional sensitivity of GABAA receptors and our laboratory has found blunted allopregnanolone responses to mental stress relative to non-PMDD controls. Similarly, euthymic women with histories of clinical depression, which may represent a large proportion of PMDD women, show more severe dysphoric mood symptoms and blunted allopregnanolone responses to stress versus never-depressed women. It is suggested that failure to mount an appropriate allopregnanolone response to stress may reflect the price of repeated biological adaptations to the increased life stress that is well documented in depressive disorders and altered allopregnanolone stress responsivity may also contribute to the dysregulation seen in HPA axis function in depression.
Preimage Selection in Time-of-Flight Emission Tomography

The confidence-weighted preimage is shown to have a "minimax" property such that it minimizes the worst case reconstruction error among all two-dimensional preimages derived linearly from three-dimensional, list-mode data, including the most likely position and profile preimages. However, we argue that improved performance can be obtained by not producing two-dimensional data from three-dimensional, list-mode data.
On the Characterization of the Mixed Problem of Coupled, Dynamic, Linear Thermoelasticity in Terms of the Temperature

Abstract The temperature field in the coupled, dynamic theory of linear thermoelasticity for homogeneous and isotropic bodies satisfies a partial differential equation in which the temperature is the only unknown-the so-called temperature equation. Here, for certain classes of problems, appropriate boundary and initial conditions are derived for the temperature equation from the data for the corresponding mixed problem of thermoelasticity. It is shown that the resulting boundary-initial-value problem for the temperature has at most one solution. Furthermore, for these classes of problems, it is shown that a displacement field can be ex pressed directly in terms of the temperature field and that the corresponding thermoelastic process satisfies all of the conditions of the mixed thermoelasticity problem except for the tangential components of the mechanical boundary conditions. To this extent, our boundary-initial-value problem for the temperature uncouples the coupled theory.
Shoulder and head elevation improves laryngoscopic view for tracheal intubation in nonobese as well as obese individuals

Abstract Study Objective To determine whether shoulder and head elevation, such that the patient's ear lies at or higher than the sternum ("ramp"), improves laryngoscopic grade in adult patients of various body mass index (BMI) values. Design Prospective, unblinded study, with patients and laryngoscopists acting as their own controls. Setting Operating room of a university-affiliated hospital. Patients 189 adult ASA physical status 1, 2, and 3 patients. Interventions After performing a standard preoperative airway evaluation and inducing general anesthesia, the anesthetist performed and graded two laryngoscopies: one in the "ramp" position and one in the "sniff" position. Measurements Patient BMI, Mallampati airway class, thyromental distance, neck circumference, cervical extension ability, Cormack and Lehane laryngoscopic grade for each laryngoscopy, subjective lifting force required, and need for external laryngeal pressure were recorded. Main Results Use of the "ramp" provided significantly better or equal laryngoscopic views, relative to those with the "sniff" position, in the entire study population. Conclusions Shoulder and head elevation by any means that brings the patient's sternum onto the horizontal plane of the external auditory meatus maintains or improves laryngoscopic view significantly.
3′-Phosphoadenosine-5′-Phosphate Phosphatase Activity Is Required for Superoxide Stress Tolerance in Streptococcus mutans

Aerobic microorganisms have evolved different strategies to withstand environmental oxidative stresses generated by various reactive oxygen species (ROS). For the facultative anaerobic human oral pathogen Streptococcus mutans, the mechanisms used to protect against ROS are not fully understood, since it does not possess catalase, an enzyme that degrades hydrogen peroxide. In order to elucidate the genes that are essential for superoxide stress response, methyl viologen (MV)-sensitive mutants of S. mutans were generated via ISS1 mutagenesis. Screening of approximately 2,500 mutants revealed six MV-sensitive mutants, each containing an insertion in one of five genes, including a highly conserved hypothetical gene, SMU.1297. Sequence analysis suggests that SMU.1297 encodes a hypothetical protein with a high degree of homology to the Bacillus subtilis YtqI protein, which possesses an oligoribonuclease activity that cleaves nano-RNAs and a phosphatase activity that degrades 3′-phosphoadenosine-5′-phosphate (pAp) and 3′-phosphoadenosine-5′-phosphosulfate (pApS) to produce AMP; the latter activity is similar to the activity of the Escherichia coli CysQ protein, which is required for sulfur assimilation. SMU.1297 was deleted using a markerless Cre-loxP-based strategy; the SMU.1297 deletion mutant was just as sensitive to MV as the ISS1 insertion mutant. Complementation of the deletion mutant with wild-type SMU.1297, in trans, restored the parental phenotype. Biochemical analyses with purified SMU.1297 protein demonstrated that it has pAp phosphatase activity similar to that of YtqI but apparently lacks an oligoribonuclease activity. The ability of SMU.1297 to dephosphorylate pApS in vivo was confirmed by complementation of an E. coli cysQ mutant with SMU.1297 in trans. Thus, our results suggest that SMU.1297 is involved in superoxide stress tolerance in S. mutans. Furthermore, the distribution of homologs of SMU.1297 in streptococci indicates that this protein is essential for superoxide stress tolerance in these organisms.
The Companion Species Manifesto: Dogs, People, and Significant Otherness Donna Haraway

(2004). The Companion Species Manifesto: Dogs, People, and Significant Otherness Donna Haraway. Anthrozoos: Vol. 17, No. 2, pp. 186-192.
The assembly of blood clotting complexes on membranes

Abstract Studies of the coagulation complex surface-bound enzymes provide insights into the biology of the hemostatic process. On a larger scale, these complex enzymes may provide ideal models for understanding compartmentalized processes in biology.
Use of Microcomputers to Perform Airport Emission Inventories

The emission inventory process at commercial airports can be a time‐consuming, error‐prone, involved process. Multiple sources of varying types also complicate the process. The writers have combined all source calculations in a series of spreadsheet templates, contained in a single file. Through the use of spreadsheet functions, such as macrocommands, the user answers questions from user‐friendly screen prompts, and emission quantities are shown in summary tables for each source and each pollutant as well as an overall summary table. Report tables and graphics are easily and quickly generated. As a result of using the spreadsheet method, various scenarios can be calculated in a matter of minutes and errors in calculations are avoided. This permits review of many alternatives, and is not only a tool for emission inventory compilation but is a planning tool as well.
Hermenêutica constitucional e realização dos direitos fundamentais: o afastamento das arbitrariedades semânticas na atribuição de sentido

A hermeneutica heterodoxa e vertical, consubstanciada na forca normativa da Constituicao apresenta-se como formula passivel de solucionar a tensao existente entre os principios constitucionais, de molde a propiciar condicoes de implementacao/efetivacao dos Direitos Fundamentais. O desafio posto e a superacao dos decisionismos e arbitrariedades, gerindo-se de forma adequada os paradoxos juridicos da modernidade.
On evaluating compliance with air pollution levels 'not to be exceeded more than once a year'

The adequacy is considered of currently practiced monitoring and data reduction techniques for assessing compliance with 24-hour Air Quality Standards (AQS) not to be exceeded more than once per year. The present situation for suspended particulates is discussed. The following conclusions are reached: (1) For typical less than daily sampling (i.e., 60 to 120 24-hour samples per year) the deviation from independence of the data set should not be substantial. (2) The interchange of exponentiation and expectation operations in the EPA data reduction model, underestimates the second highest level by about 4 to 8 percent for typical sigma values. (3) Estimates of the second highest pollution level have associated with them a large statistical variability arising from the finite size of the sample. The 0.95 confidence interval ranges from + or - 40 percent for 120 samples per year to + or - 84 percent for 30 samples per year. (4) The design value suggested by EPA for abatement and/or control planning purposes typically gives a margin of safety of 60 to 120 percent.
Influence of stiffness degradation on strength demands of structures built on soft soil sites

The effect of stiffness degradation on the lateral strength demands of inelastic single-degree-of-freedom systems subjected to soft soil records is investigated. The modified-Clough model is used to represent structures that exhibit significant stiffness degradation when subjected to reverse cyclic loading and the elastic-perfectly-plastic model is used to represent non-degrading structures. The study is based on two sets of ground motions. The first set includes 100 accelerograms recorded in various recent earthquakes on soft soil sites of Mexico City. The second set includes 16 ground motions recorded on bay mud sites in the San Francisco Bay Area during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. A special emphasis is placed on the effect of stiffness degradation on strength reduction factors that permit the estimation of inelastic strength demands from elastic strength demands. Mean ratios of lateral strength demands of stiffness degrading systems to lateral strength demands of non-degrading systems for both sets of ground motions are presented. It is concluded that structures with stiffness degradation, and with periods of vibration shorter than the predominant period of vibration of the ground motion, can experience lateral strength demands larger than those of non-degrading structures in the same period range. Whereas for structures with periods of vibration equal or longer than the predominant period of the ground motion, the lateral strength demands are typically smaller for stiffness-degrading structures than those of non-degrading structures.
Improving outcomes in post-acute myocardial infarction heart failure: incorporation of aldosterone blockade into combination therapy to optimize neurohormonal blockade.

Although angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), and β-blockers have been proved to reduce mortality in patients with heart failure post–acute myocardial infarction (AMI), studies show that these agents are consistently underused in this population. Further, morbidity and mortality remain high even when standard-of-care therapies are applied. Thus, new strategies have been sought to better counteract the maladaptive effects of neurohormonal stimulation in post-AMI heart failure. The Eplerenone Post–Acute Myocardial Infarction Heart Failure Efficacy and Survival Study (EPHESUS) demonstrated that the selective aldosterone blocker eplerenone, when used in addition to standard therapy, results in significant incremental improvements in survival and morbidity and is safe and well tolerated in this setting. Based on this, major therapeutic guidelines in the United States and Europe now strongly recommend that all eligible patients with concomitant heart failure post-AMI be treated with an aldosterone blocker in addition to an ACE inhibitor (or an ARB) and a β-blocker. To achieve needed improvements in outcomes in this population, early and consistent initiation of these evidence-based, guideline-recommended therapies in all eligible patients is crucial.
Numerical simulation of high pressure hydrogen release through an expanding opening

Abstract Computational Fluid Dynamics is an effective tool to develop safety standards related to the sudden release of hydrogen from a high pressure reservoir. In this work, a three-dimensional in-house code is developed to numerically simulate the release of high pressure hydrogen (70 MPa) from a reservoir when the release area into air is expanding with time. Furthermore, high pressure hydrogen flows cannot be accurately simulated by the ideal gas equation; therefore the Abel–Noble real gas equation of state is applied. A transport equation is solved to find the concentration of hydrogen and air in the hydrogen–air mixture generated soon after release. The novelty of this work is to simulate and to study the flow when the release area enlarges rapidly. To obtain this capability, the solid boundaries of the release area are moved and the mesh follows based on a spring method. All the nodes in the mesh are moved at each time step accordingly to have a good quality mesh. Three initial diameters of 1.0 mm, 1.5 mm and 2.0 mm are tested for the release area, and opening wall speeds of 80 m/s and up to 300 m/s are discussed.
Complications of surgical termination of second-trimester pregnancy in obese versus nonobese women ☆ ☆☆

Abstract Background Obesity is becoming increasingly common in obstetric and gynecologic populations, which may affect the safety of surgical termination of pregnancy. Study Design We performed a retrospective review of all patients undergoing second-trimester surgical termination of pregnancy by under ultrasound guidance termination between 13 0/7 and 24 0/7 weeks of gestational age (GA) to compare perioperative risks in obese and nonobese women. Complication rates, operative times and anesthesia times were compared between obese [body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m 2 ] and nonobese women (BMI Results Of 1044 women, 29.0% were obese. The mean complication rate was 6.1% and similar between groups (5.5% nonobese, 7.6% obese, p=.20). Operative times were 4.4 min longer and mean anesthesia times were 5 min longer in obese patients (p Conclusions Both anesthesia and operative times were modestly increased in obese women versus nonobese women undergoing second-trimester surgical termination, without significant differences in complication rates. For patients at advanced GA with prior cesarean delivery, clinicians should be aware of the potential increase in complications as well as increased operative time in obese women, and counsel appropriately.
Pressure Transmission in Pulmonary Arteries Related to Frequency and Geometry

The propagation of the pulse wave through the canine pulmonary arterial tree has been evaluated by means of harmonic analysis. The apparent phase velocity varied both with frequency and distance as one would expect in the presence of reflected waves. The phase velocity was about 230 cm/sec for the inflated and 325 cm/sec for the deflated lung. Theoretical considerations as well as experimental results indicate that the major branches represent the primary reflection site for the pulse wave. The pulse pressure is transmitted across the pulmonary capillary bed, although at a high attenuation, and the transmission varies markedly with lung volume. The dimensions of the pulmonary arterial tree were evaluated from casts. Data for the length and cross sections of the various branches are given. The volume of the arterial tree as represented by the casts was 24 ml. The cross section of the various branches represents an ellipse rather than a circle, and the cross section ratios of the major branch points is cons...
Geochemistry of the andesite flank lavas of three composite cones within the Atitlán Cauldron, Guatemala

Three composite cones have grown on the southern edge of the previously existing Atitlan Cauldron, along the active volcanic axis of Guatemala. Lavas exposed on the flanks of these cones are generally calc-alkaline andesites, but their chemical compositions vary widely. Atitlan, the largest and most southerly of the three cones, has recently erupted mainly pyroclastic basaltic andesites, while the flanks of San Pedro and Toliman are mantled by more silicic lava flows. On Toliman, 74 different lava units have been mapped, forming the basis for sequential sampling. Rocks of all three cones are consistently higher in K2O, Rb, Ba and REE than other Guatemalan andesites. Atitlan’s rocks and late lavas from Toliman have high Al2O3 content, compared to similar andesites from other nearby cones. All major and trace element data on the rocks are shown to be consistent with crystal fractionation involving phases observed in the rocks. If such models are correct, significant differences in the relative proportions of fractionation phases are necessary to explain the varied compositions, in particular higher Al2O3 rocks have fractionated less plagioclase. We speculate that inhibition of plagioclase fractionation could occur in chambers where PH2O is greater and when repose intervals are shorter. The distribution of volcanic vents throughout Guatemala which show this postulated «inhibition of plagioclase fractionation» is systematic with such vents lying just to the south of the main axis. The andesites of the three cones cannot be simply related to the late-Pleistocene rhyolites which are apparently associated with cauldron formation, because unlike the andesites, the rhyolites have markedly depleted heavy REE abundances. Recent dacitic lavas from vents south of San Pedro volcano and silicic pyroclastic rocks which mantle the slopes the San Pedro may reflect residual post-cauldron rhyolitic volcanism.
Best interpolation in seminorm with convex constraints

Implicit and explicit characterizations of the solutions to the following constrained best interpolation problem $$\min \left\{ {\left\| {Tx - z} \right\|:x \in C \cap A^{ - 1} d} \right\}$$ are presented. Here,T is a densely-defined, closed, linear mapping from a Hilbert spaceX to a Hilbert spaceY, A: X→Z is a continuous, linear mapping withZ a locally, convex linear topological space,C is a closed, convex set in the domain domT ofT, andd∈AC. For the case in whichC is a closed, convex cone, it is shown that the constrained best interpolation problem can generally be solved by finding the saddle points of a saddle function on the whole space, and, if the explicit characterization is applicable, then solving this problem is equivalent to solving an unconstrained minimization problem for a convex function.
The development of an annoyance scale for community noise assessment

Abstract The development of an annoyance scale for use in community noise assessment is described. In previous studies in which annoyance scales have been used descriptors, intervals, and metrics have been variable and non-standard. Such variability may be a serious shortcoming in comparing studies of assessment of noise reactions. It is not clear how many semantic distinctions can be made to describe subjective reactions to noise, especially the degree of annoyance. There is also great variability in language use reflecting educational, social class, regional and sub-cultural differences. Finally, scaling annoyance responses ordinally, when the underlying intervals are skewed, may seriously distort relationships when analyzed with parametric statistics. In the research described here, an attempt has been made to produce a standardized annoyance scale with descriptors marking clear semantic distinctions, roughly equidistant from each other, and having wide acceptability. Using the Thurstone scaling method, 51 subjects from both high and low educational backgrounds were asked to rate 43 different descriptors of annoyance. The results show that six to seven semantic distinctions can be made. Seven descriptors which mark off roughly equal-sized intervals and which show the greatest agreement are chosen for an annoyance scale. It is felt that the use of such a scale may be more useful in comparing subjective response to noise. Data from a survey lend support to this.
Less Is More: Neisseria gonorrhoeae RecX Protein Stimulates Recombination by Inhibiting RecA

Escherichia coli RecX (RecXEc) is a negative regulator of RecA activities both in the bacterial cell and in vitro. In contrast, the Neisseria gonorrhoeae RecX protein (RecXNg) enhances all RecA-related processes in N. gonorrhoeae. Surprisingly, the RecXNg protein is not a RecA protein activator in vitro. Instead, RecXNg is a much more potent inhibitor of all RecANg and RecAEc activities than is the E. coli RecX ortholog. A series of RecXNg mutant proteins representing a gradient of functional deficiencies provide a direct correlation between RecANg inhibition in vitro and the enhancement of RecANg function in N. gonorrhoeae. Unlike RecXEc, RecXNg does not simply cap the growing ends of RecA filaments, but it directly facilitates a more rapid RecA filament disassembly. Thus, in N. gonorrhoeae, recombinational processes are facilitated by RecXNg protein-mediated limitations on RecANg filament presence and/or length to achieve maximal function.
Socially Responsible Investing on a Global Basis: Mixing Money and Morality Outside the U.S.

Travers discusses international socially responsible investing (SRI), focusing on managed portfolios that invest in firms that pass a screening test. He finds that international portfolios formed using social screens offer competitive returns when compared with unrestricted international portfolios. One problem with international SRI is that no benchmark exists to evaluate performance. Travers suggests that performance should be compared with the performance of peers from the universe of international managers who use SRI. He compiles such a universe and shows that its returns keep pace with those of the universe of unrestricted international equity portfolios.
Milling quality of rice: cylinder speed vs. grain-moisture content at harvest

Significant differences in milling yield occurred among cultivars, cylinder speeds, and grain moisture contents. Percentage of broken kernels approximately doubled when the cylinder speed was increased from 600 to 1000 rpm. However, more mature kernels remained attached to the stalk at the lower cylinder speed. Generally, the percentage of broken kernels increased and head rice yield decreased significantly as the moisture content of the grain at harvest decreased
Resident's essay award: Alpha particle radio-immunotherapy: Animal models and clinical prospects

Abstract Short-lived isotopes that emit alpha particles have a number of physical characteristics which make them attractive candidates for radioimmunotherapy. Among these characteristics are high linear energy transfer and correspondingly high cytotoxicity; particle range limited to several cell diameters from the parent atom; low potential for repair of alpha-induced DNA damage; and low dependence on dose rate and oxygen enhancement effects. This report reviews the synthesis, testing and use in animal models of an alpha particle emitting radioimmunoconjugate constructed via the noncovalent chelation of Bismuth-212 to a monoclonal IgM antibody specific for the murine T cells/ neuroectodermal surface antigen, Thy 1.2. These 212 Bi-anti-Thy 1.2 immunoconjugates are capable of extraordinary cytotoxicity in vitro , requiring approximately three 212 Bi-labeled conjugates per target cell to suppress 3H-thymidine incorporation to background levels. The antigen specificity afforded by the monoclonal antibody contributes a factor of approximately 40 to the radiotoxicity of the immunoconjugate. Animals inoculated with a Thy 1.2 + malignant ascites were cured of their tumor in an antigen-specific fashion by intraperitoneal doses of approximately 200 μCi per mouse. Alpha particle emitting radioimmunoconjugates show great potential for regional and intracavitary molecular radiotherapy.
Combined endoscopic sphincterotomy and laparoscopic cholecystectomy in patients with choledocholithiasis and cholecystolithiasis.

Excerpt Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is rapidly becoming the preferred surgical treatment for patients with symptomatic cholelithiasis. The smaller incision and the associated decrease in postopera...
Monolithic solid-phase extraction for the rapid on-line monitoring of microcystins in surface waters

We describe the development and optimization of a sensitive and selective screening method for the measurement of trace levels of microcystins in surface waters. Several sample preparation techniques were compared, including solid-phase microextraction (SPME), particle-based solid-phase extraction (SPE), and monolith-based SPE. A flow-injection (FI) based approach employing a reversed-phase monolithic SPE column was found to be optimal. Quantification was performed by directly interfacing the FI-based SPE system to an electrospray ionization-mass spectrometer (ESI-MS). To more safely simulate peptidyl toxins such as the microcystins, a model peptide (i.e., angiotensin II) was used for method optimization. Sample loading flow rate and volume, eluent composition, and elution flow rate were optimized. Sample throughput was six samples per hour, a detection limit of 1.31 ng angiotensin II was demonstrated for a linear dynamic range from 1–1,000 ng and 3.4% relative standard deviation (n = 4, 100 ng sample). Sample volumes up to 1,000 ml of surface water could be loaded onto the monolithic SPE disk without exceeding the sorbent’s capacity. Unlike conventional particle-based SPE methods, the monolithic SPE disk does not need to be replaced between samples and could be used indefinitely. The FI-based SPE-ESI-MS method was successfully applied to the determination of microcystin-LR, the most common of the microcystins, in environmental samples and was demonstrated for the direct monitoring of chlorinated drinking water, with trends tracked over a period of eight months.
Quantum tunneling of magnetization in small ferromagnetic particles.

The probability of tunneling of the magnetization in a single-domain particle through an energy barrier between easy directions is calculated for several forms of magnetic anisotropy. Estimated tunneling rates prove to be large enough for observation of the effect with the use of existing experimental techniques.
A radioautographic investigation of the relation between transcription and translation in a eukaryotic cell.

Abstract Since transcription in eukaryotes is largely nuclear and translation primarily cytoplasmic, the Stent hypothesis that transcription and translation are physically complexed to each other can apply for nucleated cells only if the two processes interact at the nuclear envelope. The radioautographic evidence reported here shows that, following a 1 min exposure to 3H-uridine, most of the precursor incorporation in mouse L cells is not in the vicinity of the nuclear envelope. This implies that the Stent hypothesis probably is inapplicable to eukaryotic cells—just as recent evidence indicates that it is apparently inapplicable to prokaryotic cells.
Advantages of a Cementless Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty Approach

Medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) is a procedure designed for resurfacing the medial compartment in isolated medial compartment degenerative joint disease. Many long-term studies have reported the success of UKA. Despite recent interest and isolated reports of success, significant issues still exist today with early failure in UKA. Medial UKA is a promising alternative to total knee arthroplasty for isolated medial compartment degenerative joint disease. Potential advantages of this treatment option compared with total knee arthroplasty include improved patient satisfaction, more consistent return to sporting activities, quicker recovery, decreased complication risk, and greater range of motion. With the introduction of robotic arm tools to help improve accuracy and reliability of implant position, we may be able to decrease failure rates in UKAs. In addition, cementless technologies are promising approaches to improve the durability of UKA fixation. Robotic arm techniques coupled with cementless fixation strategies may dramatically reduce the incidence of aseptic loosening in UKA.
Characteristics of gate oxide surface material after exposure to magnetron-enhanced reactive ion etching plasma

New developments in the area of etching are focused on an etch system/process that has similar results to RIE (such as anisotropy and high selectivity to the underlying layer) while operating at lower DC biases. This is to minimize the charge build up on the gate structure and minimize the substrate damage during the plasma etch process. Magnetron Enhanced Reactive Ion Etching (MERlE) has the advantage of lowering the DC bias as the magnetic field increases while maintaining acceptable etch rates for throughput requirements. A low DC bias results in a lower charge build up on the gate structure during the plasma etch process. The use of the Magnetic Field in MERlE also increases etch rates by increasing the density of the ionized species. In this study the plasma exposed oxide surface composition and thickness after an HBR/C12 based polysilicon etch and after various surface treatment/cleaning processes is investigated by Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES) and Scanning Ion Mass Spectroscopy (SIMS). The Chlorine and Bromine impingement into the top surface of the gate oxide as determined by AES and SIMS analysis was correlated to the etch rate of this layer in a dilute Hydroflouric acid solution. The effect of process variation in a low pressure low power MERlE HBr/Cl/He/O2 chemistry on the poly to oxide selectivity total gate oxide loss and thickness of the plasma exposed oxide is also studied in this© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus) control with metham-sodium in transplanted cantaloupe (Cucumis melo)

Abstract Irrigated field trials were conducted from 2001 to 2003 in Tifton, Georgia at the Coastal Plain Experiment Station to determine the optimum combination of pre-plant fumigation interval, metham-sodium dose, and seedbed mulching for yellow nutsedge control in transplanted cantaloupe. The trial evaluated all possible combinations of pre-plant fumigation intervals (1-wk, 2-wk, or 3-wk before transplanting), three metham-sodium doses (nontreated, 374, and 748 l/ha), and seedbed mulching (bareground or black polyethylene mulched seedbeds). Metham-sodium sprayed and soil incorporated at 374 and 748 l/ha effectively controlled yellow nutsedge when seedbeds were covered by black polyethylene mulch, with minimal fumigant phytotoxicity. In contrast, yellow nutsedge control from metham-sodium was reduced when seedbeds were not mulched. Cantaloupe treated either 1-wk or 2-wk before transplanting with metham-sodium at 748 l/ha yielded greater than other treatment combinations. Black polyethylene mulch increased cantaloupe yield when averaged across all possible combinations of pre-plant fumigation intervals and metham-sodium doses, due primarily to improved yellow nutsedge control over bareground seedbeds.
Archaeological fuel remains as indicators of ancient west Asian agropastoral and land-use systems

Abstract Most botanical remains found in archaeological sites are preserved by charring. This material, when excavated from ordinary occupation debris, often represents the remnants of ancient fuel use. Over much of west Asia the primary ancient fuels were wood and dung, which serve as a proxy for woodland cover, animal diet, and by further inference, land-use patterns. This contribution shows how archaeobotanical data can be used to reconstruct agropastoral systems in the different rainfall agriculture environments of northern Mesopotamia and central Anatolia. We specifically consider archaeobotanical proxies for land use intensity: seed to charcoal ratios as indicators of deforestation, wild to cereal ratios as indicators of agricultural or pastoral intensification, and wild and weedy seed evidence as indicators of irrigation.
Language support for regions

Region-based memory management systems structure memory by grouping objects in regions under program control. Memory is reclaimed by deleting regions, freeing all objects stored therein. Our compiler for C with regions, RC, prevents unsafe region deletions by keeping a count of references to each region. Using type annotations that make the structure of a program's regions more explicit, we reduce the overhead of reference counting from a maximum of 27% to a maximum of 11% on a suite of realistic benchmarks. We generalise these annotations in a region type system whose main novelty is the use of existentially quantified abstract regions to represent pointers to objects whose region is partially or totally unknown. A distribution of RC is available at http://www.cs.berkeley.edu/~dgay/rc.tar.gz.
A Noninvasive, on Wafer Method to Determine the Intrinsic Stress of a Polymer Layer

The method described in this paper allows an investigator to determine the intrinsic stress of a polymer layer in a way that does not result in damage to devices or test structures. The method requires that a small area of the polymer be released from the substrate to form a diaphragm. The diaphragm is stimulated with acoustic white noise and the diaphragm movement is monitored with a laser vibrometer. The first few resonance frequencies of the diaphragm are obtained using a laser vibrometer and then those frequencies are used to calculate the membrane intrinsic bi-axial tension.
Problem-Based-Learning and Learning-Through-Service for Sustainability Education

This paper shows how problem-based-learning (PBL) and learning-through-service (LTS) can provide a strong framework for fostering students’ adaptive expertise, flexibility, creativity, innovation, and passion in the classroom. Mississippi State University (MSU) represented by its Civil and Environmental Engineering Department (CEE) is currently in the design-development stage for the construction of a new Civil and Environmental Engineering Complex (CEEC). CEE is garnering a new focus on sustainability with special emphasis on environmentally responsible design, construction, and operation of constructed facilities. To this end, the authors have mentored a group of 22 undergraduate junior students under the High Performance Sustainable Construction class to provide a comprehensive Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) analysis for the new CEEC using the 2009 Reference Guide for Green Building Design and Construction, the student work shows that CEEC can possibly earn up to 74 points to acquire a Gold LEED Certification. This study shows that PBL and LTS can enhance students’ abilities of understanding and solving real world civil infrastructure problems and challenges. Also, this student-driven teaching approach instills a creative learning environment, understanding of the surrounding world, and a sense of social responsibility.
The Theory of Evolution is Not an Explanation for the Origin of Life

The propagation of misconceptions about the theory of biological evolution must be addressed whenever and wherever they are encountered. The recent article by Paz-y-Mino and Espinoza in this journal contained several such misconceptions, including: that biological evolution explains the origin of life, confusion between biological and cosmological evolution, and the use of the term “Darwinism,” all of which we address here. We argue that science educators, and biology educators particularly, must be aware of these (and other) misconceptions and work to remove them from their classrooms.
The Electrochemical Synthesis of the Graphite Intercalation Compounds Containing Tetra-n-alkylammonium Cations

This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by The Electrochemical Society and can be found at: http://www.electrochem.org/.
Arrays of microplasma devices fabricated in photodefinable glass and excited AC or DC by interdigitated electrodes

Arrays of microplasma devices, fabricated in a photodefinable glass and driven ac or dc by interdigitated electrodes outside the microcavities, have been fabricated and characterized. Operating in the abnormal glow mode for Ne pressures between 200 and 700 Torr and having characteristic cross-sectional dimensions of 75-100 /spl mu/m, the devices are well behaved and arrays as large as 25/spl times/25 pixels have been tested to date. Focused on ease of assembly and minimizing cost, the design of these arrays makes them attractive for structures having emitting areas of hundreds of square centimeters.
Immune Suppression Attenuates Hypertension and Renal Disease in the Dahl Salt-Sensitive Rat

Experiments were performed to determine the importance of activation or infiltration of immune cells in the kidney during the development of hypertension and renal disease in Dahl salt-sensitive rats (SS/Mcw) fed a 4.0% NaCl diet. Compared with vehicle-treated rats, chronic administration of mycophenolate mofetil ([MMF] 30 mg/kg per day, IP), an immunosuppressive agent that has cytostatic effects on T and B cells, decreased cell-specific markers of T and B cells by 50% to 60% in the kidneys of SS/Mcw rats (n=5 per group). Further studies were performed on Dahl SS/Mcw rats, which were instrumented with chronic indwelling catheters and studied after 3 weeks on the 4.0% NaCl diet. Rats were administered MMF or 5% dextrose vehicle daily during the 3-week period of high NaCl intake. Mean arterial blood pressure in the rats administered MMF (122+/-2 mm Hg; n=11) was significantly decreased compared with vehicle-treated rats (139+/-4 mm Hg; n=9). Furthermore, the rate of protein (112+/-13 mg per day) and albumin excretion (15+/-3 mg per day) in the MMF-treated rats was significantly lower than the protein and albumin excretion rate in vehicle-treated rats (167+/-25 and 31+/-7 mg per day, respectively). Creatinine clearance and body weight were not different between the groups, averaging 0.52+/-0.08 mL/min per gram kidney weight and 322+/-10 g, respectively, in the MMF-treated group. These experiments indicate that the activation of the immune system or renal infiltration of immune cells plays an important role in the development of hypertension and renal disease in Dahl SS/Mcw rats consuming an elevated NaCl diet.
Robust content dissemination in disrupted environments

Content dissemination in disrupted networks poses a big challenge, given that the current routing architectures of ad hoc networks require establishing routes from sources to destinations before content can disseminated between them. In ad hoc networks subject to disruption, lack of reliable connectivity between producers and consumers of information makes most routing protocols perform very poorly or not work at all. We present DIRECT (DIsruption REsilient Content Transport), which is a content dissemination approach for ad hoc networks that exploits in-network storage and the hop-by-hop dissemination of named information objects. Simulation experiments illustrate that DIRECT provides a high degree of reliability while maintaining low levels of delivery latencies and signaling and data overhead compared to traditional on-demand routing and epidemic routing.
Selective Amplification of CO Bond Hydrogenation on Pt/TiO2: Catalytic Reaction and Sum‐Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy Studies of Crotonaldehyde Hydrogenation

The hydrogenation of crotonaldehyde in the pres- ence of supported platinum nanoparticles was used to deter- mine how the interaction between the metal particles and their support can control catalytic performance. Using gas-phase catalytic reaction studies and in situ sum-frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy (SFG) to study Pt/TiO2 and Pt/SiO2 catalysts, a unique reaction pathway was identified for Pt/TiO2, which selectively produces alcohol products. The catalytic and spectroscopic data obtained for the Pt/SiO2 catalyst shows that SiO2 has no active role in this reaction. SFG spectra obtained for the Pt/TiO2 catalyst indicate the presence of a crotyl-oxy surface intermediate. By adsorption through the aldehyde oxygen atom to an O-vacancy site on the TiO2 surface, the C=O bond of crotonaldehyde is activated, by charge transfer, for hydrogenation. This intermediate reacts with spillover H provided by the Pt to produce crotyl alcohol.
Reflectance-based calibration of SeaWiFS. I. Calibration coefficients.

We present a calibration approach for the Sea-Viewing Wide Field-of-View Sensor (SeaWiFS) based on the reflectance properties of the instrument’s onboard diffuser. This technique uses SeaWiFS as a reflectometer, measuring the reflected solar irradiance from the Earth and from the onboard diffuser. Because the Sun is the common source of light for both measurements, the ratio of the SeaWiFS-measured radiances from the Earth and the diffuser provide the ratio for the reflectances of the two samples. The reflectance characterization of the onboard diffuser is the calibration reference for this approach. Knowledge of the value of the solar irradiance is not required for these measurements because it falls out of the ratio. Knowledge of the absolute calibration coefficient for the SeaWiFS measurements of each of the two samples is not required either. Instead, the result of the ratioing technique is based on the linearity of the instrument’s response to the intensity of the input light. The calibration requires knowledge, however, of the reflectance of the onboard diffuser at the start of the SeaWiFS mission and the response of the instrument bands, in digital numbers, for measurements of the diffuser at that time.
Is Prolonged Breastfeeding Associated with Malnutrition? Evidence from Nineteen Demographic and Health Surveys

A growing body of literature suggests that prolonged breast feeding typically defined as breast feeding beyond age one year may be a risk factor for malnutrition. The authors therefore investigated the extent to which prolonged breast feeding is a risk factor for malnutrition. Findings are based upon the use of multiple regression to relate current breast feeding status to weight and stature in children younger than age 36 months whose mothers participated in one of 19 Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) conducted during 1987-89. The data from 9 of 11 countries outside of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) indicate that among older children those still breastfed are shorter and lighter than those no longer breastfed. These differences which reached statistical significance in five countries become apparent at age 12-18 months. In five of eight SSA countries younger still breastfed children are significantly shorter and lighter than those no longer breastfed but the differences are largely diminished among older children. These basic patterns did not change once adjustments were made for family sociodemographic characteristics health care use and recent child illness.