cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Oxidative dissolution of silver nanoparticles by synthetic manganese dioxide investigated by synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are widely used in a variety of industrial and consumer applications and the disposal AgNP-containing materials is a potential source of environmental contamination. This study investigated the reaction of AgNPs with synthetic birnessite (δ-MnO2), a naturally-occurring MnO2 soil mineral shown in previous studies to oxidize both organic and inorganic dissolved species. The AgNPs used in this study ranged in size from 5 to 25 nm with an average particle diameter of 15.6 nm. Batch and kinetic reactions of MnO2-treated AgNP suspensions were studied by detecting AgNP oxidation to Ag+ using a combination of UV-Vis and microwave plasma atomic emission (MP-AES) spectrometries. Synchrotron K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XANES and EXAFS) was used to investigate the Ag oxidation state and structural characteristics of the reaction products. Oxidation of AgNP by MnO2 was detected in batch reactions showing an initial fast oxidation of AgNP to Ag+ (0–10 min) followed by a slower reaction (> 10 min) where Ag+ was removed by adsorption on MnO2 surfaces. XANES results confirmed that total AgNP oxidation by MnO2 occurred after 48 h when the Mn:Ag mole ratio treatment exceeded 5:1. The final AgNP oxidation product determined by EXAFS was Ag+ ion bound as a AgO4 tetrahedral structure in MnO2 interlayer cation exchange sites with Ag-O and Ag-Mn inter-atomic distances of 2.28 (± 0.02) and 3.88 (± 0.09) A, respectively. This structure is in agreement with previous EXAFS studies of naturally-occurring Ag-bearing MnO2 mineral samples and represents one of many possible Ag+ binding sites on soil mineral surfaces.
Place-based instruction in archives: our pedagogical roots

Archival instruction has undergone an evolution of growth over the past several years. As archivists at colleges and universities increase their instructional roles, it is to the benefit of student...
An Activity-Based Nanosensor for Traumatic Brain Injury

Currently, traumatic brain injury (TBI) is detected by medical imaging; however, medical imaging requires expensive capital equipment, is time- and resource-intensive, and is poor at predicting patient prognosis. To date, direct measurement of elevated protease activity has yet to be utilized to detect TBI. In this work, we engineered an activity-based nanosensor for TBI (TBI-ABN) that responds to increased protease activity initiated after brain injury. We establish that a calcium-sensitive protease, calpain-1, is active in the injured brain hours within injury. We then optimize the molecular weight of a nanoscale polymeric carrier to infiltrate into the injured brain tissue with minimal renal filtration. A calpain-1 substrate that generates a fluorescent signal upon cleavage was attached to this nanoscale polymeric carrier to generate an engineered TBI-ABN. When applied intravenously to a mouse model of TBI, our engineered sensor is observed to locally activate in the injured brain tissue. This TBI-ABN is the first demonstration of a sensor that responds to protease activity to detect TBI.
Determination of in-situ elastic properties and reservoir boundary conditions

Abstract The elastic properties of reservoir formation are usually measured through laboratory triaxial tests or are estimated from empirical correlations obtained from well logs. Both approaches have similar limitation of the estimated value being representative of near-wellbore region. The former, however, has the further limitations of being costly and the unavailability of core samples for having a reliable estimate. In this paper, a new methodology is presented to determine the in-situ elastic properties (Poisson's ratio-PR- and Young's modulus) using pressure transient testing. Adopting the poroelasticity theory, a generalized diffusivity equation is formulated incorporating reservoir deformations into the fluid flow. By applying different boundary conditions, namely generalized plane stress, plane strain, and uniaxial strain, several analytical solutions were developed to obtain the PR from well testing. It shall be noted that the Young's modulus can be estimated given PR and bulk modulus. Two field data sets were used to implement and validate the proposed methodology for estimation of the PR (a build-up test data-set from a limestone oil reservoir and an interference drawdown well testing data-set from a sandstone aquifer). Results indicate that indeed the PR is a strong function of the reservoir deformational behavior. Moreover, estimation of PR under different boundary conditions provide a tool to identify the dominant reservoir deformational conditions. This was identified for the first data set by having the sonic well log data available and for the second data set by comparing the pressure-time measurements with their counterparts obtained from fully coupled fluid flow/geomechanics simulations. Moreover, once the validity of the output is confirmed by comparison with the available PR from well logging and/or coupled flow/geomechanics simulations, the proposed protocol can be re-used multiple times during reservoir life to estimate the elastic properties under the appraised BCs, without the necessity to run new well logs or lab tests.
Algae-Based Beneficial Re-use of Carbon Emissions Using a Novel Photobioreactor: a Techno-Economic and Life Cycle Analysis

Despite the many advantages of microalgae, the feasibility of large-scale cultivation requires significant amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) to enable high growth rates. A synergistic union typically proposed for the supply of CO2 is the coupling of algal cultivation with emissions from power plants. This study investigates the sustainability of a novel microalgae platform coupled with coal-based flue gas. The proposed system consists of a novel photobioreactor (PBR) for the production of biomass followed by a two-stage dewatering process. A systems model, which quantifies the CO2 and energy consumption of the proposed system, was developed, and the minimum biomass selling price (MBSP) was determined by a techno-economic analysis (TEA). TEA results indicate that a facility with the capacity to capture 30% of the emissions from a 1-MW power plant requires a biomass production of 1280 metric ton per year, which when scaled to a nth of kind facility can produce biomass at a MBSP of $2322 per ton. The environmental impact of the proposed facility was determined by a life cycle assessment methodology, and results indicate a carbon capture potential of 1.16 × 104 metric tons of CO2 equivalent. In addition, an energy analysis indicates a desirable net energy ratio of 0.1, which is lower than conventional PBRs. Discussion focuses on the requirements to reduce biomass production cost, including research investment areas for increasing productivity while decreasing energy requirements.
Changing public opinion about gender activates group threat and opposition to feminist social movements among men

Two studies examined whether men’s perception of the declining value of traditional masculinity activates social status, realistic, and symbolic threat, and in turn motivates opposition to feminist...
A high resolution oligonucleotide CpG island microarray

A56 CpG islands are stretches of high GC content DNA containing multiple CpG dinucleotides. When CpG dinucleotides within these islands are methylated, especially in promoter regions, expression of the corresponding downstream genes is often repressed. Aberrant CpG island methylation is implicated in cancer. We have developed an oligonucleotide microarray that specifically represents the CpG islands in the human genome. This microarray contains ~230,000 oligo probes tiling the 21 megabases of 27,800 CpG islands, with an average spacing between probes of 95 base pairs. The microarray is designed to be compatible with several published methods for the genome-wide detection of methylated CpG islands. To demonstrate the ability of this microarray to accurately detect methylated DNA, we performed analysis of human genomic DNA samples after methylated DNA immunoprecipitation (mDIP). Additionally, we developed and tested “spike-in” control DNA that was in vitro methylated to varying degrees. The mDIP method combined with CpG island microarray analysis accurately differentiated between partially and fully methylated spike-in DNAs. We then applied the whole-genome assay to the prostate cancer cell line PC3, where we detected methylated CpG islands upstream of cancer related genes including CDKN2A/p16. We extended the study to other cancer cell lines and determined relative methylation at multiple cancer related genes. Finally, using male and female embryonic lung fibroblast cell lines, we demonstrate that many CpG islands on the female X chromosome are more methylated than the corresponding islands on the male X chromosome. In comparison, methylation of CpG islands on the autosomes is essentially the same for both the male and female.
Preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen as an outcome predictor in colon cancer

Objective Several reports have shown that certain pre-operative CEA intervals can be predictive of long-term outcomes and have subsequently implied that preoperative CEA may be useful to assess the risk of recurrence or death as a continuous number for individual cases. This analysis assesses if this hypothesis is valid after correction for confounders. Methods All colon cancer patients operated on at Massachusetts General Hospital from 2004 through 2011 were considered for retrospective review. Association between outcomes and preoperative CEA was measured in intervals and as a linear relationship. Results Of the 1,071 patients operated for colon adenocarcinoma, 621 (57.9%) had a preoperative CEA drawn and were included in the analysis. In models using intervals, preoperative CEA did show association with (disease-free) survival, but this was shown to be chiefly a surrogate for metastatic presentation. In linear approaches adjusted for metastatic presentation, CEA loses all correlations with metastatic disease (P = 0.84), survival (P = 0.11), survival duration (P = 0.42) and disease-free interval (P = 0.94). Conclusions Extrapolating the predictive value of certain preoperative CEA intervals to a continuous approach for use in a case-for-case basis is unjustified. Preoperative CEA may be a useful risk estimator but has limited significance for predictions of long-term outcomes in individual cases. J. Surg. Oncol. 2013;108:14-18. (c) 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
No more poverty in America?: A critique of Martin Anderson's theory of welfare

Abstract Anderson claims that poverty in America has been “virtually eliminated,” that social programs exist for all who need them, that benefits are generous, and that work is the road to welfare reform. He makes a convincing case for these and other claims and bases his arguments on an impressive array of governmental data. This article analyzes the same data and arrives at opposite conclusions. It starts by examining how poverty is denned by the U.S. government and offers a critique of this mode of definition. It finds that the U.S. poverty line is grossly inadequate. Because the poverty line has not kept up with absolute increases in personal income or with the cost of living, poverty in America has hardly been reduced, let alone eliminated. For many reasons, Anderson's practice of counting inkind benefits as income is both unfair and illogical. Contrary to his assertion, there never was a serious war on poverty and few programs direct benefits solely to low income people. There are not now, nor have there ever been, generous government programs that provide benefits to all who need them. Anderson blurs his definition of “welfare,” confuses social assistance with social insurance, miscalculates the number of welfare recipients, and appears to believe that many people who received categorical relief are employable. In reality, most are not. Finally, Anderson never grapples with the real issue, which is not poverty per se, but relative poverty as indicated by the unequal distribution of income and wealth.
Political Participation Pattern by Country of Origin Among Asian Americans

Objectives: Despite the relatively high levels of socioeconomic status, Asian turnout has been low. While socialization and acculturation processes, especially in the forms of language and birthplace (U.S.- vs. foreign-born), present significant barriers to Asian American citizens, researchers have understudied the impacts from immigrants’ predispositions cultivated in their countries of origin. The majority of the Asian population in the U.S. is foreign-born. This leads us to suspect a lingering effect from Asian immigrants’ home countries. This study, therefore, examines the electoral participation patterns of Asian American citizens in the United States by their country of origin.Methods: We use the Current Population Survey from 1994 to 2010, which consistently included self-reported turnout questions as well as birthplace of participants. In addition, we use world democracy index as indication to what degree immigrants were pre-exposed to “democratic practices.” Our multilevel model includes both individual-level characteristics collected from CPS and country-level political features we compiled.Findings: We find that immigrants from less democratic countries are less likely to participate in American politics, all else being equal. This impact, however, is expected to fade away as the immigrants (and their descendants) spend a longer period of time in the U.S. Essentially, our interest lies in the processes by which newcomers can integrate into the political system.
Patterns of change in depression after stroke.

OBJECTIVES: To provide estimates of change in depressive symptoms and determine how changes in depressive symptom influence recovery of functional status. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Eleven inpatient medical rehabilitation facilities located across the United States. PARTICIPANTS: Five hundred forty-four persons with a first-time stroke. MEASUREMENTS: General linear regression model estimates assessed associations between depressive symptom change and functional status 3 and 12 months after discharge. RESULTS: The majority of persons with stroke were aged 75 and older, white, female, and married. The most prevalent stroke type was ischemic. For participants without depression at discharge, those who reported fewer depressive symptoms 12 months after stroke than before had an adjusted functional status score of 108.2, whereas those with more symptoms had an adjusted functional status score of 104.6. For participants who were depressed at discharge, those who reported fewer depressive symptoms 12 months after stroke than before had an adjusted functional status score of 100.3, whereas those with more symptoms had an adjusted functional status score of 88.0. CONCLUSION: Tracking depressive symptom change in the hospital and after discharge is clinically relevant and is an important component of patient care and recovery of functional status.
Host-Bacteriophage Interaction in Agrobacterium tumefaciens III. Phage-Coded Endolysins

Endolysins were detected in a sensitive strain of Agrobacterium tumefaciens (B6) after infection with phage LV-1 and in the lysogen A. tumefaciens V-1 after induction with mitomycin C. A similar endolysin was found in mitomycin C-induced A. tumefaciens C-58, which apparently harbors a defective prophage.
Endogenous myelin basic protein-serum factors (MBP-SFs) in Lewis rats

Abstract MBP-SF, previously described as an endogenous myelin basic protein-serum factor in Lewis rats with a suggested function as a neuroautotolerogen, appears not to be a single factor but a heterogeneous collection of serum factors (MBP-SFs), most probably small fragments of MBP, each cross-reactive with a different region of the multideterminant parent molecule. The heterogeneity of the MBP-SFs in any serum sample is defined and limited by the spectrum of binding affinities of the antibody populations represented in a given reagent anti-MBP antiserum. Some samples of normal Lewis rat serum have been found to contain high affinity MBP-SFs which coexist with low affinity anti-MBP antibodies whereas other sera have shown the reversed pattern, viz. low affinity MBP-SFs and high affinity antibodies. Additional sera have been found to contain MBP-SFs of several different affinities. In time-course studies of rats sensitized to neuroantigen-adjuvant a variety of MBP-SFs and anti-MBP antibodies of different affinities may be observed in sequentially collected sera from a given animal. In no animal has any serum sample been found to contain the full spectrum of MBP-SFs. Although some MBP-SFs have been found to increase temporarily during the 2nd week after neuroantigen/CFA sensitization, all MBP-SFs tend to disappear in the 2nd week and to be replaced by anti-MBP antibodies of differing affinities 3–4 weeks following sensitization.
Electrocardiographic changes after quinidine in supraventricular tachycardia: Simulation of acute myocardial infarction

Abstract The electrocardiographic changes produced by quinidine and rapid heart action are well known. The purpose of this communication is to report an unusual electrocardiographic finding, the simulation of acute myocardial infarction in a patient who had supraventricular tachycardia and who was treated with quinidine. This phenomenon has not been previously reported.
Racial disparities in the use of SBRT for treating early-stage lung cancer.

Abstract Objectives Prior studies have shown that the surgical resection rate for black patients with early-stage lung cancer is significantly lower than that of white patients, which may partially explain the worse outcomes observed in this group. Over the past decade, however, there has been increasing utilization of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) as an alternative to surgical resection for inoperable patients. We undertook a population-based study to evaluate potential racial disparities in the use of SBRT. Materials and methods Using the National Cancer Database, black and white patients with Stage I NSCLC between 2003 and 2011 were identified. Patients were categorized based on primary treatment modality. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to identify demographic predictors of SBRT utilization in the non-operative population. Results A total of 113,312 patients met the inclusion criteria. When compared to white patients, black patients were less likely to receive surgical intervention (66% vs. 58%, P P Conclusion In this national dataset, we confirmed prior observations that black patients are less likely to receive surgery than white patients, and also found that black patients are less likely to receive SBRT. This suggests that even with emerging utilization of SBRT for inoperable candidates, black patients continue to receive less aggressive therapy.
Diffusion of Protest

Studies of diffusion have a long-standing history within the social sciences. Recent concurrent political uprisings within the mid-East and the global spread of the Occupy! Movement have renewed focus on the spread of tactics within and between social movements organizations. The article discusses the historical context of diffusion research, with an emphasis on diffusion research within the study of social movements. The author calls for continued research on the spread of tactics within international social movements given that such movements are currently dynamic and contested sites of struggle.
Biographies and Other Essays on the History of Clinical Chemistry. Louis Rosenfeld, editor. Washington, DC: AACC Press, History Division, 1999, 381 pp., $12.00. ISBN 1-890883-21-2.

This book, published by the History Division of the American Association for Clinical Chemistry, contains 79 articles from Clinical Chemistry that reflect the wide-ranging interests of their authors. The monograph was dedicated to Elizabeth K. Smith, PhD, a charter member of the History Division’s executive committee and grantor of the bequest that made this publication possible. The articles are arranged in five categories, each in the order of publication. Thirty-four of the selections are biographies, 12 are reviews of developments in the discipline, and 18 concern the modern origins of clinical chemistry. Laboratory-related activities are discussed in 11 of the articles, and the histories of commercial and industrial contributions …
Chronic neurologic dysfunction and demyelination induced in lewis rats by repeated injections of encephalitogenic T-lymphocyte lines

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in the Lewis rat is characteristically a monophasic paralytic disorder. Recovered rats are thereafter immune to EAE induced by injection of guinea pig basic protein (GP-BP) in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA), but they are still susceptible to EAE induced by an encephalitogenic T-lymphocyte line (BP-1). Induction of active EAE or injection of a sublethal dose of activated BP-1 cells resulted in a monophasic episode of EAE, followed by recovery of normal neurologic function. Repeated challenges with activated BP-1 cells, however, induced unremitting neurologic signs marked by loss of tail tonicity and incontinence, which persisted for more than 6 months. Histologically, the spinal cord of affected rats revealed attenuation of MBP staining (demyelination) and moderate-to-extensive gliosis associated with increased size of intervening spaces. Inflammatory cell lesions, however, were notably absent. Biophysical analysis of isolated spinal cord myelin from affected rats demonstrated a distorted distribution in subfraction densities and the appearance of extra-myelin proteins in the light myelin subfraction. Immunologically, chronically affected animals were unresponsive to the encephalitogenic determinant on GP-BP, although other BP determinants elicited strong delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) reactions in rats immunized initially with GP-BP in CFA. These data show that ongoing neurologic dysfunction can be induced in the Lewis rat by a GP-BP specific T-lymphocyte line; they suggest that unremitting clinical signs can persist in the absence both of inflammatory lesions in the CNS and of pronounced immunologic responsiveness to the encephalitogenic determinant of GP-BP.
MODULATION OF CHICKEN ASIC1 BY 2-GUANIDINE-4-METHYLQUINAZOLINE (GMQ) IN THE ABSENCE AND PRESENCE OF PSALMOTOXIN-1

Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are trimeric, sodium-selective channels that sense changes in extracellular acidity and are part of the epithelium sodium channel/degenerin (ENaC/DEG) family of ion channels. ASICs are sensitive to an increasing number of nonproton ligands that include natural venom peptides and guanidine compounds, such as amiloride and 2-guanidine-4-methylquinazoline (GMQ). The nonproton ligand GMQ has been shown to stimulate ASIC3 by expanding the pH range of the ASIC window current, but decreased the sensitivity of other ASIC subtypes to protons. The effect of GMQ on chicken ASIC1 (cASIC1), which has been used to elucidate the protein crystal structures, is unknown. Furthermore, cASIC1 exhibits unique channel gating properties, including the spider toxin ASIC1a Psalmotoxin-1 (PcTx1) induced activation. We sought to elucidate the interaction of GMQ, PcTx1, and cASIC1 using whole-cell and outside-out patch clamp electrophysiology to provide additional insight into the nonproton ligand interaction with a structurally characterized ASIC construct. Our studies revealed GMQ increases the cASIC1 proton sensitivity, as observed by a leftward shift in the proton activation curve. When alone, the nonproton ligand failed to activate cASIC1. Additionally, we observed GMQ concentration-dependent enhancement of the cASIC1 PcTx1 persistent current. Our data suggests that GMQ may have multiple sites of action on cASIC1 and may act as a "molecular wedge" that forces the desensitized ASIC into an open state. We anticipate that the revelation of GMQ stimulation in the cASIC1 subtype will warrant further investigations into nonproton ligand sensitivity in other ASIC subtypes and provide the foundation for the design of novel ligands that exploit the nonproton ligand site to influence ASIC activity.
The McGNASH nuclear reaction code and its use for gas production cross-section calculations

Abstract The McGNASH nuclear reaction code being developed at Los Alamos is presented. It is a modern version of the well-known GNASH code, which implements the Hauser–Feshbach theory of the compound nucleus evaporation and takes into account corrections from the pure statistical formalism (direct reactions, pre-equilibrium processes, etc.). Its use spans neutron-, proton- and photon-induced reactions on target nuclei starting from A ≃ 20 and up, and for incident energies from tens of keV up to about 200 MeV. Its application to the determination of gas production cross-sections for the Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative is presented.
Into the Great Unknown: Stress Testing with Weak Data

Stress testing has become the risk management tool du jour in the wake of the global financial crisis. In countries where the information reported by financial institutions is considered to be of sufficiently good quality, and supervisory and regulatory standards are high, stress tests can be of significant value. In contrast, the proliferation of stress testing in underdeveloped financial systems with weak oversight regimes is fraught with uncertainties, as it is unclear what the results actually represent and how they could be usefully applied. In this paper, problems associated with stress tests using weak data are examined. We offer a potentially more useful alternative, the "breaking point" method, which also requires close coordination with on-site supervision and complemented by other supervisory tools and qualitative information. Excel spreadsheet templates of the stress tests presented in this paper are provided.
Automatic identification of hierarchy in multivariate data

Given n variables to model, symbolic regression (SR) returns a flat list of n equations. As the number of state variables to be modeled scales, it becomes increasingly difficult to interpret such a list. Here we present a symbolic regression method that detects and captures hidden hierarchy in a given system. The method returns the equations in a hierarchical dependency graph, which increases the interpretability of the results. We demonstrate two variations of this hierarchical modeling approach, and show that both consistently outperform non-hierarchical symbolic regression on a number of synthetic data sets.
Mathematical evidence for flow-induced changes in myocardial oxygen consumption

The objective of this investigation was to aid in the determination of the mechanism by which oxygen consumption changes in proportion to coronary perfusion pressure or coronary blood flow. A mathematical model of oxygen transport and consumption in the isolated-perfused heart was developed, based on data from an autoregulating, cell-free perfused, externally paced, isovolumic feline heart preparation. The model features the unique combination of Michaelis-Menten kinetics, and one-dimensional (axial) diffusion in radially well-mixed tissue. An adaptive finite-difference integration routine was used to solve the resulting third order stiff two-point boundary value problem. A simplex minimization was employed to determine the parameter values that minimized the squared difference between the model and the experimental data in terms of tissue PO2 distribution (histograms). Different cases of the model representing pressure-induced, flow-induced, and “magnified” flow effects were run. The flow-dependent oxygen consumption version of the model produced a histogram squared error 30% lower than the pressure-induced version and 5% lower than any other case. The model and a critical review of the literature indicate that a flow-related mechanism is responsible for this phenomenon. Evidence also demonstrates that the Michaelis-Menten kinetics constant is not constant for different oxygen tensions.
Timing is everything: using fluidics to understand the role of temporal dynamics in cellular systems

In biology, it is not only the magnitude of a chemical stimulus that determines cellular response; it is becoming increasingly clear that the timing of the stimulus is vastly important as well. Currently there is a paucity of data regarding cell behavior under dynamic stimulation conditions that are representative of what occurs in vivo. This is, at least in part, attributed to the lack of appropriate tools for generating time-varying stimulatory signals in highly diverse patterns. Fluidics on the macro and micro scale has provided a practical platform for dynamically stimulating cells in a highly controllable manner at physiological and supra-physiological time scales (seconds to a few hours). These fluidic systems have contributed substantially to our understanding of how cells process and react to dynamic stimulatory environments; while these setups provide the means to analyze and manipulate cellular behavior in these types of environments on the single-cell level and on a high-throughput level, improvements can be made to these platforms to enhance their utility for high-impact biological investigations of temporal dynamics.
Mean and turbulence structure of the summertime Arctic cloudy boundary layer

The structure of the summertime Arctic planetary boundary layer in the presence of a stratus cloud cover is described using the data from a series of aircraft observations made during 1975 and 1980 over the Beaufort Sea. The cloudy boundary layers that were studied can be classified into three groups: (1) a stable boundary layer with thin, patchy clouds that may occur in numerous layers; (2) a stable boundary layer, frequently containing a fog, that is surmounted by a cloud-topped mixed layer; and (3) a cloud-topped mixed layer that extends from the surface. Several existing models of the cloudy boundary layer that have been applied to the Arctic are discussed in light of the aircraft observations. Two cases with relatively high wind velocity signals have been chosen for detailed analysis of the mean and turbulence characteristics. The observed mean budgets of equivalent potential temperature were generally dominated by the radiative and advective terms, while the moisture budgets were dominated by advection and the turbulent fluxes. The processes that act to produce and destroy turbulence kinetic energy in the summertime Arctic cloudy boundary layer are also examined. The dominant mode of turbulence kinetic energy production in the Arctic cloudy boundary layer is the buoyancy produced within the cloud due to the cloud diabatic processes. This paper focuses particularly on the role of diabatic processes (radiative and condensational heating) associated with the cloud in modifying the turbulence structure of the boundary layer. A comparison is made of these two cases with the marine stratocumulus layers previously described in the literature.
Asymptotic stability of Hessenberg delay differential-algebraic equations of retarded or neutral type

In this paper we prove that for Hessenberg delay DAEs of retarded type, the direct linearization along the stationary solution is valid. This validity is obtained by showing the equivalence between the direct linearization and the linearization of the state space form of the original problem, which is assured to be legitimate. Thus the study of the asymptotic stability of the stationary solution can be transformed to the study of the null solution of the linearization of the original problem. We point out here that a similar method can be used to prove the validity of the direct linearization of delay differential-algebraic equations of neutral type.
Case-control study of thrombophilia patients treated with enoxaparin undergoing cesarean section: Comparison of change in hematocrit, and estimated blood loss

UNDERGOING CESAREAN SECTION: COMPARISON OF CHANGE IN HEMATOCRIT, AND ESTIMATED BLOOD LOSS SHAD DEERING, MADHU UPPALATI, CRAIG KESSLER, SUSAN LASHGARI, ANDREA SHIELDS, HELAIN LANDY, Georgetown University, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington, District of Columbia, Georgetown University, Hematology, Washington, District of Columbia, Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, Washington OBJECTIVE: Low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) is increasingly used in thrombophilic women during pregnancy with little objective data examining its effect on blood loss with cesarean section. This study evaluates the effect of enoxaparin on operative blood loss in thrombophilic women being anticoagulated with enoxaparin prior to and after cesarean delivery. STUDY DESIGN: 18 women with a documented thrombophilia treated with enoxaparin underwent cesarean delivery. Patients on enoxaparin were scheduled for labor induction or cesarean for obstetric indications 24 hours after their last scheduled dose. Control patients with no history of venous thromboembolism, thrombophilia, or other bleeding disorders were matched for gestational age and indication for cesarean. Demographic information, the time interval between last enoxaparin dose and cesarean, pre and post-operative hematocrit, estimated blood loss (EBL), and the need for transfusion was collected and analyzed. Statistical analysis utilized the Student t-Test, Chi-Square test, or linear regression as appropriate. RESULTS: Mean maternal and gestational ages were 33.8 (G4.6) years and 37.2 (G2.5) weeks respectively. Mean time from last enoxaparin dose to cesarean was 33.1 (G17.3) hours. No difference between thrombophilic and control patients in preoperative hematocrit (36.9 G 4.5% vs. 35.6 G 3.7%, P = .36) or change in hematocrit (5.2 G 2.7% vs. 5.0 G 2.7%, P = .79) were noted. The EBL was greater for enoxaparin patients (705 G 172 mL vs 808 G 269 mL) but this was not statistically significant (P = .18). Only one patient in the thrombophilia group had a decrease in hematocrit of >10% (10.7%) and no patients required transfusion. Regression analysis demonstrated no relationship between the change in hematocrit and either the length of time since the last administration of enoxaparin (P = .81) or dose of enoxaparin (P = .94). CONCLUSION: Planned or indicated cesarean delivery in patients treated with enoxaparin during pregnancy was not associated with increased blood loss or decreased hematocrit compared to normal controls.
Assertive therapy for battered women: A case illustration☆

Abstract This article presents a case study of a battered woman who took part in an assertive therapy group at a battered woman shelter in the midwest. The history of the woman is presented along with a transcript from the group illustrating the use of assertive therapy with this population. After remaining at the shelter for approximately 1 month, and participating in an intensive, assertive therapy program, the woman left her husband and achieved a measure of independence. The authors recommend ongoing supportive, assertive therapy as a means of maintaining behavior change.
Effect of Moderate Exercise on the Performance and Learning of a Gross Motor Skill

The problem was to investigate the effect of a moderate standardized work load upon the learning of a gross motor skill. Non-exercised Ss performed 10 30-sec. trials on a stabilometer, rested, and ...
Trauma Among Survivors of Hurricane Katrina: Considerations and Recommendations for Mental Health Care

Many individuals who have experienced natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina become traumatized. Emotional responses to traumatic events range from nonspecific psychological distress to posttraumatic stress disorder. These conditions should be treated to improve the chances of recovery among survivors. The purpose of this article is to outline the initial steps for effectively engaging individuals who survive disasters in mental health care with an emphasis on Katrina. These steps include (a) appropriate reactions to the survivors' stories and experiences, (b) identifying and interpreting the emotions of Katrina survivors, (c) distinguishing appropriate stress reactions from mental illness, and (d) transforming traumatic experiences into a positive growth experience. Discussion with Katrina survivors about compound trauma, for those who experience it, is essential for movement toward more thoughtful and deliberate plans for healthy living in the future.
Progress in the Development of Graphite- Aluminum Composites Using Liquid Infiltration Technology:

The most successful techniques for producing graphite-aluminum com posites have been those that utilize liquid-metal infiltration of graphite yarn. Almost all grades and types of graphite yarn can be infiltrated; how ever, a fiber coating is required, which results in wetting and provides a diffusion barrier to inhibit aluminum carbide formation. Two fiber coating methods are discussed in detail, including the sodium pretreatment method that results in intermetallic compound formation on the fiber and a chem ical vapor deposition method that applies a titanium-boron codeposit.
Adaptive differences in plant physiology and ecosystem paradoxes: insights from metabolic scaling theory

The link between variation in species-specific plant traits, larger scale patterns of productivity, and other ecosystem processes is an important focus for global change research. Understanding such linkages requires synthesis of evolutionary, biogeograpahic, and biogeochemical approaches to ecological research. Recent observations reveal several apparently paradoxical patterns across ecosystems. When compared with warmer low latitudes, ecosystems from cold northerly latitudes are described by (1) a greater temperature normalized instantaneous flux of CO2 and energy; and (2) similar annual values of gross primary production (GPP), and possibly net primary production. Recently, several authors attributed constancy in GPP to historical and abiotic factors. Here, we show that metabolic scaling theory can be used to provide an alternative ‘biotically driven’ hypothesis. The model provides a baseline for understanding how potentially adaptive variation in plant size and traits associated with metabolism and biomass production in differing biomes can influence whole-ecosystem processes. The implication is that one cannot extrapolate leaf/lab/forest level functional responses to the globe without considering evolutionary and geographic variation in traits associated with metabolism. We test one key implication of this model ‐ that directional and adaptive changes in metabolic and stoichiometric traits of autotrophs may mediate patterns of plant growth across broad temperature gradients. In support of our model, on average, mass-corrected whole-plant growth rates are not related to differences in growing season temperature or latitude. Further, we show how these changes in autotrophic physiology and nutrient content across gradients may have important implications for understanding: (i) the origin of paradoxical ecosystem behavior; (ii) the potential efficiency of whole-ecosystem carbon dynamics as measured by the quotient of system capacities for respiration, R, and assimilation, A; and (iii) the origin of several ‘ecosystem constants’ ‐ attributes of ecological systems that apparently do not vary with temperature (and thus with latitude). Together, these results highlight the potential critical importance of community ecology and functional evolutionary/ physiological ecology for understanding the role of the biosphere within the integrated earth system.
Through-the-Wall Human Motion Indication Using Sparsity-Driven Change Detection

We consider sparsity-driven change detection (CD) for human motion indication in through-the-wall radar imaging and urban sensing applications. Stationary targets and clutter are removed via CD, which converts a populated scene into a sparse scene of a few human targets moving inside enclosed structures and behind walls. We establish appropriate CD models for various possible human motions, ranging from translational motions to sudden short movements of the limbs, head, and/or torso. These models permit scene reconstruction within the compressive sensing framework. Results based on laboratory experiments show that a sizable reduction in the data volume is achieved using the proposed approach without a degradation in system performance.
Defensins of vertebrate animals.

Abstract During the past year, novel β-defensins of mice and men have been identified, together with a novel defensin subfamily (the circular or ‘θ’ minidefensins) in primates. Insight into the evolution of defensins has been obtained from structural studies, and several mechanisms related to microbial resistance to defensins have been delineated. There is now convincing evidence that defensins augment adaptive immune responses.
Heme oxygenase metabolites inhibit tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF).

Tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF) is the mechanism by which the macula densa (MD) senses increases in luminal NaCl concentration and sends a signal to constrict the afferent arteriole (Af-Art). The k...
Evaluation of a sheath flow cuvette for postcolumn fluorescence derivatization of DNA fragments separated by capillary electrophoresis

The investigation and evaluation of the sheath flow cell as a reaction chamber to postcolumn fluorescently derivatize DNA fragments separated by capillary electrophoresis is described herein. Use of the sheath flow cell arrangement facilitates the mixing of the intercalating dye, ethidium bromide (EB), and the effluent from the separation capillary by diffusion without a high degree of band dispersion. Theoretical plate counts of >1 × 10(6) are reported with the postcolumn derivatization technique, and resolution of all of the fragments in a φx-174-HaeIII digest is achieved. Optimization of experimental parameters such as flow rate, position of the detection zone, and EB concentration is examined. A limit of detection in the low nanograms-per-milliliter range with a linear dynamic range over 3 orders of magnitude is reported for a sample of φx-174-HaeIII digest. Evaluation of postcolumn derivatization for the investigation of DNA-protein interactions is demonstrated. The integrity of a DNA-trp-repressor protein interaction is maintained with the postcolumn approach but is compromised when EB is added to the running buffer.
ANTIDOTE: understanding and defending against poisoning of anomaly detectors

Statistical machine learning techniques have recently garnered increased popularity as a means to improve network design and security. For intrusion detection, such methods build a model for normal behavior from training data and detect attacks as deviations from that model. This process invites adversaries to manipulate the training data so that the learned model fails to detect subsequent attacks.We evaluate poisoning techniques and develop a defense, in the context of a particular anomaly detector - namely the PCA-subspace method for detecting anomalies in backbone networks. For three poisoning schemes, we show how attackers can substantially increase their chance of successfully evading detection by only adding moderate amounts of poisoned data. Moreover such poisoning throws off the balance between false positives and false negatives thereby dramatically reducing the efficacy of the detector.To combat these poisoning activities, we propose an antidote based on techniques from robust statistics and present a new robust PCA-based detector. Poisoning has little effect on the robust model, whereas it significantly distorts the model produced by the original PCA method. Our technique substantially reduces the effectiveness of poisoning for a variety of scenarios and indeed maintains a significantly better balance between false positives and false negatives than the original method when under attack.
Inhibition of adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate phosphodiesterase by colchicine: implications for glucagon and corticosteroid secretion.

Abstract In the study reported, colchicine, often regarded as a specific inhibitor of microtubular function, was shown to exert a concentration-dependent inhibition of the low K m cyclic AMP phosphodiesterases of the pancreatic islet, adrenal cortex and various other tissues of the rat. The results indicated that colchicine is only slightly less active as an inhibitor of the enzyme than theophylline on a molar basis and kinetic analysis revealed that both inhibitors acted competitively in the case of the liver enzyme. Our results show that the inhibitory effect of colchicine upon cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase is a general property of the alkaloid at concentrations of 5×10 −5 M and above in both endocrine and non-endocrine tissues. Thus, results obtained employing colchicine at concentrations significantly greater than those which are known to lead to microtubular disaggregation must be viewed with great caution if incorrect implication of microtubular participation in biological processes is to be avoided. For example, we propose that the previously reported paradoxical stimulatory effects of colchicine on the secretion of glucagon from the rat pancreatic islet and on steroidogenesis in the rat adrenal may be due to cyclic AMP accumulation consequent upon phosphodiesterase inhibition in these endocrine tissues and not to microtubular disaggregation as has hitherto been assumed.
Modeling and design of an optically powered microactuator for a microfluidic dispenser

This paper presents the modeling and design of an optically powered piezolectric microactuator for application in actuating and dispensing small amounts of fluid from a novel microfluidic device. This work is motivated by an ongoing project towards the development of a novel retinal prosthesis that requires such a device. The microactuator treated in this paper comprises of a solar cell integrated with a piezoelectric microactuator consisting of an active piezoelectric layer and a passive silicon layer. An integrated model combining various components of the dispenser is derived and optimal dimensions of the microactuator are obtained so that the microfluidic dispenser meets the estimated application performance requirements.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
X-ray laser microscopy of rat sperm nuclei.

The development of high brightness and short pulse width x-ray lasers now offers biologists the possibility of high-resolution imaging of specimens in an aqueous environment without the blurring effects associated with natural motions and chemical erosion. As a step toward developing the capabilities of this type of x-ray microscopy, a tantalum x-ray laser at 44.83 angstrom wavelength was used together with an x-ray zone plate lens to image both unlabeled and selectively gold-labeled dried rat sperm nuclei. The observed images show {approximately}500 angstrom features, illustrate the importance of x-ray microscopy in determining chemical composition, and provide information about the uniformity of sperm chromatin organization and the extent of sperm chromatin hydration.
Effect of the second filler which melted during composite fabrication on the electrical properties of short fiber polymer-matrix composites

This paper presents a method for greatly enhancing the electrical conductivity and electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness of short conducting fiber filled polymers. This method involves the addition of a small proportion of metal particles as a second filler to the fiber polymer-matrix composite. The key to the method is that the metal particles melt during the composite fabrication, so that the metal electrically connects the metal-coated carbon fibers to a certain degree, thereby resulting in a partially connected three-dimensional network. By adding 2 vol% tin-lead particles to 20 vol% short nickel-coated carbon fiber filled polyether sulfone, the electrical resistivity was decreased by a factor of 2000, while the shielding effectiveness at 1 GHz was increased from 19 to 45 dB. No such improvement was found for the same volume fraction of tinlead particles added to an uncoated carbon fiber composite. This difference is due to the superior wetting of solder with nickel compared to that of solder with carbon, as shown by contact angle measurements.