cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electrochemical reduction of phthaloyl dichloride at carbon and mercury cathodes in acetonitrile

Abstract Cyclic voltammograms for the reduction of phthaloyl dichloride at carbon and mercury electrodes in acetonitrile containing tetraethylammonium perchlorate exhibit six cathodic waves; the first wave is attributable to electrolytic cleavage of one CCl bond, whereas the remaining waves arise from the reductions of different electrolysis products, as well as from hydrolytically formed phthalic anhydride. From controlled-potential electrolyses of phthaloyl dichloride, one can obtain a variety of products — 3-chlorophthalide, phthalide, biphthalyl, and dihydrobiphthalide—the formation of which depends on the electrolysis potential and on whether or not a proton donor (glacial acetic acid) is introduced into the system. Hydrolysis of phthaloyl dichloride, caused by the presence of residual water in the solvent-supporting electrolyte, yields phthalic anhydride, which is reducible to diisocoumarin.
Krom formulas with one dyadic predicate letter

Let Kr be the class of all those quantificational formulas whose matrices are conjunctions of binary disjunctions of signed atomic formulas. Decision problems for subclasses of Kr do not invariably coincide with those for the corresponding classes of quantificational formulas with unrestricted matrices; for example, the ∀∃∀ prefix subclass of Kr is solvable, but the full ∀∃∀ class is not ([AaLe],- [KMW]). Moreover, the straightforward encodings of automata which have been used to show the unsolvability of various subclasses of Kr ([Aa], [Bo], [AaLe]) yield but little information about signature subclasses, i.e. subclasses determined by the number and degrees of the predicate letters occurring in a formula. By a new and highly complex construction Theorem 1 establishes the best possible result on classification by signature. Theorem 1. Let C be the class of all formulas in Kr with a single predicate letter, which is dyadic; then C is a reduction class for satisfiability. Thus a signature subclass of Kr is solvable just in case the corresponding class of unrestricted quantificational formulas is solvable, to wit, just in case no predicate letter of degree exceeding one may occur. To obtain a richer classification by signature we consider further restrictions on the matrix. Let Or be the class of formulas in Kr having disjunctive normal forms with only two disjuncts. Theorem 2 sharpens Orevkov's proof of the unsolvability of Or ([Or]; see also [LeGo]). Theorem 2. Let D be the class of formulas in Or with just two predicate letters, both pentadic; then D is a reduction class for satisfiability.
Enrichment of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Methyl Esters by Ionic Liquids Containing Silver Salts

Abstract In this paper, we demonstrate that the hydrophobic ionic liquid (IL) such as 1-hexyl-3-methyl imidazolium hexafluorophosphate, [hmim][PF6], with silver salt, e.g. AgBF4, is an excellent extraction phase to separate and enrich omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid methyl esters (PUFAMEs) from the mixed solution containing closely related saturated, monounsaturated or diunsaturated fatty acid methyl esters. With this silver salt-ionic liquids extraction phase, the health-beneficial omega-3 PUFAMEs such as methyl ester of all-cis-5,8,11,14,17-eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5 or EPA) and methyl ester of all-cis-4,7,10,13,16,19-docosahexaenoic acid (22:6 or DHA) were largely enriched from 18% (wt %) in the original cod liver oil to greater than 80% in the 1-hexene stripping solvent. The unique properties of nonvolatility and adequate polarity allow ILs to dissolve or suspend silver salts and to be conveniently adopted as extraction phase in separating PUFAMEs. The ILs with different hydrophobicities and diffe...
Is the Association between Neighborhood Drug Prevalence and Marijuana use Independent of Peer Drug and Alcohol Norms? Results from a Household Survey of Urban Youth

To inform policy debates surrounding marijuana decriminalization and add to our understanding of social and structural influences on youth drug use, we sought to determine whether there was an independent association between neighborhood drug prevalence and individual-level marijuana use after controlling for peer drug and alcohol norms. We analyzed cross-sectional data from a household survey of 563 youth aged 15–24 in Baltimore, Maryland. The study population was 88 % African-American. Using gender-stratified, weighted, multilevel logistic regression, we tested whether neighborhood drug prevalence was associated with individual-level marijuana use after controlling for peer drug and alcohol norms. Bivariate analyses identified a significant association between high neighborhood drug prevalence and marijuana use among female youth (AOR = 1.76, 95 % CI = 1.26, 2.47); the association was in a similar direction but not significant among male youth (AOR = 1.26, 95 % CI = 0.85, 1.87). In multivariable regression controlling for peer drug and alcohol norms, high neighborhood drug prevalence remained significantly associated among female youth (AOR = 1.59, 95 % CI = 1.12, 2.27). Among male youth, the association was attenuated toward the null (AOR = 0.95, 95 % CI = 0.63, 1.45). In the multivariable model, peer drug and alcohol norms were significantly associated with individual-level marijuana use among female youth (AOR = 1.54, 95 % CI = 1.17, 2.04) and male youth (AOR = 2.59, 95 % CI = 1.65, 4.07). This work suggests that individual-level marijuana use among female youth is associated with neighborhood drug prevalence independent of peer norms. This finding may have important implications as the policy landscape around marijuana use changes.
Heat-depolymerizable polycarbonates as electron beam patternable sacrificial layers for nanofluidics

This research investigates a heat-depolymerizable polycarbonate (HDP) for use as a sacrificial layer in fabricating nanofluidic devices by electron beam lithography. When solid HDP films are heated to 300 °C, the monomer units separate into a nontoxic vapor. This property suggests that a patterned HDP film may be used as a temporary support for another film which is stable at the depolymerization temperature. Heating the structure removes the HDP, leaving a network of nanofluidic tubes without the use of solvents or other chemicals as required in most other sacrificial layer processes. We found that HDP films may be patterned directly by electron beam lithography, followed by immersion in isopropanol to remove HDP from the exposed areas. The patterns are then sputter coated with silicon dioxide at low temperature, provided with access holes for venting, heated to clear out HDP remaining inside the tubes, and injected with fluorescent dye for observation. Tube dimensions of 140 nm height, 1 μm width, and 1...
Differential impact of body mass index on absolute and percent breast density: implications regarding their use as breast cancer risk biomarkers

Percent breast density (PBD), a commonly used biomarker of breast cancer risk (BCR), is confounded by the influence of non-dense breast tissue on its measurement and factors, such as BMI, which have an impact on non-dense tissue. Consequently, BMI, a potent BCR factor, is, paradoxically, negatively correlated with PBD. We propose that absolute breast density (ABD) is a more accurate biomarker of BCR. We used a volumetric method to compare the correlation between PBD and ABD with baseline demographics and dietary and physical activity variables in a group of 169 postmenopausal women enrolled in a clinical trial prior to any intervention. As expected, a strong negative correlation between PBD and BMI was observed (Rho = −0.5, p < 5e−12). In contrast, we observed a strong, previously not well established, positive correlation of BMI with ABD (Rho = 0.41, p < 2.5e−8), which supports the use of ABD as a more accurate indicator of BCR. Correction of PBD by BMI did not frequently provide the same information as ABD. In addition, because of the strong influence of BMI on ABD, many correlations between dietary variables and ABD did not emerge, until adjustment was made for BMI. ABD corrected by BMI should be the gold standard BD measurement. These findings identify the optimal measurement of BD when testing the influence of an intervention on BD as a biomarker of BCR.
An Electrically Small, Vertically Polarized Ultrawideband Antenna With Monopole-Like Radiation Characteristics

We present an electrically small, low-profile, ultrawideband (UWB) antenna with monopole-like radiation characteristics. The antenna is composed of a monopole bow-tie antenna reactively loaded with a cascaded system of top hats, two shorting arms, and a ring slot cut into the ground plane. The reactive loads are used to introduce two additional resonances close to each other and below the lowest resonant frequency of the bow-tie. This results in a very compact, ultrawideband antenna that utilizes the available volume inside the Chu's sphere rather efficiently. At the lowest frequency of operation, the proposed antenna has electrical dimensions of 0.085λmin×0.189λmin×0.189λmin, where λmin is the free-space wavelength. The antenna demonstrates a VSWR of 2.2:1 and consistent monopole-like, omnidirectional radiation patterns over a 5.5:1 bandwidth. A prototype of the antenna, which operates in the 0.6-3.2-GHz band, is fabricated and characterized using a multiprobe spherical near-field system.
Functional complementation of the envelope hypervariable V3 loop of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 subtype B by the subtype E V3 loop.

Abstract The hypervariable V3 loop within gp120 of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is the major determinant of cell tropism and the entry coreceptor usage of the virus. However, the information obtained thus far has been from only subtype B from North America and Europe, and little is known about other subtypes whose V3 amino acids differ by as much as 50% from subtype B V3. In this study, we examined the functional potential of the V3 element of the HIV-1 subtype E, the most crucial variant causing the AIDS epidemic throughout southeast Asia. A panel of HIV-1 LAI recombinants was constructed by the overlap extension method, by which the LAI V3 loop was precisely replaced by that of the subtype E nonsyncytium-inducing (NSI) or syncytium-inducing (SI) variant. All of the recombinant viruses infected peripheral blood mononuclear cells, whereas only those with SI V3 infected MT2 cells, a CD4 + T cell line. Consistently, the SI V3 recombinants used CXCR4, while the NSI V3 recombinants used CCR5 for infection of HOS-CD4 + cells. Finally, only the NSI V3 sequence conferred CC-chemokine sensitivity on the parental virus. The data support the notion that the HIV-1 V3 loop consists of a relatively independent domain in gp120 and suggest that the subtype E V3 loop indeed contains the functional element to dictate the cell tropism, coreceptor preference, and chemokine sensitivity of the virus. These findings are of immediate importance in understanding V3 structure–function relationship and for examining phenotypic evolution of HIV-1 subtype E.
Studies of anisotropy mechanisms in polyphosphate-treated magnetic iron oxide particles

Abstract The coercive force of small, acicular (⋍ 2000 A length, ⋍8:1 length-to-diameter ratio) spinel-type iron oxide particles increases substantially following surface treatment with sodium polyphosphate. Regardless of Fe 2+ /Fe 3+ cation ratio, H c always attains a peak value when the polyphosphate/iron oxide weight ratio P/Fe is in the range 0.5–0.6, denoted (P/Fe) max . The maximum change in H c is observed when Fe 2+ /Fe 3+ ≈ 0.10–0.15. When P/Fe⪢0.5–0.6, however, both magnitude and sign of the change in coercive force show strong dependence on the Fe 2+ content of the oxide, suggesting that the H c changes are caused by a magnetostrictive mechanism at these high treatment ratios. Calculated anisotropy field distributions of treated specimens show that both the mean anisotropy field δ H k δ G and predicted H c reach a peak when particles are treated at (P/Fe) max , where the distribution becomes very broad. At high treatment ratios both δ H k δ G and predicted H c decrease to values below that of the untreated oxide. Mossbauer studies of treated and untreated particles show no significant change in the environment of surface iron ions following treatement at P/FE = 0.5, but indicate a small increase in the Fe 3+ concentration of the particle core. When P/Fe = 2.5, however, the Fe 2+ concentration of the core increases markedly.
Predicting functionally important SNP classes based on negative selection

With the advent of cost-effective genotyping technologies, genome-wide association studies allow researchers to examine hundreds of thousands of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for association with human disease. Recently, many researchers applying this strategy have detected strong associations to disease with SNP markers that are either not in linkage disequilibrium with any nonsynonymous SNP or large distances from any annotated gene. In such cases, no well-established standard practice for effective SNP selection for follow-up studies exists. We aim to identify and prioritize groups of SNPs that are more likely to affect phenotypes in order to facilitate efficient SNP selection for follow-up studies. Based on the annotations available in the Ensembl database, we categorized SNPs in the human genome into classes related to regulatory attributes, such as epigenetic modifications and transcription factor binding sites, in addition to classes related to gene structure and cross-species conservation. Using the distribution of derived allele frequencies (DAF) within each class, we assessed the strength of natural selection for each class relative to the genome as a whole. We applied this DAF analysis to Perlegen resequenced SNPs genome-wide. Regulatory elements annotated by Ensembl such as specific histone methylation sites as well as classes defined by cross-species conservation showed negative selection in comparison to the genome as a whole. These results highlight which annotated classes are under purifying selection, have putative functional importance, and contain SNPs that are strong candidates for follow-up studies after genome-wide association. Such SNP annotation may also be useful in interpreting results of whole-genome sequencing studies.
A pilot study comparing three salivary collection methods in an adult population with salivary gland hypofunction.

The purpose of this pilot study was to compare the reliability of three collection methods (draining, chewing of gum base, and the Saxon test) for whole saliva using a sample of middle-aged and older ambulatory adults (n = 18) with proven salivary gland hypofunction. The results demonstrated high reliability (r values ranging from 0.91 to 0.80, p < 0.001) for all three methods. MANO-VA analysis revealed significant (p < 0.001) differences in flow rates among the draining, chewing-stimulated, and Saxon methods.
Hand-carried cardiac ultrasound

Advances in cardiac ultrasound have included the development of larger, more powerful platforms with advanced imaging features and quantitative analysis packages. However, a parallel yet polar opposite development has also occurred: the introduction of smaller, less powerful platforms with limited imaging capabilities has sparked a new genre of cardiac imaging. Several terms are used to describe these platforms. The American Society of Echocardiography Task Force on New Technology has recommended the term hand-carried cardiac ultrasound. The clinical use models for hand-carried ultrasound take advantage of their portability and ease of use compared with larger platforms. These benefits and use models are the subject of this review.
Structure, processing and properties of surfactant protein A

Surfactant protein A (SP-A) is a highly ordered, oligomeric glycoprotein that is secreted into the airspaces of the lung by the pulmonary epithelium. The in vitro activities of protein suggest diverse roles in pulmonary host defense and surfactant homeostasis, structure and surface activity. Functional mapping of SP-A using directed mutagenesis has identified domains which interact with surfactant phospholipids, alveolar type II cells and microbes. Recently developed genetically manipulated animal models are beginning to clarify the critical physiological roles for SP-A in the normal lung, and in the pathophysiology of pulmonary disease.
Stress and endogenous opioids: Behavioral and circulatory interactions

Endogenous opioid peptides are the basis of a diverse system of complex neuroregulatory and endocrine mechanisms. While relatively quiescent in the resting state, these peptides are released during intense stimulation and modify, in a number of ways, circulatory homeostatic mechanisms. The endogenous opioids, primarily via endorphins and enkephalins, are capable of influencing circulatory responses to stress at the behavioral, the endocrinological, and the neural level. Recent research in humans and animals has described several roles for opioids in regulation of the circulatory stress response, and has also provided clues about the significance of opioid dysregulation in the pathophysiology of stress. Increased understanding of the basic mechanisms of stress and endogenous opioids will clarify the potential roles of opioids in important pharmacologic and behaviorally based therapeutics.
A novel approach to the synthesis of symmetrical and unsymmetrical porphyrin dimers

Abstract Methodology for synthesis of symmetrical or unsymmetrical porphyrin dimers linked at the meso positions with phenyl or stilbene functionalities is reported; 5-porphyrinyl-dipyrromethanes are key intermediates in this approach.
PHOTOLYTIC COVALENT BINDING OF INDOLEACRYLIC ACID TO DNA

E-beta-Indol-3-ylacrylic acid (IA), radiolabelled at the 2 position with 14C, and calf thymus DNA have been irradiated with UV light (lambda greater than 280 nm) in phosphate buffer (pH 7.0). Re-isolation of the DNA indicates covalent binding of IA at levels of up to 295 nmol IA/mg native DNA (0.097 IA/base). Binding is observed for both native and heat denatured DNA, but is more efficient with the latter. Quantum efficiencies of 2.60 X 10(-5) and 2.30 X 10(-4) mol IA bound to native DNA/mol photon absorbed have been measured at 308 and 266 nm, respectively. Studies with the four polyribonucleotides indicate a strong preference for binding to poly[U]. Photolysis of either untreated or enzymatically degraded labeled native DNA with 254 nm light leads to the reformation of IA, and a 2 + 2 photocycloadduct of IA and thymidine has been isolated and characterized and matched by HPLC to a DNA derived adduct. Equilibrium dialysis studies provide no evidence for preassociation of IA to DNA.
Methodological study of measurement of aggression

32 male Ss were either attacked by a peer or treated in a neutral manner. All Ss were then allowed to give electric shocks in varying number and intensity to the peer and also to rate the peer on a number of scales. Both number and intensity of shocks varied as a function of attack, with number showing the greatest degree of variance. Shock number was correlated with expressed anger only among control Ss. Neither shock measure correlated with anger in the attack Ss. Verbal ratings of hostility correlated highly with anger in attacked Ss. The results were discussed in terms of general methodology in the study of aggression.
Viscosity of heparin in formamide and glycerol

Abstract The viscosity of heparin was examined in pure glycerol, formamide and in mixtures of the two solvents. This study confirms that the equation η sp c = [η] ∞ [1 + k (c) 1 2 ] , where [η]∞ is the shielded intrinsic viscosity, adequately describes the concentration dependence of the reduced viscosity of the polyelectrolyte, heparin. The [η]∞ linearly increases with the dielectric constant of the solvent.
Two-Dimensional Transient Heat Conduction Analysis Using Spreadsheets

A method for using spreadsheets to perform a numerical analysis of one- and two-dimensional transient heat conduction is described. The numerical method is based on the explicit nodal equations and is described in terms of the thermal resistance and capacitance formulation. The spreadsheet setup uses an iteration macro and can use either a single-layer spreadsheet or multiple-layer linked spreadsheets. The method allows the use of various boundary conditions, including a specified surface temperature, insulated surfaces, a convective heal transfer coefficient distribution on any surface, and an equivalent radiation heat transfer coefficient. A variable grid can be used that allows a finer grid in areas of high gradients. Thermal properties may be heterogeneous and temperature dependent. The results are highly visual and can be easily plotted in two- and three-dimensional graphs.
Toll-like receptors in kidney disease.

Purpose of review The innate immune system is our first line of defense against infection and injury, and responsible for initiating inflammatory and immune responses to resolve infections and repair injured tissues. This review focuses on the Toll-like receptors (TLRs) of the innate immune system and their role in recognizing infection and injury, and regulating inflammatory responses in the kidney. Recent findings There is increasing data to support a role for TLRs in immune complex-mediated glomerulonephritis. TLR7 has emerged as a key regulator of autoantibody production in murine lupus nephritis. In addition, studies have implicated TLR recognition of endogenous molecules released during cellular necrosis as critical regulators of sterile inflammation and injury. Tonic interactions between TLRs and environmental agonists derived from commensal microbes and endogenous sources may also influence autoimmune disease and inflammatory disorders affecting the kidney. Conclusion Future studies to decipher the contribution of TLRs and other innate immune receptors in the regulation of inflammation, immune responses, and injury in the kidney will pave the way for novel therapeutic interventions.
The Female Presidents of the American Society of Criminology

The Division on Women and Crime of the American Society of Criminology recently celebrated its 20th anniversary and launched the new journal Feminist Criminology, which aims to place women at the center of research. Since the inception of the American Society of Criminology in 1941, there have been five female society presidents: Drs. Joan McCord, Joan Petersilia, Freda Adler, Margaret Zahn, and Julie Horney. This article profiles the lives and careers of each of these five women. In an era where more and more women are in leadership positions and enrolled in colleges and universities, the genuine impact of women still seems yet to have hit the mind-set of American society.
Bandgap engineering of rare earth element doped nanostructured cadmium oxide thin films

Rare earth element (gadolinium) doped cadmium oxide (CdO:Gd) thin films were deposited using the pulsed laser deposition technique. X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that growth temperature has large impact on the preferred orientation of the films. The films grown at low temperature show (1 1 1) preferred orientation, while films grown at high temperature have (2 0 0) orientation. The effect of substrate temperature on optical and electrical properties shows widening in optical bandgap and improvement in electron mobility with increase in growth temperature. These wide bandgap transparent conducting films could be used in optoelectronic applications.
This wound is consistent with harm.

It could have happened anywhere. I knew crime having lived in Chicago, Washington, D.C., and New Haven. But I thought I was going to be ready for this moment in Kampala. As part of my characteristic risk-calculating analysis, I worked out what I thought would be a logical plan to diffuse an unexpected situation exactly like this months before I moved to Uganda to conduct research. I would calmly give the perpetrator a strategic amount of money, and then offer to connect him with a local organization to address whatever need he would identify. He would be disarmed by my reaction. I would feel some control while having “turned the other cheek.” I was aware that this would sound naive and idealistic at best, so I practiced street smarts religiously, often in a paranoid fashion, to avoid undesirable encounters. On this day, though, I didn’t turn around when I heard running footsteps behind me. When my assailant runs away, I do not think fast enough to register that he is running down a street that ends at an intersection with a police station. I fail to chase him, standing in place, stunned and defeated. An opportunity to rectify the emasculation I feel after giving into his demands passes. Somewhere nearby, a woman shouts from her window “Ooo, sorry, sorry!” The tears flow, but I tell myself to hold it together. Don’t miss this conference. I feebly compose myself and pass through a small squatter settlement on Mulago hill. I wave, force a smile and give the Ugandan greeting oli otya to the folks I know here, crying all the while. No one says anything more than the expected bulungi in response. Only then do I realize that my back continues to sting and now itch. I touch my back. Blood covers my hand, and I realize for the first time that I have been stabbed. Thoughts race: I wonder if I need a tetanus injection. Did he recently use the handsaw on someone else? Could I get infected with an awful illness? Minutes later, I arrive at the clinic where I work and greet two staff members. Noting my disheveled appearance, they ask if I am okay.
Nitrogen-Doped Mesoporous Carbon Promoted Chemical Adsorption of Sulfur and Fabrication of High-Areal-Capacity Sulfur Cathode with Exceptional Cycling Stability for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

As one important component of sulfur cathodes, the carbon host plays a key role in the electrochemical performance of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. In this paper, a mesoporous nitrogen-doped carbon (MPNC)-sulfur nanocomposite is reported as a novel cathode for advanced Li-S batteries. The nitrogen doping in the MPNC material can effectively promote chemical adsorption between sulfur atoms and oxygen functional groups on the carbon, as verifi ed by X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy, and the mechanism by which nitrogen enables the behavior is further revealed by density functional theory calculations. Based on the advantages of the porous structure and nitrogen doping, the MPNC-sulfur cathodes show excellent cycling stability (95% retention within 100 cycles) at a high current density of 0.7 mAh cm −2 with a high sulfur loading (4.2 mg S cm −2 ) and a sulfur content (70 wt%). A high areal capacity (≈3.3 mAh cm −2 ) is demonstrated by using the novel cathode, which is crucial for the practical application of Li-S batteries. It is believed that the important role of nitrogen doping promoted chemical adsorption can be extended for development of other high performance carbon-sulfur composite cathodes for Li-S batteries.
Nitrate photosensitized degradation of atrazine during UV water treatment

Increasingly, ultraviolet radiation (UV) is being used to treat chemical contaminants in waste and drinking water. To understand the significance of indirect photolysis during such processes, the effect of nitrate on UV treatment of atrazine (ATZ) was investigated at pH 7 in phosphate buffer and solutions containing Suwannee River natural organic matter (NOM). With a medium-pressure mercury lamp, environmentally relevant levels of nitrate (0.7–7 mg-N L–1) lead to initial rates of ATZ removal that are enhanced compared to those without nitrate, and comparison of the product distributions obtained with nitrate and with hydrogen peroxide indicates that this can be attributed to hydroxyl radical (•OH) production from nitrate absorption below 250 nm. Consistent with this, the observed rates decrease as the reaction progresses, presumably due to •OH scavenging by photochemically generated nitrite. In solutions containing NOM, this effect is not observed, and the addition of nitrate leads to lower rates of ATZ removal, albeit higher than predicted on the basis of light-screening by nitrate alone. In order to model this effect, the •OH quantum yield from nitrate photolysis below 250 nm was determined by two methods, competition kinetics between ATZ and 1-octanol and formaldehyde production by reaction of •OH with methanol, and it was found to lie in the range 0.09 to 0.14. This is the first report of the quantum yield at these wavelengths, and this information allows the photolysis rates to be modeled as a function of nitrate concentration and water quality.
Investigations of QA Binding Pocket Mutations in Rhodobacter Sphaeroides Reaction Centers Using Eseem and Hyscore

The photosynthetic reaction center of Rhodobacter sphaeroides contains two identical ubiquinone molecules. The redox potentials of these two quinones are significantly different, and are tuned by the specific interactions with the protein environment of the binding pocket. The primary quinone (QA) has hydrogen bonds between the two carbonyls - O4 to the NδH of His M219 and O1 to the peptide NH of Ala M260. Small changes in this hydrogen bond structure could induce large changes to redox potential, as suggested by the effect of mutating the isoleucine at M265 to threonine, which induces a 100 mV change in the Em of QA. In order to better understand the nature of this redox tuning, M265 mutants have been analyzed with x-band ESEEM and HYSCORE. These techniques are very sensitive to the coupling of the semiquinone anion to surrounding nitrogen nuclei. The results show significant changes to the coupling between QA and nitrogens from both M260 and M219. Peaks associated with histidine Nδ show a substantially different NQI asymmetry parameter (η) than the wildtype. However, results from 15N labeled samples show that hyperfine coupling is fairly similar. This could suggest a rotation of the NQI tensor versus the g-tensor of the semiquinone, which could, in turn, indicate a large change of local electric field at the Nδ. Supported by NSF grant MCB 08-18121.
Semi-Markov Random Field Models For Texture Synthesis

In this paper we focus our attention on modeling nons-tationary texture behavior, thus resulting in accurate models for texture analysis and synthesis. We present a new class of nonstationary signals, the class of semi-Markov random fields. The likelihood function, which uniquely describes the statistical behavior of these random fields, is derived. We examine the validity of our two-dimensional semi-Markov random field models in synthesizing and analyzing textures. The appropriateness of the semi-Markov random field models for synthesizing images similar to real textures is studied and different models are optimally fitted to real textures by the use of a maximum-likelihood procedure.© (1987) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The carboxyl proton chemical shift of trimethylacetic acid monomers in carbon tetrachloride

Abstract The carboxyl proton chemical shifts for trimethylacetic acid in carbon tetrachloride have been measured at 11°C, 21.5°C, 34°C, and 50°C. Previously reported equilibrium constants are used to calculate the monomer chemical shift. The previously reported findings of exceptionally high shieldings for the monomer, large decreases in shielding with increasing temperature, and higher shieldings in carbon tetrachloride solution than benzene solution are confirmed.
Double-pulse standoff laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for versatile hazardous materials detection

We have developed a double-pulse standoff laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (ST-LIBS) system capable of detecting a variety of hazardous materials at tens of meters. The use of a double-pulse laser improves the sensitivity and selectivity of ST-LIBS, especially for the detection of energetic materials. In addition to various metallic and plastic materials, the system has been used to detect bulk explosives RDX and Composition-B, explosive residues, biological species such as the anthrax surrogate Bacillus subtilis, and chemical warfare simulants at 20 m. We have also demonstrated the discrimination of explosive residues from various interferents on an aluminum substrate.
Radio/Radar Collision Avoidance Aid

Collisions between ships are relatively rare, but entail considerable damage to property and, frequently, loss of life. Most of the collisions occur when visibility is limited, due to darkness or weather. Numerous studies have concluded that only through coordinated maneuvers of both ship can collisions be effectively avoided. There are currently no techniques available to accomplish the necessary coordination at a low enough cost to enable widespread deployment. This paper describes a set of equipment and procedures which can accomplish this, using highly reliable technology which is currently available.
The effect of cadmium on fulvic acid adsorption to Bacillus subtilis

Abstract The effects of Cd on the adsorption of an aquatic fulvic acid (FA) to the surface of Bacillus subtilis were investigated from pH 2.5 to 7.0, at fixed ionic strength (0.1 M NaClO4) and at ambient temperature (∼22 °C). Cd (14 mg/l) had no effect on FA adsorption at pH 6. The effects of Cd (0, 14 mg/l) on FA adsorption to B. subtilis were further examined as a function of initial FA concentration (0–45 mg C/l) at pH 6.5. FA adsorption isotherms also were measured at pH 6.5 as a function of dissolved Cd concentration (0–14 mg/l) at three initial FA concentrations (4, 8, 22 mg C/l). At all FA concentrations studied at pH 6.5, FA adsorption increased with increasing initial total Cd concentration. Under all studied conditions, preferential adsorption of high- to intermediate-molecular-weight FA components to B. subtilis resulted in a fractionation of the FA pool, with lower-molecular-weight components remaining in solution. At pH>6, Cd further enhanced the adsorption of high- to intermediate-molecular-weight FA components but did not significantly enhance the adsorption of lower-molecular-weight components. Hence, the overall process of adsorptive fractionation was not altered significantly by the presence of Cd. Overall, the results of this study (1) demonstrate that FA adsorption to bacterial surfaces can be altered by the presence of a metal cation, and (2) provide further evidence that microbe–metal–ligand interactions may significantly affect the mobility and fate of natural organic matter in the subsurface.
Hemoglobin polymorphism in fishes. I. Complex phenotypic patterns in the toadfish, Opsanus tau.

Hemolysates of erythrocytes from toadfish (Opsanus tau) are complex mixtures containing 13–18 individual hemoglobin components. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis shows that hemoglobin is rather evenly distributed among the bands. Seldom does a single component amount to more than 20% of the total hemolysate. An unusually high degree of polymorphism exists in populations of the toadfish. Six major phenotypes occur commonly at Beaufort, North Carolina, and four of the six phenotypes were present in a sample of 11 toadfish from Gloucester Point, Virginia. Six minor phenotypes occur but have not been studied extensively. The genetic explanation of this hemoglobin polymorphism remains obscure.
An Improved Plotting Package Applied to Chemical Graphing Problems

Abstract A plotting package, written in LINC assembly language, is described. It produces high quality graphs and labels the graphs for direct submission to professional journals. A μ-LINC (Laboratory INstrument (Computer) is used to compute least-squares fitted curves and lines from data entered either on-or off-line and to draw the graphs directly on an incremental plotter. Bar graphs, line graphs, and fitted data can be plotted with options to suppress the lines and/or the points.
Active Microelectronic Neurosensor Arrays for Implantable Brain Communication Interfaces

We have built a wireless implantable microelectronic device for transmitting cortical signals transcutaneously. The device is aimed at interfacing a cortical microelectrode array to an external computer for neural control applications. Our implantable microsystem enables 16-channel broadband neural recording in a nonhuman primate brain by converting these signals to a digital stream of infrared light pulses for transmission through the skin. The implantable unit employs a flexible polymer substrate onto which we have integrated ultra-low power amplification with analog multiplexing, an analog-to-digital converter, a low power digital controller chip, and infrared telemetry. The scalable 16-channel microsystem can employ any of several modalities of power supply, including radio frequency by induction, or infrared light via photovoltaic conversion. As of the time of this report, the implant has been tested as a subchronic unit in nonhuman primates (~ 1 month), yielding robust spike and broadband neural data on all available channels.
Historical influences on the vegetation and soils of the Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts coastal sandplain: Implications for conservation and restoration

Both disturbance history and previous land use influence present-day vegetation and soils. These influences can have important implications for conservation of plant communities if former disturbance and land use change species abundances, increase colonization of nonnative plant species or if they alter soil characteristics in ways that make them less suitable for species of conservation interest. We compared the plant species composition, the proportion of native and nonnative plant species, and soil biogeochemical characteristics across seven dominant land use and vegetation cover types on the outwash sandplain of Martha’s Vineyard that differed in previous soil tillage, dominant overstory vegetation and history of recent prescribed fire. The outwash sandplain supports many native plant species adapted to dry, low nutrient conditions and maintenance of native species is a management concern. There was broad overlap in the plant species composition among pine (Pinus resinosa, P. strobus) plantations on untilled soils, pine plantations on formerly tilled soils, scrub oak (Quercus ilicifolia) shrublands, tree oak (Q. velutina, Q. alba) woodlands, burned tree oak woodlands, and sandplain grasslands. All of these land cover categories contained few nonnative species. In contrast, agricultural grasslands had high richness and cover of nonnative plants. Soil characteristics were also similar among all of the woodland, shrubland and grassland land cover categories, but soils in agricultural grasslands had higher pH, extractable Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ in mineral soils and higher rates of net nitrification. The similarity of soils and significant overlap in vegetation across pine plantations, scrub oak shrublands, oak woodlands and sandplain grasslands suggests that the history of land use, current vegetation and soil characteristics do not pose a major barrier to management strategies that would involve conversion among any of these vegetation types. The current presence of high cover of nonnative species and nutrient-enriched soils in agricultural grasslands, however, may pose a barrier to expansion of sandplain grasslands or shrublands on these former agricultural lands if native species are not able to outcompete nonnative species in these anthropogenically-enriched sites.
Estimation of Poisson rates with misclassified counts

The Poisson assumption is popular when data arises in the form of counts. In many applications such counts are fallible. Little research has been done on the Poisson distribution when both false positives and false negatives are present. We present a model in this paper that corrects for misclassification of count data. Bayesian estimators are developed. We provide the actual posterior distributions via integration. Markov Chain Monte Carlo results, which are more convenient for large sample sizes, are utilized for inference.
Adventures in interoperability: the SML.NET experience

SML.NET is a compiler for Standard ML that targets the Common Language Runtime and is integrated into the Visual Studio development environment. It supports easy interoperability with other .NET languages via a number of language extensions, which go considerably beyond those of our earlier compiler, MLj.This paper describes the new language extensions and the features of the Visual Studio plugin, including syntax highlighting, Intellisense, continuous type inference and debugger support. We discuss our experiences using SML.NET to write SML programs that interoperate with other .NET languages, libraries and frameworks. Examples include the Visual Studio plugin itself (written in SML.NET, using .NET's COM interop features to integrate in a C++ application) and writing ASP.NET and Pocket PC applications in SML.
Essential Tremors: A Family of Neurodegenerative Disorders?

Essential tremor (ET) is the most common pathologic tremor in humans. The traditional view of ET, as a monosymptomatic condition, is being replaced by an appreciation of the spectrum of clinical features, with both motor and nonmotor elements. These features are not distributed homogeneously across patients. In addition, postmortem studies are now demonstrating distinct structural changes in ET. There is growing evidence that ET may be a family of diseases rather than a single entity. Furthermore, this aging-associated, progressive disorder is associated with neuronal loss and postmortem changes that occur in traditional neurodegenerative disorders.
Surgical aspects of fulminant Clostridium difficile colitis.

Abstract Background Clostridium difficile –associated disease (CDAD) is responsible for the majority of nosocomial diarrhea, and fulminant C difficile colitis can have mortality upwards of 80%. Early identification and treatment of fulminant C difficile colitis is critical to patient care, but timing of surgical intervention remains difficult. This review summarizes the epidemiology, predictors of development, and management of fulminant C difficile colitis. Methods A literature search was conducted between January 1989 and May 2009 using the keywords "clostridium difficile colitis" or "fulminant clostridium difficile colitis" and "surgery." Articles not in English, those not involving human subjects, and case reports were excluded. Conclusion Early diagnosis and treatment with subtotal colectomy and end ileostomy is critical in reducing the mortality associated with fulminant colitis. Patients who have a history of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), recent surgery, prior treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), vasopressor requirements, leukocytosis, or increased lactate should have early surgical consultation and operative intervention.
MILK CHAIN IN ROMANIA AT THE START OF ROMANIA'S INTEGRATION INTO THE EUROPEAN UNION Author

In the perspective of accession to the EU, the Romanian dairy sector will have to comply with the EU norms and standards. Institutional capacity building, the creation and operation of certain specific market structures, sector revamping until the accession moment represent a priority objective of the domestic agricultural policy. The calculations regarding the EU direct support reveal that Romania will need additional funding sources in order to cover the needs in relation to the allocated milk quota.
Design for an Interactive Television Advertising System

The importance of information systems in the advertising industry is increasing as entertainment media incorporate functionality from new electronic technologies. Interactive television is a new entertainment medium that has the potential for enabling new paradigms of advertising. Most information systems research in the interactive television domain focuses on improving methods for choosing program content. The studies that address advertising concentrate on techniques for implementing personalization. Few studies consider how to improve interactivity of advertising in the new medium. This investigation developed an information systems artifact that incorporates models of interactivity into a design for an advertising system architecture. A proof-of-concept prototype based on this design was implemented and validated in a pilot test. Implications for the advertising industry and for future research are discussed.
Surgical complications of thyroidectomy

Abstract Complications from thyroid surgery continue to challenge even the most experienced surgeon. This article reviews the major and more common complications of thyroidectomy and their management. Damage to laryngeal nerves and hypoparathyroidism remain the major risks of this surgical procedure. However, post operative hemorrhage, airway obstruction and malignant spread of tumor to involve adjacent structures can also pose significant dilemma to the operating surgeon. The management of these and other complications are described along with advice on avoidance of the pitfalls of this procedure.
Distribution of blood in the functional kidney.

An attempt to measure the distribution of blood in the functional kidney of dogs was made. The method involved the injection of liquid latex rubber into the vascular system at physiologic pressures, fixation of the rubber in situ, and then, after corroding away all tissue, measurement of the volume of the rubber casts. The kidney contains, in its functionally distended state, 14 per cent blood. Of this, 4.5 per cent is apparently in the arteries and some 7 per cent in the veins. The functional engorgement of the cortical interlobular veins (about 4 per cent) is particularly striking, for they form a dense palisade of 40 to 300 µ vessels. These are not seen at the usual autopsy since they have drained out and collapsed. It is pointed out that attempts to describe the blood distribution in the kidney after it has been drained of blood are of dubious value. In the light of these data, also, the nature of the measurement of "intrarenal pressure," accomplished by inserting a needle into the renal parenchyma, may be better understood: it is suggested to be primarily a measure of interlobular venous pressure.
Trapping effects and microwave power performance in AlGaN/GaN HEMTs

The dc small-signal, and microwave power output characteristics of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs are presented. A maximum drain current greater than 1 A/mm and a gate-drain breakdown voltage over 80 V have been attained. For a 0.4 /spl mu/m gate length, an f/sub T/ of 30 GHz and an f/sub max/ of 70 GHz have been demonstrated. Trapping effects, attributed to surface and buffer layers, and their relationship to microwave power performance are discussed. It is demonstrated that gate lag is related to surface trapping and drain current collapse is associated with the properties of the GaN buffer layer. Through a reduction of these trapping effects, a CW power density of 3.3 W/mm and a pulsed power density of 6.7 W/mm have been achieved at 3.8 GHz.
ROV deployment design for performance and survivability

Current strategies for deployment of tethered remotely operated vehicles (ROV's) involve various cable types, and often use additional buoys and weights. In this paper, we examine the relative merits and weaknesses of seven configurations for ROV deployment. The comparisons are made with respect to static performance measures, and dynamic motions and extreme loads. Our main tool is a quasilinear frequency-domain algorithm for the dynamic responses. >