cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Is ventilation duct cleaning useful? A review of the scientific evidence.

Abstract Ventilation duct cleaning (DC) is widely advocated to provide good indoor air quality (IAQ), health benefits, cost savings, and enhance ventilation system performance. The aim of the present review is to evaluate the scientific evidence as shown in the literature. There is evidence that under normal operating conditions, ventilation ducts can be contaminated with dusts and serve as reservoirs for microbials to proliferate. While controlled experiments noted that contaminants resuspension can elevate exposure levels indoors, no field studies have correlated poor IAQ with duct contamination. Despite high efficiencies of contaminant removal within the ducts during cleaning, reductions for different indoor air pollutants vary widely, where, post-cleaning air pollutants concentrations can be higher than pre-cleaning levels. Further, there are health concerns in the use of biocides, sealants and encapsulants. There is inadequate evidence to show that DC can improve airflow in ducts and reduce energy consumption. Although epidemiological studies indicate suggestive evidence that improperly maintained ducts are associated with higher risks of symptoms among building occupants, this review finds insufficient evidence that DC can alleviate occupant’s symptoms. In summary, the need for duct cleanliness has to be properly balanced by the probable generation of indoor pollution resulting from DC and subsequent potential health risks. Practical Implications Existing evidence is insufficient to draw solid conclusions regarding positive impact of duct cleaning on IAQ, health benefits, cost savings and HVAC performance. Maintaining duct cleanliness has to be properly balanced by the probable generation of indoor pollution and potential health risks.
The effect of low cycle fatigue cracks and loading history on high cycle fatigue threshold

The high cycle fatigue (HCF) resistance of Ti-6Al-4V for gas turbine engine applications is studied when the material is first subjected to low cycle fatigue (LCF). The high cycle fatigue (HCF) threshold is determined after small LCF surface cracks are formed in notch tension specimens. LCF loading at two stress ratios, R = 0.1 and R -1.0, is used to initiate the LCF cracks, which are detected using direct current potential difference (DCPD). The surface crack sizes are measured under load using a static loading fixture and a scanning electron microscope (SEM). In addition to the SEM surface measurements, heat tinting is used to mark the crack profiles before HCF testing so that fractography can be used after failure to measure the 2D crack geometry. The LCF surface-cracked specimens are tested at room temperature in lab air at 600 Hz using a step-loading procedure at two stress ratios, R = 0.1 and R = 0.5. The LCF loading history is found to affect the HCF threshold compared to what is predicted from long crack threshold values obtained from other crack geometries. Variations in HCF crack growth thresholds obtained on specimens with LCF crack sizes from 25 to 175 μm are attributed to overload and underload effects from the LCF precracking.
Studies on the Renal Glomerular Basement Membrane NATURE OF THE CARBOHYDRATE UNITS AND THEIR ATTACHMENT TO THE PEPTIDE PORTION

Abstract Digestion of bovine glomerular basement membranes with purified collagenase resulted in the solubilization of over 90% of the carbohydrate and peptide portions. After further digestion of the solubilized material with Pronase, the carbohydrate units, with only a few amino acid residues attached, were isolated by gel filtration and ion exchange chromatography. Characterization of the glycopeptides separated by these fractionation procedures indicated the presence in the basement membrane of two distinct types of carbohydrate units. One type is a disaccharide unit containing glucose and galactose, while the second type is a heteropolysaccharide consisting of galactose, mannose, hexosamines, sialic acids, and fucose, with an average molecular weight of 3500. The carbohydrate of the basement membrane appears to be equally distributed between these two types of units. There are approximately 10 disaccharide units for every heteropolysaccharide unit in the membrane. The carbohydrate-peptide linkage of the disaccharide unit was shown to be a glycosidic linkage involving the hydroxyl group of hydroxylysine, whereas the attachment of the heteropolysaccharide unit to the peptide most likely involves asparagine. Periodate oxidation studies indicated that approximately 70% of the hydroxylysine residues of the basement membrane are involved in the linkage of the disaccharide unit.
Occupational Mobility Among African-Americans: Assimilation or Resegregation

Economic mobility among African Americans and the persistence of inequality both seem to be best explained by nonracial factors such as educational attainment on the one hand and, on the other, the erosion of race-linked bias in the culture and structure of employment. This chapter calls into question these interpretations by illustrating recialized patterns of job allocation. Put another way, it illustrates divisions of labor that are sensitive to race. Here I suggest that discrimination and opportunity can occur in the same historical instance. The post industrial and post civil rights U.S. labor market requires research to look beneath occupational categories to fully uncover what roles that race now plays.
Scheduling in the face of uncertain resource consumption and utility

We discuss the problem of scheduling tasks that consume uncertain amounts of a resource with known capacity and where the tasks have uncertain utility. In these circumstances, we would like to find schedules that exceed a lower bound on the expected utility when executed. We show that the problems are NP-complete, and present some results that characterize the behavior of some simple heuristics over a variety of problem classes.
Improving Field Instruction: An Evaluation of a Seminar for New Field Instructors

Abstract The field work component of social work education plays an important role in fusing the knowledge, skills, and values of the profession. Moreover, field instructors must be competent to ensure the success of the educational process. Thus, the training of new field instructors is critical to this success. This article reports the findings of a study evaluating the impact of a training seminar for new field instructors on student perceptions of the field experience. A 10-session seminar in field instruction was offered to new direct practice field instructors as a requirement for continued supervision of students. Students' responses to a questionnaire about their field instruction indicated that seminar attendance was related to the degree of emphasis on teaching students from process recordings and also on discussion of student learning needs. Students with trained field instructors were more satisfied with the faculty field liaison. Overall, trained instructors demonstrated expected supervisory ...
Linking Limited Liability and Entity Taxation: A Critique of the ALI Reporters' Study on the Taxation of Private Business Enterprises

The American Law Institute published in 1999 a Reporters’ Study recommending mandatory conduit taxation for all private firms. This article criticizes the ALI’s approach. Specifically, the article challenges each objection the Study raised to linking limited liability and entity taxation, and recommends adoption of a tax classification rule based on the presence of limited liability. The article begins with the historical progression of limited liability’s role in entity taxation. It explains how entity taxation arose as a necessary consequence of limited liability’s statutory development, and then argues that the original significance of limited liability gradually dissipated because the debate over entity taxation improperly focused on entity theory of corporate personality as opposed to a benefits theory of taxation. While suggesting that entity theory’s acceptance has contributed to the current disarray of entity taxation, the article notes that a limited liability based entity tax would achieve important federal policies, albeit policies different from those enunciated at the inception of entity taxation. Such a tax would equalize the economic gains that limited liability enables firms to achieve, as well as offset the social costs associated with excessive risk taking and other limited liability created overinvestment incentives. The article further explains why a classification rules based on limited liability would not necessarily penalize limited liability and discourage firms from utilizing limited liability entities. Under the article’s proposed tax classification rule, entities offering statutory liability protection to any owner would be subject to entity taxation regardless of organizational form or non-liability characteristics. Non-limited liability vehicles would be taxed under a liberalized version of the Subchapter S conduit regime. To prevent entity taxation from discouraging socially desirable investment, the proposed tax classification rule would permit certain limited liability entities to elect conduit tax treatment.
Staging egg development of marine copepods with DAPI and PicoGreen

Calanoid copepod eggs have a robust, chitinous outer chorion, which makes field-collected, formaldehydefixed eggs difficult to penetrate with stains or molecular probes. Egg development studies in copepods have involved physical, chemical, and enzymatic treatments to remove the chorion. We present an efficient, onestep method for staining copepod eggs with the fluorescent nucleic acid stains DAPI and PicoGreen®. Nuclei in treated eggs are clearly visible for examination and counting with compound and confocal microscopy, so that eggs can be rapidly classified with respect to developmental stage. The method is effective for eggs of Calanus, Metridia, and Centropages. Both stains were effective after 24-h exposure for eggs that were fixed from several days to 8 years. Early stages are distinguished by complete counts of nuclei. A blastula phase and gastrulation are distinctive. Calanus pacificus and Calanus marshallae embryos spend more than half the development period in the later ‘gray ball’ and limb bud stages. Stage classification by this method is useful for studies of copepod egg mortality in the field.
Problems in the Foundation of the Path Probability Method: Path Probability Function and Entropy Production

The basic procedure of the Path Probability Method (PPM) is to maximize the Path Probability Function (PPF) to obtain the most probable path. The PPF was originally introduced from the probability reasoning. One goal of this paper is to find the physical meaning of the PPF. The paper works with the simple model of the two level atoms. The two-gate probability is formulated, and the general solution of the two-gate paths is derived, in addition to the previously known anticausal path. In a special case, the PPF is shown to be the entropy production. Based on this information, Recipe II of taking into account the energy contribution to the PPF is upheld. Working with the anticausal path, the concept of extended entropy is introduced as a generalization of the entropy and the free energy. The case when the system is in contact with multiple heat baths is treated, and the extended entropy is shown to be a Lyapunov function, whose maximum leads to the non-equilibrium steady state.
The Socially Conscious Consumer? Field Experimental Tests of Consumer Support for Fair Labor Standards

In surveys consumers say that they care deeply about whether the products they buy are made in workplaces with fair labor standards rather than in sweatshops. But the existing market for such ethically differentiated goods is small and there is no clear evidence that consumers would actually choose ethically labeled products over counterparts if given the choice. We provide new evidence on consumer behavior from a large-scale field experiment conducted with Gap Inc. in 111 Banana Republic factory stores. We find that labels with information about fair labor standards had a substantial positive effect on sales among a segment of shoppers even in outlet stores where customers are predominantly concerned with prices. The labels increased sales of a more expensive women's item by 14%. The labels had no discernable impact on sales of lower-priced items.
Sport Injury and College Athlete Health across the Lifespan

What is the price of sports participation? The recently released Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Advisory Committee Report (United States Department of Health & Human Services [USDHHS], 2008) refers to sport injury as one of the prices, or “adverse events,” associated with regular physical activity such as competitive sport participation. Evidence in the colloquium paper presented by Zernicke, Antle, McLean, Palmieri-Smith, Miller, and Wojtys (2009)—entitled Play at Your Own Risk: Sport and the Injury Epidemic—demonstrates the magnitude and extent of this sport injury price, and provides a comprehensive and multifaceted look at both the nature of the problem and cutting edge, research-based solutions. As a reactor to their paper, my frames of reference include those of a (a) scholar in sport and exercise psychology with specific expertise in the psychology of sport injury, (b) former intercollegiate athlete who sustained many sport injuries herself, and, (c) former intercollegiate coach who dealt on the front lines with numerous athletes incurring and recovering from sport injuries. Is excellence in sport compatible with good health? Within the specific context of intercollegiate sport injury, my answer to this question relates to two salient themes that emerged for me in reaction to Zernicke et al.’s (2009) paper: first, that one must consider multiple dimensions of athlete health to fully grasp the compatibility of excellence and health, and second, that one must consider the full lifespan of intercollegiate athletes when answering the question. First, with respect to multiple dimensions, some of the key dimensions of athlete health affected by sport injury include physical (e.g., general health and functioning, orthopedic health, sport performance), social (e.g., ability to interact with other individuals), cognitive (e.g., ability to process information and act properly), emotional (e.g., ability to cope, adjust, and adapt), spiritual (e.g., belief in some force or dynamic other than humans), philosophical (e.g., the belief system that governs engagement), and economic (e.g., financial livelihood and support for activities). Furthermore, in addition to sport injury affecting multiple dimensions of the injured athlete’s own health, there is the health of the broader system to consider. Injury affects more than the injured; it often also holds healthrelated consequences for the network of family, friends, teammates, coaching
Advances in mesh signal processing and geometry compression

Summary form only given. Several closely related methods have been proposed in recent years to smooth, denoise, edit, compress, transmit, and animate very large polygon meshes, based on topological and combinatorial methods, signal processing techniques, constrained energy minimization, and the solution of diffusion differential equations. In particular, polygon models, which are used in most graphics applications, require considerable amounts of storage, even when they only approximate precise shapes with limited accuracy. To support the Internet access to 3D models of complex virtual environments or assemblies for electronic shopping, collaborative CAD, multi-player video games, scientific visualization, representations of 3D shapes must be compressed by several orders of magnitude. The author provides a quick overview of the mesh signal processing approach. Then he describes in more detail some recent results and applications: linear anisotropic mesh filtering, bi-level isosurface compression, and space-optimized texture maps.
Murine erythroid 5-aminolevulinate synthase: Adenosyl-binding site Lys221 modulates substrate binding and catalysis

5-Aminolevulinate synthase (ALAS) catalyzes the initial step of mammalian heme biosynthesis, the condensation between glycine and succinyl-CoA to produce CoA, CO2, and 5-aminolevulinate. The crystal structure of Rhodobacter capsulatus ALAS indicates that the adenosyl moiety of succinyl-CoA is positioned in a mainly hydrophobic pocket, where the ribose group forms a putative hydrogen bond with Lys156. Loss-of-function mutations in the analogous lysine of human erythroid ALAS (ALAS2) cause X-linked sideroblastic anemia. To characterize the contribution of this residue toward catalysis, the equivalent lysine in murine ALAS2 was substituted with valine, eliminating the possibility of a hydrogen bond. The K221V substitution produced a 23-fold increase in the [Formula: see text] and a 97% decrease in [Formula: see text]. This reduction in the specificity constant does not stem from lower affinity toward succinyl-CoA, since the [Formula: see text] of K221V is lower than that of wild-type ALAS. For both enzymes, the [Formula: see text] value is significantly different from the [Formula: see text]. That K221V has stronger binding affinity for succinyl-CoA was further deduced from substrate protection studies, as K221V achieved maximal protection at lower succinyl-CoA concentration than wild-type ALAS. Moreover, it is the CoA, rather than the succinyl moiety, that facilitates binding of succinyl-CoA to wild-type ALAS, as evident from identical [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] values. Transient kinetic analyses of the K221V-catalyzed reaction revealed that the mutation reduced the rates of quinonoid intermediate II formation and decay. Altogether, the results imply that the adenosyl-binding site Lys221 contributes to binding and orientation of succinyl-CoA for effective catalysis.
LIFE ABOVE EARTH: An Introduction

Life Above Earth is a deterrestrialization of anthropological thought. It is an introductory exploration of vitalities, materials, and movements that are skyward, spacey, and atmospheric, asking how a new generation of anthropological work might see old habits in novel domains, find habitats where we thought there were none, and entangle our theorizing with intraconnective potential. Anthropocenic times demand an ascendant orientation as we become conscious climate inhabitants living within weather-weathered political economies. To analytically inhabit life above earth means moving beyond simply charting the space above us and instead seeking out forms of porous mutuality.
Measurement of body composition of live rats by electromagnetic conductance

Abstract Measurement of body composition in vivo is important in many nutritional studies. One method for estimating body composition is total body electrical conductance (TOBEC). The TOBEC methodology is based on measuring changes of an electromagnetic field that are proportional to lean body mass (LBM). Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 117) ranging in age from 49 to 105 days were measured by TOBEC, and the TOBEC results were compared with direct carcass chemical analyses. The rats ranged in weight from 155 to 500 g. Mean LBM was 92.4% of total body weight (b.wt.), and mean body fat was 7.4% of total b.wt. Mean hydration of LBM was 71.7% and decreased (r = −0.59, p
ABD or EdD? A Model of Library Training for Distance Doctoral Students

ABSTRACT Libraries have been struggling for years to move beyond 1-shot library training. In spite of efforts in the last decade to promote information literacy for undergraduate and graduate students alike, libraries more often than not are still not reaching the goals articulated in the Association of College & Research Libraries's information literacy standards. The problems are compounded when institutions serve students who also happen to be taking part or all of their classes online or at field-based sites. The model for providing a library training program for students in the Doctor of Education (EdD) program in a distance program focuses on providing students with training that builds sequentially and developmentally at the points of need for students in the 1st year of classes and provides additional support for students once they have completed their course work. This multistepped approach is designed to help doctoral students throughout the doctoral process.
In vitro steroid metabolic studies in human testes I: Effects of estrogen on progesterone metabolism

A technique of incubation of testicular tissue in vitro with radiolabeled precursors was applied in the investigation of the steroid biosynthesis by testes of four young men after long-term, high-dose estrogen treatment. A positive correlation between plasma and testicular steroid levels, and in vitro capacity of the testes to metabolize progesterone was demonstrated. Estrogen administration produced a very significant inhibition of plasma and testicular levels of testosterone. The in vitro synthesis of testosterone from progesterone was very severely impaired; especially 17alpha-hydroxylation of progesterone. 20alpha-hydroxysteroid-dehydrogenase activity was found to be increased after estrogen treatment, both in vivo and in vitro. These findings suggest that testicular 17alpha-hydroxylase activity (and possibly also 17-20 lyase activity) is either under gonadotropin regulation, or is directly suppressed by estrogen. This could result by decreased enzyme synthesis, direct enzyme inhibition or affectation of the cofactors or cytochromes necessary for the enzymatic activity. 20alpha-reduction of C21-steroids would represent an alternative pathway for their catabolism, not regulated by gonadotropin or not affected by estrogen, that would be significant in situations with reduced 17alpha-hydroxylase activity.
Effect of Crop Rotation on the Survival of Phytophthora capsici in Michigan

Phytophthora capsici is a limiting factor for some vegetable producers in Michigan despite crop rotation and fungicide applications. Our objective was to assess the effect of crop rotation on the survival of P. capsici at a naturally infested site in Michigan planted to cucumbers in 1998, corn in 1999 and 2000, and tomatoes in 2001. Isolates were characterized for compatibility type (CT), mefenoxam sensitivity, and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) marker profiles, and compared with isolates recovered from other locations in Michigan during the same time period. The A1:A2 CT ratio was 1:1, and approximately 60% of the isolates recovered in both years were intermediately sensitive or insensitive to mefenoxam. The majority of the isolates (89%) had unique AFLP fingerprints, and no members of the same clonal lineage were recovered among years. Isolates from this location were more similar to each other than to isolates from other locations in Michigan, and it was not possible to distinguish isolates based on the year of isolation. Genetic similarity analyses indicate that isolates from this location are part of a genetically distinct outcrossing population. These data indicate that P. capsici persisted as oospores for the 2 years between cucumbers and tomatoes, and that crop rotation and mefenoxam are not likely to provide economic control.
The Effects of Static Stretching and Warm-Up on Prevention of Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness

Abstract It has been suggested in the lay literature that static stretching and/or warm-up will prevent the occurrence of Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). The primary purpose of this study was to determine the effects of static stretching and!or warm-up on the level of pain associated with DOMS. Sixty-two healthy male and female volunteers were randomly assigned to four groups: (a) subjects who statically stretched the quadriceps muscle group before a step, (b) subjects who only performed a stepping warm-up, (c) subjects who both stretched and performed a stepping warm-up prior to a step test, and (d) subjects who only performed a step test. The step test (Asmussen, 1956) required subjects to do concentric work with their right leg and eccentric work with their left leg to voluntary exhaustion. Subjects rated their muscle soreness on a ratio scale from zero to six at 24-hour intervals for 5 days following the step test. A 4×2×2 ANOVA with repeated measures on legs and Duncan's New Multiple Range post...
Current perspectives on anabolic-androgenic steroid abuse

For the past 40 years anabolic-androgenic steroids have been used by a wide variety of athletes with the hope of improving their training, endurance and performance. Proponents of their use claim that the drugs increase muscle strength and mass, endurance, decrease recovery time between workouts and improve physique. Critics claim that these beneficial effects are due primarily to expectancy and other factors associated with training; many doctors also claim that their use is actually quite dangerous. Regardless of their efficacy, the use and abuse of anabolic-androgenic steroids has escalated such that in 1990 the US Congress enacted the Anabolic Steroids Control Act requiring that anabolic steroids be added to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act. This action placed compounds such as testosterone cipionate and nandrolone decanoate in the company of various opioid drugs, amphetamines and barbiturates. As chair of the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics' Committee on Substance Abuse, Scott Lukas advocates continued research on the effectiveness, toxicity and natural history of anabolic-androgenic steroid abuse.
A procedural workflow for set building and rendering

For an upcoming short, "Wings of the Avalerion," written by Joseph Guerrieri, an airplane set needed to be created that could be used in a number of configurations and from a number of angles. To easily accommodate the various shots, the decision was made to layout the airplane procedurally using Side Effects Software's Houdini and to rely on Pixar's RenderMan for flexible shading.
Heterogeneity in recruitment and habitat patterns of valley oak ( Quercus lobata Née) at the site and landscape scale in the Santa Monica Mountains, California, USA

Valley oak, Quercus lobata Nee, has been a focus of conservation attention due to concerns about regeneration failure, habitat fragmentation and modification, and potential range contraction associated with climate change. A drawback of previous studies of valley oak stand structure and the regeneration problem has been their emphasis on one site or spatial and temporal scale. Generalization about valley oak dynamics from such studies is problematic because demographic parameters are not likely to be constant across sites, but heavily influenced by site-specific conditions. This study examines site-to-site variability across three locations in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, California, USA. Variability in measures of stand structure and spatial pattern was examined across sites and within the landscape context. Estimates of expected landscape-scale evenness were derived by repeated random sampling of the data set and used as benchmarks for comparison with site-scale measures. Saplings were more abundant than expected at all three sites with sapling:adult ratios ranging from 0.5 to >1.0. Size-class structure suggested past recruitment problems at two sites, but recruitment at one site appears to have been steady for some time. Spatial distribution of adult stems at each site roughly corresponded to the estimated landscape pattern, but sapling establishment has shifted to north-to-east aspect hillsides and riparian-adjacent positions. In hilltop and swale habitats, adult valley oak are senescing without sapling recruitment. Shifting habitat-recruitment associations may lead to increasingly uneven distribution of stems across the landscape, altering landscape patterns and ecological processes.
Determining appliance energy usage with a high-resolution metering system for residential natural gas meters

This paper presents a high-resolution automated meter reading system for residential gas meters, which can be used to record gas consumption for each appliance. The mechanical operation of an industry-standard residential gas meter is characterized, and the internal metering mechanism analyzed to develop a system to non-intrusively monitor gas consumption of individual appliances by resolving small amounts of gas usage at the meter. The system can be retrofitted to an existing gas meter with a module that includes a high-resolution encoder to collect gas flow data, and a microprocessor to analyze and classify appliance load profiles. This approach provides a number of attractive features including low cost, easy installation and integration with existing meter reading technologies. This system enables gas utilities to provide real-time feedback to customers on gas usage by appliance.
Changing Surgical Trends in Young Patients with Early Stage Breast Cancer, 2003 to 2010: A Report from the National Cancer Data Base

Background Young patients with breast cancer represent a unique cohort of patients who often have different treatment plans than older patients. We hypothesized that the rates of contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM) were significantly higher and those of lumpectomy were significantly lower in young patients compared with older patients and that this trend persists when adjusting for patient, tumor, and facility factors. Study Design We used the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) to study 553,593 patients from all ages with American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage 0 to II breast tumors, who underwent lumpectomy, unilateral mastectomy, or CPM from 2003 to 2010. Results Over the entire cohort, lumpectomy rates decreased from 67.7% in 2003 to 66.4% in 2010 in contrast to women 45 years old or less, in whom the lumpectomy rates went from 61.3% in 2003 to 49.4% in 2010. Unilateral mastectomy went from 28.2% to 23.9% and CPM from 4.1% to 9.7% compared with women 45 years old or less, in whom unilateral mastectomy rates went from 29.3% to 26.4% and CPM rates from 9.3% to 26.4%. Age was the most significant factor related to increasing CPM rates: 19.7% of women between 41 and 45 years old underwent CPM vs 5.1% of women between 66 and 70 years old. There was substantial regional variation in surgical procedures for young women: lumpectomy rates were lowest in the West and CPM rates were highest in the Midwest. Multivariate logistic regression showed that women 45 years old or younger compared with women more than 45 years who underwent CPM were more likely to be Caucasian, treated at an academic/research institution, have larger tumors, higher grade, higher stage, and lobular histology. Conclusions The rate of CPM continues to increase, with one-quarter of younger women undergoing CPM. This trend persists across all patient, tumor, and facility characteristics.
International migration policies: conceptual problems.

States approach and define international migration differently. The implications of differentials in policy practices toward permanent, temporary and illegal migration are examined. While entry pol...
Galanin expression increases in adult rat sympathetic neurons after axotomy

Abstract Changes in neuropeptide expression occur in sensory, motor, and sympathetic neurons following axotomy. The particular pattern of peptide changes that occurs varies among the three cell types. We have studied the regulation in the rat superior cervical ganglion of the expression of galanin, a peptide previously shown to increase in axotomized sensory and motor neurons. While normally only an occasional neuron exhibiting galanin-like immunoreactivity is found in this ganglion, at two days after transection of the postganglionic internal and external carotid nerves, immunostaining can be observed in many neurons throughout the ganglion. Similar changes are found when ganglia are placed in organ culture for two days. The distribution of immunostained neurons after section of only one of the postganglionic trunks suggests that changes in galanin-like immunoreactivity occur only within neurons whose axons are transected. None the less, even when both nerve trunks are transected, only about half of the neurons in the ganglion exhibit galanin-like immunoreactivity, indicating that only a proportion of the axotomized neurons exhibit a detectable response. The few immunostained neurons seen after section of the cervical sympathetic trunk may also represent axotomized neurons. Galanin-like immunoreactivity extracted from the ganglion co-chromatographs with authentic galanin, and the level of this immunoreactivity increases dramatically after axotomy and explantation, and modestly after decentralization. These same manipulations produce parallel increases in the level of galanin messenger RNA. Together, the findings indicate that the expression of galanin increases in sympathetic neurons after axotomy. Galanin is thus the first neuropeptide whose expression has been shown to increase after transection of all three types of peripheral axons that have been studied.
Rapid surface microstructuring of porous alumina ceramic using continuous wave Nd:YAG laser

Abstract Laser surface microstructuring of porous alumina ceramic is investigated using a continuous wave Nd:YAG laser. The surface microstructure development is based on the rapid surface melting and subsequent solidification resulting in the evolution of crystallographic and morphological textures. The results indicated that surface microstructure is greatly influenced by the laser processing parameters. Detailed investigations of the influence of laser fluence on the thermal history and microstructural parameters are presented. Such investigations are intended to facilitate the tailoring of surface microstructures by controlling the laser processing parameters.
Electrical polarization of phosphatidylserine bilayer membranes by calcium ions.

Abstract Bilayer membranes formed from a decane solution of phosphatidylserine were polarized by an applied potential. An open circuit voltage pulse following the brief short circuit of the polarized membrane was observed if Ca2+ was present in the aqueous phase on both sides of the membrane. This polarization response is proportional to the initial applied voltage and increases with Ca2+ concentration until a maximum response of 11% is obtained at 0.5 mM. Two possible mechanisms, voltage-dependent Ca2+ binding and border conduction are discussed.
A Defined Management Strategy Improves Early Outcomes After the Fontan Procedure: The Portland Protocol

Background Patients undergoing the Fontan procedure may have extended hospital stay due to various postoperative factors including prolonged chest tube drainage. Our aim was to determine the efficacy of our Fontan management protocol in reducing chest tube drainage and length of stay. Methods Patients who underwent a Fontan procedure at our institution from June 2008 to September 2013 were analyzed (n = 42). We currently manage our patients according to the PORTLAND protocol: Peripheral vasodilation, Oxygen, Restriction of fluids, Technique of surgery, Low-fat diet, Anticoagulation (including antithrombin III management), No ventilator, and Diuretics. Group A (n = 28) had surgery prior to initiation of this protocol; group B (n = 14) had surgery during the current protocol era. Results The median number of chest tube days was lower in group B (6 vs 11 days, p p p = 0.004) and hospital length of stay (8 vs 13 days, p = 0.001). Group B had higher preoperative common atrial pressures (7.0 vs 5.8 mm Hg, p = 0.017), end-diastolic pressures (9 vs 7 mm Hg, p = 0.026), and trended toward higher pulmonary artery pressures (11.5 vs 9.5 mm Hg, p = 0.077). There was no statistically significant difference in age, weight, transpulmonary gradient, or pulmonary vascular resistance between groups. Conclusions The PORTLAND protocol has improved early outcomes after the Fontan procedure. Chest tube drainage and duration, and both intensive care unit and hospital length of stay have been reduced since initiation of this protocol.
A 3-person game on polyhedral sets

A problem of a Nash equilibrium point existence and calculating for a 3-person game on polyhedral sets with special payoff functions is considered. It is shown that its existence is equivalent to that of a saddle point in an auxiliary antagonistic game on polyhedral sets and that the saddle point calculating can be done using vector-solutions of a linear and quadratic programming problem formulated on the basis of the master 3-person game.
Far-IR transmitting, cadmium iodide-based glasses

Abstract A new class of inorganic halide glasses is described, in which iodide is either the only or the main anion. The glass-formation progenitor is CdI2 (usually 40–60 mol%); other components used were CsI, KI, TlI, PbI2, the corresponding bromides, etc. The iodide glasses exhibit remarkably high far-IR-transmittance (down to ∼350 cm−1 for 2 mm thick plates), and a much better resistance to humidity than known chloride glasses; however, their low glass-transition temperatures (10–35°C) lead to relatively poor stability. High lead halide content “marginal” glasses of higher Tg(≤63°C) and excellent moisture resistance are briefly described.
IONIZATION OF GASES BY RECOIL ATOMS

The value of $W$, the average energy required to produce an ion pair, has been measured in several gases for the recoil atoms due to the alpha decay of ThC and ThC\ensuremath{'}. The method used compared proportional counter pulse heights from the first inch of alpha tracks with complete recoil tracks, auxiliary counters differentiating between the two by coincidence technique. For the recoils due to the decay of ThC, the following values of $W$ (in ev per ion pair in the indicated gas) were obtained: C${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$, 102; ${\mathrm{C}}_{3}$${\mathrm{H}}_{6}$, 99; ${\mathrm{C}}_{2}$${\mathrm{H}}_{4}$, 104; He, 60; ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$, 81; C${\mathrm{H}}_{4}$, 111. The values for the decay of ThC\ensuremath{'} were found to be: C${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$, 99; ${\mathrm{C}}_{3}$${\mathrm{H}}_{6}$, 92; ${\mathrm{C}}_{2}$${\mathrm{H}}_{4}$, 90; He, 55; ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$, 68; C${\mathrm{H}}_{4}$, 96.
Finite Element Modeling and Analysis of Warm Forming of Aluminum Alloys—Validation Through Comparisons With Experiments and Determination of a Failure Criterion

In this study, thermomechanically coupled finite element analysis (FEA) was performed for forming aluminum rectangular cups at elevated temperatures. In order to identify the onset of a failure during FEA, applicability, accuracy, and repeatability of three different failure criteria (maximum load, minimum thickness, and thickness ratio) were investigated. The thickness ratio criterion was selected since it resulted in accurate prediction of necking-type failure when compared with experimental measurements obtained under a variety of warm forming conditions. Predicted part depth values from FEA at various die-punch temperature combinations and blank holder pressures conditions were also compared with experiments, and showed good agreement. Forming limit diagrams were established at three different warm forming temperature levels (250°C, 300°C, and 350°C). An increasing limiting strain was observed with increasing forming temperature both in FEA and experiments. In addition, strain distributions on the formed part obtained under different die-punch temperature combinations were also compared to further validate the accuracy of FEA. A high temperature gradient between die and punch (T die > T punch ) was found to result in increased formability; i.e., high part depths.
A physical radar cross-section model for a wind-driven sea with swell

A new spectrum model for the ocean surface is proposed. We determine the two unknown parameters in this spectrum by fitting it to radar observations. We find that this spectrum combined with two-scale scattering theory can predict much of the observed dependence of the radar cross section on radar frequency, polarization, angle of incidence, and wind velocity at incidence angles in the 0\deg-70\deg range. The spectrum model is combined with a model for swell to examine the effect of swell on the radar cross section. We find that the effect of swell is significant for low radar frequencies ( L band) and near normal incidence but can be nearly eliminated by using higher frequencies ( K_{u} band) and large angles of incidence ( \approx 50\deg ).
Maternal hepatic effects of 1,2,4,5-tetrachlorobenzene in the rat☆☆☆

Abstract 1,2,4,5-Tetrachlorobenzene (TCB) is an industrial intermediate used in the production of 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid. This herbicide contains trace quantities of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). Because of possible maternal hepatic or reproductive effects of this uncharged, low-molecular weight, lipophilic chlorinated benzene 0, 30, 100, 300, and 1000 mg/kg/day of TCB was orally administered to rats on Days 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 of gestation and the animals were sacrified on Day 14 of pregnancy. No maternal deaths were recorded and body weight gain was significantly decreased only in the 1000 mg/kg/day group. Maternal liver weight, liver to body weight ratio, and hepatic microsomal protein content were unaffected by TCB treatment. Although Day 14 NADPH-cytochrome c reductase activity was not affected, the maternal hepatic microsomal cytochrome P-450 content was significantly increased by administration of 1000 mg/kg/day of TCB. Microsomal N-demethylation of aminopyrine was slightly increased from 2.4 to 3.4 and 3.5 nmole/mg protein/min at doses of 300 and 1000 mg/kg TCB. However, maternal hepatic microsomal ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase activity was greatly increased from 14 to 30, 40, 50, and 49 pmole/mg protein/min in pregnant rats administered 0, 30, 100, 300, and 1000 mg/kg/day TCB. The microsomal rates of p-nitrophenol and phenolphthalein glucuronidation in vitro were not increased by TCB administration. The maternal hepatic microsomal enzyme induction observed after TCB administration to pregnant rats suggests the presence both cytochrome P-450 and P-448 inducers in the sample of 1,2,4,5-tetrachlorobenzene used.
Flow of a non-Newtonian fluid between eccentric rotating cylinders

Abstract The equations of motion modeling the flow of an incompressible homogeneous Rivlin-Ericksen fluid of grade 2 between eccentric rotating cylinders are studied by means of a power series expansion in η = Re Γ , where Re is the flow Reynolds number and Γ is a non-dimensional parameter which reflects the non-Newtonian character of the fluid. The zero order perturbation represents the flow of a Newtonian fluid; this flow has been already discussed by San Andres and Szeri (J. Appl. Mech. 51, 869–878). The present paper examines the equations of the first order perturbation. The flow domain in this paper is not restricted to narrow gaps, inertial effects are not ignored and the eccentricity ratio is arbitrary. The fluid model, however, represents only slight departure from Newtonian behavior. Even so, we find that the non-Newtonian behavior plays a significant role in determining the streamline pattern and in the positioning of separation and reattachment points. The numerical methods employed in this study include Galerkin's method with B-spline test functions.
Human Kinetics of Orally and Intravenously Administered Low-Dose 1,2-13C-Dichloroacetate

Dichloroacetate (DCA) is a putative environmental hazard, owing to its ubiquitous presence in the biosphere and its association with animal and human toxicity. We sought to determine the kinetics of environmentally relevant concentrations of 1,2-(13)C-DCA administered to healthy adults. Subjects received an oral or intravenous dose of 2.5 microg/kg of 1,2-(13)C-DCA. Plasma and urine concentrations of 1,2-(13)C-DCA were measured by a modified gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method. 1,2-(13)C-DCA kinetics was determined by modeling using WinNonlin 4.1 software. Plasma concentrations of 1,2-(13)C-DCA peaked 10 minutes and 30 minutes after intravenous or oral administration, respectively. Plasma kinetic parameters varied as a function of dose and duration. Very little unchanged 1,2-(13)C-DCA was excreted in urine. Trace amounts of DCA alter its own kinetics after short-term exposure. These findings have important implications for interpreting the impact of this xenobiotic on human health.
Synthesis of tethered phytic acid

Abstract The synthesis of 2- O -(3-aminopropyl) and 2- O -(6-aminohexyl)inositol hexakisphosphate provides two tetherable probes for isolation and characterization of IP 6 and IP 5 receptors.
Analysis of database performance with dynamic locking

A detailed model of a transaction processing system with dynamic locking is developed and analyzed. Transaction classes are distinguished on the basis of the number of data items accessed and the access mode (read-only/update). The performance of the system is affected by transaction blocking and restarts, due to lock conflicts that do not or do cause deadlocks, respectively. The probability of these events is determined by the characteristics of transactions and the database access pattern. Hardware resource contention due to concurrent transaction processing is taken into account by specifying the throughput characteristic of the computer system for processing transactions when there is no data contention. A solution method based on decomposition is developed to analyze the system, and also used as the basis of an iterative scheme with reduced computational cost. The analysis to estimate the probability of lock conflicts and deadlocks is based on the mean number of locks held by transactions. These probabilities are used to derive the state transition probabilities for the Markov chain specifying the transitions among the system states. The decomposition solution method and the associated iterative scheme are shown to be more accurate than previously defined methods for dynamic locking through validation against simulation results. Several important conclusions regarding the behavior of dynamic locking systems are derived from parametric studies.
Fermion-Boson metamorphosis in a chiral invariant theory

Abstract A chiral invariant theory in two dimensions with massless fermions is examined in its Bose form. Dynamical generation of mass occurs via boson transmutation, which preserves the chiral symmetry of the massless theory and is independent of the number of fermions. Several new features of the fermion theory, such as hidden symmetry, duality and triality symmetries are discovered. Some interesting connections with other two-dimensional models are also presented.
The year 2000 issue and its relevance to technical communicators

Summary form only given, as follows. A superficially trivial issue, the omission of the century digits from dates (the Year 2000 Problem), has created computational ambiguities that first corrupt individual systems and then propagate to endanger interrelated systems and entire organizations. To discover, identify, isolate and correct every date-related operation within each individual system is challenging in itself; to integrate, coordinate, synchronize and validate all changes across the web of interconnected systems and organizations is the most daunting task our community has ever faced. Without a coordinated international effort to investigate, review, disseminate and promulgate practical, shareable, standardized problem descriptions and solutions, it is arguable that the current interconnective complexity of the global electronic infrastructure is at severe risk of collapse. This unsettling scenario is the reluctantly reached but carefully considered conclusion of a range of responsible researchers - from system theorists to financial analysts to economists. Why this is a problem particularly relevant to technical communicators, what you need to know about it, and how it will change our future are discussed.