cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
FIRST Things First: A Practice-Academic Collaboration to Develop and Deliver a Competency-Based Series of Applied Epidemiology Trainings

The Florida Center for Public Health Preparedness in the University of South Florida College of Public Health and the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) collaborated to design, develop, and deliver two competency-based epidemiology training programs aimed at increasing the epidemiologic preparedness and response capability of the FDOH workforce. They were also designed to meet the requirements of the National Incident Management System and recommendations or needs identified in national studies. The basis for the trainings is an epidemiology competency set developed by the Northwest Center for Public Health Practice at the University of Washington School of Public Health and Community Medicine. The target audiences for the two trainings are non-epidemiologists or practicing epidemiologists who have relatively little formal education in epidemiology. Both courses have online as well as onsite modules. Alternate tabletop exercises have been completed and delivered for anthrax and plague. Both trainings require participant demonstration of skills. The trainings have been well received, appear to be effective, and are used to credential members of Florida's epidemiology strike teams.
Show Me How You See: Lessons from Studying Computer Forensics Experts for Visualization

As the first part of a Analyze-Visualize-Validate cycle, we have initiated a domain analysis of email computer forensics to determine where visualization may be beneficial. To this end, we worked with police detectives and other forensics professionals. However, the process of designing and executing such a study with real-world experts has been a non-trivial task. This paper presents our efforts in this area and the lessons learned as guidance for other practitioners.
Significant changes to ENSO strength and impacts in the twenty‐first century: Results from CMIP5

[1] Changes to the El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and its atmospheric teleconnections under climate change are investigated using simulations conducted for the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5). The overall response to CO2increases is determined using 27 models, and the ENSO amplitude change based on the multi-model mean is indistinguishable from zero. However, changes between ensembles run with a given model are sometimes significant: for four of the eleven models having ensemble sizes larger than three, the 21st century change to ENSO amplitude is statistically significant. In these four models, changes to SST and wind stress do not differ substantially from those in the models with no ENSO response, indicating that mean changes are not predictive of the ENSO sensitivity to climate change. Also, ocean vertical stratification is less (more) sensitive to CO2in models where ENSO strengthens (weakens), likely due to a regulation of the subsurface temperature structure by ENSO-related poleward heat transport. Atmospheric teleconnections also show differences between models where ENSO amplitude does and does not respond to climate change; in the former case El Nino/La Nina-related sea level pressure anomalies strengthen with CO2, and in the latter they weaken and shift polewards and eastwards. These results illustrate the need for large ensembles to isolate significant ENSO climate change responses, and for future work on diagnosing the dynamical causes of inter-model teleconnection differences.
Computerized Writing Assessment Technology: Business Law Students Weigh in on its Use in the College Classroom for Developing Workplace-ready Writing

Abstract Given the documented concerns of employers about writing competency among workers, it is desirable for instructors across disciplines, and particularly in business schools, to prioritize the development of student writing so that it is workplace-ready. This article reviews the literature on 1) undergraduate business student writing and its preparedness for the workplace, and 2) computerized technology available for assessing and providing feedback on student writing in the college classroom. It reports on a study that examines student use of the computerized writing assessment technology Criterion™, produced by the Educational Testing Service, for writing assignments in an undergraduate business law class. It presents the results of a survey of student perceptions about the usefulness of computerized writing assessment technology as an instructional aid in writing development. Student feedback was positive with over 95% of students finding the tool to be very useful or helpful, thereby indicating that computerized writing assessment technology has the potential to become a valuable instructional tool across the curriculum. Composition instructors knowledgeable about the use of such technology are poised to play a critical role in disseminating knowledge about such tools to colleagues in other disciplines, including business schools, in which composition is practiced.
Antioxidant therapy in experimental spinal cord injury

We have tested the capacity of several compounds with in vitro and/or in vivo antioxidant or antilipolytic activity to ameliorate locomotor function in cats subjected to static loading (i.e. compression) injury of the spinal cord. These include the synthetic glucocorticoid, methylprednisolone sodium succinate (MP), and the new 21-aminosteroid antioxidant, U74006F. Treatment of spinal cord-injured cats with high doses of MP promoted or spared locomotor function and preserved spinal cord tissue. Extending these findings in cats to humans, it was recently demonstrated that high doses of MP administered within 8 h of injury significantly improved neurologic recovery in human spinal cord-injured patients. The compound U74006F is one of a series of 21-aminosteroids that, unlike MP, lack glucocorticoid, mineralocorticoid or other hormonal activity yet are potent inhibitors of lipid perioxidation. Over a 100-fold range of doses, U74006F promoted recovery of locomotor function in spinal cord-injured cats. The lowest effective dose for U74006F was 100 times lower than the maximally effective dose for MP. The efficacy of U74006F is unchanged if treatment is initiated within 4 h of injury. However, if treatment is delayed for 8 h, the therapeutic potency of U74006F is substantially reduced. These findings suggest that antioxidant therapy can successfully limit the effects of both experimental and clinical spinal cord injury especially if the treatment is initiated shortly after injury.
Two large families of chemoreceptor genes in the nematodes Caenorhabditis elegans and Caenorhabditis briggsae reveal extensive gene duplication, diversification, movement, and intron loss

The str family of genes encoding seven-transmembrane G-protein-coupled or serpentine receptors related to the ODR-10 diacetyl chemoreceptor is very large, with at least 197 members in the Caenorhabditis elegans genome. The closely related stl family has 43 genes, and both families are distantly related to the srd family with 55 genes. Analysis of the structures of these genes indicates that a third of them are clearly or likely pseudogenes. Preliminary surveys of other candidate chemoreceptor families indicates that as many as 800 genes and pseudogenes or 6% of the genome might encode 550 functional chemoreceptors constituting 4% of the C. elegans protein complement. Phylogenetic analyses of the str and stl families, and comparisons with a few orthologs in Caenorhabditis briggsae, reveal ongoing processes of gene duplication, diversification, and movement. The reconstructed ancestral gene structures for these two families have eight introns each, four of which are homologous. Mapping of intron distributions on the phylogenetic tree reveals that each intron has been lost many times independently. Most of these introns were lost individually, which might best be explained by precise in-frame deletions involving nonhomologous recombination between short direct repeats at their termini. [Alignment of the putatively functional proteins in the str and stl families is available from Pfam (http://genome. wustl.edu/Pfam); alignments of all translations are available at http://cshl.org/gr; alignments of the genes are available from the author at hughrobe@uiuc.edu]
Mohs Surgery for Periungual and Subungual Skin Cancer

Mohs surgery for a malignancy in the periungual and subungual location is advantageous because it is a tissue-sparing technique that preserves maximum function and normal appearance. Traditional surgical treatment for such tumors is wide local excision and closure; in some cases, amputation of the digit is considered. The amount of tissue removed with these standard surgical treatments may be quite debilitating for the patient. Often, Mohs surgery will preserve a significant amount of nail matrix so that an almost normal-appearing nail regrows.
Demography of Race and Ethnicity in Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia as we know it today it is a product of the region’s colonial past. The borders of the present nation states largely coincide with imperial borders established in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The region was originally integrated into the world trade system during the period of European seaborne empires centered on major trading ports. These trading empires resulted in greater intra-Asian trade and facilitated new migratory and cultural connections between countries in Asia. This chapter is divided into two parts. Part 1 examines the integration of Southeast Asia into the global economy after the 1870s, the globalization of commodity production and labor immigration especially from China and India. Migration from the two countries, which was driven by push-pull factors and the opportunity differentials in Southeast Asia, resulted in demographic changes in the region. In the 1930s, falling world demand led to implementation of international commodity restriction schemes by the colonizers, the ending of open immigration policies and repatriation of surplus foreign workers. Part 2 investigates the second wave of globalization in the region, associated with the rise of the United States in the 1950s and the further integration of economic activities and labor markets. International labor migration (ILM) once again became an integral component of broader socio-economic transformative processes in Southeast Asia. The new geography of migration in the region was related to the rise of newly-industrializing economies, trade liberalization and the regulation of labor markets.
Impact of a surgical site infection reduction strategy after colorectal resection.

AbstractAimThis study was performed to determine the impact of a surgical site infection (SSI) reduction strategy on SSI rates following colorectal resection.MethodAmerican College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) data from 2006–14 were utilized and supplemented by i
Cardiovascular responses to activation of metabotropic glutamate receptors in the nTS of the rat

Although several agonists and antagonists for different subtypes of metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGLURs) have become available in recent years, detailed information regarding their selectivity is not complete in the in vivo animal models. The purpose of the present investigation was to study the cardiovascular effects of microinjections of some of these mGLUR agonists and antagonists into the nucleus tractus solitarius (nTS). Microinjections (100 nl) of EC(50) concentrations of 3,5-DHPG (0.005 mM; mGLUR(1) agonist), APDC (17.3 mM; mGLUR(2/3) agonist), PPG (11.7 mM; mGLUR(8) agonist) and L-AP(4) (1 mM; mGLUR(4) agonist) into the nucleus tractus solitarius of urethane-anesthetized male Wistar rats elicited depressor and bradycardic responses which may be mediated by pre- and/or postsynaptic mechanisms. The blocking effect of mGLUR antagonists used here was not specific for any one type of glutamate receptors (GLURs). For example, AIDA (50 mM; mGLUR(1) antagonist) blocked the effects of EC(50) concentrations of 3,5-DHPG, and PPG. LY341495 (135 mM; mGLUR(2/3) antagonist) blocked all of the mGLURs and ionotropic GLURs. EGLU, APICA and MCCG (250 mM each; mGLUR(2/3) antagonists) blocked the effects of APDC, NMDA and AMPA. CPPG (80 mM) and MSOP (125 mM), mGLUR(4) antagonists, blocked the effects of 3,5-DHPG, PPG and L-AP(4.) D-AP7 (NMDA receptor antagonist) and NBQX (a non-NMDA receptor antagonist) did not alter the responses of any of the mGLUR agonists. The data presented may be useful in assessing the role of metabotropic and ionotropic GLURs in mediating different cardiovascular reflexes.
Associations Between Types of Maltreatment and Substance Use During Adolescence

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate associations between four categories of maltreatment and substance use among adolescents. Method: All 10th through 12th graders (n=2,187) at six public high schools in a rural Oregon county filled out an anonymous survey that included questions about their experience of emotional, sexual, and physical abuse and their use of a variety of substances. Substance use was subsequently categorized as: (1) tobacco use, (2) alcohol use, and (3) illicit drug use. Experience of maltreatment was subsequently categorized as: (1) no type of maltreatment, (2) emotional abuse, (3) physical abuse, (4) sexual abuse, and (5) sexual and physical abuse. Results: Results showed that all four categories of maltreatment were associated with increased levels of all three categories of substance use. Statistical comparisons of the magnitude effects of different types of maltreatment on substance use indicated a linear trend with the effects of emotional abuse being significantly lower than those of physical or sexual abuse, and the effects of the combination of physical and sexual abuse being significantly higher than the other types. Conclusion: Results suggested that all types of maltreatment, including emotional abuse, are related to significantly higher levels of substance use and should be considered serious risk factors for substance use during adolescence. Results also indicated that the strength of association between maltreatment and substance use varies by type of maltreatment. Youth who have experienced both physical and sexual abuse are at especially high risk of substance use.
Mast cells regulate IFN-γ expression in the skin and circulating IgE levels in allergen-induced skin inflammation ☆ ☆☆ ★

Abstract Background: Mast cells are important effector cells in IgE-mediated allergic reactions. They are present in normal skin and increased in skin lesions of patients with atopic dermatitis (AD). Objective: We used mice deficient in mast cells ( W/W v ) to assess the role of these cells in a murine model of allergen-induced skin inflammation induced by repeated epicutaneous sensitization with ovalbumin (OVA); the model exhibits many of the characteristics of AD. Methods: Mice deficient in mast cells were sensitized with OVA. Histologic and immunohistochemical examinations, as well as measurements of IL-4 and IFN-γ mRNA, were performed on OVA-sensitized skin. Total and antigen-specific serum IgE levels were determined. Results: Infiltration in W/W v mice by mononuclear cells, T cells, and eosinophils in OVA-sensitized skin was comparable to that in wild-type (WT) controls. Expression of IL-4 mRNA in sensitized skin sites was similarly increased in WT and W/W v mice. However, IFN-γ mRNA expression was significantly increased in sensitized skin of W/W v mice but not in that of WT controls. IL-4 mRNA was readily detectable in unsensitized skin of WT controls but not in that of W/W, v mice, whereas expression of IL-12 p40 mRNA was significantly increased in unsensitized skin of W/W v mice in comparison with WT controls. Total serum IgE levels were significantly increased after epicutaneous sensitization in W/W v mice in comparison with WT controls. Conclusion: These results suggest that mast cells regulate IFN-γ expression in the skin and IgE levels in the circulation in a model of allergen-induced skin inflammation with similarities to AD. This is important, given the role of IFN-γ in keratinocyte injury in AD and the role of IgE-mediated reactions in exacerbating AD. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 2002;109:106-13.)
Interpersonal complementarity and time of interaction in female relationships

Abstract The purpose of the present study was to examine the impact of length of time of interaction and the individual's type of interpersonal style on interactants' attraction for one another. Thirty-nine dyads made up of female subjects interacted for either a brief time (5 min) or a relatively longer time (75 min). Based on a circumplex model of personality each subject was paired with a partner whose personality style was either complementary to or anticomplementary to her own. It was predicted and found that complementary dyads engaged in a higher number of verbal exchanges and preferred less interpersonal distance than anticomplementary ones. However, using a self-report measure, complementary relationships did not, as was predicted, lead to greater attraction than anticomplementary ones. The viability of reactive and nonreactive measures of relationship impact was discussed within the framework of interpersonal theory.
Rheology and convective heat transfer of colloidal gas aphrons in horizontal mini-channels

Abstract Colloidal gas aphrons (CGA) consists of closely packed minute gas bubbles with diameter ranging from 10 to 100 μm. It is produced by stirring a surfactant solution at high speed in a fully baffled beaker. CGA can be used in various applications such as bioremediation, bioreactors, oil recovery, and fire fighting. This paper reports experimental data for (1) adiabatic flow and (2) laminar convective heat transfer of CGA in five 1.58 × 0.76 mm 2 mini-rectangular channels. First, it is shown that CGA is a shear thinning fluid. Correlation for the friction factor as a function of Reynolds number is compared with that of water and macro foams. Then, the local temperature and heat transfer coefficient along the mini-channels are reported as a function of the mass flow rates and imposed heat flux. The heat transfer coefficients for CGA appears to be constant and independent of mass flow rate and imposed heat flux as well known for single phase laminar flow.
Voltage loss and fluctuation in proton exchange membrane fuel cells: The role of cathode channel plurality and air stoichiometric ratio

Water management is a critical issue in the development of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells with robust operation. Liquid water can accumulate and flood the gas delivery microchannels and the porous electrodes within PEM fuel cells and deteriorate performance. Since the liquid distribution fluctuates in time for two-phase flow, the rate of oxygen transport to the cathode catalyst layer also fluctuates, resulting in unstable power density and efficiency. This paper reports experimental data on the mean voltage loss and the voltage fluctuations during constant current operation as a function of both the number of parallel microchannels and the air flow rate stoichiometric ratio. We define channel plurality as a flow field design parameter to describe the number of channels per unit of active area. The voltage loss was found to scale proportionally to channel plurality divided by the air stoichiometric ratio. The amplitude of the voltage fluctuations was found to be linearly proportional to channel plurality and inversely proportional to the air stoichiometric ratio squared. By analyzing pressure drop data and power spectra, we conclude that the voltage fluctuations are well-correlated with two-phase flow instabilities in the cathode's parallel microchannels. Finally, a scaling analysis is presented for generalizing the results for fuel cells having different active area and channel cross-section.
Verification and use of Herrmann's optical theory of thermal velocity effects in electron beams in the low perveance regime

A comparison between Herrmann's optical theory and a pinhole probe study of a highly converged, perveance 0.015 × 10-6A/V3/2, electron beam in a confining magnetic field is presented. This comparison shows the theory to be obeyed with a good degree of accuracy. The application of the theory to the problem of optimizing the transmission of such thermal beams through long drift tubes is shown to lead to criteria which differ radically from those prescribed by the laminar theory.
Phase transition of two-dimensional He 3 from a dilute to a dense phase

We have measured the heat capacity of $^{3}\mathrm{He}$ in films of $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ as thin as 10 A\r{} formed on a Nuclepore filter substrate. At low temperatures, where the $^{3}\mathrm{He}$ is in the lowest state as far as motion perpendicular to the film surface, we find that the $^{3}\mathrm{He}$ undergoes a transition from a dilute phase to a dense phase. We have observed this transition for films of $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ of 12.3- and 10-A\r{} thickness and for coverages of $^{3}\mathrm{He}$ below about 0.2 atomic layers. For thicker $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ films, and higher $^{3}\mathrm{He}$ coverages, the $^{3}\mathrm{He}$ remains homogeneously spread out over the surface of the $^{4}\mathrm{He}$. The striking characteristic of the transition is the sudden onset of linear temperature dependence with a slope which is proportional to the amount of $^{3}\mathrm{He}$ in the calorimeter. This is consistent with the formation of islands of a dense two-dimensional phase which grows in extent proportionately to the amount of $^{3}\mathrm{He}$. Two puzzling aspects of our results are the lack of a significant heat-capacity jump at the transition and, based on a linear extrapolation of the data to zero temperature, a substantial amount of missing entropy.
Emergency medical care requirements for large public assemblies and a new strategy for managing cardiac arrest in this setting

During the 1986 World's Exposition held in Vancouver, British Columbia, the types and frequencies of emergency medical problems were assessed. The average number of patients seeking care was 3.93 ± 0.95 per 1,000 visitors (daily range, 1.94 to 6.8). Patient loads were linearly related to gate attendance, but the correlation was imperfect ( P r = .63). Only 4.4% of patients evaluated on site by nurses and paramedics were referred for additional testing and treatment: of these patients, 30% had suspected serious musculoskeletal injury, 16% had abdominal pain, and 25% had complaints of chest pain, dizziness, or loss of consciousness. Lay employees (security personnel) were trained to use automatic external defibrillators. There were six cardiac arrests (0.3 per million visitors). Two patients collapsed with ventricular fibrillation, were defibrillated by lay personnel, quickly regained consciousness, and survived. The other arrests were associated with asystole or electromechanical dissociation; no shocks were inappropriately given, and all four died. We conclude that four of every 1,000 persons at this assembly sought emergency medical care, that 95% of the problems seen were minor with few requiring physician skills, and that the automatic external defibrillator was suited for this setting and could be used by lay responders to provide early definitive treatment.
Estrogen Replacement Attenuates Effects of Scopolamine and Lorazepam on Memory Acquisition and Retention

A multiple-trial passive avoidance paradigm was used to examine and compare the ability for estrogen replacement to attenuate learning and memory deficits produced by the muscarinic antagonist scopolamine and the benzodiazepine lorazepam. The multiple-trial paradigm was used in order to distinguish effects on acquisition from effects on retention. Estrogen replacement significantly attenuated a scopolamine-induced deficit on passive avoidance acquisition, but not retention. The ability for estrogen to attenuate the effect of scopolamine on acquisition was observed only when the analysis was limited to animals with serum levels of estradiol <200 pg/ml, suggesting that higher levels of estradiol were ineffective. This observation is consistent with at least one recent study showing dose-related effects of estrogen on ChAT-like immunoreactivity in the basal forebrain and supports the hypothesis that effects of estrogen on basal forebrain cholinergic neurons can help to reduce cognitive deficits associated with cholinergic impairment. Estrogen replacement was also observed to protect against a lorazepam-induced impairment on passive avoidance retention. This effect was observed specifically in animals that received estrogen prior to and during training and was not due to any effect of estrogen on serum levels of lorazepam following acute lorazepam administration. Collectively, these data demonstrate the ability for estrogen replacement to attenuate specific pharmacologically induced impairments in learning and retention and provide additional clues as to potential mechanisms by which estrogen replacement may help to reduce cognitive deficits associated with aging and Alzheimer's disease in postmenopausal women.
Excitation temperature, degree of ionization of added iron species, and electron density in an exploding thin film plasma

Abstract Time and spacially resolved spectra of a cylindrically symmetric exploding thin film plasma were obtained with a rotating mirror camera and astigmatic imaging. These spectra were decouvolved to obtain relative spectral emissivity profiles for nine Fe(II) and two Fe(I) lines. The effective (electronic) excitation temperature at various positions in the plasma and at various times during the first current halfcycle was computed from the Fe(II) emissivity values using the Boltzmann graphical method. The Fe(II)/Fe(I) emissivity ratios together with the temperature were used to determine the degree of ionization of Fe. Finally, the electron density was estimated from the Saha equilibrium. Electronic excitation temperatures range from 10,000–15,000 K near the electrode surface at peak discharge current to 7000–10,000 K at 6–10 mm above the electrode surface at the first current zero. Corresponding electron densities range from 10 17 -10 18 cm −3 at peak current to 10 15 -10 16 cm −3 near zero current. Error propagation and criteria for thermodynamic equilibrium are discussed.
Solute redistribution and phase stability at FeCr/TiO2–x interfaces under ion irradiation

Abstract Cr diffusion in trilayer thin films of 100 nm Fe–18Cr/125 nm TiO2−x/100 nm Fe–18Cr deposited on MgO substrates at 500 °C was studied by either annealing at 500 °C or Ni3+ ion irradiation at 500 °C. Microchemistry and microstructure evolution at the metal/oxide interfaces were investigated using (high-resolution) transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy. Diffusion of Cr into the O-deficient TiO2 layer, with negligible segregation to the FeCr/TiO2−x interface itself, was observed under both annealing and irradiation. Cr diffusion into TiO2−x was enhanced in ion-irradiated samples as compared to annealed. Irradiation-induced voids and amorphization of TiO2−x was also observed. The experimental results are rationalized using first-principles calculations that suggest an energetic preference for substituting Ti with Cr in sub-stoichiometric TiO2. The implications of these results on the irradiation stability of oxide-dispersed ferritic alloys are discussed.
microRNAs in kidney development: Lessons from the frog

Kidney development is a paradigm of how multiple cell types are integrated into highly specialized epithelial structures via various inductive events. A network of transcription factors and signaling pathways have been identified as crucial regulators. The recent discovery of a group of small, non-coding RNAs, microRNAs (miRNAs), has added a new layer of complexity. Studies using the pronephric kidney of Xenopus and the metanephric kidney of mouse have demonstrated that a tight regulation of mRNA stability and translation efficiency by miRNAs is very important as well. The interplay between miRNAs and the transcriptional network provides plasticity and robustness to the system. Importantly, miRNAs are not only necessary for early aspects of kidney development, but also later in life. As such they may provide a mean to maintain/modulate kidney function during homeostasis and injury.
Occupied quasiparticle bandwidth of potassium.

The quasiparticle energies and occupied bandwidth of potassium are calculated with a first-principles self-energy approach. The valence-electron self-energy operator is obtained in the GW approximation, evaluating the self-energy to first order in the screened Coulomb interaction W and the single-particle Green function G. Vertex corrections are not included in this approach. We treat the electron-ion interaction with the ab initio pseudopotential scheme. The static dielectric screening matrix which includes the effects of exchange and correlation is obtained as a ground-state quantity from a local-density (LDA) calculation, and is extended to finite frequencies by a generalized plasmon-pole model. The electron Green function is obtained in the quasiparticle approximation by use of the self-consistent quasiparticle energies. We find that the calculated occupied bandwidth is reduced from a LDA Kohn-Sham value of 2.27 eV to 1.58\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.1 eV. This result is consistent with existing soft-x-ray emission data. It is also in agreement with a recent photoemission experiment.
Gas-Phase, Bulk Production of Metal Oxide Nanowires and Nanoparticles Using a Microwave Plasma Jet Reactor

We report gas-phase production of metal oxide nanowires (NWs) and nanoparticles (NPs) using direct oxidation of micron-size metal particles in a high-throughput, atmospheric pressure microwave plasma jet reactor. We demonstrate the concept with production of SnO2, ZnO, TiO2, and Al2O3 NWs. The results suggest that the NW production primarily depends upon the starting metal particle size, microwave power, and the gas-phase composition. The resulting NW powders could be separated from the unreacted metal and metal oxide NPs by sonication in 1-methoxy 2-propanol followed by gravity sedimentation. The experiments conducted using higher microwave powers resulted in spherical, unagglomerated, metal oxide NPs. The results obtained using various metal oxides suggest that the mechanism of NW nucleation and growth in the gas phase is similar to that observed in experiments with metal particles supported on substrates. A simplified analysis suggests that the metal powders melt in the plasma primarily with the heat g...
Mechanism of the Sex Difference in Endothelial Dysfunction after Stroke

Stroke, the number four cause of death in the United States, is a greatly debilitating event resulting from insufficient blood supply to the brain (cerebral ischemia). Endothelial dysfunction, primarily characterized by dampened endothelial- dependent vasodilation, is a major contributor to the development and outcome of stroke. This review discusses the role of soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH), an enzyme responsible for the degradation of vasoprotective eicosatrienoic acids (EETs), in the context of the cerebral vasculature and its contribution to the sexual dimorphic nature of stroke.
Amino acid sequence of a protease inhibitor isolated from Sarcophaga bullata determined by mass spectrometry

The amino acid sequence of a protease inhibitor isolated from the hemolymph of Sarcophaga bullata larvae was determined by tandem mass spectrometry. Homology considerations with respect to other protease inhibitors with known primary structures assisted in the choice of the procedure followed in the sequence determination and in the alignment of the various peptides obtained from specific chemical cleavage at cysteines and enzyme digests of the S. bullata protease inhibitor. The resulting sequence of 57 residues is as follows: Val Asp Lys Ser Ala Cys Leu Gln Pro Lys Glu Val Gly Pro Cys Arg Lys Ser Asp Phe Val Phe Phe Tyr Asn Ala Asp Thr Lys Ala Cys Glu Glu Phe Leu Tyr Gly Gly Cys Arg Gly Asn Asp Asn Arg Phe Asn Thr Lys Glu Glu Cys Glu Lys Leu Cys Leu.
DISTRIBUTION OF RECOIL NUCLEUS IN PAIR PRODUCTION BY PHOTONS

The angular and momentum distribution of the recoil nucleus in pair production by a photon is calculated covariantly by a method which utilizes the unitarity of the $S$ matrix. The results are in disagreement with a recent experiment, particularly for small angles and high momentum transfers. The exact total cross section for pair creation is also given.
The Galilean satellites: New near-infrared spectral reflectance measurements (0.65–2.5 μm) and a 0.325–5 μm summary

Abstract New near-infrared (0.65–2.5 μm) reflectance spectra of the Galilean satellites with 1.5% spectral resolution and ≈2% intensity precision are presented. These spectra more precisely define the water ice absorption features previously identified on Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto at 1.55 and 2.0 μm. In addition, previously unreported spectral features due to water ice are seen at 1.25, 1.06, 0.90, and 0.81 μm on Europa, and at 1.25, 1.04, and possibly 0.71 μm on Ganymede. Unreported absorption features in Callisto's spectrum occur at 1.2 μm, probably due to H2O, and a weak, broad band extending from 0.75 to 0.95 μm, due possibly to other minerals. The spectrum of Io has only weak absorption features at 1.15 μm and between 0.8 and 1.0 μm. No water absorptions are positively identified in the Io spectra, indicating an upper limit of areal water frost coverage of 2% (leading and trailing sides). It is found for Callisto, Ganymede, and Europa that the water ice absorption features are due to free water and not to water bound or absorbed onto minerals. The areal coverage of water frost is ≈ 100% on Europa (trailing side), ≈65% on Ganymede (leading side), and 20–30% on Callisto (leading side). An upper limit of ≈5% bound water (in addition to the 20–30% ice) may be present on Callisto, based on the strong 3-μm band seen by other investigators. A summary of spectra of the satellites from 0.325 to about 5 μm to aid in laboratory and interpretation studies is also presented.
Characterization of apolipoproteins from chicken plasma

Abstract Although functionally similar, the lipoprotein systems of birds and mammals differ in composition. the major apolipoproteins, apo A-I and apo B, are common to all vertebrates; however apo A-II and apo E, functionally important components of mammalian lipoproteins, are absent from chicken plasma. Chicken apo A-I and apo B have been characterized, and several minor apolipoprotein components have been observed in electrophoretic patterns of chicken lipoproteins. In this study a single density gradient ultracentrifugation was used to isolate and subfractionate chicken lipoproteins into density classes. Isolated lipoproteins were delipidated with hexane-sipopropanol (3:2). Apolipoproteins were then solubilized at pH 8.5 in 3 M guanidine hydrochloride and chromatographed on a 25 × 0.4 cm C4 reversed-phase column using 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid in a gradient of acetonitrile in water. Molecular weights estimated by sodium dodecyl sulfate—polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and amino acid compositions were compared with those of apolipoproteins from other species in a search for functional similarities. Similarities in composition between the major chicken apolipoprotein and several human apolipoproteins were observed.
A comparison of PCR and in vitro culture for detection of Tritrichomonas foetus in bovine preputial scrapings.

Tritrichomonas foetus is a flagellated anaerobic protozoan responsible for abortions and reproductive failure in cattle worldwide. Bovine trichomoniasis is venereally transmitted from bull to cow. Although testing of breeding animals and use of artificial insemination has helped to control its distribution worldwide, infection rates in beef herds within the USA still range from 5–50% [9]. Cows are infected at conception and will often maintain a pregnancy for 35–150 days before abortion. Infected bulls are asymptomatic and are infected for life [1]. There is no known curative treatment licensed for T. foetus infections for use in cattle in the USA. Typically, infected bulls are culled, and diagnosis made on an individual animal basis by observing motile trophozoites in washes from the prepuce of the bull or from short-term cultures of preputial scrapings. Current diagnostic recommendations include triplicate samples from bulls resulting in a 95–99% sensitivity using the commercially available InPouch TF culture system (Biomed Diagnostics, San Jose, CA) [1]. False positives may however occur, by contamination of samples with intestinal (coprophilic) trichomonad protozoa, which may be mistaken for T. foetus [10,13]. In previous reports, intestinal trichomonads instead of T. foetus have occasionally been found in virgin bull samples submitted for culture [3,4]. Without additional microscopic or molecular confirmation for T. foetus, some bulls are probably culled unnecessarily. Comparatively little is known about the bovine intestinal trichomonads and it is unclear what infection rates exist in bulls within the USA. In an attempt to decrease the time spent on diagnostic culturing of T. foetus, and to confirm parasite identification, efforts have been made to establish DNA-based diagnostic methods. Several primer sets have been designed based on PCR amplification of a portion of the ribosomal RNA gene, specifically the 5.8S ribosomal RNA and flanking internal transcribed spacer regions ITS1 and ITS2 [7,8,11]. The purpose of this study was to compare a single PCR assay detecting T. foetus to the standard culture from preputial collections using the InPouch TF culture system.
Signal detection in the rat.

An auditory detection experiment was performed with rats as subjects, and the data were analyzed with a signal detection model. Rats were run at fixed sound pressure levels, and their responses were partitioned so that operating characteristics could be constructed. Measures of detectability, (de)½, were calculated from the operating characteristics, and show that (de)½ is a function of sound pressure levels, rising as these levels rise.
A continuous-fiber composite wing box-beam exhibiting twist-bend coupling

Abstract Wing box-beams exhibiting beneficial twist-bend coupling can be fabricated by continuous-fiber manufacture using an appropriate application of conventional winding or textile placement techniques. By utilizing a novel “quasi-unbalanced” symmetric stacking sequence the box-beam is balanced, but in terms of bending response it behaves in an unbalanced manner. The twist-bend response of box-beams manufactured with this technique has been measured.
Macrophage participation in influenza-induced sleep enhancement in C57BL/6J mice.

Mice develop changes in sleep during the nonspecific immune response that occurs during the initial few days after inoculation with influenza virus. T lymphocytes, neutrophils, macrophages, and natural killer (NK) cells all participate in the early host response to influenza infection. All of these cell types are potential sources of endogenous substances that modulate sleep, but the contributory role of each cell type to the alteration of somnolence during infection has not been determined. To investigate which cell types contribute to the sleep enhancement that develops during influenza infection in mice, the sleep patterns of C57BL/6J mice with perturbations of particular facets of host immune response capabilities were assessed before and after influenza infection. Targeted mutation of the gene Ccl3 (macrophage inflammatory protein 1α)) prevented development of the dark phase sleep enhancement that is characteristic of C57BL/6J mice after influenza infection. Other experimental treatments that impair macrophage or monocyte function also produced significant (administration of pentoxifylline or CNI-1493) or marginally significant (deletion of the interferon-gamma gene or intranasal administration of carrageenan) changes in influenza-induced sleep enhancement in C57BL/6J mice. In contrast, functional impairments of NK cells, neutrophils, and T lymphocytes did not significantly influence sleep responses. These data therefore support a contributory role for macrophages, but not for NK cells, neutrophils, and T lymphocytes, in eliciting the sleep response typical of influenza-infected C57BL/6J mice.
Biomass production for biofuels using agroforestry: potential for the North Central Region of the United States

As demand for energy increases in the United States, alternative energy sources are being sought both domestically and abroad. Biofuels have been promoted as a major source of alternative energy, but sustainable supply of biomass still remains a major challenge. Agroforestry offers a potential way to integrate perennial woody bioenergy crops with traditional agricultural crops to satisfy energy demands without sacrificing food production in the North Central Region of the United States. We suggest shelterbelts, alley cropping and working riparian buffer strips as ideal candidates for biomass production in agroforestry settings in this region. In addition to satisfying domestic energy demands, these systems could also potentially increase water quality, sequester carbon, improve aesthetics, and provide critical wildlife habitat. However, obstacles to implementing agroforestry systems for biomass production, such as a competitive price structure and stable markets, must be overcome before large-scale adoption by landowners.
Evidentiary Implications of Potential Security Weaknesses in Forensic Software

Computer forensic software is used by lawyers and law enforcement to collect and preserve data in a “forensic image” so that it can be analyzed without changing the original media, and to preserve the chain of custody of the evidence. To the extent there are vulnerabilities in this software, an attacker may be able to hide or alter the data available to a forensic analyst, causing courts to render judgments based on inaccurate or incomplete evidence. There are a number of legal doctrines designed to ensure that evidence presented to courts is authentic, accurate and reliable, but thus far courts have not applied them with the possibility of security weaknesses in forensic software in mind. This article examines how courts may react to such claims, and recommends strategies that attorneys and courts can use to ensure that electronic evidence presented in court is both admissible and fair to litigants. [Article copies are available for purchase from InfoSci-on-Demand.com]
The Terwilliger Algebra of the Hypercube

We give an introduction to the Terwilliger algebra of a distance-regular graph, focusing on the hypercube QDof dimension D. Let X denote the vertex set ofQD . Fix a vertex x?X, and letT=T(x) denote the associated Terwilliger algebra. We show thatT is the subalgebra of MatX(C) generated by the adjacency matrixA and a diagonal matrix A*=A* (x), where A*has yy entryD? 2 ?(x, y) for all y?X , and where ? denotes the path-length distance function. We show that A andA* satisfy A2A*? 2AA*A+A*A2&=& 4A* , A*2A? 2A*AA*+AA*2&=& 4 A. Using the above equations, we find the irreducible T -modules. For each irreducible T -module W, we display two orthogonal bases, which we call the standard basis and the dual standard basis. We describe the action of A andA* on each of these bases. We give the transition matrix from the standard basis to the dual standard basis for W. We compute the multiplicity with which each irreducible T -module W appears inCX . We give an elementary proof that QDhas the Q -polynomial property. We show that T is a homomorphic image of the universal enveloping algebra of the Lie algebrasl2 (C). We obtain an element ? of T that generates the center ofT . We obtain the central primitive idempotents of T as polynomials in ?.
Bacterial complementation as a means to test enzyme–ligand interactions

A bacterial complementation assay has been developed for the rapid screening of a large number of compounds to identify those that inhibit an enzyme target for structure-based inhibitor design. The target enzyme is the hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT). This enzyme has been proposed as a potential target for inhibitors that may be developed into drugs for the treatment of diseases caused by several parasites. The screening assay utilizes genetically deficient bacteria complemented by active, recombinant enzyme grown in selective medium in microtiter plates. By comparing absorbance measurements of bacteria grown in the presence and absence of test compounds, the effect of the compounds on bacterial growth can be rapidly assayed. IC50 values for inhibition of bacterial growth are a reflection of the ability of the compounds to bind and/or inhibit the recombinant enzyme. We have tested this bacterial complementation screening assay using recombinant HPRT from the parasites. Plasmodium falciparum and Trypanosoma cruzi, as well as the human enzyme. The results of these studies demonstrate that a screening assay using bacterial complement selection can be used to identify compounds that target enzymes and can become an important part of structure-based drug design efforts.
An Analysis of the Actions of Cocaine on Excised Smooth Muscles.

ConclusionSince the drugs which are known to paralyze ganglia and nerve terminations of the autonomic nervous system failed to prevent either the augmentor or depressant effects of cocaine on the small intestine, colon and uterus of the rabbit, it seems reasonable to conclude that this alkaloid acts on the muscle, rather than the nerves of the organs studied.
The absence of human papilloma viral DNA sequences in condylomata acuminata.

Abstract It has been assumed for many years that condylomata acuminata (anogenital warts) are caused by human papilloma virus. However, experiments measuring the rates of reassociation of 125 I-labeled papilloma DNA probes in the presence of total condyloma DNA preparations failed to detect as little as 0.2 copies of viral DNA per cell, even though circular DNA, including molecules the size of papilloma, could be isolated from condyloma tissue.
A mathematical model of the United States beef production system

Abstract Dynamic linear programming was used to model the US beef production system, to determine the cattle cycle effects on feeder cattle supplies and to select feeding options that would maximise USDA choice and prime quality grade beef production. The model represented the US as a five-region beef production system with inter-regional transportation of offspring for feeding purposes. Cow weights, offspring weaning weights and feed efficiency were different for each region, but the feeding activities were the same in each region except for region two. In region two the feeding of grain to steer and heifer offspring was not an industry practice. Dynamic properties of the model were achieved through constraints that transferred animals from year zero (initial condition) to year five using calving, cow culling, replacement heifer and death loss rates as controlling parameters. The results of model exercises that used historical parameter values indicate that there will be a significant decrease in the supply of beef at all grade levels over the next five years. They also suggest that it is more economically efficient to feed calves from the southeastern and northern parts of the USA if they are transported to the southwestern region.
EVALUATION OF EXPERIMENTALLY INDUCED CANINE HEPATIC CIRRHOSIS USING DUPLEX DOPPLER ULTRASOUND

Portal blood flow was measured with duplex Doppler ultrasound in ten normal dogs and in ten dogs with hepatic cirrhosis induced by common bile duct ligation 4 weeks previously. Mean portal blood flow velocity in the 10 dogs with experimentally induced hepatic cirrhosis was markedly reduced (9.2 ± 1.70 cm/sec vs. normal 18.1 ± 7.6 cm/sec, p < 0.01). Mean portal blood flow was also significantly decreased compared to normal (17.2 ± 4.9 cc/min/kg versus normal 31.06 ± 9.1 cc/min/kg, p < 0.01) while portal vein diameter remained unchanged. The dogs with induced hepatic cirrhosis developed extensive extrahepatic portosystemic shunting that was confirmed at necropsy. It was concluded that decreased portal velocity and portal flow which resulted from hepatic cirrhosis was detectable noninvasively with Doppler ultrasound.