cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Self-demand feeding in the first week of life.

The foregoing data reveal that in babies breast fed and artificially fed on a flexible schedule there is evidence of a definite patterning of the feeding behaviour even within the first seven days of life. Of practical importance in the management of infant feeding on such a regime, as is indicated graphically, is the ability of pediatrician to predict and to prepare the mother to expect rather frequent feedings on the third to sixth days compared with the first two, and to assure her that even though the baby is fed when he demands feeding, he will, at a very early age, be requiring a number of feedings not far in excess of that which he would be given on the ordinary three or four hour schedule feeding regime.
Norbin ablation results in defective adult hippocampal neurogenesis and depressive-like behavior in mice

Adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus subgranular zone is associated with the etiology and treatment efficiency of depression. Factors that affect adult hippocampal neurogenesis have been shown to contribute to the neuropathology of depression. Glutamate, the major excitatory neurotransmitter, plays a critical role in different aspects of neurogenesis. Of the eight metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs), mGluR5 is the most highly expressed in neural stem cells. We previously identified Norbin as a positive regulator of mGluR5 and showed that its expression promotes neurite outgrowth. In this study, we investigated the role of Norbin in adult neurogenesis and depressive-like behaviors using Norbin-deficient mice. We found that Norbin deletion significantly reduced hippocampal neurogenesis; specifically, the loss of Norbin impaired the proliferation and maturation of newborn neurons without affecting cell-fate specification of neural stem cells/neural progenitor cells (NSCs/NPCs). Norbin is highly expressed in the granular neurons in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, but it is undetectable in NSCs/NPCs or immature neurons, suggesting that the effect of Norbin on neurogenesis is likely caused by a nonautonomous niche effect. In support of this hypothesis, we found that the expression of a cell-cell contact gene, Desmoplakin, is greatly reduced in Norbin-deletion mice. Moreover, Norbin-KO mice show an increased immobility in the forced-swim test and the tail-suspension test and reduced sucrose preference compared with wild-type controls. Taken together, these results show that Norbin is a regulator of adult hippocampal neurogenesis and that its deletion causes depressive-like behaviors.
Slave in a Box: The Strange Career of Aunt Jemima

Slave in. Box: The Strange Career of Aunt Jemima. M. M. Manring. Charlottesville, VA: University Press of Virginia, 1998. xii. 209pp. (Paper US$14.95)
A thermophilic bacterial origin and subsequent constraints by redox, light and salinity on the evolution of the microbial mercuric reductase

Mercuric reductase (MerA) is central to the mercury (Hg) resistance (mer) system, catalyzing the reduction of ionic Hg to volatile Hg(0). A total of 213 merA homologues were identified in sequence databases, the majority of which belonged to microbial lineages that occupy oxic environments. merA was absent among phototrophs and in lineages that inhabit anoxic environments. Phylogenetic reconstructions of MerA indicate that (i) merA originated in a thermophilic bacterium following the divergence of the Archaea and Bacteria with a subsequent acquisition in Archaea via horizontal gene transfer (HGT), (ii) HGT of merA was rare across phylum boundaries and (iii) MerA from marine bacteria formed distinct and strongly supported lineages. Collectively, these observations suggest that a combination of redox, light and salinity conditions constrain MerA to microbial lineages that occupy environments where the most oxidized and toxic form of Hg, Hg(II), predominates. Further, the taxon-specific distribution of MerA with and without a 70 amino acid N-terminal extension may reflect intracellular levels of thiols. In conclusion, MerA likely evolved following the widespread oxygenation of the biosphere in a thermal environment and its subsequent evolution has been modulated by the interactions of Hg with the intra- and extracellular environment of the organism.
Treatment Summaries in Radiation Oncology and Their Role in Improving Patients' Quality of Care: Past, Present, and Future

Through treatment summaries, radiation oncologists can build upon past efforts and improve the future quality of care for all patients receiving treatment with radiation. This article looks at what treatment summaries should contain and how they might be improved.
Nurse Practitioners in Home Health Care: An Update

Nurse practitioners are playing an increasingly visible role in home care. The Institute of Medicine in collaboration with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation recommends wider use of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses and there has been growing interest in using the role in home care.1 However, the physician remains the provider who must sign home health agency paperwork and orders. The “Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act” would allow nurse practitioners to certify Medicare-sponsored treatment plans.2 This article will discuss the status of the nurse practitioner role in home care, the impact of reimbursement on home care services, how the passage of the new act would change current practice, and a vision for the future role of the nurse practitioner in home health care.
TestEra: A tool for testing Java programs using alloy specifications

This tool paper presents an embodiment of TestEra - a framework developed in previous work for specification-based testing of Java programs. To test a Java method, TestEra uses the method's pre-condition specification to generate test inputs and the post-condition to check correctness of outputs. TestEra supports specifications written in Alloy - a first-order, declarative language based on relations - and uses the SAT-based back-end of the Alloy tool-set for systematic generation of test suites. Each test case is a JUnit test method, which performs three key steps: (1) initialization of pre-state, i.e., creation of inputs to the method under test; (2) invocation of the method; and (3) checking the correctness of post-state, i.e., checking the method output. The tool supports visualization of inputs and outputs as object graphs for graphical illustration of method behavior. TestEra is available for download to be used as a library or as an Eclipse plug-in.
Surface and near-surface structure in carbon microcellular materials produced from organic aerogels and xerogels

Abstract Carbons have been produced from organic aerogel and xerogel precursors for application in chemical separations and as electrochemical electrodes. An emulsion-derived macro-structure was imposed to maximize the mass transport within these high-surface-area materials. The presence of the interfacial region affects the order within the adjacent structures. Comparisons were made between carbons derived from aerogel and xerogel polymer precursors, and the effects of carbonization temperature and activation were investigated to determine the effect of processing variables on microstructural ordering at internal near-surface regions. The materials were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and nitrogen physisorption techniques. Xerogel-derived carbons were found to have more microstructural order than carbons derived from aerogels. The degree of short-range order within the aerogel-derived carbons was observed to increase slowly with increasing pyrolysis temperature. Microporous bulk regions were found to be preferentially attacked during carbon dioxide activation.
Learning about individual risk and the decision to smoke

Abstract We provide empirical evidence about the process according to which people learn about the risks of cigarette consumption. We formulate a model of individual learning about the risks of smoking through information revealed in the form of health shocks to self and spouse. Exploiting the longitudinal feature of the Health and Retirement Study, we examine how the difference in the qualitative nature of the information about risk, i.e., from personal or non-personal experiences, affects the learning process. Controlling for unobserved heterogeneity, we find that individuals update their subjective survival expectations in response to information from own health shocks, but not as much in response to spousal health shocks. Individuals quit smoking in response to major health shocks but do not respond to spousal health shocks. Taken together, our results imply that individuals learn about smoking risks from their own experiences but not those of their spouses. Our results suggest that regulations, such as direct limits on cigarette consumption (e.g., smoking bans in public places) and excise taxes, are more likely to be effective than antismoking messages, unless these are designed to be highly personalized.
Cognition and learning: meeting the challenge of individual differences

Recent advances in the cognitive sciences, and especially in the cognitive neurosciences, have made one thing abundantly clear -- there is no simple way to characterize, or localize, cognition. The journal Cognitive Psychology takes a typical approach to this problem; instead of directly defining cognitive psychology, the journal lists the kinds of processes that are commonly included -- memory, language processing, perception, problem solving, and thinking.
Application of the PML Absorbing Boundary Condition to the Analysis of Patch Antennas

ABSTRACT The Berenger Perfectly Matched Layer (PML) absorbing boundary condition is applied to a Finite-Difference Time-Domain analysis of rectangular patch antennas. Both microstrip line and probe-fed patch antennas are analyzed. The effects of the proximity of the PML regions on the resonant characteristics of the antennas and the mutual coupling between antennas are examined. The computational overhead associated with the use of the PML is also considered. Numerical results are validated by comparisons with measured data.
Applicability of the Social Development Model to Urban Ethnic Minority Youth: Examining the Relationship between External Constraints, Family Socialization, and Problem Behaviors

The development of preventive interventions targeting adolescent problem behaviors requires a thorough understanding of risk and protective factors for such behaviors. However, few studies examine whether different cultural and ethnic groups share these factors. This study is an attempt to fill a gap in research by examining similarities and differences in risk factors across racial and ethnic groups. The social development model has shown promise in organizing predictors of problem behaviors. This article investigates whether a version of that model can be generalized to youth in different racial and ethnic groups (N = 2,055, age range from 11 to 15), including African American (n = 478), Asian Pacific Islander (API) American (n = 491), multiracial (n = 442), and European American (n = 644) youth. The results demonstrate that common risk factors can be applied to adolescents, regardless of their race and ethnicity. The findings also demonstrate that there are racial and ethnic differences in the magnitudes of relationships among factors that affect problem behaviors. Further study is warranted to develop a better understanding of these differential magnitudes.
Neighboring base composition is strongly correlated with base substitution bias in a region of the chloroplast genome

Nucleotide sequence from a region of the chloroplast genome is presented for 12 species spanning four subfamilies of the grass family. The region contains the coding sequence for the rbcL gene and the intergenic spacer between the gene coding the large subunit of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase rbcL and the photosystem I gene psal. This intergenic spacer contains a pseudogene for rpl23 as well as two noncoding segments with different A+T contents. Using the sequence of rbcL a chloroplast phylogeny of this family was constructed by parsimony. Variable sites of the two noncoding segments were traced onto the phylogeny to study the dynamics of base substitution. This was also performed for the fourfold-degenerate sites of the rbcL gene. A wide variation in transversion/transition is observed between the two noncoding segments and between the noncoding DNA and the fourfold-degenerate sites of rbcL This variation is correlated with regional A+T content. As regional A+T content decreases, the ratio of transversions to transitions also decreases. Substitutions were then scored in relation to neighboring base composition. The composition of the two bases immediately flanking each substitution is highly correlated with the transversion/transition bias. When both the 5′ and 3′ flanking bases are an A or a T, transversions are observed 2.2 times as frequently as transitions. When either or both neighbors are a C or a G, the opposite trend is found; transitions are observed 1.5 times more frequently than transversions.
Two aid hegemons: Japanese-US interaction and aid allocation to Latin America and the Caribbean

Abstract Foreign aid serves many purposes. By analyzing Japan's aid-giving behavior to Latin America and the Caribbean during 1971–1991, I found that the Japanese government has pursued various goals using its foreign aid flows to Latin America; it has 1. (a) served its own political and economic interests in the region, 2. (b) collaborated with the United States in support of US maintenance of power and dominance in the region, especially in the sphere of political and security issues, and 3. (c) improved the US-Japanese relationship by satisfying the US interests in the region. As a result, Japan's contribution has made US hegemony in Latin America more stable and long-lasting than otherwise.
Structural Information from Methyl Rotors: Methyl Torsional Barriers in p-Hydroxy-p‘-Methyl-t-Stilbene and Its Water Complexes

The barriers to internal rotation for the methyl group in p-hydroxy-p‘-methyl-t-stilbene and its one- and two-water complexes are reported. The jet-cooled fluorescence excitation spectra of these species are also presented. The excitation spectrum of both p-hydroxy-t-stilbene and p-hydroxy-p‘-methyl-t-stilbene exhibits two origins separated by ∼270 cm-1, which are due to the syn and anti conformers of the hydroxy group. The frequency difference between the two conformers changes dramatically in the water complexes. Additionally, barriers to internal rotation show a strong water complex dependence, changing by as much as 25% with hydrogen bonding at the hydroxy group, a site 12 atoms away from the methyl rotor.
Interactions between Taenia taeniaeformis and host cells in vitro: rapid adherence of peritoneal cells to strobilocerci

Abstract Engelkirk P. G ., Williams J. F. and Signs M. M. 1981. Interactions between Taenia taeniaeformis and host cells in vitro : rapid adherence of peritoneal cells to strobilocerci. International Journal for Parasitology 11 : 463–474. Strobilocerci of Taenia taeniaeformis , incubated for l h in vitro with various combinations of serum and peritoneal cells from infected or non-infected rats, were examined at the ultrastructural level for evidence of cell adherence and tegumental damage. Maximal adherence and surface alterations occurred when larvae were incubated in the presence of cells and fresh serum. This was true regardless of whether the cells or the serum had been obtained from infected or non-infected donors. No tegumental damage was seen when parasites were incubated with or without cells in the absence of serum. Serum enhancement was either much reduced or abolished by heat treatment (56°C for 1 h). In the presence of EDTA, tegumental lesions still developed, but adherence of cells, especially those from non-infected rats, decreased markedly. The predominant cells interacting with the larval surface were eosinophils; these took up parasite material within phagosomes and appeared to strip microtriches from the tegumental free surface. Mast cells, some of which became degranulated, were also present in the adherent cell masses. The results indicate that potent non-specific effector mechanisms can rapidly damage the tegument of T. taeniaeformis, in vitro , in contrast to the failure of recognition and rejection by host defenses in vivo . Established strobilocerci are therefore not invulnerable but the balance of the host-parasite relationship in vivo must favor their survival.
A retrospective review of neurobehavioral and psychosocial issues in adults with putative Sotos syndrome

Families in the Sotos Syndrome Support Association with affected individuals aged 21 or older were invited to participate in a telephone interview. All families with current phone numbers assented. In two cases, the interview was with the affected individual; the balance with a parent. Medical status, educational history, employment experience, living arrangements, life skills, goals and aspirations, happiness and spiritual life were explored during the telephonic interview. Medical records and photographs were requested thereafter to provide a more complete assessment, and review the reliability of the Sotos diagnosis. Of 16 probands ages 20 - 35, 10 live with their parents; 4 in group homes; 1 at college and 1 in assisted apartment living. 2 are in college and 2 hold college diplomas. 13 of 16 work at least part-time, 5 in “open market” jobs and 8 in supported employment; two are considered unable to hold a job. Math skills are described as very poor, and money management is impossible for most. 5 of 16 have significant psychiatric disturbance including incapacitating anxiety, depression, aggressiveness, OCD, and schizo-affective disorder. A variety of somatic complaints have presented in adulthood, with obesity being a significant difficulty for many females. Most probands have fewer friends and outside activities than their parents would like. Few are dating or exhibiting any desire to do so. Many read for pleasure, correspond by computer, enjoy videos and music, and maintain collections of various sorts. Most are affiliated with a community of faith and are described as reasonably happy, the exceptions being those with psychiatric disturbance. The SSSA provides information and support to families of individuals with Sotos and related conditions. Adult probands may have received their diagnoses before systematic criteria were developed. Diagnostic difficulties and inherent bias of ascertainment complicate interpretation of the data gathered from support groups.
Well-defined ruthenium olefin metathesis catalysts: Mechanism and activity

Several ruthenium-based olefin metathesis catalysts of the formula (PR3)2X2RuCHCHCPh2 have been synthesized, and relative catalyst activities were determined by monitoring the ring-closing metathesis of the acyclic diene diethyl diallylmalonate. The following order of increasing activity was determined: X = I < Br < Cl and PR3 = PPh3 ≪ PiPr2Ph < PCy2Ph < PiPr3 < PCy3. Additional studies were conducted with the catalyst (PCy3)2Cl2RuCH2 to probe the mechanism of olefin metathesis by this class of catalysts. The data support a scheme in which there are two competing pathways: the dominant one in which a phosphine dissociates from the ruthenium center and a minor one in which both phosphines remain bound. Higher catalyst activites could be achieved by the addition of CuCl to the reaction.
Teller Acuity Card norms with and without use of a testing stage

Purpose To determine whether norms obtained using the Teller Acuity Card stage are appropriate for comparison with results obtained when the stage is not used. Methods Eighty children were tested, 20 each at 3.5, 11, 17, and 30 months of age. Binocular grating acuity was measured once with Teller Acuity Cards presented with the stage and once without the stage. Test order was counterbalanced across subjects. Testers were aware that gratings progressed from lower to higher spatial frequencies, but were masked to the absolute spatial frequency of the grating on each card. Testers were masked to acuity results until the child completed testing. Results Repeated measures ANOVA with age as a between-subjects variable and test setting as a within-subjects variable showed a significant effect of age ( p p p p Conclusions Grating acuity norms obtained with the Teller Acuity Card stage are appropriate for comparison with data obtained without the stage in children 3.5, 11, and 30 months of age. However, when 17-month-old children are tested without the stage, comparison of results with norms obtained with the stage is problematic, because testing without the stage results in reduced acuity scores in this age group.
Effects of levonorgestrel on capacity of mouse oocytes for fertilization and development

This study utilized a mouse model to examine whether levonorgestrel implants, such as Norplant, may exert their contraceptive effects in part by adversely affecting oocyte quality. Time-release pellets and silastic capsules containing levonorgestrel were implanted subdermally in mice and left in situ for periods of two or three months. After that time, mice were given injections of gonadotropins to stimulate ovulation and oocytes were obtained from the oviducts of the animals, inseminated, and subsequently cultured for 96 hrs, some in medium supplemented with levonorgestrel. The numbers of oocytes that were fertilized and the numbers that developed at least to the morula stage were determined. Levonorgestrel was not found to have an adverse effect on either fertilization or preimplantation development but instead was found in some cases to increase the proportion of oocytes fertilized and the proportion of embryos that developed to morulae. Results indicate that the contraceptive effect of levonorgestrel implants should be attributed to effects other than diminished oocyte quality and they further substantiate the safety of levonorgestrel, suggesting that it will not adversely affect early embryonic development in the event that a pregnancy should be initiated during its use.
Prevention of femoral nerve injuries in gynecologic surgery

Abdominopelvic operation is the most frequent cause of iatrogenic femoral nerve injury, particularly when self-retaining retractors are used. Transverse abdominal incisions and thin body habitus are significant risk factors. Patients typically have mild sensory and/or motor disturbances with diminished knee jerk reflexes. Most cases are self-limited, and symptoms resolve within several weeks. Most femoral nerve injuries that are associated with pelvic surgery can be prevented with a thorough understanding of the pelvic anatomy and proper placement of self-retaining retractors.
Application of percolation theory to noncatalytic gas‐solid reactions

Previous models of noncatalytic gas-solid reactions are based primarily on parallelpore representations, thus excluding important topological effects of the porous medium. This paper utilizes network representations and percolation theory to develop expressions for pore closure time and the evolution of accessible volume, effective diffusivity, and conversion rates.
Influence of a Defoaming Agent upon the Hematological Complications of Pump Oxygenators

Measurements of plasma hemoglobin values were made at many different sites of a Cross-Kay disk pump oxygenator during extracorporeal bypass in patients undergoing reparative valve surgery. Hemoglobin values were always higher in the line of the aspirator and defoaming chamber than in any other part of the system. Sampling immediately proximal and distal to the defoaming chamber revealed significant increases in plasma hemoglobin values as a result of the defoaming process. Studies of the hematological effects of the defoaming agent, polymethylsiloxane, which coats the disposable stainless steel sponge in the defoaming chamber, showed it greatly reduced the resistance of red cells to lysis by mechanical trauma. Similar studies of plasma showed the hemolytic effects of the defoaming agent are to some extent mediated by the plasma. It is concluded that the widely used defoaming agent, polymethylsiloxane, contributes to the hemolytic action of the bubbling, suctioning, and defoaming processes during open heart surgery. The addition of a water soluble surfactant material, that stabilizes emulsions (Pluronic F68), blocked or prevented the hemolytic process without interfering with the action of the antifoam material.
PURPURA FULMINANS. REPORT OF A CASE SUCCESSFULLY TREATED WITH HEPARIN AND HYDROCORTISONE. REVIEW OF 50 CASES FROM THE LITERATURE.

Severe purpura fulminans (p. f.) developed in a three year old boy four days after an attack of diarrhea. Streptococci were found in his throat. He went into shock following massive bleeding into the skin. Haemostatic studies revealed moderate thrombocytopenia and profound clotting defects compatible with intravascular coagulation. Skin biopsies disclosed thrombosis of small blood vessels. He improved dramatically after treatment with heparin and hydrocortisone; his clotting factors quickly returned to normal. Following extensive skin grafting, he made a complete recovery. Fifty selected cases of p. f. have been reviewed. P. f. appears to occur only in children, usually 1–4 weeks after a benign infection, such as scarlatina or varicella. The clinical findings have been described in detail. All patients appear to have one or more episodes of intravascular coagulation resulting in secondary haemostatic defects. A concept of pathogenesis has been presented in terms of (1) preparation of the skin by mechanism as yet unknown, followed by (2) an episode of acute intravascular coagulation which deposits thrombi in small blood vessels of the prepared skin by mechanisms as yet unknown, followed by (2) an episode of acute intra-been discussed. Therapy should be based upon heparin to stop intravascular clotting and adrenal steroids to modify possible antigen-antibody reactions.
Evaluation of the effectiveness of posters to provide information to patients about a DNA database and their opportunity to opt out.

Vanderbilt University Medical Center is implementing a DNA Databank to facilitate genomic research. This study describes the use of informational posters to communicate to patients about the Databank and their option to not participate. Informational posters were displayed in two phlebotomy areas prior to the implementation of the DNA Databank project. Patients leaving the phlebotomy areas were interviewed by non-medical personnel about the posters and the Databank using a structured interview guide. Completed interviews with patients (n = 192) show that only 32% recalled seeing the posters (memory of the image only, or of the image and the content of the text). The majority of participants (93%) either recalled the poster or reported that they were comfortable with the DNA Databank concept after they had been read a brief statement about the program. A significant relationship (p = 0.001) appeared between respondents’ awareness of research practices concerning anonymous discarded tissues and their level of comfort with the DNA Databank. Individuals who report feeling uncomfortable with the Databank are an important population to inform about the Databank and opting out. Since there were no statistically significant demographic differences between those who recalled the poster and those who did not, there is no way to prospectively identify which patients will not be reached by the posters or who may feel uncomfortable with the program. Additional mechanisms to promote widespread notification are needed.
Cyclooxygenase-2 Expression in Prostate Cancer: An Inconsistent Therapeutic Target

Objectives: To determine cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression patterns in primary prostate tissue of patients undergoing androgen deprivation therapy and in patients with early stage disease. Methods: Gene and protein expression analysis were performed in freshly resected prostate cancer tissue obtained from patients with advanced stage cancer who presented with bladder obstruction Local stage cancer specimens were collected from patients undergoing radical prostatectomy (RP) Expression studies in fresh specimens included quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction, western immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Mean COX-2 gene expressions were compared in both stages. In addition to evaluating protein expression by IHC in fresh specimens, an unrelated archival specimen set of 23 additional clinically matched, advanced and 20 local stage cancer specimens were also analyzed. The pooled (fresh and archival) specimen set ( each) was then used for evaluating protein expression by IHC. Thirty non-c...
Patterning of polypeptides on a collagen-terminated tissue surface

Collagen is a ubiquitous component of the extracellular matrix environment, and numerous studies have been devoted toward the development of collagen-based tissue scaffolds. These efforts have been primarily focused on synthetic collagenous materials made from purified collagen. In this article, we present a preliminary study toward the development of a technique that can result in a tissue-derived collagen scaffold. The tissue-derived collagenous matrix was isolated from the retinal Bruch's membrane, and dip pen nanolithography was investigated as a mean to modify the collagenous surface. Characterization experiments of the collagenous surface indicate a fairly hydrophobic surface. Minimal swelling (<7%) of the collagen fibers was observed under elevated humidity conditions with negligible rearrangement of the surface. The hydrophobicity and roughness of the surface can pose a barrier for the deposition of molecules via scanning probe lithography. However, deposition of poly(glutamic acid) and polyargini...
Political Science and the Enlightenment of Enthusiasm

I provide a narrative of the emergence of an expressly articulated “political science” in the Scottish Enlightenment. Political science was designed by Hume, Smith, and others to advance both a Newtonian method for the study of politics and a politics of moderation whose tasks included a critique of enthusiasm. In this way, political science, moderation, and (anti)enthusiasm were conceptually connected. The emergence of political science, understood in this way, required a number of conceptual changes in a structure of argument shaped largely by Locke. These conceptual changes, in turn, fixed a rhetorical framework for persistent debates over the methodological and political identity of political science, even as ideology literally replaced enthusiasm. These persistent debates reveal the relevance of the history of political science as a forum for remembrance, reflection, and critique.
Calculation of Long-Range Interactions in Molecular Dynamics and Monte Carlo Simulations

The general expansion method is developed to calculate long-range interactions due to charged particles outside the minimum images, for different periodic systems in molecular dynamics and Monte Ca...
Phosphorene oxide: stability and electronic properties of a novel two-dimensional material.

Phosphorene, the monolayer form of (black) phosphorus, was recently exfoliated from its bulk counterpart. Phosphorene oxide, by analogy to graphene oxide, is expected to have novel chemical and electronic properties, and may provide an alternative route to the synthesis of phosphorene. In this research, the physical and chemical properties of phosphorene oxide including its formation by oxygen adsorption on the bare phosphorene was investigated. Analysis of the phonon dispersion curves finds stoichiometric and non-stoichiometric oxide configurations to be stable at ambient conditions, thus suggesting that the oxygen adsorption may not degrade the phosphorene. The nature of the band gap of the oxides depends on the degree of functionalization of phosphorene; an indirect gap is predicted for the non-stoichiometric configurations, whereas a direct gap is predicted for the stoichiometric oxide. Application of mechanical strain or an external electric field leads to tunability of the band gap of the phosphorene oxide. In contrast to the case of the bare phosphorene, dependence of the diode-like asymmetric current–voltage response on the degree of stoichiometry is predicted for the phosphorene oxide.
Mechanical stimulation suppresses phosphorylation of eIF2α and PERK-mediated responses to stress to the endoplasmic reticulum

Cellular perturbations such as stress to the endoplasmic reticulum induce an integrated stress response, which activates phosphorylation of eIF2α and leads to alleviation of cellular injury or apoptosis. This study investigated the role of mechanical stimulation in the regulation of eIF2α and cell death. Mechanical stimulation was applied to mouse ulnae, MC3T3 cells, and mesenchymal stem cells. The results demonstrate that mechanical stimulation reduces phosphorylation of eIF2α through inactivation of Perk. Furthermore, flow pre-treatment reduces thapsigargin-induced cell mortality through suppression of phosphorylation of Perk. However, H2O2-driven cell mortality, which is not mediated by Perk, is not suppressed by mechanical stimulation. Taken together, our observations suggest a pro-survival role of mechanical stimulation in Perk-mediated stress responses.
DNA-directed assembly of single-wall carbon nanotubes.

DNA hybridization was used to reversibly aggregate single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and prepare heteroaggregates of SWNTs and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs).
Cultured Milk and Antibiotics for Young Calves

Abstract One hundred and forty-three Holstein calves were used in two trials to measure the response from oral administration of antibiotic in a herd with long use of antibiotic. In one of the trials half of the calves were fed milk cultured with Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus lactis ; the others (control) were fed pasteurized milk. Calves receiving 83mg oxytetracycline daily consumed more starter, gained more weight, and tended to have firmer feces than did those in the control group. All calves were healthy. The cultured milk did not affect weight gains or frequency of diarrhea significantly. Calves fed cultured milk consumed less starter.
“A Palace for the Maize”: The Granary of Granaditas in Guanajuato and Neoclassical Civic Architecture in Colonial Mexico

La construction d’un nouveau grenier ou alhondiga a Guanajuato au Mexique, promue par l’intendant Juan Antonio de Riano, debute en hiver 1798. Ce bâtiment devient rapidement un exemple singulier de l’architecture civique, du neoclassicisme et du buen gusto (bon gout) au Mexique de la fin du XVIIIe siecle. Le projet de ce solide et bel edifice, avec « rien de superflu » selon l’architecte renomme Manuel Tolsa, implique de nombreux personnages parmi les plus distingues du Mexique colonial, dont les vicerois Branciforte et Iturrigaray, l’intendant Riano et les architectes Juan de Dios Trinidad Perez, Francisco Ortiz de Castro et Jose del Mazo y Aviles. Malgre l’evident besoin de doter Guanajuato d’un grenier plus large et mieux equipe, la construction du bâtiment suscite de nombreuses controverses, notamment parmi ceux qui la considerent comme une depense excessive alors que la ville manque d’infrastructure et d’architecture civique. Juan Vicente Alaman, ancien echevin de Guanajuato, exprime son desaccord avec cet edifice monumental, le decrivant comme un « palais pour le mais ».
Gold-Mask Technique for Fabricating Segmented-Electrode Germanium Detectors

A simple gold-mask technique has been developed for use in the fabrication of germanium nuclear radiation detectors. A layer of gold deposited over the contacts of the detectors acts as masks for chemical etching and surface treatments. It also serves as a reliable, low-resistance electrical connection to the underlying germanium contact. This technique greatly facilitates the fabrication of a wide variety of segmented-electrode planar and coaxial detectors. Examples of these detectors with applications in medical imaging, gamma-ray astronomy and high-energy physics are presented.
Toxicity and carcinogenicity of methyl isobutyl ketone in F344N rats and B6C3F1 mice following 2-year inhalation exposure.

Abstract Methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) is primarily used as a denaturant for rubbing alcohol, as a solvent and in the manufacture of methyl amyl alcohol. Inhalation of vapors is the most likely route of exposure in the work place. In order to evaluate the potential of MIBK to induce toxic and carcinogenic effects following chronic exposure, groups of 50 male and 50 female F344/N rats and B6C3F1 mice were exposed to MIBK at concentrations of 0, 450, 900, or 1800 ppm by inhalation, 6 h/day, 5 days per week for 2 years. Survival was decreased in male rats at 1800 ppm. Body weight gains were decreased in male rats at 900 and 1800 ppm and in female mice at 1800 ppm. The primary targets of MIBK toxicity and carcinogenicity were the kidney in rats and the liver in mice. In male rats, there was increased mineralization of the renal papilla at all exposure concentrations. The incidence of chronic progressive nephropathy (CPN) was increased at 1800 ppm and the severity was increased in all exposed groups. There were also increases in renal tubule hyperplasia at all exposure concentrations, and in adenoma and adenoma or carcinoma (combined) at 1800 ppm; these lesions are thought to represent a continuum in the progression of proliferative lesions in renal tubule epithelium. These increases may have resulted from the increased severity of CPN, either through α2μ-globulin-dependent or -independent mechanisms. An increase in mononuclear cell leukemia at 1800 ppm was an uncertain finding. Adrenal medulla hyperplasia was increased at 1800 ppm, and there was a positive trend for increases in benign or malignant pheochromocytomas (combined). In female rats, there were increases in the incidence of CPN in all exposure concentrations and in the severity at 1800 ppm, indicating that CPN was increased by mechanisms in addition to those related to α2μ-globulin. There were renal mesenchymal tumors, which have not been observed in historical control animals, in two female rats at 1800 ppm. The relationship of these tumors to exposure to MIBK was uncertain. Hepatocellular adenomas, and adenoma or carcinoma (combined) were increased in male and female mice exposed to 1800 ppm. There were also treatment-related increases in multiple adenomas in both sexes.
Recombinant factor VIIa (NovoSeven) in the treatment of internal bleeding in patients with factor VIII and IX inhibitors.

Recombinant factor VIla (NovoSeven®) was used on a compassionate use basis to treat 51 episodes of internal bleeding in 43 patients. All had become refractory to (or were not candidates for) other the
Geochemistry of dikes and lavas from the north wall of the Hess Deep Rift: Insights into the four‐dimensional character of crustal construction at fast spreading mid‐ocean ridges

[1] An investigation of ∼1-m.y.-old dikes and lavas from the north wall of the Hess Deep Rift (2°15′N, 101°30′W) collected during Alvin expeditions provides a detailed view of the evolution of fast spreading oceanic crust. The study area encompasses 25 km of an east-west flow line, representing ∼370,000 years of crustal accretion at the East Pacific Rise. Samples analyzed exhibit depleted incompatible trace element abundances and ratios [(La/Sm)N < 1]. Indices of fractionation (MgO), and incompatible element ratios (La/Sm, Nb/Ti) show no systematic trends along flow line. Rather, over short (<4 m) and long (∼25 km) distances, significant variations are observed in major and trace element concentrations and ratios. Modeling of these variations attests to the juxtaposition of dikes of distinct parental magma compositions. These findings, combined with studies of segmentation of the subaxial magma chamber and lateral magma transport in dikes along rift-dominated systems, suggest a more realistic model of the magmatic system underlying the East Pacific Rise relative to the commonly assumed two-dimensional model. In this model, melts from a heterogeneous mantle feed distinct portions of a segmented axial magma reservoir. Dikes emanating from these distinct reservoirs transport magma along axis, resulting in interleaved dikes and host lavas with different evolutionary histories. This model suggests the use of axial or flow line lava compositions to infer the evolution of axial magma chambers should be approached with caution because dikes may never erupt lava or may transport magma significant distances along axis and erupt lavas far from their axial magma chamber of origin.
What goes into a Paradigm? Some reflections on gender‐issue ‘differences’ between Sunni law schools, and the problematic of their historical attribution

Abstract Traditional Islamic law developed within a number of paradigmatic blueprints that were later ascribed to the ‘founders’ of ‘law schools’. This law was neither code‐driven ‘civil law’ in the sense of the Napoleonic code, nor was it ‘common law’ in the English and American sense. Speaking mainly in the language of traditions, medieval scholars formulated legal rules whose admissibility depended on communal consensus regarding their validity. Many of the rules remained imbedded in ‘examples’, Hadith‐reported case studies, and/or qur'anic exegesis, while the underlying principles formed part of the developing legal tradition. That they were not codified provided the latter with an inherent flexibility, enabling judges and jurisconsults not just to apply, but to develop the law. The following article is a study of a legal concept, tahlil marriage, and the ways in which the four extant Sunni law schools have dealt with this notion, including the development of legal categories that were brought to, and...
Spurious instabilities of long planetary waves in a two-and-a-half layer model subtropical gyre ocean with a wind-driven steady circulation

Abstract In a number of flows that support coupled free-waves, instability results when free-wave dispersion relations calculated without the coupling cross or approach one another. The propagation of long planetary wave perturbations of a two-and-a-half layer model subtropical gyre is one such oceanographically important instance. This note points out that, for a baroclinically unstable two-and-a-half layer model subtropical gyre, numerically aliased long wave dispersion relation plots display extra crossings that are artifacts of the discretization, and these may lead both to spurious numerical instabilities and to numerical misrepresentation of actual instabilities. Paradoxically, the numerical instability may in some instances manifest itself more strongly as the numerical resolution is improved. The aliasing mechanism may be related to the zone of small scale activity found in the southwestern corner of a time dependent model subtropical gyre in the numerical perturbation experiments of (Dewar, W., Huang, R., 2001. Adjustment of the ventilated thermocline. J. Phys. Oceanogr. 13, 293–309). Similar multilayer models are often discussed in the literature, so that the results may be widely useful.
King Cotton's Lasting Legacy of Poverty and Southern Region Contemporary Conditions

One hundred fifty years ago, cotton was king; at least it was the king of all United States’ agricultural exports. Cotton's dollar value far exceeded that of any other mid-19th-century United State...
A pilot study of combination therapy with indinavir, stavudine (d4T), and didanosine (ddI) in children infected with the human immunodeficiency virus

Twelve children infected with the human immunodeficiency virus were treated orally with indinavir, stavudine, plus didanosine for 12 to 48 weeks. Therapy was limited in some cases by nonadherence, intolerance, toxicity, and virologic failure. Marked increases in CD4+ lymphocyte counts and decreases in plasma human immunodeficiency virus RNA concentrations suggest that the regimen has potent antiviral activity.
Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation Associated with Staphylococcus aureus Septicemia Is Mediated by Peptidoglycan-Induced Platelet Aggregation

Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) may complicate severe septicemia caused by Staphylococcus aureus. S. aureus can induce spontaneous platelet aggregation in vitro, the rapidity and degree of which correlates with the severity of DIC in patients with sepsis. Purified peptidoglycan from DIC isolates aggregated human platelets in the presence of staphylococcal protein A with significantly shorter aggregation times than did peptidoglycan from non-DIC isolates. Purified teichoic acid from DIC and non-DIC isolates failed to aggregate platelets in vitro, or in vivo in guinea pigs but inhibited the peptidoglycan-induced aggregation in a dose-response manner. These studies suggest that peptidoglycan may mediate S. aureus-induced spontaneous platelet aggregation in vitro and DIC in vivo. The variability among strains of S. aureus to induce DIC and platelet aggregation may depend on the unique composition of their peptidoglycan and perhaps also the extent of exposure or availability of cell wall teichoic acid.
Self-healing of CdSe nanocrystals: first-principles calculations.

Ab initio calculations of the structural, electronic, and optical properties of CdSe nanoparticles are presented. The atomic structures of the clusters are relaxed both in vacuum and in the presence of surfactant ligands. In both cases, we predict significant geometrical rearrangements of the nanoparticle surface while the wurtzite core is maintained. These reconstructions lead to the opening of an optical gap without the aid of passivating ligands, thus ``self-healing'' the surface electronic structure. Our calculations also predict the existence of a midgap state responsible for recently observed subband emission.
Semiconductor-metal transition in doped (CH)x: Thermoelectric power

Thermoelectric power studies of polyacetylene have been carried out as a function of dopant concentration and temperature. The thermopower of pure trans-(CH)x is large (S = +850 μ V°K) and positive consistent with p-type material. With iodine doping, (CHIy)x, the thermopower remains positive over the full range of concentration 0 < y < 0.22. The semiconductor-metal transition is clearly observed at nc ≅ 3 mole %; S falls dramatically from S = +850 μ V°K at y = 0.003 to S = +30 μ V°K at y = 0.03. At higher concentrations, S remains nearly constant saturating at +18 μ V°K in the heavily doped metallic polymer. Temperature dependences are consistent with metallic behavior at the highest dopant concentrations and hopping transport in the undoped and lightly doped polymer.
Finite element simulation of adaptive aerospace structures with SMA actuators

The particular demands of aerospace engineering have spawned many of the developments in the field of adaptive structures. Shape memory alloys are particularly attractive as actuators in these types of structures due to their large strains, high specific work output and potential for structural integration. However, the requisite extensive physical testing has slowed development of potential applications and highlighted the need for a simulation tool for feasibility studies. In this paper we present an implementation of an extended version of the Muller-Achenbach SMA model into a commercial finite element code suitable for such studies. Interaction between the SMA model and the solution algorithm for the global FE equations is thoroughly investigated with respect to the effect of tolerances and time step size on convergence, computational cost and accuracy. Finally, a simulation of a SMA-actuated flexible trailing edge of an aircraft wing modeled with beam elements is presented.