cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of aerobically-treated and untreated crop residue as a source of recycled nutrients in a recirculating hydroponic system

This study compared the growth of potato plants on nutrients recycled from inedible potato biomass. Plants were grown for 105 days in recirculating, thin-film hydroponic systems containing four separate nutrient solution treatments: (1) modified half-strength Hoagland's (control), 2) liquid effluent from a bioreactor containing inedible potato biomass, 3) filtered (0.2 micrometer) effluent, and 4) the water soluble fraction of inedible potato biomass (leachate). Approximately 50% of the total nutrient requirement in treatments 2-4 were provided (recycled) from the potato biomass. Leachate had an inhibitory effect on leaf conductance, photosynthetic rate, and growth (50% reduction in plant height and 60% reduction in tuber yield). Plants grown on bioreactor effluent (filtered or unfiltered) were similar to the control plants. These results indicated that rapidly degraded, water soluble organic material contained in the inedible biomass, i.e., material in leachate, brought about phytotoxicity in the hydroponic culture of potato. Recalcitrant, water soluble organic material accumulated in all nutrient recycling treatments (650% increase after 105 days), but no increase in rhizosphere microbial numbers was observed.
Clinical severity of Huntington's disease does not always correlate with neuropathologic stage

Background Huntington’s disease is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by a triplet repeat, CAG expansion mutation. Although CAG repeat length is thought to correlate with pathologic burden and disease severity, considerable variability in clinical phenotype remains. This study examined whether neuropathologic burden at autopsy corresponded with severity of clinical phenotype in Huntington’s disease.
Stakeholders in recovery: demands, expectations, and research opportunities.

A broad array of agencies, institutions, and individuals interact with community-based substance abuse treatment programs, providing resources or services and asserting demands and expectations in return. These relationships shape the environment in which treatment and community-based research take place, and themselves raise issues worthy of research attention. This article enumerates the stakeholders in one well-established program and describes the scope of the program’s efforts to accommodate these stakeholders, along with some of the complications and difficulties programs confront in their attempts to satisfy stakeholders, especially when their demands are unrealistic or their interests conflict. The article concludes by identifying research areas that could facilitate these relationships, enhancing their benefits for patients.
Nephron number and its determinants in early life: a primer

Although there is wide variation, humans possess on average 900,000 nephrons per kidney. So far as is known, nephrons cannot regenerate; therefore, an individual’s nephron endowment has profound implications in determining his or her long-term risk of developing chronic kidney disease. Most of the variability in human nephron number is determined early in life. Nephrogenesis is a complex and carefully orchestrated process that occurs during a narrow time window until 36 weeks gestation in humans, and disruption of any part of this sequence may lead to reduced nephron number. In utero, genetic abnormalities, toxic insults, and nutritional deficiencies can each alter final nephron number. Infants born prematurely must continue nephrogenesis in an ex utero environment where there may be multiple threats to successful nephrogenesis. Once the nephron endowment is determined, postnatal factors (such as acute kidney injury or chronic illnesses) can only decrease nephron number. Current techniques for estimating nephron number require an invasive procedure or complete destruction of the tissue, making noninvasive means for counting nephron surgently needed. A better understanding of nephron number and its determinants, particularly during growth and maturation, could allow the development of therapies to support, prolong, or resume nephrogenesis.
Formal model of data reuse analysis for hierarchical memory organizations

In real-time data-dominated communication and multimedia processing applications, due to the manipulation of large sets of data, a multi-layer memory hierarchy is used to enhance the system performance and also to reduce the energy consumption. Savings of dynamic energy can be obtained by accessing frequently used data from smaller memories rather than from large background memories. The optimization of the hierarchical memory architecture implies the addition of layers of smaller memories to which heavily used data can be copied. This paper presents a formal model for data reuse analysis which identifies those parts of arrays more intensely accessed, taking also into account the relative lifetimes of the signals. Tested on a two-layer memory hierarchy, this model led to savings in the dynamic energy from 40% to over 70% relative to the energy used in the case of a flat memory design.
Eukaryotic DNA replication

Recent discoveries suggest that the initiation of eukaryotic DNA replication involves at least two steps--one occurring near the completion of mitosis and the other at the onset of S phase--that bring about the ordered assembly of initiator proteins at the origin. The identification and characterization of components involved in promoting or antagonizing each of these steps has provided a preliminary understanding of how replication initiation is regulated so precisely during the cell cycle.
High efficiency high-gain monolithic heterostructure fet amplifier at 31 GHz

A three-stage heterostructure FET monolithic amplifier has achieved a power-added efficiency of 36 percent with 200 mW output and 18 dB gain at 31 GHz. At a higher drain voltage, the output power increases to 280 mW (with 17.5 dB gain and 31 percent PAE) at a power density of 0.7 W/mm. The MMIC chip measures 2.63 x 1.35 sq mm and requires only a single drain bias and a single gate bias.
A Study of the Coupled Gravitational and Electromagnetic Perturbations to the Reissner--Nordstrom Black Hole: The Scattering Matrix, Energy Conversion, and Quasi-Normal Modes

The reflection and absorption, by the charged spherically symmetric Reissner-Nordstrom black hole, of an arbitrary superposition of gravitational and electromagnetic waves, with time dependence e iot and analyzed into spherical harmonics of various orders l , are expressed in terms of the complex reflection and transmission amplitudes (for incident waves) by two one-dimensional potential barriers. These amplitudes, expressed in terms of eight quantities (and composing the scattering matrix), are tabulated for various values of o,l (= 2, 3, and 6) and charge of the black hole. By virtue of the coupling of electromagnetic and gravitational perturbations by the charge of the black hole, the energy in an incident wave, which is purely gravitational, is, in part, reflected as electromagnetic waves; and conversely. This transformation of incident gravitational energy into electromagnetic energy (and vice versa) is expressed in terms of a conversion factor C and plotted in a series of graphs as a function of o for various values of l and the charge on the black hole Q * . Finally, the complex frequencies belonging to the quasi-normal modes (i.e., solutions of the underlying wave equations which correspond to purely outgoing waves at infinity and purely ingoing waves at the horizon) are tabulated. It is found that the imaginary part of these frequencies (which determine the damping of arbitrary initial perturbations of the black hole) is very nearly the same for all modes (with different l ’s) and Q * .
CO chemisorption on PtCu surfaces: III. CO on PtCu(111)

Abstract Selected thermal desorption and valence band photoemission data on the chemisorption of CO on PtCu(111) surfaces are presented. The main objective is to make a comparison with CO chemisorption on an annealed (1 × 3) reconstructed Pt0.98Cu0.02(110) surface. The (111) alloy surfaces are unreconstructed (1 × 1) surfaces, with average near-surface Cu concentrations ranging from ≳ 7.5% to ≳ 20% as indicated by the Cu 920 eV Auger signal. It is observed that the effect of alloying Pt(111) with Cu is to progressively lower the desorption peak temperature and hence the free energy of CO desorption from Pt sites. A second observation is that the energy distribution of the Cu 3d-derived states is little affected by CO adsorption on Cu sites at 155 K. Both these results offer a contrast to the results for CO/Pt0.98Cu0.02(110) reported earlier.
Finance is History

A new sensitivity to the significance of historical experience has developed since the 2007 financial crisis. There are three possible ways of drawing on the past: as a source of advice on policies, of patterns of past evolution, of multiple possibilities. The best way of thinking about history is as a way of testing conventional hypotheses – particularly when those hypotheses are being used to create market opportunities (by making for false confidence; but also by engendering exaggerated despair).
Immunohistochemical and molecular analysis of β1 and β3 integrins

The expression and function of integrin subunits was examined by immunohistochemical staining of normal and malignant tissues and by producing specific changes in avian beta subunit cDNA that were subsequently expressed in mammalian cells. Most tissues express only a restricted number of integrins. These include primarily those thought to function as collagen/laminin receptors. With the exception of metastatic melanomas, tumors show a general down regulation of integrins. Structure/function studies of the beta subunit show that the cytoplasmic domain is required for inclusion in adhesion plaques and for promotion of adhesive functions; that the transmembrane domain is required for subunit association, but not proper alpha subunit selection; and that the amino terminal one third of the subunit must remain intact for subunit selection and ligand binding to occur.
Macro-elements and stable local bases for splines on Powell-Sabin triangulations

Macro-elements of arbitrary smoothness are constructed on Powell-Sabin triangle splits. These elements are useful for solving boundary-value problems and for interpolation of Hermite data. It is shown that they are optimal with respect to spline degree, and we believe they are also optimal with respect to the number of degrees of freedom. The construction provides local bases for certain superspline spaces defined over Powell-Sabin refinements. These bases are shown to be stable as a function of the smallest angle in the triangulation, which in turn implies that the associated spline spaces have optimal order approximation power.
A semiparametric copula method for Cox models with covariate measurement error.

We consider measurement error problem in the Cox model, where the underlying association between the true exposure and its surrogate is unknown, but can be estimated from a validation study. Under this framework, one can accommodate general distributional structures for the error-prone covariates, not restricted to a linear additive measurement error model or Gaussian measurement error. The proposed copula-based approach enables us to fit flexible measurement error models, and to be applicable with an internal or external validation study. Large sample properties are derived and finite sample properties are investigated through extensive simulation studies. The methods are applied to a study of physical activity in relation to breast cancer mortality in the Nurses’ Health Study.
Thermochemistry of the gas-phase iodine catalyzed isomerization: 2,3-dimethyl-1-butene = 2,3-dimethyl-2-butene

The gas-phase iodine catalyzed isomerization of 2,3-dimethyl-1-butene (DM-1B) to 2,3-dimethyl-2-butene (DM-2B) has been investigated over the temperature range 408 to 564 K. The equilibrium constant for this isomerization has been measured as a function of temperature. These values and C ° p > = −2.0 cal K −1 mol −1 lead to Δ H o (486 K) = −(2.05 ± 0.04) kcal mol −1 and Δ S o (486 K) = −(2.85 ± 0.09) cal K −1 mol −1 . These results are nominally independent of the heat capacity term. Using an estimated average heat capacity difference of −(1.9 ± 1) cal K −1 mol −1 from 486 to 298 K, one calculates Δ H o (298 K) = −(1.70 ± 0.2) kcal mol −1 and Δ S o (298 K) = −(1.93 ± 0.5) cal K −1 mol −1 . These results are compared and combined with previous data to derive: Δ H o f (DM-2B, g, 298 K) = − (16.35 ± 0.35) kcal mol −1 and Δ H o f (DM-1B, g, 298 K) = − (14.65 ± 0.4) kcal mol −1 .
Cigarette smoke exposure induces CFTR internalization and insolubility, leading to airway surface liquid dehydration

Cigarette smoke (CS) exposure induces mucus obstruction and the development of chronic bronchitis (CB). While many of these responses are determined genetically, little is known about the effects CS can exert on pulmonary epithelia at the protein level. We, therefore, tested the hypothesis that CS exerts direct effects on the CFTR protein, which could impair airway hydration, leading to the mucus stasis characteristic of both cystic fibrosis and CB. In vivo and in vitro studies demonstrated that CS rapidly decreased CFTR activity, leading to airway surface liquid (ASL) volume depletion (i.e., dehydration). Further studies revealed that CS induced internalization of CFTR. Surprisingly, CS-internalized CFTR did not colocalize with lysosomal proteins. Instead, the bulk of CFTR shifted to a detergent-resistant fraction within the cell and colocalized with the intermediate filament vimentin, suggesting that CS induced CFTR movement into an aggresome-like, perinuclear compartment. To test whether airway dehydration could be reversed, we used hypertonic saline (HS) as an osmolyte to rehydrate ASL. HS restored ASL height in CS-exposed, dehydrated airway cultures. Similarly, inhaled HS restored mucus transport and increased clearance in patients with CB. Thus, we propose that CS exposure rapidly impairs CFTR function by internalizing CFTR, leading to ASL dehydration, which promotes mucus stasis and a failure of mucus clearance, leaving smokers at risk for developing CB. Furthermore, our data suggest that strategies to rehydrate airway surfaces may provide a novel form of therapy for patients with CB.
Swelling the micelle core surrounding single-walled carbon nanotubes with water-immiscible organic solvents.

Solvatochromic shifts in the absorbance and fluorescence spectra are observed when surfactant–stabilized aqueous single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) suspensions are mixed with immiscible organic solvents. When aqueous surfactant-suspended SWNTs are mixed with o-dichlorobenzene, the spectra closely match the peaks for SWNTs dispersed in only pure o-dichlorobenzene. These spectral changes suggest that the hydrophobic region of the micelle surrounding SWNTs swells with the organic solvent when mixed. The solvatochromic shifts of the aqueous SWNT suspensions are reversible once the solvent evaporates. However, some surfactant−solvent systems show permanent changes to the fluorescence emission intensity after exposure to the organic solvent. The intensity of some large diameter SWNT (n, m) types increase by more than 175%. These differences are attributed to surfactant reorganization, which can improve nanotube coverage, resulting in decreased exposure to quenching mechanisms from the aqueous phase.
Mesonephric adenocarcinoma of the vagina with a 3-year follow-up

Abstract Background. Mesonephric adenocarcinoma of the vagina is exceedingly rare, with only one well-documented case in the literature. Little is known regarding clinical presentation, pathological characteristics, therapy, or prognosis of the vaginal mesonephric adenocarcinoma. Case. A 55-year-old woman presented with a polypoid mass at the right vaginal apex, extending to the right paravaginal tissue. The tumor was an adenocarcinoma with ductal and tubular pattern arising in a background of mesonephric remnants. Tumor cells showed immunoreactivity for pankeratin, epithelial membrane antigen (EMA), and calretinin. The right fallopian tube and one paravaginal lymph node were positive for metastases. The patient is disease-free 3 years after surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Conclusion. We report the second case of mesonephric adenocarcinoma of the vagina with metastasis to the right fallopian tube and to one paravaginal lymph node.
Critical Race Theory and HRD: Moving Race Front and Center

The ProblemThe problem is that racism, sexism, and discrimination exist. Critical race theory (CRT) is concerned with equity in terms of a person’s complete identity, which may begin with race and ...
Moral Disagreement in a Democracy

Moral disagreement about public policies—issues such as abortion, affirmative action, and health care—is a prominent feature of contemporary American democracy. Yet it is not a central concern of the leading theories of democracy. The two dominant democratic approaches in our time—procedural democracy and constitutional democracy—fail to offer adequate responses to the problem of moral disagreement. Both suggest some elements that are necessary in any adequate response, but neither one alone nor both together are sufficient. We argue here that an adequate conception of democracy must make moral deliberation an essential part of the political process. What we call “deliberative democracy” adds an important dimension to the theory and practice of politics that the leading conceptions of democracy neglect.
GMOs in animal agriculture: time to consider both costs and benefits in regulatory evaluations

In 2012, genetically engineered (GE) crops were grown by 17.3 million farmers on over 170 million hectares. Over 70% of harvested GE biomass is fed to food producing animals, making them the major consumers of GE crops for the past 15 plus years. Prior to commercialization, GE crops go through an extensive regulatory evaluation. Over one hundred regulatory submissions have shown compositional equivalence, and comparable levels of safety, between GE crops and their conventional counterparts. One component of regulatory compliance is whole GE food/feed animal feeding studies. Both regulatory studies and independent peer-reviewed studies have shown that GE crops can be safely used in animal feed, and rDNA fragments have never been detected in products (e.g. milk, meat, eggs) derived from animals that consumed GE feed. Despite the fact that the scientific weight of evidence from these hundreds of studies have not revealed unique risks associated with GE feed, some groups are calling for more animal feeding studies, including long-term rodent studies and studies in target livestock species for the approval of GE crops. It is an opportune time to review the results of such studies as have been done to date to evaluate the value of the additional information obtained. Requiring long-term and target animal feeding studies would sharply increase regulatory compliance costs and prolong the regulatory process associated with the commercialization of GE crops. Such costs may impede the development of feed crops with enhanced nutritional characteristics and durability, particularly in the local varieties in small and poor developing countries. More generally it is time for regulatory evaluations to more explicitly consider both the reasonable and unique risks and benefits associated with the use of both GE plants and animals in agricultural systems, and weigh them against those associated with existing systems, and those of regulatory inaction. This would represent a shift away from a GE evaluation process that currently focuses only on risk assessment and identifying ever diminishing marginal hazards, to a regulatory approach that more objectively evaluates and communicates the likely impact of approving a new GE plant or animal on agricultural production systems.
Dynamic area telethermometry (DAT)

The tutorial describes this novel objective infrared imaging methodology and its clinical applications. Use of DAT in the detection of breast cancer illustrates the potential of this non-invasive diagnostic technique.
Association between process quality measures for heart failure and mortality among US veterans

Background The few available studies of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR) care process indicators have not linked receipt of recommended care processes in heart failure (HF) with lower mortality. Because the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) also tracks hospital inpatient quality reporting indicators, in addition to VHA-specific inpatient (pneumococcal and influenza vaccination) and outpatient (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor [ACEI] or angiotensin receptor blocker [ARB] use for left ventricular [LV] dysfunction and LV function documentation) care process indicators, we examined the association between receipt of these care processes and 30-day and 1-year mortality. Methods Retrospective study of 107,045 patients with HF treated at 128 VHA hospitals between 2001 and 2007 and followed up through 2008. We assessed the relationship between receipt of each HF care process and death at 30 days (inpatients only) and 1 year (all patients), using generalized estimating equations to adjust for clinical characteristics and clustering within hospitals. Results Overall, inpatient/outpatient use of ACEI/ARB and receipt of pneumococcal or influenza vaccinations were related to lower risks of 30-day and/or 1-year mortality (adjusted odds ratios 0.51-0.77 for vaccinations and 0.60-0.78 for ACEI/ARB use). Conversely, discharge instructions, inpatient/outpatient LV function assessment, or weight instructions before admission were either not related or related to a slightly increase in mortality. Stratified analyses by various mortality risk subgroups did not reveal discernable "dose-response" relationship between mortality risk stratification and the association of care process and mortality. Conclusions Receipt of care processes related to recommended medications and vaccinations were associated with lower 30-day and/or 1-year risk-adjusted mortality in patients with HF. Receipt of care processes that assess patient counseling or chart documentation was not related to lower mortality.
Paradoxical intoxication--a complication of anticonvulsant administration.

SUMMARY A new syndrome, paradoxical intoxication, has been defined in which high levels of hydantoins, and in one instance carbamazepine, produced an increase in seizures with little or no evidence of intoxication; a decrease in these levels produced an improvement in seizure control. This syndrome occurs often but not exclusively in those people who are less astute in assessing their neurologic status and therefore may experience unexpectedly higher blood levels of their anticonvulsants. Instances have been documented with serum levels above 40 jugm/ml for phenytoin or mephenytoin alone, or above 50 jugm/ml of combined hydantoins phenytoin and mephenytoin, and when the level is in the range of 20 yugm/ml and above for carbamazepine. Possible mechanisms underlying the syndrome are reviewed. Appropriate therapy is a reduction of the dose of the drug in question. RESUME L'intoxication paradoxale est un syndrome caracterise par une augmentation des crises survenant lorsque les concentrations seriques d'hydantoine ou de carbamazepine sont elevees et le peu d'effets secondaires generalement observes a des tels taux. 9 cas sont rapportes. Les taux de phenytoine ou de mephenytoi'ne donnees seules, etaient superieurs a 40 /Ltg/ml; le taux total d'hydantoine etait superieur a 50 jLtg/ml (chez les patients avec phenytoine et mephenytoi'ne associees); le taux de carba-mazepine eta it supfrieur a 20 /ig/ml. La frequence des crises diminuait a nouveau si Ton reduisait la dose. RESUMEN La intoxicacion paradojica consiste en un aumento de la frecuencia de ataques cuando la concentracidn de hidantoinas o carbamazepinas en suero es elevada. Los habituales sfntomas que se observan con tales concentraciones son escasos. Se presentan 9 casos. Los niveles sericos de fenitoina o mefenitoina administra-das por separado fueron superiores a los 40 μg/ml; los de la hidantoina total (en pacientes tomando fenitoina y mefenitoina) fueron superiores a los 50 μg/ml y los de carbamazepina por encima de 20 /ig/ml. El aumento de los ataques se controla reduciendo la dosis. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Die paradoxe Intoxikation ist ein Syndrom, das charakterisiert ist durch eine zunehmende Anfallsfrequenz bei hoher Serumkonzentration von Hydantoinen oder Carbamazepin jedoch nur geringen Nebenwirkungen verglichen mit denen, die gewohnlich bei derartigen Blut-spiegeln zu sehen sind. Bericht iiber 9 Faille. Die Serumspiegel von Phenytoin oder Mephenytoin als alleiniges Mittel waren hoher als 40 /ig/ml, die des gesamten Hydantoins (bei Patienten die sowohl Phenytoin als Mephenytoin bekamen) iiber 50 /ig/ml, und von Carbamazepin iiber 20 /ig/ml. Die gehauften Anfalle konnten durch Dosisverminderung unter Kontrolle gebracht werden.
Preferentially oriented (La, Sr)CoO3/PbLa0.1TiO3 (La, Sr)CoO3 tri-layers on lithium-fluoride and sodium-chloride substrates

Abstract (La, Sr)CoO3/PbLa0.1TiO3/(La, Sr)CoO3 tri-layers have been grown in situ using pulsed laser deposition on single crystal LiF and NaCl substrates because of their potential to serve as substrates and sacrificial layers for building suspended infrared detector structures. At growth temperatures around 525°C to 615°C and oxygen partial pressures of ∽25 mTorr, the LaSrCoO3/PbLaTiO3/LaSrCoO3 tri-layers on LiF substrates exhibit preferential orientation, as indicated by x-ray diffraction data. The surface morphology of each successive layer is smooth, as shown in scanning electron microgram. Higher growth temperatures result in better orientations but suffer from substrate out-gassing, while lower growth temperatures lead to polycrystalline film growth. On the NaCl substrates, buffer layers, such as Pt and Pd, are necessary to achieve oriented films by suppressing severe substrate out-gassing at the growth conditions required for stoichiometric (La, Sr)CoO3/PbLa0.1TiO3/(La, Sr)CoO3 tri-layer growth.
Memory for rote linguistic routines and sensitivity to rhyme: A comparison of low-income children with and without specific language impairment

This report describes two studies on memory for rote linguistic sequences and sensitivity to rhyme in young children with and without language impairment. In the first study, 10 low income kindergarteners with specific language impairment (SLI) were compared with age- and income-matched classmates on reciting common nursery rhymes, reciting the alphabet, and rote counting. Children with SLI displayed lower performance on most of the rote linguistic sequence tasks, especially on (heir knowledge of Mother Goose nursery rhymes. The second study examined the learning and retention of nursery rhymes in 8 young children with SLI after 6 weeks of classroom instruction. Low-income, 4- and 5-year-old children with SLI and their age- and income-matched classmates were taught five novel Mother Goose rhymes during a large-group classroom activity. Children were tested before and after the intervention on their ability to recite nursery rhymes and to detect rhyme. When compared with their peers, children with SLI had difficulty repeating the nursery rhymes, despite daily classroom exposure. Although the performance of children with SLI on rhyme recitation and detection tasks was poor, their relative performance was better on a cloze task based on the set of nursery rhymes. The results of this study suggest that children with SLI have difficulty storing and/or retrieving lines of memorized text. Traditional informal techniques for teaching rote linguistic sequences may need to be modified to give children with SLI more opportunities to practice rote sequences.
Estimation of Soil Permeability Using an Acoustic Technique

A new method of estimating the permeability of soils using an acoustic technique is proposed in this technical note. Biot’s coupled theory of mixtures from the mid-1950s, which addresses the relationship between the permeability of saturated soils and the characteristic frequency of elastic waves, is used. The characteristic frequency is determined from the attenuation versus frequency curves obtained by acoustic sweep tests. This study presents the experimental technique for measuring the characteristic frequency of soils and calculation procedure for estimating the permeability of sandy soils. This technical note holds discussion for silty or clayey soils.
Simplified Toxicologic Monitoring of Adriamycin, Its Major Metabolites and Nogalamycin by Reverse-Phase High Pressure Liquid Chromatography, Part I: Analytical Techniques for Isolated Human Plasma*

A simplified method is presented for routine toxicologic analysis of the antineoplastic drug, adriamycin, and its major metabolites in human plasma. This method employs a single solvent extraction of plasma using an acetonitrile-aqueous NaOH mixture, followed by reverse-phase isocratic high pressure liquid chromatographic (HPLC) analysis. Recoveries of greater than 95% are obtained for adriamycin and its two major derivatives over the range of concentration: 0.2 to 8.0 nmol/mL of plasma. This method of drug and metabolite isolation and HPLC analysis from human plasma provides an efficient and accurate approach to the individualized toxicologic monitoring of adriamycin pharmacokinetics and metabolism.
Activity-based protein profiling of secreted cellulolytic enzyme activity dynamics in Trichoderma reesei QM6a, NG14, and RUT-C30

Lignocellulosic biomass has great promise as a highly abundant and renewable source for the production of biofuels. However, the recalcitrant nature of lignocellulose toward hydrolysis into soluble sugars remains a significant challenge to harnessing the potential of this source of bioenergy. A primary method for deconstructing lignocellulose is via chemical treatments, high temperatures, and hydrolytic enzyme cocktails, many of which are derived from the fungus Trichoderma reesei. Herein, we use an activity-based probe for glycoside hydrolases to rapidly identify optimal conditions for maximum enzymatic lignocellulose deconstruction. We also demonstrate that subtle changes to enzyme composition and activity in various strains of T. reesei can be readily characterized by our probe approach. The approach also permits multimodal measurements, including fluorescent gel-based analysis of activity in response to varied conditions and treatments, and mass spectrometry-based quantitative identification of labelled proteins. We demonstrate the promise this probe approach holds to facilitate rapid production of enzyme cocktails for high-efficiency lignocellulose deconstruction to accommodate high-yield biofuel production.
Readers' preference for process graphics over outcome graphics accompanying assembly instructions

We propose that graphics that accompany procedural instructions divide into two categories, namely outcome graphics and process graphics. By using think-aloud protocol, the following questions were asked: 1. Can readers tell the difference between graphical types?; and 2. Do readers prefer one graphical type over another if they are given a choice? With this study we could be able to collect information about what readers want and do not want when they read instructions (n=25). From think-aloud data, 72% of subjects indicated they recognized a difference between outcome graphics and process graphics. Eighty percent of subjects preferred process graphics to outcome graphics. With the study we could also examine subjects' vocalized reasons for their graphical preferences, as well as reading behaviors and vocalized metareading information. Finally, we suggest improvements in the study's method, as well as other ways to continue research that involves outcome graphics and process graphics.
Observations of Second Primary Malignancy in Patients With Multiple Myeloma

Abstract Background Advances in the treatment of multiple myeloma have resulted in immunomodulatory (IMiD) agents becoming integral to the standard treatment armamentarium. IMiD agents are effective in the initial and relapsed settings of multiple myeloma. Three studies evaluating the duration of remission in maintenance lenalidomide vs. placebo reported an increased incidence of second primary malignancies in patients receiving maintenance therapy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence of second primary malignancies after IMiD exposure for standard induction and relapsed therapy in myeloma. Patients and Methods A retrospective chart review was conducted at the Indiana University Simon Cancer Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. Patients were older than 18 years and had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma. Patients with a previous diagnosis of cancer were excluded. The primary objective was to assess the incidence of second primary malignancies in all patients. Secondary objectives included the type of malignancy, whether patients had been previously treated with IMiD therapy and the time from treatment initiation to diagnosis of a second malignancy. Results Three hundred twenty-five patients were reviewed and 279 were included in the study. Ten patients were diagnosed with a second primary malignancy (3.5%). Nine of the 10 patients were treated with IMiD therapy before diagnosis (P = .169). The mean time to diagnosis was 360 days for all patients. Conclusion The incidence of second primary malignancy was not statistically significant in the IMiD-treated patients. Further long-term follow-up is needed to better assess the potential adverse events of these novel agents.
Effect of cable capacitance on in-situ borehole geophone calibration

Using 2-Hz electromagnetic moving‐coil geophones as sensing elements, we have constructed and deployed three‐component seismometers in boreholes at various sites for wave‐propagation studies associated with earthquake hazards (Liu et al., 1991). For example, one such seismometer has been deployed in a 88-m deep borehole reaching bedrock in the Marina District of San Francisco since 1990 (Liu et al., 1992) for the purpose of comparing ground motions in the bedrock and those at the surface. Periodic calibrations for such geophones are necessary to check if the geophone parameters have changed because of decreased magnetization of the geophone ferro‐magnet. For example, the coil transductance of the vertical‐component geophone of the borehole seismometer mentioned above was calibrated to be 121 V-s/m using phase‐ellipse test and step test before deployment. Sixty six months after the deployment, the coil transductance, when calibrated in situ and with a 100-m intervening cable between the geophone and the ca...
Blinded Like a State: The Revolt against Civil Registration in Nineteenth-Century Brazil

The A. explores the violent side of census politics in her account of "the war of the wasps", a popular revolt inspired by the Brazilian government's attempt, in 1852, to register births and deaths in preparation for a national census. Although Brazil's imperial elite saw the census as a sign of progress and bureaucratic rationalization, the rural poor of the northeast suspected the headcount was a prelude to conscription and the enslavement of free people of color. The gulf between what counting meant to state officials and to state subjects was so vast that another census was not attempted until 1872. The A. analysis of this definitional gap reveals key assumptions about what "official statistics" are and who they serve
Effects of social support visibility on adjustment to stress: experimental evidence

Previous fieldwork has suggested that visible social support can entail an emotional cost and that a supportive act is most effective when it is accomplished either (a) outside of recipients' awareness or (b) within their awareness but with sufficient subtlety that they do not interpret it as support. To investigate the latter phenomenon, the authors conducted 3 experiments in which female participants were led to expect a stressful speech task and a confederate peer provided support in such a way that it was either visible or invisible (N=257). Invisible support (practical and emotional) reduced emotional reactivity relative to visible and no support. Visible support was either ineffective or it exacerbated reactivity. Explanatory analyses indicated that support was effective when it avoided communicating a sense of inefficacy to recipients.
Representational information: a new general notion and measure of information

In what follows, we introduce the notion of representational information (information conveyed by sets of dimensionally defined objects about their superset of origin) as well as an original deterministic mathematical framework for its analysis and measurement. The framework, based in part on categorical invariance theory [30], unifies three key constructs of universal science – invariance, complexity, and information. From this unification we define the amount of information that a well-defined set of objects R carries about its finite superset of origin S, as the rate of change in the structural complexity of S (as determined by its degree of categorical invariance), whenever the objects in R are removed from the set S. The measure captures deterministically the significant role that context and category structure play in determining the relative quantity and quality of subjective information conveyed by particular objects in multi-object stimuli.
A Role for eNOS in Oncogenic Ras-Driven Cancer

Nitric oxide (NO) is a highly diffusible gas that is generated by the family of nitric oxide synthases and is increasingly associated with tumorigenesis. While both pro- and anti-tumorigenic properties have been ascribed to NO signaling, recent evidence suggests that eNOS or endothelial nitric oxide synthase promotes tumor formation through its effects on proliferation, cell survival, and angiogenesis. In this chapter we discuss recent evidence that eNOS promotes tumorigenic growth through the activation of the Ras family of proteins.
Measuring the efficiency of sound production.

Abstract Sound production efficiency is a complex phenotypic trait that incorporates biochemical and mechanical events beginning with substrate oxidation and ending with the radiation of sound. Its accurate measurement is significant in understanding the mechanisms and energetics underlying acoustic signaling and sexual selection. I show that in the short‐tailed cricket Anurogryllus arboreus Walker, acoustic performance is apparently the same in acoustic free fields and in the reverberant conditions of a respirometry chamber. I present three methods for simultaneous and nearly simultaneous determination of calling metabolic rate and acoustic power output. The new methods yielded metabolic rates 3%–6% lower than matched controls using traditional flow‐through respirometry ( \documentclass{aastex} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{bm} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{pifont} \usepackage{stmaryrd} \usepackage{textcomp} \usepackage{portland,xspace} \usepackage{amsmath...
Robot-assisted shape deposition manufacturing

Solid freeform fabrication and shape deposition are rapid manufacturing processes which build parts by incremental material deposition and fusion of cross-sectional layers. In this paper, several thermal deposition processes are described for directly fabricating prototype metal shapes using robotically manipulated material deposition systems. A robotic palletizing/part transfer system is also described which integrates multiple deposition and shaping processes into a single facility for rapidly manufacturing functional shapes. >
Net irrigation requirements for Florida turfgrasses

A long-term (30 year) historical analysis of turfgrass monthly net irrigation requirements for southeast USA is analyzed and discussed in this paper. The process involved gathering weather data for ten locations in Florida plus one in Alabama, from 1980 through 2009, and data quality. Available weather data included maximum and minimum temperature, maximum and minimum relative humidity, wind speed, and rainfall. Solar radiation was estimated using the Hargreaves–Samani equation, and coefficients were calibrated for every location. Reference evapotranspiration (ETos) was calculated using the ASCE-EWRI standardized reference evapotranspiration equation. Net irrigation was estimated using a daily soil–water balance. Variability in soil types and root depth was taken into account during the simulations, and three sets of monthly K c values from the literature were applied from north through south Florida. Results showed that the calibrated Hargreaves–Samani adjustment coefficients varied from 0.14 in Tallahassee to 0.24 in Key West, with an inland average value of 0.15, and a coastal average value of 0.18. The calculated ETos ranged from 1,296 mm year−1 in Tallahassee to 1,658 mm year−1 in Miami. The estimated net irrigation ranged from 423 mm year−1 in Mobile, AL, to 1,063 mm year−1 in Key West, FL. The number of irrigation events per year varied from 25 in Mobile to 161 in Key West. May and December were the months with the highest and lowest net irrigation requirements, respectively.
Architecting in the face of uncertainty: an experience report

Understanding an application's functional and non-functional requirements is normally seen as essential for developing a robust product suited to client needs. This paper describes our experiences in a project that, by necessity, commenced well before concrete client requirements could be known. After a first version of the application was successfully released, emerging requirements forced an evolution of the application architecture. The key reasons for this are explained, along with the architectural strategies and software engineering practices that were adopted. The resulting application architecture is highly flexible, modifiable and scalable, and therefore should provide a solid foundation for the duration of the application's lifetime.
Attitudes towards collaboration and servant leadership among nurses, physicians and residents

A descriptive, comparative study was conducted to examine the attitudes of nurses, physicians and residents towards collaboration and to assess their self-perception of servant leadership character...
BINDING OF THE ALPHA 2 INTEGRIN I DOMAIN TO EXTRACELLULAR MATRIX LIGANDS :STRUCTURAL AND MECHANISTIC DIFFERENCES BETWEEN COLLAGEN AND LAMININ BINDING

The α2β1 integrin functions as a cell surface receptor for collagen on some cells and as both a collagen and laminin receptor on a more restricted subset of cell types including endothelial and epithelial cells. The α2 integrin subunit I domain binds collagen in a divalent cation-dependent manner. In contrast, I domain binding to laminin occurs via both divalent cation-dependent and-independent mechanisms. Saturable binding was observed in the presence of either Mn2+ or EDTA, although the extent of binding in Mn2+ was twice that observed in EDTA. Half-maximal binding occurred at about 22 nM I domain in either case. Whereas laminin binding was significantly enhanced by Mn2+, with half-maximal binding occurring at 1.9 mM Mn2+, Mg2+ was much less effective. Deletion of the N-terminal 35 residues of the I domain, including the DXSXS portion of the MIDAS motif, caused a significant diminution of laminin binding activity. Laminin binding by the I domain was significantly inhibited by the α2β1 function-blocking ...
Stability of falling liquid films. Effect of interface and interfacial mass transport

Previous studies of the effect of surface active agents on the stability of falling liquid films indicated that surface elasticity was primarily responsible for the observed stabilizing action. Since the elastic nature of a surface is thought to be controlled by interface and interfacial mass transport, it is of interest to understand how these transport rates affect the stability of the liquid film. The analysis for both soluble and insoluble surface active agents is presented in terms of a perturbation solution of the Orr-Sommerfeld equation.
Where Attachment Meets Acculturation: Three Cases of International Adoption:

Three mothers of eight children adopted from China were interviewed about their experience with international adoption. A narrative phenomenological research design resulted in the identification of six themes from their stories (a) not being prepared and survival, fear, and grief; (b) attachment; (c) barriers faced in the schools; (d) burn out; (e) counseling; (f) strategies of building community and validating ethnic identity and acculturation; and (g) becoming a family takes time. Authors recommend further research and more attention to the family counseling needs of international adoption families.
Cyclopentolate in treatment of sarin miosis.

Abstract 1. Six young male volunteers were exposed to sarin vapour (isopropyl methyl phosphonofluoridate) at a concentration of 0·5 mg/m3 for 30 min (concentration time (Ct) 15 (mg min)/m3). 2. The resulting clinical syndrome was treated by instilling 0·06 ml of a 1% solution of cyclopentolate into the conjunctival sac. 3. Visual acuity, retinoscopy, objective and subjective refraction and pupil sizes were noted before the trial, after exposure to sarin and after treatment with cyclopentolate. 4. No appreciable difference was demonstrated between the control objective retinoscopy values and those obtained after cyclopentolate treatment of the clinical syndrome induced by sarin. Reduced near visual acuity was observed in some subjects treated with cyclopentolate as compared with acuity after exposure to sarin alone, considered to be due to the partial cycloplegia produced by treatment. Visual acuity after exposure to sarin alone was improved in some instances by the miosis produced. 5. It is suggested that unless full dark adaptation is a consideration, treatment of the ophthalmic condition resulting from exposure to this dosage of sarin should be reserved for those experiencing distressing ocular symptoms.
Anisotropic self-assembly of spherical polymer-grafted nanoparticles

It is easy to understand the self-assembly of particles with anisotropic shapes or interactions (for example, cobalt nanoparticles or proteins) into highly extended structures. However, there is no experimentally established strategy for creating a range of anisotropic structures from common spherical nanoparticles. We demonstrate that spherical nanoparticles uniformly grafted with macromolecules ('nanoparticle amphiphiles') robustly self-assemble into a variety of anisotropic superstructures when they are dispersed in the corresponding homopolymer matrix. Theory and simulations suggest that this self-assembly reflects a balance between the energy gain when particle cores approach and the entropy of distorting the grafted polymers. The effectively directional nature of the particle interactions is thus a many-body emergent property. Our experiments demonstrate that this approach to nanoparticle self-assembly enables considerable control for the creation of polymer nanocomposites with enhanced mechanical properties. Grafted nanoparticles are thus versatile building blocks for creating tunable and functional particle superstructures with significant practical applications.
Torture, Necessity, and the Union of Law & Philosophy

This brief essay critiques the torture memoranda's use of the necessity defense from the perspectives of criminal law doctrine, criminal law theory, and moral philosophy.