cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Non-planar nanofluidic devices for single molecule analysis fabricated using nanoglassblowing.

A method termed 'nanoglassblowing' is presented for fabricating integrated microfluidic and nanofluidic devices with gradual depth changes and wide, shallow nanochannels. This method was used to construct fused silica channels with out-of-plane curvature of channel covers from over ten micrometers to a few nanometers, nanochannel aspect ratios smaller than 2 × 10−5:1 (depth:width), and nanochannel depths as shallow as 7 nm. These low aspect ratios and shallow channel depths would be difficult to form otherwise without collapse of the channel cover, and the gradual changes in channel depth eliminate abrupt free energy barriers at the transition from microfluidic to nanofluidic regions. Devices were characterized with atomic force microscopy (AFM), white light interferometry, scanned height measurements, fluorescence intensity traces, and single molecule analysis of double-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) velocity and conformation. Nanochannel depths and aspect ratios formed by nanoglassblowing allowed measurements of the radius of gyration, Rg, of single λ DNA molecules confined to slit-like nanochannels with depths, d, ranging from 11 nm to 507 nm. Measurements of Rg as a function of d agreed qualitatively with the scaling law Rg∝d-0.25 predicted by Brochard for nanochannel depths from 36 nm to 156 nm, while measurements of Rg in 11 nm and 507 nm deep nanochannels deviated from this prediction.
Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection for chemical and biological agents

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra of chemical agent simulants such as dimethyl methylphonate (DMMP), pinacolyl methylphosphonate (PMP), diethyl phosphoramidate (DEPA), and 2-chloroethyl ethylsulfide (CEES), and biological agent simulants such as bacillus globigii (BG), erwinia herbicola (EH), and bacillus thuringiensis (BT) were obtained from silver oxide film-deposited substrates. Thin AgO films ranging in thickness from 50 nm to 250 nm were produced by chemical bath deposition onto glass slides. Further Raman intensity enhancements were noticed in UV irradiated surfaces due to photo-induced Ag nanocluster formation, which may provide a possible route to producing highly useful plasmonic sensors for the detection of chemical and biological agents upon visible light illumination.
Random versus pseudorandom test signals in nonlinear-system identification

The crosscorrelation method of nonlinear-system identification, by use of quasiwhite test signals, is one of the most powerful approaches to the black-box identification problem. The increasing popularity of the method in applications of physical and physiological systems has raised the question of optimality in the selection of the appropriate quasiwhite test signal. Two families of quasiwhite signals pose as principal candidates in this selection process: the pseudorandom signals based on m-sequences (p.r.s.) and the constant-switching-pace symmetric random signals (c.s.r.s.). The paper investigates the question of relative merit of these two families, by summarising the main theoretical findings concerning their properties and by presenting two examples which illustrate their relative accuracy in kernel estimation and model prediction. The main point, which is demonstrated in this study, is that the accuracy of models of nonlinear systems estimated by use of c.s.r.s. is higher, even though p.r.s. give better estimates in the case of linear-system identification.
Entamoeba histolytica:Computer-Assisted Modeling of Phosphofructokinase for the Prediction of Broad-Spectrum Antiparasitic Agents

Pyrophosphate-dependent phosphofructokinase (PPi-PFK) is the rate-limiting glycolytic enzyme found in the pathogenic protists Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia lamblia, Toxoplasma gondii, Trichomonas vaginalis, and Naegleria fowleri. The enzyme differs significantly from ATP-dependent phosphofructokinases found in humans and as such represents an important drug target. Current therapy for infections caused by these pathogens is inadequate, especially for children, pregnant women, and the immune compromised. The development of more selective, safer agents in imperative, as parasitic infections are currently a significant health threat worldwide and will likely become increasingly common agents of disease in the future. For the purpose of designing drugs to treat parasitic infections, we have constructed a model of PPi-PFK from E. histolytica based on the three-dimensional structure of the ATP-dependent PFK from Bacillus stearothermophilus. The model was used with the computer program Dock 3.5 (University of California, San Francisco) to predict the binding of pyrophosphate and selected bisphosphonates to the enzyme. The predicted drug-enzyme interactions suggested that two of these compounds would be competitive inhibitors of pyrophosphate. These drugs were tested against E. histolytica and inhibited the growth of amebae in vitro. This class of compounds may have broad-spectrum antiparasitic activity and, in the future, may facilitate the treatment of serious parasitic infections.
The effect of aldosterone on cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase activity in toad urinary bladder

Abstract Cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity was assayed in the 700 xg supernatant solution of homogenates of epithelial cells scraped from toad urinary bladders. The activity of the enzyme was lower in cells obtained from bladders incubated with aldosterone for 24 hours than in cells from paired tissue incubated without aldosterone. This difference may well account for the permissive effect of aldosterone on the physiologic and biochemical responses of the toad bladder to vasopressin.
Family history is a poor screen for prothrombotic genes in children with stroke.

Objective To evaluate family history of early pathological thrombosis as a screen for genetic prothrombotic risk factors in children with stroke. Study design A 5-year retrospective review of standardized pediatric stroke clinic evaluations of children with arterial ischemic stroke (AIS) or sinovenous thrombosis (SVT). A family history of early pathological thrombosis was defined as stroke, heart attack, or deep venous thrombosis before 50 years of age or multiple miscarriages in the parents or grandparents of the patient. We evaluated the association between family history and the presence of the Factor V Leiden mutation (FVL) and/or Prothrombin G20210A mutation (PTG) in these children. Results The study included 68 children. Thirteen (19.1%) had a positive family history of early pathological thrombosis, nine (13.2%) were heterozygous for FVL, and one (1.5%) was heterozygous for PTG. Family history was not associated with the presence of FVL (p = .36) or FVL combined with PTG (p = .40). For FVL, family history had a positive predictive value of 23.1% and a negative predictive value of 89.1%. Conclusion A family history of early thrombosis is not associated with the presence of FVL or PTG in children with stroke. We recommend that all children with stroke receive a prothrombotic workup regardless of family history.
Regrown first rib in patients with recurrent thoracic outlet syndrome.

Background Recurrent symptoms of thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) after first rib resection have varying etiologies. Regrowth of a first rib is a rare event. Recurrent symptoms in the presence of a regrown rib strongly suggest a causal relationship. We report our experience with recurrent symptoms of TOS and regrown first ribs. Methods We identified patients with recurrent TOS symptoms and regrown first ribs presented between 1995 and 2012. Details regarding their presentation, evaluation, and treatment were gathered. Results Eight patients (6 women and 2 men) presenting with recurrent TOS symptoms and regrown first ribs underwent 10 decompression surgeries. Prior surgeries included supraclavicular first rib resection (5), transaxillary first rib resection (5), scalenectomy (5), cervical rib resection (1). The average period between initial surgery and reoperation was 4.7 years. Average age at current presentation was 40.8 years (range 29–52). All patients (8) represented with neurogenic symptoms and 1 patient with concomitant venous TOS symptoms. Presenting symptoms included pain (8), numbness and tingling (7), weakness (6), headache (2), and venous congestion (3). Initial treatment included physical therapy in all. Preoperative assessment included chest X-rays (8), magnetic resonance imaging (7), electrodiagnostic studies (8), venography (2), and anterior scalene muscle block (2). Surgical approach included transaxillary resection of the regrown first rib (10), neurolysis of brachial plexus (10), scalenectomy (5), and lysis of subclavian vein (1). After an average follow-up of 10.8 months, resolution of symptoms included 4 complete and 4 partial. Conclusions Regrowth of the first rib is a rare event. There is a concordance between a regrown rib and TOS symptoms. Patients presenting with recurrent TOS symptoms and a regrown first rib have a high probability of improvement with resection of the regrown rib.
A Triptych: Freud's The Interpretation of Dreams , Rider Haggard's She , and Bulwer-Lytton's The Coming Race

Culture, one of the keywords of our time, became common, as Raymond Williams has suggested, in Western discourse in the early nineteenth century. Subsequently, pushed by both anthropological and literary-aesthetic studies and extended to global dimensions, the concept of culture, which supposedly expresses primordial naturalness and the irrational, is often played off against its counterpart from the beginning, the calculated mechanicalness of civilization, or the rational. More recently, in the burgeoning field of cultural studies, the boundaries between the two terms have become increasingly blurred. Now civilization, too, is seen as the domain of the irrational, masking itself in socalled rational representation.
Incarceration Heterogeneity and Its Implications for Assessing the Effectiveness of Imprisonment on Recidivism

Mass incarceration has led to increased interest in understanding the effects of imprisonment. Reviews of criminological theory and research report mixed evidence that incarceration reduces recidiv...
Comparison of the Digestibility of the Major Peanut Allergens in Thermally Processed Peanuts and in Pure Form

It has been suggested that the boiling or frying of peanuts leads to less allergenic products than roasting. Here, we have compared the digestibility of the major peanut allergens in the context of peanuts subjected to boiling, frying or roasting and in purified form. The soluble peanut extracts and the purified allergens were digested with either trypsin or pepsin and analyzed by gel electrophoresis and western blot. T-cell proliferation was measured for the purified allergens. In most cases, boiled and raw peanut proteins were similarly digestible, but the Ara h 1 protein in the boiled extracts was more resistant to digestion. Most proteins from fried and roasted peanuts were more resistant to digestion than in raw and boiled samples, and more IgE binding fragments survived digestion. High-molecular-weight fragments of Ara h1 were resistant to digestion in fried and roasted samples. Ara h 1 and Ara h 2 purified from roasted peanuts were the most resistant to digestion, but differed in their ability to stimulate T-cells. The differences in digestibility and IgE binding properties of the major allergens in roasted, fried and boiled peanuts may not explain the difference between the prevalence of peanut allergy in different countries that consume peanut following these varied processing methods.
Person characteristics and the perception of organization climate

An issue in research on organization climate is the extent to which the climate reflects the personality of the organization members. The purpose of this study is to explore the overall relationship of person characteristics to climate and to explore ways in which person factors relate to specific climate dimensions. Previous research has used distal measures of person characteristics such as demographic variables or biographical measures. The present study uses proximal measures of person characteristics, 16PF scales, and the Embedded Figures Test. The finding, which results from the canonical correlation analysis and the multivariate regression analysis, is that person-climate relationships are of sufficient size that they deserve the attention of corporate culture theorists. A significant relationship was found between cognitive style and the climate dimension of administrative efficiency, job challenge, management, concern with employee involvement, open-mindedness, egalitarianism, altruism. A significant relationship was found between the aggregated scales of the 16PF and the aggregated climate scales. The process by which climate perceptions are formed represents the organization members' attempt to structure social reality to define their place within it and to guide their search for meaning and gratification. Personality and cognitive style have been shown to be important determinants of the perceptions employees have of their work organization.
The Molecular Biology of Hepatitis Delta Virus

Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infection was first detected as a novel nuclear antigen in the hepatocytes of HBV-infected patients (1). This new antigen, termed delta antigen by Mario Rizzetto, was initially thought to represent a previously unrecognized HBV antigen. Subsequently, it was demonstrated to be a novel and distinct transmissible agent, composed of the HBV surface antigens (HBsAg), delta antigen (HDAg), and a unique small circular RNA (2). The production and transmission of HDV requires a concurrent HBV infection to supply HBsAg, thus explaining the initial confusion and obligatory association between these two viral infections. HDV infection has been reported worldwide, and is particularly prevalent in the Mediterranean basin, Middle East, South America, West Africa and South Pacific Islands (3, 4). Its infection frequently leads to severe acute and chronic hepatitis and accounts for a large proportion of fulminant hepatitis cases in many parts of the world (5). However, a significant decline in the incidence of HDV infections has been noted worldwide in recent years. Despite the welcome drop in the clinical significance of delta hepatitis, HDV remains a treasure trove of exciting molecular biological phenomena, many of which are yet to be explored. Recent years have also witnessed significant modifications in the HDV replication model, as new data generated by novel experimental approaches provided a new understanding of the HDV replication cycle.
Constraints to Water Transfers in Unadjudicated Basins: The Middle Rio Grande as a Case Study

: Water reallocations are contentious under the best of circumstances. When a basin lacks a comprehensive adjudication of water rights, the levels of legal and economic complexity and controversy intensify. This paper evaluates the Middle Rio Grande, a region of New Mexico that would seem an ideal location for water markets as the need to reallocate water between existing uses is high. Due to the lack of an adjudication, and other complicating factors such as the Endangered Species Act, proposed transfers require a complex evaluation system created by the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer. Even with this evaluation system in place, many questions linger about the validity of transfers and their larger impacts.
Regulation of Placental Angiogenesis

Ample interest has been evoked in using placental angiogenesis as a target for the development of diagnosis tools and potential therapeutics for pregnancy complications based on the knowledge of placental angiogenesis in normal and aberrant pregnancies. Although these goals are still far from reach, one would expect that two complementary processes should be balanced for therapeutic angiogenesis to be successful in restoring a mature and functional vascular network in the placenta in any pregnancy complication: (i) pro-angiogenic stimulation of new vessel growth and (ii) anti-angiogenic inhibition of vessel overgrowth. As the best model of physiological angiogenesis, investigations of placental angiogenesis provide critical insights not only for better understanding of normal placental endothelial biology but also for the development of diagnosis tools for pregnancy complications. Such investigations will potentially identify novel pro-angiogenic factors for therapeutic intervention for tissue damage in various obstetric complications or heart failure or anti-angiogenic factors to target on cancer or vision loss in which circulation needs to be constrained. This review summarizes the genetic and molecular aspects of normal placental angiogenesis as well as the signaling mechanisms by which the dominant angiogenic factor vascular endothelial growth factor regulates placental angiogenesis with a focus on placental endothelial cells.
Les Reciproqueteurs: post-regulatory corporatism

AbstractReflexive governance can be understood as an emergent encapsulated trust-building corporatism where network participants are neither state functionaries nor market entrepreneurs but network reciproqueteurs. This paper argues that such reflexive network governance results in a post-regulatory corporatism (PRC)—a more adaptable, less formalized, and flexible mode of interest intermediation, policy-making, and policy-implementation than previous modes of corporatist intermediation. Functional differentiation processes engender ‘negotiated connected contracts' in rescaled space in between inter-regional assemblages, a mode of structurally coupling new social partners in the emergent transnational knowledge-based economy. This involves the building of new social capital of network trust-building manifested in the norms of reciprocity and reflexive law constituted as a new mode of protocolism: one associated with the social learning and policy designing necessary for ecological systems' autopoeisis, res...
Counting anticoincidences to reduce statistical uncertainty in the calibration of a multiplicity detector

Abstract The observation of anticoincidences reduced statistical uncertainties as well as pileup corrections in the efficiency calibration of a multiplicity detector. The efficiency of the 4 π gadolinium-loaded organic scintillation detector was measured for detecting capture of neutrons scattered by the hydrogen in a second detector. In such situations the effect of background upon the counting fluctuations is reduced below the value that would occur if the average counting rate during coincidence gates were utilized. The applicable formulae were obtained by elementary methods and were verified with experimental data and with computer simulations for a broad range of detector efficiencies and background intensities. The general requirements for use of the technique are indicated.
Uterine Effects from Single Treatments of Stilboestrol and Ethinyl-Estradiol in Monkeys.∗:

SummaryAdult ovariectomized Macacus rhesus monkeys were treated with stilboestrol and ethinyl-estradiol.A. After single oral or intramuscular doses of stilboestrol, varying from 1 mg to 200 mg, uterine bleeding occurred in from 11 to 28 days.B. Oral treatments of stilboestrol appear to exert as prolonged an estrogenic action, as judged by time elapsing before uterine bleeding, as intramuscular injections.C. Small doses (5-10 mg) of stilboestrol appear to be as effective as large doses (100-200 mg).D. After oral treatments of 1/2 mg of ethinyl-estradiol uterine bleeding occurred on days 18-20.E. No toxic or other untoward effects could be observed, even in heavy doses.
Nuclear forensics education at the University of Texas at Austin

Nuclear forensics continues to be an integral part of the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency and the National Nuclear Security Administration. As with our previous three-year Nuclear Forensics Education Award Program we will continue to offer a comprehensive educational program and closely collaborate with national laboratories to pursue common research. Our research will primarily focus on analysis of radioactive debris following a nuclear or radiological dispersive device event or the investigation of the pedigree of nuclear materials in nonproliferation. This research will include using Compton suppression and gamma coincidence low-level gamma ray counting, investigation of nuclear fuel cycles for nonproliferation, on-site inspection within the context of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and radioxenon detection physics. We also offer a graduate program in nuclear robotics, an interdisciplinary program in the automation of handling special nuclear materials. To better equip our students who are entering the workforce at the national laboratories and government agencies we are also proposing the development of several new laboratory modules for non-destructive identification of fission products in environmental samples and irradiated uranium specimens at various enrichments and characterizing naturally occurring radioactive material. Collaboration with Florida Memorial University a Historically Black Colleges and Universities will continue for training and collaborative research.
The Optimal Motion Stimulus

Contrast energy thresholds were measured for discriminating the direction of a drifting sinusoidal grating multiplied by an independently drifting space-time Gaussian (a generalized Gabor). We argue that the stimulus with the lowest contrast energy threshold identifies the receptive field of the most efficient linear motion filter. This optimal motion stimulus is found to be at 3 c/deg and 5 Hz, with a width and height of 0.44 deg and a duration of 0.133 sec, corresponding to spatial and temporal bandwidths of 1.1 and 2.5 octaves, respectively. The spectral receptive field is aligned more nearly to the Cartesian axes than to the velocity contour.
Electronic voice-output communication aids for temporarily nonspeaking patients in a medical intensive care unit: a feasibility study.

Abstract Background The inability to speak during mechanical ventilation is recognized as a terrifying and isolating experience that is related to feelings of panic, insecurity, anger, worry, fear, sleep disturbances, and stress among critically ill patients. Alternative methods of communicating with temporarily nonspeaking patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) have received little study. Although electronic voice output communication aids (VOCAs) are available for disabled children and adults, the effectiveness of VOCA systems with adult medical ICU patients who may have multisystem illness, prolonged intubation, and longer ICU stays has not been explored. Objectives The purpose of this pilot study was to describe (1) the characteristics of intubated MICU patients who use VOCAs, (2) the usage patterns (message categories, frequency, assistance required), (3) communication quality (ease, user satisfaction), and (4) barriers to communication with VOCAs. Methods This pilot study used participant observation, semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, and clinical record review in a complementary design to obtain data on communication events and VOCA use with 11 critically ill adults. Results Study participants, 45.5 ± 16.0 years of age with 13 ± 1.9 years of education and moderately severe illness (APACHE III = 27.5 ± 16.1), used the VOCA for 5.7 ± 4.6 days. Ease of Communication Scale measurements showed significantly less difficulty with communication after device use (t > 2.62; P = .047). Almost half (n = 5) of the participants demonstrated some independent use of the device. VOCAS were used in one quarter of observed communication events. Patients used VOCAs most often to communicate with family visitors and initiated communication interactions more often when VOCAs were used than when communicating by other nonvocal methods. Poor device positioning, deterioration in patient condition, staff time constraints, staff unfamiliarity with device, and complex message screens were primary barriers to VOCA use. Conclusions This study showed that use of VOCAs is possible with selected critically ill adults and may contribute to greater ease of communication during respiratory tract intubation particularly with family members. Further clinical research using control or comparison groups is needed. “People don't communicate with people who don't communicate back.”—ICU nurse
Registration of the TM-1/NM24016 Cotton Recombinant Inbred Mapping Population

The TM-1/NM24016 cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) mapping population (Reg. No. MP-1, NSL 477435 MAP) consists of 95 F 5:9 recombinant inbred lines. This cotton mapping population was constructed from a cross between inbred lines TM-1 (PI 662944 MAP), the genetic standard for G. hirsutum, and NM24016 (PI 662945 MAP), an advanced selection with introgressed traits from G. barbadense L. and G. hirsutum. In 2007, the population was released jointly by the Plant Physiology and Genetics Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Maricopa, AZ and New Mexico State Agricultural Experiment Station, Las Cruces, NM. The primary goal was to construct a mapping population segregating for attributes introgressed from G. barbadense into a G. hirsutum germplasm background. The TM-1/NM24016 population was genotyped with 392 simple sequence repeat markers. A wide range of phenotypic diversity among individuals was observed for fi ber and agronomic traits, with transgressive variation for the majority of fi ber traits. The registration of this recombinant inbred mapping population provides geneticists and breeders with an opportunity to explore the genetic basis of transgressive variation in cotton and exploit potentially novel allelic combinations for the genetic improvement of fi ber quality and other traits in G. hirsutum.
In vitro and in vivo characterization of alkyl hydroperoxide reductase mutant strains of Helicobacter hepaticus.

Abstract Mutant strains in the tsaA gene encoding alkyl hydroperoxide reductase were more sensitive to O2 and to oxidizing agents (paraquat, cumene hydroperoxide and t-butylhydroperoxide) than the wild type, but were markedly more resistant to hydrogen peroxide. The mutant strains resistance phenotype could be attributed to a 4-fold and 3-fold increase in the catalase protein amount and activity, respectively compared to the parent strain. The wild type did not show an increase in catalase expression in response to sequential increases in O2 exposure or to oxidative stress reagents, so an adaptive compensatory mutation has probably occurred in the mutants. In support of this, chromosomal complementation of tsaA mutants restored alkyl hydroperoxide reductase, but catalase was still up-expressed in all complemented strains. The katA promoter sequence was the same in all mutant strains and the wild type. Like its Helicobacter pylori counterpart strain, a H. hepaticus tsaA mutant contained more lipid hydroperoxides than the wild type strain. Hepatic tissue from mice inoculated with a tsaA mutant had lesions similar to those inoculated with the wild type, and included coagulative necrosis of hepatocytes. The liver and cecum colonizing abilities of the wild type and tsaA mutant were comparable. Up-expression of catalase in the tsaA mutants likely permits the bacterium to compensate (in colonization and virulence attributes) for the loss of an otherwise important oxidative stress-combating enzyme, alkyl hydroperoxide reductase. The use of erythromycin resistance insertion as a facile way to screen for gene-targeted mutants, and the chromosomal complementation of those mutants are new genetic procedures for studying H. hepaticus.
Acute diabetic ketoacidosis in children: role of the stress hormones.

Summary: Twenty-five cases of acute ketoacidosis, occurring in insulin-treated diabetic children in previous good health, were studied close to the onset of illness and throughout the first 24 hr of therapy. In most patients, symptoms of illness and ketonuria had been present for less than 12 hr; in 9 subjects, they had been present for less than 4 hr. Initial plasma glucose concentrations ranged from 252 to 849 mg/dl. The first pH values in 21 cases were less than 7.27, and in the remaining 4 studies, the CO2 was less than 14 mEq/liter. Identifiable sources of stress, such as infections or emotional arousal, preceded the development of ketoacidosis in 20 cases. Serial measurements were made of plasma glucocorticoid, growth hormone, and glucagon concentrations as well as urinary excretion of epinephrine and norepinephrine to assess the role of these hormones in acute ketoacidosis and to evaluate their relationship to the abnormalities in glucose and electrolyte homeostasis. Excessive urinary excretion of epinephrine was a frequent and striking phenomenon. Output was greater than 4 S.D. above the mean in 20 of 23 cases in the first 2 hr of the study. In 15 cases, the values fell into the normal range by approximately 14.5 hr, but in seven patients, epinephrine overproduction persisted for the entire study. Cortisol hypersecretion was present in 24 of 25 patients and persisted for 6 to 8 hr or longer before gradually subsiding. Initial growth hormone concentrations were elevated in seven patients (20 ng/ml or above), but the highest values (20 to 160 ng/ml) were observed after insulin administration. At the outset, plasma glucagon concentrations were less than 200 pg/ml in 11 patients; in 11 others, it ranged between 250 and 1250 pg/ml. The elevated values usually were transient. Of 22 cases in whom all five hormones were measured at the start of the study, 21 exhibited increased production of at least three of the stress hormones. We conclude that some diabetic children who have received their usual dose of insulin develop hyperglycemia, dehydration, and acidosis within a few hr of experiencing stress because large amounts of counterregulatory hormones, especially catecholamines and cortisol, are released. Speculation: Acute onset of ketoacidosis in previously healthy insulin-treated diabetic children occurs because their daily dose of insulin is insufficient to offset the effects of the counterregulatory hormones produced in response to stress (catecholamines, cortisol, glucagon, and growth hormone). Hyperglycemia, dehydration, and acidosis result from the glycogenolytic, lipolytic, and ketogenic action of the stress hormones.
Completion of a Survey and Detailed Study of Double-peaked Emission Lines in Radio-loud Active Galactic Nuclei

We report the completion of a survey of radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGNs) begun in an earlier paper with the main goal of finding and studying broad, double-peaked Balmer lines. We present Hα spectra of 13 more broad-lined objects, including three with double-peaked Hα profiles. The final sample includes 106 radio-loud AGNs. In our final census 20% of objects have Hα lines with double peaks or twin shoulders (the "double-peaked emitters"), and of these 60% (the disklike emitters) can be fitted quite well with a model attributing the emission to a circular, relativistic, Keplerian disk. In four objects where broad Hβ and Mg II lines have been observed, we compare the profiles with models of photoionized accretion disks and find them to be in reasonable agreement. We reaffirm the conclusion of Paper I that double-peaked emitters stand out among radio-loud AGNs on the basis of a number of additional properties that they possess: (1) an unusually large contribution of starlight to the optical continuum around Hα, (2) unusually large equivalent widths of low-ionization lines ([O I] and [S II]), (3) unusually large [O I]/[O III] ratios, and (4) Balmer lines that are on average twice as broad as those of other radio-loud AGNs and preferentially redshifted. We consider and evaluate models for the origin of the lines, and we find accretion disk emission to be the most successful one because it can explain the double-peaked line profiles and it also offers an interpretation of the additional spectroscopic properties of these objects. We find the alternative suggestions (binary broad-line regions, bipolar outflows, anisotropically illuminated spherical broad-line regions) unsatisfactory because (1) they fail direct observational tests, (2) they cannot explain all of the unusual properties of disklike emitters self-consistently, or (3) in one case the physical foundations appear to be unsound. We suggest that double-peaked emitters and accretion-powered LINERs are the segment of the AGN population in which the accretion rate is considerably lower than the Eddington rate, with the consequence that the inner accretion disk takes the form of an ion torus and the wind that normally enshrouds the disk proper is absent.
Surveying Adult Education Practitioners About Ethical Issues

This study investigated adult educators' ethical dilemmas and attitudes regarding the need for a code of ethics to guide their practice. Through the use of survey methodology, three major groups of...
A generalization of the Second Incompleteness Theorem and some exceptions to it

Abstract This paper will introduce the notion of a naming convention and use this paradigm to both develop a new version of the Second Incompleteness Theorem and to describe when an axiom system can partially evade the Second Incompleteness Theorem.
Cannabinoid-induced antinociception is mediated by a spinalα2-noradrenergic mechanism

The present study examined whether descending noradrenergic and serotonergic systems mediate the antinociceptive effect of the prototypical cannabinoid, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta 9-THC). Rats were administered vehicle or delta 9-THC (10 mg/kg, i.v.) and subsequently given an intrathecal (i.t.) injection of either the alpha 2-noradrenergic antagonist yohimbine, or the non-specific serotonin (5-HT) antagonist, methysergide, through chronically implanted spinal catheters. Whereas yohimbine significantly reversed the cannabinoid-induced elevation of tail-flick latencies, methysergide had no effect. To examine whether yohimbine was indeed blocking the antinociceptive effects of delta 9-THC through a spinal mechanism, it was administered i.t. at either the lumbar or the upper thoracic level of the spinal cord. Antinociception was significantly reduced when yohimbine was administered in the lumbar region; however, administration in the upper thoracic region failed to have an effect. In addition, the effect of i.t. administered yohimbine and methysergide was assessed on two other indices sensitive to cannabinoids, hypothermia and ring immobility. As previously reported, i.v. administration of delta 9-THC led to hypothermia as well as immobility in the ring test which were not blocked by i.t. administration of either monoamine antagonist. To the contrary, methysergide potentiated the hypothermic effect of delta 9-THC. These findings indicate that cannabinoids activate descending noradrenergic neurons resulting in antinociception via the stimulation of spinal alpha 2-adrenoceptors.
High incidence of occult neurogenic bladder dysfunction in neurologically intact patients with thoracolumbar spinal injuries.

AbstractPurpose: We determine the relationship between lower urinary function and somatic neurological status after thoracolumbar fracture.Materials and Methods: Within 72 hours of thoracolumbar vertebral fracture we evaluated 44 consecutive patients, including 30 men and 14 women 17 to 84 years old (mean age 38.7), with occult neurogenic bladder dysfunction following incomplete thoracolumbar spinal injuries (American Spinal Injury Association impairment classifications C to E). The neurological level and degree of injury were established, and testing for perianal pinprick sensation and bulbocavernosus reflex was done. Video urodynamic evaluation was then performed between 3 and 14 days after injury but before spinal surgery.Results: Urodynamics revealed neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction in all 10 patients with classification C, 82% with D and 41% with E (otherwise completely intact neurologically) impairment. Although pinprick sensation deficiency and decreased bulbocavernous reflex correlated w...
Differential thermal analysis of ammonium tetrafluoroborate and hexamminonickel- and tetramminozinc-tetrafluoroborate☆

Abstract Differential thermal analysis (DTA) has been used to investigate the thermal decomposition of NH4BF4, Ni(NH3)6(BF4)2 and Zn(NH3)4(BF4)2 over a temperature range of 25–500°C and heating rates of 5, 10 and 25°C min−1. The DTA patterns show the effects of dehydration, desorption, dissociation, vaporization, and in one case, NH4BF4, solid-solid transition. An evaluation of change in furnace atmosphere and heating rate are also reported.
Rotational Isomers of N-Alkylpyridylporphyrins and Their Metal Complexes. HPLC Separation, 1H NMR and X-ray Structural Characterization, Electrochemistry, and Catalysis of O2•- Disproportionation

Rotational (atropo-) isomers of Mn(III) meso-tetrakis(N-alkylpyridinium-2-yl)porphyrins and corresponding metal-free porphyrin ligands (where alkyl is methyl, ethyl, n-butyl, n-hexyl) and Zn(II) meso-tetrakis(N-methyl(ethyl,n-hexyl)pyridinium-2-yl)porphyrins were separated and isolated by reverse-phase HPLC. The identity of the rotational isomers of metal-free meso-tetrakis(N-methylpyridinium-2-yl)porphyrin was established by 1H NMR spectra and by the crystal structure of the fastest eluting fraction (Rf = 7.7%, Rw = 9.2%, P21/c, Z = 8, a = 14.2846(15) A, b = 22.2158(24) A, c = 29.369(3) A, β = 95.374(2)°) which, in accordance with 1H NMR interpretation, proved to be the αβαβ isomer. This result, together with elution intensity patterns, was used to identify the fractions of other Mn(III)-porphyrins, Zn(II)-porphyrins, and corresponding metal-free ligands in the series. All of the atropoisomers were inert toward isomerization which was not observable for 30 days at room temperature and reached only 50% in...
Carbolithiation for the generation of cyclooctadienyl anions and tandem electrocyclization/alkylation to functionalized cis-bicyclo[3.3.0]octenes.

A powerful cascade reaction process for the construction of functionalized cis-bicyclo[3.3.0]octenes has been developed. Carbolithiation of 3-methylene-1,4-cyclooctadiene with 1°, 2°, or 3° alkyllithium reagents leads to cyclooctadienyl anions, which undergo disrotatory electrocyclization and subsequent trapping with carbon, oxygen, sulfur, or silicon electrophiles to provide functionalized cis-bicyclo[3.3.0]octenes. Transmetalation of the allyllithium intermediates allowed access to the cuprate manifold of reactivity. The rapid construction of a linear triquinane using this methodology demonstrates the potential for synthetic applications.
Complete Genome Sequence of the hyperthermophilic sulfate-reducing bacterium Thermodesulfobacterium geofontis OPF15T

Thermodesulfobacterium geofontis OPF15T was isolated from Obsidian Pool, Yellowstone National Park and grows optimally at 83 oC. The OPF15T genome was finished at the Joint Genome Institute and the 1.6 Mb sequence has been annotated and deposited for future genomic studies aimed at understanding microbial processes and nutrient cycles in high-temperature environments.
Calculation of the diamagnetism of the surface sheath of superconductivity

The nonlinear Ginzburg-Landau equations are solved for the surface sheath of superconductivity for applied fields ${H}_{a}$ between ${H}_{c2}$ and ${H}_{c3}$. The resultant diamagnetism is found to be largest for $\frac{\ensuremath{\kappa}\ensuremath{\sim}}{\sqrt{2}}$ and ${H}_{a}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{H}_{c2}$. We find that the field decrease in the surface sheath is sufficiently large to be observable by low-angle polarized neutron reflections.
Strength reduction in screw fasteners resulting from outdoor exposure

It is well known that corrosion can weaken structures over time, but because corrosion rates can differ significantly from location to location, it is difficult to predict the amount of weakening that can occur for a particular structure used outdoors in a given location. Over the years, salt fog testing has been used to help predict how a structure might degrade over time resulting from exposure. The most common tests are based upon MIL-STD 810 “Environmental Engineering Considerations and Laboratory Tests,” and ASTM B117 “Standard Practice for Operating Salt Spray (Fog) Apparatus.” Although these standards give guidelines on conducting accelerated tests, they provide no insight as to the real world exposure level corresponding to a test condition, i.e. an acceleration factor. Small screw fasteners that had been exposed in service for two years in a marine environment were visually compared to similar fasteners exposed to varying lengths of time up to 22 days, under accelerated weathering conditions as specified in MIL-STD-810, and ASTM B117. A salt fog apparatus was used for the exposure testing. An acceleration factor for this service was determined, and found to be consistent with corrosion rate research conducted for other marine environments. Research of corrosion rates in other marine environments found that they can vary significantly, and are most strongly dependent on temperature, wind speed and direction, and rainfall. Mechanical testing of the screws removed from service was compared to those subjected to the accelerated weathering conditions. Testing was conducted with a servo-hydraulic test machine fitted with custom grips designed to load the screws in their as-installed configuration. Both the screws returned from two years of service, and screws subjected to the salt fog for various amounts of time up to 22 days were tested in this fashion. In addition, standard single lap shear testing was conducted on several screws exposed to the salt fog for various amounts of time up to 22 days. The amount of time for the screw strength to drop below an acceptable level was determined.
Visualization of myosin exchange between synthetic thick filaments.

Exchange of myosin molecules between synthetic thick filaments was examined by fluorescence energy transfer and visualized by electron microscopy using streptavidin-gold to detect exchanged biotinylated myosin molecules. N-hydroxysuccinimidobiotin (NHS-biotin) was covalently linked to purified adult chicken pectoralis myosin to obtain assembly-competent biotinylated myosin molecules. Two distinct classes of synthetic filaments, distinguishable by length, were prepared. Biotinylated filaments (575±100 nm) were assembled by a quick dilution (QD) method and unlabelled filaments (1025±250 nm) were obtained by a sequential dilution (SD). The two filament population maintained their distinct length distributions even when mixed. To measure exchange, biotinylated short (QD) filaments were combined with unlabelled long (SD) filaments at a 1∶5 ratio, sampled at varying times and the entry of biotinylated myosin into the previously unlabelled long filaments visualized by the addition of streptavidin-gold. The number of gold particles per micron was examined for fully biotinylated short filaments ( 900 nm), and exchanged filaments. Equivalent binding of streptavidin-gold to the two filament types was detected by 60 min suggesting randomization of biotinylated monomers by this time. The precise location of streptavidin-gold sites on the long filaments was also measured. Although labeling was detected along the full length of the filaments, at the earliest time points (5 min) filament ends contained twice the number of gold particles as the filament centers. Approximately equivalent labeling along the entire length of the filaments was observed by 60 min. These results provide additional support for our earlier report of extensive myosin exchange between synthetic thick filaments and show that extensive exchange takes place rapidly along the full length of synthetic thick filaments.
Combined Deficiency of p50 and cRel in CD4+ T Cells Reveals an Essential Requirement for Nuclear Factor κB in Regulating Mature T Cell Survival and In Vivo Function

Signaling pathways involved in regulating T cell proliferation and survival are not well understood. Here we have investigated a possible role of the nuclear factor (NF)-κB pathway in regulating mature T cell function by using CD4+ T cells from p50−/− cRel−/− mice, which exhibit virtually no inducible κB site binding activity. Studies with these mice indicate an essential role of T cell receptor (TCR)-induced NF-κB in regulating interleukin (IL)-2 expression, cell cycle entry, and survival of T cells. Our results further indicate that NF-κB regulates TCR-induced expression of antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family members. Strikingly, retroviral transduction of CD4+ T cells with the NF-κB–inducing IκB kinase β showed that NF-κB activation is not only necessary but also sufficient for T cell survival. In contrast, our results indicate a lack of involvement of NF-κB in both IL-2 and Akt-induced survival pathways. In vivo, p50−/− cRel−/− mice showed impaired superantigen-induced T cell responses as well as decreased numbers of effector/memory and regulatory CD4+ T cells. These findings provide the first demonstration of a role for NF-κB proteins in regulating T cell function in vivo and establish a critically important function of NF-κB in TCR-induced regulation of survival.
The Law's Use of Brain Evidence

This review examines how advances in neuroscience are affecting civil law, criminal law, and law enforcement. Brain imaging techniques have already been used to detect brain injury, assess pain, and determine mental state and capacity for rational thought. There is also much excitement about using neuroimaging to detect lies and deception in legal and national security contexts. Despite claims of neuroimaging's revolutionary nature, numerous questions should be answered about their validity and reliability before they become widely adopted. Neuroscientists still do not fully understand the link between brain activity and behavior or memory formation. Important legal and ethical questions remain unresolved, particularly around the potential effect on juries and judges of colorful, but scientifically unproven, brain images. Finally, the very impetus behind the use of neuroscience in the legal system—to avoid the subjectivity and uncertainty of more traditional methods for assessing thought and behavior—may ...
Surface oxidation-reduction kinetics associated with experimental basalt-water reaction at 25°C☆

Abstract Distributions of Fe(II) and Fe(III) during basalt-water interaction at 25°C were experimentally investigated under open- and closed-system conditions relative to O2 and CO2. After reaction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses detected oxidized Fe on the surface of basalt, the concentration of which decreased as a function of reaction pH. Concurrent increases in Fe(II) and decreases in Fe(III) in solutions at pH's (Fe(II) 1 z M z ) basalt + Fe(III) solution →Fe(III) basalt + Fe(II) solution + 1 z M z solution where the electrical charge in solution is balanced by dissolution of a cation of charge z from the basalt. At neutral to basic pH, Fe(II) is oxidized to Fe(III) and precipitated as ferric oxyhydroxide in the presence of O2. Fe(II) is also strongly sorbed on the basalt surface, resulting in low aqueous concentrations even under anoxic conditions. The rate of O2 uptake increased with decreasing pH. Diffusion coefficients of the order 10−14 cm2 s−1, calculated using a one-dimensional diffusion model, suggest grain boundary diffusion in Fe-oxides.