cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biofilm cryopreparation for scanning electron microscopy

Abstract The standard practice for dehydration of biofilms prior to scanning electron microscopy involves a graded ethanol or acetone series replacement of water followed by critical point drying. However, this preparative procedure represents a labor intensive task which may incur specimen distortion due to successive solution changes. This paper, therefore, outlines an alternative procedure based on quench-freezing of biofilms in super-cooled slush nitrogen at -208°C followed by freeze drying. For comparative purposes, representative photomicrographs of cryoprepared and critical point dried biofilm organisms have been included. The expediency and simplicity of this technique warrants a recommendation for its application with many types of water and wastewater biofilms.
Multichannel queueing systems with ordered entry and finite source

Abstract This paper presents a numerical solution to multichannel queueing systems with ordered entry and finite or infinite source. Two computer programs are developed to determine the optimal allocation of storage spaces among three heterogeneous servers. Bounds on the sizes of finite sources are determined for different values of traffic intensities. All state probabilities, utilizations of servers, overflow probabilities, and other measures of performance are given in the output of the computer programs.
Experimental staphylococcal mastitis in the mouse: the effect of inoculating different strains into separate glands of the same mouse.

Abstract The effect of inoculation of different strains of staphylococcus, one into each of two mammary glands of the same mouse, was investigated using the mouse mastitis model. The effect of the combination of two different strains was compared with the effect of the homologous combinations. The results show that a strain that normally exhibits a low virulence is phenotypically enhanced when inoculated in combination with a strain of high virulence, and that there is no such effect when the strains combined are equal in virulence.
Odontogenic Myxoma in an 8-Year-Old Labrador Retriever Dog:

Odontogenic myxoma (OM) was diagnosed in an 8-year-old Labrador Retriever dog with an ulcerohemorrhagic mass located on the caudal area of the right maxillary gingiva. The neoplasm was characterize...
Correlating Two-Step Tuberculin Skin Test Positivity Rates in New Employees with Mycobacterium tuberculosis Disease in Veterans Health Administration Medical Centers Nationwide

Abstract BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Healthcare facilities remain a potential risk environment where transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis disease (TB) will occur. As Mtb cases decrease in the United States, more emphasis is being placed on latent tuberculosis infection. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is a national healthcare system with over 4 million patients seen during the last year, for which approximately 600,000 inpatient admissions occurred and over 35 million outpatient visits. VHA employs over 200,000 individuals, has countless volunteers, and provides an educational venue for a significant proportion of healthcare trainees nationwide. One means to identify latent tuberculosis infection and prevent potential for transmission is by identifying employee/volunteers who are infected at initiation of employment and ensuring preventive therapy if appropriate, including two-step Tuberculin skin testing (TST) for certain persons. The VHA provides an opportunity to assess correlation of two-step TST, preemployment positivity, and occurrence of TB disease in patients. METHODS: Through an electronic, annual census instrument, the VHA has followed TB among patients since federal fiscal year (FY) 1991 and varied components of TST programs since 1993. RESULTS: In the VHA, between FY 1992 and FY 2001, TB, multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB, HIV-associated TB, and MDR-TB with HIV have all significantly decreased over time (p CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest an association between cases of TB among patients treated within healthcare facilities and two-step TST positivity among employees/volunteers during pre-employment examination. This may represent community background rates of positivity on two-step TSTing.
The graphics teaching tool for non-technical students

Just as basic grammar skills underlie writing in all fields and basic math skills underlie virtually all the sciences, so an understanding of computer graphics fundamentals is becoming a basic “literacy” requirement for a wide range of tasks in IT-based jobs and beyond, from graphics and industrial design to engineering and business. George Lucas has said,“If students aren’t taught the language of images, shouldn’t they be considered as illiterate as if they left college without being able to read or write?” [Daly 2004]. The Graphics Teaching Tool (GTT) is a Java-based program designed to address this need for graphics concepts literacy by offering a pedagogicallydriven, constructivist environment for non-Computer Science majors. It has been used in a university course on visual literacy and aims to be integrated into courses from business to multimedia to Web design.
Rapid Evolutionary Rewiring of a Structurally Constrained Eye Enhancer

Summary Background Enhancers are genomic cis -regulatory sequences that integrate spatiotemporal signals to control gene expression. Enhancer activity depends on the combination of bound transcription factors as well as—in some cases—the arrangement and spacing of binding sites for these factors. Here, we examine evolutionary changes to the sequence and structure of sparkling , a Notch/EGFR/Runx-regulated enhancer that activates the dPax2 gene in cone cells of the developing Drosophila eye. Results Despite functional and structural constraints on its sequence, sparkling has undergone major reorganization in its recent evolutionary history. Our data suggest that the relative strengths of the various regulatory inputs into sparkling change rapidly over evolutionary time, such that reduced input from some factors is compensated by increased input from different regulators. These gains and losses are at least partly responsible for the changes in enhancer structure that we observe. Furthermore, stereotypical spatial relationships between certain binding sites ("grammar elements") can be identified in all sparkling orthologs—although the sites themselves are often recently derived. We also find that low binding affinity for the Notch-regulated transcription factor Su(H), a conserved property of sparkling , is required to prevent ectopic responses to Notch in noncone cells. Conclusions Rapid DNA sequence turnover does not imply either the absence of critical cis- regulatory information or the absence of structural rules. Our findings demonstrate that even a severely constrained cis- regulatory sequence can be significantly rewired over a short evolutionary timescale.
Monensin does not increase yields of propionic acid fermentations

Monensin, a polyether antibiotic, inhibited growth and acid production by five species ofPropionibacterium. The ratio of propionate to acetate produced was not affected. Neither subinhibitory levels of monensin nor adaptation of two propionibacteria to growth in the presence of monensin resulted in increased yields of propionic acid. Monensin cannot be used to increase yields in propionic acid fermentations.
Resorbable collagen membranes: histopathologic features

Objective Resorbable collagen membranes (RCMs) are commonly used by oral surgeons, periodontists, and endodontists for multiple purposes. We report 6 cases of RCMs that did not resorb as expected and describe the histopathologic features. Study Design Cases of an unusual fibrillar foreign material were noted in biopsy specimens curetted from bone. Hematoxylin-eosin and Masson trichrome stains were performed. Clinicians were contacted for detailed clinical information. Results There were 3 men and 3 women. RCMs presented as hyalinized, paucicellular, delicate eosinophilic fibrils or a meshwork without a foreign body reaction. They were refractile and stained for Masson trichrome as expected. These RCMs persisted longer than expected (2-6 weeks) in 3 cases and may have retarded healing in 5 cases. Conclusions Although RCM is supposed to be fairly rapidly resorbable, this material sometimes persists within wound sites without any obvious foreign body reaction and may retard healing.
Quantitative Phase Microscopy by Multi-wavelength Phase-Shifting Interference Microscopy

The phase-shifting interference microscopy is combined with the multi-wavelength optical phase unwrapping to obtain quantitative phase profiles of microscopic objects without 2 pi discontinuities. Due to broadband light sources, images are less affected by coherent noise.
Co-treatment with MK-801 potentiates naloxone-predpitated morphine withdrawal in the isolated spinal cord of the neonatal rat

Abstract The effects of acute and chronic administration of (MK-801; [(+)-5-methyl-10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo[a,d]cyclo-hepten-5,10-imine hydrogen maleate) were assessed on morphine dependence in the isolated spinal cord of the neonatal rat and on behavioral measures in intact adult rats. Neonatal rats were treated chronically (3 or 4 days) with injections of either morphine, morphine + MK-801, or saline. Naloxone (10 /gmM) which increased baseline ventral root spontaneous firing, induced more activity in spinal cords from morphine-treated neonates than in saline controls. In spinal cords from neonates receiving MK-801 with morphine, naloxone-induced spontaneous firing was significantly greater than in saline-treated and morphine alone-treated neonates. Acute MK-801 attenuated naloxone-induced firing in the morphine-treated group. Chronic co-treatment with MK-801 increased locomotor signs of withdrawal and decreased mastication in intact adult rats which had been treated chronically with morphine. MK-801-induced enhancement of morphine withdrawal is consistent with upregulation of NMDA receptors.
Science Journals in the Preschool Classroom

We believe that science journals can be used in the preschool classroom as tools for supporting and assessing children’s learning of science- and literacy-relevant content and procedures. To support this argument, we review changes in attitudes about the cognitive competencies of preschoolers and in teaching and learning expectations for early childhood education. We describe practical aspects of using science notebooks with this age group and discuss specific ways that journals support children’s learning. Finally, the role of journals in assessment is discussed.
Differential Expression of TGF-β1, 2 and 3 Isotypes in Alzheimer's Disease: A Comparative Immunohistochemical Study with Cerebral Infarction, Aged Human and Mouse Control Brains

Based upon the hypothesis that growth regulatory and inflammatory mechanisms participate in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease, we studied cases of Alzheimer's disease for immunoreactivity to each of the three mammalian transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) isotypes: TGF-beta 1, TGF-beta 2, TGF-beta 3. Results were compared with those seen in control brains and in a destructive pathological process, subacute infarction. In the cases of Alzheimer's disease, TGF-beta 1 immunoreactivity was limited to neuritic profiles within senile plaques. Neuronal neurofibrillary tangles, plaque neurites, microglia, astrocytes and macrophages expressed TGF-beta 2 immunoreactivity. TGF-beta 3 produced strikingly selective staining of Hirano bodies. In contrast, in cases with infarction, reactive astrocytes and macrophages were positive with all three antibodies. Ramified microglia labeled selectively, as in the Alzheimer brains, with the TGF-beta 2 antibody. Subtle generalized astrocyte and microglial immunoreactivity for TGF-beta 2 was seen in pathological and control brains. The localization of TGF-beta isotypes to the lesions of Alzheimer's disease supports the hypothesis that these cytokines may influence lesion expression. Their presence in reactive cells associated with cerebral infarction suggest that they may play a broader role in the pathogenesis of CNS disease.
Texas Tech field experiments for wind loads part 1: building and pressure measuring system

Abstract An important research facility has been constructed at Texas Tech University to study wind effects on low buildings in the field. This laboratory features many capabilities not found in past field experiments, and presents tremendous new learning opportunities. The facility is being used to pursue research in wind loads on building surfaces, internal pressures, performance of roofing in wind environment, and ventilation and exhaust studies around the building. The paper includes sufficient detail on the test building and pressure measuring system to permit researchers in physical and analytical modeling to make appropriate comparisons with the field measured data.
A precise restatement and extension of Black's theorem on voting orders

Duncan Black originally suggested that ‘the later any motion enters the voting, the greater its chance of adoption.’ We formalize this reasoning as a theorem, which we prove. We then specify the implications of this theorem for agenda control. If the social preference is known and there is no majority winner, one is best off choosing a specific voting order, which may or may not have one's most preferred alternative last. If the social preference is unknown, the optimal agenda is one in which voting is in reverse order of one's preferences.
Increased glucose and placental GLUT-1 in large infants of obese nondiabetic mothers

Objective Obese women are at increased risk to deliver a large infant, however, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Fetal glucose availability is critically dependent on placental transfer and is linked to fetal growth by regulating the release of fetal growth hormones such as insulin. We hypothesized that (1) umbilical vein glucose and insulin levels and (2) placental glucose transporter (GLUT) expression and activity are positively correlated with early pregnancy maternal body mass index and infant birthweight. Study Design Subjects in this prospective observational cohort study were nondiabetic predominantly Hispanic women delivered at term. Fasting maternal and umbilical vein glucose and insulin concentrations were determined in 29 women with varying early pregnancy body mass index (range, 18.0–54.3) who delivered infants with birthweights ranging from 2800–4402 g. We isolated syncytiotrophoblast microvillous and basal plasma membranes from 33 placentas and determined the expression of GLUT-1 and -9 (Western blot) and glucose uptake (radiolabeled glucose). Results Birthweight was positively correlated with umbilical vein glucose and insulin and maternal body mass index. Umbilical vein glucose levels were positively correlated with placental weight and maternal body mass index, but not with maternal fasting glucose. Basal plasma membranes GLUT-1 expression was positively correlated with birthweight. In contrast, syncytiotrophoblast microvillous GLUT-1 and -9, basal plasma membranes GLUT-9 expression and syncytiotrophoblast microvillous and basal plasma membranes glucose transport activity were not correlated with birthweight. Conclusion Because maternal fasting glucose levels and placental glucose transport capacity were not increased in obese women delivering larger infants, we speculate that increased placental size promotes glucose delivery to these fetuses.
Mass spectrometry study of a transferrin-based protein drug reveals the key role of protein aggregation for successful oral delivery

A recently designed human growth hormone/transferrin fusion protein (GHT) remains one of the very few examples of a protein capable of eliciting measurable therapeutic response after oral administration. To better understand the underlying factors that resulted in this rare success of nonparenteral protein drug delivery, we analyzed proteolytic stability and receptor binding properties of this protein, the key factors in overcoming the primary barriers to successful oral delivery. Analysis of GHT by a combination of size exclusion chromatography and mass spectrometry revealed that a significant protein population exists in an oligomeric (GHTx) state in addition to the anticipated monomer (GHT1). These states of GHT were evaluated for their survivability in stomach-like conditions, as well as their ability to bind transferrin receptor (TfR). Our results reveal an exceptional stability of GHTx, as well as the preserved ability to bind TfR, a critical first step in crossing the epithelial–intestinal barrier through receptor-mediated transcytosis.
Electronic defects in silicon induced by MeV carbon and oxygen implantations

Abstract Electrical properties of silicon above buried defect layers formed by MeV carbon and oxygen implantation were investigated. Energies ranging from 2 to 4 MeV and doses from 5 × 10 14 to 10 16 cm −2 were used. By studying the reverse bias leakage currents of P + /N junction diodes after MeV implantation and subsequent annealing at 950 ° C for 1 h, it was found that the electrical defects are mostly localized near the peaks of the implant profiles. In cases of 4 MeV carbon and oxygen implantations at a dose of 10 15 cm −2 , average leakage currents less than 5 nA/cm 2 at 10 V reverse bias were obtained. The average minority carrier lifetimes in the top 2 μm were about 100 μs.
Purchase of Conformity: Ex-Narcotic Addicts Among the Bourgeoisie

This study investigates the hypothesis that a decent salary ($600 a month) paid to men who normally could not command such wages in the legitimate job market (ex-drug addicts working with practicing addicts in the community) and their social service status would be sufficient to lead the men into acceptance of middleclass values and life styles. Data were obtained from 31 ex-addicts through interviews and field observation. It was concluded that the lures of salary and prestige status were not alone sufficient to insure middle-class attitudes and behavior. Several unique cross-pressures mitigated against total absorption of the subjects into the bourgeoisie; among these were administrative pressures to maintain a street style and empathy with clients, and daily association with practicing addicts.
Ab Initio investigation of the structure of hydrogen halide‐amine complexes in the gas phase and in a polarizable medium

The geometries of all 12 complexes in which HF, HCl, or HBr is paired with NH3, NMeH2, NMe2H, or NMe3 are optimized with the MINI-1 basis set. As the basicity of the amine is increased via progressive methylation, or as the proton affinity of the halide is diminished, the proton equilibrium position shifts toward the nitrogen, but in no case is this shift far enough to classify the complex as an ion pair. When the effects of a polarizable medium are included via the SCRF formalism, the shift of the proton toward the nitrogen is enhanced by increases in the solute-solvent interaction such that relatively modest coupling leads to complexes of ion-pair type. In all cases, complexes containing HBr are the most sensitive to either the basicity of the amine or the influence of the medium whereas the HF analogs are affected very little.
Comparative in vitro pharmacodynamics of imipenem and meropenem against ATCC strains of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacteroides fragilis

We evaluated the pharmacodynamics of imipenem and meropenem, utilizing time-kill studies over a concentration/MIC (C/MIC) range of 0.0625-1024 for E. coli ATCC 35218 (EC) and S. aureus ATCC 29213 (SA) and from 0.125-512 for B. fragilis ATCC 25285 (BF). Area under the time-kill curves were converted to percent response (%R). AUCs were calculated from drug concentrations corrected for degradation and %R vs. C/MIC and AUC/MIC were fit to a sigmoidal Emax model. Emax was similar for both agents for all organisms. Meropenem was 4x more potent than imipenem against EC based on the MIC and required 7 and 13.5-fold lower AUCs to achieve E50 and E90, (50% and 90% of the maximal response, respectively) respectively, whereas imipenem was 8x more potent than meropenem against SA based on the MIC and required 8 and 13-fold lower AUCs to achieve E50 and E90, respectively. The C/MIC and AUC/MIC to achieve E50 and E90 with imipenem were 2- and fourfold higher, respectively than meropenem against EC. There was less than a twofold difference in C/MICs and AUC/MIC between imipenem and meropenem for both E50 and E90 against SA. Against BF, concentrations and AUCs at E50 were similar for both agents; however, imipenem required 4 to 6-fold higher concentrations and AUC to achieve E90. Although there are differences in the potency of these agents as assessed by the MIC or AUC vs. response, when normalized by the MIC and corrected for drug degradation, these agents displayed similar pharmacodynamic parameter-response relationships.
Medial zones: Formulation and applications

The popularity of medial axis in shape modeling and analysis comes from several of its well known fundamental properties. For example, medial axis captures the connectivity of the domain, has a lower dimension than the space itself, and is closely related to the distance function constructed over the same domain. We propose the new concept of a medial zone of an n-dimensional semi-analytic domain @W that subsumes the medial axis MA(@W) of the same domain as a special case, and can be thought of as a 'thick' skeleton having the same dimension as that of @W. We show that by transforming the exact, non-differentiable, distance function of domain @W into approximate but differentiable distance functions, and by controlling the geodesic distance to the crests of the approximate distance functions of domain @W, one obtains families of medial zones of @W that are homeomorphic to the domain and are supersets of MA(@W). We present a set of natural properties for the medial zones MZ(@W) of @W and discuss practical approaches to compute both medial axes and medial zones for 3-dimensional semi-analytic sets with rigid or evolving boundaries. Due to the fact that the medial zones fuse some of the critical geometric and topological properties of both the domain itself and of its medial axis, re-formulating problems in terms of medial zones affords the 'best of both worlds' in applications such as geometric reasoning, robotic and autonomous navigation, and design automation.
Musical taste and ageing

The purpose of this study was to explore musical taste patterns in old age. Having musical tastes, defined as individual preferences for certain musical genres, has been theorised as being a relational tool, something that can be used to negotiate social situations and interpersonal exchanges with others. Taste not only helps to make sense out of the endless array of products available on the cultural menu, but is also through consumption and display a way of signalling group membership, social location, identity and self. These concepts are important throughout the lifecourse, yet relatively unexplored in later life. What are the taste patterns of older adults and how do they compare to the musical preferences of other age groups? To address these questions we analysed data from the United States national Survey of Public Participation in the Arts (SPPA), a repeated cross-sectional survey, for the years 1982, 1992 and 2002. In each year, musical tastes displayed a positive relationship with age up to 55 years of age. The results indicate that across the three survey years, at older ages there was a negative relationship between tastes and age. We offer explanations for these results using theories from the sociology of culture and social gerontology.
Corrosion Between a Graphite/Polymer Composite and Metals

A graphite/polymer composite material was directly coupled with: 2014 aluminum (bare and hard-anodized), pure grade titanium, 316 stainless steel and monel. Samples were then immersed in natural se...
A synthesis of upper ocean carbon and dissolved iron budgets for Southern Ocean natural iron fertilisation studies

Abstract For over a decade the relationship between iron addition and carbon export has been an active topic of Southern Ocean biogeochemical investigation. To study the iron-carbon interaction, a number of natural iron sources within the Antarctic Circumpolar Current have been targeted to quantify the resultant particulate organic carbon (POC) export. Three studies in particular near the Crozet Islands, Kerguelen Plateau, and Antarctic Peninsula have produced estimates of both dissolved iron (DFe) supply and POC export. For each area, we present a detailed synthesis of 234Thorium-derived POC export and of the DFe budgets that fuel the substantial phytoplankton blooms observed in these areas. Furthermore, we discuss the nuances of calculating seasonal POC export, which is required to estimate the seasonal response of POC export to DFe fertilisation. To conclude, we review the relationship between DFe supply and POC export (C:Fe ratio) for these areas, which provides an estimate of POC export efficiency. Daily rates of POC export from the mixed layer of naturally Fe-enriched Southern Ocean blooms range from 15 to 32 mmol C m−2 d−1, with associated control sites typically exporting ∼3-times less POC, (5 to 12 mmol C m−2 d−1). Within each project, the 3-fold trend is also observed in estimates of seasonal POC export; however, variation between study regions shows up to a 4-fold difference (range 1.4–5.0 mol m−2). DFe supply is dominated by horizontal processes and spans an order of magnitude depending on the location (190–2700 nmol m−2 d−1). Where the calculation of seasonal C:Fe ratios is possible, almost an order of magnitude variation (16,790–154,000) is observed between different Southern Ocean regions.
Coverage Optimization and Spatial Load Balancing by Robotic Sensor Networks

This technical note studies robotic sensor networks performing static coverage optimization with area constraints. Given a density function describing the probability of events happening and a performance function measuring the cost to service a location, the objective is to position sensors in the environment so as to minimize the expected servicing cost. Moreover, because of load balancing considerations, the area of the region assigned to each robot is constrained to be a pre-specified amount. We characterize the optimal configurations as center generalized Voronoi configurations. The generalized Voronoi partition depends on a set of weights, one per robot, assigned to the network. We design a Jacobi iterative algorithm to find the weight assignment whose corresponding generalized Voronoi partition satisfies the area constraints. This algorithm is distributed over the generalized Delaunay graph. We also design the ?move-to-center-and-compute-weight? strategy to steer the robotic network towards the set of center generalized Voronoi configurations while monotonically optimizing coverage.
Acidic Biopolymers as Dispersants for Ceramic Processing

Some acidic biopolymers serve as dispersants for colloidal processing of ceramics. One biopolymer we tested was alginate, a heteropolysaccharide containing two carboxylic sugar acids, D-mannuronic and D-guluronic. Kelp alginate was a suitable dispersant, provided that its viscosity was reduced by partial acid hydrolysis. Low molecular weight polymers rich in guluronic acid proved to be better dispersants than those rich in mannuronic acid, perhaps due to their greater charge density caused by their buckled molecular configuration. In situ processing of ceramic materials was tested by growing the alginate-producing bacterium, Azotobacter vinelandii, in the presence of alumina particles. Growth occurred at 15 vol% alumina in medium. Alumina particles which were exposed to such treatment showed a high packing density comparable to that with purified polymer. We also tested polypeptide polymers of the dicarboxylic amino acids, glutamate and aspartate, which also served as excellent dispersants for small alumina particles.
Synthesis of Large ZSM-5 Crystals under High Pressure

The synthesis temperature for silicalite-I (MFI) can be raised to 300 oC by applying high pressure to stabilize the structure-directing organic template. The elevated temperature and pressure favor the formation of crystals with improved quality. Prismatic silicalite-I crystals with a uniform size of about 0.7 x 0.2 x 0.2 mm have been obtained by heating a gel prepared from TMA-silicate solution, TPABr and sodium hexafluorosilicate at 250 oC under a pressure of 80 MPa. The influence of synthesis conditions on the crystal sizes has been studied by systematically changing temperature, pressure and gel compositions. Under the specific conditions of 250 oC and 80 MPa, a strong correlation was found between the crystal size and the F/Si mole ratio of the starting gel, which enables the preparation of uniform crystals of silicalite-I with preset dimensions.
Multiterminal Source Coding with Two Encoders--I: A Computable Outer Bound

In this first part, a computable outer bound is proved for the multiterminal source coding problem, for a setup with two encoders, discrete memoryless sources, and bounded distortion measures.
Wikipedia, Critical Social Theory, and the Possibility of Rational Discourse

Information systems researchers that apply critical social perspectives frequently emphasize the potential for information technology to serve as a mechanism for increased rationalization, domination, and control. Such theorists often overlook or discount the liberating aspects of information systems. In this study, we apply the ideal of rational discourse developed by Jurgen Habermas to the phenomenon of Wikipedia in an effort to explore empirically the emancipatory potential of information systems. We contend that Wikipedia embodies an approximation of the necessary conditions for rational discourse. While several challenges persist, the example of Wikipedia illustrates the positive potential of information systems in supporting the emergence of more emancipatory forms of communication. The corresponding implications for researchers and design professionals alike are discussed.
Template Assisted Fabrication and Magnetic Properties of Cobalt Ferrite Nanostructures

Spinel cobalt ferrite nanotubes and nanowires of about five micrometers in length were fabricated using anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates of 20 – 200 nm pore diameters and sol-gel processing. A cobalt ferrite sol was prepared by mixing the acetic acid solution of cobalt (II) acetate and ethanol solution of iron (III) acetylacetonate. The templates filled with precursor were obtained after they were dipped into the sol and dried in air. The template/precursor composites were sintered in air at 500 oC to form cobalt ferrite phase, which was verified by XRD. The morphology of the nanostructures determined by SEM revealed that the cobalt ferrite nanotubes were formed in the channels of 100 nm and 200 nm diameters in the templates, whereas the nanowires were formed in the 20 nm channels of the templates. The magnetic measurement of cobalt ferrite nanowires by a SQUID magnetometer showed that the nanowires are superparamagnetic at room temperature. The room temperature measurement of magnetization versus the applied field on the nanowire arrays in 20 nm channels of templates showed that the coercivity is 1.57 kOe and 1.47 kOe for the nanowire axis parallel and perpendicular to the applied field, respectively, indicating that the nanowire arrays are nearly magnetically isotropic. However, the coercivity of cobalt ferrite nanowires fabricated in this work is much larger than those in the similar systems reported in the literatures.
Tobacco-Smoke Exposure in Children Who Live in Multiunit Housing

There is no safe level of secondhand tobacco-smoke expo- sure, and no previous studies have explored multiunit housing as a potential contributor to secondhand tobacco-smoke exposure in chil- dren. We hypothesized that children who live in apartments have higher cotinine levels than those who live in detached homes, when controlling for demographics. METHODS: We analyzed data from the 2001-2006 National Health and Nu- trition Examination Survey. The housing types we included in our study were detached houses (including mobile homes), attached houses, and apartments. Our study subjects were children between the ages of 6 and 18 years. Cotinine levels were used to assess secondhand tobacco-smoke exposure, and those living with someone who smoked inside the home were excluded. 2 tests, t tests, and Tobit regression models were used in Stata. Sample weights accounted for the complex survey design. RESULTS: Of 5002 children in our study, 73% were exposed to second- hand tobacco smoke. Children living in apartments had an increase in cotinine of 45% over those living in detached houses. This increase was 212% (P.01) for white residents and 46% (P.03) for black resi- dents, but there was no significant increase for those of other races/ ethnicities. At every cutoff level of cotinine, children in apartments had higher rates of exposure. The exposure effect of housing type was most pronounced at lower levels of cotinine. CONCLUSIONS: Most children without known secondhand tobacco- smoke exposure inside the home still showed evidence of tobacco-smoke exposure. Children in apartments had higher mean cotinine levels than children in detached houses. Potential causes for this result could be seepage through walls or shared ventilation systems. Smoking bans in multiunit housing may reduce children's exposure to tobacco smoke. Pediatrics 2011;127:85-92
The Long Haul from Deregulation: Truck Drivers and Social Capital in the Louisiana Oilpatch

Southern Louisiana has played host to the oil industry for nearly a century. While much of the contemporary activity is offshore, the communities of southern Louisiana provide labor and support to this vast enterprise. Truck-based transportation is one component of this support industry. In the past, the trucking industry meshed with the social and familial networks of the region, but state-level deregulation has rendered these connections inert. Based on interviews with truck drivers and truck company owners, this paper maps the historic importance of these social networks and gauges the impact of deregulation in social, rather than economic, terms. While the paramount impact of deregulation has been significant losses of power and control by local communities, the aftermath of these policy changes has opened up the trucking industry to new ethnic, geographic, and gender groups.
The Double‐Histidine Cu2+‐Binding Motif: A Highly Rigid, Site‐Specific Spin Probe for Electron Spin Resonance Distance Measurements

The development of ESR methods that measure long-range distance distributions has advanced biophysical research. However, the spin labels commonly employed are highly flexible, which leads to ambiguity in relating ESR measurements to protein-backbone structure. Herein we present the double-histidine (dHis) Cu2+-binding motif as a rigid spin probe for double electron–electron resonance (DEER) distance measurements. The spin label is assembled in situ from natural amino acid residues and a metal salt, requires no postexpression synthetic modification, and provides distance distributions that are dramatically narrower than those found with the commonly used protein spin label. Simple molecular modeling based on an X-ray crystal structure of an unlabeled protein led to a predicted most probable distance within 0.5 A of the experimental value. Cu2+ DEER with the dHis motif shows great promise for the resolution of precise, unambiguous distance constraints that relate directly to protein-backbone structure and flexibility.
DISTANCE-WISE PATHWAY DISCOVERY FROM PROTEIN–PROTEIN INTERACTION NETWORKS WEIGHTED BY SEMANTIC SIMILARITY

Reconstruction of signaling pathways is crucial for understanding cellular mechanisms. A pathway is represented as a path of a signaling cascade involving a series of proteins to perform a particular function. Since a protein pair involved in signaling and response have a strong interaction, putative pathways can be detected from protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks. However, predicting directed pathways from the undirected genome-wide PPI networks has been challenging. We present a novel computational algorithm to efficiently predict signaling pathways from PPI networks given a starting protein and an ending protein. Our approach integrates topological analysis of PPI networks and semantic analysis of PPIs using Gene Ontology data. An advanced semantic similarity measure is used for weighting each interacting protein pair. Our distance-wise algorithm iteratively selects an adjacent protein from a PPI network to build a pathway based on a distance condition. On each iteration, the strength of a hypothetical path passing through a candidate edge is estimated by a local heuristic. We evaluate the performance by comparing the resultant paths to known signaling pathways on yeast. The results show that our approach has higher accuracy and efficiency than previous methods.
Clinical pharmacokinetic interactions between antiepileptic drugs and hormonal contraceptives.

Contraceptive management in women with epilepsy is critical owing to the potential maternal and fetal risks if contraception or seizure management fails. This article briefly describes the pharmacokinetic interactions between antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) and hormonal contraceptives and the rational strategies that may overcome these risks. Hormonal contraception, including the use of oral contraceptives (OCs), is widely used in many women with epilepsy – there is no strong evidence of seizures worsening with their use. AEDs are the mainstay for seizure control in women with epilepsy. However, there are many factors to consider in the choice of AED therapy and hormonal contraception, since some AEDs can reduce the efficacy of OCs owing to pharmacokinetic interactions. Estrogens and progestogens are metabolized by cytochrome P450 3A4. AEDs, such as phenytoin, phenobarbital, carbamazepine, felbamate, topiramate, oxcarbazepine and primidone, induce cytochrome P450 3A4, leading to enhanced metabolism of either o...
Anterior chamber stability during bimanual irrigation and aspiration. Theoretical and experimental analysis.

Abstract Purpose: To determine the requirements for maintaining a stable anterior chamber during bimanual irrigation and aspiration (I/A) using side-port cannulas. Setting: Cole Eye Institute, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio, USA. Methods: A theoretical fluid dynamic model of the closed I/A system was developed. Model predictions were compared with experimental flow measurements made on the Alcon Legacy 20000 system using a number of commercial and custom I/A cannulas. Results: Bore diameter, length, and orifice size determine the pressure-flow relationship of cannulas. Four of 18 tested irrigation cannulas were able to maintain anterior chamber stability when used with a 23-gauge/0.3 mm orifice aspiration cannula and maximum aspiration settings. All 4 had a 21-gauge lumen diameter. A shorter cannula length also contributed to higher flow. Conclusions: Anterior chamber stability during bimanual I/A required the irrigation system to have lower flow resistance than the aspiration system, which can be provided by using cannulas with larger lumen diameters and shorter lengths. Special cannula designs can provide these characteristics without requiring larger side-port incisions.
Thin-Film Aluminum RF MEMS Switched Capacitors With Stress Tolerance and Temperature Stability

This paper presents an RF microelectromechanical system switched capacitor which is based on a thin-film alu minum circular beam geometry that exhibits reduced sensitivity to both initial residual stress and stress changes versus ambient temperature. This novel design results in a pull-in voltage slope of -55 mV/°C from -5°C to 125°C, a capacitance ratio of 20 (Cu =50 fF, Cd = 1 pF), a down-state quality factor of 85 at 3127 MHz (Zd = -j50 Ω), and a switching time of <; 10 μs from 25°C to 95°C. The device symmetry also facilitates low-series-inductance compact device arrays for high-value capac itances. Both 2×2 and 3×2 device arrays are demonstrated with down-state capacitances of 3.95 and 5.89 pF, which result in switched impedances of 135-4 Ω and 91-3 Ω at 0.3-10 GHz, respectively. The array impedances vary as 1/ω over a 33:1 frequency range, with down-state quality factors of 50-60 at 541-806 MHz (Zd = -j50 Ω). The application areas are in high-linearity RF/microwave switches, phase shifters, and tunable matching networks and filters.
The collapse of current gain in multi-finger heterojunction bipolar transistors: its substrate temperature dependence, instability criteria, and modeling

One undesirable phenomenon observed when AlGaAs/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBT's) are operated under high power density is the collapse (of current gain). The collapse manifests itself by a distinct abrupt decrease of collector current in the transistor common-emitter current-voltage (I-V) characteristics. In this investigation, we study the substrate temperature dependence of the collapse. A unified equation is introduced to relate the collapse instability criterion with other thermal instability criteria proposed for silicon bipolar transistors. The effects of the thermal instability on the collapse behavior of 2-finger and 1-finger HBT's are examined. We also present a numerical model to adequately describe the collapse in multi-finger HBT's having arbitrary geometry. The I-V characteristics and regression plots of both ballasted and unballasted HBT's are compared. >
Nanowire field-programmable computing platform

A nanowire-based field-programmable computing platform is presented featuring intrinsic fine-grained device-level reconfiguration without emulation (i.e. no look-up tables involved) using programmable cross-nanowire transistors, and regular physical implementation with relaxed manufacturing requirements at nanoscale. This approach can potentially provide orders of magnitude benefits in terms of area, power and performance vs. scaled CMOS FPGA at lower cost.
Egg and Larval Development Index for Lake Sturgeon

AbstractWe developed an index of egg and larval maturation for Lake Sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens to incrementally chart development over time. To evaluate the relationship between temperature and development rate, eggs and larvae from the Wolf River were incubated at four constant water temperatures. The time required for neural tube closure, hatch, and exogenous feeding were monitored. The number of hours from incubation to each development stage and mean water temperature were related by predictive exponential regression equations for neural tube closure (R2 = 0.96), start hatch (R2 = 0.97), end hatch (R2 = 0.97), and exogenous feeding (R2 = 0.99). Calculated hourly development was used to create an index capable of predicting specific daily development. Daily development from incubation to exogenous feeding ranged from 2.0% to 8.3% at 10°C to 19.9°C. This index was used to predict the rate of development of sturgeon eggs and larvae from the St. Lawrence River reared in water with varying temperatures....
Swallowing‐Induced Tachycardia: Electrophysiologic and Pharmacologic Observations

A 38-year-old man developed palpitations after swallowing. Intracardiac recordings and esophageal manometry were obtained during episodes of swallowing-induced tachycardia. These studies demonstrated that the site of origin of the tachycardia was the high right atrium and that the onset of the tachycardia occurred prior to the arrival of the peristaltic wave in the esophagus. Evaluation of the tachycardia revealed that the likely mechanism for the tachycardia was triggered automaticity. Autonomic blockade and other pharmacologic interventions failed to prevent episodes of tachycardia. Swallowing-induced tachycardia is a rare disorder triggered by an undefined neural reflex arc.
Robust edge and corner detection using noise identification and adaptive thresholding techniques

This paper presents a robust, two-step method for edge and corner detection in noisy images. First it identifies the type of noise using a new pattern classification approach and then restores the image using a good restoration technique suitable for the type of noise identified. The types of noise considered here include uniform white, Gaussian white, speckle, and salt-and-pepper noise. From the restored image, edge and corner strengths are determined using gradient based techniques, and finally, a fuzzy k-means clustering algorithm is used to find adaptive thresholds for detecting the edge and corner points. Results of some simulation studies are presented here and they seem to indicate that the proposed algorithm works very well.
Body size variation of mammals in a fragmented, temperate rainforest.

Body size is perhaps the most important trait of an organism, affecting all of its physiological and ecological processes and, therefore, fundamentally influencing its ability to survive and reproduce in different environments, including those that have been modified by human activities. We tested the hypothesis that anthropogenic transformation of old-growth forest landscapes can result in significant intraspecific changes in body size of resident biotas. We collected data on five species of nonvolant mammals (common deer mouse (Per- omyscus maniculatus), northwestern deer mouse (P. keeni), southern red-backed vole (Clethrionomys gapperi), montane shrew (Sorex monticolus), and Trowbridge's shrew (S. trowbridgii)) to test whether body size (mass and length) of these species varied across types of land cover (macrohabitats) and along elevational gradients of the fragmented, temperate rainforest of Olympic National Forest ( Washington, U.S.A.). We measured 2168 and 1134 individuals for body mass and body length, respectively. Three species (P. keeni, S. monticolus, and S. trowbridgii) exhibited significantly different body size among macrohabitats: individuals from fragments were smaller than those in old-growth corridors and those in more extensive stands of old-growth forest. Body size of P. keeni was significantly correlated with elevation along corridors, peaking near the medial reaches of the corridors. The effects of anthropogenic transformations of this landscape of old-growth, temperate rainforest, although not universal among the five species, were significant and rapid—developing in just a few decades following tree harvests. Thus, anthropogenic fragmentation may influence not only the diversity, species com- position, and densities of local biotas, but also one of the most fundamental and defining characteristics of native species—their body size.
Second-order low-frequency wave forces on a vertical circular cylinder

Using the multiple-scale perturbation method, the diffraction of a nonlinear nearly periodic wavetrain by a vertical circular cylinder is investigated. The envelope of the incident wavetrain is assumed to modulate slowly in the direction of wave propagation. The relationship between the envelopes of incident and scattered waves is derived. It is shown that second-order scattered set-down waves propagate only at the long-wave velocity (gh)½. The formula for low-frequency wave forces acting on the cylinder is presented. The low-frequency wave forces, which are second-order quantities, are caused by set-down waves beneath the wavetrain and the results of the self-interactions of the leading-order first harmonic wave components. Numerical solutions are presented for the case where the wave envelope varies sinusoidally.