cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Control of Apoptosis by Poxviruses

Abstract Poxviruses express a variety of proteins which can function to inhibit apoptosis in infected cells, allowing virus replication to continue and conferring a broad host range. Some poxvirus antiapoptosis proteins act by sequestering or inactivating inducers of apoptosis such as dsRNA and superoxide anions. Others interfere with signaling by receptors including those belonging to the TNF receptor superfamily that would otherwise activate a proteolytic cascade that terminates with the cleavage of death substrates. The cowpox virus crmA protein directly inhibits cysteine proteinases within the cascade and can also block apoptosis triggered by the serine proteinase granzyme B. Finally there are poxvirus antiapoptosis proteins containing ankyrin repeat regions that are thought to interact with cellular proteins.
Preliminary studies for the development of a second generation granulocytapheresis (G-CAP) column. Part II: in vitro and ex vivo studies.

Our previous studies concluded Egyptian cotton was the most appropriate material for making a second generation granulocytapheresis (G-CAP) column as structural dimensions of the cotton fibers are able to attract granulocytes. Unfortunately, it is considered to be blood incompatible as its fibers are of non-synthetic origins. In this study we examined the alteration of the removal rates of blood cells with different surface modifications of Egyptian cotton to enhance its blood compatibility. The surface-modified cotton fibers were compared after three kinds of combination treatments. There were no differences in the removal rates of white blood cells (WBCs) and particularly neutrophils with the use of three kinds of biolized cottons. Next, an ex vivo animal study with a healthy dog was performed with the prototype of the G-CAP column. The dog’s blood pressure (BP) decreased to approximately 80% of the initial values of BP at 20 min after the start of the extracorporeal circulation. The decrease in BP gradually reverted to normal. WBCs and particularly neutrophils decreased significantly at 15 min after the start of the extracorporeal circulation and remained low during the extracorporeal circulation. The ability of this column to remove WBCs was maintained during extracorporeal circulation. Especially, neutrophils at the inlet of the column were thoroughly removed for 1 h. Based upon these results, a second generation G-CAP column could be fabricated with Egyptian cotton and applied for clinical use on the condition that the biocompatibility of the Egyptian cotton needs to be improved by the appropriate biolization method.
Notes on the incorporation of third world women into wage-labor through immigration and off-shore production.

The different forms and geographic locations in which the expanded incorporation of Third World women into wage labor occur may be closely interrelated. 2 such instances examined in this article are: 1) the recruitment of young women without previous labor force experience into the new manufacturing and service jobs generated by export-led manufacturing in several Caribbean and Asian countries; and 2) the employment of immigrant women in large cities of highly industrialized countries which have undergone basic economic restructuring. While many of these women may have become domestic or international migrants as a function of their husbands or familys migration the more fundamental processes of this restructuring are the ones promoting the formation of a supply of women migrants and a demand for this type of labor. Examples are the shift of plants and offices to Third World countries and the demand for immigrant women labor in large cities within the US. The latter is a manifestation of the general shift to a service economy the downgrading of manufacturing partly to keep it competitive with overseas plants and the direct and indirect demand for low-wage labor generated by the expansion of management and control functions centered in these large cities and necessary for the regulation of the global economy. The feminization of job supply and the need to secure a politically adequate labor supply which combine to create a demand for the type of labor represented by migrant women suggest that gender has to be considered in conjunction with the structural arrangements and that gender by itself cannot adequately describe the nature of migrant labor.
The best approximation method applied to three-dimensional steady-state heat transport

Abstract The best approximation method is extended to the numerical solution of three-dimensional steady-state heat transport problems. Two families of trial functions are used in the numerical solution; namely, harmonic polynomials and constant sources. Numerical approximation error is evaluated by means of approximate boundaries whereby error is visualized as a geometric displacement of the problem boundary. The problem considered is the determination of temperatures within a nuclear reactor.
Social integration, psychological distress, and smoking behaviors in a midwest LGBT community.

BACKGROUND: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) populations have smoking rates twice that of their heterosexual counterparts. To design effective outreach, prevention, and treatments for these individuals, a comprehensive understanding of associated factors is needed. OBJECTIVE: To increase understanding of how social integration and psychological distress are related to smoking behaviors among LGBT populations. DESIGN: A cross-sectional, descriptive study of 135 LGBT adults using an online data collection strategy. Multivariate analyses were performed to examine factors associated with current smoking status. RESULTS: Social integration was not significantly related to smoking behaviors in this LGBT population, although psychological distress was higher among smokers than nonsmokers. CONCLUSIONS: Although social support has been reported to have an impact on health behaviors in the general population, the present findings suggest that the benefits of social support may not apply to the smoking...
Complex dynamics in winner-take-all neural nets with slow inhibition

We consider a layer of excitatory neurons with small asymmetric excitatory connections and strong coupling to a single inhibitory interneuron. If the inhibition is fast, the network behaves as a winner-take-all network in which one cell fires at the expense of all others. As the inhibition slows down, oscillatory behavior begins. This is followed by a symmetric rotating solution in which neurons share the activity in a round-robin fashion. Finally, if the inhibition is sufficiently slower than excitation the neurons completely synchronize to a global periodic solution. Conditions guaranteeing stable synchrony are given.
Large-Scale Manufacturing in the South and West, 1850–1860

An examination of the manuscript censuses of manufacturing in 1850 and 1860 indicates the forthcoming revision of many traditional interpretations of American industrial development. This study suggests that large-scale manufacturing in the South and West was quite similar in the decade before the Civil War and that antebellum manufacturing was sufficiently concentrated to imply that the model of perfect competition is as inappropriate a description of mid-nineteenth century industrial structure as it is of twentieth century industry.
Hemolytic Anemia Following a Presumptive Brown Recluse Spider Bite

AbstractThis case report describes a systemic reaction occurring in a 12-year-old female following presumed envenomation by a brown recluse spider (Loxosceles reclusa). The systemic reaction included self-limited hemolysis necessitating blood transfusion. The clinical course and management are described and compared with those of previously reported cases of systemic loxoscelism.
Porous nickel oxide nano-sheets for high performance pseudocapacitance materials

We report a new nano-geometry based on porous nickel oxide nano-sheets for high performance pseudo-capacitance materials. The porous nickel oxide nanosheets were fabricated by synthesizing porous Ni(OH)2 sheets by surfactant-templated wet chemistry followed by the decomposition of hydroxides to oxides upon thermal treatment. The nickel oxide nanosheets display tunable specific capacitance varying from 641 to 1025 F/g at a charge–discharge current density of 3 A g−1, and from 326 to 445 F/g at 15 A/g. By optimizing the thermal annealing conditions (e.g., 300 °C for 3 h), the electrochemical performance can be achieved with a high capacitance of 993 F/g at current density of 3 A g−1, and 445 F/g at 15 A g−1 with an excellent cycle stability. Detailed XRD, CV, EIS, UV and XPS characterization indicated that the interplay among the surface area, morphology, pore size distribution, crystal size and defect determined the electrochemical performance of porous NiO nanosheets as pseudocapacitive materials. The unique nano-sheet geometry and intrinsically high surface area may have a great potential for designing high performance supercapacitors with simultaneous high power and energy densities, and the reported surfactant-templated wet chemistry approach may also be applicable for developing various metal oxide nano-sheet pseudo-capacitance materials for electrochemical energy storage.
Distribution and habitat of Nitellopsis obtusa (Characeae) in the Laurentian Great Lakes

Nitellopsis obtusa, a macroalga (Characeae) native to Europe and Asia, was found in U.S. waters of the St. Clair-Detroit River system in 1983, thus extending the range of this taxon into the Laurentian Great Lakes about 850 km from the St. Lawrence River where it was first discovered in North America in 1978. Its occurrence only in water frequented by commercial shipping vessels suggests that it is distributed via this mechanism. In the St. Clair-Detroit River system, N. obtusa was collected with a Ponar grab at four locations, and with a grapnel at one additional location. It was the ninth most frequently found macrophyte and it was most abundant at Belle Isle in the Detroit River, where the mean dry-weight biomass in Ponar samples was 0 g m-2 in June, 37 g m-2 in August, and 32 g m−2 in September. Maximum biomass of this taxon in one Ponar grab at this location was 289 g m-2 in September. The alga occurred primarily in water of relatively low current velocity (11.3 cm s−1) and in association with Vallisneria americana, Myriophyllum spicatum, Potamogeton richardsonii, Najas flexilis, and Elodea canadensis.
Combined confocal and magnetic resonance microscopy

Confocal fluorescence optical microscopy and magnetic resonance microscopy are each used to study live cells in a minimally invasive way. Both techniques provide complementary information. Therefore, by examining cells simultaneously with both methodologies, more detailed information is obtained than is possible with each microscope individually. In this paper two configurations of a combined confocal and magnetic resonance microscope are described. The first configuration is capable of studying large single cells or three-dimensional cell agglomerates, whereas the second configuration is designed for the investigation of monolayers of mammalian cells. In both cases the sample compartment is part of a temperature regulated perfusion system. Images obtained with the combined system are shown forXenopus laevis oocytes, model JB6 tumor spheroids, and a single layer of Chinese hamster ovary cells. Finally, potential applications of the combined microscope are discussed.
The Use of Single-Phase Overhead Test Lines and Test Cages to Evaluate the Corona Effects of EHV and UHV Transmission Lines

Economic considerations often limit the use of full-scale 3-phase test lines for the investigation of transmission-line corona effects. Testing of a large number of different conductor configurations can be more conveniently and efficiently carried out on comparatively short sections of conductors on single-phase test lines and in test cages. Techniques for measuring the single-phase corona performance of conductors are presented, along with a discussion of means by which the observed data can be used to determine the corona performance of 3-phase transmission lines.
Biaxial Loading Experiments for Determining Interfacial Fracture Toughness

The paper establishes the range of in-plane fracture mode mixtures and contact zone sizes that can be obtained from an edge-cracked bimaterial strip under biaxial applied displacements. The development of a suitable loading device for and the application of crack opening interferometry to interfacial crack initiation experiments is described. The crack initiation process under bond-normal loading is examined in detail for a glass/epoxy interface in order to establish a hybrid optical interference/finite element analysis technique for extracting mixed-mode fracture parameters.
SAGE II aerosol data validation and initial data use: An introduction and overview

The process of validating data from the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) II and the initial use of the validated data are reviewed. The instruments developed for the SAGE II, the influence of the eruption of El Chichon on the global stratospheric aerosol, and various data validation experiments are discussed. Consideration is given to methods for deriving aerosol physical and optical properties from SAGE II extinction data and for inferring particle size distribution moments from SAGE II spectral extinction values.
Recovery of functional human lymphocytes from leukotrap filters

Abstract We report here a method by which functional human PBL may be recovered from a blood product preparation unit (Leukotrap) which is normally employed by blood banks to prepare a leukocyte-poor blood product and which is commonly discarded after use. Blood filters which were back-flushed with cold, phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and the resulting buffy coats collected and separated on Histopaque gradients yielded an average of 2.7 × 10 8 (±1.17 × 10 8 ) cells per filter processed ( n = 38), with viability greater than 95%. The percentages of cell types recovered before or after Histopaque separation closely approximated those reported for freshly drawn blood when examined using differential staining and morphological criteria. Fluorescent antibody analysis revealed a normal distribution of Leu-4(T), Leu-12 (B), Leu-3a (T helper), Leu-2a (T suppressor) and Leu-M3 (macrophage) positive cell subsets. Recovered lymphocytes were fully responsive to phytohemagglutinin (PHA), concanavalin A (ConA) and pokeweed (PWM) mitogens. Random donor lymphocytes which were co-cultured in a two-way mixed lymphocyte response (MLR) were fully capable of proliferative responses compared to the same populations cultured alone. The results from our study indicate that Leukotrap filters provide a readily available, easily processed and convenient source of functional human PBL for use in the in vitro study of the human immune system.
SU(3) predictions for nonleptonic B-meson decays

The smallness of the up-, down-, and strange-quark masses compared with the QCD scale makes SU(3) flavor an approximate symmetry of the strong interactions. The B-, B0, and Bs0 mesons form a 3¯ representation of SU(3). Using the SU(3) transformation properties of the effective Hamiltonian for weak nonleptonic B-meson decays, relations are derived between B-meson decay amplitudes. Some of these relations may provide information on the importance of various competing effects that can occur in nonleptonic B-meson decays.
Message in a bottle: sailing past censorship

Exploiting recent advances in monitoring technology and the drop of its costs, authoritarian and oppressive regimes are tightening the grip around the virtual lives of their citizens. Meanwhile, the dissidents, oppressed by these regimes, are organizing online, cloaking their activity with anti-censorship systems that typically consist of a network of anonymizing proxies. The censors have become well aware of this, and they are systematically finding and blocking all the entry points to these networks. So far, they have been quite successful. We believe that, to achieve resilience to blocking, anti-censorship systems must abandon the idea of having a limited number of entry points. Instead, they should establish first contact in an online location arbitrarily chosen by each of their users. To explore this idea, we have developed Message In A Bottle, a protocol where any blog post becomes a potential "drop point" for hidden messages. We have developed and released a proof-of-concept application of our system, and demonstrated its feasibility. To block this system, censors are left with a needle-in-a-haystack problem: Unable to identify what bears hidden messages, they must block everything, effectively disconnecting their own network from a large part of the Internet. This, hopefully, is a cost too high to bear.
Origin recognition and the chromosome cycle

Prior to the initiation of DNA replication, chromosomes must establish a biochemical mark that permits the recruitment in S phase of the DNA replication machinery that copies DNA. The process of chromosome replication in eukaryotes also must be coordinated with segregation of the duplicated chromosomes to daughter cells during mitosis. Protein complexes that utilize ATP coordinate events at origins of DNA replication and later they participate in the initiation of DNA replication. In eukaryotes, some of these proteins also play a part in later processes that ensure accurate inheritance of chromosomes in mitosis, including spindle attachment of chromosomes, accurate duplication of centrosomes and cytokinesis. A perspective of how ATP-dependent proteins accomplish this task in eukaryotes is discussed.
Spontaneous variability in minute ventilation oxygen consumption and heart rate of low birth weight infants.

Summary: Continuous measurements of minute ventilation (vI), oxygen consumption (vO2), heart rate (HR), activity, and temperature were made in eleven low birth weight infants during the interval between feedings. Significant increases in vI, vO2, and HR were noted between quiet and active sleep. (vI Active − vI Quiet/vI Quiet) × 100 = 18.4% vO2 Active − vO2 Quiet/vO2 Quiet) × 100 = 10.1% and HRActive − HRQuiet/HRQuiet) × 100 = 6.4%. Significant differences were also noted within epochs of the same state of sleep: mean slope vI versus time in epoch (t) = −156 ml/kg·min/hr, vO2 versus t. = 1.49 ml/kg·min/hr and HR versus t = −15.0 beats/min/hr. Differences between successive epochs of the same state of sleep were also observed: vI, +5.9 to 46.6%; vO2, 4.7 to 24.6%; HR, 1.0 to 9.7%. These differences were related to the length of time after feeding. These data indicate that steady state conditions do not occur in growing low birth weight infants and that the design of studies of respiration and metabolism in these infants should include continuous assessment of the state of sleep or activity and time after feeding to ensure that experimental and control periods are truly comparable. Speculation: The significant variability in minute ventilation, oxygen consumption, and heart rate which occurs spontaneously in low birth weight infants secondary to changes in activity and postprandial interval must be acknowledged in the design of clinical research. It is probable that these factors influence not only mean levels of metabolic and respiratory activity but also the sensitivity to experimental stimuli such as hypoxia, hypercarbia, and drugs.
Annual modulation of seismicity along the San Andreas Fault near Parkfield, CA

[1] We analyze seismic data from the San Andreas Fault (SAF) near Parkfield, California, to test for annual modulation in seismicity rates. We use statistical analyses to show that seismicity is modulated with an annual period in the creeping section of the fault and a semiannual period in the locked section of the fault. Although the exact mechanism for seasonal triggering is undetermined, it appears that stresses associated with the hydrologic cycle are sufficient to fracture critically stressed rocks either through pore-pressure diffusion or crustal loading/unloading. These results shed additional light on the state of stress along the SAF, indicating that hydrologically induced stress perturbations of ∼2 kPa may be sufficient to trigger earthquakes.
Analogue Drinking Assessment: Sensation Seeking and Gender

This study assessed the relationship between sensation seeking measured as a trait variable and drinking behaviors observed unobtrusively in the laboratory. It was hypothesized that high-sensation-seeking subjects would consume more alcohol than low sensation seekers and experience greater enhancement of positive moods and body sensations associated with intoxication. Thirty female and 31 male subjects divided into high- and low-sensation-seeking subgroups participated in an ad libitum drinking situation with the manifest task of taste rating three types of vodka (actually 95% alcohol) or tonic. Dependent variables included beverage consumption, positive/negative mood states, body sensations, breath estimates of blood alcohol levels, and self-rated level of intoxication. All subjects reported “feeling” the effects of alcohol. Contrary to predictions, high-sensation-seeking subjects neither consumed more alcohol than their low-sensation-seeking counterparts nor drank more alcohol than tonic, Paradoxically, low-sensation-seeking women displayed significantly greater alcohol intake and intoxication than all other groups. Possible explanations for findings were considered as well as the necessity for multimethod assessments of both predictor (i.e., sensation seeking) and criterion (i.e., alcohol consumption) variables across time and situations.
The 21st-Century Syllabus: Tips for Putting Andragogy into Practice.

In our previous article about reconceptualizing the course syllabus, we argued that instructors must move syllabi beyond their traditional pedagogically-inspired focus on operational course norms i...
Emergency Physician Activation of the Cath Lab: Saving Time, Saving Lives

David Magid, MD, MPH Elizabeth H. Bradley, PhD From the Colorado Permanente Clinical Research Unit, Departments of Emergency Medicine and Preventive Medicine and Biometrics, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO (Magid); and the Departments of Epidemiology and Public Health and Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT (Bradley).
Transition radiation from 100 to 250 GeV/c pions

Abstract X-ray transition radiation from 100 to 250 GeV/ c pions passing through either lithium or polypropylene foils was observed with proportional wire chambers. The X-ray intensity increases linearly with the Lorentz factor. Pions and protons at these momenta can be differentiated with a few radiator-detector units.
Design and Evaluation of a Lactobacillus Group-specific Ribosomal RNA-targeted Hybridization Probe and its Application to the Study of Intestinal Microecology in Pigs

The potential importance of anaerobic bacteria belonging to the Lactobacillus group has been well documented. Appropriate methods to rapidly evaluate species diversity and fluctuations in their population levels within the Lactobacillus group are being developed. Molecular tools such as hybridization probes based on rRNA sequences are well suited to these studies. The work reported here was undertaken to test the specificity of an hybridization probe to specifically recognize microorganisms of the Lactobacillus group and assess its usefulness as a quantitative tool to study fluctuations of the Lactobacillus population relative to the total bacterial population in gastrointestinal contents of pigs. We have designed a 25-mer oligonucleotide that targets a region common to and specific for the Lactobacillus group 16S rRNA sequences within the available database. The optimal wash temperature of the probe was experimentally determined to be 54 degrees C. The results obtained using the Lactobacillus group-specific probe (LGP) shows that Lactobacillus populations vary along the different segments of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). In weaning piglets, the relative Lactobacillus signal intensity obtained constituted 100% of the relative RNA index in the stomach contents as determined by a bacterial domain probe (BDP), and between 90 to 100% in the duodenum. The signal of the Lactobacillus population decreased and reached its minimum in the distal part of the GIT. The same trend was observed in adult pigs, but in the stomach they constituted no more than 30% as determined by the BDP, and were present at lower levels in the other parts of the GIT. These studies document the quantitative importance of the lactobacilli in the stomach and small intestine of pigs. Further studies to investigate the role of lactobacilli in promoting the ecological balance of gut bacteria for probiotic therapy are being undertaken.
Using cloud computing to manage costs

The growing availability of cloud computing provides opportunities to manage costs—by effectively outsourcing selected information technology (IT) functions. But like all other outsourcing decisions, you must conduct a careful analysis—to ensure that potential savings outweigh both costs and the risks of ceding control to an outside vendor. This article provides guidance for managers considering cloud computing as a cost management strategy. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Time course of improvement in ventricular function after ablation of incessant automatic atrial tachycardia

A patient with dilated cardiomyopathy and supraventricular tachycardia presumed to be of sinus origin was referred for cardiac transplantation. The extreme rate of the tachycardia during exercise, profound fluctuations in heart rate, and the presence of an abnormal P wave axis suggested the diagnosis of incessant ectopic atrial tachycardia rather than compensatory sinus tachycardia. Electrophysiologic study with endocardial activation sequence mapping confirmed the diagnosis of an ectopic left atrial automatic tachycardia, after which surgical cryoablation of the left atrial focus was carried out successfully and sinus rhythm was restored. Serial radionuclide angiocardiograms obtained before and after surgery demonstrated a very rapid recovery of left ventricular function to nearly normal within the first month after surgery, followed by further improvement to normal over the next several months. The diagnosis of tachycardia-related cardiomyopathy should be seriously considered in any patient with apparently end-stage dilated cardiomyopathy and persistent resting tachycardia.
Examining Charter Student Achievement Effects across Seven States.

Abstract Since their inception, charter schools have been a lighting rod for controversy, with much of the debate revolving around their effectiveness in improving student achievement. Previous research has shown mixed results for student achievement; this could be the consequence of different policy environments or varying methodological approaches with differing assumptions across studies. In our analysis, we discuss these approaches and their assumptions and estimate charter school achievement effects using a consistent methodology across seven locations.
A transmission scheme for robust delivery of urgent/critical data in Internet of Things

The Internet of Things network is an application-driven network, being rapidly deployed across the world. It is expected to become a mega-scale network (connect billions of devices), and heterogeneous in terms of its sub-networks as well as enabling technologies. The data traffic communicated over this network is expected to be highly variable. It ranges from being the parameters being monitored about objects in this world (“things”), e.g. temperature, to observations about a bigger environment, e.g. video surveillance of traffic. It may further vary from being critical data, to non-critical data. Accordingly, various issues related to packet delivery are of paramount importance. Especially for data related to safety-critical applications, and also urgent messaging, one needs to have a separate specific delivery scheme. In this paper, we propose a specialized delivery scheme for data that is of either urgent or critical nature, in the context of Internet of Things. The scheme is based on usage of byte-level error-correction codes, to improve relevant delivery parameters for such data. We have also simulated this scheme, and compared it with packet retransmission scheme for the perceived packet loss rate, and expected delivery latency. The simulation results show that our proposed scheme improves the transmission quality.
The application of dynamic calorimetry for monitoring growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

A dynamic calorimetric technique was investigated to determine the feasibility of monitoring cell growth by thermal measurements. Theoretical analysis of growth ofSaccharomyces cerevisiae on glucose showed that the correlation depends on cellular yield values but not on ethanol formation. Experiments withS. cerevisiae on a molasses-mineral salts medium resulted in a thermal yield of 4.4 kcal/g cells, consistent with our theoretical expectations.
Cover crop management effects on soybean and corn growth and nitrogen dynamics in an on-farm study

Combining cover crops and conservation tillage may result in more sustainable agricultural production practices. Objectives of this on-farm study were to quantify effects of cover crops on growth and nitrogen accumulation by soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr,] and corn (Zea mays L.) on a Nicollet loam (fine-loamy, mixed, mesic Aquic Hapludoll) near Boone, Iowa, Our farmer-cooperator planted soybean in 1988 using ridge tillage into an undisturbed strip with a hairy vetch (Vicia villosa L. Roth) cover crop and into a strip where previous crop residue and a negligible amount of cover crop had been incorporated by autumn and spring disking. In each strip, we established four plots for soil and plant measurements. Our cooperator planted corn on the same strips in 1989 into a cover crop that consisted of both hairy vetch and winter rye (Secale cereale L.). We determined the source of N accumulated by the corn by applying 67 kg N/ha of 15N depleted NH4NO3 fertilizer. In the absence of cover crops, early season soil NO3-N levels in the top 30 cm were higher, and corn growth and N accumulation were more rapid. At harvest, the corn grain, stover, and cob together accounted for 36 and 39 percent of the 15N fertilizer for the ridge tillage and disked treatments, respectively. We suggest that lower net mineralization of organic matter or greater denitrification losses before planting reduced the availability of soil N, This created an early season Nstress in corn grown with cover crops that was not overcome by broadcast fertilizer N applied three weeks after planting. Our on-farm research study has helped focus continuing efforts to determine if non-recovered fertilizer N is being immobilized in microbial biomass, lost by denitrification, or leached below the plant root zone.
Group velocity of solitons

It is shown that, in addition to the well-known phase accumulation of a traveling soliton, which may be interpreted as a change of phase velocity as a result of the Kerr nonlinearity, there is a change in the speed of travel of the envelope, the group velocity. This analysis is extended to dispersion-managed solitons, for which it is shown that the discrepancy between phase- and group-velocity changes is generally smaller.
Induction of an ATPase inhibitor protein by propylthiouracil and protection against paracetamol (acetaminophen) hepatotoxicity in the rat

1. The purpose of the present study was to test the following hypothesis: propylthiouracil (PTU) treatments of rats induces an increase in the concentration and activity of the mitochondrial ATPase (m-ATPase) inhibitor protein (IF1). The PTU-induced elevated baseline levels of this inhibitor protein inactivated m-ATPase, and prevented hepatotoxicity by a toxic dose of acetaminophen (AAP) (paracetamol), by maintaining hepatic adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) levels. 2. Male Wistar rats were either gavaged with a toxic dose of AAP alone, or after pretreatment with PTU for periods of 3 and 12 days. 3. Twenty four hours after acetaminophen treatment alone, toxicity was manifested by: an approximately 10 fold increase in serum transaminase levels (serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase and serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase); depletion of hepatic reduced glutathione (GSH) and ATP levels; loss of inhibitor protein activity, and extensive pericentral necrosis of the hepatocytes. Propylthiouracil pretreatment for 12 days enhanced the concentration of the following metabolites in the liver: ATP (1.5 fold), ATPase inhibitor protein (IF1) (4.5 fold), and reduced glutathione (1.3 fold), while the activity of the inhibitor protein increased 2 fold. When the PTU treated rats were challenged with AAP, transaminases were not elevated, and only sporadic areas of necrosis were detected by histological examination of the liver tissue. In contrast to the 12 day treatment with PTU the 3 day treatment had no protection against AAP. No histological evidence of protection was manifested and the transaminases were not different from AAP treated controls. Most of the protective metabolites were depleted. 4. Our findings suggest that PTU-induced increased concentration of inhibitor protein and GSH, are contributing factors in the prevention of hepatotoxicity by maintaining hepatic m-ATP levels and reducing the harmful effect of the toxic metabolite of AAP.
A Framework for Assessing Military Dress Authenticity in Civil War Reenacting

In the United States, hobby organizations participate in the public reenactment of historical events. The most popular is Civil War reenacting, which can be viewed as a manifestation of the unresolved nature of that war. Interpretation of reenacting has high potential for exploring American sensibilities. Among reenactors, the quest for historical authenticity is considered a core value. To that end, it was the intent of this research to develop a framework to assess the authenticity of reenactor's period military dress. Analysis of dress authenticity is a vehicle for understanding the underlying motivations of participants in the hobby. Demonstrated in the form of a conceptual model, authenticity can be viewed in terms of variables that either contribute to or detract from it. From construction of authenticity, cues can be discerned regarding individual responses to social and cultural conflict. Variation from the authentic can be indicative of the underlying implications of reenactor dress.
Two-dimensional, three-component wave propagation in a transversely isotropic medium with arbitrary-orientation-finite-element modeling

Numerical modeling of seismic waves in transversely isotropic (TI) media is often restricted to special cases where the plane of isotropy coincides with a coordinate plane of the model medium. We remove this special limitation by developing a scheme in which symmetry axes of individual component TI media are oriented arbitrarily with respect to the coordinate axes of the composite model. In these general TI media, the elastic constants for each homogeneous anisotropic region are a 6 × 6 matrix of nonzero elements calculated by an arbitrary rotation. Then, 3-D modeling can readily deal with the coupling of the three components of wave motion. However, required computer memory and execution time may exceed practical limits. Therefore, we implement a finite‐element modeling process for TI media in which elastic properties vary only in two dimensions but component media have planes of isotropy in arbitrary directions. We compute three components of particle motion since the latter are coupled together in thes...
Kinetics of Non-Rapid Eye Movement Delta Production Across Sleep and Waking in Young and Elderly Normal Subjects: Theoretical Implications

Study Objectives: To perform a within-subject analysis of the changes in absolute and normalized rates of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) delta power production across daytime naps and baseline sleep, specifically to determine whether these rates change linearly or exponentially. Design: Subjects were studied in a 2-day protocol after screening for sleep disorders. The first night was a baseline sleep recording that was followed by a nap the next day at one of the following times: 900, 1200, 1500, 1800 with the nap order varied between subjects. Sleep was then recorded on the postnap night with the baseline bedtime schedule. Subjects completed all 4 nap conditions. Setting: A 4-bed sleep research laboratory. Each subject slept in a separate bedroom. Interventions: Not applicable. Participants: Subjects were young normal (YNs, mean age 22.4 yrs) and elderly normal (ENs, mean age 71.4 yrs) adults. Measurements and Results: Electroencephalography was recorded continuously during baseline, nap, and postnap sleep. Fast Fourier transform and period-amplitude analysis and visual scoring were performed. Delta power/min and period-amplitude integrated amplitude/min were significantly lower in EN than YN subjects. Both measures declined linearly across NREM periods and increased linearly across naps in the two age groups. The linear slopes for absolute power and integrated amplitude were significantly flatter in the elderly. However, when normalized to each individual subject’s baseline rate of delta production, the slopes of the ENs closely approximated those of the YNs. Conclusions: The observation of linear changes in delta across NREM periods and daytime naps contradicts the exponential assumptions of the two-process model. The similarity of the normalized slopes shows that waking and sleep exert the same proportionate change in NREM delta in YNs and ENs. This raises the possibility that homeostatic drive is similar in the two groups despite different rates of absolute delta production. The data here, taken in association with other findings, lead us to hypothesize that NREM delta is specifically homeostatic for the neuronal systems that underlie consciousness.
Special Section on Seclusion and Restraint: Encouraging Alternatives to Seclusion, Restraint, and Reliance on PRN Drugs in a Public Psychiatric Hospital

Reliance on seclusion, restraint, and psychotropic PRN (as needed) medication for behavior management has been tied to a variety of untoward outcomes that detract from the quality of care in public psychiatric hospitals. A large body of evidence has accumulated to demonstrate that behavioral approaches to care can provide useful alternatives to reliance on seclusion, restraint, and psychotropic PRN medications. This article draws from the research to outline how behavioral approaches to psychiatric care can assist in realizing alternatives to these restrictive interventions. Strategies to assess the behavioral competence of direct care staff, improve it, and establish ward programmatic structures that facilitate competent behavioral applications are discussed as well as methods to enable expert consultation and demonstrate clinical and administrative support. These steps have had a positive impact in reducing reliance on seclusion, restraint and psychotropic PRN medication in the inpatient psychiatric setting. Given the wealth of supportive data to confirm the value of behavioral applications, there is no excuse for failing to aggressively pursue these options.
Photoselective Laser Vaporization Prostatectomy Versus Transurethral Prostate Resection: A Cost Analysis

Purpose: Laser procedures to treat symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia are becoming more common despite concern for potentially increasing cost burdens often associated with new technologies.Materials and Methods: Actual costs associated with photoselective laser vaporization prostatectomy and transurethral prostate resection were measured using the EPSi™ and TSI (Eclipsys®) hospital cost accounting systems at 2 large tertiary referral centers for the first 12 months that GreenLight HPS™ was performed. Only patients who presented for photoselective laser vaporization prostatectomy or transurethral prostate resection as the principal treatment during the hospital visit were included in study.Results: A total of 250 men underwent transurethral prostate resection and 220 underwent photoselective laser vaporization prostatectomy, including 194 (78%) and 209 (95%), respectively, treated on an outpatient basis with less than 23 hours of hospitalization. Overall costs of laser vaporization were lower than t...
Sustained improvement in clinical preventive service delivery among independent primary care practices after implementing electronic health record systems.

Introduction Studies showing sustained improvements in the delivery of clinical preventive services are limited. Fewer studies demonstrate sustained improvements among independent practices that are not affiliated with hospitals or integrated health systems. This study examines the continued improvement in clinical quality measures for a group of independent primary care practices using electronic health records (EHRs) and receiving technical support from a local public health agency.
Synthesis and polymerization of ethyl α-chloromethylacrylate and related derivatives

Ethyl α-hydroxymethylacrylate (EHMA) was synthesized from ethyl acrylate and paraformaldehyde, and converted to ethyl α-chloromethylacrylate (ECMA) by reaction with thionyl chloride. ECMA was bulk polymerized at 65°C with α,α′-azobis(isobutyronitrile) (AIBN) to give a homopolymer with a viscosity of 0.084 dL/g. Spontaneous polymerization at ambient temperature surprisingly gave material with an intrinsic viscosity of 0.45 dL/g. Combined size exclusion chromatography-laser light scattering in THF for the former gave Mn = 21,900, Mw = 26,500, and Mz = 34,340 with a dn/dc = 0.079 mL/g. The homopolymer of ECMA was substituted with octadecyl mercaptan in THF using solid NaOH and Aliquat 336 as base and catalyst, respectively. Copolymers of ECMA with styrene were synthesized by free radical polymerization with relatively high conversion. Copolymer compositions were determined using proton NMR and were found to be similar to feed ratios as expected for high conversion products. Both copolymers were reacted with 2-ethyl-2-oxazoline (1:50 mole ratio) in an attempt to graft the oxazoline onto the polymer chain with only limited success. Two potential monomers were synthesized by reacting ECMA with 2-ethyl-2-oxazoline neat and octadecyl mercaptan in CHCl3 using triethylamine as a catalyst. Neither material polymerized under normal radical conditions. Characterization of monomers and polymers involved FTIR and 13C NMR spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, viscosity, and size exclusion chromatography-laser light scattering.
Aquatic insect assemblages associated with subalpine stream segment types in relict glaciated headwaters

Aquatic habitats and biotic assemblages in subalpine headwaters are sensitive to climate and human impacts. Understanding biotic responses to such perturbations and the contribution of high-elevation headwaters to riverine biodiversity requires the assessment of assemblage composition among habitat types. We compared aquatic insect assemblages among headwater stream segment types in relict glaciated subalpine basins in Mt. Rainier National Park, Washington, USA. Aquatic insects were collected during summer and autumn in three headwater basins. In each basin, three different stream segment types were sampled: colluvial groundwater sources, alluvial lake inlets, and cascade-bedrock lake outlets. Ward's hierarchical cluster analysis revealed high β diversity in aquatic insect assemblages, and non-metric multidimensional scaling indicated that spatial and temporal patterns in assemblage composition differed among headwater stream segment types. Aquatic insect assemblages showed more fidelity to stream segment types than to individual basins, and the principal environmental variables associated with assemblage structure were temperature and substrate. Indicator species analyses identified specific aquatic insects associated with each stream segment type. Several rare and potentially endemic aquatic insect taxa were present, including the recently described species, Lednia borealis (Baumann and Kondratieff). Our results indicate that aquatic insect assemblages in relict glaciated subalpine headwaters were strongly differentiated among stream segment types. These results illustrate the contribution of headwaters to riverine biodiversity and emphasise the importance of these habitats for monitoring biotic responses to climate change. Monitoring biotic assemblages in high-elevation headwaters is needed to prevent the potential loss of unique and sensitive biota.
A Behavioral Self-Report Technique for Assessing Conflict in Close Relationships

This paper describes the development of a behavioral self-report measure of conflict in everyday life. The method entails using a structured disagreement record to track conflicts as they occur on a daily basis. This record assesses information such as the length of the disagreement, who initiated the disagreement and time of day as well as assessments of the intensity, resolution and stability of the conflict. These disagreement records were used in a longitudinal study of twenty-five dating couples; results indicate that dimensions of conflict as described on the disagreement records were related to both global properties of the relationship (for example, love, ambivalence) and relationship continuance versus noncontinuance.
Model-based compressive diffusion tensor imaging

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) technique that can reveal in vivo tissue microstructure by measuring diffusion of water in tissue. DTI has become an important tool in many clinical applications, such as assessment of white matter maturation, locating white matter lesions, and providing anatomical connectivity information. However, DTI usually requires long examination times due to the repetitive nature of the acquisition and is very sensitive to motion. These drawbacks have become the largest obstacles to full utilization of DTI. In this work, we propose to overcome these obstacles by using a model-based compressive imaging approach. Our approach consist of models to efficiently represent diffusion-encoded images and the corresponding recovery schemes based on compressive sensing (CS) principles. Our results indicate that the proposed model-based approach can allow reliable recovery of DTI signal from undersampled measurements and outperforms conventional CS recovery.
Thrombophilic coagulopathies and pregnancy-associated cerebrovascular disease

Abstract The risk of stroke is increased during pregnancy and the puerperium. Individual thrombophilic disorders of coagulation cause either cerebral arterial ischemia or cerebral venous thrombosis or both. This review collects the literature concerning pregnancy-associated strokes due to hereditary deficiencies of antithrombin III, protein C and protein S, plus homocystinuria, polycythaemia, thrombocythaemia, paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria, antiphospholipid antibodies and compensated chronic disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). A hereditary deficiency of an antithrombotic factor is less frequently the cause of cerebrovascular disease than many physicians would surmise. Conditions affecting multiple small arteries are associated with placental insufficiency and fetal wastage. The use of an oral contraceptive is an additional risk factor for stroke. The conclusion is a discussion of the role of DIC in the neuropathology of eclampsia which is primarily due to hypertensive encephalopathy in previously normotensive young women.
The Term Structure of Interest Rates

This paper reviews the term structure of interest rates literature relating to the arbitrage-free pricing and hedging of interest rate derivatives. Term structure theory is emphasized. Topics included are the HJM model, forward and futures contracts, the expectations hypothesis, and the pricing of caps/floors. Directions for future research are discussed.