cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A new methodology for computing crack opening values from finite element analyses

Abstract Finite element analyses are frequently used to model growing fatigue cracks and the associated plasticity-induced crack closure. A new methodology is presented to calculate crack opening values in planar geometries using the crack surface nodal force distribution under minimum loading as determined from finite element analyses. The calculated crack opening values are compared with values obtained using finite element analysis and more conventional crack opening assessment methodologies, which focus on a single node near the crack tip. The new method eliminates the need to arbitrarily select a single node when defining the opening load or stress.
Passive CO2 removal using a carbon fiber composite molecular sieve

Abstract Manufacture and characterization of a carbon fiber composite molecular sieve (CFCMS), and its efficacy as a CO 2 gas adsorbent are reported. The CFCMS consists of an isotropic pitch derived carbon fiber and a phenolic resin derived carbon binder. Activation (selective gasification) of the CFCMS creates microporosity in the carbon fibers, yielding high micropore volumes (>0.5 cm 3 /g) and BET surface areas (>1000 m 2 /g). Moreover, the CFCMS material is a rigid, strong, monolith with an open structure that allows the free-flow of fluids through the material. This combination of properties provides an adsorbent material that has several distinct advantages over granular adsorbents in gas separation systems such as pressure swing adsorption (PSA) units. The results of our initial evaluations of the CO 2 adsorption capacity and kinetics of CFCMS are reported. The room temperature CO 2 adsorption capacity of CFCMS is >120 mg of CO 2 per g of CFCMS. A proposed project is described that targets the development, over a three-year period, of a demonstration separation system based on CFCMS for the removal of CO 2 from a flue gas slip stream at a coal-fired power plant. The proposed program would be conducted jointly with industrial and utility partners.
Rotary wing brown-out symbology: the DVEST test

Military helicopter operations encounter degraded visual environments (DVE) on a regular basis. A DVE exists when conditions of low visibility, including those caused by rotor downwash in sand/dust ("brown-out"), snow ("whiteout"/ snowball) or water, obscure both horizon and terrain features. DVE conditions have contributed to the loss of numerous helicopter crews and vehicles in desert operations, including a CH-146 crash during take-off. In Canadian helicopter operations over the past 25 years, "snowball" related events (2 accidents and 54 incidents) outnumbered brown-out related events. A NATO Task Group suggested that specific landing symbology systems could provide an immediate short-term solution that will improve situation awareness and reduce the occurrence of mishaps. This paper describes two symbology systems that were developed and the planned evaluation of these under the Degraded Visual Environment Solution for TacHel (DVEST) Program.
Hemangiomas and vascular malformations: Analysis of diagnostic accuracy

Objectives To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy and satisfaction of patient or family (or both) in the evaluation of hemangiomas and other vascular malformations. Study Design Prospective, relational database. Methods Ninety-eight patients participated in a prospective, Institutional Review Board–approved, relational database study in the Hemangioma and Vascular Birthmark Center at the Children's Hospital of Buffalo (Buffalo, NY) from July 1998 to April 2000. This included 68 patients with hemangiomas and 30 with vascular malformations. Data regarding presenting and final diagnosis and satisfaction of patient or family (or both) were obtained. Results Analysis of diagnostic accuracy revealed a concurrence between initial and final combined clinical and magnetic resonance imaging–based diagnosis in only 37% of cases. Analysis of patient and family satisfaction with the care received from previous consultants revealed only 26% “entirely” satisfied, 26% “somewhat” satisfied, and 37% “not at all” satisfied. On average, 2.5 (SD = 1.6; range, 1–9; median, 2) different physicians saw the patient before the patient or family (or both) was satisfied. Conclusions Accurate diagnosis of hemangiomas and vascular malformations remains a challenge for physicians. Confusing terminology, lack of knowledge regarding lesion behavior, and poorly understood diagnostic criteria by physicians are some of the reasons for patient frustration. Education of primary care providers through improved communication helps to optimize a coordinated, interdisciplinary approach to patients and their families who present with vascular anomalies.
Enhanced absorption and dissolution of reserpine from reserpine—polyvinylpyrrolidone coprecipitates

Abstract The in vivo absorption patterns of pure reserpine, a 1:5 w/w reserpine-polyvinylpyrrolidone physical mixture, and a 1:5 w/w reserpine-polyvinylpyrrolidone coprecipitate were compared by following the cumulative amounts of reserpine equivalents excreted in the urine as a function of time. The results of these urinary excretion studies demonstrated that both the rate and extent of absorption of reserpine in the rat were significantly enhanced following the oral administration of the coprecipitate; the fraction of the oral dose absorbed was three times greater with the 1:5 reserpine-polyvinylpyrrolidone coprecipitate than with either the pure drug or the 1:5 reserpine-polyvinylpyrrolidone physical mixture. The in vitro dissolution characteristics of the three test preparations at 37° correlated very well with the in vivo absorption data.
Differences in herbicide adsorption on soil using several soil ph modification techniques

Abstract Effects of soil pH on weak acid and weak base herbicide adsorption by soil are often determined by modifying soil pH in the laboratory. Modification of soil pH with acidic or basic amendments such as HCl or NaOH can cause changes in the soil‐solution system that may affect pesticide adsorption. The partition coefficients (Kd) for atrazine and dicamba by Waukegan, Piano, and Walla Walla silt loam soils stabilized in the field at different pH levels were compared to the Kd obtained when the soil pH was adjusted with acidic or basic amendments before herbicide addition. NaOH addition to raise soil pH generally increased the soluble soil organic carbon (SSOC) concentration in solution compared to field soils at the same pH and to soil treated with Ca(OH)2. NaOH decreased the soil solution ionic strength slightly. Acidifying soils increased the soil solution ionic strength, when compared to field soils at the same pH and had no effect on SSOC concentration. Dicamba adsorption to soil was minimal (Kd <...
1599 PNEUMOCOCCAL VACCINATION IN PATIENTS WITH ACTIVE NEPHROTIC SYNDROME (NS)

Patients with NS have a decreased antibody (Ab) levels to pneumococcal vaccine when immunized during relapse. Previous studies have not differentiated between IgM and IgG responses and thus, it is not known if the decreased Ab levels are due to an inability to respond or to Ab losses in the urine. To answer these questions we have studied the IgG and IgM Ab responses to Types 3 and 19 pneumococcal polysaccharides in 11 patients (ages 2 5/12 - 21 years; median 9 years) with active NS and fifteen normal adult controls. Both nephrotics and controls had significant increases in serum IgM Ab to Types 3 and 19 with immunization. There was no difference in post-immunization geometric mean titers of IgM Ab to either Type 3 or 19. While normals also demonstrated a significant rise in IgG Ab to both Types 3 and 19, the nephrotic patients had IgG increased only to Type 3. Further, post-immunization geometric mean titers of IgG Ab to both Types 3 and 19 were lower in nephrotic patients compared to normals (p<0.01). A significant correlation was found in nephrotic patients between serum albumin and Type 3 (p<0.01) and 19 (p<0.05) IgG pneumococcal Ab concentrations. “Protective” Type 3 IgG antipneumococcal Abs were found in 4/10 nephrotic and 15/15 controls. Patients with active NS are able to mount a normal IgM immune response to pneumococcal antigens. However, since protective IgG levels are not achieved, these data cast doubt as to the efficacy of the vaccine in patients immunized during relapse.
Gender differences in cardiovascular reactivity.

Pronounced cardiovascular reactivity to stress is a behavioral mechanism that may underlie the pathophysiology of coronary heart disease (CHD). Based on the greater incidence of CHD among males than among females, the purpose of the current investigation was to test the hypothesis that in young adults (ages 17–29), males (n=47) show more cardiovascular reactivity than females (n=61) to two stressors, a video game and cigarette smoking. Five of the six comparisons did not support the hypothesis: females were higher on heart rate and diastolic blood pressure reactivity to both Stressors; males were higher on systolic blood pressure reactivity to the video game only. The results suggest that females may be particularly physiologically reactive to cigarette smoking.
Fearing yellow, imagining white: media analysis of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882

The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was a watershed event in the context of race, nation, and the law because it denied Chinese immigration into the USA for over 80 years. This paper analyses the media coverage of the Chinese in the San Francisco Chronicle during the year of the Act's passage. The theoretical framework of ‘Purity and Danger’ provides a starting point in analyzing how whiteness and nation are constructed as ‘pure’, while Chinese immigration is constructed as a ‘danger’ within a symbolic, racial and political manner. Discourse analysis was applied to the data for an intersectional investigation of race, class, gender, and nation, to determine how the discourse is organized thematically, as well as uncover ideological meanings in relation to how ‘fearing yellow’ also reflected ‘imaging white’ in media discourse.
Does Regulation Matter?: Evaluating the Effects of State Air Pollution Control Programs

Air pollution emissions have declined significantly since the passage of the Clean Air Act (CAA) of 1970. Most policy observers have gone on to infer that the CAA has been the cause of these emissions reductions, though this claim has not received close empirical examination. In short, while air pollution emissions have been reduced, we do not know if these reductions are the result of pollution control regulation. In an effort to expand the study of policy outcomes, this article evaluates the effects various regulatory efforts have had on state air quality. The contention set forth here is that the strength of a state's air quality programs, along with other variables representing a political commitment to pollution control, have significant effects upon air pollutant emission levels. Using multiple regression and path analysis, these effects of regulation are apparent even when controlling for changes in economic activity, economic infrastructure, and fuel consumption, enabling us to conclude that in ai...
Water Splitting by Aluminum Powder Obtained From Foil

The reaction of aluminum with water has the potential for on demand hydrogen generation. Conventional aluminum powders, however, react with water slowly due to a highly protective oxide layer on the particle surface. The present paper investigates the preparation of an activated aluminum powder from aluminum foil that is widely available as scrap and waste. The obtained results demonstrate that a highly reactive, fine aluminum powder can be obtained from aluminum foil by high-energy ball milling with sodium chloride. The obtained powder readily reacts with hot water, releasing hydrogen. The process includes the induction period, the middle stage where the reaction rate is the highest, and the final (saturation) stage. The effective activation energy of the reaction rate at the middle stage is in a good agreement with the literature data for Al-H2O reaction.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Philosophy as Self-Knowledge

An autobiographical account is offered of how the medical study of self (immunology) became a chapter in the philosophical study of human agency (from Nietzsche and Thoreau to Freud by way of Wittgenstein). Whether viewed scientifically or philosophically, several themes converge on the intractable instability of any notion of selfhood—epistemological or moral. How this problematic motivated an extended analysis of selfhood refracts the psychology of the author and his pursuit of philosophy as self‐knowledge.
Repeated amphetamine administration alters AMPA receptor subunit expression in rat nucleus accumbens and medial prefrontal cortex

Glutamate is critical for the induction and maintenance of behavioral sensitization and associated neuroadaptations in the mesocorticolimbic dopamine (DA) system. We have shown previously [Lu et al. (1997) Synapse 26:269-280] that repeated amphetamine administration alters AMPA receptor subunit mRNA levels in rat nucleus accumbens (NAc) and medial prefrontal cortex (PFC). The present study determined if amphetamine elicits corresponding changes in AMPA receptor subunit immunolabeling. Rats were injected with amphetamine sulphate (5 mg/kg/day) or saline for 5 days and perfused 3 or 14 days after the last injection. AMPA receptor subunit immunolabeling was quantified using autoradiographic immunocytochemistry. In the NAc, GluR1 and GluR2 immunolabeling were unchanged after 3 days of withdrawal, but both were decreased significantly after 14 days of withdrawal (GluR1, 85.5+/-2.6% of control group, P<0.01; GluR2, 79.2+/-3.2%, P<0.01). Analysis of core and shell subregions at the 14-day withdrawal time indicated that GluR1 immunolabeling decreased significantly in shell, while GluR2 immunolabeling decreased significantly in both core and shell. No changes in GluR2/3, GluR2/4, or GluR4 immunolabeling in NAc were found at either withdrawal time. In the PFC, GluR1 immunolabeling increased after 3 days of withdrawal (115.3+/-7.0%, P<0.01) but returned to control levels after 14 days. The present results correspond well with our previous findings at the mRNA level. These alterations in AMPA receptor expression may account for previously described changes in the electrophysiological responsiveness of NAc and PFC neurons to glutamate and AMPA. Along with alterations in DA function, they may contribute to drug-induced dysregulation of reward-related neurotransmission.
Identification of a histamine release inhibitory factor (HRIF) and an inhibitor of histamine releasing factor synthesis (IHS) produced by guinea pig lymphoid cells.

Abstract Guinea pig spleen cells, thymocytes, and blood mononuclear cells have been shown to produce a histamine releasing factor (HRF) spontaneously or after stimulation with PHA or specific antigens. In this study we have shown that antigenic stimulation of spleen cells obtained from animals immunized with high doses of antigen suppresses the spontaneous HRF production. Likewise, stimulation with Con A of spleen cells also inhibits the spontaneous HRF production. When the supernatants from Con A- and antigen-stimulated cultures were added to fresh thymocyte cultures, a significant inhibition of HRF production was observed. These supernatants also inhibited HRF-induced histamine release from mast cells. We have identified an inhibitor of HRF synthesis (IHS) and also a histamine release inhibitory factor (HRIF) by gel chromatography. Virtually all mitogen- and antigen-stimulated culture supernatants elaborated the activities of HRF, IHS, and HRIF in various quantities depending on the dose of antigen and the kind of adjuvant used for immunization. IHS has a MW of 22K-35K and 10K. This cytokine also inhibits DNA synthesis by thymocytes. HRIF has a MW of 15K–20K. and 10K. It inhibits both HRF- and antigen-induced histamine release from lung mast cells. These results suggest that lymphocytes produce a variety of factors which function to regulate histamine release from mast Cells.
Weakly nonlinear models for turbulent mixing in a plane mixing layer

New closure models for turbulent free shear flows are presented in this paper. They are based on a weakly nonlinear theory with a description of the dominant large‐scale structures as instability waves. Two models are presented that describe the evolution of the free shear flows in terms of the time‐averaged mean flow and the dominant large‐scale turbulent structure. The local characteristics of the large‐scale motions are described using linear theory. Their amplitude is determined from an energy integral analysis. The models have been applied to the study of an incompressible mixing layer. For both models, predictions of the mean flow development are made. In the second model, predictions of the time‐dependent motion of the large‐scale structures in the mixing layer are made. The predictions show good agreement with experimental observations.
The role of p34 kinases in the G1 to S-phase transition.

INTRODUCTION/OVERVIEW. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 529 G 1 TO S-PHASE CONTROL IN YEAST ...... : 530 The Concept of START . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 530 The Cdc28 Protein Kinase .. ... .... ..... .... ... ... .. ... . . ... ... .. .. . 531 Yeast G1 Cyclins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 532 The Dynamics of Yeast G1 Cyclins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 534 Regulation and Deregulation of the Cell Cycle by Gl Cyclins ... . .. ..... ... .. 535 Regulation ofG1 Cyclin Biosynthesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 536 Other Gl Cyclins in S. cerevisiae . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .. _ ... . . . . . . _ _ _ . . . . . . . . . . 538 G 1 Substrates of the Cdc28 Kinase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 539 Other Elements Involved in GI Control ... ... ...... _ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 541 An S-phase Role for Cdc28? . . . _ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 541 Gl to S-phnse Control in Fission Yeast . . _ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 542 THE Gl TO S-PHASE TRANSITION IN METAZOANS........ 543 Embryonic Cell Cycles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 544 GlIS-phase Control in Somatic Cells in Tissue Culture 545 Participation of p34 Kinases in the Gl to S-phase Transition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 547 Novel Cyclins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 548 Gl versus S-phase Functions 550
PET-guided IMRT for cervical carcinoma with positive para-aortic lymph nodes-a dose-escalation treatment planning study.

Abstract Purpose: To evaluate a treatment planning method for dose escalation to the para-aortic lymph nodes (PALNs) based on positron emission tomography (PET) with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for cervical cancer patients with PALN involvement. One goal of this process was not to modify the traditional treatment of the pelvic region. Methods and Materials: PET images for 4 cervical cancer patents with PALN involvement were registered with their corresponding CT scans. Positive PALNs were identified on PET images, and the surrounding critical structures were delineated on CT images. The treatment machine central axis (CAX) was placed at the level of the L4-L5 vertebral body interspace. There were two distinct treatment regions: the para-aortic bed superior to the CAX and the whole pelvis region inferior to the CAX. IMRT was used for treatment planning of PALN bed irradiation. The positive PALNs identified on PET images were defined as the gross target volume, and the para-aortic bed was defined as the clinical target volume. The radiation doses were escalated from the conventional 45 Gy to 59.4 Gy for the gross target volume and 50.4 Gy for the clinical target volume in 33 fractions. The pelvis area was treated with conventional treatment methods, AP-PA beams to 50.4 Gy in 28 fractions with a brachytherapy implant boost. The placement of the CAX allowed the two treatment regions to be abutted using the treatment machine's independent jaws. Results: Dose escalation to positive PALNs, as identified on PET images, and the PALN bed is feasible with IMRT. Treatment plans for 4 patients revealed that escalated prescription doses could be delivered to target volumes while maintaining acceptable doses to the surrounding critical structures. Strategic placement of the treatment isocenter allows the IMRT region (PALN bed) and whole pelvis fields to be treated with a relatively uniform dose distribution in the abutment region. Conclusion: This study indicates that PET-guided IMRT could be used in a clinical trial in an attempt to escalate doses delivered to patients with cervical cancer who have positive PALNs.
Japan's Energy Angst: Asia's Changing Energy Prospects and the View from Tokyo

Tokyo looks at energy security differently than does Washington, or other major global capitals. This persistent and deepening reality—so incongruously at odds with the continual affirmations of so...
Subcritical Water Chromatography with Flame Ionization Detection

A chromatographic method has been developed that allows subcritical (hot/liquid) water to be used as a mobile phase for packed-column reverse-phase LC with solute detection by flame ionization detection. Detection limits (S/N > 3:1 for butanol) of 1 ng were achieved with water flows of 20 and 50 μL/min and 5 ng with flows ranging from 100 to 200 μL/min. Quantitative determinations of ethanol in alcoholic beverages are in excellent agreement with label values and replicate injections have RSDs of ∼2%. Increasing the column temperature lowers the dielectric constant (polarity) of water, decreases the elution time, and improves the peak shape for compounds ranging from alcohols to hydroxy-substituted benzenes to amino acids. Temperature programming up to 175 °C can be used to improve separations and decrease analysis times.
Risk-pooling over demand uncertainty in the presence of product modularity

Abstract In this paper, we study the effect of risk-pooling over demand uncertainty of multiple products sharing product modularity in a two-echelon distribution system. The distribution system consists of a distribution center and n retailers, each of which supplies random demand for m products. The modular product design provides management an opportunity for using the most capable product, which is also the most expensive, as joint buffer stock to substitute for other products when a stockout occurs at a retailer. We develop models to study the effect of retailer joint buffer stock on the system's expected operating costs, including buffer stock holding costs, backorder costs, and purchasing costs. The results indicate that substantial savings are possible through employment of joint buffer stock. The cost reduction depends critically upon the customer service level desired, as well as the diverse degree of variance in end-of-period net inventory across all products and all retailers. Our study provides managerial insights into basic effects of risk-pooling over demand uncertainty through product modularity.
Privacy and Electronic Monitoring in the Workplace: A Model of Managerial Cognition and Relational Trust Development

This paper explores the impact of experience at the current organization, prior experience at other organizations, and individual propensity to trust on workplace electronic monitoring and trust formation between employees and management. Taking a cognitive approach, these relationships are investigated through the lens of cognitive categorization theory. The paper discusses trustworthiness as the category label of a group of traits and behaviors that subsequently leads to lower levels of turnover, increased organizational commitment, and lower levels of electronic monitoring. Organizational and individual level outcomes are explored with respect to electronic monitoring procedures in organizations. The discussion focuses on implications for practice and future research as well as several ethical and managerial implications, and provides recommendations regarding implementation of electronic monitoring systems for managers.
Explosive shock loading of alpha-Si3N4 powder

Alpha-Si3N4 powders were explosively shock loaded at levels of 260 and 570 kbar pressure. Specimens exhibited densification without additives into the 93 to 98% dense range as a result of shock-induced consolidation. X-ray line broadening investigations indicated that significant residual, internal strain levels of the order of 0.4% were developed in the densified material. Hardness and indentation fracture toughness values for shock-densified regions were nearly equivalent to those for ultra-high-pressure hot-pressed Si3N4 without densification aids.
Propagation of chaos and the Hopf-Cole transformation

It was shown in [2] that Burgers' equation can be obtained as a contraction of a certain N-body problem when N -> ~. Using this result we derive a variant of the Hopf-Cole transformation.
Implications of the lack of accuracy of the lifetime rodent bioassay for predicting human carcinogenicity.

Abstract The NTP lifetime rodent bioassay (LRB) is the “gold standard” for predicting human carcinogenicity. Unfortunately, little attempt has been made to validate it against human carcinogenicity. Here we show that the extremely limited data available do not support either of the two common interpretations of LRB results. If a risk-avoidance interpretation is used where any positive result in a sex/species combination is considered positive, 9 of the 10 known human carcinogens tested are positive, but an implausible 22% of all chemicals are positive. If a less risk averse interpretation is used where only chemicals positive in both rats and mice are considered positive, only 3 of the 6 known human carcinogens tested are positive. In either interpretation, some known human carcinogens are not positive in the LRB, potentially allowing widespread human exposure to misidentified chemicals. Improving the predictive accuracy of the LRB and other tests for human carcinogenicity requires that test results be validated against the known human carcinogenicity of chemicals. This will require redirecting available resources from screening chemicals to validating carcinogenicity tests as well as a substantial investment in epidemiology to identify more known human carcinogens and presumed human non-carcinogens.
Preconcentration and determination of Pb2+ at an AlPO4 containing carbon paste electrode

Abstract In this paper, the analytical performance of a AlPO4 containing chemically modified electrode (CME) for Pb2+ preconcentration and quantitation will be discussed. The electrode employed was prepared simply by the addition of an appropriate quantity of sparingly soluble AlPO4 as a modifier to a conventional carbon paste mixture. This procedure yielded stable, reproducible CME surfaces which exhibited an efficient uptake of Pb2+, presumably as the even less soluble Pb3(PO4)2, in the presence of large excesses of Zn(II), Cd(II), Sn(II), Cu(II), Ag(I), and Ni(II). Detection at the sub-micromolar level was possible with a 5-min preconcentration. Uncertainties in the detected quantities were generally less than 5%.
The sluice gate

Consider the two-dimensional irrotational steady flow of an incompressible inviscid fluid under no body forces between two infinite horizontal planes. When a vertical wall which intersects the upper plane is introduced in the flow, the fluid will flow under the wall and will be bounded above by a free streamline along which the pressure is constant. This configuration is called a sluice gate. At infinity the flow will be uniform and parallel with input velocity V and exit velocity U.
Computer-simulation analysis of the ESR spectra of V-type centers in irradiated heavy-metal fluoride glasses

Computer line-shape simulations were carried out on the electron-spin-resonance spectra of several heavy-metal fluoride glasses following exposure to ioniziong radiation at cryogenic temperatures. The primary objects of this study were certain spectra circumstantially attributable to holes trapped on a cluster of two or more inequivalent fluoride or foreign halide ions. The earlier attribution of certain spectral features to ${\mathrm{FCl}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ and ${\mathrm{FBr}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ species was confirmed in Cl- and Br-doped glasses, respectively, although the simulations show that ${\mathrm{FCl}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ in the glasses has a structure quite different from the same species in mixed alkali halide crystals. Two other spectra---universally observed in irradiated glasses composed of ${\mathrm{ZrF}}_{4}$ (or ${\mathrm{HfF}}_{4}$), ${\mathrm{BaF}}_{2}$, and virtually any number of other fluoride constituents---were also examined in detail. The previous assignment of one of these spectral components to ${\mathrm{F}}_{2}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ molecular ions is sustained, although the specific nature of these defects is now argued to be interstitial fluorine atoms in configurations analogous to ${\mathit{V}}_{\mathit{K}\mathit{A}}$ and ${\mathit{V}}_{\mathit{H}}$ centers (rather than ${\mathit{V}}_{\mathit{K}}$ centers) in the alkaline-earth fluorides. The second ubiquitous component, which was previously ascribed to ``interstitial ${\mathit{F}}^{0}$,'' is demonstrated to arise from an ${\mathrm{F}}_{3}^{2\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ species similar to the ${\mathit{V}}_{\mathit{t}}$ center in LiF. The ${\mathrm{F}}_{2}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ and ${\mathrm{F}}_{3}^{2\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ can be thought of as ``on-center'' and ``off-center'' configurations of the interstitial fluorine atom, and it appears that the former may undergo a thermal transmutation into the latter.
Selective Postnatal Development of Na,K-Activated-Adenosinetriphosphatase in Rabbit Kidneys:

SummaryRenal ATPase activity was measured in rabbits of different ages. Total Na,K-activated; Mg-dependent-ATPase activity increased gradually with age from newborn to adult. Mg-dependent-ATPase, however, remained essentially unchanged and equivalent to the adult level during development. Na,K-activated-ATPase was nearly absent at birth and at 5 weeks of age approached levels comparable to those of the adult. The increase in total ATPase activity was due to this selective increase in the Na,K-activated component. The development of Na,K-activated-ATPase activity correlates well with the reported maturation of renal transport mechanisms for amino acids, p-aminohippuric acid, and sodium ion during the perinatal period.
Serotyping of Listeria monocytogenes by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay and Identification of Mixed-Serotype Cultures by Colony Immunoblotting

Routine analysis of Listeria monocytogenes by serotyping using traditional agglutination methods is limited in use because of the expense and limited availability of commercially prepared antisera and intra- and interlaboratory discrepancies arising from differences in antiserum preparation and visual determination of agglutination. We have adapted a commercially available set of L. monocytogenes antisera to an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) format for high-throughput, low-cost serotype determination. Rather than subjective visualization of agglutination, positive antigen and antiserum reactions were scored by a quantitative, colorimetric reaction. ELISA serotyping of 89 of 101 L. monocytogenes isolates agreed with slide agglutination serotyping data, and 100 previously uncharacterized isolates were serotyped unambiguously by the ELISA method. In addition, mixed-serotype cultures of L. monocytogenes were identified by a colony immunoblot procedure, in which serogroup 1/2 and serogroup 4 colonies were discriminated by differential staining.
Application of complementary analytical tools to support interpretation of polymer-electrolyte-membrane fuel cell impedance data

Abstract A series of ex situ techniques, including scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy were used to study morphological and chemical changes associated with the aging of a membrane electrode assembly in a polymer-electrolyte-membrane fuel cell. These results were correlated with the results of in situ electrochemical measurements, including measurement of steady-state polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results support the premise that the low-frequency inductive features seen in the impedance response provide information useful for understanding phenomena, such as platinum oxidation, that lead to reduction of fuel cell performance. The reduction in electrochemically active surface area, obtained from the high-frequency part of the impedance response, was consistent with the observed agglomeration of platinum particles and platinum oxidation.
Rare isotope production in statistical multifragmentation

Producing rare isotopes through statistical multifragmentation is investigated using the Mekjian method for exact solutions of the canonical ensemble. Both the initial fragmentation and the sequential decay are modeled in such a way as to avoid Monte Carlo and thus provide yields for arbitrarily scarce fragments. The importance of sequential decay, exact particle-number conservation and the sensitivities to parameters such as density and temperature are explored. Recent measurements of isotope ratios from the fragmentation of different Sn isotopes are interpreted within this picture.
Oxidative Stress in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

We investigated the hippocampus and parahippocampal cortex of victims of sudden infant death syndrome and of age-matched infants dying acutely of known causes (non-sudden infant death syndrome controls). Tissue sections were investigated for the presence of neurons expressing signs of elevated levels of free radical using immunohistochemical markers for superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase. Brain tissues displayed immunopositive neurons in every infant. In control infants, an age-related decline in the number of superoxide dismutase- and glutathione peroxidase-immunoreactive neurons was apparent in the hippocampus and parahippocampal cortex. Significantly increased numbers of immunoreactive neurons were found in victims of sudden infant death syndrome under 6 months of age compared to age-matched controls. This suggests that infants who later become victims of sudden infant death syndrome may experience antemortem periods of oxidative stress, elevated levels of free radicals, and compensatory u...
On the interaction of clocks, power, and synchronization in duty-cycled embedded sensor nodes

The efficiency of the time synchronization service in wireless sensor networks is tightly connected to the design of the radio, the quality of the clocking hardware, and the synchronization algorithm employed. While improvements can be made on all levels of the system, over the last few years most work has focused on the algorithmic level to minimize message exchange and in radio architectures to provide accurate time-stamping mechanisms. Surprisingly, the influences of the underlying clock system and its impact on the overall synchronization accuracy has largely been unstudied.In this work, we investigate the impact of the clocking subsystem on the time synchronization service and address, in particular, the influence of changes in environmental temperature on clock drift in highly duty-cycled wireless sensor nodes. We also develop formulas that help the system architect choose the optimal resynchronization period to achieve a given synchronization accuracy. We find that the synchronization accuracy has a two region behavior. In the first region, the synchronization accuracy is limited by quantization error, while int he second region changes in environmental temperature impact the achievable accuracy. We verify our analytic results in simulation and real hardware experiments.
Successful Balloon Counterpulsation for Right Ventricular Failure

We used pulmonary arterial balloon counterpulsation to treat successfully a patient with severe right ventricular failure following mitral valve replacement. The balloon was placed through a vascular graft sutured as a diverticulum to the main pulmonary artery.
Simple and Inexpensive Preparation of Long-lasting Insecticidal Nets Via Co-adsorption of Pyrethroid and Oligomer:

Insecticide-treated bed nets, or Long-Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs), are valuable tools in the effort to control mosquitoes (Anopheles gambiae), the carriers of the malaria parasite, in Africa. Insecticide (pyrethroid) is retained by LLINs when subjected to washing, which allows for their long-term effectiveness. A simple and inexpensive method for preparing LLINs based upon the co-adsorption of the pyrethroid deltamethrin and oligomer or monomer when commercial nets are dipped in aqueous solution is described here. An aqueous solution of monomer, 2-hydroxy ethyl methacrylate, or its oligomers, was first prepared. The net was soaked in the aqueous solution for a few minutes, then subjected to the removal of its excess water. The majority of experiments involved in situ oligomerization by exposing the treated net to sunlight and warm ambient temperatures. LLINs synthesized in the laboratory as such retained 70— 90 % of their ability to kill mosquitoes after six successive washes and 70 % of their original deltamethrin content, both benchmarks of which were comparable to the performance of 1ˢᵗ generation commercial LLIN products. A cost analysis indicated that chemicals required for the derivatization solution would cost only an additional 1.15 USD beyond that of the pyrethroid. The approach developed here to prepare LLINs from local or selected sources of bed nets and insecticide agents allows for their preparation in remote settings, would reduce costs, and simplify the transportation and distribution compared to employing commercial LLINs prepared abroad, and may also be valuable for modifying military, agricultural, and outdoor sports textiles.
Cyclosporine A and prednisolone inhibit lectin- and alloantigen-induced release of sCD8: Correlation with proliferative responses

It has been shown previously that there is a strong correlation between the in vitro release of soluble CD8 glycoprotein (sCD8) and CD8+ T lymphocyte activation. In the present study, the lectin stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) induced a dose-dependent release of sCD8 which correlated with the magnitude of CD8 lymphocyte activation as measured by the expression of the interleukin 2 (IL-2) receptor and HLA-DR antigen and of the T cell proliferative responses. Both the proliferative responses and the release of sCD8 were inhibited by cyclosporine A (CyA) and prednisolone (PRED) in a concentration-dependent manner. When the immunosuppressants were present for only 60 min before the initiation of the cultures, an inhibitory effect was also seen, but this was maximal only when the agents were added at the initiation of the culture period; when the addition of CyA or PRED was delayed for either 24 or 48 hr after the initiation of the culture, the degree of inhibition of the proliferative response was greatly reduced. However, there was a significant inhibition of sCD8 release by CyA even when it was added 48 hr after the culture initiation. The addition of recombinant IL-2 did not affect the lectin-induced sCD8 release. The inhibition of the lectin-induced proliferative response and sCD8 release by PRED, but not that by CyA, was reversed by the recombinant IL-2. Alloantigen stimulation also induced sCD8 release and this release was inhibited both by CyA and by PRED. These data, together with the known effects of CyA on differentiation, clonal amplification, and activation of CD8 T lymphocytes, suggest that in vitro sCD8 release occurs during the early stages of activation of CD8+ cytotoxic T cells.
Ganging up on information overload

When information is abundant, the knowledge of which information is useful and valuable matters most. We all use our network of family, friends, and colleagues to recommend movies, books, cars, and news articles. Collaborative filtering technology automates the process of sharing opinions on the relevance and duality of information. Collaborative filtering is one technique among many information filtering techniques that range from unfiltered to personalized and from effortless to laborious. Libraries or the Web are good examples of unfiltered information sources. E-mail directed to one recipient is a good example of a filtered information source. A best-seller list requires little effort fur the user, but provides the same recommendations to all users. Filters based on demographics, such as age, sex, or marital status, require some effort from the user in providing the demographics, and provide some level of personal filtering, so they are near the middle of the chart. Collaborative filtering requires relatively little effort from the user, and provides individually targeted recommendations, so it is in the upper right of the chart. Effort, of course, can be reduced via automation. While collaborative filtering is not necessarily effortless, it requires a relatively small amount of effort on the part of the user and provides very individualized recommendations. The collaborative filtering systems that we discuss here each offer a high degree of personalization, but each system takes a different approach to automation, attempting to find the best trade-off between the amount of work the users must put into the system and the perceived value and benefits they receive in return.
Compliance with an experimental drug regimen for treatment of asthma: its magnitude, importance, and correlates.

Abstract This paper reports on data from a double-blind, randomized controlled study of out-patient use of corticosteroids following an acute asthma attack. Issues related to compliance are examined, including: (1) the extent of non-compliance; (2) impact of non-compliance on interpreting the drug trial results; and (3) correlates of non-compliance. Of the 102 cases enrolled in the study, 25.5% were excluded from analysis because they were lost to follow-up (10.8%) or non-compliers (14.7%). Based on data for compliers, the drugs were found to reduce relapse rates and asthma symptomatology; when non-compliers were included in the analysis, the steroid drug appeared ineffective for reducing relapses and less effective for improving overall illness status. Examination of 24 potential correlates of compliance yielded few significant associations, and only the “usual habit of compliance” correlation suggests an avenue for future action. The implications of the study findings for design and interpretation of clinical trials, as well as for improved management of chronic diseases, are discussed.
DC dielectrophoretic particle–particle interactions and their relative motions

Abstract When particles in an electrolyte subjected to an external electric field get close to each other, the presence of particles could alter the local electric field and consequently induce mutual dielectrophoretic (DEP) forces on each other. In this paper, a transient, two-dimensional (2D) multiphysics model taking into account the particle–fluid–electric field interactions under a thin electrical double layer (EDL) assumption is performed to investigate the effects of the imposed electric field, the initial particle’s orientation and distance on the DEP particle–particle interaction between a pair of micro-sized particles and their relative motions. Prior to the study of the DEP particle–particle interaction, the magnitude comparison between the DEP particle–particle interaction and the Brownian motion is analyzed. When the DEP particle–particle interaction dominates the random Brownian motion, it is expected to observe the particle chaining along the direction of the imposed electric field, independent of the initial particle orientation. The numerical predictions are in qualitative agreement with the experimental observations available from the literature. During the attraction motion of particles, their velocities tend to dramatically decrease due to the rapid increase in the repulsive hydrodynamic pressure force when the particle distance decreases to a certain value. One exclusive exception of the particle chaining occurs when the initial connecting line of the particles is perpendicular to the imposed electric field, which is extremely unstable owing to the inevitable Brownian motion.
Charge conservation and chemical potentials in time-dependent Ginzburg--Landau theory

A phenomenological, charge-conserving, time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau theory is found to lead to a charge density and a difference between the quasiparticle electrochemical potential and the pair electrochemical potential when there is a divergence of the supercurrent. Experimental consequences are discussed.
Antioxidant vitamins and age-related eye disease

Basic research studies suggest that oxidative mechanisms may play an important role in the pathogenesis of cataract and age-related macular degeneration, the two most important causes of visual impairment in older adults. These findings raise the possibility that vitamins and trace minerals with antioxidant properties can be of benefit in preventing the onset or progression of disabling eye disease. Results from observational epidemiological studies in humans, however, are inconclusive. Although findings from several studies, primarily cross-sectional and case-control, are generally compatible with a possible protective role for micronutrients in disease development, the data for specific nutrients or specific disease types are inconsistent. The imprecision of dietary exposure data and the likely effects of uncontrolled confounding further limit these observational studies. Well-designed, large-scale, randomized trials are required to evaluate definitively the potentially important benefit of vitamin supplementation in eye disease.
Ultrasound and MR imaging of fibromatosis colli (sternomastoid tumor of infancy)

The sonographic and CT findings of fibromatosis colli (sternomastoid tumor of infancy) have been described, but the MRI appearance has been reported in only one case in which the mass resolved over time. This case describes the detailed MRI findings in a biopsy-proven case of fibromatosis colli; the signal intensity of the mass on T2-weighted images was slightly less than on gradient-recalled T1-weighted images, consistent with the presence of some fibrous tissue within the muscle mass. The involved portion of the muscle was better defined on MRI than sonography. MRI was helpful in demonstrating the signal characteristics of the mass; localizing the mass to within the sternocleidomastoid muscle; and demonstrating clear surrounding fascial planes with lack of associated lymphadenopathy, airway compression, vascular encasement, bone involvement or intracranial/intraspinal extension associated with other neck masses.