cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Glycogen storage disease

Summary Two cases of the hepatic form of glycogen storage disease (von Gierke's disease) have been studied in detail. Observations on liver slices freshly removed at biopsy have shown an abnormal stability of the glycogen, but a satisfactory glycogenolytic response was obtained upon admixture with fresh normal liver, confirming previous work that the glycogenolytic enzyme system is defective in this condition. Liver slices treated with various enzyme preparations, including phosphorylase and amylase, gave results which were inconclusive as to the nature of the enzyme defect. It was demonstrated that liver functions other than glycogenolysis may be affected in this disease, defective prothrombin formation and defective methylation being observed. In one patient a pronounced lipemia was present at the age of 2 years which had almost completely disappeared at the age of 6 years, suggesting that the associated disturbance of fat metabolism, which has been observed repeatedly in infants with this disease, may be a self-limited one. An unidentified reducing substance was found, probably belonging to the pentose group, in the urine of one of our patients. Particular attention is called to two indirect results of the impaired glycogenolysis: (a) an abnormal conversion of carbohydrate to fat, demonstrated by respiratory quotient studies, which leads to obesity; (b) impaired nitrogen retention, brought about apparently by excessive gluconeogenesis from protein in the effort to sustain blood sugar, a condition which may interfere with normal growth. We have shown that this latter condition may be satisfactorily treated by the administration of an extra protein meal at night.
The effect of furazolidone and other drugs on artificially induced Escherichia coli infection in chickens.

Abstract SINCE the development of the broiler industry following World War II, chronic respiratory disease complex has been a major cause of economic loss through morbidity, mortality, and processing plant condemnations. In 1966 over 32 million pounds of live poultry and 323 million pounds of dressed poultry were condemned because of infectious diseases. In 1967 the losses increased; 33 million pounds of live poultry and 367 million pounds of dressed poultry were condemned and destroyed. Most condemnations were due to leukosis and chronic respiratory disease complex. Total annual losses due to air sac disease in the United States were estimated to be $125 million, or 3 percent of the total value of the poultry industry (Harms, 1968). Although Escherichia coli frequently has been considered to be a secondary invader in the CRD complex, its primary etiologic role has become more apparent. Since most broiler breeders have established mycoplasma-free flocks, an increased…
Plasma-mediated inactivation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms grown on borosilicate surfaces under continuous culture system.

Biofilms are microbial communities attached to a surface and embedded in a matrix composed of exopolysaccharides and excreted nucleic acids. Bacterial biofilms are responsible for undesirable effects such as disease, prostheses colonization, biofouling, equipment damage, and pipe plugging. Biofilms are also more resilient than free-living cells to regular sterilization methods and therefore it is indispensable to develop better ways to control and remove them. The use of gas discharge plasmas is a good alternative since plasmas contain a mixture of reactive agents well-known for their decontamination potential against free microorganisms. We have previously reported that Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms were inactivated after a 1-min plasma exposure. We determined that the adhesiveness and the thickness of Pseudomonas biofilms grown on borosilicate were reduced. We also reported sequential morphological changes and loss of viability upon plasma treatment. However, the studies were carried out in batch cultures. The use of a continuous culture results in a more homogenous environment ensuring reproducible biofilm growth. The aim of this work was to study plasma-mediated inactivation of P. aeruginosa biofilms grown on borosilicate in a continuous culture system. In this paper we show that biofilms grown on glass under continuous culture can be inactivated by using gas discharge plasma. Both biofilm architecture and cell culturabilty are impacted by the plasma treatment. The inactivation kinetics is similar to previously described ones and cells go through sequential changes ranging from minimal modification without loss of viability at short plasma exposure times, to major structure and viability loss at longer exposure times. We report that changes in biofilm structure leading to the loss of culturability and viability are related to a decrease of the biofilm matrix adhesiveness. To our knowledge, there has been no attempt to evaluate the inactivation/sterilization of biofilms grown in a continuous system.
Lattice-gas approach to semiconductor device simulation

Abstract A new approach to semiconductor device simulation is presented which is based on a lattice-gas or cellular-automata model and is quite similar to methods recently explored in fluid dynamics. The approach obtains a stochastic solution to the diffusion-drift partial differential equations describing electron transport in semiconductors. The lattice-gas method appears to be fairly well-suited to electron transport simulation with its ability to handle complex geometry, its ease of programming and its stability being some key advantages. In addition, we show that the structure of the model itself—its Boolean character—leads to a partial inclusion of electron degeneracy effects. Finally, we make a preliminary assessment of the performance of the diffusion-drift lattice-gas model, finding it to be competitive with conventional approaches when its inherent parallelism is fully exploited.
A basic multi‐media collection by and about J.R.R. Tolkien

Purpose – This paper seeks to recommend a basic core collection of works by and about J.R.R. Tolkien for libraries by grade level.Design/methodology/approach – The author draws on her experience as a Tolkien scholar and editor of one of the major journals in the field.Findings – A basic collection should include some works beyond the well‐known Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Practical implications – The paper provides an ideal list for the library seeking to prepare for interest generated by the new Hobbit movie currently in production.Originality/value – While there are other bibliographies on Tolkien available, particularly on fan and society web sites, this one is arranged by grade level and includes audio‐visual materials and recent scholarly and reference works, and is designed for library rather than personal use.
A New Family of Cdc42 Effector Proteins, CEPs, Function in Fibroblast and Epithelial Cell Shape Changes

Cdc42, a Rho GTPase, regulates the organization of the actin cytoskeleton by its interaction with several distinct families of downstream effector proteins. Here, we report the identification of four new Cdc42-binding proteins that, along with MSE55, constitute a new family of effector proteins. These molecules, designated CEPs, contain three regions of homology, including a Cdc42 binding domain and two unique domains called CI and CII. Experimentally, we have verified that CEP2 and CEP5 bind Cdc42. Expression of CEP2, CEP3, CEP4, and CEP5 in NIH-3T3 fibroblasts induced pseudopodia formation. Fibroblasts coexpressing dominant negative Cdc42 with CEP2 or expressing a Cdc42/Rac interactive binding domain mutant of CEP2 did not induce pseudopodia formation. In primary keratinocytes, CEP2- and CEP5-expressing cells showed reduced F-actin localization at the adherens junctions with an increase in thin stress fibers that extended the length of the cell body. Keratinocytes expressing CEPs also showed an altered vinculin distribution and a loss of E-cadherin from adherens junctions. Similar effects were observed in keratinocytes expressing constitutively active Cdc42, but were not seen with a Cdc42/Rac interactive binding domain mutant of CEP2. These results suggest that CEPs act downstream of Cdc42 to induce actin filament assembly leading to cell shape changes.
Charisma and the Fictions of Black Leadership

Erica R. Edwards Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2012, 288 pp Anyone who has taught history or politics to American undergraduates knows the “great men of history” aren't going quietly....
Transition delay fault testing of 3D ICs with IR-drop study

In order to ensure the correctness of 3D ICs, they need to be tested both before and after their individual dies are bonded. All previous works in the area of 3D IC testing consider only stuck-at fault testing. However, 3D ICs also need to be tested for delay defects. In this work, we present a transition delay test infrastructure that can be used to test a 3D IC both before and after bonding. Furthermore, we present a methodology to test the through silicon vias (TSVs) after bonding, without necessitating regeneration of test patterns. Results show that the overhead involved is negligible. In addition, at-speed testing of circuits can suffer from large IR drop problems. In this paper, we also study the IR drop of 3D ICs during transition delay fault testing. We study how different configurations of probe pads affect the pre-bond IR drop. We also study how this IR drop changes from the pre-bond to the post-bond case.
Non-local thermodynamic equilibrium response matrix

Abstract A connection between atomic kinetics and non-equilibrium thermodynamics has been recently established using a collisional-radiative model modified to include line absorption. The net emission can be expressed as a symmetric non-local thermodynamic-equilibrium response-matrix. This connection is extended to models used in hydrodynamic codes to simulate laser–plasma interactions. A new, exact and, general formula is obtained for the response-matrix and an analytic proof is given, that is symmetric in the context of collisional-radiative rate equations. To go beyond the near-LTE response-matrix, a response-tensor can be considered that generalizes the response matrix.
ADHD medication use, adherence, persistence and cost among Texas Medicaid children

AbstractObjectives:(1) Describe ADHD medication use, adherence and persistence. (2) Determine factors (e.g., medication type, demographics, concomitant medication use) associated with ADHD medication adherence and persistence. (3) Compare ADHD medication costs.Methods:Continuously enrolled Texas Medicaid children (3–18 years) with ≥2 ADHD prescription claims (July 2002–December 2008) were included. Prescription claims were grouped by medication type (i.e., immediate-release, extended-release, prodrug, non-stimulant); medication class (i.e., stimulant, non-stimulant); and duration of action (i.e., long-acting, short-acting). Adherence, using medication possession ratio, was measured continuously and dichotomously (80% cut-off). Persistence was days of continuous therapy without a 30-day gap and medication costs were reimbursement amount paid to dispensing pharmacies.Results:The study sample (n = 62,789) was primarily 6–12 years (61.7%) and male (69.2%). The majority of the subjects were prescribed extended...
Modelling the end of mandatory retirement for U.S. medical school faculty.

The author used data taken in mid-1989 from the Faculty Roster of the Association of American Medical Colleges to calculate the age distributions of U.S. medical school faculty active at any time from 1978 to 1988 and their age-specific probabilities of separating from their academic positions (e.g., to take another position, to enter the private sector, or to retire). A simple Markov model was constructed to predict the future faculty age distributions, isolating the factors of growth rate, separation probability, and potential delays in retirement. Age projections proved most sensitive to assumptions about future growth rate, less sensitive to the choice of separation probabilities within the range of those observed in the previous decade, and least sensitive to modelled delays in retirement of as much as five years for half the retiring faculty. The same pattern of sensitivity was true of projected turnover. The conclusion is that the end of mandatory retirement alone will have a negligible effect on medical faculty demographics.
A micro photosynthetic electrochemical cell

A micro photosynthetic electrochemical cell (/spl mu/PEC) was fabricated and tested as a potential self-sustained power source for mobile MEMS devices such as remote sensors. The /spl mu/PEC harnesses the natural metabolic processes (photosynthesis and respiration) of the blue-green algae Anabaena to convert light energy into electrical power. In both light and dark conditions, the /spl mu/PEC produced an open-circuit potential of over 400 mV, a current density of over 30 /spl mu/A/cm/sup 2/ with a 10-/spl Omega/ load, and a power density of 61 /spl mu/W/L. These results are generally comparable to the microfabricated microbial fuel cell by Chiao et. al. (2002), though lower than those of micro solar cells and of macroscale MFCs and PECs. However, unlike solar cells, the /spl mu/PEC has the ability to produce power in the dark; and unlike methanol or microbial fuel cells, no fuel is required.
Characterization of peroxy-A2E and furan-A2E photooxidation products and detection in human and mouse retinal pigment epithelial cell lipofuscin

The nondegradable pigments that accumulate in retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells as lipofuscin constituents are considered to be responsible for the loss of RPE cells in recessive Stargardt disease, a blindness macular disorder of juvenile onset. This autofluorescent material may also contribute to the etiology of age-related macular degeneration. The best characterized of these fluorophores is A2E, a compound consisting of two retinoid-derived side arms extending from a pyridinium ring. Evidence indicates that photochemical mechanisms initiated by excitation from the blue region of the spectrum may contribute to the adverse effects of A2E accumulation, with the A2E photooxidation products being damaging intermediates. By studying the oxidation products (oxo-A2E) generated using oxidizing agents that add one or two oxygens at a time, together with structural analysis by heteronuclear single quantum correlation-NMR spectroscopy, we demonstrated that the oxygen-containing moieties generated within photooxidized A2E include a 5,8-monofuranoid and a cyclic 5,8-monoperoxide. We have shown that the oxidation sites can be assigned to the shorter arm of A2E, to the longer arm, or to both arms by analyzing changes in the UV-visible spectrum of A2E, and we have observed a preference for oxidation on the shorter arm. By liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, we have also detected both monofuran-A2E and monoperoxy-A2E in aged human RPE and in eye cups of Abca4/Abcr-/- mice, a model of Stargardt disease. Because the cytotoxicity of endoperoxide moieties is well known, the production of endoperoxide-containing oxo-A2E may account, at least in part, for cellular damage ensuing from A2E photooxidation.
Strong Fe II forbidden line emission from NGC 1275

The detection of a bright Fe II 12567-A forbidden line from the central regions of NGC 1275 is reported. The intensity of the Fe II 12567-A forbidden line relative to that of the other emission lines indicates the presence of a high abundance of iron in the gas phase, while the narrow width of the feature implies an origin outside the active nucleus. While a power-law continuum from the nucleus or from the cooling flows could excite the Fe II forbidden line emission, neither offers a likely mechanism for processing the circumnuclear dust grains in NGC 1275. This is not the case for shocks, which can also produce the low-ionization features characteristic of many of the off-nucleus emission line regions of NGC 1275.
Distribution and ontogeny of parvalbumin immunoreactivity in the chicken retina.

Abstract The distribution of parvalbumin-like immunoreactivity was studied in the embryonic and postnatal chicken retina. In post-hatched chickens, parvalbumin-like immunoreactivity was confined to amacrine cells. Three distinct subpopulations were identifiable based upon soma position and level of dendritic arborization in the inner plexiform layer. The primary dendrites from parvalbumin-immuno reactive amacrine cells descended vertically into the inner plexiform layer and eventually branched to give rise to a laminarly arrayed plexus in sublamina I, sublamina V and, to a lesser extent, at the boundary between sublaminae III and IV. Parvalbumin-like immunoreactive amacrine cells projecting to sublamina I of the inner plexiform layer were consistently monostratified. Some, but not all, contributed thick fibers to sublamina I that could be followed for long distances across the retina and were generally not radially organized. The parvalbumin-like immunoreactive cells that projected to sublamina V gave rise to a primary dendrite from which three to five fibers branched radially. Collateral branches of these same primary dendrites gave rise to the parvalbumin-like immunoreactive plexus at the interface between sublaminae III and IV. In prenatal chickens, parvalbumin-like immunoreactivity was not detected until embryonic day 14. At this time it appeared as a faint band at the inner nuclear layer-inner plexiform layer boundary in the central retina. By embryonic day 18 the intensity of immunoreactivity and the complexity of the arborizations of the parvalbumin-like immunoreactive dendrites approached that seen in the post-hatched chicken. In the chicken retina, parvalbumin-like immunoreactivity was displayed by morphologically distinct subpopulations of amacrine cells suggesting that these amacrine cells may subserve diverse functions. The long-distance projecting parvalbumin-like immunoreactive neurons, for instance, may contribute to the anatomical substrate for complex receptive fields. The appearance of parvalbumin relatively late in development may suggest that its expression requires the establishment of synaptic contacts and organized neuronal activity.
Effects of Connective Tissue on Algin Restructured Beef

Different levels of connective tissues were examined in algin/calcium gel restructured beef tenderloin, riblifter and foreshank products. Foreshank meat, which contained a high level of collagen (4.83%), formulated with algin/calcium gel ingredients, exhibited relatively strong bind in the raw and cooked state. Addition of 5–10% undenatured or 5% denatured connective tissue to algin/calcium restructured riblifter meat resulted in products of acceptable bind and sensory quality. However, beef riblifter formulations containing 10% added denatured connective tissue had greater (P<0.05) discoloration and lower (p<0.05) bind than the other added connective tissue plus algin/calcium treatments. Algin/calcium binder improves quality of restructured meat formulated with increased concentrations of connective tissue.
From professional development to classroom instruction: addressing issues related to science inquiry discourse

In this rejoinder, I first provide a more detailed account of the discourse-focused professional development activities facilitated as part of the SMIT’N program, specifically addressing issues raised by van Zee with regard to the institute’s overall format, goals and development strategies. Next, I resort to Peter Medawar’s metaphorical view of inquiry as scientific storytelling to reflect about Bencze’s expressed opposition to “politely guided quasi-inductive science inquiry instruction” and highlight the need for science educators to give more careful consideration to oral classroom discourse. I then conclude by describing how guided science inquiry teaching can be conceived in terms of the theoretical notion of negative politeness.
Polar Bears or People? Exploring Ways in Which Teachers Frame Climate Change in the Classroom

Not only will young adults bear the brunt of the effects of climate change, but they are also the ones who will be required to take action—to mitigate and to adapt. Framing, as both a theory and an analytic method, has been used to understand how language in the media can affect the audience's concern and intention to act. The theory and the analytic methods of framing were adapted and applied to answer the research question: How do teachers frame climate change in the classroom? Twenty-five lessons from seven teachers were analyzed using semiotic discourse analysis methods. Teachers' frames overlapped to form two distinct discourses: a Science Discourse and a Social Discourse. The dominant Science Discourse can be summarized as follows: Climate change is a current scientific problem that will have profound global effects on the Earth's physical systems. The Social Discourse, used much less often, can be summarized as follows: Climate change is a future social issue because it will have negative impacts o...
The Effectiveness of Online Versus In-person Library Instruction on Finding Empirical Communication Research

Abstract With online education becoming more popular, the following study compares the effectiveness of online versus in-person library instruction with regards to teaching communication students how to seek empirical research to use in their class projects. Measures of knowledge gain and attitudes revealed significant differences across time showing success of the instruction, but non-significant differences between the modes of instruction. However, a behavioral measure found that almost 10% more students in the online condition were able to successfully find empirical articles to use in their projects than those in the in-person instructional condition. With empirical research living less at brick-and-mortar libraries and primarily in online repositories, teaching students how to find empirical research may be most successful when it is taught via online platforms.
Saliva and dental pellicle--a review.

The acquired enamel pellicle is an organic film covering the surfaces of teeth. When this film was first discovered, it was thought to be of embryologic origin. Only in the middle of this century did it become clear that it was acquired after tooth eruption. Initially, the small amounts of material that could be obtained have virtually limited the investigation of pellicle proteins to amino acid analysis. Nevertheless, this technique revealed that the pellicle is mainly proteinaceous and is formed by selective adsorption of salivary proteins on tooth enamel. Later, immunologic techniques allowed for the identification of many salivary and fewer non-salivary proteins as constituents of pellicle. However, to this date, isolation and direct biochemical characterization of in vivo pellicle protein have not been possible, because only a few micrograms can be obtained from a single donor. Therefore, the composition and structure of the acquired enamel pellicle are still essentially unknown. Information on the f...
Behavioral treatment of Raynaud's disease.

In 1862 Maurice Raynaud published his now famous thesis in which he first described the syndrome today known as Raynaud’s disease. Three interrelated phenomena were considered part of his new diagnostic category: local syncope or sudden blanching and numbness of the digits; cyanosis, during which time the pallor previously observed evolves into a blue color characteristic of deoxygenated tissue; and reactive hyperemia, characterized by the spread of red oxygenated blood through the upper layers of the epidermis. This last phase is often accompanied by burning and tingling and lasts until the skin returns to its normal pink color. In severe cases, patients experience chronic vasoconstriction or such frequent episodes of cyanosis that gangrene or small nutritive lesions and ulcerations often appear at the distal end of the digits. While vasospasms are usually confined to the digits of the hands and feet, they can occasionally appear on parts of the face as well. Cold stimulation is the most reliable eliciting stimulus, although emotional stress has also been reported to produce these attacks (Spittell, 1972). This is so because the mechanism of peripheral vasoconstriction is mediated by the sympathetic nervous system. Severe manifestations of this condition are not common, but Lewis (1949) has estimated that it affects approximately 20% of most young people in its mildest forms. Clinical Raynaud’s disease is found to occur five times more often in women than in men, the time of onset occurring in the first and second decades of life. When this syndrome results from an identifiable pathological process, it is known as Raynaud’s phenomenon.
Life History of a Dinoflagellate Bloom1

A bloom of Gymnodinium sp. is described in terms of its distribution, growth rate, production, and rate of diffusion. Production measurements on a second bloom of the same organism are also cited. In the center of the first bloom cell concentrations ranged from 1 to 18 million cells per liter. Net production ranged from 2.18 to 13.7 mg C/liter/day. Coefficients of horizontal eddy diffusion as calculated from the observed dinoflagellate distributions were low, ranging from near zero to 350 g/cm/sec.
Molecular characterization of helix-loop-helix peptides

A class of regulators of eukaryotic gene expression contains a conserved amino acid sequence responsible for protein oligomerization and binding to DNA. This structure consists of an arginine- and lysine-rich basic region followed by a helix-loop-helix motif, which together mediate specific binding to DNA. Peptides were prepared that span this motif in the MyoD protein; in solution, they formed alpha-helical dimers and tetramers. They bound to DNA as dimers and their alpha-helical content increased on binding. Parallel and antiparallel four-helix models of the DNA-bound dimer were constructed. Peptides containing disulfide bonds were engineered to test the correctness of the two models. A disulfide that is compatible with the parallel model promotes specific interaction with DNA, whereas a disulfide compatible with the antiparallel model abolishes specific binding. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurements of nitroxide-labeled peptides provided intersubunit distance measurements that also supported the parallel model.
Water and energy budgets of hurricanes: Case studies of Ivan and Katrina

[1] To explore the role of hurricanes in the climate system, a detailed analysis is made of the bulk atmospheric moisture budget of Ivan in September 2004 and Katrina in August 2005 from simulations with the Weather and Research Forecasting (WRF) model at 4 km resolution without parameterized convection. Heavy precipitation exceeding 20 mm h−1 in the storms greatly exceeds the surface flux of moisture through evaporation, and vertically integrated convergence of moisture in the lowest 1 km of the atmosphere from distances up to 1600 km is the dominant term in the moisture budget, highlighting the importance of the larger-scale environment. Simulations are also run for the Katrina case with sea surface temperatures (SSTs) increased by +1°C and decreased by −1°C as sensitivity studies. For hours 42 to 54 after the start of the simulation, maximum surface winds increased about 4.5 m s−1 (9%), and sea level pressure fell 11.5 hPa per 1°C increase in tropical SSTs. Overall, the hurricane expands in size as SSTs increase, the environmental atmospheric moisture increases at close to the Clausius-Clapeyron equation value of about 6% K−1 and the surface moisture flux also increases mainly from Clausius-Clapeyron effects and the changes in intensity of the storm. The environmental changes related to human influences on climate since 1970 have increased SSTs and water vapor, and the results suggest how this may have altered hurricanes and increased associated storm rainfalls, with the latter quantified to date to be of order 6 to 8%.
Production, isolation, and partial characterization of three foot-and-mouth disease virus temperature-sensitive mutants.

Abstract Three high temperature-sensitive (ts) mutants of foot-and-mouth disease virus were characterized by their relative abilities to grow at 33 or 38.5 C, to kill infant mice, to infect guinea pigs, and to produce foot-and-mouth disease in steers. Mutants ts-24 and ts-42 did not grow at 38.5 C; both may have produced considerable quantities of noninfectious virus particles at 33 C. A third mutant, ts-22, appeared “leaky” because it multiplied to a limited extent during prolonged incubation at the nonpermissive temperature. Mutant ts-42 was pathogenic for infant mice, whereas ts-22 and ts-24 were essentially apathogenic. Mice were protected against the lethal effects of the wild-type (wt) virus if injected 1 week earlier with ts-22, apparently as a result of specific antibody development. One-half of the guinea pigs injected with the mutant viruses showed lesion development, but only at the site of injection. Antibody development was also much less than in those animals injected with the wt virus. The onset of FMD in steers was delayed and the severity of the disease was diminished after intradermalingual injection of the mutant viruses.
Brine flow up a well caused by pressure perturbation from geologic carbon sequestration: Static and dynamic evaluations

Brine Flow Up a Well Caused by Pressure Perturbation from Geologic Carbon Sequestration: Static and Dynamic Evaluations Jens T. Birkholzer* 1 , Jean Philippe Nicot 2 , Curtis M. Oldenburg 1 , Quanlin Zhou 1 , Stephen Kraemer 3 , Karl Bandilla 4 Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 Bureau of Economic Geology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78713 US EPA, Office of Research and Development (ORD), Athens, GA 30605-2700 US EPA, Office of Research and Development (ORD), Athens, GA 30605-2700 (now at Princeton University, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Princeton, NJ 08544) *Corresponding author: jtbirkholzer@lbl.gov, ph. 510 486-7134 Abstract Industrial-scale storage of CO 2 in saline sedimentary basins will cause zones of elevated pressure, larger than the CO 2 plume itself. If permeable conduits (e.g., leaking wells) exist between the injection reservoir and overlying shallow aquifers, brine could be pushed upwards along these conduits and mix with groundwater resources. This paper discusses the potential for such brine leakage to occur in temperature- and salinity- stratified systems. Using static mass-balance calculations as well as dynamic well flow simulations, we evaluate the minimum reservoir pressure that would generate continuous migration of brine up a leaking wellbore into a freshwater aquifer. Since the brine invading the well is denser than the initial fluid in the wellbore, continuous flow only occurs if the pressure perturbation in the reservoir is large enough to overcome the increased fluid column weight after full invasion of brine into the well. If the threshold pressure is exceeded, brine flow rates are dependent on various hydraulic (and other) properties, in particular the effective permeability of the wellbore and the magnitude of pressure increase. If brine flow occurs outside of the well casing, e.g., in a permeable fracture zone between the well cement and the formation, the fluid/solute transfer between the migrating fluid and the surrounding rock units can strongly retard brine flow. At the same time, the threshold pressure for continuous flow to occur decreases compared to a case with no fluid/solute transfer. Keywords: brine leakage, pressure increase, Area of Review
Perpetuating old ponderosa pine

We review current knowledge about the use of management treatments to reduce human-induced threats to old ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) trees. We address the following questions: Are fire-induced damage and mortality greater in old than younger trees? Can management treatments ameliorate the detrimental effects of fire, competition-induced stress, and drought on old trees? Can management increase resistance of old trees to bark beetles? We offer the following recommendations for the use of thinning and burning treatments in old-growth ponderosa pine forests. Treatments should be focused on high-value stands where fire exclusion has increased fuels and competition and where detrimental effects of disturbance during harvesting can be minimized. Fuels should be reduced in the vicinity of old trees prior to prescribed burns to reduce fire intensity, as old trees are often more prone to dying after burning than younger trees. Raking the forest floor beneath old trees prior to burning may not only reduce damage from smoldering combustion under certain conditions but also increase fine-root mortality. Thinning of neighboring trees often increases water and carbon uptake of old trees within 1 year of treatment, and increases radial growth within several years to two decades after treatment. However, stimulation of growth of old trees by thinning can be negated by severe drought. Evidence from young trees suggests that management treatments that cause large increases in carbon allocation to radial xylem growth also increase carbon allocation to constitutive resin defenses against bark beetle attacks, but evidence for old trees is scarce. Prescribed, low-intensity burning may attract bark beetles and increase mortality of old trees from beetle attacks despite a stimulation of bole resin production. # 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Design of a 980-MeV energy recovery linac

A 980-MeV energy recovery linac with radiofrequency (rf) of 1.5 GHz is designed. Electrons are accelerated by two passages through a 480-MeV superconducting linac, and decelerated by two subsequent passages. Recirculation is accomplished with six 60-degree bending magnets. The threshold current for beam breakup instability exceeds 100 mA. Gaussian bunches with normalized transverse emittances of 0.1 mm-mrad and rms length of 1.85 ps may be compressed by a factor of 180 (to a bunch length of 10 fs) with only a slight increase in transverse normalized emittance. Bunch charges up to 8 pC may be compressed at 980 MeV without excessive degradation from coherent synchrotron radiation, allowing operation with beam currents up to 12 mA.
Defect-core PCF with metal coated central air-hole for THz propagation

A rigorous finite element analysis on a new Teflon PCF with metal coated central air-hole shows the formation a Surface Plasmon assisted fundamental mode with controllable modal properties for THz sensing application.
Web-based problem solving learning: third-year medical students' participation in end-of-life care Virtual Clinic

Abstract This exploratory study examined problem-solving in an on-line problem-based learning environment. Participants included two moderators and 30 medical students in the end-of-life care Virtual Clinic. Using content analysis of transcripts, we analyzed interaction patterns in two groups of students and moderators and students' problem-solving skills as measured by the critical thinking ratio. Moderator in Group 1 posted more connected comments, feedback, and questions than the moderator in Group 2. Students in Group 1 posted more connected comments compared to students in Group 2. However, the disparate interaction patterns yielded little differences in students' critical thinking skills in both groups. We propose the use of critical thinking ratio as an effective outcome measure in assessing problem-solving skills.
MHC class II‐independent and ‐dependent T cell expansion and B cell hyperactivity in vivo in mice deficient in CD152 (CTLA‐4)

One of the key downregulators of T cell activation is CD152 (CTLA-4). Mice genetically deficient in CD152 (cd152(-/-) mice) develop massive expansion of both CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells as well as increased numbers of splenic Ig-secreting cells and serum Ig levels. To determine the dependence of the lymphoproliferation and B cell hyperactivity on MHC class II (MHCII), MHCII-deficient (mhcii(-/-)) cd152(-/-) mice were generated. Compared to that in their mhcii(+/+) counterparts, expansion of CD4(+) cells in mhcii(-/-)cd152(-/-) mice was markedly attenuated. Nonetheless, expansion of CD8(+) cells was identical in both sets of mice, demonstrating that the effects of CD152 deficiency on CD4(+) cells can quantitatively be dissociated from those on CD8(+) cells, and pointing to a critical downregulatory role for CD152 in MHCII-independent CD8(+) cell activation in vivo. B cell hyperactivity also developed in mhcii(-/-)cd152(-/-) mice, albeit in a manner less rapid and less intense than that in their mhcii(+/+) counterparts, demonstrating an underlying MHCII-independent diathesis to B cell dysregulation and pointing to a critical downregulatory role for CD152 in MHCII-independent B cell activation in vivo. When human DQ8 was introduced as a transgene into mhcii(-/-)cd152(-/-) mice, B cell hyperactivity was restored to levels observed in mhcii(+/+)cd152(-/-) mice, pointing to a critical downregulatory role for CD152 in MHCII-dependent B cell activation in vivo superimposed upon its downregulatory role on MHCII-independent B cell activation.
`Optimal' Accessibility Landscapes? Development of a New Methodology for Simulating and Assessing Jobs—Housing Relationships in Urban Regions:

Research into land use—transport relationships through the lens of the jobs—housing balance and the closely related excess commuting framework continues to draw substantial interdisciplinary attention. There have been several recent research efforts aimed at extending the excess commuting framework and its GIS-based spatial models to more prescriptive, policy-relevant situations. This paper puts forward the idea of a theoretical `optimal' urban jobs—housing balance and proposes a new spatial model for finding it. The developed model treats the region's theoretical minimum commute as a baseline indicator of the jobs—housing balance. Alternative patterns of workers and jobs are simulated in order to improve this indicator. The model is demonstrated in several scenarios using data from the decennial US census (2000). Results demonstrate the model's capability for finding `optimal' spatial distributions of jobs and housing, as well as pointing out inefficiencies in existing urban structure. Summary remarks an...
Wavelength scheduling in Time-domain Wavelength Interleaved Networks

Time-domain Wavelength Interleaved Networking (TWIN) is a new optical network architecture which achieves a good balance between scheduling flexibility and deployment cost. In this paper, we solve the wavelength assignment problem for TWIN networks using topology sharing approach. We show that determining the wavelength assignment that use the minimum number of wavelengths is a NP-Complete problem. Four greedy heuristics are presented to compute the approximated solution within reasonable time. The evaluation results show that performing sorting on destination trees and wavelengths improves the assignment results, especially under low traffic loads. However, performing sorting brings some extra overheads to the sort heuristics' running time, but overall computation costs are still acceptable.
Invitation to Submit Scholarly Articles Using Agent-Based Simulation to Tackle Challenging Civil Engineering Problems

I was honored to be invited recently by editors Jim Garrett and Lucio Soibelman to join the Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering Editorial Board as an associate editor. My role on the Editorial Board will be twofold: 1 to provide editorial support for submitted manuscripts that utilize agent-based simulation and multiagent simulation methods to address complex civil engineering problems and 2 to encourage more submissions by civil engineering faculty employing these methods. A small but growing community of scholars is using agent-based simulation methods to tackle a range of difficult civil engineering problems, including building occupant user behavior Dijkstra and Timmermans 2002 , claims negotiation Ren et al. 2002 , construction management pedagogy Rojas and Mukherjee 2006 , construction operations Mohamed and AbouRizk 2005 , cross-cultural differences in global projects Horii et al. 2005 , dispute resolution El-adaway and Kandil 2010 , evacuation of buildings Shi et al. 2009 , project learning Taylor et al. 2009 , project organizations Jin and Levitt 1996 , project scheduling Christodoulou 2010 , structural design Soibelman and Pena-Mora 2000 , supplier sourcing Ng and Li 2006 , and traffic and equipment flow Kim and Kim 2010 . Axelrod 1997 describes the value of simulation as being rooted principally in prediction, proof, and discovery. But he notes that prediction is the form of simulation most people think of when they think about simulation in the research context. The use of simulation for discovery is “at least as important as proof or prediction” Axelrod 1997 . Agent-based simulation is often used to discover important relationships or propositional rules from patterns in the simulated output from relatively simple models. In agent-based simulation the complexity should be in the simulated results, not the model assumptions. If, for example, a simulation is developed to predict the schedule duration of a project, then the assumptions may need to be complex to ensure an accurate prediction. If, on the other hand, the purpose of the simulation model is to understand the fundamental organizational interactions or dependencies that lead to schedule growth, then the assumptions should be simple and focus narrowly on the important elements of the interaction. Including too many details about the actual interaction may detract from the researcher’s ability to identify patterns that bear on the research question posed. It is also important to note a distinction when comparing predictive simulation with discovery-driven agent-based simulation. In general, simulation validity depends on the purpose of the model Lehman 1977 . When agent-based simulation methods are used for discovery, validation strategies should focus on the validity of the elements taken from other models that are used to formulate the model internal validity , the validity of any
Impact of dataset choice on calculations of the short‐term cloud feedback

[1] Dessler [2010, hereafter D10] estimated the magnitude of the cloud feedback in response to short-term climate variations and concluded that it was likely positive, with an average magnitude of +0.50 ± 0.75 W/m2/K. This paper investigates the sensitivity of D10's results to the choice of clear-sky top-of-atmosphere flux (ΔRclear-sky), surface temperature (ΔTs), and reanalysis data sets. Most of the alternative ΔRclear-sky data sets produce cloud feedbacks that are close to D10, differing by 0.2–0.3 W/m2/K. An exception is the Terra SSF1deg ΔRclear-sky product, which produces an overall negative cloud feedback. However, a critical examination of those data leads us to conclude that that result is due to problems in the Terra ΔRclear-sky arising from issues with cloud clearing prior to July 2001. Eliminating the problematic early portion yields a cloud feedback in good agreement with D10. We also present an alternative calculation of the cloud feedback that does not require an estimate of ΔRclear-sky, and this calculation also produces a positive cloud feedback in agreement with D10. The various ΔTs data sets produce cloud feedbacks that differ by as much as 0.8 W/m2/K. The choice of reanalysis, used as a source of ΔRclear-sky or as adjustments for the cloud radiative forcing, has a small impact on the inferred cloud feedback. Overall, these results confirm the robustness of D10's estimate of a likely positive feedback.
A method of measuring rate and degree of absorption of antigens

Abstract A method has been presented for demonstrating quantitatively the absorption rate and tide of injected antigens. Subject to the experimental conditions and limitations of this method a number of significant observations of clinical import are noted. Glycerinated extracts are not more slowly absorbed than aqueous extracts. Intracutaneous administration appears to result usually in more rapid absorption than subcutaneous. Ephedrine administered orally preceding antigen administration causes only a slight delay in absorption and has no marked effect on the prolongation of the absorption curve. Adrenalin, either administered with the antigen or separately, has a marked effect in delaying the onset of appreciable absorption and has a more moderate effect in diminishing the height of the antigen concentration in the blood.
A spatial panel approach to the statistical assessment of seismic impacts and building damages: Case study of Taichung, Taiwan

Abstract A set of seismic-related statistical models is developed, using pseudo-data generated by an earthquake-engineering simulation model. The Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) is the principal measure of seismic hazard, the Peak Ground Displacement (PGD) represents secondary impacts, and land-use patterns characterize urban vulnerability. A PGA model based on earthquake magnitude, epicenter-to-site distances, and source depth is formulated as a spatial lag panel (SLP) model to account for PGA spatial interactions (neighborhood effects). A PGD spatial lag panel model is also specified to account for soil liquefaction effects. Finally, a model of seismic damages to buildings is formulated, relating monetary damages (loss in property values) to seismic hazards (PGA and PGD) and urban vulnerabilities (residential, commercial, industrial, and facility building stocks). Pseudo-data are generated under 22 simulated historical seismic events for the city of Taichung, Taiwan. These data are then used for model estimation. By combining the three models, monetary damages can be estimated as a function of land-use patterns, PGA, PGD, their neighborhood effects, and other seismic characteristics. These models can therefore provide seismic information for policy making and help in allocating land to new activities while minimizing potential seismic damages.
Evaluation of the Abbott TDx for the Stat Measurement of Phenobarbital, Phenytoin, Carbamazepine, and Theophylline

The Abbott TDx is a fully automated method for drug-level monitoring. The system consists of a competitive fluorescence polarization immunoassay performed by a microprocessor-controlled fluorometer with integral pipetting and data reduction systems. We evaluated the method for the stat measurement of phenobarbital (PHENO), phenytoin (PTN), carbamazepine(CARB), and theophylline (THEO). The threshold of detection is PHENO, 0.8 mg/L; PTN, 0.8 mg/L; CARB, 0.1 mg/L; and THEO, 0.4 mg/L. Between-run precision in the therapeutic range expressed as coefficient of variation is between 3.3% and 9.1% for all four drugs. Recovery of each drug from a variety of matrices was essentially 100%, with no significant interference by elevated levels of bilirubin, triglycerides, or hemoglobin. The TDx methods were correlated to established methods for 100 patient specimens: PHENO: Y(TDx) ; 0.95 (GLC) + 1.4 mg/L R ; 0.98 PTN: Y(TDx) ; 0.91 (GLC) + 1.1 mg/L R ; 0.99 CARB: Y(TDx) ; 0.91 (EMIT) + 0.4 mg/L R ; 0.98 THEO: Y(TDx) ; 0.93 (HPLC) + 0.5 mg/L R ; 0.99 The calibration stability is no shorter than one week (PTN) and as long as five weeks (CARB). The analytic system is an accurate, precise, and highly stable method for the stat measurement of these four drugs.