cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Influence of life history and seasonal hydrology on lipid storage in three neotropical fish species

The seasonal dynamics of energy (lipid) storage in three neotropical fish species with differing life histories were evaluated. Lipid content was substantially greater in the liver than in dorsal musculature of all three species. Two piscivores (Cichia temensis and Serrasalmus manueli) showed large, statistically significant seasonal fluctuations in liver lipid content. Liver lipid content increased during high water, through the falling water, and into the early dry season for both piscivores. Seasonal variation in dorsal muscle lipid content was large and statistically significant for C. temensis, but was small and non-significant for S. manueli. Cichla temensis appeared to 'finance' costs associated with reproduction by accumulating lipids during the falling-water period when migratory prey allowed the species to subsidize their energetic dynamics. Semaprochilodu.v kneri, a migratory algivore and detritivore, showed no significant seasonal variation in dorsal muscle lipid content and minimally significant seasonal variation in liver lipid content. Statistically significant effects of lipid content on δ 13 C was observed when tissue lipid content varied by >12%, while biological interpretation of food web statistics based on δ 13 C values appears robust to minor variations in lipid content. Nonetheless, when lipid content varied by larger amounts (e.g. >35% for C. temensis and S. manueli liver tissue) lipids appeared to have a large potential effect on δ 13 C and food web statistics calculated from such measurements may have been biased. Surprisingly, even large variation in tissue lipid content did not affect δ 15 N.
A multicenter cohort study of pregnancy outcomes among women with laboratory-confirmed H1N1 influenza.

A multicenter cohort study of pregnancy outcomes among women with laboratory-confirmed H1N1 influenza
Genetic algorithm optimization for focusing through turbid media in noisy environments

We introduce genetic algorithms (GA) for wavefront control to focus light through highly scattering media. We theoretically and experimentally compare GAs to existing phase control algorithms and show that GAs are particularly advantageous in low signal-to-noise environments.
Prospective risk factors for traumatic event reexposure in community syringe exchange participants.

Abstract Background Traumatic event reexposure in injecting drug users is associated with increased drug use and potential for psychiatric symptoms. This is the first study to examine fixed and time-varying factors that are prospectively associated with new traumatic event reexposure in injecting drug users. Methods Injecting drug users registered in a syringe exchange program were enrolled in a 16-month parent study comparing strategies to increase drug abuse treatment enrollment. Participants ( N = 162) completed baseline measures of demographics, psychiatric treatment history, and lifetime traumatic event exposure. Monthly follow-ups assessed past-month traumatic event exposure, days of heroin and cocaine use, criminal activity, and drug abuse treatment participation. Generalized estimating equations models tested the influence of fixed baseline and time-varying factors on traumatic event reexposure in the same month, the following month, and two months later. Results Significant fixed risk factors for traumatic event reexposure include female gender and past psychiatric treatment. In addition, each past traumatic event exposure was associated with an increased likelihood of reexposure. After accounting for all other factors, each day of cocaine use was associated with a small but persistent increased risk of traumatic event reexposure. Reexposure to a traumatic event in the prior month more than doubled the risk of subsequent reexposure. Conclusions Injecting drug users experience a pattern in which drug use is associated with increased risk of subsequent traumatic event reexposure, and traumatic event reexposure is associated with further drug use and continued reexposure. Implications for addressing these concerns in injecting drug users are presented.
252Cf for interstitial implantation: A clinical study at memorial hospital

Abstract A Phase I clinical study, using californium-252 ( 252 Cf) sources in temporary implants began in January 1974. The improved 252 Cf source design utilized in these implants is patterned after the iridium-192 ( 192 Ir) seeds contained in nylon ribbons and is adapted for afterloading. This source assembly provides greater flexibility, facilitates the loading and unloading procedure and reduces the radiation exposure to hospital personnel. An attempt was made to deliver the same effective dose with 252 Cf as that delivered with 192 Ir implants (6000 rad in 6 days); the corresponding 6-day dose from 252 Cf radiation consists of a neutron dose of 840 rad and a β-γ dose of 740 rad, using relative biological effectiveness RBE's of 6.4 and 0.86 respectively. Today a total of 10 implants have been performed in previously untreated metastatic regional nodes from squamous cell carcinoma. Local control has been obtained in eight of the ten patients implanted (80%). No unusual normal tissue effects have been observed up to 2 years after implantation. The only observed disadvantage of the use of 252 Cf sources resulted from the necessity of increased ration precautions required to protect the hospital personnel.
The Atmospheric Water Balance and the Hydrology of Large River Basins

The concept of using the atmospheric water balance technique in the study of the hydrology of large (greater than 105km2) river basins is described. The atmospheric water balance technique consists of determining the spacial and time distributions and fluxes of water vapor through the atmospheric volume overlying the basin. The quantity precipitation minus evaporation at the earth's surface is determined as a residual of the computation. A review of the results of various experiments employing this technique is provided. The incorporation of the technique in a study of the hydrology of a large river basin is demonstrated by showing the results of a study of the hydrometeorology of the Upper Colorado River Basin. The example covers the study of eleven winter seasons, November through April, 1957–1968. The seasonal accumulation of water over the basin as determined by the atmospheric water balance is highly correlated with annual runoff. Correlation coefficient r = .8. The daily evaporation rate during dry days varies by a factor of two over the winter season, and is shown to be related to the incoming solar radiation intensity.
Effects of male accessory gland substances on the pre-oviposition behaviour of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.

Abstract Secretions of the male accessory glands of Aedes aegypti (L.) induce gravid virgin females to engage in pre-oviposition behaviour. Normal mating, the implantation of whole glands, or the injection of male accessory gland homogenates, all induced pre-oviposition behaviour in gravid virgin females, but implants of testes did not. Injection of male accessory gland extracts from other mosquito species, including A. albopictus, A. sierrensis, A. taeniorhynchus and Anopheles nr. salbaii into gravid virgin A. aegypti females did not induce pre-oviposition, suggesting that the male components were species-specific. Male accessory gland substances retained their biological activity when stored at 4°C for 24 h or when maintained at −10°C for 2 weeks, but lost their activity after longer periods and were inactivated by heating.
Modular invariance of some fermionic theories and their bosonized versions

Abstract String theories with N free Majorana or massless Dirac fermions are considered. The different possible modular invariant truncations are listed in each case. The spectrum of these theories is compared to the semiclassical spectrum of their bosonized versions, which are theories of strings moving on the group manifolds of SO(N) or spin (N) for the Majorana case, and of U(N) for the Dirac case, with the coefficient of the WZW term equal to its minimum nonzero value in both cases. In doing this, a better understanding of bosonization and of the exact sense in which it is valid is sought.
Oxygen permeability in thermoplastic polyurethanes

The thermal and oxygen transport properties of a series of thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs) based on 4,4′-methylene diisocyanate (MDI) and 1,4-butanediol (BD) as hard segments, and poly(tetramethylene glycol) (PTMG) or poly(butylene adipate) (PA) as soft segments, are studied. Oxygen permeabilities (P) of both polyester-based and polyether-based TPUs increase with decreasing hard segment fractions. Oxygen solubility (S) and diffusivity (D) can be derived from permeation curves. S correlates with the amount of excess free volume as determined by the difference between glass-transition and testing temperatures (i.e., the degree of super cooling) and decreases with the increased Tg in polyester-based TPUs. The intensity of low temperature gamma transition reflects the activation energy for D; the higher the intensity is, the lower D is annealed TPU samples exhibited higher oxygen permeabilities as well as lower storage moduli at room temperature, despite modest increases in overall crystallinity. Dedensification of the soft segment phase during annealing/crystalline phase growth is the most likely explanation for loss of mechanical and barrier properties after annealing as partially confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2012
Coordinated response of mammalian Rad51 and Rad52 to DNA damage.

Biochemical analysis has shown that mammalian Rad51 and Rad52 interact and synergize in DNA recombination reactions in vitro, but these proteins have not been shown to function together in response to DNA damage in vivo. By analysis of murine cells expressing murine Rad52 tagged with green fluorescent protein (GFP)–Rad52, we now show that DNA damage causes Rad51 and GFP–Rad52 to colocalize in distinct nuclear foci. Cells expressing GFP–Rad52 show both increased survival and an increased number of Rad51 foci, raising the possibility that Rad52 is limiting for repair. These observations provide evidence of coordinated function of Rad51 and Rad52 in vivo and support the hypothesis that Rad52 plays an important role in the DNA damage response in mammalian cells.
Electrochemically modulated separation, concentration, and detection of plutonium using an anodized glassy carbon electrode and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

Plutonium is shown to be retained on anodized glassy carbon (GC) electrodes at potentials positive of +0.7 V (vs Ag/AgCl reference) and released upon potential shifts to values negative of +0.3 V. This phenomenom has been exploited for the separation, concentration, and detection of plutonium by the coupling an electrochemical flow cell on-line with an ICPMS system. The electrochemically controlled deposition and analysis of Pu improves detection limits by analyte preconcentration and by matrix and isobaric ion elimination. Information related to the parametric optimization of the technique and hypotheses regarding the mechanism of electrochemical accumulation of Pu are reported. The most likely accumulation scenario involves complexation of Pu(IV) species, produced under a controlled potential, with anions retained in the anodization film that develops during the activation of the GC electrode. The release mechanism is believed to result from the reduction of Pu(IV) in the anion complex to Pu(III), which...
Characterization of a cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus affecting the mosquito Culex restuans

Abstract The ultrastructure, pathology, and transmissibility of a new cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus of Culex restuans are described. Virus development is limited to the cytoplasm of cells of the gastric caeca and posterior portion of the midgut. Virus particles are spherical, measure 35 nm in diameter and are surrounded by a capsid. They are assembled within a virogenic stroma and are occluded singly. Polyhedra contain one to many virions, are pleomorphic and range from 0.1 to 1.0 μ in size. They are formed by the coalescence of individually occluded virions. Infections can be vertically transmitted to larvae by infected females via the egg but at a very low rate (10.5%). Infections acquired in this manner are pathogenic and most individuals die as larvae or pupae. The virus may also be transmitted orally to larvae via the ingestion of polyhedra. These infections are not as pathogenic and most infected individuals survive to adulthood. The virus is specific for C. restuans and cannot be transmitted to Culex pipiens or Culex territans .
Improved transport with 1,2-ethanedithiol treatment in the preparation of quantum-dot-nanowire solar cells

We describe the design, fabrication, and characterization of heterojunction solar cells consisting of CdSe quantum dot films sandwiched between a hole conducting polymer layer and n-type ZnO nanowires. We also present a detailed analysis of the quantum dot layer deposition processes, solution-phase ligand exchange of this quantum dot layer, the conformality of this layer on deeply nanostructured samples, and the effect of a surfactant-aided thermal anneal process. Annealing creates a structural conversion of the quantum dot layers into an extremely thin continuous polycrystalline film with typical grain diameters of 30–50 nm. This transition is accompanied by a loss of quantum confinement and a significant improvement of the charge transport in the layer. The optimized annealing and deposition processes result in solar cells with an open-circuit voltage up to 0.4 V, a short circuit current of ∼10 mA/cm2, an external quantum efficiency of 65%, and an energy conversion efficiency above 2%.
The electrodeposition of Pb monolayers on low index Pt surfaces: an X-ray scattering and scanning tunneling microscopy study

Abstract The electrodeposition of a lead monolayer on Pt(111) forms an ordered structure with a rectangular 4 Pb -(3 × 3 ) unit cell, θ Pb = 2 3 , as determined by in situ SXS and STM techniques. Close to Pt terrace edges, a coexisting 7 Pb -(2 3 × 2 3 ) R 30° unit cell, θ Pb = 7 12 , was observed with STM. Data from both techniques suggest an order-disorder phase transition which is associated with a very sharp peak in the current-potential curve. No ordered structures were observed for Pt(100) and Pt(110) by SXS, while islands were observed on Pt(100) by STM. These results emphasize the importance of the in situ studies of electrodeposited monolayers.
Optimal switching to diapause in relation to the onset of winter.

Abstract A model is presented that specifies optimal switching times for the induction of diapause relative to the onset of winter in a deterministic environment. Fitness is defined as an individual's contribution to the overwintering population in diapause at the time of the first hard frost. The fitness of a nondiapausing female is determined by the switching times of her offspring. If age-specific fecundity and survivorship do not change significantly from generation to generation, the optimal switching time precedes the onset of winter by a constant amount of time equal to the age of first reproduction plus the time to produce one offspring plus the difference in ages between the sensitive age and the diapause age. This result is independent of the time at which the original female began to reproduce. However, if fecundity or survivorship decreases toward the end of the season, the optimal switching time depends upon the time when she began to reproduce and should be more conservative by an amount of time that can be computed. Possible tests of the model are proposed.
Disordered reward processing and functional connectivity in trichotillomania: A pilot study

Background: The neurobiology of Trichotillomania is poorly understood, although there is increasing evidence to suggest that TTM may involve alterations of reward processing. The current study represents the first exploration of reward processing in TTM and the first resting state fMRI study in TTM. We incorporate both event-related fMRI using a monetary incentive delay (MID) task, and resting state fMRI, using two complementary resting state analysis methodologies (functional connectivity to the nucleus accumbens and dual regression within a reward network) in a pilot study to investigate differences in reward processing between TTM and healthy controls (HC). Methods: 21 unmedicated subjects with TTM and 14 HC subjects underwent resting state fMRI scans. A subset (13 TTM and 12 HC) also performed the MID task. Results: For the MID task, TTM subjects showed relatively decreased nucleus accumbens (NAcc) activation to reward anticipation, but relative over-activity of the NAcc to both gain and loss outcomes. Resting state functional connectivity analysis showed decreased connectivity of the dorsal anterior cingulate (dACC) to the NAcc in TTM. Dual regression analysis of a reward network identified through independent component analysis (ICA) also showed decreased dACC connectivity and more prominently decreased basolateral amygdala connectivity within the reward network in TTM. Conclusions: Disordered reward processing at the level of NAcc, also involving decreased modulatory input from the dACC and the basolateral amygdala may play a role in the pathophysiology of TTM.
A Large (Mn10Na)4 Loop of Four Linked Mn10 Loops

A large (Mn10Na)4 loop-of-loops aggregate was prepared from the use of 1,3-propanediol (pdH 2) in manganese carboxylate chemistry. It is constructed from four (Mn 10(I3-O)2(O2CMe)13(pd)6(py)2) - loops linked through Na+ ions and exhibits a saddlelike topology. Magnetic characterization showed that the Mn 10 loop has an S 4 ground-state spin and displays frequency-dependent in-phase and out-of-phase alternating current signals and also hysteresis loops that, however, are not typical of single-molecule magnets because of the existence of intermolecular interactions between the Mn 10 units.
Is the anodic peak on the capacity-polarization curves for adsorption of benzene and toluene on mercury a desorption peak?

Abstract The adsorption of benzene and toluene was studied by double layer capacity and electrocapillary measurements. The results suggest that the anodic peaks observed on the capacity curves for adsorption of these compounds (i) might be caused by the reorientation of the adsorbate at positive charges on the electrode surface, as was originally advocated by Damaskin et al. for adsorption of aromatic compounds such as aniline, and (ii) are not attributable to adsorption-desorption processes as was later claimed by the above authors for the specific case of these two simple hydrocarbons.
How Repeatable Are Associations Between Polymorphisms in achaete–scute and Bristle Number Variation in Drosophila?

Currently, the relevance of common genetic variants--particularly those significantly associated with phenotypic variation in laboratory studies--to standing phenotypic variation in the wild is poorly understood. To address this, we quantified the relationship between achaete-scute complex (ASC) polymorphisms and Drosophila bristle number phenotypes in several new population samples. MC22 is a biallelic, nonrepetitive-length polymorphism 97 bp downstream of the scute transcript. It has been previously shown to be associated with sternopleural bristle number variation in both sexes in a set of isogenic lines. We replicated this association in a large cohort of wild-caught Drosophila melanogaster. We also detected a significant association at MC22 in an outbred population maintained under laboratory conditions for approximately 25 years, but the phenotypic effects in this sample were opposite from the direction estimated in the initial study. Finally, no significant associations were detected in a second large wild-caught cohort or in a set of 134 nearly isogenic lines. Our ability to repeat the initial association in wild samples suggests that it was not spurious. Nevertheless, inconsistent results from the other three panels suggest that the relationship between polymorphic genetic markers and loci contributing to continuous variation is not a simple one.
Field-Experience Reading Interns Profile the Effective/Ineffective University Supervisor.

Abstract A review of the teacher education literature suggests that, with one exception, the area of early field‐based education is still virtually unstudied. This study explores the role of the university supervisor, a role that has come under sharp criticism of late, in early field‐based reading education programs. It examines reading interns’ perceptions of what it is that distinguishes effective from ineffective university supervision during two required field‐based reading methods courses. Subjects were Early Childhood Education majors drawn from students enrolled in several sections of two field‐based reading methods courses. The materials used were two questionnaires composed of open‐ended questions designed specifically to tap students’ perceptions of the university supervisor's role in their field experiences. Responses obtained from 83 completed questionnaires fell into three areas: the attitude of the university supervisor, the supervisor's handling of the observation process, and the manner of...
The Mirror Does Not Lie: Acute Exercise and Self-Efficacy

Although acute bouts of exercise have consistently been found to enhance self-efficacy, recent evidence suggests that the exercise environment may moderate this relation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of an acute bout of exercise performed in environments differing in self-evaluative potential on self-efficacy. Forty-three female undergraduates performed 20 min of aerobic exercise in front of and in the absence of a full-length mirror. Self-efficacy was assessed at 4 time points: before entry into the experimental condition, pre-exercise, postexercise, and 20 min postexercise. Results revealed that self-efficacy did not significantly change following exercise or recovery in the no mirror condition. However, the mirror condition resulted in moderate increases in self-efficacy postexercise and large increases following recovery. Results indicate that self-evaluation following exercise may increase one’s perceptions of capabilities and appear to be in contrast to past research demonstrating a negative effect of mirrors on self-efficacy.
The reaction of nickel tetracarbonyl with γ-alumina

Abstract Nickel tetracarbonyl physisorbed from helium carrier onto partially dehydroxylated γ-alumina at 23–50°C rapidly reacts with surface sites to form a yellow complex, probably adsorbed nickel tricarbonyl. Carbon monoxide rapidly reverses this reaction. In flowing helium, the yellow complex loses further carbon monoxide to form a gray species in which CO Ni is about 1.4. Heating to 100°C reduces the ratio to 0.4. The gray species are small clusters of metallic nickel covered with carbon monoxide. Heating to about 450°C liberates additionally about 0.33 molecules of hydrogen, 0.1 of carbon monoxide, and 0.1 of carbon dioxide. This oxidation of nickel(0) by surface hydroxyl groups occurs even in the presence of hydrogen. Heating nickel carbonyl on highly dehydroxylated alumina liberates no hydrogen.
Phase shifts and resonances for electron scattering by He+ below the N=2 threshold.

The scattering of electrons by ${\mathrm{He}}^{+}$ ions has been studied below the N=2 threshold of the ion. A pseudostate close-coupling method has been used to examine the scattering in the nonresonant and resonant regions. The calculations are performed using an algebraic variational method. Extensive pseudostate basis sets of differing characters are employed. In the nonresonant region, short-range electron-electron correlations are emphasized. In the vicinity of the resonances, the dominant projectile-target electron correlations are comparatively long range. S-, P-, and D-wave phase shifts of high accuracy are obtained for both the singlet and the triplet spin states. The present phase shifts agree very well with those obtained by Shimamura by a variational procedure for the S wave and with those of McGreevy and Stewart by a many-body perturbation method for the singlet P wave. The present phase shifts are in disagreement with the polarized orbital results of Khan et al. Resonance parameters are calculated for 15 S-wave resonances, 16 P-wave resonances, and 19 D-wave resonances with the outer electron extending up to n\ensuremath{\simeq}8. Estimates of quantum defects and the reduced widths are obtained for various Rydberg series of the doubly excited states. A number of the high-lying resonances are predicted for the first time. The agreement of the present energy values and the auotionization widths with the available experimental values is excellent.
From basic to applied research: theory and application of the a–b signal detection theory model

The goal of this research was three-fold: (1) address the basic versus applied research debate within the domain-specific signal detection theoretical framework, which scientists and practitioners have used extensively along the full spectrum of this continuum; (2) provide empirical support to validate the adequacy of the model; and (3) show the potential generalisability of the model to different domain-specific areas within applied settings. The results from the basic empirical study suggest that the a–b signal detection theory (SDT) model provides a more accurate theoretical framework for examining the underlying processes involved in signal detection. The findings from the domain-specific studies showed the potential applicability of the a–b SDT model for approaching applied problems. From a theoretical and applied point of view, this research suggests that the traditional SDT contention that the detection and response processes are independent from each other does not hold true for either basic signa...
A New Approach for the Prediction of Rate of Penetration (ROP) Values

Today applications of drilling require proper identification of operations where a cost reduction is possible. Many indicators are present when one tries to optimize the drilling operations such as casing size and mud properties. On the other hand the selection of the optimum bit requires information from a variety of sources. The parameters affecting the bit performance are complex and their relationship is not easily recognized. The general trend is to evaluate the performance of the bit from an offset well. A new methodology was developed to model the rate of penetration and bit wear under various formation types and operating parameters. This method introduces a new approach with improved bit wear prediction. A simulator was used to generate drilling data to eliminate errors coherent to field measurements. The data generated was used to establish the relationship between the complex patterns such as weight on bit, rotary speed, pump rates, formation hardness, and bit type. The method was tested using data from runs conducted with a rig floor simulator. The validity of the proposed method was also demonstrated with data from an existing field.
Lack of UV-induced respiration shutoff in a recF strain of Escherichia coli: temperature conditional suppression at 30°C by the sfrA mutation

Abstract A mutation in the recF gene of Escherichia coli results in a radiation-sensitive strain. The RecF pathway and the RecBC pathway account for nearly all of the conjugative recombination occuring in E. coli. recBC cells are radiation-sensitive and carry only out a small amount of recombination but these deficiencies are suppressed by an sbcB as recombination is shunted to the RecF pathway. A recBC sbcB recF strain is very radiation-sensitive and is devoid of recombination ability. These deficiencies are suppressed by the srfA mutation; srfA is a recA allele. UV-induced respiration shutoff is a recA+, lexA+ and recBC+ dependent. We report in this paper that respiration does not shutoff in a recF strain at 37 and 30°C. an srfA mutation suppresses this lack of respiration shutoff effect in a recF srfA mutant at 30°C but not at 37°C; no suppression by this mutation occurs at either temperature in a recF recBC sbcB strain. An srfA strain also does not shut off its respiration at 37°C and shows a temperature conditional UV-induced respiration shutoff response at 30°C. The srfA mutation is thought to cause an altered RecA protein to be produced and we suggest that at 37° This altered protein is temperature sensitive. We conclude from the results in this paper that the recF gene product is required for UV-induced respiration shutoff and that the RecA protein plays a special role in the induction process.
Serial dexamethasone suppression tests in initial suppressors and nonsuppressors treated with electroconvulsive therapy.

Abstract Four different methods of quantifying the 1-mg Dexamethasone Suppression Test (DST) were contrasted with serial testing in endogenous depressives receiving electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Of three continuous measures in 38 patients with pretreatment DSTs, only the log-transformed value for plasma cortisol was normally distributed, indicating that it possessed superior psychometric properties. Pretreatment Hamilton Depression Rating Scores (HAM-D) correlated positively with pretreatment DST status, with a similar association noted between posttreatment DST status and HAM-D scores. There was no uniform effect of ECT on the DST. Although pretreatment nonsuppressors showed a trend toward decreased postdexamethasone cortisol values, initial suppressors (cutoff: 5μg/dl) evidenced a significant increase in these values, and 35.3% of initial suppressors were nonsuppressors at final DST assessment. These trends were noted in the DST assessment done following the third ECT treatment, suggesting an effect of regression to the mean. The findings highlight the importance of following initial DST suppressors in studies of this type.
Estimating Exposure to Environmental Tobacco Smoke

In Reply. —Dr Domino notes that our estimate of dietary nicotine contribution to cotinine (0.02 ng/mL) is below the limit of detection (sensitivity) of our analytical method. We agree that our estimate of dietary nicotine contribution is less than the detection limit of our method and represents a small contribution. Such an estimate can be made because we had cotinine data on thousands of persons in the regression analysis. From our Figure 2, Domino states that the maximum serum cotinine levels peak at approximately 0.1 ng/mL. The maximum is actually much greater than 0.1 ng/mL—the geometric mean we reported (Table 4) was 0.113 to 0.124 ng/mL, depending on age group. Since our study provides, to our knowledge, the only data available in the literature that relates measured levels of cotinine to dietary consumption, we thought it was important to provide an estimate of the contribution of diet to cotinine levels even though
Tissue-specific binding of a nuclear factor to the insulin gene promoter.

Abstract Using a DNA-binding gel mobility shift assay, a protein-DNA complex was detected using the rat II insulin promoter and a nuclear extract from rat insulinoma cells. This complex was detected using extracts from other insulin-producing cell lines but was not found using nuclear extracts from non-insulin-producing pancreatic cell lines or other cell types. Binding of the tissue-specific protein to the labelled promoter fragment was effectively competed by both rat and human insulin genes but not by the SV40 TATA box. This protein-DNA interaction may be involved in tissue-specific regulation of insulin gene expression.
Go Where the Science Leads You

This article relates how my lifelong passion for nematology evolved and the philosophy that drove my research program, including maintaining a balance between applied and basic research, and key collaborations I have had with other researchers. Although the driving force behind my basic research was to advance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of nematode parasitism of plants, the underlying theme was how to apply the new basic knowledge of nematode biology to provide better control of these economically important crop pathogens in grower fields. There are high expectations that new nematode control strategies will result from science-based solutions that can be delivered through biotechnology-derived crops and provide an unprecedented opportunity for limiting nematode damage to multiple crops.
Pressure Loading of Piezo Composite Unimorphs

Over the past decade synthetic jets have emerged as a promising means of active flow control. They have the ability to introduce small amounts of energy locally to achieve non-local changes in the flow field. These devices have the potential of saving millions of dollars by increasing the efficiency and simplifying fluid related systems. A synthetic jet actuator consists of a cavity with an oscillating diaphragm. As the diaphragm oscillates, jets are formed through an orifice in the cavity. This paper focuses on piezoelectric synthetic jets formed using two types of active diaphragms, Thunder® and Lipca. Thunder® is composed of three layers; two metal layers, with a PZT-5A layer in between, bonded with a polyimide adhesive. Lipca is a Light WeIght Piezo Composite Actuator, formed of a number of carbon fiber prepreg layers and an active PZT-5A layer. As these diaphragms oscillate, pressure differences within the cavity as well as average maximum jet velocities are measured. These parameters are measured under load and no-load conditions by controlling pressure at the back of the actuator or the passive cavity. Results show that the average maximum jet velocities measured at the exit of the active cavity, follow a similar trend to the active pressures for both devices. Active pressure and jet velocity increase with passive pressure to a maximum, and then decrease. Active pressure and the jet velocity peaked at the same passive cavity pressure of 18kPa for both diaphragms indicating that the same level of pre-stresses is present in both actuators even though Lipca produces approximately 10% higher velocities than Thunder®.
Ground antennas in NASA's deep space telecommunications

Ground antennas are the major visible components of NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN). The role, key characteristics, and performance of these antennas in deep-space telecommunications are described. The system analyses and tradeoffs to optimize the overall ground-to-spacecraft link and to define future missions are elaborated from an antenna perspective. Overall performance of receiving systems is compared using the widely accepted G/T figure-of-merit, i.e., net antenna gain divided by the operating system noise temperature. Performance of past, present, and future antennas and receiving systems is discussed, including the planned development of a world-wide network of 34-m diameter beam-waveguide antennas. The need for multifrequency operation, presently in the S- and X-bands, and in the future in the Ka-band, is discussed. The resulting requirements placed on antenna technology are highlighted. Beam-waveguide antenna performance to further improve performance and operational advantages is discussed. >
The effect of oral rehydration solution and recommended home fluids on diarrhoea mortality

Background Most diarrhoeal deaths can be prevented through the prevention and treatment of dehydration. Oral rehydration solution (ORS) and recommended home fluids (RHFs) have been recommended since 1970s and 1980s to prevent and treat diarrhoeal dehydration. We sought to estimate the effects of these interventions on diarrhoea mortality in children aged <5 years. Methods We conducted a systematic review to identify studies evaluating the efficacy and effectiveness of ORS and RHFs and abstracted study characteristics and outcome measures into standardized tables. We categorized the evidence by intervention and outcome, conducted meta-analyses for all outcomes with two or more data points and graded the quality of the evidence supporting each outcome. The CHERG Rules for Evidence Review were used to estimate the effectiveness of ORS and RHFs against diarrhoea mortality. Results We identified 205 papers for abstraction, of which 157 were included in the meta-analyses of ORS outcomes and 12 were included in the meta-analyses of RHF outcomes. We estimated that ORS may prevent 93% of diarrhoea deaths. Conclusions ORS is effective against diarrhoea mortality in home, community and facility settings; however, there is insufficient evidence to estimate the effectiveness of RHFs against diarrhoea mortality.
Psychometric Evaluation of the Nurse Spiritual Care Therapeutics Scale

To measure nurse-provided spiritual care, robust instrumentation is needed. This study psychometrically evaluated an instrument that operationalizes frequency of nurse-provided spiritual care, the Nurse Spiritual Care Therapeutics Scale (NSCTS). The 17-item NSCTS, with an established content validity index of 0.88, was administered online to registered nurses (RNs) in four hospitals. Responses from 554 RNs (24% response rate), most who identified as Christian, provided evidence for the NSCTS' reliability and validity. Internal reliability was supported by an alpha coefficient of .93. Validity was evidenced by item-total correlations ranging from .40 to .80, low to modest direct correlations between the NSCTS and Daily Spiritual Experience Scale and Duke University Religiosity Index, and strong loadings between 0.41 and 0.84 on one factor (explaining 49.5% of the variance) during exploratory factor analysis.
Reply to "Comment on 'Non-invasive monitoring of chewing and swallowing for objective quantification of ingestive behavior"

Non-invasive monitoring of ingestive behavior is a novel area of research that has significant potential in obesity-related applications. This response to the comments by Dr Amft (2009 Physiol. Meas. 30 517–20) highlights the importance of the methodology and reliability metrics established in our original publication (Sazonov et al 2008 Physiol. Meas. 29 525–41) for the future development of automatic pattern recognition methods and clarifies some of the questions raised in Dr Amft's letter.
ASCAP parameter determination by an intelligent genetic algorithm

This paper reports on a successful determination of the train travel schedule parameters for a rail system based on limited data, and thus provides a verification of the ASCAP, a rail system simulator developed at the Center of Rail Safety-Critical Excellence at the University of Virginia. The train system considered is a corridor encompassing a territory of over 127 miles. It is divided into 37 train speed zones, with 9 sidings. The only data available are the actual trip times of 171 trains dispatched over a period of 14 days. The problem of determining the 37 train-zone-average-speeds and 9 siding delay times was formulated as a constrained optimization problem. The cost to be minimized is the cumulated errors between the actual train trip times and the ASCAP simulated trip times resulting from a particular set of train-zone-average-speeds and siding delay times. The constraints include allowable siding delays, permissible train-zone-average-speeds and prohibition of southbound trains from entering the sidings. This large scale nonlinear optimization problem was then solved by a genetic algorithm developed by the authors and referred to as the intelligent genetic algorithm. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach.
Internet Death Notices as a Novel Source of Mortality Surveillance Data

Concerns about bioterrorism and influenza have focused attention on identifying novel data sources to enhance public health surveillance. The authors evaluated free Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Internet death notices for Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, as a potentially timely source of mortality data. Data abstracted from Internet death notices for 1998-2001 were compared with mortality records from the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Approximately 75% (44,294/60,281) of state records had death notices, and 91% (44,294/48,651) of death notices corresponded to a state record. There was a 2-day median lag from the date of death to online death notice publication. The date of death, gender, age, and name data were nearly 90% accurate and 60-100% complete. Increasing education and age were independently associated with increased Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporting. Being non-White, female, or a nursing home resident were independently associated with decreased reporting. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Internet death notices provided accurate, timely mortality data for nearly three fourths of all Allegheny County deaths.
Keratinocyte growth factor enhances barrier function without altering claudin expression in primary alveolar epithelial cells

Keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) has efficacy in several experimental models of lung injury; however, the mechanisms underlying KGF's protective effect remain incompletely understood. This study was undertaken to determine whether KGF augments barrier function in primary rat alveolar epithelial cells grown in culture, specifically whether KGF alters tight junction function via claudin expression. KGF significantly increased alveolar epithelial barrier function in culture as assessed by transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) and paracellular permeability. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting of freshly isolated type 1 (AT1) and type 2 (AT2) cells followed by quantitative real-time RT-PCR revealed that more than 97% of claudin mRNA transcripts in these cells were for claudins-3, -4, and -18. Using cultured AT2 cells, we then examined the effect of KGF on the protein levels of the claudins with the highest mRNA levels: -3, -4, -5, -7, -12, -15, and -18. KGF did not alter the levels of any of the claudins tested, nor of zona occludens-1 (ZO-1) or occludin. Moreover, localization of claudins-3, -4, -18, and ZO-1 was unchanged. KGF did induce a marked increase in the apical perijunctional F-actin ring. Actin depolymerization with cytochalasin D blocked the KGF-mediated increase in TER without significantly changing TER in control cells. Together, these data support a novel mechanism by which KGF enhances alveolar barrier function, modulation of the actin cytoskeleton. In addition, these data demonstrate the complete claudin expression profile for AT1 and AT2 cells and indicate that claudins-3, -4, and -18 are the primary claudins expressed in these cell types.
The archaeology of scattered wreck-sites: formation processes and shallow water archaeology in western Lake Huron

This paper explores the application of archaeological site formation theory to stranded wooden vessels and the scattered wreck-sites they produce. Shallow water wrecks and wreckage sites in the Au Sable Shores region of western Lake Huron are used to develop a preliminary classification of the processes operating on the breakup and deposition of wooden vessels.
Retina lesion and microaneurysm segmentation using morphological reconstruction methods with ground-truth data

In this work we report on a method for lesion segmentation based on the morphological reconstruction methods of Sbeh et. al. We adapt the method to include segmentation of dark lesions with a given vasculature segmentation. The segmentation is performed at a variety of scales determined using ground-truth data. Since the method tends to over-segment imagery, ground-truth data was used to create post-processing filters to separate nuisance blobs from true lesions. A sensitivity and specificity of 90% of classification of blobs into nuisance and actual lesion was achieved on two data sets of 86 images and 1296 images.
JPEG image steganalysis utilizing both intrablock and interblock correlations

JPEG image steganalysis has attracted increasing attention recently. In this paper, we present an effective Markov process (MP) based JPEG steganalysis scheme, which utilizes both the intrablock and interblock correlations among JPEG coefficients. We compute transition probability matrix for each difference JPEG 2-D array to utilize the intrablock correlation, and "averaged" transition probability matrices for those difference mode 2-D arrays to utilize the interblock correlation. All the elements of these matrices are used as features for steganalysis. Experimental works over an image database of 7,560 JPEG images have demonstrated that this new approach has greatly improved JPEG steganalysis capability and outperforms the prior arts.
DESIGN OF A MULTI-LEVEL/ANALOG FERROELECTRIC MEMORY DEVICE

Increasing the memory density and utilizing the dove1 characteristics of ferroelectric devices is important in making ferroelectric memory devices more desirable to the consumer. This paper describes a design that allows multiple levels to be stored in a ferroelectric based memory cell. It can be used to store multiple bits or analog values in a high speed nonvolatile memory. The design utilizes the hysteresis characteristic of ferroelectric transistors to store an analog value in the memory cell. The design also compensates for the decay of the polarization of the ferroelectric material over time. This is done by utilizing a pair of ferroelectric transistors to store the data. One transistor is used as a reference to determine the amount of decay that has occurred since the pair was programmed. The second transistor stores the analog value as a polarization value between zero and saturated. The design allows digital data to be stored as multiple bits in each memory cell. The number of bits per cell that can be stored will vary with the decay rate of the ferroelectric transistors and the repeatability of polarization between transistors. It is predicted that each memory cell may be able to store 8 bits or more. The design is based on data taken from actual ferroelectric transistors. Although the circuit has not been fabricated, a prototype circuit is now under construction. The design of this circuit is different than multi-level FLASH or silicon transistor circuits. The differences between these types of circuits are described in this paper. This memory design will be useful because it allows higher memory density, compensates for the environmental and ferroelectric aging processes, allows analog values to be directly stored in memory, compensates for the thermal and radiation environments associated with space operations, and relies only on existing technologies.
Effect of ibuprofen on the healing and remodeling of bone and articular cartilage in the rabbit temporomandibular joint.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of ibuprofen on the healing and remodeling of bone and cartilage in the temporomandibular joint of the rabbit. Forty-two rabbits were operated on to create a groove and a hole in the articular surface of both the right and left mandibular condyles. Following surgery, the animals were divided into three groups. Group A (12 rabbits) was used as a control and the animals did not receive any medication. Group B (15 rabbits) was given a daily dose of 17 mg/kg of ibuprofen. Group C (15 rabbits) was given a daily dose of 34 mg/kg of ibuprofen. All animals were killed after 4 weeks. The 84 condyles were examined clinically and histologically. Statistical analysis showed a highly significant difference in the healing of bone and cartilage between groups A and C (P < .01) and a significant difference between groups A and B (P < .05). The results of this study indicate that ibuprofen has an adverse effect on the healing of bone and cartilage in the temporomandibular joint of the rabbit.