cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Laser Ablation Effects to Hypervelocity Impact and Debris Darkening

Abstract Hypervelocity impact (HVI) studies are very important for understanding space debris, and play a crucial role in current fragmentation modelling predictions. Both the number and size of orbital debris particles are inputs to different models. The interpretation of optical measurements of orbital debris and the physical sizes of the particles require information on albedo of the particles. While hypervelocity impact experiments at a gun range can offer a realistic representation of the energy of impact and fragmentation, laboratory simulation using laser ablation with a high power laser is appealing because it provides the opportunity to investigate a variety of parameters and couple these to optical albedo measurements of HVI debris in a well-controlled and repeatable environment. Most importantly, laser ablation experiments can be conducted in high-vacuum of 10 -8 Torr, which is representative of the pressure in the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) environment, in contrast to the hypervelocity impact experiments that are typically conducted in low pressure (1-2 Torr) air. Here we compare experiments conducted with laser ablation to hypervelocity impact tests. Specifically, we compare microscopic debris from laboratory ablation with that from the 2014 hypervelocity impact test on DebriSat. Results from microstructure and size distributions of debris collected on witness plates show that laser ablations in low-pressure air offer many similarities to the hypervelocity impact experiments, while ablations in high-vacuum provide critical distinctions relevant to LEO.
Teamwork and Communication in Interventional Radiology

Abstract Teamwork and communication in the modern era are essential to the delivery of safe reliable patient care. As the complexity of the patient's disease entity increases and potential interventional procedures are warranted, consolidation of vast amounts of information from multiple teams is required. Thus, exceptional teamwork and communication are necessary for coordinated patient care. Breakdowns in teamwork and communication can lead to mistakes and breaches in patient safety. The purpose of this article is to review the fundamental principles and better understand the underlying reasons for dysfunctional teams and poor communication in the interventional radiology suite.
Experience and Performance: Contrasting 'Identity' in Feminist Theorizings

Connecting identity, broadly defined to recent ‘advances’ in educational research, this paper takes up two different feminist treatments based in pragmatism and poststructuralism. The first is from Charlene Haddock Seigfried on ‘experience,’ and the second is from Peggy Phelan on ‘performance.’ The first is in keeping with a dominant tradition to secure identity through visibility and the second suggests critique through a turn to invisibility. The first arises out of Dewey's naturalism and the second through Lacan, performance art, and anti-representation. At bottom is suggestion that an entire narrative tradition in educational research is potentially self-defeating.
An international survey of obesity and underweight in youth and adults with intellectual disabilities

Background: Increased levels of obesity have been reported for people with intellectual disability based on data mostly gathered in high income countries. Likewise few studies internationally have ...
Practical tips for developing your staff: Tracey Pratchett and Gil Young with Carol Brooks, Lisa Jeskins, and Helen Monagle, edited by Helen Blanchett, London, UK: : Facet Publishing, 2016.

Practical Tips for Developing Your Staff by Tracey Pratchett and Gil Young with Carol Brooks, Lisa Jeskins, and Helen Monagle is part of the Practical Tips for Library and Information Professional...
Response to Comment on Bress et al. Effect of Intensive Versus Standard Blood Pressure Treatment According to Baseline Prediabetes Status: A Post Hoc Analysis of a Randomized Trial. Diabetes Care 2017;40:1401–1408

We thank Neves et al. (1) for their comments on our article (2). They agree with our findings that results from the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) demonstrate that the beneficial effects of intensive systolic blood pressure control are consistent among those with prediabetes and normoglycemia. We found no attenuation of effect of intensive systolic blood pressure control at higher fasting serum glucose levels, including patients with fasting serum glucose levels approaching the diabetic range (i.e., >126 mg/dL) (2). Although this analysis was not a prespecified subgroup analysis in SPRINT, we determined the need for this particular analysis based on considerations external …
Hospital Handoffs as Multifunctional Situated Routines: Implications for Researchers and Administrators

Patient handoffs involve the exchange of information between health professionals accompanying a transfer of responsibility for, or control of, a patient. Concerns over the safety risks of poor handoffs have resulted in regulatory pressure to standardize practice and considerable growth in research. But handoffs involve more than information transfer, and their consequences for health care organizations extend beyond the safety of patients. Using an organization theory lens, we review the literature on handoffs and propose a framework that characterizes handoffs as multifunctional, situated organizational routines. We also identify implications for researchers and hospital policymakers. Standardization and improvement efforts run the risk of causing unintended problems if they overlook the complexity of handoff and the larger organizational functions it serves. Deepening our understanding of the multifunctional, situated nature of handoff can lead to improvement efforts that not only safeguard individual patients, but also enhance the capabilities of the larger health care organization.
Behavioral and molecular analyses suggest that circadian output is disrupted by disconnected mutants in D. melanogaster.

Abstract Mutations in the disconnected (disco) gene act to disrupt neural cell patterning in the Drosophila visual system. These mutations also affect adult locomotor activity rhythms, as disco flies are arrhythmic under conditions of constant darkness (DD). To determine the state of the circadian pacemaker in disco mutants, we constructed with pers double mutants (a short period allele of the period gene) and assayed their behavioral rhythms in light-dark cycles (LD), and their biochemical rhythms of period gene expression under both LD and DD conditions. The results demonstrate that disco flies are rhythmic, indicating that they have an active circadian pacemaker that can be entrained by light. They also suggest that disco mutants block or interfere with elements of the circadian system located between the central pacemaker and its outputs that mediate overt rhythms.
Water Vapor and Oxygen Permeabilities of Polyetherurethanes

Effects of soft segment content, hydrophilicity of polyether macroglycol soft segment and presence of polydimethylsiloxane co-soft segment on oxygen and water vapor permeabilities of polyetherurethanes were investigated. Polyetherurethanes were synthesized using a bulk synthesis procedure and solution cast as thin films. Oxygen and water vapor transport measurements were performed at 38 °C, 100% relative humidity (RH) and 4 mm Hg oxygen gradient, and 40 °C and 80% RH test gradient, respectively. The soft segment content and structure had profound influences on oxygen and water vapor permeabilities of the polyetherurethanes. Water vapor and oxygen permeabilities of polyetherurethanes increased with increasing soft segment content. Polytetramethylene oxide based polyetherurethanes (PTMO-PEU) had high oxygen permeabilities and polyethylene oxide based polyetherurethanes (PEO-PEU) had high water vapor permeabilities. Addition of silicone co-soft segment increased water vapor permeability and slightly reduced oxygen permeability of PTMO-PEU. Its effect on PEO-PEU was the reverse of that of the PTMO-PEU systems.
Patient- and Nutrition-Derived Outcome Risk Assessment Score as a Predictor of Mortality in Critically Ill Surgical Patients: A Retrospective, Single-Center Observational Study

BACKGROUND The Patient- And Nutrition-Derived Outcome Risk Assessment (PANDORA) was recently validated for predicting mortality in hospitalized patients; however, its utility in the intensive care unit (ICU) remains unknown. METHODS We investigated whether PANDORA is associated with 30, 90, and 180 day mortality in critically ill surgical patients by performing logistic regressions, controlling for age, sex, race, body mass index, macronutrient deficit, and length of stay. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) of PANDORA vs Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II scores for mortality at each time point were also compared. RESULTS 312 patients comprised the analytic cohort. PANDORA was associated with mortality at 30 (OR 1.08; 95% CI 1.04-1.13; P < .001), 90 (OR 1.09; 95% CI 1.03-1.12; P < .001), and 180 days (OR 1.10; 95% CI 1.06-1.15; P < .001). PANDORA and APACHE II were comparable for mortality prediction at 30 (AUC: 0.69, 95% CI 0.62-0.76 vs 0.74, 95% CI 0.67-0.81; P = .29), 90 (AUC: 0.71, 95% CI 0.63-0.77 vs 0.74, 95% CI 0.67-0.80; P = .52), and 180 days (AUC: 0.73, 95% CI 0.67-0.79 vs 0.75, 95% CI 0.69-0.81; P = .66). CONCLUSION In surgical ICU patients, PANDORA was associated with mortality and was comparable with APACHE II for mortality prediction at 30, 90, and 180 days after initiation of care. Prospective studies are needed to assess whether nutrition support, stratified by PANDORA scores, can improve outcomes in surgical ICU patients.
Abstract MP27: The Association Between Psychosocial Factors and Sleep Among African-American Men and Women, the Jackson Heart Sleep Study

Background: Emerging evidence suggests that sleep traits and disorders are strong predictors of cardiovascular disease (CVD), particularly among African-Americans. Identifying determinants of insuf...
Development and Initial Psychometric Properties of the Integrated Care Competency Scale for Counselors

This study provides the development phases and initial psychometric evaluation of the Integrated Care Competency Scale (ICCS) with sample (n = 243). Specifically, quantitative methods with graduate...
Fluidity, Phenotype and Afro-Latin Group Consciousness

Racial fluidity and mixed phenotype have been posited as critical barriers to politicized black identity in the region. Using an original, survey experiment in Panama, this paper finds that racial fluidity and phenotype significantly affect who identifies as black, but have relatively little impact on the strength of measures of black group consciousness. Rather than reducing the strength of group consciousness all together, racial fluidity and phenotype influence the salience of different measures of group consciousness. Afro-Panamanians with phenotypic features that stably predict black self-identification express stronger beliefs that racial discrimination is a problem in Panama (perceived discrimination) and greater dissatisfaction with the social standing of their in-group (polar power). In contrast, Afro-Panamanians with mixed phenotypic features express stronger in-group affect (pride), stronger belief in the efficacy of black collective mobilization (collective efficacy), and stronger linked fate.
Conditional survival analysis for concrete bridge decks

Bridge decks are a significant factor in the deterioration of bridges, and substantially affect long-term bridge maintenance decisions. In this study, conditional survival (reliability) analysis techniques are applied to bridge decks to evaluate the age at the end of service life using the National Bridge Inventory records. As bridge decks age, the probability of survival and the expected service life would change. The additional knowledge gained from the fact that a bridge deck has already survived a specific number of years alters (increases) the original probability of survival at subsequent years based on the conditional probability theory. The conditional expected service life of a bridge deck can be estimated using the original and conditional survival functions. The effects of average daily traffic and deck surface area are considered in the survival calculations. Using Wisconsin data, relationships are provided to calculate the probability of survival of bridge decks as well as expected service life at various ages. The concept of survival dividend is presented and the age when rapid deterioration begins is defined.
Amphetamine promotes cortical Up state: Role of adrenergic receptors

Cortical neurons oscillate synchronously between the Up and Down state during slow-wave sleep and general anesthesia. Using local-field-potential recording in the rat prefrontal cortex (PFC), we have shown that systemic administration of methylphenidate promotes PFC Up states and reduces PFC slow oscillation, suggesting a depolarizing effect of the drug on PFC neurons. Here, we report that systemic injection of d-amphetamine produced similar effects. Our evidence further suggests that norepinephrine (NE) plays a major role in the effects of d-amphetamine since they were mimicked by the NE reuptake inhibitors tomoxetine and nisoxetine and completely blocked by the α1 receptor antagonist prazosin. The effects of d-amphetamine persisted, however, in the presence of α2 or β receptor blockade. Experiments with α1 subtype-selective antagonists further suggest that d-amphetamine's effects depend on activation of central, but not peripheral, α1A receptors. Unexpectedly, the putative α1 receptor agonist cirazoline failed to mimic the effects of d-amphetamine. Previous studies suggest that cirazoline is also an antagonist at α2 receptors. Furthermore, it is a partial, not full, agonist at α1B and α1D receptors. Whether or not these properties of cirazoline contribute to its failure to mimic d-amphetamine's effects remains to be determined. Methylphenidate and d-amphetamine are two most common medications for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Both, however, are associated with adverse effects including abuse potential and psychotomimetic effects. Further understanding of their mechanisms of action will help develop safer treatments for ADHD and offer new insights into drug addiction and psychosis.
FirmXRay: Detecting Bluetooth Link Layer Vulnerabilities From Bare-Metal Firmware

Today, Bluetooth 4.0, also known as Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), has been widely used in many IoT devices (e.g., smart locks, smart sensors, and wearables). However, BLE devices could contain a number of vulnerabilities at the BLE link layer during broadcasting, pairing, and message transmission. To detect these vulnerabilities directly from the bare-metal firmware, we present FirmXRay, the first static binary analysis tool with a set of enabling techniques including a novel base address identification algorithm for robust firmware disassembling, precise data structure recognition, and configuration value resolution. As a proof-of-concept, we focus on the BLE firmware from two leading SoC vendors (i.e., Nordic and Texas Instruments), and implement a prototype of FirmXRay atop Ghidra. We have evaluated FirmXRay with 793 unique firmware (corresponding to 538 unique devices) collected using a mobile app based approach, and our experiment results show that 98.1% of the devices have configured random static MAC addresses, 71.5% Just Works pairing, and 98.5% insecure key exchanges. With these vulnerabilities, we demonstrate identity tracking, spoofing, and eavesdropping attacks on real-world BLE devices.
Neuron-Glia Signaling Regulates the Onset of the Antidepressant Response

Commonly prescribed antidepressants, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) take weeks to achieve therapeutic benefits1, 2. The underlying mechanisms of why antidepressants take weeks or months to reverse depressed mood are not understood. Using a single cell sequencing approach, we analyzed gene expression changes in mice subjected to stress-induced depression and determined their temporal response to antidepressant treatment in the cerebral cortex. We discovered that both glial and neuronal cell populations elicit gene expression changes in response to stress, and that these changes are reversed upon treatment with fluoxetine (Prozac), a widely prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). Upon reproducing the molecular signaling events regulated by fluoxetine3 in a cortical culture system, we found that these transcriptional changes are serotonin-dependent, require reciprocal neuron-glia communication, and involve temporally-specified sequences of autoregulation and cross-regulation between FGF2 and BDNF signaling pathways. Briefly, stimulation of Fgf2 synthesis and signaling directly regulates Bdnf synthesis and secretion cell-non-autonomously requiring neuron-glia interactions, which then activates neuronal BDNF-TrkB signaling to drive longer-term neuronal adaptations4-6 leading to improved mood. Our studies highlight temporal and cell type specific mechanisms promoting the onset of the antidepressant response, that we propose could offer novel avenues for mitigating delayed onset of antidepressant therapies.
CONVERSION OF D-BIOTIN TO BIOTIN VITAMERS BY LACTOBACILLUS ARABINOSUS.

Birnbaum, Jerome (University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio), and Herman C. Lichstein. Conversion of d-biotin to biotin vitamers by Lactobacillus arabinosus. J. Bacteriol. 89:1035-1040. 1965.-Saccharomyces cerevisiae utilizes d-biotin, biotin sulfoxide, and several vitamers of biotin, whereas Lactobacillus arabinosus responds to biotin and biotin sulfoxide of the naturally occurring forms of the vitamin. The use of these organisms for differential assay permitted investigation into possible conversion of d-biotin to vitamers of biotin by cells of L. arabinosus. Cells were grown in modified Wright-Skeggs medium containing several levels of biotin. No differences were detected between the assays for free intracellular or bound biotin up to 48 hr of growth. However, at 15 to 16 hr, in media containing an excess of biotin, the lactobacillus assay value for menstruum biotin dropped markedly, whereas the yeast assay showed no change. This suggested that biotin was converted to vitamers not active for L. arabinosus. The biotin-converting system appears to have characteristics of an enzyme system, i.e., a temperature optimum at 37 C, a broad pH optimum of 4.3 to 6.5, and requirements for Mg and Mn ions. Experiments suggest that increasing hydrogen ion concentration is a major physiological mechanism controlling the formation of this system. The vitamers were separated chromatographically and were found to have R(F) values of 0.44 and 0.94, and are combinable and uncombinable with avidin, respectively. The physiological role of biotin conversion is discussed in relation to control of cell populations in cultures of L. arabinosus.
Making Visible Alternative Futures on Mine- Scarred Lands in Appalachia

The Southern Coalfields of West Virginia is a region under going extraordinary levels of change through the practice of mountaintop removal mining (Todd 2008). At the core of the disturbance is northern McDowell County in deep southern West Virginia, an economically and ecologically compromised area long dependent on extractive industries, and a venue of ongoing degradation. Mountaintop removal involves the excavation of a coal seam from the top down, rather than traditional tunnel mining. As ‘developable' flat land,the remnant landscape is perceived to provide economic development opportunities for local communities. The ‘site' (6000 acres) of this project is a reclaimed surface mine north of the town of Welch WV and on the border between Wyoming and McDowell Counties including the Indian Ridge Industrial Park (600 acres). This project proposes the positive reuse of the landscape through the installation of alternative energy infrastructure: biomass, wind and solar; and a phased plan for integration of mixed-use development. In visualizing change within the project area researchers created a three-dimensional digital model of thesite using ground-based static and aerial LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). The model provides a very recent (2012) portrait of the landscape and its components: bare-earth topography; drainage systems installed as a part of the reclamation mitigation; groundcover, shrub layer, sub-canopy and canopy vegetation; infrastructure, roads, and buildings. The lone resident buildings on the site are components of a Federal Correctional Institution (FCI-McDowell). Designing within the model allowed researchers to test avariety of planning scenarios and create visualizations that captured the phasing of the project, and expressed the aspirations of the community. Visualization phases included: 1.Biomass, Solar, Wind andRecreation; 2.Expressway Development and Interchange Zone; 3.Residential; 4.Commercial and Industrial;and 5.Stormwater Infrastructure, Green Infrastructure and Bioremediation. Local participation ensured thatthe project addressed local needs in becoming a model project for the region promoting sustainable development approaches to heavily impacted landscapes.
Lifetime and geometry of 1-phenyl-2-(2-naphthyl)ethene triplets.: Evidence against the triplet mechanism for direct photoisomerization

Abstract Competitive azulene and oxygen quenching experiments demonstrate that the lifetime of 1-phenyl-2-(2-naphthyl)ethene (2-NPE) triplets, 104–150 ns, is much longer than ≈ 20 ns, the lifetime of a transient absorption previously assigned to them. The transient absorption is reassigned to the longer lived of two non-equilibrating isomeric excited transoid singlet states.
Applied Sociology and Service Learning: The Marriage of Two Movements

This note describes how the enterprises of Applied Sociology and Service Learning can be conceptualized as similar in focus. Both are described as being contemporary social movements within higher education. Offered are examples of how to link the two via classroom exercises and a comprehensive listing of Service Learning resources and organizations.
Applying affiliation social network analysis to understand interfaith groups

This study applies affiliation social network analysis to understand how interfaith groups provide resources to other community groups and link interfaith group members to resources for local community change. Based on a sample of 88 interfaith groups from across the U.S., affiliation social network analysis pictures show distinct patterns in how interfaith groups share resources with community groups and link members to community resources. Overall, results show how interfaith groups may be empowering community settings that provide resources and link members to other resources in the interest of community change. These findings imply that interfaith groups may be part of the social fabric within communities that hold potential to be partners and contributors of resources to promote community change efforts. Limitations and directions for future research also are discussed.
Ion Bombardment Damage in a Modified Fe-9Cr-1Mo Steel

A normalized-and-tempered Fe-9Cr-1Mo steel, with small Nb and V additions, was bombarded with 4-MeV iron ions to 100 dpa at 400, 450, 500, 550, and 600/sup 0/C. Major damage feature was dislocation tangles which coarsened with increasing bombardment temperature. Sparse cavities were heterogeneously distributed at 500 and 550/sup 0/C. Incorporation of helium and deuterium simultaneously in the bombardments at rates of 10 and 45 appM/dpa, respectively, introduced very high concentrations of small cavities at all temperatures, many of them on grain boundaries. These cavities were shown to be promoted by helium. A small fraction of the matrix cavities exhibited bias-driven growth at 500 and 550/sup 0/C, with swelling <0.4%. This is a very narrow temperature range for bias-driven swelling. It is about 125/sup 0/C higher than the peak swelling temperature found in neutron irradiations, which is compatible with the higher damage rate used in the ion bombardments. High concentrations of subgrain boundaries and dislocations resulting from the heat treatment, and unbalanced cavity and dislocation sink strengths in the damage structures contribute to the swelling resistance. Such resistance may not be permanent. High densities of bubbles on grain boundaries indicate a need for helium embrittlement tests.
Considerations regarding appropriate sample size for conducting ferret transmission experiments.

Evaluation of: Nishiura H, Yen H-L, Cowling BJ. Sample size considerations for one-to-one animal transmission studies of the influenza A viruses. PLoS ONE 8(1), e55358 (2013). There is an urgent need to model in a laboratory setting the capacity of wild-type influenza viruses to transmit between mammals, to determine the molecular determinants and identify biological properties that confer influenza virus transmissibility, and to explore both pharmaceutical and nonpharmaceutical methods to inhibit virus transmission. Owing to its close physiologic match to humans, researchers typically utilize the ferret to measure influenza virus transmissibility. Nishiura et al. highlight the dilemma facing researchers utilizing the ferret transmission model: how to provide high-quality data to guide public health efforts, while ensuring the ethical use of animals in limited-size, individual, one-to-one transmission experiments. However, the responsible interpretation of data generated using this model can overcome this...
Active Control of Flow Separation on a Laminar Airfoil

Detailed investigation of the NACA 643−618 is obtained at a Reynolds number of 6.4×104 and an angle of attack sweep of −1≤α≤20 deg via particle image velocimetry and hot-film anemometry. The baseline flow is characterized by four distinct regimes, depending on angle of attack, with each exhibiting unique flow behavior. Active flow control via steady normal blowing is employed at four representative angles; blowing ratio (BR) is optimized by maximizing the lift coefficient with minimal power requirement. Suggestions are made with regard to the flow mechanisms whereby control is effective at each angle. A figure of merit is employed to quantify the efficiency of the actuation. The optimal BRs obtained at Reynolds number equal to 6.4×104 are kept constant to observe the scalability of the control with respect to Reynolds number, ranging over nearly two orders of magnitude. It is observed that this approach is nonideal and that the BR should be optimized with Reynolds number as well. The optimization procedu...
Modeling peer review: an agent-based approach

The peer review system is under severe strain. Corrections have been proposed, but experiments to determine effective measures are difficult to perform. I propose a framework in which alternatives to the current peer review system can be studied quantitatively using agent-based modeling. I implement three possible systems. I show how, all other things being equal, these alternatives produce different results in terms of speed of publication, quality control, reviewers' effort, and authors' impact. This modeling framework can be used to test other solutions for peer review, leading the way to an improvement of how science is disseminated.
Alteration of sea urchin embryo cell surface properties by mycostatin, a sterol binding antibiotic.

Abstract Sea urchin embryos incubated in sea water containing mycostatin (MST), a polyene antibiotic, dissociate into single cells. Reaggregation of dissociated sea urchin embryo cells, and uptake of labeled precursors by these cells are also greatly inhibited although O 2 consumption is only slightly affected by this compound. It is known that mycostatin binds primarily to membrane sterols and affects only cells containing membrane sterols. Sea urchin cell membranes contain sterols. The effects of mycostatin on cell adhesion, reaggregation, and permeability seen in this study may be a result of an interaction with cell membrane sterols or sterol-associated molecules.
Adsorption of tetracycline on kaolinite with pH-dependent surface charges.

Abstract Kaolinite is a major type of clay minerals in soils of warm and humid climate. Although it has a much lower cation exchange capacity (CEC) and specific surface area compared to swelling clays, its ubiquitous existence as well as its pH-dependent surface charge makes it an important component to study the interactions between contaminants and soils. Tetracycline (TC) is a group of broad spectrum antibiotics used extensively in human and veterinary medicine. It has a high aqueous solubility and a long environmental half-life. In this study, the interactions between TC and kaolinite in aqueous solution were investigated in batch tests and supplemented by FTIR analyses. The adsorption of TC on kaolinite was mainly on the external surfaces via cation exchange as confirmed by stoichiometric desorption of exchangeable cations and simultaneous adsorption of H+ rather than due to complexation. Under acidic conditions, a reduction in surface charge, thus the CEC, resulted in more desorption of exchangeable cations compared to TC adsorption. Fitting of the experimental data to the adsorption of different species revealed that TC+ accounted for 4/5 of the total TC adsorbed with the remaining by zwitterion TC0, possible via hydrogen bonding. At higher temperature, the pKa2 and pKa3 values seem to shift a pH unit lower. Due to its pH-dependent charge of kaolinite, TC adsorption is more pH dependent. The TC adsorption capacity on kaolinite was much lower compared to that on swelling clays. However, the adsorption rate constant was faster than that on swelling clays owing to surface adsorption instead of intercalation. Despite its low TC adsorption capacity, the ubiquitous existence of kaolinite in soils of warm climate may play a vital role in the fate and transport of TC in these soils.
Patient Radiation Exposures In Digital Intravenous Angiography

Digital intravenous angiography may replace a substantial fraction of conventional angiographic procedures in the near future. The major advantages of this technique are reduced patient risk, lower cost and the fact that it can be readily performed on an outpatient basis. As with all radiologic procedures, patient radiation exposure must be considered in the overall evaluation of risk versus benefit. To this end, the radiation dose to patients undergoing routine head and neck intravenous angiography have been measured.
Using RoboCup in university-level computer science education

In the education literature, team-based projects have proven to be an effective pedagogical methodology. We have been using RoboCup challenges as the basis for class projects in undergraduate and masters level courses. This article discusses several independent efforts in this direction and presents our work in the development of shared resources and evaluation instruments. We outline three courses and describe related class projects in order to make the context of our investigation clear and make it possible for others to replicate and extend our work as well as contribute to the shared resource.
A20 restricts ubiquitination of pro-interleukin-1β protein complexes and suppresses NLRP3 inflammasome activity

Inappropriate inflammasome activation contributes to multiple human diseases, but the mechanisms by which inflammasomes are suppressed are poorly understood. The NF-κB inhibitor A20 is a ubiquitin-modifying enzyme that might be critical in preventing human inflammatory diseases. Here, we report that A20-deficient macrophages, unlike normal cells, exhibit spontaneous NLRP3 inflammasome activity to LPS alone. The kinase RIPK3, but not the adaptor MyD88, is required for this response. In normal cells, A20 constitutively associates with caspase-1 and pro-IL-1β, and NLRP3 activation further promotes A20 recruitment to the inflammasome. Pro-IL-1β also co-immunoprecipitates with RIPK1, RIPK3, caspase-1, and caspase-8 in a complex that is modified with K63-linked and unanchored polyubiquitin. In A20-deficient macrophages, this pro-IL-1β-associated ubiquitination is markedly increased in a RIPK3-dependent manner. Mass spectrometric and mutational analyses reveal that K133 of pro-IL-1β is a physiological ubiquitination site that supports processing. Our study reveals a mechanism by which A20 prevents inflammatory diseases.
Species-specific sequences of abalone lysin, the sperm protein that creates a hole in the egg envelope.

Abstract Abalone eggs are contained within a rigid, elevated vitelline envelope through which the sperm must pass before reaching the egg cell membrane. Abalone spermatozoa possess an acrosomal protein called lysin that creates a hole in the egg vitelline envelope by a nonenzymatic mechanism. Lysins from two species of abalone, termed pink and red, which share the same habitat, exhibit species specificity in the dissolution of isolated egg envelopes. Cloning and sequencing the cDNAs for pink and red abalone lysins reveal transcript lengths of approximately 660 nucleotides. The open reading frames of 465 (pink) and 462 (red) nucleotides show a 13% difference. The 3' untranslated regions before the poly(A) tails are 170 (pink) and 165 (red) nucleotides long and differ from each other by about 7%. The protein sequences show nearly identical signal sequences of 18 amino acids for both lysins. The mature protein is 137 amino acids in the pink abalone and 136 in the red abalone; the two mature lysins differ in 29 of 137 amino acids (21%). The most variable region, which may account for lysin's species specificity, is at the NH2 terminus, where 11 of the 15 amino acids differ between the two species. Predictions of secondary structure indicate that both lysins contain four homologous amphiphilic alpha-helices.
Approaches to altering the Type A behavior pattern

Abstract The Type A behavior pattern, a risk factor for coronary heart disease, is described in terms of the expanded cognitive social learning model that takes into account the interdependent influences of behavioral, environmental, cognitive, and physiologic components. Six studies aimed at altering the behavior pattern are discussed in light of this conceptual framework. Among the issues involved in designing and conducting treatment programs are the targets of behavior (e.g., impatience or hostility) for change; the type of client populations to treat (e.g., teenagers, post-coronary patients); and treatment techniques (e.g., relaxation procedures, cognitive restructuring, mass media programs).
Interactions of phospholipid bilayer vesicles with monomolecular films at the air-water interface

Abstract We report on interactions between a monomolecular film of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl phosphatidylcholine (POPC) and bilayer vesicles of POPC suspended in the subphase of a Langmuir film balance. A large decrease in area of the monolayer held at a constant surface pressure π of 30 mN m−1 was observed in the presence of either small or large unilamellar vesicles. By using [14C]-POPC, we found that there was no appreciable lipid transfer from vesicle to monolayer or vice versa. The decrease in area of the monolayer held at π=30 mN m−1 is attributed to a localized reorganization of lipid in the film due to the transient collisional contacts between subphase vesicles and monolayer without significant transfer of lipid. POPC monolayers held at constant surface pressures π of 15 and 20 mN m−1 did not show area decreases in the presence of vesicles. This indicated that the transient collisional contacts between vesicles and monolayer did not cause localized reorganization of lipid in the film when the monolayer was held at π=20 mN m−1. We also found that the size of the vesicles had little influence on the interactions between monolayer and vesicles. In contrast, the physicochemical nature of the Teflon surface strongly influences the behavior of the system.
Cancer cells recovering from damage exhibit mitochondrial restructuring and increased aerobic glycolysis.

Abstract Instead of relying on mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, most cancer cells rely heavily on aerobic glycolysis, a phenomenon termed as “the Warburg effect”. We considered that this effect is a direct consequence of damage which persists in cancer cells that recover from damage. To this end, we studied glycolysis and rate of cell proliferation in cancer cells that recovered from severe damage. We show that in vitro Damage-Recovered (DR) cells exhibit mitochondrial structural remodeling, display Warburg effect, and show increased in vitro and in vivo proliferation and tolerance to damage. To test whether cancer cells derived from tumor microenvironment can show similar properties, we isolated Damage-Recovered (T DR ) cells from tumors. We demonstrate that T DR cells also show increased aerobic glycolysis and a high proliferation rate. These findings show that Warburg effect and its consequences are induced in cancer cells that survive severe damage.
From Here to There in Information Technology The Complexities of Innovation

The pathways of development and innovation in information technology involve interactions among a number of sciences and technologies and the social, political, and economic milieu in which they find themselves. No single factor will decisively determine the direction, the success or failure, or the competitiveness of one country relative to others, which makes grand strategies for specific technological development and innovation notoriously unreliable. Therefore, although growing technical capacity in developing countries helps their economic growth, the world is not quite flat. In fact, information technology may exacerbate national differences, rather than lead to international homogenization, and technological developments in general may be differentially affected by a nation's traditional regulatory and legal institutions. All of these issues reinforce the need to approach modern technological development and innovation as a systems problem with technical and social dimensions, not reducible to a se...
An electron gun for three-dimensional quadrupoles

Abstract A compact cathode ray tube assembly, including two-axis deflection plates, has been modified by replacing the ordinary oxide-coated cathode with a thoria-coated iridium filament. The result is a commercially available electron gun which is resistant to poisoning by common vacuum chamber residual gases.
Laser-refrigeration of rare-earth-doped nanocrystals in water

Single-beam laser-tweezers have been demonstrated over the past several decades to confine nanometer-scale particles in three dimensions with sufficient sensitivity to measure the spring constants of individual biological macromolecules including DNA. Large laser-irradiance values (on the order of MW/cm2) commonly are used to generate laser traps which can lead to significant laser-heating within the 3D optical potential well. To date, laser-refrigeration of particles within an aqueous medium has not been reported stemming primarily from the large near-infrared (NIR) optical absorption coefficient of liquid water (0.2 cm-1 at lambda = 1020nm). In this paper we will detail the methods on how single-beam laser-traps can be used to induce and quantify the refrigeration of optically trapped nanocrystals in an aqueous medium. Analysis of the Brownian dynamics of individual nanocrystals via forward light scattering provides a way to determine both a relative and absolute measurement of particle’s temperature. Signal analysis considerations to interpreting Brownian motion data of trapped particles in nonisothermal aqueous environments, or so-called hot Brownian motion, are detailed. Applications of these methods to determining local laser-refrigeration of laser trapped nanoparticles in water show promise at realizing the first observation of particles undergoing cold Brownian motion.
Rendering surface details with diffusion curves

Diffusion curve images (DCI) provide a powerful tool for efficient 2D image generation, storage and manipulation. A DCI consist of curves with colors defined on either side. By diffusing these colors over the image, the final result includes sharp boundaries along the curves with smoothly shaded regions between them. This paper extends the application of diffusion curves to render high quality surface details on 3D objects. The first extension is a view dependent warping technique that dynamically reallocates texture space so that object parts that appear large on screen get more texture for increased detail. The second extension is a dynamic feature embedding technique that retains crisp, anti-aliased curve details even in extreme closeups. The third extension is the application of dynamic feature embedding to displacement mapping and geometry images. Our results show high quality renderings of diffusion curve textures, displacements, and geometry images, all rendered interactively.
Fathers and sons: genetic factors and social dominance in deer mice, Peromyscus maniculatus

Abstract Groups of two male and two female deer mice were studied in semi-natural enclosures. Dominant and subordinate males then each sired litters with females that were sisters to each other, not closely related to the males, and derived from an unselected population. Fathers never encountered their sons. A male from each resulting litter was chosen for testing in the enclosure. Through four generations, the sons of dominant males generally were dominant to the sons of subordinate males. These effects do not appear attributable to differences in age or body mass or to maternal effects. Genetic influences are suggested.
Development of chlorendic anhydride‐cured epoxy systems with wide variations in the resin: Anhydride ratio

Using the epoxy resins Epon 828 (diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A) and DEN 438 (an epoxylated novalak) with chlorendie anhydride as the curing agent, a series of formulations were developed having a very wide range in the anhydride: resin ratio (40–160 phr). This range was made possible by the use of metal chelate catalysis. While these systems were not evaluated for fire retardancy, it is anticipated that they would exhibit this property dependent on their chlorine contents.
Climate Cycles, Geomorphological Change, and the Interpretation of Soil and Ecosystem Development

We evaluated changes in temperature and precipitation associated with climate change, subsidence, and erosion on a chronosequence of sites across Hawaii. The sites range in age from 0.3 to 4100 ky, and the current temperature and precipitation are similar at all sites. Interpretations of fossil pollen records suggest that cooler, dryer conditions prevailed in windward Hawaii during the last glacial period. If the previous glacial periods were similar, the 20-, 150-, and 1400-ky-old sites would have spent 60% or more of their development under relatively cool and dry conditions, whereas the 0.3- and 2.1-ky-old sites have experienced only the warmer, wetter climate of the present interglacial. Subsidence and erosion have also affected the temperature and precipitation of these sites over time; in the past, some of them have been in the dry air above the trade wind inversion or in the lee of larger mountains. Combining these components of change, we estimate that the average temperature over the history of Pleistocene-aged sites (20, 150, and 1400 ky) was up to 2.2°C cooler and that the average precipitation was only about 50% of current values. Under current conditions, it would take only 230 ky for as much water to leach through the 1400-ky-old site as we calculate has leached over 1400 ky. Incorporating more reasonable assumptions about environmental history has the potential to allow more powerful interpretations of chronosequence data and thereby improve the predictive potential of models of soil and ecosystem development.
AGGREGATION BEHAVIOR OF PEA APHIDS, ACYRTHOSIPHON PISUM

First and second instar pea aphid nymphs were allowed to respond in multiple choice test chambers having five parafilm feeding stations, each of which contained 20% sucrose solution. Under light conditions, the aphids assumed a negative bionomial distribution. This same phenomenon occurred in darkness, but with a lesser degree of aggregation. The ability to see other aphids was not a prerequisite to aggregate formation. The formation of aggregates on certain stations was not enhanced by aphid aggregations that had previously occurred but were removed from those stations. Aggregate formation was not in response to a humidity gradient. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG ZUSAMMENSCHARUNGSVERHALTEN VON ERBSENLAUSEN, ACYRTHOSIPHON PISUM Erbsenblattlause im ersten und zweiten Larvenstadium wurden in Testkammern gehalten, in denen sie nach Belieben funf mit Parafilm uberzogene Futterplatze besuchen durften. Jeder Futterplatz enthielt eine 20%ige Rohrzuckerlosung. Nach zwei Stunden wurde die Zahl der Blattlause auf jeder Membran festgestellt und ein Haufigkeitsdiagramm angelegt. Unter Lichtbedingungen war die Verteilung der Blattlause negativ binomisch. Die gleiche Erscheinung zeigte sich im Dunklen. Die Blattlause traten jedoch unter Lichtbedingungen dichter gehauft auf. Diese Fahigkeit, Ansammlungen zu bilden, lasst eine Art Verstandigung vermuten. Der Sehfaktor ist fur diese Verstandigung nicht verantwortlich. Die Bildung von Ansammlungen auf mehreren Futterplatzen wurde nicht gefordert von fruheren Ansammlungen von Aphiden, die zuvor von diesen Platzen entfernt waren. Die Anhaufungen standen nicht in Beziehung zum Feuchtigkeitsgehalt.
Activity of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, tyrosine ammonia-lyase, and cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase in the maize stalk

The relation between the activities of lignification enzymes and deposition of cell-wall components during progressive stages of development has not been demonstrated. In this study, phenylalanine ammonialyase (PAL), tyrosine ammonialyase (TAL), and cinnamyl alcohol:NADPH dehydrogenase (CAD) activities were determined in maize (Zea maize L.) internodes at several development stages, and the activities were correlated with cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin concentrations. Growth-chamber grown maize was harvested at the fourteenth leaf stage, enzyme activities were quantified, and cell-wall components were determined by the detergent system of fiber fractionation from the lower, middle, and upper sections of Internodes 7 through 14
Comparison of ICECO code predictions with flexible vessel experiments

Abstract Some comparisons of ICECO code predictions with experimental data concerning transient fluid-structure interaction are given. The test results are taken from flexible vessel experiments conducted by Stanford Research Institute under the direction of Argonne National Laboratory. Two different experiments are considered: one with a rigid core barrel, and one with a flexible core barrel. Both experiments are performed in simple reactor vessels with a well-defined energy source and simple boundary conditions. Correlations of pressures and impulses are made at all available gauge stations. The permanent deformations of the core barrel and the cylindrical vessels are compared with ICECO predictions. The effects of core barrel flexibility on the wave propagation and vessel deformation are also investigated. The agreement between the analysis and experiments is found to be quite good.