cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of buthionine sulfoximine on acute N-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)succinimide-induced nephrotoxicity in Fischer 344 rats.

The experimental agricultural fungicide N-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)succinimide (NDPS) has been shown to be a nephrotoxicant in Fischer 344 rats. Results of a previous study conducted in our laboratory suggested that glutathione might be an important modulator of NDPS-induced nephrotoxicity. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of DL-buthionine-(S,R)-sulfoximine (BSO), an inhibitor of glutathione synthesis, on NDPS-induced renal effects. Male Fischer 344 rats received an intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of BSO (890 mg/kg) in 0.9% saline (10 ml/kg) followed 2 h later by an i.p. injection of NDPS (0.4 or 1.0 mmol/kg) or sesame oil (2.5 ml/kg), and renal function monitored at 24 and 48 h. BSO pretreatment attenuated the diuresis, proteinuria, elevation in blood urea nitrogen (BUN) concentration and kidney weight, and decreases in organic ion accumulation by renal cortical slices induced by NDPS (0.4 or 1.0 mmol/kg) administration. Proximal tubular necrosis induced by NDPS administration also was attenuated by BSO pretreatment. These results indicate that BSO pretreatment attenuates NDPS-induced renal effects and that glutathione is important for modulating acute NDPS-induced nephropathy.
A large dynamic range detector for measurement of neutron-induced charged particle spectra down to zero degrees

Abstract A facility has been developed for simultaneously measuring 15–65 MeV protons and deuterons produced from neutrons induced (n, xz) reactions in the angular range 0° to 60°. The large angular range is achieved through a unique dual target system. The 0° measurement is made possible by a static dipole magnetic field. Trajectory tracing and event reconstruction are accomplished simply and quickly using multiwire chambers and an approximation technique. Spectra measured from the 12C(n, px) reaction are presented and compared to data collected previously at angles away from 0°.
Morphogenetic effect of phenylboric acid on various leaf-shape mutants in the tomato, duplicating the effect of thelanceolate gene

Treatment of germinating tomato seeds ofnormal (La+/La+),lanceolate (La+/La) and several other leaf-shape mutants with phenylboric acid (PBA) duplicates the action of theLa gene with respect to the following: 1) Causes an increase in the level of activity of the four oxidative enzymes tyrosinase, laccase, peroxidase and catalase; 2) causes a corresponding change in leaf form; 3) shows a concentration effect similar to the dosage effect exhibited by theLa gene with respect to both the increase in the activity of oxidative enzymes and a change in leaf form; 4) causes changes, when applied to plants carrying any of several leaf-shape mutants, similar to those caused by theLa gene when the latter is in combination with these leaf shape mutant genes. Based on previous evidence and the current evidence, it is suggested that the primary action of PBA as well as of theLa gene, is to cause the increase in the level of activity of the four oxidative enzymes and the latter in turn, among other factors, determine the shape and size of the leaf in the tomato.
Hydraulic-conductivity reduction, reaction-front propagation, and preferential flow within a model reactive barrier

Recent work has demonstrated the utility of reactive barriers for transformation or immobilization of contaminants in ground water. However, reaction-induced changes in hydraulic conductivity may compromise the reactive barrier by diverting flow or focusing breakthrough of contaminants. For an acidic, ferric solution flowing through calcareous sand in column experiments, we investigated how hydraulic-conductivity reduction, reaction-front propagation, and fingering depend upon the reactive solid volume, reactive surface area, and pore-water velocity. Hydraulic-conductivity reductions are greater with larger initial pore-water velocity, calcite surface area, or calcite volume. Reductions in hydraulic conductivity (up to four orders of magnitude) result primarily from CO2 (g) exsolution rather than from ferric oxyhydroxide precipitation and may be at least partly reversed as bubbles migrate. Although fingering is both driven and repressed by pore-scale hydraulic changes, the velocity of the reaction front, width of the primary reaction zone, and maximum length of the largest finger appear to be insensitive to macroscopic changes in hydraulic conductivity at a constant flow rate. Reaction-front velocity increases as the ratio of initial calcite volume to pore-water velocity decreases, whereas zonal width and maximum finger length appear to increase as the Damkohler number decreases for a given calcite grain-size distribution. These results offer guidelines for improving the efficiency of reactive barriers when the reaction rate equals or exceeds the rate of mass transfer.
The Message of Affirmative Action

Affirmative action programs remain controversial, I suspect, partly because the familiar arguments for and against them start from significantly different moral perspectives. Thus I want to step back for a while from the details of debate about particular programs and give attention to the moral viewpoints presupposed in different types of argument. My aim, more specifically, is to compare the “messages” expressed when affirmative action is defended from different moral perspectives. Exclusively forward-looking (for example, utilitarian) arguments, I suggest, tend to express the wrong message, but this is also true of exclusively backward-looking (for example, reparation-based) arguments. However, a moral outlook that focuses on cross-temporal narrative values (such as mutually respectful social relations) suggests a more appropriate account of what affirmative action should try to express. Assessment of the message, admittedly, is only one aspect of a complex issue, but it is a relatively neglected one. My discussion takes for granted some common-sense ideas about the communicative function of action, and so I begin with these.Actions, as the saying goes, often speak louder than words. There are times, too, when only actions can effectively communicate the message we want to convey and times when giving a message is a central part of the purpose of action. What our actions say to others depends largely, though not entirely, upon our avowed reasons for acting; and this is a matter for reflective decision, not something we discover later by looking back at what we did and its effects. The decision is important because “the same act” can have very different consequences, depending upon how we choose to justify it.
Swarming motility by Photorhabdus temperata is influenced by environmental conditions and uses the same flagella as that used in swimming motilityThis is scientific contribution No. 2431 from the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station.

Photorhabdus temperata, an insect pathogen and nematode symbiont, is motile in liquid medium by swimming. We found that P. temperata was capable of surface movement, termed swarming behavior. Several lines of evidence indicate that P. temperata use the same flagella for both swimming and swarming motility. Both motility types required additional NaCl or KCl in the medium and had peritrichous flagella, which were composed of the same flagellin as detected by immunoblotting experiments. Mutants defective in flagellar structural proteins were nonmotile for both motility types. Unlike swimming, we observed swarming behavior to be a social form of movement in which the cells coordinately formed intricate channels covering a surface. The constituents of the swarm media affected motility. Swarming was optimal on low agar concentrations; as agar concentrations increased, swarm ring diameters decreased.
Probability distribution for intensity for a reverberation model

We consider the probability distribution for intensity for a reverberation model that is the sum of elementary signals. The random aspect is that the initial spatial means of the elementary signals are chosen randomly. The intensity is calculated at fixed positions and time after the pulses evolves. A number of cases are done analytically. Otherwise we study the probability distribution by simulation.
Lavrentiev regularization + Ritz approximation = uniform finite element error estimates for differential equations with rough coefficients

We consider a parametric family of boundary value problems for a diffusion equation with a diffusion coefficient equal to a small constant in a subdomain. Such problems are not uniformly well-posed when the constant gets small. However. in a series of papers, Bakhvalov and Knyazev have suggested a natural splitting of the problem into two well-posed problems. Using this idea, we prove a uniform finite element error estimate for our model problem in the standard parameter-independent Sobolev norm. We also study uniform regularity of the transmission problem, needed for approximation. A traditional finite element method with only one additional assumption, namely, that the boundary of the subdomain with the small coefficient does not cut any finite element, is considered.One interpretation of our main theorem is in terms of regularization. Our FEM problem can be viewed as resulting from a Lavrentiev regularization and a Ritz-Galerkin approximation of a symmetric ill-posed problem. Our error estimate can then be used to find an optimal regularization parameter together with the optimal dimension of the approximation subspace.
Septohippocampal cholinergic axonal regeneration through peripheral nerve bridges: Quantification and temporal development

Axons of the adult mammalian CNS have been shown to regrow vigorously into peripheral nerve grafts. Using a cholinergic septohippocampal model for adult CNS regeneration, involving complete denervation of the hippocampal formation from its basal forebrain cholinergic afferents, this study has established quantitative parameters and a temporal baseline of cholinergic fiber regeneration into the dorsal hippocampal tissue through a peripheral sciatic nerve graft. In nerve-implanted animals (i) the nerve grafts are maximally invaded by AChE-positive fibers between 2 weeks and 1 month postlesion, (ii) the fibers entering the hippocampal formation from the graft show a peak numerical increase and rate of elongation around the first month and/or in the proximal hippocampal region, (iii) an apparently normal innervation pattern and fiber density in the most rostral 1.5 mm of the dorsal hippocampal formation is reached by 6 months postlesion. The present study provides a basis for future quantitative comparisons of manipulations of different components of the system, e.g., the contributing neurons, the bridging material, and the receiving central nervous tissue. The temporal/spatial pattern of fiber regeneration suggests that the hippocampal CNS tissue can be a good axonal growth-promoting environment, albeit with temporal and/or spatial limitations, and is therefore not an immutably restrictive environment for axonal regeneration.
A note on biquadratic forms

Abstract It is shown that semidefinite quadratic forms in two by n variables are sums of squares of bilinear forms.
Neurotransmitters activate the human estrogen receptor in a neuroblastoma cell line

Abstract The human neuroblastoma cell line SK-N-SH has been used as a model system to study the interactions of the human estrogen receptor (hER) with neurotransmitters. We have successfully transfected these cells using an adenoviral delivery system and have reconstituted ligand-dependent responses to estradiol and ligand-independent responses to a series of dopamine D1 receptor agonists. The full agonist for the D1 receptor, SKF 82958, shows a robust activation of hER, comparable to that induced by estradiol. This activation is blocked by the protein kinase A inhibitor H-89, is mimicked by forskolin, and is therefore thought to be mediated in part through the cAMP/protein kinase A pathway. We have examined deletion mutants of hER for activation by SKF 82958 and find that both its transactivation domains, AF-1 and AF-2, must cooperate to impact the full response to the agonist. Significantly, an agonist of the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor, carbachol, though not active by itself, synergistically activates hER in conjunction with suboptimal doses of SKF 82958. This is the first reported instance of two neurotransmitters synergizing to activate a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, and might predict a role for multiple neural inputs modulating the effects of these receptors in the central nervous system.
Breakdown voltage enhancement in lateral AlGaN/GaN heterojunction FETs with multiple field plates

It has been proposed in the literature to use metal field plates (FPs) in order to increase the breakdown voltage (BV) of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs. In this article we analyze the possibility of using multiple FPs to increase the gate-to-drain BV. We show that FPs with variable oxide thickness (with thinner oxide towards the gate electrode and thicker oxide thickness towards the drain electrode) increase the BV more efficiently than a single FP. FPs with variable oxide thickness can be built using multiple FPs with increasing oxide thickness from gate to drain and, when all FPs are connected to the source electrode.
Slab melting in the Aleutians: implications of an ion probe study of clinopyroxene in primitive adakite and basalt

Abstract An ion probe study of trace elements in Mg-rich clinopyroxene phenocrysts in primitive Aleutian lavas provides constraints on the genesis of Aleutian adakites, and possible insights into the source of common Aleutian magmas. Clinopyroxene (cpx) phenocrysts in the primitive adakites have high Sr and Nd/Yb compared to cpx in Aleutian basalts. In the adakites, Sr and Nd/Yb are highest for high Mg# cpx, and these concentrations decrease toward lower Mg# compositions. These trends are the opposite of those seen in basalt cpx which generally show increasing incompatible trace element contents with decreasing Mg#, and are unlike antithetic compatible–incompatible trace element trends produced by chemical or kinetic effects of crystal growth. Petrographic observations and major and trace element zonation in cpx phenocrysts indicate that primitive Aleutian adakites are in part the product of mixing between primitive and relatively evolved magmas. The adakite trace element signature (high Sr, Nd/Yb) is clearly associated with the primitive mixing end-member. This observation supports the idea that adakites are derived by equilibration of slab melts with mantle olivine, and appears to rule out an origin by melting in the lower crust. Adakites are relatively rare in the Aleutians, but arc-wide correlations between Sr and La/Yb indicates that an adakite-type slab melt component may be present in the magmatic source throughout the arc.
Expected corruption and business formation

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether public corruption influences entrepreneurial activity in the USA. Because the true underlying level of corruption is inherently unobservable, it cannot be factored into business venturing decisions. The authors hypothesize, therefore, that new business venturing should be related to the expected corruption level. Design/methodology/approach – The authors follow Cordis (2009) to calculate the expected rate of public corruption given observed levels of public corruption. The authors embed the expected level of corruption in a relatively standard model of business venturing, which the authors estimate using a cross section of the US states covering the period of 1986-2009. Findings – Using a relatively standard model of business venturing that accounts for variation in predicted corruption levels, the authors find that entrepreneurs launch more businesses in states with higher predicted corruption. Originality/value – To the knowledge, no one has ...
Love, death, and continuity in Darwin's thinking.

The interplay among Darwin's organizations of purpose, affect, and knowledge is examined, with particular focus on the development of his ideas about psychology. This enterprise was subordinate to his major enterprise, developing a clear and convincing theory of evolution. There is, nevertheless, a remarkably rich record available for reconstructing Darwin's thinking in this domain. The historical context in which his ideas were constructed reveals the complex process of exchange that occurs between the individual and his or her intellectual milieu. Two examples of Darwin's borrowing of ideas—from Lamarck and from Malthus are addressed. What emerges is that “influence” is not a passive copying. For an idea to be assimilated to a new intellectual organization it must be uprooted and transplanted, abstracted and transformed, and carefully worked into the structure of the new argument.
Brilliant but cruel: Perceptions of negative evaluators.

Abstract Using edited excerpts from actual negative and positive book reviews, this research examined the hypothesis that negative evaluators of intellectual products will be perceived as more intelligent than positive evaluators. The results strongly supported the hypothesis. Negative reviewers were perceived as more intelligent, competent, and expert than positive reviewers, even when the content of the positive review was independently judged as being of higher quality and greater forcefulness. At the same time, in accord with previous research, negative reviewers were perceived as significantly less likable than positive reviewers. The results on intelligence ratings are seen as bolstering the self-presentational explanation of the tendency shown by intellectually insecure individuals to be negatively critical. The present methodology is contrasted to that of previous research which obtained apparently contradictory results.
Detector With Charge-Coupled-Device Sensor For Protein Crystallography With Synchrotron X Rays

A two-dimensional detector consisting of a 40-mm-diameter x-ray fluorescing phosphor, coupled with an image intensifier and lens to a CCD image sensor, was developed for protein crystallography with synchrotron x rays. The intense x radiation from a synchrotron source could, with a suitable detector, provide a complete set of diffraction images from a protein crystal before the crystal is damaged by radiation (2 to 3 min). The CCD-based detector was evaluated in an experiment with a rotating anode x-ray generator to determine its suitability in this application. Diffraction patterns from a lysozyme crystal obtained with this detector were compared to those obtained with film. The two images appear to be virtually identical. The flux of 104 x-ray photons/s was observed on the detector at the rotating anode generator. At the 6-GeV synchrotron being designed at Argonne National Laboratory, the flux on an 80 X80 mm2 detector is expected to be >109 x-ray photons/s. The projected design of such a synchrotron detector shows that with a CCD pixel full-well capacity of 7 X105 diffraction peaks containing 3 X 106 x rays could be recorded. With an exposure time of 0.5 s and an additional 0.5 s readout time of a 512 X512 pixel CCD, the data acquisition time per frame would be 1 s so that ninety 1° diffraction images could be obtained, with approximately 1% precision, in less than 3 min.
The Geology of New Hampshire's White Mountains by J. Dykstra Eusden, Woodrow B. Thompson, Brian K. Fowler, P. Thom Davis, Wallace A. Bothner, Richard A. Boisveert, and John W. Creasy. Durand Press, Lyme, NH 03768; www.durandpress.com. 175 pages; 2013; $35 (softbound).

This fine book fills a longstanding need for a modern and clear explanation of the geology of New Hampshire's famous White Mountain region. It was written by the experts for the general reader. Its...
International stock market linkages: Evidence from the pre- and post-October 1987 period

Abstract This paper uses recent developments in the theory of cointegration to provide new methods of testing the linkage and dynamic interactions among stock market movements. Our findings are in sharp contrast with previous research which discovered strong interdependence among national stock markets prior to October 1987. For the post-October 1987 period, however, our results show that the degree of international co-movements among stock price indices has increased substantially, with the Nikkei index the only exception. Furthermore, the US stock market is found to have a considerable impact on the French, German and UK markets in the post-crash period. We also find the response of the French, German and UK markets to US stock market innovations to be consistent with the view of cross-border informationally efficient stock markets. Finally, we find the Japanese equity market performance to have no links with both the US stock market and the stock markets in France, Germany and UK during the pre-and post-October crash period.
The Reasons of Misrule Revisited: Evangelical Appropriations of Carnival in Tudor Revels

The argument here synthesizes an evangelical strategy statement, costume inventories and performance records, a treatise by Martin Bucer, studies of revels at the inns of court, and descriptions of Edwardian Lord of Misrule George Ferrers by an ambassador and a diarist to demonstrate that Tudor occurrences of such Lords emerged and appeared most frequently at court, colleges, and the inns under the zealously iconoclastic influence of Thomas Cromwell and Edward VI. Evidence in fact reveals a marked anti-papist polemical focus in misrule of the Reformation era, belying stubborn, anachronistic applications of a proto-puritan sobriety to the often raucous entertainments of early evangelicals. Consistent with these findings, much evidence reflects a crackdown on misrule under Mary I. Such an examination ultimately complicates our understanding of when, how, and why many puritans subsequently came to reject misrule and laughter alike.
Emotional Reactivity, Regulation and Childhood Stuttering: A Behavioral and Electrophysiological Study.

The purpose of this preliminary study was to assess whether behavioral and psychophysiological correlates of emotional reactivity and regulation are associated with developmental stuttering, as well as determine the feasibility of these methods in preschool-age children. Nine preschool-age children who stutter (CWS) and nine preschool-age children who do not stutter (CWNS) listened to brief background conversations conveying happy, neutral, and angry emotions (a resolution conversation followed the angry conversation), then produced narratives based on a text-free storybook. Electroencephalograms (EEG) recorded during listening examined cortical correlates of emotional reactivity and regulation. Speech disfluencies and observed emotion regulation were measured during a narrative immediately after each background conversation. Results indicated that decreased use of regulatory strategies is related to more stuttering in children who stutter. However, no significant differences were found in EEG measurements of emotional reactivity and regulation between CWS and CWNS or between emotion elicitation conditions. Findings were taken to suggest that use of regulatory strategies may relate to the fluency of preschool-age children's speech-language output. Learning outcomes: The reader will be able to (1) describe emotional reactivity and regulation processes, (2) discuss evidence for or against the relations of emotional reactivity, regulation and stuttering, (3) understand how multiple measures can be used to measure emotional reactivity and regulation.
Can separation along the temperature niche axis promote coexistence between native and invasive species

Aim Western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) have been linked with the decline of native fish and amphibians throughout the world. Separation along the temperature niche axis may promote the long-term coexistence of introduced western mosquitofish, with native species in temperate regions. Recent research has shown that western mosquitofish can reduce the recruitment of native least chub (Iothichthys phlegethontis) endemic to the Bonneville Basin. We tested the hypotheses that cold temperatures (≤ 15 °C in the summer, freezing winters) would: (1) reduce the aggressive and predatory effects of western mosquitofish on least chub, and (2) eliminate the overwinter survival and recruitment of western mosquitofish while having little effect on least chub recruitment. Location Bonneville Basin of Utah, USA. Methods We used short-term tests in the laboratory at the level of individuals and manipulated temperature (warm, cold and seasonal treatments) in long-term experiments using mesocosms at the population level. Results Cold temperatures (≤ 15 °C) reduced the aggression and predation of western mosquitofish on least chub at the level of individuals. At the population level, however, cool summers (≤ 15 °C) eliminated recruitment in both species because they required warm summers (c. 20–30 °C) to survive freezing winters. Although least chub had an overwinter advantage in survival (75% least chub, 45% western mosquitofish), it was overwhelmed by the rapid reproduction of western mosquitofish as temperatures increased in the summer. Main conclusions Studies at the level of populations are necessary to understand the ultimate effects of introduced species on native taxa. Separation along the temperature niche axis was not sufficient to promote coexistence between these species in habitats with warm summers (c. 30 °C). Although coexistence may be possible in habitats with cool summers (≤ 20 °C) and freezing winters, the ability of niche separation to promote long-term coexistence between native and introduced species may ultimately depend on their respective rates of evolution. Long-term coexistence may not be possible if introduced species can adapt to new environmental conditions faster than native species can evolve mechanisms to reduce their harmful effects.
Quantitative structure-activity relationship studies on nitrofuranyl anti-tubercular agents

A series of nitrofuranylamide and related aromatic compounds displaying potent activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis have been investigated utilizing 3-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (3D-QSAR) techniques. Comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA) methods were used to produce 3D-QSAR models that correlated the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values against M. tuberculosis with the molecular structures of the active compounds. A training set of 95 active compounds was used to develop the models, which were then evaluated by a series of internal and external cross-validation techniques. A test set of 15 compounds was used for the external validation. Different alignment and ionization rules were investigated as well as the effect of global molecular descriptors including lipophilicity (cLogP, LogD), polar surface area (PSA), and steric bulk (CMR), on model predictivity. Models with greater than 70% predictive ability, as determined by external validation, and high internal validity (cross-validated r(2)>.5) have been developed. Incorporation of lipophilicity descriptors into the models had negligible effects on model predictivity. The models developed will be used to predict the activity of proposed new structures and advance the development of next generation nitrofuranyl and related nitroaromatic anti-tuberculosis agents.
Trajectory analysis by a crayfish proprioceptor: Receptor muscle activity may determine a velocity reference point

Abstract The myochordotonal organ, spanning the merus-carpus joint consists of a receptor muscle called the accessory flexor which is closely associated with sensory neurons. These neurons are attached to a connective tissue strap which stretches between a portion of the accessory flexor and the adjacent cuticle of the meropodite. The activity of this proprioceptor was examined during both passive and spontaneous flexions of the merus-carpus joint as well as under conditions of inertial loading and de-efferentation of the receptor muscle. During passively imposed movements, the sensory neurons discharge closely in proportion to joint velocity. However in self-generated movements the velocity sensitivity of these neurons changes greatly and may even reverse. We suggest that these changes in velocity sensitivity may be explained in terms of a previously undescribed property of proprioceptors which have an efferent input. We have called this property the reference trajectory of the proprioceptor. We have defined reference velocity trajectory as the time series of stimulus velocities at which the proprioceptor's discharge is minimal. In passive receptors this sequence would not change in time. In the case of the myochordotonal organ, however, the stimulus velocities at which the receptor output is minimal changes when there is motor activity in the receptor muscle. Immediately prior to a spontaneous flexion, the reference velocity trajectory of the myochordotonal organ rises from 0/s to 20–40/s. During the movement the trajectory normally stays at this level falling back to zero only after the movement is stopped. Our data suggest that during spontaneous flexion the myochordotonal organ encodes the direction as well as the magnitude of the deviations of actual joint velocity from its reference velocity trajectory. The sensing of this difference is referred to as trajectory analysis. A mechanism of trajectory analysis is proposed in terms of the changes in forces which occur in the receptor muscle during a spontaneous movement.
Topical negative pressure may help chronic wound healing

EDITOR—Harding et al's review article on healing chronic wounds1 fails to mention treatment with topical negative pressure, which has an emerging role in the management of chronic wounds. 2 3 The simple technique entails applying an open-pore foam dressing (polyurethane ether) to the wound. This dressing is sealed with transparent adhesive drape. A negative pressure or suction force is then applied across the wound via a drainage …
Calculating NOESY intensities by perturbation expansion

Abstract We have developed a scheme to give approximate analytical expressions for 2-D NOESY intensities. Our method is based on a perturbation expansion procedure, treating the off-diagonal part of the dipolar rate matrix as a perturbation. A comparative study is presented, showing that the present scheme exhibits better convergence behavior than the Taylor expansion.
Templated SAMs for metal ion recognition

Self assembled monolayers of a polyether derivative selectively detect potassium cations when templated in their presence.
Zinc and copper distribution in swine wastewater treated by anaerobic digestion.

Abstract Swine wastewater contain high levels of metals, such as copper and zinc, which can cause a negative impact on the environment. Anaerobic digestion is a process commonly used to remove carbon, and can act on metal availability (e.g., solubility or oxidation state). The present study aimed to evaluate the influence of anaerobic digestion on total Zn and Cu contents, and their chemical fractioning due to the biodegradation of the effluent over different hydraulic retention times (HRTs). The sequential extraction protocol proposed by the Community Bureau of Reference (BCR), plus two additional fractions, was the method chosen for this study of Cu and Zn distribution evaluation in swine wastewater. The Zn and Cu concentrations in raw swine manure were 63.58 ± 27.72 mg L −1 and 8.98 ± 3.99 mg L −1 , respectively. The metal retention capacity of the bioreactor decreased when the HRT was reduced from 17.86 d to 5.32 d. Anaerobic digestion had a direct influence on zinc and copper distribution when raw manure (RM) and digested manure (DM) were compared. The reducible fraction showed a reduction of between 3.17% and 7.84% for Zn and between 2.52% and 11.92% for Cu when DM was compared with RM. However, the metal concentration increased in the oxidizable fraction of DM, viz. from 3.01% to 10.64% for Zn and from 4.49% to 16.71% for Cu, thus demonstrating the effect of anaerobic conditions on metal availability.
A note on the Tryon-Kaiser solution for the communalities

The Tryon-Kaiser solution for the communalities is reviewed. Numerical investigation suggests that the procedure is applicable if and only if the correlation matrix has unique minimum rank communalities. This implies that this approach to the communality problem is not general enough to be of practical use.
Laser-shock-driven laboratory measurements of the equation of state of hydrogen isotopes in the megabar regime

A high intensity laser has been used to shock-compress liquid deuterium to pressures from 0.22 Mbar, near the upper end of gas-gun shock data, to 3.4Mbar. Using a variety of diagnostics, the densit...
Viewpoint: code of ethics or no code of ethics ‐ a university experience

Focuses on Clemson University’s failed attempt to introduce a code of ethics. Looks at the flaws in the State’s Code of Ethics, and considers the limitations of such a code and the alienation which it can cause. Concludes that, rather than developing a new set of codes, greater emphasis should be placed on cultivating ethics awareness.
Cluster Randomized Trials for the Evaluation of Strategies Designed to Promote Evidence-Based Practice in Perinatal and Neonatal Medicine

This article makes a case for cluster-randomized trials to encourage evidence-based practice in medical care. The case rests on theoretical, empirical, and methodological grounds. To illustrate, we describe two recent studies. The first trial, with participation by 27 tertiary care hospitals, concerned methods to encourage a relatively simple, low-cost therapy for women in premature labor. A significant effect was seen in intervention hospitals on the primary outcome variable: increase in the proportion of eligible patients receiving antenatal corticosteroid therapy. The second trial, with participation by 114 neonatal intensive care units, aimed to close the gap between evidence and practice in the use of early and prophylactic surfactant therapy for premature infants. It achieved one of the largest effects seen in the literature on changing medical care practices. Using the two illustrations, the authors discuss some of the theoretical, methodological, and practical issues when using cluster randomized ...
Role of Pathologic Shear Stress Alterations in Aortic Valve Endothelial Activation

Calcific aortic stenosis is the most common aortic valve (AV) disease and is triggered by an active inflammatory process involving endothelial activation and cytokine expression. Interfacing between the leaflet and the surrounding blood flow, shear stress is presumed to play an important role in endothelial injury. This study investigated the hypothesis that pathologic alterations in shear stress magnitude contribute to valvular endothelial activation via BMP-4- and TGF-β1-dependent mechanisms. The fibrosa of porcine AV leaflets was subjected to physiologic, sub-physiologic and supra-physiologic magnitudes of native oscillatory shear stress for 48 h. Endothelial activation was assessed via immunohistochemistry in terms of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 expressions. Cytokine expression was investigated in terms of BMP-4 and TGF-β1. Pro- and anti-osteogenic media were used to characterize the role of those cytokines in the shear stress-induced pathological response. Supra-physiologic shear stress increased the expression of all biomarkers in a shear stress magnitude-dependent manner. In contrast, neither physiologic nor sub-physiologic shear stress elicited a pro-inflammatory response. While BMP-4 inhibition and supplementation had limited effects on endothelial activation, TGF-β1 supplementation increased the overall leaflet pro-inflammatory state and TGF-β1 inhibition reduced endothelial activation in response to elevated shear stress. Combined TGF-β1 and BMP-4 inhibition completely suppressed shear stress-induced endothelial activation. The results demonstrate that elevated shear stress activates the valvular endothelium on the fibrosa via a BMP-4- and TGF-β1-dependent pathway. The suggested synergy between those cytokines also provides new insights into the transduction of valvular hemodynamic alterations into a pathological response.
Adhesion Promotion by Surface-Modification at the Pmma-Metal Interface for Liga-Type Processing

The formation of high aspect ratio Micro-Electro-Mechanical Structures (HI-MEMS) requires good adhesion of the thick microstructures to the substrate. The interfacial bond strength between PMMA and various metal substrates (Ti, Cu, Au, and Ni), in the preliminary stages of the LIGA process, was evaluated by shear stress measurement. Adhesion promotion processes have been investigated such as texturing of the surface of Ti and Cu substrates by chemical oxidation or thermal processing of the PMMA sheet, and use of a positive resist as an interfacial adhesion promoter. Several fold increases in bond strength were obtained, the largest increase associated with a combination of substrate roughening, thermal treatment and use of adhesion promoters.
Computing the Hypergeometric Function

The hypergeometric function of a real variable is computed for arbitrary real parameters. The transformation theory of the hypergeometric function is used to obtain rapidly convergent power series. The divergences that occur in the individual terms of the transformation for integer parameters are removed using a finite difference technique.
ESD-Triggered Arcing Discharges between Wires in Vacuum

The anomaly of Japanese satellite ADEOS-II (Advanced Earth Observing Satellite II) appeared in 2003 was supposed to be caused by arcing discharges initiated due to ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) in the bundled wire-harnesses of the solar paddle. In order to make the condition of the occurrence of the discharge clear, it is necessary to evaluate the arcing discharge characteristics in vacuum quantitatively. Therefore we tried to investigate the characteristics of arcing discharge between two conductors consisting of a pair of wires for space use. The discharges were triggered by ESD released from a capacitor. These characteristics were obtained as parameters of the amplitude of the ESD, the pressure in the chamber and so on. We preliminarily obtained the result that the acing discharge time increased with increase of the amplitude of the ESD.
Realisation of a vision: a case study of the focus-differentiation strategy implemented by the University of Puget Sound

This case study examines strategic changes initiated and implemented by two consecutive presidents of the University of Puget Sound in 1973–2003. The transformation of this century-old institution from an also-ran local university to a nationally ranked liberal arts college provides an extremely rare case that demonstrates the applicability of Michael Porter’s paradigm of generic strategies in the field of higher education. Critical success factors for the implementation of a focus strategy that seeks to differentiate a university from its peer institutions are also identified and discussed.
Stochastic Epidemiologic Modeling Using a Microcomputer Spreadsheet Package

Carpenter, T.E., 1988. Stochastic epidemiologic modeling using a microcomputer spreadsheet package. Prey. Vet. Med., 5: 159-168. A stochastic epidemiologic simulation model was created using a microcomputer spreadsheet package. The model (III) simulated a modified Reed-Frost model. The modifications were (1) vaccination was permitted in the population, (2) vaccinal immunity waned and was random and (3) the number of effective contacts varied randomly among periods. The methodology presented in this paper should enable the reader to recreate this or other stochastic simulation models. Sample output results were reported to illustrate the potential use of stochastic epidemiologic modeling using a spreadsheet package.
Bacteriophage λ induction causes increased production of E. coli lysine transfer RNA

Abstract Transfer RNA isolated after phage induction from an Escherichia coli strain carrying a λ prophage inserted at the normal attachment locus shows a threefold increase in lysine acceptor activity. This lysyl-tRNA preparation hybridizes to E. coli DNA and not to λDNA. The absence of a novel lysyl-tRNA species resolved by reversed phase chromatography (RPC-5) suggests that the observed elevation derives from increased production of the major host lysine isoacceptors. Neither infection of the same E. coli strain with λ nor induction of a prophage integrated at a secondary site near his alters lysine tRNA levels. Our results suggest that the observed amplification of lysine tRNA may derive from escape synthesis in the region of the normal attachment locus activated by prophage induction.
Network deconstruction reveals network structure in responsive microgels.

Detailed characterization of hydrogel particle erosion revealed critical physicochemical differences between spheres, where network decomposition was informative of network structure. Real-time, in situ monitoring of the triggered erosion of colloidal hydrogels (microgels) was performed via multiangle light scattering. The solution-average molar mass and root-mean-square radii of eroding particles were measured as a function of time for microgels prepared from N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAm) or N-isopropylmethacrylamide (NIPMAm), copolymerized with a chemically labile cross-linker (1,2-dihydroxylethylene)bisacrylamide (DHEA). Precipitation polymerization was employed to yield particles of comparable dimensions but with distinct topological features. Heterogeneous cross-linker incorporation resulted in a heterogeneous network structure for pNIPAm microgels. During the erosion reaction, mass loss proceeded from the exterior toward the interior of the polymer. In contrast, pNIPMAm microgels had a more homogene...
Translational control of cellular and viral mRNAs.

We are becoming increasingly aware of the role that translational control plays in regulating gene expression in plants. There are now many examples in which specific mechanisms have evolved at the translational level that directly impact the amount of protein produced from an mRNA. All regions of an mRNA, i.e., the 5′ leader, the coding region, and the 3′-untranslated region, have the potential to influence translation. The 5′-terminal cap structure and the poly(A) tail at the 3′ terminus serve as additional elements controlling translation. Many viral mRNAs have evolved alternatives to the cap and poly(A) tail that are functionally equivalent. Nevertheless, for both cellular and viral mRNAs, a co-dependent interaction between the terminal controlling elements appears to be the universal basis for efficient translation.
Physiological basis for salt tolerance in Tamarix ramosissima

Abstract Tamarix ramosissima Ledeb cuttings were grown in solution culture with different levels of NaCl to determine some of its physiological responses t salinity. Yields, mineral composition, and gas exchange rates for CO 2 and H 2 O were determined. Levels of NaCl of 10 to 200 mequiv./l tended to depress yields of leaves, stems, and roots. Most of the Na transported to leaves was excreted from the leaves via salt glands as revealed by analyses of washed and unwashed leaf samples. 25% or more of the K, Ca, Cu, Mn, B, Al, Si, Ti, Mo, Sr and Ba also was readily washed from leaves. Sodium was accumulated in large quantities when present in high concentrations in the nutrient substrate and Na appeared to decrease uptake of both K and Ca. The Na concentration in roots and stems was much lower than in leaves. Rates of photosynthetic carbon fixation and transpirational water loss changed very little with increasing salt treatment indicating that the observed growth decreases were due to energy losses through increased respiration and/or salt pumping.
Vibration–based structural damage identification

Many aerospace, civil and mechanical systems continue to be used despite ageing and the associated potential for damage accumulation. Therefore, the ability to monitor the structural health of thes...
State and trait depression, physical and social anhedonia, hypnotizability and subjective experiences during hypnosis.

Abstract This study (n = 465) examined if (a) hypnotic susceptibility (assessed by the Harvard Group Scale, Form A) was related to state and trait depression, and physical and social anhedonia, and (b) phenomenological experiences (assessed by the Phenomenology of Consciousness Inventory [PCI]) varied with depression, anhedonia, and hypnotizability during hypnosis, compared with a sitting quietly condition. Only physical anhedonia showed a weak, but significant, negative correlation with hypnotizability. Hypnosis, compared with the sitting quietly condition, facilitated lowering of feelings of sadness especially for the chronically depressed. Other results pertaining to phenomenological experiences suggest that in future studies, instead of only correlating individual difference variables with hypnotizability, it may be more fruitful to explore their relationships with what happens during hypnosis in terms of reported phenomenological experiences.
Issues in medication adherence assessment in clinical trials of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

Abstract The mission of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute is to sponsor research in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of heart, lung, and blood diseases. As a part of its activities toward this end, the Institute plans and conducts clinical trials that test the safety and efficacy of a broad range of preventive and treatment regimens. Many of these trials involve thousands of patients and require the cooperation of many research clinics under a common protocol, often for many years. An essential component in these efforts is a standardized methodology to allow accurate tracking of adherence patterns so that problem adherence situations can be identified and rectified. This article reviews the methods that have been used to assess adherence patterns in selected clinical trials supported by the NHLBI. The most frequently used methods have been pill count and direct measurement of the drug, its metabolites, or physiological effects in some bodily fluid. Supplementary information is frequently obtained by self-report. Experience with markers has been very limited and no systematic data are available. The Aspirin Myocardial Infarction Study is used as a case study to illustrate specific strengths and weaknesses of three types of adherence assessment methods, namely, assay of salicylates in the urine, platelet aggregation, and pill count. Generalizations to other clinical trials are discussed. Based on experience to date with traditional methods of compliance assessment, several conclusions are drawn. Combinations of measures, in general, provide the most useful profiles of adherence patterns in clinical trials. The development of an ideal marker compound with appropriate safety for long-term administration would be of use to overcome a number of assessment problems, including (1) inability of current methods to determine temporal patterns of drug consumption, (2) need for more precise quantification of consumption levels beyond a simple “drug present or drug absent” result, (3) providing cheaper or more convenient alternatives to direct analyses of the drug or its metabolites, (4) reducing assessment errors due to non-specificity of analytic methods and individual metabolic variations, and (5) as a supplement to pill counts to assess placebo tablet consumption.