cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
EARLY CYTOSKELETAL CHANGES IN THE RAT BRAIN DURING ACUTE RENAL FAILURE. ▴ 2196

Infants and children with renal failure suffer debilitating neurologic abnormalities. Developmental delay, seizure disorders, and neurologic deficits often persist despite dialysis and renal transplantation. Little is known about the underlying central nervous system (CNS) cellular dysfunction. The purpose of this study was to examine the response of neurons and glial cells in the rat cerebral cortex to acute renal failure (ARF). Two CNS cell cytoskeletal proteins were used as markers of cell injury: glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) is specific to astrocytes, and increased expression of GFAP is a sensitive, early indicator of disruptions in the chemical environment of neurons; microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP-2) localizes to neuronal cell bodies and dendrites and its loss is one of the earliest indicators of neuronal degeneration. Rats underwent bilateral nephrectomy, sham surgery, or no surgery/anesthesia. At 12 or 24 hours post-surgery, brains were removed and immunostained with antibodies against MAP-2 and GFAP. In a parallel series of animals, MAP-2 immunoblots were prepared from homogenates of the entire neocortex. The uremic animals (12 hours: BUN 67±9 mg/dl; 24 hours: BUN 114±8 mg/dl) showed a diffuse increase in GFAP immunoreactivity throughout the cortex as early as 12 hours of ARF, and the increase was especially evident adjacent to cortical blood vessels. MAP-2 immunoreactivity was decreased throughout the cortex of the uremic animals, with marked changes in dendrites evident by 12 hours of ARF. Western analysis confirmed that total MAP-2 content decreased at both 12 and 24 hours of ARF. These data provide evidence for marked degenerative changes in brain cells even at moderate degrees of azotemia. (Supported by an AHERF Neurosciences Collaborative Grant, National Kidney Foundation of the Delaware Valley, and NINDS grant NS16487.)
The effects of a Minnesota Welfare Reform Program on marital stability six years later

Do welfare reform policies affect marital stability among two-parent families? Long term findings from an experiment in Minnesota, evaluated via a random assignment design, contribute to the little evidence to date about whether or not welfare and income-support policies can affect marital stability. In 1994, Minnesota began to test a major welfare reform initiative that emphasized financial incentives for work, a participation requirement for long-term recipients, and the simplification of rules and procedures for receiving public assistance. An analysis of this program's long-run effects on marital stability for two-parent families finds no effect overall but contrasting effects for several subgroups. MFIP particularly lowered the rate of divorce among families who were already receiving welfare when they entered the study. There are less consistent effects among new applicants to MFIP – who show a trend toward higher rates of divorce relative to the control group.
Effect of plasma cholesterol on red blood cell oxygen transport.

1. Oxygen (O2) transfer from the blood to tissues is a function of the red blood cell (RBC) O2 saturation (SO2), the plasma O2 content being negligible. Under conditions of increased tissue O2 demand, the SO2 of arterial blood does not change appreciably (97%); however, the SO2 of mixed venous blood, equal to that of the perfused tissues, can go as low as 20%. 2. Tissue O2 availability is limited by the exposure time to a RBC, which decreases under conditions of maximum stress (< 1 s). If the O2 unloading time was to increase significantly, because of a decrease in the RBC diffusion constant or an increase in the RBC membrane thickness, the RBC O2 unloading time would exceed tissue (e.g. cardiac) transit time and O2 transfer would be impaired. 3. Cholesterol constitutes the non-polar, hydrophobic lipid of the enveloping layer of the RBC membrane. As the cholesterol content of the RBC increases, the fluidity of the membrane decreases and the lipid shell stiffens. 4. Early studies demonstrated that high blood cholesterol concentrations were associated with reduced blood O2 transport; in essence, the haemoglobin dissociation curve was shifted to the left. 5. Current investigations have shown that the cholesterol RBC membrane barrier to O2 diffusion delayed O2 entry into the RBC during saturation and delayed O2 release from the RBC during desaturation. In an analysis of 93 patients divided by their cholesterol concentration into five groups, the percentage change in blood O2 diffusion was inversely proportional to the cholesterol concentration. 6. The RBC membrane cholesterol is in equilibrium with the plasma cholesterol concentration. It stands to reason that as the plasma cholesterol increases, the RBC membrane becomes impaired and O2 transport is reduced. 7. The implications of this new perspective on O2 transport include the ability to increase tissue oxygenation by lowering plasma cholesterol.
Identification and separation of DNA-hybridized nanocolloids by Taylor cone harmonics

A rapid (minutes) electrospray bead-based DNA hybridization detection technique is developed by spraying a mixture of hybridized and unhybridized silica nanocolloids. With proper far-field control by external electrodes, the trajectory of the ejected nanobeads from the electrospray is governed by specific harmonics of the Laplace equation, which select discrete polar angles along well-separated field maxima near the conducting Taylor cone. Due to Rayleigh fission and evaporation, beads of different size acquire different total charge after ejection and suffer different normal electrophoretic displacement such that they are ejected along well-separated field maxima and are deposited in distinct rings on an intersecting plane. As the hybridized DNA is of the same dimension as that of the nanocolloid, the nanocolloids are hence easily differentiated from the unhybridized ones. This technique is highly specific as the high shear stress in the microjet shears away any non-specifically bound DNA from the nanocolloid surface.
No strings attached: the nature of casual sex in college students

The purpose of this article was to identify the circumstances associated with casual sex encounters, as well as to identify the link between casual sex, depressive symptoms, and infidelity among college students. We found that casual sex was a fairly common occurrence related to early sexual transition, engaging in first sex with a casual sex partner, drug use, and alcohol consumption. Casual sex occurred more often between “friends” than with strangers. Depressive symptoms were associated with engaging in casual sex differently for males and females. Males who engaged in casual sex reported the fewest symptoms of depression, and females who had a history of casual sex reported the most depressive symptoms. Frequencies of affectionate and genital behaviors were associated with expectations of the relationship, the relationship to the partner, infidelity, and the individual's relationship style. We discuss results in light of evolutionary and sociocultural theories of sexuality.
Molecular genetics of the major histocompatibility linked complement genes.

Three of the complement proteins, the second (C2) and fourth (C4) components of the classical pathway and factor B, a constituent of the alternative pathway, are coded for by genes within the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). This conclusion was based first on the demonstration of linkage between C2 deficiency in humans and certain HLA types (HLA-A10, B 18) by Fu et al. [26]. At about the same time, Allan [1] showed linkage of HLA to variants of factor B, a protein structurally and functionally similar to C2. Subsequently, linkage between electrophoretic variants of C2, factor B, C4 (MHC class III gene products), and HLA-Dr alleles (MHC class II gene products) confirmed the close approximation of the structural genes coding for these proteins [reviewed in 2]. An estimate of the distance between the human class II and class III genes, their relative positions with respect to one another, and the order of the genes within the MHC class III complex have not been possible to determine thus far. Similar work established that the genes for C2 [10], C4 [11, 61], and factor B [11] are MHC linked in the guinea pig and that the genes for factor B, C4, and a “C4-like” (Slp) are linked to H-2 in the mouse [51, 52, 55]. In those two species as well, the organization of the class III genes with respect to one another is not known. In the mouse the gene for another complement protein, C3, is also found on chromosome 17 but at some distance from the histocompatibility H-2 complex [43]. In humans the C3 gene has been localized to chromosome 19 [68], whereas the human MHC is on the short arm of chromosome 6 [36].
P-020 The transcirculation treatment of cerebral aneurysms

Introduction Unfavorable anatomy can preclude embolization of intracranial aneurysms. Transcirculation techniques, in which a catheter is navigated from one side of the brain to the other or from the anterior to the posterior circulation, are alternative pathways for primary or balloon/stent assisted coiling. We report the largest experience in coil embolization of aneurysms using these techniques. Methods We prospectively reviewed our collected database from 2006 to 2009 and identified 20 patients who had aneurysms treated with transcirculation techniques. Results Eight patients had anterior and 12 had posterior circulation aneurysms. Overall, nine patients required stent assisted coiling and 10 required balloon assisted coiling, including two patients treated with a ‘kissing balloon’ technique. Of the 10 patients, two requiring balloon assistance were also treated with stenting at the conclusion of aneurysm coiling. One patient with a left V4 aneurysm was treated with a bilateral vertebral artery (VA) approach. In 14 patients, the anterior communicating and posterior communicating arteries were used as conduits. In six patients, both VA were traversed to treat two V4 aneurysms, two posterior inferior cerebellar artery aneurysms, one basilar apex aneurysm and one basilar trunk aneurysm. Overall, two (10%) permanent complications occurred as a result of treatment: one death and one minor stroke. Complete or near complete (>95%) embolization was achieved in all patients. Conclusions Trancirculation techniques are effective pathways for embolization of complex aneurysms. Although technically challenging, these techniques are associated with an acceptably low rate of complications when compared with the natural history of the treated lesion.
Rural living as context: a study of disparities in long-term cancer survivors.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To explore the impact of rurality on health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) disparities in rural long-term cancer survivors. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTING: Rural-Urban Continuum Codes (RUCC) 7, 8, and 9. SAMPLE: 91 adults at least five years post-treatment. METHODS: Mailed surveys measured HRQOL, self-esteem, and social support. Regression models were estimated to isolate (from self-esteem and social support) the effect of level of rurality on HRQOL. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES: HRQOL, self-esteem, social support, and rurality. FINDINGS: No differences in demographic characteristics existed among RUCCs. Survivors residing in RUCCs 7 or 8 tended to be similar in several dimensions of HRQOL. Survivors living in RUCC 7 reported significantly lower social function and greater financial difficulty and number of symptoms compared to survivors in RUCC 9 (the most remote). Self-esteem and social support strongly correlated with HRQOL. CONCLUSIONS: The significant impact of rurality on HRQOL beyond self-esteem and social support suggests its role in explaining cancer survivorship disparities and directing practice. Until additional exploration can identify mechanisms behind rurality's impact, consideration of level of rurality as a potential factor in evaluating survivors' HRQOL outcomes is reasonable. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Survivor context (e.g., level of rurality) influences HRQOL outcomes. Context or culture-relevant risk minimization and HRQOL optimization nursing practices are indicated.
Regulation of Retinol-Binding Protein Metabolism by Glucocorticoid Hormones in Cultured H4II EC3 Liver Cells

Studies were conducted to explore the effects of glucocorticoid hormones on the regulation of the metabolism of retinol-binding protein (RBP) by KUII EC4 rat hepatoma cells in culture. Cortisol, corticosterone, and the synthetic glucocorticoid analog dexamethasone all induced a 2- to 3-fold increase in the accumulation of RBP. Half-maximal stimulation occurred at concentrations of dexamethasone in the range of 1–5 nM. Progesterone in the concentration range of 1–10 μM, inhibited the stimulatory effect of dexamethasone. Progesterone alone in this concentration range had no effect on RBP metabolism. By analogy with the studies of others, these observations with progesterone suggest that glucocorticoid receptors are involved in the effect of dexamethasone on RBP. As previously reported, RBP accumulated in the hepatoma cells when they were incubated in a medium free of serum and of vitamin A. The addition of retinol over a range from 3.5 nM to 3.5 pM stimulated a dosedependent secretion of RBP from the cells ...
Rearing phonotactic parasitoid flies (Diptera: Tachinidae, Ormiini, Ormia spp.).

Females of ormiine tachinids fly to their hosts' calling songs and deposit larvae on the host or nearby. Two species,Ormia ochracea (Bigot) andO. depleta (Wiedemann), were reared for at least 8 generations, making them the first ormiines to be laboratory-propagated. Both were reared on natural hosts:Gryllus spp. field crickets (principallyG. rubens) forO. ochracea, andScapteriscus spp. mole crickets forO. depleta. Commercially rearedAcheta domesticus tested as hosts were less satisfactory. Hosts were parasitized manually or by confinement with flies or planidia (infective larvae). Transparent, cylindrical, sleeved cages were designed to accommodate parasitized hosts and pupae and adults ofO. ochracea. Cages were joined to allowO. ochracea to cycle through its stages with minimum handling and care. Parasitized hosts and pupae ofO. depleta were held in containers of damp sand; adults were held in cages developed forO. ochracea. Adults of both species were maintained on applesauce, sugar cubes, powdered milk, and water. The life cycle ofO. ochracea was about 31 days and ofO. depleta about 36 days, with the principal difference being the time required for planidia to complete development. InO. ochracea the adults emerged synchronously but inO. depleta males preceded females. In both species sex ratio was generally I: 1 and females lived slightly longer than males.O. depleta from our laboratory colony have been released for biological control of mole crickets.
Analysis of integrated storage and grid interfaced photovoltaic system via nine-switch three-level inverter

This paper focuses on the modeling, controller design, simulation and analysis of a two-string photovoltaic (PV) and storage system connected to grid via a centralized nine-switch three-level inverter. A circuit-based PV array model is presented for use. A boost converter is employed to enable PV to operate at its maximum power point. The storage system consists of a capacitor bank connected at the DC bus via a full-bridge DC-DC converter. The centralized inverter is controlled by a decoupled current control technique and interfaced with grid via a transformer and double transmission lines. And three-level PWM is generated by applying two symmetrical triangular carriers. Three-phase voltage source and RL load are used for simulation. Eventually, the system stability is assessed with respect to fault conditions and solar irradiation change in simulation software PSCAD.
Unilateral autonephrectomization in horseshoe kidney

Abstract Ever since DeCarpi first described the horseshoe kidney in 1521, almost every renal disease also has been described within it. Unilateral autonephrectomization appears to be a clinical rarity, as confirmed by our review of the literature. Herein we describe this phenomenon in a urologically asymptomatic adult male.
Pesticide fate in terrestrial laboratory ecosystems

The disposition and effects of pesticides are being investigated in eight terrestrial microcosm chambers (TMC) containing a variety of plants and animals. Each TMC (1 m. x 0.75 m. x .60 m) has 40 cm. of aerial space and 20 cm. of soil, an air trapping system and “spring” and “rain” systems. Total mass balance of pesticide fate is followed with a combination of chromatographic and radiometric techniques. Pregnant voles (Microtus canicaudus) rear pups to weaning during the 30–45 day functional lives of the TMC's.
The Burning of Washington: The British Invasion of 1814

In the hot and humid summer of 1814 British troops completed a fifty-mile march to capture the young American capital, putting to rout along the way pitiful citizen militiamen (some in winter gear, others barefoot) while President James Madison galloped out of town to safety. Among those remaining, a realization spread that Washington had been "abandoned to a horrid fate". In no time, British arsonists set off an inferno whose glow was seen miles away and from which burn marks are visible today on original stones of the White House. This attack was one of the defining moments in the coming-of-age of the United States, and Anthony Pitch tells the dramatic story with all the immediacy, of an eyewitness account. Painstakingly tracking down firsthand sources and tattered letters, diaries, journals, and newspapers on both sides of the Atlantic, Pitch has brought this key episode of American history to life in a gripping narrative filled with vivid details. He describes how, after the catastrophe in Washington, a hostage on a British warship named Francis Scott Key wrote an epic poem that later became the national anthem as he viewed the Star-Spangled Banner still flying over embattled Fort McHenry in Baltimore Harbor Readers of Anthony Pitch's book will experience again the sense of pride and honor felt by Key and all Americans in 1814 as they underwent this national trauma and finally celebrated victory in this Second War of Independence.
Palmitoylation supports assembly and function of integrin–tetraspanin complexes

As observed previously, tetraspanin palmitoylation promotes tetraspanin microdomain assembly. Here, we show that palmitoylated integrins (α3, α6, and β4 subunits) and tetraspanins (CD9, CD81, and CD63) coexist in substantially overlapping complexes. Removal of β4 palmitoylation sites markedly impaired cell spreading and signaling through p130Cas on laminin substrate. Also in palmitoylation-deficient β4, secondary associations with tetraspanins (CD9, CD81, and CD63) were diminished and cell surface CD9 clustering was decreased, whereas core α6β4–CD151 complex formation was unaltered. There is also a functional connection between CD9 and β4 integrins, as evidenced by anti-CD9 antibody effects on β4-dependent cell spreading. Notably, β4 palmitoylation neither increased localization into “light membrane” fractions of sucrose gradients nor decreased solubility in nonionic detergents—hence it does not promote lipid raft association. Instead, palmitoylation of β4 (and of the closely associated tetraspanin CD151) promotes CD151–α6β4 incorporation into a network of secondary tetraspanin interactions (with CD9, CD81, CD63, etc.), which provides a novel framework for functional regulation.
The Cube Calculus Machine: a ring of asynchronous automata to process multiple-valued Boolean functions

The authors propose a Cube Calculus Machine (CCM-1), a novel architecture in which the data path has been designed to execute operations of cube calculus, an algebraical model popularly used to process and minimize Boolean functions. The machine uses a 'positional cube representation', which can also represent the multiple-valued input algebra that finds many applications in logic synthesis. Another aspect of this architecture is the implementation of the processing unit as an iterative network of asynchronous finite state machines (FSMs). This is a new concept in computer architecture that can find applications wider than the CCM alone. CCM-1 realizes basic microinstructions that support the microcode implementation of all useful cube calculus operations including sharp, consensus, supercube, and crosslink. >
Energy landscape analysis for regulatory RNA finding using scalable distributed cyberinfrastructure

We investigate the folding energy landscape for a given RNA sequence through Boltzmann ensemble (BE) sampling of RNA secondary structures. The ensemble of sampled structures is used to derive distributions of energies and base-pair distances between two configurations. We identify structural features that can be utilized for RNA gene finding. Characterization of the EL through BE sampling of secondary structures is computationally demanding and has multiple heterogeneous stages. We develop the Distributed Adaptive Runtime Environment to effectively address the computational requirements. Distributed Adaptive Runtime Environment is built upon an extensible and interoperable pilot-job and supports the concurrent execution of a broad range of task sizes across a range of infrastructure. It is used to investigate two RNA systems of different sizes, S-adenosyl methionine (SAM) binding RNA sequences known as SAM-I riboswitches, and the S gene of the bovine corona virus RNA genome. We demonstrate how the implementation lowers the total time to solution for increases in RNA length, the number of sequences investigated, and the number of sampled structures. The distributions of energies and base-pair distances reveal variations in folding dynamics and pathways among the SAM riboswitch sequences. Our results for BCoV RNA genome sequences also indicate sensitivity of folding to coding-neutral variations in sequence. We search for a characteristic motif from within the SAM-I consensus structure – a four-way junction, among BE sampled structures for all 2910 SAM-I sequences identified from Rfam (the curated ncRNA family database). We find that BE sampling provides insight into the variations in conformational distribution among sequences of the same ncRNA family. Therefore, BE sampling of secondary structures is a viable pre-processing or post-processing tool to complement comparative sequence analysis. The understanding gained shows how appropriately designed cyberinfrastructure can provide new insight into RNA folding and structure formation. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE ON ELECTROLYTE METABOLISM OF ISOLATED FROG SKIN

A study is presented on the effect of temperature on unidirectional active ion transport, resting electrolyte equilibrium (electrolyte composition), and oxygen consumption in isolated frog skin. The aims were twofold: first, to find out whether the rate of active transport can be changed without affecting the Na + and K + balance of skin itself; second, to arrive at minlmal ANa/AO2 values by correlating quantitatively inhibition of active ion transport with inhibition of O2 consumption. NaC1 transport was maximal at 20°C. At 28 ° and at temperatures below 20 °, rate of NaCI transport was diminished. In many instances NaCI transport was diminished in skinq which maintained their normal Na + and K + content. In several cases, however, neither rate of transport nor resting electrolyte equilibrium was affected; in other cases, both were. O2 consumption decreased when lowering the temperature over the range from 28 to 10°C. From a plot of log Qo2 against 1/T an activation energy of # = 13,700 cal. was calculated, valid for the range from 10 to 20°C. It appeared that # was smaller for temperatures above 20°C. Working between l0 and 20 °, it was found that, on the average, 4 to 5 equivalents of Na + were transported for one m01e of O2 consumed in skins with undisturbed resting electrolyte equilibrium.
A discussion of rotating wave fields for microwave applications

The concepts of angular momentum, resonant frequencies, and electromagnetic fields in different types of rotating wave modes are studied. A number of interesting and unique properties of rotating waves are discussed, including their constant electric and magnetic field energies. The range of current uses for rotating waves is indicated. An analysis of rotating waves in cylindrical cavity resonators is presented. The TM/sub 110/ rotating mode for a cylindrical resonator is discussed in some detail. >
TRANCE–RANK, a New Signal Pathway Involved in Lymphocyte Development and T Cell Activation

Almost a decade ago, major advancements in our understanding of the cell–cell interactions that were critically involved in the regulation of the immune response were achieved when it was established that T cell activation not only required a signal through the T cell receptor but also a second
Dental Treatment Planning and Management in the Patient Who Has Cancer

The oral cavity has the potential to be a major source of short-term and long-term complications from cancer therapy. Appropriate evaluation and elimination of potential sources of oral infection before cancer therapy is vital because oral bacteria are a known source of bacteremia and septicemia during cancer therapy. Cancer diagnosis with previous and planned treatment, past medical history, past dental history, current medications, drug allergies, social history, family history, laboratory values, extraoral findings, intraoral findings, and radiographic findings must all be evaluated in planning dental treatment for these complex cases.
A Secure Smartphone Platform for Efficient Communication in Emergency Situation

In this paper; we introduce novel technique in which effective communication of the Smartphone can be achieved. It is used as a platform to investigate a correlation that exists between securing the Smartphone and efficient emergency communication. We conducted to include several radio technologies, such as cognitive radio (CR). Cognitive radio deals with spectrum resources utilization. Due to the fact that, CR has the capability to adjust spectrum signals by adaptation, which means frequency channels can reorganize themselves more appropriately and also adjust themselves in signal interference issues, finally providing strong signals to process data instantly and more effectively.
Natural feeding rates of Centropages typicus females in the New York Bight1

Based on measurements of the removal rate of small particles from natural seawater,the ingestion rate of adult females of the copepod Centropages typicus is almost always less than maximal. A survey of particle concentrations in the New York Bight indicated that the concentrations used in our feeding experiments were representative of concentrations encountered by this species. In addition to the particle removal method, a gut fluorescence method was used to calculate natural ingestion rates of phytoplankton particles. Comparable rates resulted from both methods. We believe that for this organism, ingestion rates are closely related to food quality because the range of natural food concentrations is rather narrow.
“Fingerprinting” high molecular weight RNA by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis: application to poliovirus RNA

Abstract Conditions are described under which complete RNase T1 digests of high molecular weight RNA can be separated into numerous components by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Small and large oligonucleotides (n = 1 - 2c0) can be resolved without losses. The procedure yields fingerprints which are diagnostic for a particular species of RNA and an index of its purity as will be shown for the genomes of poliovirus type 1 and 2.
Damage control in host–pathogen interactions

When facing a problem, we would ideally like to be able to eliminate its source. If that is not feasible, we focus our efforts on damage control, by attempting to minimize the consequences of the problem at hand. Likewise, host defense from infections can employ two distinct strategies of protection: one aims to reduce or eliminate the invading pathogen, whereas the other reduces the damage to the host inflicted by a given pathogen burden. The two strategies are referred to as resistance and tolerance, respectively (1). Resistance mechanisms are generally mediated by the immune system. Mechanisms of tolerance (not to be confused with immunological tolerance) are far less well understood, particularly in animal hosts (2). The report by Seixas et al. (3) in this issue of PNAS describes a mechanism of host tolerance used during infection with Plasmodium parasites. This study provides one of the first insights into molecular mechanisms of infection tolerance in mammals and is likely to be applicable, at least in principle, to a broad range of infectious diseases.
CUSHING'S SYNDROME INTERPRETED AS HYPERADRENOCORTICISM LEADING TO HYPERGLUCONEOGENESIS: RESULTS OF TREATMENT WITH TESTOSTERONE PROPIONATE1

THIS PRESENTATION will be limited to three lines of thought: (a) an enumeration of certain features of Cushing's syndrome, (b) an hypothesis concerning the cause of certain of the most important of these and (c) the result of therapy based on this hypothesis. Patients with Cushing's syndrome show at autopsy cancer of one adrenal gland, or a basophil tumor of the pituitary, or neither of these; all cases show the changes described by Crooke (1) in the basophil cells. Although the criteria for the diagnosis of hyperplasia of the adrenal cortex are not altogether established, this condition is undoubtedly present in some of the non-cancer cases, possibly in all (2).
Optimization of Pulsing Conditions for Hollow Cathode Lamps for Atomic Fluorescence Spectrometry

The effect of pulsing conditions on hollow cathode lamp output, on the intensity of atomic fluorescence excited, and on atomic fluorescence detection limits has been examined for a number of commercial sealed lamps. Optimization must be carried out on an individual lamp basis. Maximum integrated intensity is obtained by minimizing the dc current through the lamp and making the duty factor as large as possible within the limit set by the maximum allowed average current through the lamp. Integrated intensity is largely independent of pulse width and depends only to a small extent on peak current. For the range of operating conditions considered in this study; the effect on atomic fluorescence of line broadening due to pulsing at high peak currents was small.
THE RELATION OF TEKTITES TO LUNAR IGNEOUS ACTIVITY

Abstract The theory that tektites are of lunar origin has frequently been criticized on the grounds that rocks of this chemical composition could not have been formed on the Moon. The purpose of this paper is to show that tektites may have been derived from silicic igneous rocks, specifically rhyolitic tuffs, forming the upper layers of the maria. The essentially igneous nature of tektites is indicated by their bulk composition, their restricted compositional range, and the high probability that they have not been derived from sedimentary rocks by random processes such as meteoritic impact. The differences between tektites and normal igneous rocks probably reflect their formation by extremely high temperature fusion of previously solid igneous rock. It is shown that if the Moon originally had a chondritic composition, the fusion curve of the lunar material should intersect the thermal gradients computed by G. J. F. MacDonald at the present time at 400 to 500 km depth, depending on the slope of the fusion curve, even if the Moon had originally been at 0°C. Additional heat sources such as the kinetic energy of accretion and capture-induced internal friction would probably have raised the temperature well above the “cold” Moon gradient. Magmas generated by partial fusion of the assumed chondritic material should be basaltic. It is proposed that the maria are the lunar equivalents of terrestrial lopoliths such as the Bushveld and Sudbury complexes, which are large basins filled mainly with basaltic rock overlain by tuffs, rhyolites, and granophyres. Tektites may have been derived from these silicic rocks by some process involving meteoritic impact.
Coupling of internal rotations in propanelike molecules

A linear-combination-of-bond-orbitals (LCBO) formulation of INDO–SCF–MO theory is employed to investigate the origin of rotation barrier coupling in propane and related molecules. The dominant contributions to rotor coupling in propane are identified to be (i) a direct steric (bond–bond) interaction, involving the close approach of two methyl CH bonds in the eclipsed–eclipsed geometry, and (ii) a nonvicinal bond–antibond effect, which arises when the side of a σCH bond orbital in an eclipsed methyl group comes into favorable overlap with the “backside” lobe of the coplanar σ antibond in the staggered–eclipsed geometry. A smaller nonadditive interaction of each methyl rotor with the central group is noted to be of importance when the central atom contains lone pairs. Aspects of this qualitative picture, and its dependence on geometry changes, are tested in applications to (CH3)2CHF, (CH3)2NH, (CH3)2O, (CH3)2CCH2, (CH3)2CO, and C(CH3)4.
Particle production in clouds

Both recent and some older field measurements reveal condensation nucleus concentrations which attain local maxima within clouds. Model calculations are presented which suggest that, if the enhanced actinic radiation flux in clouds is taken into account, homogeneous, bimolecular nucleation within clouds is a viable mechanism for production of such particles.
Role of chemokine receptor CXCR2 expression in mammary tumor growth, angiogenesis and metastasis.

Background: Chemokines and their receptors have long been known to regulate metastasis in various cancers. Previous studies have shown that CXCR2 expression is upregulated in malignant breast cancer tissues but not in benign ductal epithelial samples. The functional role of CXCR2 in the metastatic phenotype of breast cancer still remains unclear. We hypothesize that the chemokine receptor, CXCR2, mediates tumor cell invasion and migration and promotes metastasis in breast cancer. The objective of this study is to investigate the potential role of CXCR2 in the metastatic phenotype of mouse mammary tumor cells. Materials and Methods: We evaluated the functional role of CXCR2 in breast cancer by stably downregulating the expression of CXCR2 in metastatic mammary tumor cell lines Cl66 and 4T1, using short hairpin RNA (shRNA). The effects of CXCR2 downregulation on tumor growth, invasion and metastatic potential were analyzed in vitro and in vivo. Results: We demonstrated knock down of CXCR2 in Cl66 and 4T1 cells (Cl66-shCXCR2 and 4T1-shCXCR2) cells by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) at the transcriptional level and by immunohistochemistry at the protein level. We did not observe a significant difference in in vitro cell proliferation between vector control and CXCR2 knock-down Cl66 or 4T1 cells. Next, we examined the invasive potential of Cl66-shCXCR2 cells by in vitro Matrigel invasion assay. We observed a significantly lower number (52 ± 5) of Cl66-shCXCR2 cells invading through Matrigel compared to control cells (Cl66-control) (182 ± 3) (P < 0.05). We analyzed the in vivo metastatic potential of Cl66-shCXCR2 using a spontaneous metastasis model by orthotopically implanting cells into the mammary fat pad of female BALB/c mice. Animals were sacrificed 12 weeks post tumor implantation and tissue samples were analyzed for metastatic nodules. CXCR2 downregulation significantly inhibited tumor cell metastasis. All the mice (n = 10) implanted with control Cl66 cells spontaneously developed lung metastasis, whereas a significantly lower number of mice (40%) implanted with Cl66-shCXCR2 cells exhibited lung metastases. Conclusions: Together, these results suggest that CXCR2 may play a critical role in breast cancer invasion and metastasis.
Harold Pinter’s The Homecoming Through the Lens of Amartya Sen’s The Idea of Justice

The Homecoming (1964) is Harold Pinter’s most philosophical play, including an academic philosopher, Teddy, among its cast, who occasionally debate philosophical issues. Extending the play’s range, the characters are preoccupied with status and respect, hunger, sexual frustration, rage within and from others, as well as fears of decrepitude and powerlessness. Like Pinter, Amartya Sen in The Idea of Justice (2009) exposes people’s deficient capabilities for functioning, their abilities to choose and do what they value or have reason to value. A crucial debate between Teddy and Lenny gives Ruth the last word, followed by the defeated Teddy’s retaliatory theft of a cheese roll. Underlying their conflict and the play in general is an issue roiling economic philosophy: are people’s choices guided by reason or by passion and impulse? The play’s action reduces the issue to a rhetorical question.
Risk Factors for Deep Venous Thrombosis Following Orthopaedic Trauma Surgery: An Analysis of 56,000 patients

Background: Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) are recognized as major causes of morbidity and mortality in orthopaedic trauma patients. Despite the high incidence of these complications following orthopaedic trauma, there is a paucity of literature investigating the clinical risk factors for DVT in this specific population. As our healthcare system increasingly emphasizes quality measures, it is critical for orthopaedic surgeons to understand the clinical factors that increase the risk of DVT following orthopaedic trauma. Objectives: Utilizing the ACS-NSQIP database, we sought to determine the incidence and identify independent risk factors for DVT following orthopaedic trauma. Patients and Methods: Using current procedural terminology (CPT) codes for orthopaedic trauma procedures, we identified a prospective cohort of patients from the 2006 to 2013 ACS-NSQIP database. Using Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney and chi-square tests where appropriate, patient demographics, comorbidities, and operative factors were compared between patients who developed a DVT within 30 days of surgery and those who did not. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and identify independent risk factors for DVT. Significance was set at P < 0.05. Results: 56,299 orthopaedic trauma patients were included in the analysis, of which 473 (0.84%) developed a DVT within 30 days. In univariate analysis, twenty-five variables were significantly associated with the development of a DVT, including age (P < 0.0001), BMI (P = 0.037), diabetes (P = 0.01), ASA score (P < 0.0001) and anatomic region injured (P < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis identified several independent risk factors for development of a DVT including use of a ventilator (OR = 43.67, P = 0.039), ascites (OR = 41.61, P = 0.0038), steroid use (OR = 4.00, P < 0.001), and alcohol use (OR = 2.98, P = 0.0370). Compared to patients with upper extremity trauma, those with lower extremity injuries had significantly increased odds of developing a DVT (OR = 7.55, P = 0.006). The trend toward increased odds of DVT among patients with injuries to the hip/pelvis did not reach statistical significance (OR = 4.51, P = 0.22). Smoking was not found to be an independent risk factor for developing a DVT (P = 0.1217). Conclusions: This is the largest study to date using the NSQIP database to identify risk factors for DVT in orthopaedic trauma patients. Although the incidence of DVT was low in our cohort, the presence of certain risk factors significantly increased the odds of developing a DVT following orthopaedic trauma. These findings will enable orthopaedic surgeons to target at-risk patients and implement postoperative care protocols aimed at reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with DVT in orthopaedic trauma patients.
Trojan Detection and Side-channel Analyses for Cyber-security in Cyber-physical Manufacturing Systems

Abstract As the maliciousness and frequency of cyber-attacks continues to grow, the safety and security of cyber-physical critical infrastructures, such as manufacturing, is quickly becoming a significant concern across the globe. Outside of traditional intellectual property theft, attacks against manufacturing systems pose a threat to maintaining a product's design intent. More specifically, such attacks can alter a manufacturing system to produce a part incorrectly; resulting in impaired functionalities or reduced performance. Manufacturing systems rely heavily upon the use of quality control systems to detect quality losses and to ensure the continued production of high-quality parts. However, quality control systems are not designed to detect the effects of malicious attacks and are ill-suited to act as a cyber-security measure for many manufacturing systems. Therefore, this paper presents a novel product/process design approach to enable real-time attack detections to supplement the shortcomings of quality control systems. The proposed approach, inspired by side-channel schemes used to detect Trojans (foreign malicious logic) in integrated circuits, aims at detecting changes to a manufactured part's intrinsic behavior through the use of structural health monitoring techniques.
Arvin Exhaust Thailand: Building an Asian Supply Base

A U.S. automotive supplier follows a major customer to Asia, and forms a joint venture with a Thai company to build and operate a new manufacturing plant. Key parts are also sourced from the Thai partner's existing plant. The Asian currency crisis causes devaluation of the Thai currency as well as problems for the joint venture, requiring the restructuring of the joint venture and the resourcing of parts from another company. Issues in the case include the recovery of tooling and equipment from the joint-venture partner and cost analysis to determine the best sourcing alternative. An optional Excel template is available for use with this case.
Complacency With Access and the Aggregate? Affirming an Individual Determination of Educational Benefit Under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act:

Although some legal scholars argue that the progression of Congressional intent in laws for children with disabilities reflects a mission to raise the educational standards and their achievement levels, other insist that many students are not realizing equal educational opportunity and not receiving educational benefit. This article proposes that the alignment of the Individuals with disabilities Education Act (IDEA) with the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act may implicate a student’s right to a free, appropriate public education (FAPE) and cautions against complacency with mere access to the general curriculum and a satisfaction with aggregate accountability of outcome. An analysis of litigation from circuit courts is presented to confirm individual benefit as the legal standard of appropriateness, and the duties of IEP teams to monitoring individual progress on IEP goals are defined. Two recommendations for the reauthorization of both the NCLB Act and the IDEA are proposed.
A Round-Up of Square Problems

Are squares, as their name suggests, really the boring "nerds" of the geometric world? We think not, and have gathered a number of our favorite problems that we hope show the square to be a fascinating figure. Many of the results deserve to be (and indeed are) theorems, but much of the fun seems to be in presenting the material in the form of problems. You are challenged to find your own solutions, and we hope you won't jump too quickly to the solutions we have provided. The problems are, at least roughly, divided into sections according to the number of squares involved. Many of the problems are new, at least to us, and others may be familiar to some readers. Even then, some novelty is found in most of the solutions, and in several places we have uncovered unexpected connections among what at first may seem to be unrelated problems. A concluding section provides some sources, though it is not always easy to know who deserves first credit. There should be little harm in rediscovering a neglected gem, and much interest and pleasure to be gained.
The climate adaptation imperative: local choices targeting global problems?

ABSTRACTWhen confronted with the demands of global climate change, what causes some policy-makers to move the climate adaptation agenda forward in their communities, while others seemingly get little accomplished? To answer this question, we first discuss work on policy-drivers in a coupled human–natural systemic context. This summary review of past research helps us develop a set of competing and complementary explanations for why some communities aggressively pursue climate adaptation policies, while others do less. Following the discussion of policy-drivers, we then undertake an aggregate-level analysis of data collected across the 169 towns in Connecticut regarding climate adaptation, thus linking policy to its fundamental global cause. The quantitative data are augmented with interview data from policy-makers and activists from around the New England region.
Symptomatic gastric sarcoidosis and Helicobacter pylori infection.

Sarcoidosis is a multiorgan granulomatous disease of undetermined cause most commonly affecting young adults and typically characterized by pulmonary infiltrates, bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy, and cutaneous and ocular lesions. l Gastric involvement is the second most common site of gastrointestinal involvement after the liver, although the overall incidence of gastric sarcoidosis is still unclear. Palmer2 found sarcoid granulomas in the biopsy specimens of 6 of 54 patients who had sarcoidosis but no gastrointestinal symptoms, suggesting an incidence of up to 10 percent; however, biopsy sampling error could have resulted in underestimating the actual frequency of the disease. 3 Nevertheless, the frequency of symptomatic gastric sarcoidosis based upon case reports might be as little as 1 percent.4 Gastric sarcoidosis results in symptoms similar to those of peptic ulcer disease,5 upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage,6-9 or gastric outlet obstruction. lO There are reports of gastric sarcoidosis being mistaken for infiltrating gastric carcinoma because of their similar clinical manifestations and the linitis plastica radiographic appearance common to both.II,12 The relation between the granulomatous mucosal changes seen in gastric sarcoidosis and in peptic ulcer development has not been extensively examined in the medical literature, particularly with regard to the recent emergence of Helicobacter pylori infection as a causative agent in peptic ulcer disease. The following case report is unusual in that it is, to our knowledge, the first case report of symptomatic gastric sarcoidosis mimicking peptic ulcer disease and confounded by Helicobacter pylori infection.
Life Writing in the Colonial Archives: The Case of Nnamdi Azikiwe (1904–1996) of Nigeria

ABSTRACTCommentators on Europe’s colonial archives often highlight the lack of coherence to be found in official and national repositories. Even within a single file, the archives do not simply, or only, yield evidence about imperial intentions and colonial subjects in Europe’s diverse territories. Focusing on secret files compiled in the 1930s and 1940s around the activities of the prominent Nigerian newspaper editor and later first president of Nigeria, Nnamdi Azikiwe (1904–1996), this article argues that Colonial Office archives reveal the tensions between imperialism as a hegemonic ideology and the diverse practices of individuals, including colonial governors, civil servants in London, and their critics in the colonial public sphere. The article shows how Azikiwe’s biography was produced by spies and informants in Nigeria, and by civil servants at the Colonial Office, but that Azikiwe himself cleverly exploited the meticulous record-keeping procedures in Whitehall to insert his political autobiograph...
Quality Improvement for the ESRD Community

As an introduction to this issue of Advances in Renal Replacement Therapy , fundamental prinicpals of quality improvement are described, with examples for the dialysis unit, and critical differences between quality assurance and quality improvement are explained.