cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
P1 total scattering probability for low-energy neutron scattering by a monatomic gas

Abstract The P1-moment of the total scattering probability is developed as a single integral expression over vr the relative neutron-nuclear speed, for low-energy elastic neutron scattering by the nuclei of a monoatomic gas. Employing the Brown and St. John σs(νr) representation for deuterium in D2O, the P1-moment and its corresponding P0-moment are used to formulate and numerically evaluate an average thermal diffusion coefficient for heavy water at room temperature. The calculated value of D D 2 O = 0·804 cm is approximately 5 per cent lower than experimentally obtained results. It is expected that the derived P1 formulations will be useful in analysing those space-dependent neutron thermalization problems in which the free gas elastic scattering model can be employed.
High-contrast en bloc staining of neuronal tissue for field emission scanning electron microscopy

High-contrast en bloc staining of neuronal tissue for field emission scanning electron microscopy
Influence of Intracerebral Progesterone on the Reproductive System of Female Rats

To study the site of the gonadotropin- inhibitory action of progesterone, 400 μg “pellets” of the crystalline hormone were implanted in the pituitary and variousbrain areas of adult, “prepuberal” (30-day) or “puberal” (day of vaginal opening) female rats. The effects on the reproductive system of these implants were compared with those of similarly located implants of cholesterol. Progesterone in the median eminence region (basal medial hypothalamus) resulted in decreased uterine weight and suppression of estrous cycling in all age groups, for periods of approximately 2 weeks, after which time the implanted progesterone was absorbed. Ovarian weight and histology were unaffected after implantation in adult or prepuberal rats, except when implantation was performed close to the day of vaginal opening. In puberal animals median eminence implantation of progesterone resulted in significant decreases in ovarian and uterine weight and virtually complete suppression of ovarian luteinization. Follicular developme...
Minoxidil: Inhibition of proliferation of keratinocytes in vitro

Abstract Previous studies have suggested that minoxidil stimulates growth of keratinocytes, possibly in a manner similar to the action of epidermal growth factor. Using both a short-term assay, thymidine incorporation, and a longer term assay, cell counting, to assess proliferative growth, we tested the activity of minoxidil in human keratinocyte cultures grown in 0.1 mM Ca ++ . Minoxidil failed to stimulate growth in these assays. At concentrations of 5–10 μg per ml, minoxidil showed half-maximal inhibition of both EGF- and placental extract-stimulated thymidine incorporation. Minoxidil also inhibited proliferative growth in the presence or absence of placental extract. Direct measurement of the ability of minoxidil to compete for binding to the EGF receptor indicated that minoxidil probably does not bind to the EGF receptor. Minoxidil was not toxic, as keratinocytes continued to survive and grow, although at a slower rate, in the presence of minoxidil.
Numb, neurogenesis and epithelial polarity.

Numb's function in mammalian neural progenitors has been unclear. A paper in this issue shows a crucial role for Numb in the maintenance of radial glia adherens junctions and, consequently, the integrity of the neurogenic epithelium.
Effects of Dietary Protein Concentration on Growth, Feed Efficiency, and Body Composition of Age-0 Striped Bass

Abstract Age-0 striped bass Morone saxatilis were fed one of three formulated diets containing 34%, 44%, or 55% crude protein or a blueback herring Alosa aestivalis reference diet. Striped bass fed the 55% crude-protein formula diet had the highest average weight gain and feed efficiency. Protein efficiency ratio and protein retained were highest in striped bass fed the 34% crude protein diet. Whole-body protein concentration was unaffected by dietary protein concentration. Whole-body moisture increased, and whole-body lipid decreased, with increasing dietary protein concentration. Striped bass whole-body lipid concentration was negatively correlated with whole-body moisture concentration within each dietary treatment.
The electrochemistry of nitrobenzene and p-nitrobenzaldehyde studied by transmission spectroelectrochemical methods in sulfolane

Transmission spectroelectrochemistry experiments have been used to study the electrochemical reductions of nitrobenzene and p-nitrobenzaldehyde in sulfolane. The reduction intermediates of both these aromatic compounds are sufficiently long-lived in sulfolane to be amenable to study by these techniques. Nitrobenzene undergoes a single one-electron, chemically reversible reduction at E/sub p.c./ = -1.875 V vs. AgRE. This was verified by analysis of the visible absorption spectrum for the reduction species; two maxima were observed at 348 nm (epsilon 5.7 x 10/sup 3/ M/sup -1/ cm/sup -1/) and 465 nm (epsilon 4.1 x 10/sup 3/ M/sup -1/ cm/sup -1/). p-Nitrobenzaldehyde undergoes two one-electron reductions (E/sub p,1/ = -1.528 V, E/sub p,2/ = -2.114 V vs. AgRE), which are accompanied by following chemical reactions. A mechanism is shown involving formation of a parent-radical anion complex and an unusually low reproportionation reaction rate (k/sub f/ = 5.4 +- 0.7 x 10/sup 2/ M/sup -1/ s/sup -1/ at 50/sup 0/C). Verification of the proposed mechanism is assisted by digital simulation techniques and a newly developed differential treatment of the spectroelectrochemical data.
Successful Diffusion of a Failed Policy: The case of pay-for-performance in the US federal government

Abstract Pay-for-performance (PFP) is a popular management approach that came out of the business sector and was adopted as a centre piece of the 1978 US Civil Service Reform Act. An extensive set of studies assess PFP as largely unsuccessful in the federal government, and many of the private sector studies also found problems in PFP in the private sector. Yet, PFP continues to be adopted by governments in Europe, the United States and Australia. Our study examines the original adoption of PFP in 1978 to assess why it diffused so readily from the private sector to the federal government. We find PFP as a good example of Kingdon's (2002) garbage can decision making in which the policy champions presented PFP as a rational policy solution to widely perceived performance appraisal and reward problems at an opportune time. The PFP was trumpeted as an innovative policy but had almost no systematic evidence of success to support its use. Indeed, the problems of private sector PFP were diffused to the publi...
High-performance distributed memory and computing algorithm for face recognition via conformal mapping

This work deals with a new distributed face recognition technique based on transformation invariant conformal mapping. Face recognition using digital images is constrained by several factors like rotation (in and out of plane), scaling, and is usually operated under strict lighting conditions. In a previous work, through a conformal mapping process, we demonstrated the ability to 1) recognize shapes, and 2) concisely represent shape boundaries using a set of polynomial coefficients derived in the mapping process. In this work we illustrate how these previous results can be applied to face recognition. Additionally, in the approach outlined herein, a syntactic representation is formed for polygonal and non-polygonal shapes representing a given face features whose representation we desire to extract and reproduce compactly. In particular, in this paper we focus on the face outline, left eyebrow, right eyebrow, left eye, right eye, nose, curve form the lower nose to upper lips, and lips as face features. Some of these face features are grouped together and then processed in parallel in a distributed network of workstations via a Message Passing Interface running over TCP/IP. In particular, we show that a master-salve paradigm is used here to implement the proposed parallel and distributed algorithm and is base don a distributed-memory approach. Test were performed with 1,2, and three workstations. The algorithm assumes no constraints in the lighting, and the size of the window that has the face. This work deals with face representation and recognition and face segmentation is not the subject of this paper. We finally show the potential of the proposed generalized technique in its ability to handle both polygonal, non- polygonal and mixed polygonal/non-polygonal object shapes. We also show that the proposed algorithm achieves high recognition rates for rotations in the plane, translation, and scaling and is robust in noisy environments.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Calculations of viscoelastic flow through an axisymmetric corrugated tube using the explicitly elliptic momentum equation formulation (EEME)

Abstract Results are presented for the flow of an upper-convected Maxwell (UCM) model through an axisymmetric corrugated tube with sinusoidally varying cross-section. The calculations are based on the explicitly elliptic momentum equation (EEME) which makes explicit the elliptic character of the momentum equation when inertia is absent. Mixed finite element approximations for velocity, pressure, and stress coupled with Galerkin's method for the EEME/continuity pair and streamline upwind Petrov-Galerkin (SUPG) method for the hyperbolic constitutive equations are shown to converge with mesh refinement. The maximum value of the Weissenberg number that can be computed for a particular discretization is limited only by inability to resolve the spatial structure that forms in both stress and velocity fields. Calculations are reported for the Weissenberg number up to 15 and are in excellent agreement with the spectral/finite-difference calculations reported recently by Pilitsis and Beris.
Pressure-Flow Studies in Man During the Valsalva Maneuver with Observations on the Mechanical Properties of the Ascending Aorta

The pressure-gradient technique was used to obtain continuous measurements of both blood pressure and flow in the ascending aorta of eight normal subjects who were performing a standardized Valsalva maneuver. From these recordings the beat-to-beat changes in stroke volume, peak blood flow, peripheral vascular resistance, duration of ejection, and an index of total systolic duration were calculated. Stroke volume and peak blood flow were not changed with the onset of straining (phase I), but were decreased to approximately 50% of control values immediately prior to release (phase II). During the overshoot period (phase IV) stroke volume and peak flow were increased above control levels. Both the duration of ejection and the duration of systole were shortened during straining (phase II). The concomitant changes in blood pressure in these subjects were similar to previously reported pressure recordings. An estimate of the pressure-radius relationships in the ascending aorta of these patients was obtained ang...
Interaction of the water-soluble carcinogen 4-nitroquinoline N-oxide with DNA.

Thin-layer chromatography revealed that 4-nitroquinoline N-oxide interacts with native DNA, but not with denatured DNA's or the followingt macromolecules and nucleic acid derivatives: soluble RNA from Escherichia coli and from yeast, polyguanylate-cytidylate, and precursors of DNA and RNA. Polydeoxyadenylate-thymidylate, polyadenylate, and histone interacted to a lesser degree than native DNA's did. That magnesium ion, sodium ion, and proflavine did not interfere with interaction of carcinogen and DNA suggests that this interaction is not an intercalation. Interaction of 4-nitroquinoline N-oxide with DNA may be related to its carcinogenicity
Congenital Coronary Arteriovenous Fistula Associated with Large Patent Ductus

An unusual case of congenital coronary arteriovenous fistula is reported, bringing the total number of reported cases to 39. This is the second case in which the left coronary artery system communicated directly with the right atrium, and also the second case associated with a patent ductus. Our case is well documented by cardiac catheterization data, retrograde aortography, and postmortem findings. Although surgical correction of both the patent ductus and coronary arteriovenous fistula was accomplished without great difficulty, the patient died 30 hours postoperatively, presumably from the effects of severe pulmonary hypertension.
Psychosocial risk profiles among black male Veterans Administration patients non-adherent with colorectal cancer screening.

Objective: This study identifies unique psychosocial characteristics among African American men that put the men at risk for non-adherence to colorectal cancer (CRC) screening (colonoscopy, sigmoidoscopy, and fecal occult blood tests (FOBT)). Subgroups sharing similar psychosocial characteristics may be targeted with specific intervention strategies aimed at increasing participation in screening, which could lead to increased early detection and decreased morbidity and mortality. Methods: The male African American veterans in our sample (n = 260) had a mean age of 57.3 (SD = 7.3) years. Our study employs latent class analysis, a quantitative-based, audience segmentation method to identify homogeneous subgroups of African American men with similar psychosocial characteristics related to CRC screening, potentially in need of different health information and intervention strategies. Latent class regression was used to examine the relationships among latent class structure and demographic characteristics. Results: There were four psychosocial risk classes across the three screening tests. A significant subset of men had psychosocial characteristics indicative of willingness to be screened for each test (colonscopy = 21.8%, sigmoidoscopy = 31.5%, and FOBT = 10.8%), although they were currently non-adherent. Men who received a past screening test, had greater than a high school education, or were married were more likely to be represented in a latent class indicative of being prepared for getting colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy. Sociodemographic variables were unrelated to FOBT latent class structure. Conclusions: Segmenting our sample of male African American veterans based on psychosocial risk characteristics can inform the development of more precisely targeted interventions for African American men who are non-adherent for CRC screening. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
PERCEPTUAL SPEED AND BEHAVIORAL PROFICIENCY.

Perceptual speed in specific sensory modalities should lead to efficiency in behaviors governed by these modalities. To test this hypothesis, correlations were computed between measures of perceptual speed and scores on a modified Stroop test. Those correlations relevant to the hypothesis were all significant and in the expected direction. The pattern of results is thus reasonably consonant with the hypothesis. Reserpine, which might be expected to affect the above relationships, was ineffective.
Trace analysis of military high explosives (2,4,6-trinitrotoluene and hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine) in agricultural crops

This study implements procedural modifications to a previously described methodology with the goal of obtaining the lowest possible detection limits for the analysis of the military explosives in a wide variety of plant tissues. The modified methodology analyzes 1.0-g portions of lyophilized material rather than 1.0-g fresh plant tissue as specified by the previous protocol. The method was found to be applicable to a large diversity of agricultural crop species including tomato, corn kernels, corn stover, radish, lettuce, hot peppers, bell peppers, grapes, carrot, alfalfa, bush bean and soybean. In general, detection limits in the low-ng/g (parts-per-billion, w/w) range were achieved for both hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine and 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene.
Genetic factors and suppression of metastatic ability of v-Ha-ras-transfected rat mammary cancer cells.

Abstract Following v-Ha-ras transfection of nonmetastatic dimethylbenz(( a ))anthracene-induced rat mammary cancer (RMC1) cells, occasional transfectants were isolated that acquired high metastatic ability. High metastatic ability is not a simple process regulated by v-Ha-ras p21 levels alone in these v-Ha-ras transfectants but involves the development of cytogenetic changes. If such cytogenetic changes involve only gain in gene expression, then all hybrids formed by fusing highly metastatic v-Ha-ras RMC1 transfectants with the parental nonmetastatic RMC1 should be highly metastatic. If loss of a metastatic suppressor gene(s) is also involved, then such hybrids should be nonmetastatic since chromosomes from the nonmetastatic parental cells should supply the suppressor function. To test this possibility, a highly metastatic cloned v-Ha-ras transfectant was fused with the nonmetastatic parental RMC1 cells. Five hybrid clones were isolated that conserved the chromosomes from their parental cells. When these hybrid clones were injected into animals, primary tumors developed with the same tumor-doubling time as that of the highly metastatic parental v-Ha-ras transfectant (i.e., approximately 2 days). High metastatic ability was, however, suppressed in these hybrid clones. All hybrid clones continued to express v-Ha-ras p21. Thus, suppression of metastatic ability in the hybrids can occur even in the presence of an elevated v-Ha-ras p21 level. This suggests that the acquisition of metastatic ability following v-Ha-ras transfection involves loss of metastasis suppressor gene function in rat mammary cancer cells.
(Mg2+ + K+)-dependent inhibition of NaK-ATPase due to a contaminant in equine muscle ATP.

Summary A contaminant present in commercial ATP isolated from equine muscle induces a (Mg2+ + K+)-dependent inhibition of human red cell NaK-ATPase (EC 3.6.1.3). This inhibition is completely reversed by isoproterenol (1 mM). The contaminant (inhibitor) is essentially lacking in ATP prepared synthetically by phosphorylation of adenosine. A procedure is described for separation of the inhibitor from equine muscle ATP with strongly acidic cation exchange resin. In the presence of isolated inhibitor, a (Mg2+ + K+)-dependent inhibition of NaK-ATPase can be demonstrated with synthetic ATP as the substrate.
Factors affecting the performance of the optical plankton counter in large lakes: Insights from Lake Michigan and laboratory studies

[1] There has been a question as to whether the optical plankton counter (OPC) accurately measures zooplankton density and biomass in large lakes, oceans, and estuaries. Results from our Lake Michigan surveys in 1998–2000 often revealed poor agreement between the OPC-2T and 153-μm mesh plankton net samples. The most serious common problem was overestimation of zooplankton biomass by the OPC relative to net tows. Such overestimates have been attributed to the orientation of zooplankton assuming that their maximal silhouette area is detected by the OPC, coincidence, and the presence of nonzooplankton particles. Experiments using an OPC-1L with polymer microspheres, nylon rods, or live zooplankton confirmed that the OPC accurately counts and sizes zooplankton at low zooplankton concentrations typically found in Lake Michigan and that a shape factor correction often used need not be applied. Most overestimation of biomass was associated with the presence of nonzooplankton particles. Worst agreement was seen in shallow nearshore zones during periods of high total suspended matter (TSM), which consisted of fine sediments and large resuspended particles such as sediment-phytoplankton aggregates, and benthic plant and animal debris. Best agreement was found under low TSM conditions associated with offshore waters during the stratified period.
The influence of thermal inertia on temperatures and frost stability on Triton

It is presently argued, in view of (1) a thermal inertia model for the surface of Triton which (like previous ones) predicts a monotonic recession of permanent N2 deposits toward the poles and very little seasonal N2 frost in the southern hemisphere, and (2) new spectroscopic evidence for nonvolatile CO2 on Triton's bright southern hemisphere, that much of that bright southern material is not N2. Such bright southern hemisphere volatiles may allow the formation of seasonal frosts, thereby helping to explain the observed spectroscopic changes of Triton during the last decade.
Success rate versus defibrillation energy: temporal profile and the most efficient defibrillation threshold

Abstract To determine the temporal profile of the energy requirement for defibrillation, shocks were delivered to canine hearts after 5, 10, or 20 seconds from the onset of fibrillation with a combination of patch and catheter electrodes. A total of 956 fibrillation-defibrillation sequences were performed at one of four energy levels appropriately selected for each period of fibrillation in 10 anesthetized dogs. The energy values related to 50% (E50) and 80% (E80) of the predicted success were calculated from a logistic regression curve. The E50 and E80 values at 10 seconds after the onset of fibrillation were less than those at 20 seconds after the onset by 7.1% ± 18.3% and 9.7% ± 21.4%, respectively; differences were not significant. At 5 seconds after the onset, the differences were 15.3% ± 14.2% ( p p
A baseline study on trace metal elution from diverse soil types

Ten soils were leached with a dilute solution of AICI3, and FeCl2 adjusted with HCl to pH 3.0. The effluents were analyzed for eight trace metals as well as pH, to determine the maximum contribution of the soils to the trace metal burden of the soil solution. This contribution was correlated with various soil properties to evaluate the controlling factors on the elution of certain metals. Measurable quantities of Mn, Co, Zn, Ni, Cu, and Cr were found in the soil leachates; Cd and Pb were infrequently detected. The important soil properties describing the amounts of the elements leached were the total metal originally present, the total amount of Mn, and the percentage of free iron oxides.
Regulatory networks in retinal ischemia-reperfusion injury

Retinal function is ordered by interactions between transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulators at the molecular level. These regulators include transcription factors (TFs) and posttranscriptional factors such as microRNAs (miRs). Some studies propose that miRs predominantly target the TFs rather than other types of protein coding genes and such studies suggest a possible interconnection of these two regulators in co-regulatory networks. Our lab has generated mRNA and miRNA microarray expression data to investigate time-dependent changes in gene expression, following induction of ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury in the rat retina. Data from different reperfusion time points following retinal IR-injury were analyzed. Paired expression data for miRNA-target gene (TG), TF-TG, miRNA-TF were used to identify regulatory loop motifs whose expressions were altered by the IR injury paradigm. These loops were subsequently integrated into larger regulatory networks and biological functions were assayed. Systematic analyses of the networks have provided new insights into retinal gene regulation in the early and late periods of IR. We found both overlapping and unique patterns of molecular expression at the two time points. These patterns can be defined by their characteristic molecular motifs as well as their associated biological processes. We highlighted the regulatory elements of miRs and TFs associated with biological processes in the early and late phases of ischemia-reperfusion injury. The etiology of retinal ischemia-reperfusion injury is orchestrated by complex and still not well understood gene networks. This work represents the first large network analysis to integrate miRNA and mRNA expression profiles in context of retinal ischemia. It is likely that an appreciation of such regulatory networks will have prognostic potential. In addition, the computational framework described in this study can be used to construct miRNA-TF interactive systems networks for various diseases/disorders of the retina and other tissues.
Religious Claims in Public: Lutheran Resources

: A cacophony of religious voices seeking to influence public culture, opinion, and policy pervades the public discourse in the United States today. Some publicly-oriented religious claims are appropriate while others are not. Sorely needed are criteria for making that distinction. This essay asks: What are criteria for appropriate and valid use of religious claims, language, and symbols in deliberation about public policy? What particular gifts do Lutheran traditions bring to shaping those criteria? The essay then draws upon Lutheran theological resources to propose theologically grounded criteria for appropriate and valid use of religious language, claims, and symbols in public discourse.
Designer Variable Repeat Length Polypeptides as Scaffolds for Surface Immobilization of Quantum Dots

We demonstrate the use of a series of engineered, variable-length de novo polypeptides to discretely immobilize luminescent semiconductor nanocrystals or quantum dots (QDs) onto functional surfaces. The polypeptides express N-terminal dicysteine and C-terminal hexahistidine residues that flank a variable number (1, 3, 5, 7, 14, 21, 28, or 35) of core beta-strand repeats, with tyrosine, glutamic acid, histidine, and lysine residues located at the turns. Polypeptides have molecular weights ranging from 4 to 83 kDa and retain a rigid structure based on the antiparallel beta-sheet motif. We first use a series of dye-labeled polypeptides to test and characterize their self-assembly onto hydrophilic CdSe-ZnS QDs using fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). Results indicate that peptides maintain their beta-sheet conformation after self-assembly onto the QD surfaces, regardless of their length. We then immobilize biotinylated derivatives of these polypeptides on a NeutrAvidin-functionalized substrate and use them to capture QDs via specific interactions between the peptides' polyhistidine residues and the nanocrystal surface. We found that each of the polypeptides was able to efficiently capture QDs, with a clear correlation between the density of the surface-tethered peptide and the capacity for nanocrystal capture. The versatility of this capture strategy is highlighted by the creation of a variety of one- and two-dimensional polypeptide-QD structures as well as a self-assembled surface-immobilized FRET-based nutrient sensor.
New insight on 2-naphthylmethyl (NAP) ether as a protecting group in carbohydrate synthesis: a divergent approach towards a high-mannose type oligosaccharide library.

A new method for selective cleavage of 2-naphthylmethyl (NAP) ether utilizing 10–20 molar excess of HF/pyridine in toluene was revealed and strategically applied to a divergent approach towards generation of a high-mannose type oligosaccharide library.
A substantial oxygen isotope effect at O2 in the OMP decarboxylase reaction: mechanistic implications

Orotidine-5'-monophosphate decarboxylase (OMP decarboxylase, ODCase) catalyzes the decarboxylation of orotidine-5'-monophosphate (OMP) to uridine-5'-monophosphate (UMP). Despite extensive enzymological, structural, and computational studies, the mechanism of ODCase remains incompletely characterized. Herein, carbon kinetic isotope effects were measured for both the natural abundance substrate and a substrate mixture synthesized for the purpose of carrying out the remote double label isotope effect procedure, with O2 of the substrate as the remote position. The carbon kinetic isotope effect on enzymatic decarboxylation of this substrate mix was measured to be 1.0199 +/- 0.0007, compared to the value of 1.0289 +/- 0.0009 for natural abundance OMP, revealing an (18)O2 isotope effect of 0.991 +/- 0.001. This value equates to an intrinsic isotope effect of approximately 0.983, using a calculated commitment factor derived from previous isotope effect data. The measured (18)O2 isotope effect requires a mechanism with one or more enzymatic processes, including binding and/or chemistry, that contribute to this substantial inverse isotope effect. (18)O2 kinetic isotope effects were calculated for four proposed mechanisms: decarboxylation preceded by proton transfer to 1) O2; 2) O4; and 3) C5; and 4) decarboxylation without a preceding protonation step. A mechanism involving no pre-decarboxylation step does not appear to have any steps with the necessary substantial inverse (18)O2 effect, thus calling into question any mechanism involving simple direct decarboxylation. Protonation at O2, O4, or C5 are all calculated to proceed with inverse (18)O2 effects, and could contribute to the experimentally measured value. Recent crystal structures indicate that O2 of the substrate appears to be involved in an intricate bonding arrangement involving the substrate phosphoryl group, an enzyme Gln side chain, and a bound water molecule; this interaction likely contributes to the observed isotope effect.
Boron Release from Weathering of Illites, Serpentine, Shales, and Illitic/Palygorskitic Soils

Despite extensive research on B adsorption and release from soils, mineral sources of B within natively high B soils remain poorly understood. The objectives of this study were to identify source minerals contributing to the continued B release after extraction of soluble B and to estimate B release rate from weathering of B-containing minerals and soils. Two specimen illites (Morris and Fithian), two shales (Salt Creek and Moreno Gulch), a fresh and a weathered serpentine (antigorite) from the Coastal Range of California, a Traver silt loam (coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive thermic Natric Haploxeralfs) and a Twisselman clay loam [fine, mixed (calcareous), superactive thermic Typic Torriorthents] both containing illite and palygorskite were successively extracted 7 to 26 times following each 12-h equilibration in 0.1 and 0.01 M CaCl 2 solution until the supernatant solutions contained less than the detection limit of 0.001 mmol B L -1 . Subsequently, the <2-μm and 2- to 20-μm size fractions were separated and reacted in deionized water at pH 5, 7, and 9 adjusted with HCl and NaOH. The total B of the separated fractions ranged from 5.1 to 28 mmol B kg -1 and the surface areas from 5.7 to 126 m 2 g -1 . Boron release rates decreased with time and increasing pH. Average B release rates from 150 to 180 d ranged from 0.005 fmol m -2 s -1 for Salt Creek shale (2-20 μm) to 0342 fmol m -2 s -1 for Traver silt (<2 μm) at pH 5, 0.004 fmol m -2 s -1 for Salt Creek shale (2-20 μm) to 0.060 fmol m -2 s -1 for Traver silt (<2 μm) at pH 7, and 0.002 fmol m -2 s -1 for weathered serpentine (2-20 μm) to 0.044 fmol m -2 s -1 for Traver silt (<2 μm) at pH 9. Nonstoichiometric dissolution was found for all materials at all pH levels. Illite, chlorite, and palygorskite were identified in the clay and silt fractions of the soils. Boron release from the two soils was accompanied with high Mg release into the solution, suggesting palygorskite as a major source for B.
Detecting an invisibly decaying Higgs boson at a hadron supercollider

We demonstrate that an invisibly decaying Higgs boson with standard model coupling strength to tt\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{} can be detected at the CERN Large Hadron Collider for masses \ensuremath{\lesssim}250 GeV.
Glass-transition and melting behavior of poly(ethylene terephthalate)/poly(ethylene 2,6-naphthalate) blends

The glass-transition temperatures and melting behaviors of poly(ethylene terephthalate)/poly(ethylene 2,6-naphthalate) (PET/PEN) blends were studied. Two blend systems were used for this work, with PET and PEN of different grades. It was found that Tg increases almost linearly with blend composition. Both the Gibbs–DiMarzio equation and the Fox equation fit experimental data very well, indicating copolymer-like behavior of the blend systems. Multiple melting peaks were observed for all blend samples as well as for PET and PEN. The equilibrium melting point was obtained using the Hoffman–Weeks method. The melting points of PET and PEN were depressed as a result of the formation of miscible blends and copolymers. The Flory–Huggins theory was used to study the melting-point depression for the blend system, and the Nishi–Wang equation was used to calculate the interaction parameter (χ12). The calculated χ12 is a small negative number, indicating the formation of thermodynamically stable, miscible blends. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 81: 11–22, 2001
Ambient Conditions Associated with the Maintenance and Decay of Quasi-Linear Convective Systems Crossing the Northeastern U.S. Coast

AbstractQuasi-linear convective systems (QLCSs) crossing the Atlantic coastline over the northeastern United States were classified into three categories based on their evolution upon encountering the coast. Composite analyses show that convective lines that decay near the Atlantic coast or slowly decay over the coastal waters are associated with 900–800-hPa frontogenesis, with greater ambient 0–3-km vertical wind shear for the slowly decaying lines. Systems that maintain their intensity over the coastal ocean are associated with 900-hPa warm air advection, but with little low-level frontogenetical forcing. Neither sea surface temperature nor ambient instability was a clear delimiter between the three evolutions. Sustaining convective lines have the strongest environmental 0–3-km shear of the three types, and this shear increases as these systems approach the coast. In contrast, the low-level shear decreases as decaying and slowly decaying convective lines move toward the Atlantic coastline. There was als...
Editorial: The Whipple Bacillus Lives (Ex Vivo)!

Cultivation of the bacillus associated with Whipple's disease, Tropheryma whippelii, has been an elusive goal for many generations of clinicians and microbiologists familiar with this disease. The desire to identify this enigmatic organism has motivated many of these efforts. Many purported successes have later proven erroneous, and many more unsuccessful attempts have never been reported [1]. Cell-free media, animal cells, and animals themselves have all been used, resulting in recovery of a wide range of bacterial species, including members of the Corynebacterium, Streptococcus, Propionibacterium, and Haemophilus genera. The rough resemblance ofRhodococcus equi, Mycobacterium paratuberculosis, and Mycobacterium avium complex-associated diseases in foals, cows, and humans, respectively, to Whipple's disease has been noted; however, pathology closely mimicking that of the latter has never been knowingly and intentionally transferred to another human nor reproduced in a nonhuman host. Despite the unusual cell wall features of this bacillus and its reactivity to the periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) reagent [2], the absence of a specific microbial signature has greatly hindered efforts to evaluate these previous cultivation efforts. Over the past 10 years, there has been a fundamental change in the approach to microbial identification and taxonomy. This change involves a decreasing reliance on cultivated organisms and their associated phenotypes, such as morphology, antigenicity, and biochemical activities, and an increasing reliance on genotype, that is, nucleic acid sequences [3, 4]. Certain genes, such as that of the small subunit ribosomal RNA (ssu rDNA), accurately reflect the evolutionary history of the entire genome and allow one to determine the relationships of any given organism with all others. By taking advantage of interspersed, highly conserved portions of these genes, one can amplify the intervening, phylogenetically useful sequence directly from infected clinical specimens and identify a previously uncharacterized or novel microbial pathogen [5, 6]. With this "broad-range polymerase chain reaction" (PCR) method, a unique, previously unrecognized bacterial ssu rDNA sequence was amplified from multiple independent Whipple's
Further Understanding of the International Index of Erectile Function at 15+ Years Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Multidimensional Scaling

The objective of this study was to describe confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and multidimensional scaling (MDS) on the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) to confirm the structure and to enrich understanding of the IIEF, thereby heightening appreciation of the factors and responses underlying sexual functioning for men with erectile dysfunction. Baseline, end of double-blind, and end of open-label data sets were derived from all data from 2 previously published sildenafil trials. For the CFA model, an acceptable fit of the data was shown for each data set, as indicated by a Bentler comparative fit index > 0.9, statistically significant path coefficients (t values > 1.96), and (except for IIEF item 6 at baseline) statistically significant standardized path coefficients ≥0.4. For MDS modeling, the distance matrix created for each data set, based on polychoric correlations, interpreted relationships between the IIEF items in 2-dimensional space across the “sexual intercourse interference” dimension (horizontal axis) and the “sexual satisfaction” dimension (vertical axis). The 5-factor structure of the IIEF was confirmed by CFA and enriched with visual interpretation by MDS.
Hydrogen storage properties of B‐ and N‐doped microporous carbon

A B- and N-doped microporous carbon has been synthesized via a substitution reaction. The obtained carbon exhibited much higher surface area than the previously reported B- and N-doped carbon. The hydrogen storage measurements indicated that the B- and N-doped microporous carbon had a 53% higher storage capacity than the carbon materials with similar surface areas. Furthermore, hydrogen storage via spillover was studied on Ru-supported B- and N-doped microporous carbon and a storage capacity of 1.2 wt % at 298 K and 10 MPa was obtained, showing an enhancement factor of 2.2. Ab initio molecular orbital calculations were also performed for the binding energies between the spiltover hydrogen atom and various sites on the doped carbon. The theoretical calculations can explain the experimental results well, which also shed light on the most favorable and possible sites with which the spiltover hydrogen atoms bind. V V C 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 55: 1823–1833,
Optimal supervisory control of aircraft propulsion: a discrete event approach

This paper presents an application of discrete event supervisory (DES) control theory for intelligent decision and control of a twin-engine aircraft propulsion system. A dual layer hierarchical DES controller is designed to supervise and coordinate the operation of two engines of the propulsion system. The two engines are individually controlled to achieve enhanced performance and reliability, necessary for fulfilling the mission objectives. Each engine is operated under a continuously varying control system that maintains the specified performance and a local discrete-event supervisor for condition monitoring and life extending control. A global upper level DES controller is optimally designed for load balancing and overall health and mission management of the aircraft propulsion system.
æther: reading with tactile vision

aether is an interactive, haptic surface for computer mediated visual information that allows for a physical experience of textual analogous to the visual experience of whitespace in a poem.
The Shadow Life: Negation, Nihilism, and Insanity in Thomas Bernhard’s Correction

Thomas Bernhard’s correction is of special interest to negation theory because it foregrounds one notion of negation—involving elimination, nullification, and erasure—while implicitly demonstrating another, that of negation as the mainspring of creative processes. The first form of negation is mathematical, grammatical: it signifies an act that destroys or reverses the sign of its object. It has the apparent simplicity of a negative prefix (in-, dis-, non- or the minus sign), which cancels out the prior meaning. This is a sanitary notion of negation, as if the act of negating achieves a pure reversal, leaving no trace of what was prior and no remainder.
Neoliberalism: From New Liberal Philosophy to Anti-Liberal Slogan

In recent years, neoliberalism has become an academic catchphrase. Yet, in contrast to other prominent social science concepts such as democracy, the meaning and proper usage of neoliberalism curiously have elicited little scholarly debate. Based on a content analysis of 148 journal articles published from 1990 to 2004, we document three potentially problematic aspects of neoliberalism’s use: the term is often undefined; it is employed unevenly across ideological divides; and it is used to characterize an excessively broad variety of phenomena. To explain these characteristics, we trace the genesis and evolution of the term neoliberalism throughout several decades of political economy debates. We show that neoliberalism has undergone a striking transformation, from a positive label coined by the German Freiberg School to denote a moderate renovation of classical liberalism, to a normatively negative term associated with radical economic reforms in Pinochet’s Chile. We then present an extension of W. B. Gallie’s framework for analyzing essentially contested concepts to explain why the meaning of neoliberalism is so rarely debated, in contrast to other normatively and politically charged social science terms. We conclude by proposing several ways that the term can regain substantive meaning as a “new liberalism” and be transformed into a more useful analytic tool.
Addressing email loss with SureMail: measurement, design, and evaluation

We consider the problem of silent email loss in the Internet, where neither the sender nor the intended recipient is notified of the loss. Our detailed measurement study over several months shows a silent email loss rate of 0.71% to 1.02%. The silent loss of an important email can impose a high cost on users. We further show that spam filtering can be the significant cause of silent email loss, but not the sole cause. SureMail augments the existing SMTP-based email infrastructure with a notification system to make intended recipients aware of email they are missing. A notification is a short, fixed-format fingerprint of an email, constructed so as to preserve sender and recipient privacy, and prevent spoofing by spammers. SureMail is designed to be usable immediately by users without requiring the cooperation of their email providers, so it leaves the existing email infrastructure (including anti-spam infrastructure) untouched and does not require a PKI for email users. It places minimal demands on users, by automating the tasks of generating, retrieving, and verifying notifications. It alerts users only when there is actual email loss. Our prototype implementation demonstrates the effectiveness of SureMail in notifying recipients upon email loss.
Optimization of cube-per-order index warehouse layouts with zoning constraints

Zoning constraints impose co-location of the storage addresses assigned to individual items within the same storage area of a warehouse. The cube-per-order index (COI) rule for assigning items to locations cannot guarantee orderpicking cost minimization when zoning constraints are active. A heuristic procedure is presented for using the COI to generate an initial item assignment followed by an improvement step. The improvement step includes a random search phase followed by a simulated annealing step designed to avoid trapping at local minima. The procedure is illustrated in the context of a sample problem with 100 items stored in a facility with 1600 storage addresses distributed among 25 zones. Computational experimentation aimed at developing approximate guidelines for controlling the improvement step are reported.
The Restructuring of Gender Relations in an Aging Society

In this paper I discuss ways in which gender relations--that is relations of inequality between women and men--may change in aging societies where life expectations are high fertility low and where old people constitute a high proportion of the population. The central argument is that the aging society will provide opportunities to develop more egalitarian relations between women and men both in the public and private sphere. Such opportunities will only be realized if the link between gender and the care of children is severed. This is most likely to occur if womens position in the labor market is improved. It is argued that the aging society may indeed have a high demand for womens labor which makes such a development likely. (EXCERPT)
A Maternal High-Fat Diet Represses the Expression of Antioxidant Defense Genes and Induces the Cellular Senescence Pathway in the Liver of Male Offspring Rats

Maternal high-fat (HF) diet feeding is associated with increased risk of developing metabolism-related diseases in adult offspring, including chronic liver disease. The present study tested the hypothesis that maternal HF diet leads to a decreased antioxidant defense capacity and causes cellular senescence in liver of adult offspring rats, which might increase risk of developing chronic liver disease. Timed-pregnant Sprague Dawley rats were fed a HF diet (45% of energy from fat) or a control (C) diet (16% of energy from fat) during gestation and lactation. The resulting offspring were fed a C diet after weaning to generate 2 offspring groups: C diet-fed offspring of dams fed C diet (C/C) and C diet-fed offspring of dams fed a HF diet (HF/C). At 12 wk of age, male rats were killed and samples were collected for analysis. Maternal HF diet significantly increased plasma TG and hepatic TBARS concentrations and the size of hepatic lipid droplets in offspring rats. The expression of antioxidant defense genes, such as glutathione peroxidase-1, Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (Sod1), paraoxonase enzymes (Pon1, Pon2, and Pon3), were significantly lower in the liver of HF/C pups than in C/C pups. The expression of Inhibitor of cyclin dependent Kinase 4a (p16INK4a), a marker of cellular senescence, and cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox2), a proinflammatory marker, was significantly higher in the HF/C offspring group than in the C/C offspring group. Western-blot analysis shows that cyclin D1 and phosphorylated retinoblastoma protein were significantly lower in HF/C offspring than in C/C offspring. The results provide the first evidence to our knowledge that maternal HF diet might alter antioxidant defense capacity and program the p16INK4a-dependent cellular senescence in the liver of adult offspring.