cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Discussion of finite element formulations of nonlinear beam vibrations

Abstract The Lagrange-type, Galerkin, and Ritz-type finite element formulations for large amplitude vibrations of immovably supported slender beams are reexamined. Inconsistency in the definition of frequency or criterion of defining nonlinearity is discussed, and validity of the frequency solution is examined. Improved finite element results by including both longitudinal displacement and inertia in the formulation are presented and compared with available Rayleigh-Ritz continuum solutions.
Bias Sputter Deposition of Dense Yttria‐Stabilized Zirconia Films on Porous Substrates

The authors demonstrate that completely dense yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte films <5 {micro}m thick can be reactively sputter deposited onto porous ({approximately}0.5 {micro}m pore size) La{sub 0.8}Sr{sub 0.2}MnO{sub 3} substrate/electrodes. The two key factors in achieving the fully dense films were porous substrate preparation and the use of substrate bias during YSZ film deposition. Increasing the negative dc substrate bias V{sub s} from 0 to 300 V produced increasingly dense and flat-surfaced films: V{sub s} = 75 V was chosen to yield high density without excessive film compressive stresses. Solid oxide fuel cells consisting of sputtered YSZ films (V{sub s} = 75 V) and a Ni-YSZ fuel electrode on LSM exhibited open-circuit voltage values within 5% of the theoretical values for thicknesses down to 2 {micro}m. Cells deposited with V{sub s} = 0 V short-circuited at thicknesses of 12 {micro}m or less.
Mechanisms by Which Soluble Endothelial Cell Protein C Receptor Modulates Protein C and Activated Protein C Function

Abstract The endothelial cell protein C receptor (EPCR) functions as an important regulator of the protein C anticoagulant pathway by binding protein C and enhancing activation by the thrombin-thrombomodulin complex. EPCR binds to both protein C and activated protein C (APC) with high affinity. A soluble form of EPCR (sEPCR) circulates in plasma and inhibits APC anticoagulant activity. In this study, we investigate the mechanisms by which sEPCR modulates APC function. Soluble EPCR inhibited the inactivation of factor Va by APC only in the presence of phospholipid vesicles. By using flow cytometric analysis in the presence of 3 mmCaCl2 and 0.6 mm MgCl2, sEPCR inhibited the binding of protein C and APC to phospholipid vesicles (K i = 40 ± 7 and 33 ± 4 nm, respectively). Without MgCl2, the K ivalues increased approximately 4-fold. Double label flow cytometric analysis using fluorescein-APC and Texas Red-sEPCR indicated that the APC·sEPCR complex does not interact with phospholipid vesicles. By using surface plasmon resonance, we found that sEPCR also inhibited binding of protein C to phospholipid in a dose-dependent fashion (K i = 32 nm). To explore the possibility that sEPCR evokes structural changes in APC, fluorescence spectroscopy studies were performed to monitor sEPCR/Fl-APC interactions. sEPCR binds saturably to Fl-APC (K d = 27 ± 13 nm) with a maximum decrease in Fl-APC fluorescence of 10.8 ± 0.6%. sEPCR also stimulated the amidolytic activity of APC toward synthetic substrates. We conclude that sEPCR binding to APC blocks phospholipid interaction and alters the active site of APC.
Family Resilience An Interview With Froma Walsh, MSW, PhD

Dr. Walsh is the Mose and Sylvia Firestone Professor Emerita in the School of Social Service Administration and Department of Psychiatry, Pritzker School of Medicine, at the University of Chicago. ...
Rethinking Social Control

In the contemporary sociolegal literature, few concepts are invoked more frequently, and with less clarity of meaning and purpose, than that of social control. The ambiguity of the concept is due in large part to its circuitous historical provenance.' The early Chicago sociologists coined the term to signify the interpersonal foundations of the self and social order.2 Parsons synthesized it with elements of Durkheim and Freud as a central component of his social systems theory: Social control in his view was not just an interactional process, but a structural sine qua non of a healthy society.3 Partly in reaction to the smugness of the Parsonsian model, labeling theorists hewed closer to the original Chicago interpretation and gave the concept a critical spin by emphasizing the iatrogenic nature of much deviant behavior4 and by arguing that social control is not a systematic imperative but rather a construction of self-interested "moral entrepreneurs."5 More recent critical scholars-a category that includes a wide range of theoretical perspectives,
On the initiation and growth of kink bands in fiber composites. Part II: Analysis

Abstract Motivated by the experimental findings in Part I, the growth of a kink band in a uniaxial composite is investigated using two- and three-dimensional micromechanical models. The models include both a local and a global imperfection and were preloaded in compression and then sheared under displacement control. An inclined kink band initiates from the local imperfection and grows across the specimen. Similar results were obtained for pure compression loading. The simulated kink bands are quite similar to those observed experimentally; though, when J 2 plasticity is used to model the inelastic matrix, their inclination is lower than in experiments. The calculated band inclination is shown to be insensitive to many model parameters including imperfection characteristics, fiber diameter, volume fraction, and matrix yield stress. However, it is quite sensitive to the dilatancy of the matrix as demonstrated by the use of the Drucker–Prager constitutive model for the matrix. It was found that the ability of the matrix to deform in the direction transverse to the fibers plays an important role in allowing larger, more realistic kink band inclinations to be obtained.
Verbal predictions of unexpected stimuli and choice reaction time

In two choice reaction time (RT) experiments, subjects verbally predicted the stimulus alternative that was either most or least likely to be presented on each trial. An expectancy interpretation of prediction effects requires that stimuli matching least likely predictions yield the longest RTs. In Experiment 1, with four stimulus alternatives, RTs to stimuli matching the verbalized stimulus, both most likely and least likely predictions, were shorter than RTs to stimuli that matched neither the most nor the least likely predictions. However, matching most likely predictions produced faster responses with two alternatives. In Experiment 2, multiple predictions of both most and least likely stimuli were compared with joint predictions of first and second most likely alternatives. RTs to stimuli matching least likely predictions were longer than RTs to most likely matches, implicating prediction type as a partial determinant of RT. Matching least likely stimuli were responded to more quickly than unpredicted alternatives, demonstrating the importance of generating a prediction per se over the implied level of expectancy. Results from both experiments were contrasted with nonparametric predictions from an ordered memory scanning model.
The Optical Revolution of ADÁL’s Los Out of Focus Nuyoricans

ADAL’s Los Out of Focus Nuyoricans (1996) is a series of twenty out-of-focus, black-and-white photographic portraits of Puerto Rican artists, activists, and community members. The portraits, along with Reverendo Pedro Pietri’s essay-poem “Nuyoricans Out of Focus” (1996), were first exhibited as a series at New York’s El Museo del Barrio in 1996. In 2004 and 2005, the series was exhibited at Harvard University’s David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies, which resulted in a companion booklet that brought together fourteen of these photos and the essay-poem. Adal Alberto Maldonado was born in 1948 in Utuado, Puerto Rico. He came to the United States in his youth and studied at the San Francisco Art Institute where he met the photographer Lisette Model, who baptized him ADAL in the spirit of surrealist artists such as Brassai. He spent much of his career in the Puerto Rican art community in New York, working primarily in photography but also in theater, installation art, and prose fiction. In 2010, he returned to Puerto Rico where he continues his art practice, often collaborating with other artists and scholars. Los Out of Focus Nuyoricans is one segment of ADAL’s larger installation Los Blueprints for a Nation (1994-2013). This installation displays artifacts from the conceptual nation El Spirit Republic de Puerto Rico, a politically charged nation in the vein of the Chicano nation Aztlan. The governing center of this nation is not a White House but El Puerto Rican Embassy, which ADAL and Pietri established in 1994 as an official space of cultural and political resistance where one is “empowered through one’s own creative intentions” (ADAL). The Puerto Rican Embassy is meant to elevate the position of Puerto Rico from colony to equal nation—since only sovereign nations direct embassies. The out-of-focus Nuyoricans serve as ambassadors of the Embassy. One of the key artifacts of the nation is El Passport (1995), a Puerto Rican passport modeled after the traditional United States passport but bearing images associated with Puerto Rico such as dominos and roosters. The full dimensionality of El Passport was realized through live-performance productions of
Acid- and base-catalyzed hydrolysis of chloroacetamide herbicides

Despite the prevalence of chloroacetamides as herbicides, little is known about the rates or products of acid- or base-catalyzed hydrolysis of these compounds. Mechanisms of acid-catalyzed reactions may parallel those catalyzed by (hydr)oxide minerals, while base-catalyzed processes have as important counterparts reactions with environmental nucleophiles (such as reduced sulfur species). The current study systematically investigates how the structure of nine chloroacetamides affects their reactivity in 2 N NaOH, 2 N HCl, or 6 N HCl at 25 or 85 °C. Base-catalyzed hydrolysis proceeds either through an intermolecular SN2 reaction to hydroxy-substituted derivatives or (in a few cases) through amide cleavage, while both amide and ether group cleavages are observed under acidic conditions. Our results reveal that subtle differences in chloroacetamide structure [notably the type of (alkoxy)alkyl substituent] can dramatically influence reactivity and reaction mechanism. Hydroxy-substituted, morpholinone, and seco...
Microbiological and chemical quality of raw milk in New York State.

Between December 1993 and January 1996, samples of raw milk from bulk tanks were collected by licensed milk haulers at the time of pick-up from 855 randomly selected farms in New York State (representing ∼10% of all dairy farms in the state). The milk was examined for microbial and chemical qualities. Bacterial numbers were determined by standard plate count, laboratory-pasteurized count, coliform count, heat-resistant spore-forming psychrotroph count, aerobic spore count (mesophilic), rapid psychrotrophic count, and preliminary incubation count. The frequency distributions for these counts are presented. Paired correlation analyses between the microbiological parameters showed low correlations between test results; no correlation coefficients were >0.8. The four highest positive correlation coefficients were found between standard plate count and rapid psychrotrophic count (0.7685), rapid psychrotrophic count and preliminary incubation count (0.6648), standard plate count and preliminary incubation count (0.5800), and aerobic spore count and laboratory-pasteurized count (0.5393). All other correlation coefficients were <0.5. Milk freezing points and acid degree values were determined for all samples. Frequency distributions for these results are also presented.
New discretization and solution techniques for incompressible viscous flow problems

Several topics arising in the finite element solution of the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations are considered. Specifically, the question of choosing finite element velocity/pressure spaces is addressed, particularly from the viewpoint of achieving stable discretizations leading to convergent pressure approximations. The role of artificial viscosity in viscous flow calculations is studied, emphasizing work by several researchers for the anisotropic case. The last section treats the problem of solving the nonlinear systems of equations which arise from the discretization. Time marching methods and classical iterative techniques, as well as some modifications are mentioned.
Detrital carbonate-rich sediments, northwestern Labrador Sea: Implications for ice-sheet dynamics and iceberg rafting (Heinrich) events in the North Atlantic

Much of the bed of the central and eastern sectors of the Laurentide Ice Sheet was underlain by Paleozoic carbonates. We propose that pulses of detrital carbonate-rich sediments in two cores from the northwestern Labrador Sea reflect episodes when an ice stream from the Hudson Strait extended to the shelf break and delivered sediment onto the slope and deep-sea plain. Atomic mass spectroscopy 14 C dating of planktonic foraminifera in cores HU75-009-IV-55 (2.4 km water depth) and HU87-033-009 (1.4 km water depth and 150 km north-northwest), indicates that the youngest event occurred between ca.14 and 15 ka and another occurred between 19 and 21 ka. The two carbonate intervals in northwestern Labrador Sea cores are coeval with Heinrich events 1 and 2 in the eastern North Atlantic (lat 45°-50°N, long 20°W), where they are associated with an increase in lithic fragments and a drastic reduction in the numbers of foraminifera. These changes have been linked with the massive production of icebergs associated with ice-sheet surges. Our evidence indicates that Heinrich events 1 and 2 are associated with the dynamics of the Hudson Strait ice stream and denote considerable glaciological instability.
Studies of the ensenble size requirements for ethylene adsorption and decomposition on Pt(111): ethylene and bismuth coadsorption

Etude par spectrometrie Auger, par diffraction electronique et par spectrometrie HREEL de la coadsorption de l'ethylene et du bismuth sur le platine
Specific incorporation of host cell surface proteins into budding vesicular stomatitis virus particles

Abstract The specific incorporation of cell surface proteins into budding Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (VSV) particles was shown by two approaches. In the first, monolayer cultures of Vero or L cells were labeled by lactoperoxidase-catalyzed iodination and the cells were then infected with VSV. Approximately 2% of the cell surface 125 1 radioactivity was incorporated into particles which co-purify with normal, infectious virions by both velocity and equilibrium gradient centrifugation and which are precipitated by antiserum specific for the VSV glycoprotein. Control experiments establish that these 125 I-labeled particles are not cell debris or cellular material which aggregate with or adhere to VSV virions. VSV virions contain only a subset of the 10–15 normal 125 1-labeled cell surface polypeptides resolved by SDS gel electrophoresis; VSV grown in L cells and Vero cells incorporate different host polypeptides. In a second approach, Vero cells were labeled with 35 S-methione, then infected with VSV. Two predominant host polypeptides (molecular weights 110,000 and 20,000) were incorporated into VSV virions. These proteins, like VSV G protein, are exposed to the surface of the virion. They co-migrate with the major incorporated 125 1 host polypeptides. These host proteins are present in approximately 10 and 80 copies, respectively, per virion. Specific incorporation of host polypeptides into VSV virions does not require the presence of viral glycoprotein. This was shown by use of a ts VSV mutant defective in maturation of VSV G protein to the cell surface. Budding from infected cells are noninfectious particles which contain all the viral proteins except for G; these particles contain the same proportion and spectrum of 125 1-labeled host surface polypeptides as do wild-type virions. These results extend previous conclusions implicating the submembrane viral matrix protein, or the viral nucleocapsid, as being of primary importance in selecting cell surface proteins for incorporation into budding VSV virions.
Les cancers professionnels. Problèmes actuels et futurs

L'auteur examine tout d'abord les methodes qui permettent de connaitre les rapports qui peuvent exister entre le cancer et les agents chimiques ou les risques professionnels; il s'agit d'une part de l'experimentation sur les animaux, d'autre part de l'epidemiologie. Puis il dresse le bilan de nos connaissances actuelles en la matiere en analysant successivement les problemes du passe, c'est-a-dire les substances dont nous sommes certains qu'elles sont cancerogenes, puis les problemes que nous avons a resoudre a present, enfin ceux qui se poseront a l'avenir.
Approaches to quantification of microstructure for model lipid systems

Semisolid fat samples with different solid fat contents and microstructures were prepared by crystallization of mixtures of model lipid systems containing high-melting and lowmelting lipids and analyzed for microstructural properties. Microstructure images were acquired by confocal scanning light microscopy and showed fat crystals or fat crystal flocs combined with their surrounding continuous phase to constitute microstructural units and a microstructural network that was formed through their interaction. Fat crystal flocs and their centroids, microstructure units, and their interface boundaries were identified by image analysis. Several methods to quantify microstructure were compared. A new concept was introduced: the microstructure density, defined as the number of microstructural units per unit volume of the system. Also, the Richardson plot and particle counting methods (PCM) were used to find the fractal dimension of the crystal network. The Euler characteristic and nearest neighbor features of the microstructure were obtained as well by use of custom-developed programs. The different metrics of semisolid lipid microstructure were compared in terms of their physical meaning, means of acquisition, and consistency. The results showed that the quantitative microstructure parameters obtained from different approaches, except the fractal dimesion determined by the PCM, can identify both differences and similarities of microstructural characteristics in the model lipid systems studied in this work.
Marching grid generation using parabolic partial differential equations

The feasibility of using parabolic partial differential equations for grid generation is examined. Source terms in the form of a linear interpolation between the current grid and the outer boundary are used in generating a grid for a two-dimensional airfoil flow. Grid generation equations are derived by assuming that grid spacings are locally nonuniform on the computational domain. The grid spacing control method is described in detail, and the local orthogonality of the grid lines is discussed. An O-mesh and an H-mesh generated by the described method are shown.
Carbon and water relations for developing fruits of Opuntia ficus‐indica (L.) Miller, including effects of drought and gibberellic acid

Growth, gas exchange rates, and carbohydrate content were studied for developing fruits of the cultivated cactus Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Miller, including effects of drought and exogenous gibberellic acid (GA3). Fruit development required 110 d from the time of bud differentiation to ripening at 80 d after anthesis, when the fruit mass averaged 67 g. Stomatal conductance and net CO2 uptake rates for fruits were higher during the night; they were maximal at 7 d before anthesis and decreased as development progressed. Fruits undergoing drought, imposed by detaching terminal stems bearing fruits, were 50% smaller than the control at 80 d after anthesis and did not ripen. Fruits injected with 2 ml of 500 ppm GA3 were 30% smaller than the control at 80 d after anthesis; they contained a large proportion of aborted seeds that produced a weak sink signal for dry mass accumulation. Gas exchange was higher at 21 d after anthesis for fruits treated with GA3. Total soluble sugars represented 40% of the fruit's dry mass until 45 d after anthesis, when the sugar content rapidly increased, reaching 90% at 73 d after anthesis. Such an increase was not observed for fruits treated with GA3, and the sugar content for fruits undergoing drought remained low throughout development. Starch content increased for developing fruits of O. ficus-indica until 14 d after anthesis and, except for the fruits undergoing drought, decreased thereafter. Fruit development for O. ficus-indica is apparently regulated by water availability as well as hormonal signals originating both within and outside the fruit.
Thyroid Hormone: Effects on Electron Transport

Thyroidectomy markedly reduces the oxidative capacity of rat liver mitochondria. After the injection of triidothyronine about half of the lost capacity is recovered within 3 hours. This rapid recovery is not associated with any change in the amounts of electron transport components, although the activities of cytochromes b and c are significantly increased by the hormone.
Thermonuclear power plants

Some of the unique features of thermonuclear power plants and the essential problems in the technical design of such plants are discussed in this paper. The thermonuclear reaction rate for the fusion of deuterium is calculated on the basis of a similar analysis published by Gamow and Teller. The pressure, temperature, and minimum dimensions of the necessary reaction chamber are determined largely by consideration of reaction quenching and energy loss near the walls. Results are presented for the power output and the efficiency of a power station utilizing the deuterium fusion reaction. The comment by Greenstein that follows this paper deals particularly with the difficult problem of calculating the reaction quenching and energy loss rates at the walls.
Genetic and phenotypic diversity in Burkholderia : contributions by prophage and phage-like elements

Burkholderia species exhibit enormous phenotypic diversity, ranging from the nonpathogenic, soil- and water-inhabiting Burkholderia thailandensis to the virulent, host-adapted mammalian pathogen B. mallei. Genomic diversity is evident within Burkholderia species as well. Individual isolates of Burkholderia pseudomallei and B. thailandensis, for example, carry a variety of strain-specific genomic islands (GIs), including putative pathogenicity and metabolic islands, prophage-like islands, and prophages. These GIs may provide some strains with a competitive advantage in the environment and/or in the host relative to other strains. Here we present the results of analysis of 37 prophages, putative prophages, and prophage-like elements from six different Burkholderia species. Five of these were spontaneously induced to form bacteriophage particles from B. pseudomallei and B. thailandensis strains and were isolated and fully sequenced; 24 were computationally predicted in sequenced Burkholderia genomes; and eight are previously characterized prophages or prophage-like elements. The results reveal numerous differences in both genome structure and gene content among elements derived from different species as well as from strains within species, due in part to the incorporation of additional DNA, or 'morons' into the prophage genomes. Implications for pathogenicity are also discussed. Lastly, RNAseq analysis of gene expression showed that many of the genes in ϕ1026b that appear to contribute to phage and lysogen fitness were expressed independently of the phage structural and replication genes. This study provides the first estimate of the relative contribution of prophages to the vast phenotypic diversity found among the Burkholderiae.
Decadal variability in coupled sea-ice-thermohaline circulation systems

An interdecadal oscillation in a coupled ocean‐ice system was identified in a previous study. This paper extends that study to further examine the stability of the oscillation and the sensitivity of its frequency to various parameters and forcing fields. Three models are used: (i) an analytical box model; (ii) a two-dimensional model for the ocean thermohaline circulation (THC) coupled to a thermodynamic ice model, as in the authors’ previous study; (iii) a three-dimensional ocean general circulation model (OGCM) coupled to a similar ice model. The box model is used to elucidate the essential feedbacks that give rise to this oscillation and to identify the most important parameters and processes that determine the period. Numerical experiments in the 2D THC‐ice model show that the model stability is sensitive to the ocean‐ice coupling coefficient, the eddy diffusivity, and the strength of the thermohaline-circulation feedback per unit surface-polar density perturbation. The coupled model becomes more stable toward low coupling, greater diffusion, and weaker THC feedback. The period of the oscillation is less sensitive to these parameters. Nonlinear effects in the sea-ice model become important in the higher ocean‐ice coupling regime where the effective sea-ice damping associated with this nonlinearity stabilizes the model. Surface Newtonian damping is also tested. The 3D OGCM, which includes both wind stress and buoyancy forcings, is used to test this coupled ocean‐ice mechanism in a more realistic model setting. This model generates an interdecadal oscillation whose characteristics and phase relations among the model variables are similar to the oscillation obtained in the 2D models. The major difference is that the oscillation frequency is considerably lower. This difference can be explained in terms of the analytical box model solution in which the period of the oscillation depends on the rate of anomalous density production by melting/cooling of sea ice per SST anomaly, times the rate of warming/cooling by anomalous THC heat advection per change in density anomaly. The 3D model has a smaller THC response to high-latitude density perturbations than in the 2D model, and anomalous velocities in the 3D case tend to follow the mean isotherms so the anomalous heat advection is reduced. This slows the ocean‐ice feedback process, leading to the longer oscillation period.
Lossless propagation of optical pulses through N-level systems with SU(2) symmetry

Propagation of optical pulses through atomic media consisting of atoms with N transition levels and possessing the so-called SU(2) symmetry is studied. It is shown that there are generally N − 1 sets of conditions, each of which, when satisfied, would permit the appropriate Maxwell–Bloch equations to have a solution having the form of simultaneous different-wavelength optical solitons, so-called simultons. The first two sets of solutions were known previously, but the remaining sets are new.
Health Care Reform: 2012 Update

The recent landmark health care reform legislation seeks to expand health insurance coverage, change incentives, and improve the quality and flow of information. This article reviews the elements of health care reform most relevant to clinical gastroenterology, discusses the ongoing challenges that health care reform legislation faces, and considers the potential implications for clinical practice.
High‐Temperature Centrifuge for Separation of the Liquid Phase from Refractories: II, Centrifuging Tests

A rotating-type induction furnace with graphite heater was used to demonstrate the application of the principles developed in Part I. Rotation at 1200 to 1300 r.p.m. for 15 minutes at an average temperature of 2560°F. (1405°C.) separated a low-melting slag from a silica brick which had been used in an open-hearth roof.
Determination of base and backbone contributions to the thermodynamics of premelting and melting transitions in B DNA

In previous papers of this series the temperature-dependent Raman spectra of poly(dA).poly(dT) and poly(dA-dT).poly(dA-dT) were used to characterize structurally the melting and premelting transitions in DNAs containing consecutive A.T and alternating A.T/T.A base pairs. Here, we describe procedures for obtaining thermodynamic parameters from the Raman data. The method exploits base-specific and backbone-specific Raman markers to determine separate thermodynamic contributions of A, T and deoxyribosyl-phosphate moieties to premelting and melting transitions. Key findings include the following: (i) Both poly(dA).poly(dT) and poly(dA-dT). poly(dA-dT) exhibit robust premelting transitions, due predominantly to backbone conformational changes. (ii) The significant van't Hoff premelting enthalpies of poly(dA).poly(dT) [DeltaH(vH)(pm) = 18.0 +/- 1.6 kcal x mol(-1) (kilocalories per mole cooperative unit)] and poly(dA-dT).poly(dA-dT) (DeltaH(vH)(pm) = 13.4 +/- 2.5 kcal x mol(-1)) differ by an amount (approximately 4.6 kcal x mol(-1)) estimated as the contribution from three-centered inter-base hydrogen bonding in (dA)(n).(dT)(n) tracts. (iii) The overall stacking free energy of poly(dA). poly(dT) [-6.88 kcal x mol(bp)(-1) (kilocalories per mole base pair)] is greater than that of poly(dA-dT). poly(dA-dT) (-6.31 kcal x mol(bp)(-1)). (iv) The difference between stacking free energies of A and T is significant in poly(dA).poly(dT) (DeltaDeltaG(st) = 0.8 +/- 0.3 kcal. mol(bp)(-1)), but marginal in poly(dA-dT).poly(dA-dT) (DeltaDeltaG(st) = 0.3 +/- 0.3 kcal x mol(bp)(-1)). (v) In poly(dA). poly(dT), the van't Hoff parameters for melting of A (DeltaH(vH)(A) = 407 +/- 23 kcal.mol(-1), DeltaS(vH)(A) = 1166 +/- 67 cal. degrees K(-1) x mol(-1), DeltaG(vH(25 degrees C))(A) = 60.0 +/- 3.2 kcal x mol(-1)) are clearly distinguished from those of T (DeltaH(vH)(T) = 185 +/- 38 kcal x mol(-1), DeltaS(vH)(T) = 516 +/- 109 cal. degrees K(-1) x mol(-1), DeltaG(vH(25 degrees C))(T) = 27.1 +/- 5.5 kcal x mol(-1)). (vi) Similar relative differences are observed in poly(dA-dT). poly(dA-dT) (DeltaH(vH)(A) = 333 +/- 54 kcal x mol(-1), DeltaS(vH)(A) = 961 +/- 157 cal. degrees K(-1) x mol(-1), DeltaG(vH(25 degrees C))(A) = 45.0 +/- 7.6 kcal x mol(-1); DeltaH(vH)(T) = 213 +/- 30 kcal x mol(-1), DeltaS(vH)(T) = 617 +/- 86 cal. degrees K(-1) x mol(-1), DeltaG(vH(25 degrees C))(T) = 29.3 +/- 4.9 kcal x mol(-1)). The methodology employed here distinguishes thermodynamic contributions of base stacking, base pairing and backbone conformational ordering in the molecular mechanism of double-helical B DNA formation.
High-ratio grid considerations in mobile chest radiography.

Purpose: Grids are often not used in mobile chest radiography, and when used, they have a low ratio and are often inaccurately aligned. Recently, a mobile radiography automatic grid alignment system (MRAGA) was developed that accurately and automatically aligns the focal spot with the grid. The objective of this study is to investigate high-ratio grid tradeoffs in mobile chest radiography at fixed patient dose when the focal spot lies on the focal axis of the grid. Methods: The chest phantoms (medium and large) used in this study were modifications of the ANSI (American National Standards Institute) chest phantom and consisted of layers of Lucite™, aluminum, and air. For the large chest phantom, the amount of Lucite and aluminum was increased by 50% over the medium phantom. Further modifications included a mediastinum insert and the addition of contrast targets in the lung and mediastinum regions. Five high-ratio grids were evaluated and compared to the nongrid results at x-ray tube potentials of 80, 90, 100, and 110 kVp for both phantoms. The grids investigated were from two manufacturers: 12:1 and 15:1 aluminum interspace grids from one and 10:1, 13:1, and 15:1 fiber interspace grids from another. MRAGA was employed to align the focal spot with the grid. All exposures for a given kVp and phantom size were made using the same current-time product (CTP). The phantom images were acquired using computed radiography, and contrast-to-noise ratios(CNR) and CNR improvement factors (kCNR) were determined from the resultant images. The noise in the targets and the contrast between the targets and their backgrounds were calculated using a local detrending correction, and the CNR was calculated as the ratio of the target contrast to the background noise. kCNR was defined as the ratio of the CNRimaged with the grid divided by the CNRimaged without a grid. Results: The CNR values obtained with a high-ratio grid were 4%–65% higher than those obtained without a grid at the same phantom dose. The improvement was greater for the large chest phantom than the medium chest phantom and greater for the mediastinum targets than for the lung targets. In general, the fiber interspace grids performed better than the aluminum interspace grids. In the lung, kCNR for both types of grids exhibited little dependence on kVp or grid ratio. In the mediastinum, kCNR decreased 4%–10% with increasing kVp, and varied up to 5.3% with grid ratio. Conclusions: When the focal spot is accurately aligned with the grid, the use of a high-ratio grid in mobile chest radiography improves image quality with no increase in dose to the phantom. For the grids studied, the performance of the fiber interspace grids was superior to the performance of the aluminum interspace grids, with the fiber interspace 13:1 grid producing the best overall results for the medium chest phantom and the fiber interspace 15:1 producing the best overall results for the large chest phantom.
Neutrophils, Neutrophil Elastase and the Fragile Lung: The Pathogenesis and Therapeutic Strategies Relating to Lung Derangement in the Common Hereditary Lung Disorders

In the process of being exposed to 6000–10,000 litres of air daily, the respiratory epithelial surface is repeatedly exposed to microorganisms, inorganic and organic particulates, gases, fumes and aerosols. To help defend itself, the lung has available a variety of mechanisms that can recruit inflammatory cells, particularly blood neutrophils. However while effective in killing microorganisms, the neutrophil is a dangerous “two-edged sword”, with a variety of potent mediators capable of injuring normal tissues .1 The lung is particularly vulnerable to these neutrophil mediators, as it is very fragile, with tissues that are easily destroyed and difficult to repair.2 The most dangerous neutrophil mediator is neutrophil elastase (NE), a 29 kDa serine protease capable of destroying most components of the extracellular matrix of the alveolar walls.1,3 In addition, NE can injure the bronchial epithelium and interfere with respiratory host defence by altering mucociliary clearance mechanisms and interfering with the ability of inflammatory cells to kill microorganisms.3–5
Association of Mothers' Perception of Neighborhood Quality and Maternal Resilience with Risk of Preterm Birth.

We examined the associations of mothers’ perception of neighborhood quality and maternal resilience with risk of preterm birth and whether maternal resilience moderated the effect of neighborhood quality perception. We analyzed data from 10,758 women with singleton births who participated in 2010–2012 Los Angeles Mommy and Baby surveys. Multilevel logistic regression models assessed the effects of mothers’ perception of neighborhood quality and maternal resilience on preterm birth (yes/no), controlling for potential confounders and economic hardship index, a city-level measure of neighborhood quality. Interaction terms were assessed for moderation. Mothers’ perception of neighborhood quality and maternal resilience were each uniquely associated with preterm birth, independent of potential confounders (p-values < 0.05). The risk of preterm birth among mothers who perceived their neighborhood as of poor quality was about 30% greater compared to mothers who perceived their neighborhood as of good quality; the risk was 12% greater among mothers with low resilience compared to those with high resilience. Effects of neighborhood quality were not modified by maternal resilience. The findings suggest that mothers’ perception of neighborhood quality and resilience are associated with the risk of preterm birth. Further research should explore whether initiatives aimed at improving neighborhood quality and women’s self-esteem may improve birth outcomes.
BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation screening using SmartCycler II high-resolution melt curve analysis.

Results.—Significant differences were present in the melt curves for each of the mutations compared with those of the wild-type sequences. The melt curve for the 185delAG mutation showed a separate peak at a lower temperature, which represented the melting temperature of the heteroduplex. For the 6174delT mutation, the melt curve had a shoulder at a lower temperature, while the melt curve for the 5382insC mutation was shifted to the left and was broader than that for the wild-type sequences. Conclusions.—High-resolution melt curve analysis is a quick, reliable method for identifying mutations due to small deletions or insertions. As a proof of principle, we used this assay to identify the 3 most common BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in the Ashkenazi Jewish population. (Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2006;130:185‐187)
Simple summaries for hashing with choices

In a multiple-choice hashing scheme, each item is stored in one of ≥ 2 possible hash table buckets. The availability of these multiple choices allows for a substantial reduction in the maximum load of the buckets. However, a lookup may now require examining each of the d locations. For applications where this cost is undesirable, Song et al. propose keeping a summary that allows one to determine which of the d locations is appropriate for each item, where the summary may allow false positives for items not in hash table. We propose alternative, simple constructions of such summaries that use less space for both the summary and the underlying hash table. Moreover, our constructions are easily analyzable and tunable.
COMPARISON OF A CONVECTIVE MIXING MODEL'S PREDICTIONS TO EMPIRICAL RESULTS FOR AEROSOL DISPERSION IN THE HUMAN LUNG

Recent modelling work has attempted to use axial diffusion to explain the observed dispersion of an aerosol bolus in transit through the lung (Edwards, 1994). This type of modelling attempts to derive from first principles the underlying mechanism of aerosol dispersion. An alternative approach has used mixing theory derived from reactor vessels to surmount problems encountered in small-scale mixing (McCawley et al., 1988). Noting that Ultman (1985) had used an approach that is mathematically similar in applying network theory to this problem, it was decided to try to relate the number of vessels in series to the number of bifurcated generations in the lung.
A rapid method for separation and identification of microcystins using capillary electrophoresis and time-of-flight mass spectrometry

This paper demonstrates a method for the rapid separation and identification of four microcystin (MC) variants commonly found in aquatic environments. The procedure utilizes capillary electrophoresis (CE) coupled to UV absorbance and time-of-flight mass spectrometric (TOF-MS) detectors. All four analytes were effectively separated within 6min using phosphate buffer in 50-μm ID capillaries with an applied electric field of 400V/cm. The separation of the individual compounds was optimized through the adjustment of buffer, pH, and β-cyclodextrin content. Ultimately it was determined that, at a sufficiently high pH, all 4 compounds could be separated without the need for added cyclodextrins. The results provided accurate molecular information, assisting in the determination of compound identity. The method was then applied to environmental samples using solid phase extraction for isolation and pre-concentration. The results were comparable to those obtained by LC/MS, but with a shorter run time and lower sample and eluent consumption.
Emerging Concepts: Role of Vitamin D Deficiency in the Pathogenesis of PCOS

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrinopathy in women of reproductive age. Insulin resistance (IR) is considered central to the pathophysiology of PCOS. Hyperinsulinemia secondary to IR is thought to promote anovulation and androgen excess. The metabolic milieu of PCOS puts this population at enhanced lifetime risk for a spectrum of morbidities including poor reproductive outcomes, type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), cardiovascular disease (CVD), mood disorders including depression and anxiety, as well as risk of endometrial cancer.
CUIDADO HUMANIZADO DESDE LA PERSPECTIVA DEL ENFERMERO DE EMERGENCIA EN UN HOSPITAL DE QUILLOTA, CHILE

Objective: To know the perception of humanized care from nursing professionals of Emergency Unit of a general hospital in Quillota, Chile. Methodology: A qualitative, descriptive and phenomenological study. The participation of four nurse professionals who work in the Emergency Room of a Hospital from Quillota was requested. Then, it was performed a direct interview to the participants, which was recorded and transcribed verbatim in order to be applied identify relevant aspects according to the proposed objectives of the research. Results: In the discourses emerged concepts that describe humanized care, identifying it as integral care, which should include the patient and his family and should be governed by bioethics principles. Also emerged the limitations and facilities perceived in their work environment to perform this care and feelings that arose regarding this. Conclusions: The context of the Emergency Room differs from the others hospital services, due to a multiplicity of factors that hinder humanized care. The concept of humanized care described by the actors is similar to the theory, but they relate that there are difficulties to carry out and that it´s hard to realize a change within the team. Also, the person who works in Emergency Room should have vocation, optimism and take his work as a challenge. Humanized nursing care should be present in all the attention, and Emergency Room personnel should be continuously updated on the issue, as well as perform qualitative studies on the subject.
Biotin deficiency in the dairy calf.

SummaryThe 3 oung dairy calf requires an exogenous supply of biotin; otherwise a paralysis of the hind quarters develops. curable by biotin administration.
The racial state and resistance in Ferguson and beyond

This virtual special issue considers the empirical and theoretical resources that the back catalogue of Urban Studies specifically, and the discipline of urban studies more broadly, has to offer ou...
Binding of lipase, amylase and protease to intestinal epithelium as affected by carbohydrates and lectins in vitro.

Intraluminal digestive enzymes were shown to bind to chick intestinal epithelial surface (glycocalyx). Affinity of the intestinal epithelium for the enzymes decreased in the order, lipase > amylase > protease. The plant hemagglutinins, Con A, phytohemagglutinin, pokeweed mitogen and raw soybean effectively released lipase and amylase from the glycocalyx. Based on specific inhibition of binding by sugars, such as fucose and N-acetylated sugars, lipase and amylase appeared to be bound to blood group antigen-like sugar moieties on the glycocalyx of the microvilli.
2 – Primary Production Processes in Soils: Roots and Rhizosphere Associates

Inputs from primary production in soils are from two principal sources: aboveground and belowground. We focus on inputs from roots and their rhizosphere associates, including mycorrhiza and rhizobia.
Secretion and clearance of immunoreactive ACTH by fetal lung

We have previously reported the presence of immunoreactive adrenocorticotropic hormone (irACTH) in fetal and adult ovine lung and secretion of the irACTH into the pulmonary venous blood during surgical stress. The aim of the present experiments was to determine whether the fetal lung secretes irACTH during less stressful conditions. Seven fetal sheep were chronically prepared with systemic, pulmonary arterial, and pulmonary venous catheters. After recovery from surgery, paired samples were obtained from the pulmonary arterial and venous catheters. In 51 pairs of samples, we quantified the arteriovenous (A-V) difference in plasma irACTH concentration. Pulmonary A-V difference in plasma irACTH was significantly related to the arterial plasma concentration of irACTH but not to fetal blood gases, pH, or gestational age. Regression analysis revealed that, at arterial plasma concentrations of irACTH less than approximately 200 pg/ml, the lung releases irACTH into plasma and that, at higher concentrations, the lung clears irACTH from the plasma. We conclude that the lung independently secretes and clears irACTH into and from plasma.
Fixed Point Existence Theorems

This chapter discusses fixed point existence theorems applicable to differential equations of all types. If the statement concerning the existence of a solution to a differential equation can be interpreted as a statement concerning fixed points in a Banach space, then a fixed point theorem might be useful. The chapter discusses the Schrauder fixed point theorem. It states that for a nonempty convex set X in a Banach space, y being a compact subset of X , if Y = f ( X ) maps X continuously into Y , then there is a fixed point x * = f ( x *). By interpreting a given differential equation as a continuous function in a Banach space, this theorem indicates the existence of a solution. The chapter also highlights that once a differential equation has been formulated as a fixed point statement, numerical methods that search for fixed points in a function space can be used.
The Behavioral Immune System and Attitudes About Vaccines Contamination Aversion Predicts More Negative Vaccine Attitudes

The present research utilized evolutionary theory to examine the relation between the behavioral immune system (i.e., disgust sensitivity) and attitudes about vaccines. The findings from the studie...
IRON METABOLISM: UTILIZATION OF INTRAVENOUS RADIOACTIVE IRON

By determining the percentage utilization of intravenously administered radioiron for hemoglobin production over a period of two to three weeks, certain measurements of internal iron metabolism can be made. With a normal rate of blood production, changes in per cent utilization reflect alteration in iron stores. Iron depletion is characterized by more rapid and more complete utilization of radioiron. States of iron excess in hemochromatosis can be identified by their profound depression of radioiron utilization. If, on the other hand, storage iron is not greatly altered, the percentage utilization is determined by the function of the erythropoietic tissue. In myelophthisic anemias, in uremia, and in infection, a similar depression of the curve is found. The rate of erythropoiesis may further be estimated by the slope of the utilization curve, and evidence of abnormal red cell destruction is found in early and abrupt plateau of the utilization curve. A correlation has been made in a variety of hematologic disorders between the radioiron utilization for hemoglobin production and the clinical factors which might be expected to affect iron metabolism in these patients.
Taxation and Development: Overview

In an effort to promote internationally accepted standards that embody principles underlying their own systems, developed countries have, in some respects, ignored the spill-over effect of their tax regimes on the viability of strategies of countries in the developing world to attract much needed investment. A reconsideration of the principles underlying the decisions made by higher-income countries concerning the proper allocation of taxing jurisdiction over income arising from global operations of multinationals could and should result in a re-examination of the ways in which countries, particularly developing ones, are able to build economies. This chapter provides an overview of contributions that consider whether 19 different countries use their tax laws to attract foreign investment or to encourage investment in developing countries.