cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Energy network dispatch optimization under emergency of local energy shortage

The consequence of short-time energy shortage under extreme conditions, such as earthquake, tsunami, and hurricane, may cause local areas to suffer from delayed rescues, widespread power outages, tremendous economic losses, and even public safety threats. In such urgent events of local energy shortage, agile energy dispatching through an effective energy transportation network, targeting the minimum energy recovery time, should be a top priority. In this paper, a novel methodology is developed for energy network dispatch optimization under emergency of local energy shortage, which includes four stages of work. First, emergency-area-centered energy network needs to be characterized, where the capacity, quantity, and availability of various energy sources are determined. Second, the energy initial situation under emergency conditions needs to be identified. Then, the energy dispatch optimization is conducted based on a developed MILP (mixed-integer linear programming) model in the third stage. Finally, the sensitivity of the minimum dispatch time with respect to uncertainty parameters is characterized by partitioning the entire space of uncertainty parameters into multiple subspaces. The efficacy of the developed methodology is demonstrated via a case study with in-depth discussions.
Why America Lost the War on Poverty – And How to Win It, by Frank Stricker

Why America Lost the War on Poverty – And How to Win It, by Frank Stricker, Chapel Hill, The University of North Carolina Press, 2007, xiii + 345 pp., US$19.95 (paper), ISBN 978-0-8078-5804-2 As un...
Observation of high-order solitons from a mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser

I report the observation of high-order solitonlike femtosecond pulses directly generated in an absorber jet-induced self-mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser. A soliton period of ~1 MHz was observed with a nearly linear dependence on the intracavity dispersion.
Proton magnetic relaxation in the adulterated methane gas system

Abstract We show that our experimental data for the proton spin lattice relaxation time, T 1 , in methane gas samples adulterated with small concentrations of gaseous O 2 or NO may be interpreted if proper account is taken of the time dependent paramagnetic moment autocorrelation over the period of a collision. The details of this correlation are quite different for O 2 and for NO, and this results in a striking difference in the T 1 values for the two cases, even though the static paramagnetic susceptibility of the two molecular species only differ by a factor of 3 2 approximately. Limiting cases of the autocorrelation have been calculated and compared with experimental data.
The Displacement of the Heroic Ideal in the Family Sagas

WALTHER GEHL began his study of saga ethics by stating: "Ehre ist die innerste Triebkraft altgermanischen Lebensgeffihls."' The other treatises on saga ethics agree and suggest that there is a continuity of values from heathen literature to the sagas and that the demands of honor remain constant. Despite the deep divisions in opinion on most problems connected with the sagas, there seems to be perfect unanimity in this particular area. Vilhelm Gr0nbech depicted Germanic honor in the sagas as a feeling of personal integrity vital to the individual.2 Whenever a man's honor is compromised, his integrity is damaged and must be restored; hence the demand for blood revenge required to keep the integrity of the family intact. This revenge is an automatic response. It does not spring from a sense of justice, or retaliation ("eye for an eye"), or vindictiveness, but from a man's feeling of responsibility to himself and his sense of his own honor, which is an unnegotiable standard. Gehl anchored the saga mentality no less firmly in honor. The Germanic system of values distinguished not between good and evil (p. 23), but between honor and dishonor. In a chapter entitled "Die Unbedingtheit der Ehrforderung" he stated: "Das Ehrgebot gilt unumschrinkt, vor ihm zerbrechen alle anderen menschlichen Bindungen."3 The literary application in the sagas is clear: "Der Ehrenhandel ist schlechthin das Sagamotiv.... Alle anderen Motive sind daneben bedeutungslos und vereinzelt."4 Within the framework of the sagas Gehl established an evolution of honor: at the earliest stage it is taken for granted and not belabored (HI6vamdl, JIeiYarviga saga, H6varE5ar saga, Hrafnkels saga); at a later stage it becomes more self-conscious and develops into drengskapr, a spirit of chivalry which imposes respect for ano-ther man's honor as well as one's own (porsteins 4dttr stangarhqggs, Gisla saga); the final development veers either in the direction of meaningless imitation (Vatnsdwla saga) or a flouting of the concept (Bandamanna saga). The primacy of honor is similarly maintained by Hans Kuhn:
Public welfare in relation to alternative pesticide policies

This paper presents a theoretical model for examining the welfare implications of various pesticide policies and the model is empirically implemented for three such policies. For the empirical implementation, the model consists of a nonlinear objective function subject to a set of linear constraints. The objective function represents a measure of welfare consisting of consumers' plus producers' surplus modified for externalities that can be quantified in monetary terms. The set of constraints consists of the usual ones to insure a feasible, nonnegative solution as well as an “environmental constraint” to recognize externalities not subject to quantification in monetary terms. Policies evaluated were: Policy 1, a 50% reduction in the usage of chlorinated hydrocarbons; Policy 2, a virtual elimination in the usage of chlorinated hydrocarbons; and Policy 3, no change in present usage patterns of pesticides. Subject to qualifications explained more fully in the paper, Policy 1 pointed to a decline of approximately 1% in welfare while Policy 2 pointed to a decline of about 3%.
An equilibrium theory for multi-person decision making with multiple probabilistic models: Part II: Asymmetric mode of decision making

This paper develops an equilibrium theory for two-person two-criteria stochastic decision problems with static information patterns and an asymmetric mode of decision making, wherein the decision makers have different probabilistic models of the underlying process. The objective functions are quadratic and the decision spaces are general inner-product spaces. Firstly, a set of sufficient conditions is obtained for existence and uniqueness of Stackelberg equilibria, and a uniformly convergent iterative scheme is developed, whereby the equilibrium policy of the leader can be obtained by evaluating a number of conditional expectations. When the probability measures are Gaussian, the equilibrium solution is shown to be generically non-linear, with the linear structure prevailing only in some special cases which are delineated in the paper.
Global and Hemispheric Temperature Trends: Uncertainties Related to Inadequate Spatial Sampling

Abstract Long-term (50 to 100 years) and short-term (10 to 30 years) global and hemispheric trends of temperature have an inherent unknown error due to incomplete and nonrandom spatial sampling. A number of experiments have been conducted to help quantify the potential magnitude of this error. The analysis includes the errors introduced into the climate record because of both incomplete global coverage and inadequate sampling within those areas presumed to have adequate observatory. In these experiments it is found that the uncertainty in calculating historical temperature trends is dependent upon the pattern of temperature change, the method of treating the effect of nonrandom spatial sampling, and the time and length over which the trend is calculated but is relatively insensitive to the random errors associated with estimating regional-scale (grid cell size) temperature anomalies. Results imply that the errors associated with century-scale trends of temperature are probably an order of magnitude smalle...
Expression patterns and cell cycle profiles of PCNA, MCM6, cyclin D1, cyclin A2, cyclin B1, and phosphorylated histone H3 in the developing mouse retina

A challenge in studying organogenesis is the ability to identify progenitor cell populations. To address this problem, we characterized the expression patterns of cell cycle proteins during mouse retinal development and used flow cytometry to determine the expression profiles in the cell cycle. We found that MCM6 and PCNA are expressed in essentially all retinal progenitor cells throughout the proliferative period and these proteins are readily detectable in all cell cycle phases. Furthermore, their expression levels are downregulated as cells exit the cell cycle and differentiate. We also analyzed the expression of Cyclins D1, A2, and B1, and phosphorylated Histone H3 and found unexpected expression patterns and cell cycle profiles. The combined utilization of the markers tested and the use of flow cytometry should further facilitate the study of stem and progenitor cell behavior during development and in adult tissues.
Measurement of Direct Photons in 200·A GeV 32S+Au Collisions

Two years ago at the 10th Winter Workshop on Nuclear Dynamics, we reported preliminary results from our measurements of photons in reactions of 200·A GeV 32S ions with Au nuclei.1 The results had been presented earlier at Quark Matter ’93.2 For central collisions we reported a small, but statistically significant, excess of photons over those that can be accounted for by the two-photon decay branches of π0 and η mesons and by the small photon contributions from other radiative decays. This paper is, in a sense, a sequel to the 1994 presentation. Here we present the final WA80 single “direct” photon results,3 and we discuss their implications for various theoretical calculations.
Disproportionality as a Framework for Linking Social and Biophysical Systems

ABSTRACT Interdisciplinary research is capable of investigating questions that no single or independent collection of disciplines can address. This interdisciplinary approach was used to investigate why nonpoint source pollution to a lake had not changed even though the often cited social drivers of this situation had changed significantly. The concept of disproportionality was adapted to examine social and biophysical interactions at different spatial and temporal scales to address this situation. Rather than using social and biophysical variable as contextual or additive relative to each other, we examined their interactive or multiplicative effects at coarse and fine spatial and temporal scales. Limited occurrence of inappropriate behaviors in vulnerable biophysical settings resulted in disproportionate environmental impacts. The concept of disproportionality implies that the environmental meaning placed on any social behavior requires accounting for where and when it occurs in a biophysical setting, a...
Impact of system response time on state anxiety

Recent research has shown that user satisfaction and productivity are affected by system response time. Our purpose is to provide the results of empirical research on system response time and its effect on state anxiety. Test subjects were classified as Type A or Type B personality in order to determine if personality type had any affect on the relationship between system response time and state anxiety. The results show that both Type A and Type B personalities exhibit a statistically significant increase in state anxiety during poor or variable system response times.
Group B streptococcal β-hemolysin promotes injury of lung microvascular endothelial cells

Group B streptococci (GBS) are the leading cause of pneumonia and sepsis in human newborns. Exudative pulmonary edema and alveolar hemorrhage seen in GBS pneumonia indicate vascular damage, and we reported that GBS injure lung microvascular endothelial cells (LMvEC) both in vivo and in vitro. The specific GBS factors causing LMvEC injury are uncertain, but GBS β-hemolysin activity is associated with lung epithelial cell injury. We hypothesized that GBS β-hemolysin contributes to LMvEC injury and exudative pulmonary edema. To test this hypothesis we used isogenic nonhemolytic and hyperhemolytic GBS mutants derived by transposon insertional mutagenesis from three different wild-type strains. Hemolytic titers for each strain were calculated using live GBS and Tween 80/starch-stabilized extracts of log-phase GBS. All nonhemolytic mutants lacked detectable hemolytic activity, whereas hyperhemolytic mutants produced 4-16 times the hemolytic activity of their parent strains. LMvEC injury was assayed by light microscopy, the release of lactate dehydrogenase, trypan blue nuclear staining, and Evans blue-albumin flux. Compared with the parent strains, all nonhemolytic mutants caused significantly reduced, and all hyperhemolytic mutants caused significantly greater, lactate dehydrogenase release from and trypan blue nuclear staining of LMvEC. Moreover, a nonhemolytic mutant caused reduced and a hyperhemolytic mutant caused increased Evansblue albumin flux across polar LMvEC monolayers. These findings were corroborated by light microscopic evidence of hemolysin-associated damage to the LMvEC monolayers. We conclude that GBS β-hemolysin promotes LMvEC injury and increases permeability in vitro, and speculate that GBS β-hemolysin contributes to the pathogenesis of alveolar edema and hemorrhage in early onset GBS pneumonia.
A comparison of mathematical programming techniques for aggregate production planning

Abstract Companies are continuously faced with fluctuating demand in planning their aggregate production. In an effort to achieve their objectives, variations in demand and sales are absorbed by adjusting production rates, workforce and inventory levels through different strategies. This paper provides an analysis of the assumptions made in previous approaches and a comparison of linear and goal programming models.
Effect of naltrexone on food intake and body weight in Syrian hamsters depends on metabolic status

Opioids are a family of neuropeptides involved in the control of food intake and regulation of body weight. In general, nonselective opioid antagonists have inhibited food intake in a variety of paradigms in rodent species. Syrian hamsters may be an exception to the general findings. In a previous report, we showed that systemic administration of an opioid antagonist, naltrexone, for 2 days increased body weight in female Syrian hamsters. To confirm the extent of these finding we designed the present experiment testing the effect of a chronic 6-day infusion of naltrexone on food intake, water intake, and body weight in freely feeding male hamsters. In addition, we examined the effect of acute administration of naltrexone on food intake in both ad-libitum-fed and food-deprived hamsters. We found that chronic systemic administration of naltrexone caused a significant increase in food intake and body weight. Second, acute administration of naltrexone decreased food intake after a 48-h fast but had no effect in ad-libitum-fed hamsters. Water consumption was not altered in any experimental paradigm. Our results suggest that opioid circuits in Syrian hamsters may function tonically to suppress food intake and body weight when Syrian hamsters are in positive energy balance. Paradoxically, opioids may enhance food intake after a sustained fast.
Theory of Fiber Optical Bragg Grating: Revisited

The reflected signature of an optical fiber Bragg grating is analyzed using the transfer function method. This approach is capable to cast all relevant quantities into proper places and provides a better physical understanding. The relationship between reflected signal, number of periods, index of refraction, and reflected wave phase is elucidated. The condition for which the maximum reflectivity is achieved is fully examined. We also have derived an expression to predict the reflectivity minima accurately when the reflected wave is detuned. Furthermore, using the segmented potential approach, this model can handle arbitrary index of refraction profiles and compare the strength of optical reflectivity of different profiles. The condition of a non-uniform grating is also addressed.
Use of Negative Capacitance to Provide Voltage Amplification for Low Power Nanoscale Devices

It is well-known that conventional field effect transistors (FETs) require a change in the channel potential of at least 60 mV at 300 K to effect a change in the current by a factor of 10, and this minimum subthreshold slope S puts a fundamental lower limit on the operating voltage and hence the power dissipation in standard FET-based switches. Here, we suggest that by replacing the standard insulator with a ferroelectric insulator of the right thickness it should be possible to implement a step-up voltage transformer that will amplify the gate voltage thus leading to values of S lower than 60 mV/decade and enabling low voltage/low power operation. The voltage transformer action can be understood intuitively as the result of an effective negative capacitance provided by the ferroelectric capacitor that arises from an internal positive feedback that in principle could be obtained from other microscopic mechanisms as well. Unlike other proposals to reduce S, this involves no change in the basic physics of the FET and thus does not affect its current drive or impose other restrictions.
Immediate memory for simultaneously presented items: The effects of search for a target item*

Arrays of eight consonants were presented for 0.5, 1, 2, or 4 sec, and Ss searched for a specific target consonant in each array. The search task reduced probed recall of the other items in the array. This decrease was greatest when the target was not present or was in the middle of the array. Consonants on the end of the array furthest from the target showed greater improvement in recall with longer exposures than did items closer to the target. Thus, the target item served as a high-priority event and detracted from the recall of the array as a whole and adjacent items in particular.
Acellular Dermal Matrix in Cosmetic Breast Procedures and Capsular Contracture

Prevention and treatment of capsular contracture after breast augmentation is a controversial and oftentimes vexing problem. While there are traditional methods of addressing this condition, acellular dermal matrix materials offer a new and promising modality that is gaining momentum in the field of plastic surgery. In this article, the author examines the etiology and pathophysiology of capsular contracture and review the existing literature on acellular dermal matrix in breast surgery related to capsular contracture.
Use of yolk-chemical mixtures to replace hen egg yolk in toxicity and teratogenicity studies.

Abstract Effects of three pesticides upon chick embryos have been studied by use of a new technique, yolk replacement, in which a mixture of yolk and chemical is placed in the yolk sac of the fertile egg. In general, embryos treated by yolk replacement survived better when pesticide levels were high, but less well when they were low, than embryos given equal doses by injection in corn oil. Abnormalities caused by single pesticides, or combinations of 2 at low levels, were more numerous and more severe after yolk replacement. Corn oil and nicotinamide, which appeared harmless when injected, both caused abnormal development and increased deaths when given by the new method. Nicotinamide administered with pesticides was less effective in preventing abnormal development when given by yolk replacement than when injected. Yolk replacement appears to be a useful tool for study of toxicity and teratogenicity.
Resynchronizing Estrus with Progesterone or Progesterone Plus Estrogen in Cows of Unknown Pregnancy Status

Two experiments were conducted to test 2 progesterone (P4)-based treatments that were applied to lactating dairy cattle of unknown pregnancy status to resynchronize estrus of nonpregnant cows. In experiment 1, cows were assigned randomly before a timed AI (TAI) to 1) treatment with a CIDR (controlled internal drug-releasing intravaginal insert containing P4) for 7 d starting on d 13 after TAI (CIDR; n = 300) or 2) no P4 treatment (control; n = 330). Compared with controls, P4 increased the synchrony of those detected in estrus, but failed to increase the overall return rates of non-pregnant cows during the 6 d after CIDR removal (27% vs. 31%; d 20 to 26 after TAI) and did not alter synchronized conception rates (32% vs. 20%) of those inseminated. Use of P4 did not compromise pregnancies resulting from TAI compared with controls (38% vs. 42%), but increased embryo survival between d 29 and 57 after TAI (65.5% vs. 44.3%). In experiment 2, on d 13 after TAI, 196 cows were treated with a CIDR insert for 7 d. Controls received no further treatment. Remaining cows were treated with 1 of 3 estrogen regimens: 1 mg of estradiol benzoate (EB), 0.5 mg of estradiol cypionate (ECP), or 1 mg of ECP on both d 13 and 21. Only 60% of nonpregnant, estrogen-treated cows were detected in estrus between d 20 and 26, and rates of return and conception did not differ among treatments. Estrogen on d 13 did not consistently turn over the dominant follicle when given at CIDR insertion but did increase concentrations of estradiol and reduced luteal function when administered on d 13 and 21 (24 h after CIDR removal). Treatments had no negative effects on milk yield, dry matter intake, or established pregnancies. Use of P4 alone had little effect on overall rates of return to estrus or conception at the first eligible estrus in experiment 1. Combining estrogen with P4 in experiment 2 had no detrimental effects on established pregnancies or subsequent conception and failed to improve return rates beyond P4 alone.
Gastrointestinal fluid resuscitation of thermally injured patients.

Abstract : A seminal advance in the care of thermally injured patients was the recognition of the large volumes of fluid required during resuscitation and the relationship of these volumes to burn size and body weight. This discovery resulted in the virtual elimination of acute renal failure as a consequence of burn shock. Today, the established standard of care focuses on the intravenous route for fluid resuscitation, and time to intravenous access was an independent predictor of mortality in a study of children with massive burns by Wolf et al. Historically, however, several other methods have been used for delivery of fluids to patients with burn shock, including oral, rectal, and subdermal routes. Several factors led to the preferential use of the intravenous route. It enables the immediate delivery of known quantities of fluid and allows the rapid correction of circulating volume deficits. By contrast, the other routes provide uncertain amounts of fluid at more gradual rates, and vomiting may complicate oral fluid intake. Finally, plasma or albumin solutions can only be given intravenously.
3-Phosphoglycerate Phosphatase in Plants III. Activity Associated with Starch Particles

A particulate form of 3-phosphoglycerate phosphatase represents about 20% of this activity in spinach (Spinacia oleracea var. Longstanding Bloomsdale) leaves. By differential and isopycnic sucrose density gradient centrifugation, all the particulate activity was found in starch grains that pelleted through 2.5 m sucrose. This particulate phosphatase was extremely stable, had a pH optimum of 5.8, and an apparent Michaelis constant (3-phosphoglycerate) of 9 x 10(-4)m. No cation requirement for activity could be demonstrated, and the enzyme was inhibited by 0.5 mm Zn(2+) or Cu(2+). The enzyme was most active in catalyzing the hydrolysis of 3-phospho-d-glycerate, but it was not substrate specific. The phosphatase from the starch grains could not be removed by washing, dialysis, homogenization, or treatment with a French pressure cell, but it was solubilized by prolonged sonication or by addition of 0.25 m MgCl(2), when the particles were suspended in 0.8 m sucrose. The solubilized enzyme was partially purified. The properties of the enzyme on the particles or after solubilization were similar to those previously described for the cytosol form of this phosphatase. It is conjectured that the phosphatase of the starch grain regulates glucan synthesis by controlling a 3-phosphoglycerate pool which is an effector for ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase.
Limiting behaviors of off-shell scattering wave functions and T matrices for centrally modified Coulomb potentials

In the formal theory of scattering, the limiting behavior of off-energy-shell scattering wave functions and T matrices as the energy shell is approached is of considerable importance in deriving an impulse approximation to the full scattering amplitudes. On-shell limits do not exist for the pure Coulomb potential, but sufficiently near the shell the off-shell wave function and T matrix are approximated by the continuum eigenstate and scattering amplitude, respectively, multiplied by certain ''off-shell'' factors. For central potentials which are Coulomb-like at large distances, but modified at smaller radii, it is shown that the on-shell limits again do not exist and the near-shell approximations mimic the pure Coulomb case with the asymptotic charge appearing in the off-shell factors. Numerical results for a realistic atomic potential covering a broad range of defects from the energy shell give a picture of the approximations involved and show that the errors arising from the use of near-shell forms are comparable in magnitude to the energy defects divided by the energy.
Periodic Solutions of Nonlinear Integral Equations With Infinite Memory

On etudie l'existence et l'unicite des solutions periodiques continues de systemes d'equations integrales non lineaires a memoire infinie
Abortion is for women

Almost no subject moves from the clinical to the political personal and passionate in as few steps as abortion. In todays Lancet Helena von Hertzen and colleagues dispassionate and technically complex clinical trial investigates administration routes and doses of misoprostol used alone for early abortion. This study a major logistical undertaking was done in 11 centres in six countries and enrolled over 2000 women. It tested the effectiveness and safety of two routes (vaginal and sublingual) and intervals (every 3 h and 12 h) of administration of 0.8 mg misoprostol. The results emphasise the flexibility of the treatment because both routes and both intervals can be used safely and effectively although sublingual administration at the longer interval is less effective than other regimens and 3 hourly produces more unpleasant side-effects. (excerpt)
Line shapes of ionizing Stark resonances in helium.

Mesure des energies, des largeurs, des intensites et des profils des resonances au-dessus du seuil classique d'ionisation pour plusieurs intensites de champ electrique. Prediction theorique de ces resonances de Stark par la methode de defaut quantique BKW
Effect of Hydrogen Peroxide on Activity of Lactic Cultures in Milk

Abstract The ability of single strain lactic streptococci and commercial lactic starter cultures to produce acid was evaluated in milk containing 0–200μg of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 0 2 ) per milliliter. All cultures were inhibited slightly at H 2 0 2 concentrations as low as 5μg/ml. Both single strain and commercial cultures varied in their sensitivity to H 2 0 2 .
The general, general surgeon

It is a tremendous honor for me to present the Thomas G. Orr Memorial Lecture at the Southwestern Surgical Congress this year. I am particularly grateful to President McCollum and his wife, Sally. Dr. Orr served with distinction as the chairman of the Department of Surgery at the University of Kansas and was the second president of the Southwestern Surgical Association. It occurs to me that Dr. Orr really personified all that is good about our discipline and our profession of general surgery. Dr. Orr was a consummate clinical surgeon. He exhibited the kind of compassion for his patients and their families that reflects great credit upon our discipline. He recognized his responsibility to give back to his community. And he was actively involved in training his successors and instilling within them the kind of rigorous self-criticism that is characteristic of general surgeons—the kind of continuous self-review that makes us perform better and better. In the next 45 minutes I propose to review with you: (a) who we are as general, general surgeons; (b) what our influence and opportunities are concerning the evolution of surgical instrumentation; (c) our responsibilities relative to continued quality assurance and self-review; (d) trends in our training of general surgeons and our responsibilities of maintaining a cohesive discipline of general, general surgery; and finally (e) our almost unique, and gratifying rewarding, opportunity as general surgeons to create sustaining value.
Social network and social capital in leadership and management research: A review of causal methods

This paper surveys the methods underlying the burgeoning body of leadership and management research on social networks and social capital (SNSC). A social network is a social structure made up of nodes connected by a set of ties. Social capital, in turn, refers to the structure, content, and perception of one's social relationships in the network. This paper presents an in-depth survey of the methods of using SNSC in leadership and management research. I first review how network scholars determine network boundaries, choose sampling techniques, and collect network data. I follow with a comprehensive survey of the statistical tools and analytical strategies prevalent in SNSC research. I then investigate the methodological rigor of 110 SNSC empirical studies in leadership and other management fields. My results show that 8.1% (3/37) specified network boundaries, 43.2% (49/103) used surveys to collect network data, and 52.3% (58/110) implemented at least one reviewed method. A further assessment reveals that only 39.7% (23/58) of papers somewhat justified the appropriateness of using such methods. The frequency distribution of coding criteria was similar across journals and over time. This review also includes several future research directives for SNSC leadership and management researchers.
Neuropsychological correlates of capacity determinations in Alzheimer disease: implications for assessment.

Objectives To explore the neuropsychological correlates of the capacity to consent to research and to appoint a research proxy among persons with Alzheimer disease. Design, Setting, and Participants Interview study of 77 persons with Alzheimer disease recruited through an Alzheimer disease research center and a memory disorder clinic. Measurements The capacity to consent to two research scenarios (a drug randomized clinical trial and a neurosurgical clinical trial) and the capacity to appoint a research proxy were determined by five experienced consultation psychiatrists who rendered categorical judgments based on videotaped interviews of the MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool–Clinical Research and the Capacity to Appoint a Proxy Assessment. Mattis Dementia Rating Scale–Second Edition was used to assess neuropsychological functioning. Results The capacity to appoint a proxy and to consent to the drug randomized clinical trial, as determined by a majority or greater opinion of the five-psychiatrist panel, was predicted by Conceptualization and Initiation/Perseveration subscales, whereas the capacity to consent to a neurosurgical randomized clinical trial was predicted by the Memory subscale. Furthermore, the more lenient individual psychiatrists' judgments were predicted by the Conceptualization subscale, whereas the stricter psychiatrists' judgments were predicted by the Memory subscale. Conclusions How experienced psychiatrists view the capacity of patients with Alzheimer disease for consenting to research and for appointing a proxy may be related to the patients' conceptualization and memory functioning. More explicit and standardized guidance on the role of short-term memory in capacity determinations may be useful.
The role of submicrometer aerosols and macromolecules in H2 formation in the titan haze

Abstract Previous studies of the photochemistry of small molecules in Titan’s atmosphere found it difficult to have hydrogen atoms removed at a rate sufficient to explain the observed abundance of unsaturated hydrocarbons. One qualitative explanation of the discrepancy nominated catalytic aerosol surface chemistry as an efficient sink of hydrogen atoms, although no quantitative study of this mechanism was attempted. In this paper, we quantify how haze aerosols and macromolecules may efficiently catalyze the formation of hydrogen atoms into H 2 . We describe the prompt reaction model for the formation of H 2 on aerosol surfaces and compare this with the catalytic formation of H 2 using negatively charged hydrogenated aromatic macromolecules. We conclude that the PRM is an efficient mechanism for the removal of hydrogen atoms from the atmosphere to form H 2 with a peak formation rate of ∼ 70 cm −3 s −1 at 420 km. We also conclude that catalytic H 2 formation via hydrogenated anionic macromolecules is viable but much less productive (a maximum of ∼ 0.1 cm −3 s −1 at 210 km) than microphysical aerosols.
Epidermal growth factor suppresses renal tubular apoptosis following ureteral obstruction

Abstract Objectives. Acute unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) results in ipsilateral hydronephrosis characterized by a decrease in epidermal growth factor (EGF) mRNA expression and EGF protein levels in the distal renal tubules. UUO results in programmed cell death with increases in the characteristic markers of apoptosis. To suppress the apoptotic response during UUO, recombinant EGF was administered during renal obstruction and the ensuing molecular and histologic changes were studied. Methods. Mature Sprague-Dawley rats underwent left ureteral obstruction and the kidneys were harvested at 24, 48, and 72 hours. Markers of apoptosis included DNA laddering pattern on agarose gel electrophoresis, in situ gap labeling of fragmented DNA for quantitative apoptotic body determination, polyadenylated mRNA expression of SGP-2, and in situ hybridization for sulfated glycoprotein-2 (SGP-2) mRNA. Studies were repeated in rats following administration of 10, 20, and 40 μg of subcutaneous recombinant EGF on a daily basis after UUO. Results. Subcutaneous injection of EGF into unilaterally obstructed rats promotes renal tubular epithelial cell regeneration, as demonstrated by increased cortical mitotic activity. Systemic EGF supplementation in these unilaterally obstructed rats also resulted in a decrease in the intensity of the DNA laddering pattern associated with renal tubular apoptosis. An in situ labeling procedure to identify apoptotic nuclei in the ureterally obstructed kidneys revealed a 50% reduction in apoptosis after EGF administration. Northern blot analysis and in situ hybridization for SGP-2 mRNA or clusterin gene product also revealed a decreased expression in the obstructed and EGF-treated renal parenchyma. Conclusions. These data suggest that EGF, apart from its known role as a mitogenic substance for renal tubular epithelial cells, is also a critical in vivo renal cell survival factor for the developmentally mature kidney.
Crosstalk between Immune Cells and Adipocytes Requires Both Paracrine Factors and Cell Contact to Modify Cytokine Secretion

Increased adiposity results in a heightened infiltration of immune cells into fat depots, which in turn generates a pro-inflammatory phenotype in obese individuals. To better understand the causal factors that establish this pro-inflammatory profile, we examined events leading to crosstalk between adipocytes and immune cells. Using isolated spleen-derived immune cells, stimulated with LPS, together with cultured adipocytes, we differentiated the effects of paracrine factors and cell-cell contact on TNFα, IL-6 and MCP-1 secretion levels and secretion profiles. When splenocytes and adipocytes were co-cultured without direct contact, permitting only paracrine communication, secretion of IL-6 and MCP-1 were increased by 3- and 2.5-fold, respectively, over what was secreted by individual cultures, whereas TNFα secretion was reduced by 55%. When cells were co-cultured with direct cell-cell contact, IL-6 and MCP-1 secretion were increased by an additional 36% and 38%, respectively, over that measured from just paracrine stimulation alone, indicating that cell contact provides a synergistic signal that amplifies elevated cytokine secretion stimulated by paracrine signals. Using splenocytes from TNFα-/- mice showed that the absence of TNFα has little effect on paracrine stimulation of cytokine secretion, but attenuates cell contact-mediated enhancement of IL-6 and MCP-1 secretion. Furthermore, TNFα supports cell contact-mediated signaling in part, but not exclusively, through Nuclear Factor-κB activation. These findings indicate that engagement of cell contact between immune cells and adipocytes, in conjunction with locally secreted paracrine factors, activates a unique signaling pathway that mediates crosstalk between these cell types leading to marked effects on cytokine secretion and profile.
A custom-designed limited-angle actuator for an electromechanical engine valve drive part I: Conceptual design

Research has shown that variable valve timing (VVT) can improve significantly the performance of internal combustion (IC) engines, including higher fuel efficiencies, lower emissions, and larger torque outputs at each point of the engine map. To achieve independent and continuous VVT for each valve, an electromechanical valve drive (EMV) system was proposed previously, whose feasibility with low seating velocity had been demonstrated. In order to further improve the practicality of the EMV system, especially for a much smaller system package, a novel rotary actuator with limited angular range is proposed in this paper. Four main design challenges are discussed before a limited-angle actuator with a special yoke structure and a hollow basket-shaped aluminium-based armature is presented. Based on Maxwell simulation with optimized physical dimensions, the actuator is capable of meeting the time, power, torque, and size constraints.
A numerical study of 2-D turbulence

A simulation of 2-D turbulence in a square region with periodic boundary conditions has been performed using a highly accurate approximation of the inviscid Navier--Stokes equations to which a modified viscosity has been added. A series of flow pictures show how a random initial vorticity distribution quickly assumes a stringlike pattern which persists as the flow simplifies into a few ''cyclones'' or ''finite area vortex regions''. This trend towards well-defined large-scale structures can make it questionable if the 2-D flow should be described as ''turbulent'' and it casts some doubts on the concept of inertial range and the relevance of energy spectra. The change in appearance seems to be associated with a buildup of phase correlations in the Fourier representation of the vorticity field. During this initial buildup, the energy spectrum seems to follow a k/sup -3/-law, but this behavior does not persist. If there is a power law for steady turbulence the results suggest that is more likely to be a k/sup -4/-law.
Spectral variations and Hadamard products: Some problems

Abstract Many perturbation problems in matrix theory are related to three matrix minimization problems involving Hadamard products. Possible solutions to the problems are conjectured. The problems, if solved, may imply significant advances in eigenvalue, generalized eigenvalue variations, and perhaps in other aspects in matrix theory, too.
Novel Polymerizable Surfactants with pH-Sensitive Amphiphilicity and Cell Membrane Disruption for Efficient siRNA Delivery

Small interfering RNA (siRNA) is a promising new therapeutic modality that can specifically silence disease-related genes. The main challenge for successful clinical development of therapeutic siRNA is the lack of efficient delivery systems. In this study, we have designed and synthesized a small library of novel multifunctional siRNA carriers, polymerizable surfactants with pH-sensitive amphiphilicity based on the hypothesis that pH-sensitive amphiphilicity and environmentally sensitive siRNA release can result in efficient siRNA delivery. The polymerizable surfactants comprise a protonatable amino head group, two cysteine residues, and two lipophilic tails. The surfactants demonstrated pH-sensitive amphiphilic hemolytic activity or cell membrane disruption with rat red blood cells. Most of the surfactants resulted in low hemolysis at pH 7.4 and high hemolysis at reduced pH (6.5 and 5.4). The pH-sensitive cell membrane disruption can facilitate endosomal-lysosomal escape of siRNA delivery systems at the endosomal-lysosomal pH. The surfactants formed compact nanoparticles (160-260 nm) with siRNA at N/P ratios of 8 and 10 via charge complexation with the amino head group, lipophilic condensation, and autoxidative polymerization of dithiols. The siRNA complexes with the surfactants demonstrated low cytotoxicity. The cellular siRNA delivery efficiency and RNAi activity of the surfactants correlated well with their pH-sensitive amphiphilic cell membrane disruption. The surfactants mediated 40-88% silencing of luciferase expression with 100 nM siRNA and 35-75% with 20 nM siRNA in U87-luc cells. Some of the surfactants resulted in similar or higher gene silencing efficiency than TransFast. EHCO with no hemolytic activity at pH 7.4 and 6.5 and high hemolytic activity at pH 5.4 resulted in the best siRNA delivery efficiency. The polymerizable surfactants with pH-sensitive amphiphilicity are promising for efficient siRNA delivery.
Ice cloud microphysics, radiative transfer and large-scale cloud processes

Parameterization programs for cloud microphyscs and radiative transfer involving ice clouds have been developed in terms of the mean effective size and ice water path. The mean effective size appears to be adequate in representing the ice crystal size distribution for radiative parameterizations. For a given ice water path, smaller mean effective sizes reflect more solar radiation, emit more IR radiation and enhance net radiative heating/cooling at the cloud top and bottom than larger sizes. The presence of small ice crystals may generate steeper lapse rates in clouds. A 3-D global cloud model that prescribes the horizontal wind fields in a 24 hour period is used to investigate the sensitivity of the mean effective size of ice crystals on the simulation of radiative heating, temperature, cloud cover and ice water content. A variation in the mean effective size from 75 to 50 μm in a 24 hour prediction on simulation generates more cooling above the high cloud top and a decrease of temperature. These results lead to an increase of high cloud cover in some latitudes by as much as 4% and, at the same time, a decrease of middle cloud cover by 3–4% in latitudes between 60°S and 60°N.
Glacial‐interglacial modulation of eastern tropical North Pacific denitrification over the last 1.8‐Myr

[1] A 1.8 Myr-long δ15N record from the California margin provides the first continuous record of denitrification in the Eastern Tropical North Pacific (ETNP) over the entire Pleistocene epoch. Comparison of the nitrogen isotopic time series with proxies for ice volume, sea surface temperature (SST), and biological productivity place variations in the intensity of the denitrification zone in the context of global and regional climatic changes. Throughout the Pleistocene, ETNP denitrification remained linked to glacial-interglacial climate cycles. The pacing of denitrification cycles switched from 41-kyr in the mid- to early Pleistocene to 100-kyr in the late Pleistocene, in tandem with the well-known frequency shift identified from ice volume records. It therefore appears that denitrification remained an integral component of the marine feedbacks to orbital forcing, and through its effect on the nitrate inventory of the ocean might have played a role in driving atmospheric CO2 cycles throughout the Pleistocene.
Climate change vulnerability of forest biodiversity: climate and competition tracking of demographic rates

Forest responses to climate change will depend on demographic impacts in the context of competition. Current models used to predict species responses, termed climate envelope models (CEMs), are controversial, because (i) calibration and prediction are based on correlations in space (CIS) between species abundance and climate, rather than responses to climate change over time (COT), and (ii) they omit competition. To determine the relative importance of COT, CIS, and competition for light, we applied a longitudinal analysis of 27 000 individual trees over 6–18 years subjected to experimental and natural variation in risk factors. Sensitivities and climate and resource tracking identify which species are vulnerable to these risk factors and in what ways. Results show that responses to COT differ from those predicted based on CIS. The most important impact is the effect of spring temperature on fecundity, rather than any input variable on growth or survival. Of secondary importance is growing season moisture. Species in the genera Pinus, Ulmus, Magnolia, and Fagus are particularly vulnerable to climate variation. However, the effect of competition on growth and mortality risk exceeds the effects of climate variation in space or time for most species. Because sensitivities to COT and competition are larger than CIS, current models miss the most important effects. By directly comparing sensitivity to climate in time and space, together with competition, the approach identifies which species are sensitive to climate change and why, including the heretofore overlooked impact on fecundity.
Rural adult literacy in a community context: From the margin to the mainstream

Legislation over the past two decades has shaped the dominant view of adult literacy as addressing gaps in well-defined, measurable skills. As rural communities face unprecedented challenges, this one-size-fits-all view of adult literacy does not consider the unique local context of rural communities or involve those communities in defining their own needs and goals.
Glycosyl Phosphatidylinositol-Anchored Ceruloplasmin Is Expressed by Rat Sertoli Cells and Is Concentrated in Detergent-Insoluble Membrane Fractions

The copper-binding protein, ceruloplasmin, is both a serum component and a secretory product of Sertoli cells. Studies on serum ceruloplasmin have demonstrated it to be a ferroxidase that is essential for iron transport throughout the body. We report here that a glycosyl phosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored form of ceruloplasmin is expressed by Sertoli cells. Sertoli cell GPI-anchored proteins were selectively released by phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C and were analyzed by Western blotting. A 135-kDa band was identified as ceruloplasmin by multiple antibody recognition and by amino acid sequence analysis. The presence of the GPI anchor on ceruloplasmin was confirmed by Triton X-114 phase partitioning experiments and by recognition with an antibody to the GPI anchor. GPI-anchored ceruloplasmin was enriched in detergent-insoluble glycolipid-enriched membrane microdomains (DIGs) of Sertoli cells. This is the first report of GPI-anchored ceruloplasmin in Sertoli cells and the first study of GPI-anchored ceruloplasmin in DIGs. We suggest that GPI-anchored ceruloplasmin may be the dominant form expressed by Sertoli cells and that Sertoli cell DIGs may play a role in iron metabolism within the seminiferous tubule.