cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rubén Darío, lo fantástico y la Revolución Mexicana

En los ultimos anos de su vida, el poeta nicaraguense Ruben Dario volvio a trabajar el cuento fantastico porque el genero ofrecia la mejor expresion narrativa a la confusion y la incredulidad que estaba viviendo. En septiembre de 1910 Dario hizo su unica visita a Mexico, que estaba entonces en visperas de la gran Revolucion que derrocaria a la dictadura de Porfirio Diaz, la cual habia controlado al pais por treinta y cuatro anos. La experiencia de estar en medio de una gran agitacion social, como un invitado de honor y, sin embargo, no habersele permitido ascender a la capital, fue probablemente una inspiracion para su penultimo cuento, “Huitzilopoxtli: leyenda mexicana” (1977a).
A New Efficient Signature Technique for Process Monitoring in Critical Systems

A new simple, inexpensive and time/space efficient signature technique for process monitoring is presented. In this technique, signatures are accumulated to form an m-out-of-n code and the corresponding locations in the memory are tagged. During the run-time, the generated signatures at the tagged locations are monitored using a simple hardware to determine whether they form m-out-of-n codes. This approach offers flexible error latency and high coverage. Results of an experiment conducted to verify the latency are presented. The main advantage of our approach is the requirement of no reference signatures unlike existing techniques leading to both memory and run-time execution time savings. The flexible latency and the low cost hardware will make this technique suitable for critical applications where quick detection of errors is deemed important.
Dopaminergic and peptidergic sensory innervation of the rat carotid body: organization and development.

Despite widespread interest in the neural control of respiration, cellular and molecular mechanisms that mediate afferent transmission from peripheral chemoreceptors to brainstem respiratory neurons remain poorly understood. Recent studies, however, implicate specific classes of neuroactive substances as mediators and modulators of the hypoxic ventilatory response at the level of the primary afferent fibers that innervate the carotid body. This chapter focuses on expression and development of transmitter properties in carotid body afferent neurons located in the sensory ganglia of the glossopharyngeal nerve. These cells are the afferent link between the carotid body and brainstem and therefore play a pivotal role in translating hypoxic stimulation into an effective cardiorespiratory response.
Biology of Acid-Base Transport in Distal Urinary Epithelia

The biology of acid-base transport in distal urinary epithelia is reviewed under four headings: 1) The major function of urinary acidification is based in a intercalated cells or carbonic anhydrase cells. The a cells secrete H+ into the urinary compartment by means of a vacuolar H+-ATPase located at the apical cell membrane. Structure-function studies reveal that the number of pumps in an apical membrane position varies with acid-base conditions via a mechanism of exocytosis and endocytosis. The basolateral membrane of the a cell contains Cl-HCO3 exchangers, which closely resemble the red cell band 3 protein, and parallel conductive Cl channels. The high transport rates achieved by α cells appear to be a function of the efficient packing of H+-ATPase molecules in the apical membrane. 2) The function of bicarbonate secretion is confined to a small population of β intercalated cells and is less well understood. β cell function is observed in turtle urinary bladder and in the cortical segments of the mammalian collecting duct. The apical membrane of the β cell contains a Cl-HCO3 exchanger that differs from the basolateral one of the α cell. Transport is driven by a basolateral H+-ATPase. 3) The sodium transporting cells of the distal nephron usually contain basolateral Na/H antiporters involved in the regulation of intracellular pH. In some segments an apical Na/H antiporter may contribute to vectorial H+ secretion. 4) Overall acid-base transport in the distal nephron is a complex function of the geometry of the transporting systems and the availability of proton acceptors.
An Ex Vivo Fermentation Screening Platform to Study Drug Metabolism by Human Gut Microbiota

Colon microbiota-based drug metabolism has received little attention thus far in the process of drug development, whereas the role of gut microbiota in clinical safety and efficacy of drugs has become more clear. Many of these studies have been performed using animal studies, but the translational value of these data with respect to drug pharmacokinetics, efficacy, and safety is largely unknown. To investigate human colon microbiota-mediated drug metabolism, we applied a recently developed ex vivo fermentation screening platform, in which human colonic microbiota conditions are simulated. A set of 12 drugs (omeprazole, simvastatin, metronidazole, risperidone, sulfinpyrazone, sulindac, levodopa, dapsone, nizatidine, sulfasalazine, zonisamide, and acetaminophen) was incubated with human colon microbiota under strictly anaerobic conditions, and samples were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatograph-UV-high-resolution mass spectrometry analysis. The human microbiota in the fermentation assay consisted of bacterial genera regularly encountered in human colon and fecal samples and could be reproducibly cultured in independent experiments over time. In addition, fully anaerobic culture conditions could be maintained for 24 hours of incubation. Five out of the 12 included drugs (sulfasalazine, sulfinpyrazone, sulindac, nizatidine, and risperidone) showed microbiota-based biotransformation after 24 hours of incubation in the ex vivo fermentation assay. We demonstrated that drug metabolites formed by microbial metabolism can be detected in a qualitative manner and that the data are in accordance with those reported earlier for in vivo metabolism. In conclusion, we present a research tool to investigate human colon microbiota-based drug metabolism that may be applied to enable translatability of microbiota-based drug metabolism. © 2018 by The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.
Mitotic activity in noninvasive papillary urothelial carcinoma: its value in predicting tumor recurrence and comparison with the contemporary 2-tier grading system.

Summary Measures of mitotic activity predict behavior of noninvasive papillary urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder, but it is unclear what role these should have in tumor grading. In this article, we compare measures of mitotic activity to contemporary tumor grading, specifically in their association with recurrence of noninvasive papillary urothelial carcinoma. The study uses a retrospective cohort of 199 tumors from 124 patients. Mitotic activity was treated as a categorical variable (mitotic-inert, mitotic-low, or mitotic-high). Evaluating only first-occurrence tumors, recurrence was more frequent in mitotic-high (hazard ratio [HR], 8.8; P
A direct effect of the autonomic nervous system on somatic stem cell proliferation

Regulation of somatic stem cell proliferation is critical for the maintenance of tissue and organ function throughout the body. Modulators of this process include nutrients and peptides, but the ro...
Abstract 294: Changes in the U.S. Burden of Cardiovascular Mortality by Unique Weighting Methodologies

Objective: Currently, disease mortality and burden rates are standardized to the 2000 U.S. Standard Population. This standard population represents an age distribution that may not be reflective of...
Evaluation of h-index and its qualitative and quantitative variants in Neuroscience

In the scientific community, different parameters such as, publications, citations, h-index and different variants of h-index are being used to rank the authors. Authors ranking assists in various objectives, including scientific domain expert’s selection and subsequently utilizing their services for different purposes. It can also be used in ranking institutions, selecting journal’s editors, tenure appointments and awarding promotions. There is a need to nominate the best performing index that can rank the authors in a best possible way. All of the existing parameters are either examined on fictional case scenarios or on insufficient datasets belonging to different fields, due to which it is hard to figure out the comparative performance of each index. In order to strongly validate the performance of each individual index these indices should be examined on the large size dataset. This research focuses attention on the evaluation of h-index and some of its variants, both quantitative and qualitative for ranking authors. All these indices are evaluated on a large size dataset belonging to the field of Neuroscience. To evaluate the results of these indices award winners of five different Neuroscience societies are considered as a benchmark. This study will be helpful in distinguishing more dominant authors based on the evaluation results of these quantitative and qualitative indices. In order to evaluate the results obtained from these indices, firstly the correlation among the indices is calculated. Most of the indices such as h-index, hg-index, R-index and m-quotient have strong correlation among them. However, the correlation of f-index with all other indices is weak, which indicates that ranking achieved by the f-index is not similar to others. Secondly the occurrence of award winners in ranked list of each index is calculated and contribution of each index in bringing awardees in top position is checked. None of the index brought 100% of awardees in top positions of the ranking. In quantitative indices hg-index brought maximum 52% awardees in top 10% of its ranked list. While in qualitative indices R-index validated itself as a best performing index by ranking 52% awardees in top 10% of its ranked list. Moreover, it is analyzed that most of the award winners belonging to the SfN (Society for Neuroscience) and CNS (Cognitive Neuroscience Society) lies on the top positions of ranked lists obtained from h-index and hg-index which specify that there might be a relationship between SfN, NAS and the h and hg-indices.
Misappropriation-Based Trademark Liability in Comparative Perspective

This chapter for the Cambridge Handbook on Comparative and International Trademark Law compares the doctrinal strategies deployed by the European Union and United States to serving the anti-misappropriation impulse in trademark law. While the EU's enforcement regime openly embraces anti-misappropriation norms, the ostensible American antipathy to such reasoning finds its expression in the muddled American doctrines of dilution by blurring and post-sale confusion. I show how such doctrines conceal misappropriation-based outcomes under a hodgepodge of weak consumer-psychology-based rationales. I further show how this doctrinal smokescreen does violence to other important American trademark doctrines, such as the first-sale doctrine and the law of contributory liability.
Using Implementation Science to Enact Specific Ethical Norms: The Case of Code Status Policy.

In their article, “The ‘Ought-Is Problem:’ An Implementation Science Framework for Translating Ethical Norms into Practice,” Sisk et al. (2020) correctly draw a distinction between aspirational nor...
The Perfect Storm: A Case of Ischemic Stroke in the Setting of Thyroid Storm.

Mortality in thyroid storm, without appropriate treatment, can rise as high as 100%. Thyroid storm coexisting with ischemic stroke is a rare presentation that further increases the risk of mortality. Early recognition and appropriate management are critical to the prevention of mortality and morbidity. Here, we review the case of a 63-year-old male presenting with new neurological deficits who was found to have thyroid storm; appropriate management of the co-existing conditions are also reviewed.
Unleashing the Fourteenth Amendment

Do Justice Anthony Kennedy’s opinions in the gay rights cases of Romer v. Evans, Lawrence v. Texas, United States v. Windsor, and Obergefell v. Hodges have any impact on the future of Fourteenth Amendment jurisprudence beyond rights for gays, lesbians, and transgender persons? We don’t know. It is possible these cases will simply remain siloed in their unique legal and cultural niche, but viewing them through the lens of 150 years of Fourteenth Amendment jurisprudence suggests they may signal a shift in due process and equal protection analysis. This shift could open the doors for challenging discriminatory laws under a more robust rational basis analysis than that which is generally employed under the traditional tiered-scrutiny structure.
Shear strength measurements and hydrostatic compression of rhenium diboride under high pressures

Shear strength measurements have been carried out on rhenium diboride, ReB2, to a pressure of 74 GPa using a Radial X-ray Diffraction (R-XRD) technique in a diamond anvil cell using platinum as an internal x-ray pressure standard. The R-XRD result has provided a unique insight into the deformation of hexagonal crystal lattice under non-hydrostatic compression and variation of shear strength with increasing pressure. From R-XRD data, we have estimated hydrostatic component of compression to determine an equation of state of rhenium diboride yielding a bulk modulus of K0 = 366 ± 25 GPa with a pressure derivative K 0 ′ = 4.3 ± 0.5 in good agreement with hydrostatic density functional theory calculations. The average lower bound of shear strength (τ) from various diffraction planes was then calculated using the measured interplanar d-spacing (dm) and hydrostatic component of d-spacing (dp) to be shown to approach 6.7 ± 0.4 GPa at 70 GPa. Our results show that the anisotropic compression effects observed in ReB2 under hydrostatic compression are correlated to electronic structure changes under compression as predicted by theoretical calculations.
Ion exchange solid phase microextraction coupled to liquid chromatography/laminar flow tandem mass spectrometry for the determination of perfluoroalkyl substances in water samples.

Abstract Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are toxic and bioaccumulative compounds that are persistent in the environment due to their water and heat resistant properties. These compounds have been demonstrated to be ubiquitous in the environment, being found in water, soil, air and various biological matrices. The determination of PFAS at ultra-trace levels is thus critical to assess the extent of contamination in a particular matrix. In this work, solid phase microextraction (SPME) was evaluated as a pre-concentration technique to aid the quantitation of this class of pollutants below the EPA established advisory limits in drinking water at parts-per-trillion levels. Four model PFAS with varying physicochemical properties, namely hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (GenX), perfluoro-1- butanesulfonate (PFBS), perfluoro-n-octanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluoro-1-octanesulfonate (PFOS) were studied as a proof of concept. Analysis was performed with the use of ultra-high pressure liquid chromatography-laminar flow tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). This study proposes the use of hydrophilic-lipophilic balance-weak anion-exchange/polyacrylonitrile (HLB-WAX/PAN) as a SPME coating, ideal for all model analytes. A sample volume of 1.5 mL was used for analysis, the optimized protocol including 20 min extraction, 20 min desorption and 6 min LC/MS analysis. This method achieved LOQs of 2.5 ng L− 1 (PFOS) and 1 ng L − 1 (GenX, PFBS and PFOA) with satisfactory precision and accuracy values evaluated over a period of 5 days.
Parent Experiences with an Urban Nurse-Supervised Community Health Worker Asthma Home-Visiting Program

Background The objective was to identify helpful components of an urban nurse-supervised community health worker asthma home-visiting program, obtain feedback from parents and families, and receive suggestions for new services that the program could provide. This study also examines the needs of specialized subpopulations, such as parents of children with asthma and ADHD, or other comorbid behavioral or emotional diagnoses, to better serve these populations. Methods Likert scale ratings and semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with parents who were selected from a …
A video game based hand grip system for measuring muscle force in children

While new therapies are continuously introduced to treat muscular dystrophy, current assessment tests are challenging to quantify, cannot be used in non-ambulatory patients, or can de-motivate pediatric patients. We developed a simple, engaging, upper-limb assessment tool that measures muscle strength and fatigue in children, including children with muscular dystrophy. The device is a bio-feedback grip sensor that motivates children to complete maximal and fatiguing grip protocols through a game-based interface. To determine if the new system provided the same maximum grip force as what is reported in the literature, data was collected from 311 participants without muscle disease (186 M, 125 F), ages 6 to 30, each of whom played the four minute grip game once. We compared maximum voluntary contraction at the start of the test to normative values reported in the literature using Welch’s unequal variances t-tests. In addition, we collected data on a small number of participants with muscle disease to determine if the assessment system could be used by the target patient population. Of the 311 participants without muscle disease that started the test, all but one completed the game. The maximum voluntary contraction data, when categorized by age, matched literature values for hand grip force within an acceptable range. Grip forced increased with age and differed by gender, and most participants exhibited fatigue during the game, including a degradation in tracking ability as the game progressed. Of the 13 participants with muscle disease, all but one completed the game. The study demonstrated the technical feasibility and validity of the new hand grip device, and indicated that the device can be used to assess muscle force and fatigue in longitudinal studies of children with muscular dystrophy.
Risk factors in delayed postoperative hematuria after transurethral prostatectomy: The role of preoperative leukocytosis and preliminary antibiotic treatment

Background: We aim to find out the risk factors of delayed postoperative hematuria and the role of preliminary antibiotic treatment in patients receiving transurethral resection of prostate or laser prostatectomy. Materials and Methods: The study consisted of 713 patients undergoing surgical intervention for benign prostatic hyperplasia at a single medical center from January 2016 to December 2016. Severe delayed postoperative hematuria was defined as hematuria requiring an emergency department visit or a surgical intervention within 30 days after operation. Variables of interest included age, body mass index, preoperative status of urinary catheter, prostate volume, preoperative diagnosis of pyuria, preliminary antibiotic treatment, duration of operation, type of operation, and use of antiplatelet agents or 5 alpha reductase inhibitors. Results: Six hundred and twenty-three of the 713 patients had available data of preoperative transrectal ultrasonography a year before their operation. Delayed postoperative hematuria occurred in 41 patients within 30 days after operation. No statistical significance was found between the different types of operation. Multivariate analysis revealed that the odds of delayed postoperative hematuria increased with preoperative serum prothrombin time (PT) (odds ratio [OR] 1.49, 1.03–1.87), serum white blood cell (WBC) count (OR 1.26 1.05–1.50), serum creatinine (OR 1.59, 1.01–2.50); decreased with preliminary antibiotic treatment (OR 0.26 0.09–0.77). Conclusion: Higher preoperative serum PT, WBC count, and creatinine were associated with higher risk of delayed postoperative hematuria, while preliminary antibiotic treatment was associated with lower risk of delayed postoperative hematuria.
CEOs and Presidents

This Article deciphers a long-standing paradigm of power — the President as CEO — and offers an original and better legal understanding of executive governance. This Article presents the first sustained, comparative study of CEOs and presidents, the theoretical ties that bind them in the popular imagination of law and society, and the practical truths that sever their bonds in the real world of politics and business. It argues that this overused but understudied construct of law and society illuminates these two chief executives, but also obscures and distorts them with dangerous consequences. This Article suggests that in better understanding the laws and powers of those who lead and govern, we can learn better ways to be led and governed, as shareholders and citizens alike.This Article begins with a normative and historical analysis that challenges conventional comprehensions of the President as CEO paradigm. It then charts the parallel promises and perils of power shared by CEOs and presidents. Drawing from constitutional law, corporate law, and organizational theory, it explains how promises of unity, accountability, and effectiveness converge with perils of capture, deference, overconfidence, and aggrandizement. Next, this Article highlights critical divergences between CEOs and presidents in connection with their elections, objectives, and constituents. Because of these divergences, it argues that popular movements to conflate presidents and democracy with CEOs and corporations can undermine American democracy and American corporations. Instead of quixotic conflations, this Article calls for deeper comparative examinations of these chief executives as a way to unlock new insights into corporate democracy, corporate purpose, government privatization, and executive power.
What Derzhavin Heard When Pushkin Read "Vospominaniia v Tsarskom Sele" in 1815

It is a well-known fact, and has become part of the myth and cult of Aleksandr Pushkin as Russia's greatest poet, that Derzhavin proclaimed the adolescent Pushkin as his successor in 1815 upon hearing the poem "Vospominaniia v Tsarskom Sele" (1814) at the graduation (from the lower to upper classes) of the Tsarskoe Tselo Lyceum. That Derzhavin subsequently considered Pushkin Russia's greatest poet is confirmed by his comments to his friend S.T. Aksakov in 1815, the year before he died: "Soon a second Derzhavin will appear to the world: this is Pushkin, who still at the Lyceum has surpassed all our writers." What did Derzhavin hear? A very ambivalent and ironic, yet great tribute to his own past achievements.
Alteration of Higher Order Structure of Rat Liver Chromatin by Dietary Composition

The higher order structure of rat liver chromatin from nuclei of animals fed stock or semi-synthetic diets for 5 days was investigated by a specific enzymatic probe, micrococcal nuclease (EC 3.1.4.7). Micrococcal nuclease digests 50% of DNA in eukaryotic chromatin into acid-soluble nucleotides while 50% of the DNA is resistant to digestion because of associated nucleoproteins. This selective digestion of DNA reflects higher orders of structure of the universal chromatin subunit, the nucleosome, found in lower eukaryotes, plants and animals. When rats were fed a commercial stock diet, 50.3% of the DNA in liver chromatin was digested by micrococcal nuclease. However, when rats were fed various semi-synthetic diets, the amount of DNA susceptible to micrococcal nuclease digestion varied as a function of diet (P less than 0.0001). Differences in the amount of DNA susceptible to micrococcal nuclease ranged from 71.4% for chromatin of rats fed a high carbohydrate/fat-free diet to 38.8% for chromatin of those fed a low carbohydrate/protein-free diet. DNA fragments generated by brief micrococcal nuclease digestion were analyzed by electrophoresis on 2.5% polyacrylamide--0.5% agarose gels. Chromatin from rats fed the high carbohydrate/fat-free diet was more rapidly digested to the monomer nucleosomin-free diet. To our knowledge, these diet-induced alterations in the higher order structure of chromatin are the first to be reported as occurring by in vivo modulation.
A Technique for Producing Large Dual-Layer Pellets in Support of Disruption Mitigation Experiments

A special single-shot pellet injection system that produces and accelerates large cryogenic pellets (~16mm diameter and composed of D2 or Ne) to relatively high speeds (>300 and 600 m/s, respective...
On the Convergence of Global Rational Approximants forStochastic Discrete Event Systems

Difficulties often arise in analyzing stochastic discrete event systems due to the so-called ’’curse of dimensionality‘‘. A typical example is the computation of some integer-parameterized functions, where the integer parameter represents the system size or dimension. Rational approximation approach has been introduced to tackle this type of computational complexity. The underline idea is to develop rational approximants with increasing orders which converge to the values of the systems. Various examples demonstrated the effectiveness of the approach. In this paper we investigate the convergence and convergence rates of the rational approximants. First, a convergence rate of order O(1/\sqrt{n}) is obtained for the so-called Type-1 rational approximant sequence. Secondly, we establish conditions under which the sequence of[n/n] Type-2 rational approximants has a convergence rate of order O(n^{\alpha}e^{-\beta\sqrt{n}}).
COGNITIVE PROCESSES AND EMOTION REGULATION IN DEPRESSION

Sustained negative affect and diminished positive affect are hallmark features of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Difficulties in emotion regulation have been proposed to be at the core of these cardinal symptoms of MDD. It remains unclear, however, what underlies emotion regulation difficulties. Cognitive theories of depression have focused on cognitive processes and recent studies suggest that cognitive biases and deficits in cognitive control may help explain affective symptoms of this disorder. Specifically, it is proposed that cognitive biases and deficits affect emotion regulation ability thereby setting the stage for maintained negative affect and diminished levels of positive affect. The article reviews empirical studies that speak to these links and closes with a discussion of novel treatment approaches that are inspired by these ideas.
γδ T Cells Respond Directly to Pathogen-Associated Molecular Patterns

γδ T cells recognize unprocessed or non-peptide Ags, respond rapidly to infection, and localize to mucosal surfaces. We have hypothesized that the innate functions of γδ T cells may be more similar to those of cells of the myeloid lineage than to other T cells. To begin to test this assumption, we have analyzed the direct response of cultured human and peripheral blood bovine γδ T cells to pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) in the absence of APCs using microarray, real-time RT-PCR, proteome array, and chemotaxis assays. Our results indicate that purified γδ T cells respond directly to PAMPs by increasing expression of chemokine and activation-related genes. The response was distinct from that to known γδ T cell Ags and different from the response of myeloid cells to PAMPs. In addition, we have analyzed the expression of a variety of PAMP receptors in γδ T cells. Freshly purified bovine γδ T cells responded more robustly to PAMPs than did cultured human cells and expressed measurable mRNA encoding a variety of PAMP receptors. Our results suggest that rapid response to PAMPs through the expression of PAMP receptors may be another innate role of γδ T cells.
Analytical model reduction of large scale linear dynamic systems

A class of dynamic model approximation techniques based on a frequency domain Taylor series expansion is presented. These methods yield low-order models and are analytical rather than computational in nature; that is, one can retain important parameters (which may be time varying) from the original model in functional form in the low-order model. This feature is very attractive for on-line updating of the simplified model and subsequent control of the process. An example for a tenth-order original model has shown that the analytical low-order models provide excellent approximations to the step response of the original system.
The Role of Attributional Explanatory Style in the Perceived Outcomes of Entrepreneurial Venture Failure

Abstract The study tests the application of combining attribution theory and the explanatory style models of Abramson, Seligman and Teasdale(1978) and Weiner (1979, 1986) to entrepreneurial situations, specifically venture failure. Data support the conclusion that attributional explanatory style does relate to the perceived outcomes of a failed venture, specifically, the four areas of risk identified by Liles (1974) as being influenced by the entrepreneurial startup—financial well-being, career opportunities, family relations, and self-esteem. Because of the possible difficulty in abstracting singular causal relationship concerning attribution, overall explanatory style may be more influential for how individuals interpret events and behaviors and make causal explanations for answering why things happen. In this study, an overall explanatory style of external, unstable, specific, and uncontrollable attributions was associated with more positive perceived outcomes related to all the four areas of risk in t...
Physical and chemical characteristics of wood ash

Abstract Chemical and physical properties are important in the development of processes for the disposal and utilization of wood ash. Ash yield was seen to decrease by approximately 45% as the combustion temperature increased from 538 to 1093°C. Potassium, sodium, zinc and carbonate content decreased with temperature, whereas other metal ions remained constant or increased. Wood ash leachate contained 92% hydroxide and 8% carbonate. The rate of ash leaching was rapid in an orbital shaker, and approximately 60% of the total potassium and sodium dissolved. The total dissolved solids increased by 500% as the pH decreased from 13 to 5. The ash had an average particle size of 230 μm. Scanning electron micrographs showed large porous carbon particles and inorganic particles which reacted with water to form clusters of rosettes. X-ray diffraction patterns suggested that calcium silicate hydrate may be responsible for some of the swelling that occurs when ash and water react.
Environmental education research news

It appears that Harvey’s mediating definition and structural model have in fact subsumed the substance of earlier definitions and models; it also appears that no definitions or models proposed since the completion of his work in 1976 are at variance. The same might also be said about Lucas’ in, about, and for analysis, and to Johnson’s definitional study. But these works do clearly lie ‘mostly unattended by professionals’ (Hungerfordet al., 1983). The basic problem apparently is one of communication—either those concerned are not aware of what each other are saying, or they choose not to acknowledge, discuss, or debate it, for what they must assume are sufficient reasons. A number of apparently viable definitions and models have been advanced; Harvey has provided an analysis of most, and proposed a middle ground. A basis for resolution exists.
Terrestrial Planet Finder coronagraph

This paper and oral presentation will describe the technology studies, the testbeds, and the architecture studies that will enhance the understanding and viability of a Terrestrial Planet Finder Coronagraph. Topics to be described fall in two categories: technology development and coronagraph mission design. The focus of the paper will be explanation of the tasks, their organization and current status.
Probable optical counterpart of a Gamma-ray burster

Sixteen million seconds, or over a half year, of optical monitoring of three Gamma-ray burst positions using the Harvard College Observatory collection of archival plates are described. The probable optical counterpart of the November 19, 1978 Gamma-ray burster has been discovered on a blue emulsion plate exposed in 1928. Optical searches indicate that the absolute magnitude of the Gamma-ray burst system at quiescence is fainter than 13, and a recurrence rate of about 10 to the -7.5/sec is found from Gamma-ray and optical data. Such a high recurrence rate precludes any model which uses a collision between a neutron star and an asteroid-like body, as well as any model requiring accretion from the interstellar matter onto a neutron star.
Vaccines for Cancer Prevention: A Practical and Feasible Approach to the Cancer Epidemic

Concerted efforts of tumor immunologists over more than two decades contributed numerous well-defined tumor antigens, many of which were promptly developed into cancer vaccines and tested in animal models and in clinical trials. Encouraging results from animal models were seldom recapitulated in clinical trials. The impediment to greater success of these vaccines has been their exclusive use for cancer therapy. What clinical trials primarily revealed were the numerous ways in which cancer and/or standard treatments for cancer could suppress the patient's immune system, making it very difficult to elicit effective immunity with therapeutic vaccines. In contrast, there is an extensive database of information from experiments in appropriate animal models showing that prophylactic vaccination is highly effective and safe. There are also studies that show that healthy people have immune responses against antigens expressed on tumors, some generated in response to viral infections and others in response to various nonmalignant acute inflammatory events. These immune responses do not appear to be dangerous and do not cause autoimmunity. Epidemiology studies have shown that these immune responses may reduce cancer risk significantly. Vaccines based on tumor antigens that are expressed differentially between tumors and normal cells and can stimulate immunity, and for which safety and efficacy have been proved in animal models and to the extent possible in therapeutic clinical trials, should be considered prime candidates for prophylactic cancer vaccines. Cancer Immunol Res; 2(8); 708–13. ©2014 AACR .
Combinatorial Synthesis and Modification of Functional Porphyrin Libraries: Identification of New, Amphipathic Motifs for Biomolecule Binding

Journal of Combinatorial Chemistry is published by the American Chemical Society. 1155 Sixteenth Street N.W., Washington, DC 20036 Report Combinatorial Synthesis and Modification of Functional Porphyrin Libraries: Identification of New, Amphipathic Motifs for Biomolecule Binding Charles Michael Drain, Xianchang Gong, Vanessa Ruta, Clifford E. Soll, and Philippe F. Chicoineau J. Comb. Chem., 1999, 1 (4), 286-290• DOI: 10.1021/cc990011s • Publication Date (Web): 08 June 1999 Downloaded from http://pubs.acs.org on March 23, 2009
Hydrothermal solubility of uraninite

The solubility of UO2 has been measured at temperatures from 100° to 300°C under 50 MPa H2 in water solutions of HCl, NaOH, or LiOH at calculated pH values from 1 to 10. Fluoride contamination invalidated results in the pH range 2 to 4 and is probably responsible for a solubility maximum observed near pH = 3. At pH < 2, solubilities at 200°C and below agree, within combined experimental error, with measurements by Nikolaeva and Pirozkhov (1978) and Brunoet al. (1986a), and fall well within the range selected for amorphous and crystalline UO2 by Woler (1983). pH dependence suggests predominance of UOH3+. Solubilities in alkaline media are much lower than measured or estimated by previous investigators at all temperatures, suggesting that the U(OH)−5 complex is very weak or non-existent and does not contribute to solubility significantly at any pH < 10. There are no published measurements of the solubility of UO2 in the neutral pH range at subcritical temperatures. Existing thermodynamic data for the expected hydroxo complexes, U(OH)4−nn (n = 2, 3, 4), are estimated (Woler, 1983; Lemire and Tremaine, 1980; Langmuir, 1978). When pH = 4 to 8, our measured solubilities are up to three orders of magnitude lower than calculated on the basis of the estimated thermodynamic data for temperatures exceeding 200°C, and up to two orders higher than predicted at lower temperatures. Temperature and pH dependence are statistically insignificant in the experimental results for all pH4, suggesting predominance of the single species U(OH)4(aq), and the dissolution reaction. UO2 + 2H2O = U(OH)4(aq) for which, at all temperatures from 100° to 300°C, log (Ks4) = −9.47 ± 0.3.
The isolation of corticosterone metabolites from the urine of normal men.

Abstract The isolation of pregnane-3α,11β, 21-triol-20-one (“tetrahydrocorticosterone”), allopregnane-3α, 11β, 21-triol-20-one (“allotetrahydrocorticosterone”), and Δ4-pregnene-21-ol-3,11,20-trione (“11-dehydrocorticosterone”) from urines of normal men is described. Allopregnane 3α, 21-diol-11, 20-dione (tetrahydro-11-dehydrocorticosterone) has been tentatively identified. All four compounds have previously been identified in urine extracts of individuals receiving corticotropin. A tabulation of some of the mobilities in several chromatographic systems of the “major” α-ketolic substances found in the urine of normal subjects is presented. The methods are presented in detail.
Trading Dollars for Dollars: The Price of Attention Online and Offline †

Abstract Popular accounts suggest that advertising revenue per unit of consumer attention is lower online than offline, and has fallen in traditional media as the Internet has made advertising mark...
Anomalous diffusion in a lattice-gas wind-tree model

On etudie deux nouveaux modeles de gaz sur reseau strictement deterministes deduits du modele d'arbre vent d'Ehrenfest. Tandis que dans un modele une diffusion normale intervient, l'autre modele met en evidence une diffusion anormale du fait que la fonction de distribution des deplacements de la particule du vent n'est pas gaussienne; cependant son second moment est proportionnel au temps ce qui permet de definir un coefficient de diffusion. On discute d'une connection avec le probleme de percolation et une marche aleatoire d'auto-evitement pour le cas dans lequel le reseau est completement couvert avec des arbres
Using the TOP500 to trace and project technology and architecture trends

The TOP500 is a treasure trove of information on the leading edge of high performance computing. It was used in the 2008 DARPA Exascale technology report to isolate out the effects of architecture and technology on high performance computing, and lay the groundwork to project how current systems might mature through the coming years. Two particular classes of architectures were identified: "heavy-weight" (based on high end commodity microprocessors) and "lightweight," (primarily BlueGene variants), and projections made on performance, concurrency, memory capacity, and power. This paper updates those projections, and adds a third class of "heterogeneous" architectures (leveraging the emerging class of GPU-like chips) to the mix.
Electronic Media in the Foreign Language and Literature Classroom: A Fusion between Science and the Humanities

One of the major concerns facing the foreign language and literature teaching profession today is how to integrate new technological advances into instruction. This paper first presents an overview of some of the most recent electronic media programs being developed (e.g., hypertext and interactive video) and discusses the theoretical bases for their adoption in the classroom. It then examines issues involved in their implementation. The authors argue in favor of the latest educational applications of these computer-driven materials. They contend that technology can play an important instructional role in the humanities classroom and urge foreign language and literature instructors to adopt an open and optimistic stance regarding the new electronic media
Heteronuclear refocusing by nonlinear phase and amplitude modulation on a single transmitter channel

Abstract The application of low magnetic fields to heteronuclear NMR has expanded recently alongside the emergence of methods for achieving near unity polarization of spin ensembles, independent of magnetic field strength. The parahydrogen induced hyperpolarization methods in particular, often use a hybrid arrangement where a high field spectrometer is used to detect or image polarized molecules that have been conjured on a separate, dedicated polarizer instrument operating at fields in the mT regime where yields are higher. For controlling polarizer chemistry, spare TTL channels of portable NMR spectrometers can be used to pulse program reaction timings in synchrony with heteronuclear RF transformations. The use of a spectrometer as a portable polarizer control module has the advantage of allowing detection in situ, simplifying the process of optimizing polarization yields prior to in vivo experimental trials. Suitable heteronuclear spectrometers compatible with this application are becoming more common, but are still sparsely available in comparison to a large existing infrastructure of single channel NMR consoles. With the goal of expanding the range of these systems to multinuclear applications, the feasibility of rotating a pair of heteronuclear spins (13C and 1H) at 12 mT was investigated in this study. Nonlinear phase and amplitude modulated waveforms designed to simultaneously refocus magnetization at 128 kHz (13C) and 510 kHz (1H) were generated numerically with optimal control. Although precise quantitative comparisons were not attempted due to limitations of the experimental setup, signals refocused at heteronuclear frequencies with this PANORAMIC approach (Precession And Nutation for Observing Rotation At Multiple Intervals about the Carrier) yielded amplitudes comparable to signals which were refocused using traditional block pulses on heteronuclear channels. Using this PANORAMIC approach to heteronuclear NMR at low field would reduce expense as well as hardware complexity and bulk, weighed against the caveat that elaborate pulses are required. More work will be necessary to test this method on the targeted application of parahydrogen induced hyperpolarization as well as to quantify efficiency, but upon further development we anticipate that this method may offer a viable ‘software’ approach to heteronuclear manipulations of spins at low magnetic fields.
Drought stress and fluctuating asymmetry in Quercus undulata leaves: Confounding effects of absolute and relative amounts of stress?

Abstract One of the most general types of stress experienced by plants is water-limitation, which becomes particularly pronounced during periods of drought. We evaluated fluctuating asymmetry (FA) in Quercus undulata leaves for two subsequent dry years: 2001, when precipitation was 25% below average, and 2002, when precipitation was 65% below average, from a plot receiving ambient water and one in which water was excluded. In the first and less severe drought year, ambient-water trees had a slightly higher index of FA than the water-exclusion trees, contrary to expectations. However, in the second and much more extreme drought year, water-exclusion trees exhibited greater FA as expected, but in additional observations water-supplement trees exhibited by far the greatest amount of FA, contrary to expected. Further data on plant water potential confirmed that degree of plant stress corresponded to plot treatments: water exclusion>ambient water>water supplement. Stable carbon isotope ratios indicated that trees on the water-supplement plots were less stressed than ambient-water and water-exclusion trees, and leaf size was much greater for water-supplement trees than ambient-water or water-exclusion trees. We hypothesize that the complexity of the results could be due to the confounding effects of relative vs. absolute stress.
Design requirements for ambient display that supports sustainable lifestyle

People are ready to change themselves to adopt more eco-friendly habits such as conserving electricity when they are aware of the possible problems of their lifestyle. In this sense, ambient display, which users experience occasionally without its interfering with their primary tasks, is well suited to provide the feedback of their personal activities in a more subtle manner than direct information presentation. We present the results of user studies with two ambient displays in different visualization styles. Participants showed diverse usage behaviors of ambient displays according to their motivational level of sustainable lifestyle. In addition, iconic metaphor of eco-visualization can trigger more emotional attachment while indexical representation helps retrospective functions. Finally, we suggest design requirements for ambient displays that support different stages of persuasion from raising awareness to motivating to change behaviors and to maintaining desired habits.
New insights into the mechanism of nickel insertion into carbon monoxide dehydrogenase: analysis of Rhodospirillum rubrum carbon monoxide dehydrogenase variants with substituted ligands to the [Fe3S4] portion of the active-site C-cluster

Carbon monoxide dehydrogenase (CODH) from Rhodospirillum rubrum catalyzes the oxidation of CO to CO2. A unique [NiFe4S4] cluster, known as the C-cluster, constitutes the active site of the enzyme. When grown in Ni-deficient medium R. rubrum accumulates a Ni-deficient apo form of CODH that is readily activated by Ni. It has been previously shown that activation of apo-CODH by Ni is a two-step process involving the rapid formation of an inactive apo-CODH•Ni complex prior to conversion to the active holo-CODH. We have generated CODH variants with substitutions in cysteine residues involved in the coordination of the [Fe3S4] portion of the C-cluster. Analysis of the variants suggests that the cysteine residues at positions 338, 451, and 481 are important for CO oxidation activity catalyzed by CODH but not for Ni binding to the C-cluster. C451S CODH is the only new variant that retains residual CO oxidation activity. Comparison of the kinetics and pH dependence of Ni activation of the apo forms of wild-type, C451S, and C531A CODH allowed us to develop a model for Ni insertion into the C-cluster of CODH in which Ni reversibly binds to the C-cluster and subsequently coordinates Cys531 in the rate-determining step.
Testing of Hypotheses for Distributions in Accelerated Life Tests

Abstract In this paper we consider the problem of inference from accelerated life tests in which a common parametric family of life distributions at the different stress levels is not specified in advance. By assuming a time transformation function, which is a version of the familiar inverse power law, we give a procedure for testing hypotheses that the unknown distributions are specified members of a location-scale family. The behavior of the test procedure is indicated by some simulations. We illustrate the methodology with some real-life data.
Phosphorylation of the N‐terminal domain of Xenopus TATA‐box binding protein by DNA‐dependent protein kinase depends on the C‐terminal core domain

DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) has been shown to phosphorylate several transcription factors in vitro, suggesting that this nuclear enzyme — in addition to its role in DNA repair and recombination — may be involved in transcriptional regulation. In the typical mechanism the DNA-bound kinase phosphorylates a substrate that is bound to the same DNA molecule. Here I report that the Xenopus TATA-box binding protein (xTBP) is hyperphosphorylated by DNA-PK in vitro. The phosphorylation is in the N-terminal domain of the protein but depends fully on the presence of the C-terminal core domain.