cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of pressure on the absorption spectra of alkali halide phosphors

Abstract The effect of pressure (over 150,000 atm) has been measured on the spectra of twenty-six alkali halide phosphors, including nine doped with Tl+, two doped with In+, twelve doped with Pb++, two doped with Cu++ and one doped with Bi+++. vmax for the T1+ doped phosphors depends very strongly on the crystal structure and very little, if any, on the halide ion involved, which is consistent with the Seitz model. The In+ doped phosphors behave like the Tl+ analogs. For the Pb++ phosphors, the shift of vmax depends very strongly on the halide ion, and only incidentally on the lattice structure. This is consistent with the complex model.
Membrane Association of Active Plasmid Partitioning Protein A in Escherichia coli

QsopA and SopA, proteins essential for stable maintenance of low copy number plasmids and encoded on plasmid QpH1 ofCoxiella burnetii and the F plasmid of Escherichia coli, respectively, are shown to be membrane associated using three independent approaches: isolation of hybrid protein A-PhoA proteins that display PhoA (bacterial alkaline phosphatase) activity indicating a periplasmic location, biochemical fractionation by flotation gradient centrifugation, and subcellular localization by immunoelectron microscopy. These data provide insight into the mechanism by which partitioning protein A spatially directs plasmids into daughter cells at bacterial division.
A pilot study to determine the potential application of the pressure specified sensory device in the maxillofacial region

Abstract This pilot study was carried out at the Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital in Taiwan. In order to evaluate this instrument, One-point static (IPDS) cutaneous pressure thresholds were estimated in the perioral region utilizing a hand-held pressure specified sensory device (PSSD). ∗ Pressure specified two point discrimination (2PDS) could not be estimated due to the extreme sensitivity of the lip. Normative data were collected from 50 adults and a small, further group of 10 persons evaluated on two separate occasions to determine the likely chance of reproducibility and reliability. The normal range for 1PDS as determined using a hand-held technique, lay between 0.01 g/mm2 and 0.08 g/mm2. These results are up to 200 × lower than previously reported by other authors when estimated with Semmes-Weinstein nylon monofilaments. The results obtained suggest that sensitivity may not decline with advancing years, that the upper lip is more sensitive than the lower lip and that there may be a difference in the appreciation of sensation across the mid-line. Re-examination of the smaller group of subjects established values within 0.01 g/mm2 at 82% of points, 0.02 g/mm2 at 90% of points and 0.03 g/mm2 at 100% of points. The results achieved, although highly operator dependent and difficult to reproduce, reflect the exquisite sensitivity of the lip. The instrument, which was designed for assessment of hand sensation, would benefit from modification if its enormous potential as a research tool in the maxillofacial region is to be maximized. Despite a steep operator learning curve the PSSD may well prove itself to be an invaluable clinical tool and this instrument is worthy of further study within individual units.
Gravity surveys in the northwestern United States

This report summarizes the Princeton gravity program in the northwestern United States and lists areas being studied in Washington by Z. F. Danes, University of Puget Sound. For a more complete list of gravity surveys and progress in this region the reader should consult the work reported by the U. S. Geological Survey [Hill 1965; Oliver, 1965], the University of Wisconsin [Woollard and Rose, 1963], and the University of Oregon [Berg et al., 1965]. Over 6000 gravity stations have been observed since the Princeton program was initiated in 1955. The goal of the program is to provide reconnaissance gravity data for a study of gravity anomalies and tectonic features of the northwest. The prominent gravity high in the Snake River Plain was found and reported early in the program [Bonini and Lavin, 1957]. Further reports have been made on the progress of this study [Lavin and Bonini, 1957; Biehler and Bonini, 1958; Steinhart et al., 1961; Bonini, 1963].
Integrated information management: an interactive, extensible architecture for information retrieval

Most current IR research is focused on specific technologies, such as filtering, classification, entity extraction, question answering, etc. There is relatively little research on merging multiple technologies into sophisticated applications, due in part to the high cost of integrating independently-developed text processing modules.
Gold and iridium in meteorites and some selected rocks

Abstract Gold and iridium abundances in stony meteorites and various meteoritic and terrestrial materials have been determined by the technique of neutron activation. Gold abundances in chondrites reported here and by Baedecker and Ehmann (1965) are in generally good agreement with published data of other workers. Compilation of all available gold data yields the following group averages (in units of 10 −9 g/g) : C1-140, C2-177,C3-184, Enstatite-322, H-group-228, L-group-162, LL-group-167. Iridium data were obtained by use of an improved radiochemical separation technique and also a non-destructive technique employing gamma-gamma coincidence spectrometry. Evidence is presented that some earlier iridium determinations via radiochemical separations may be subject to significant analytical error. Iridium concentrations for the various chondrite groups as determined by the non-destructive coincidence technique of this work are (in units of 10 −9 g/g): Cl-490, C2-608, C3-645, Enstatite-618, H-group-781, L-group-453, LL-group-371. The significance of the meteorite data to the life history of these objects is discussed, with particular reference to the metal-silicate fractionation process during the formation of the chondrites.
Theory of resonance optical rotation

Abstract The theory of optical rotation has been derived by means of the quantum theory of the radiation field with special emphasis on the case where the frequency of the rotated light is in the vicinity of an absorption frequency of the sample that is being studied. It is concluded that for certain frequency ranges optical rotation is not a physically meaningful concept.
Changes in stomatal density in rice grown under various CO2 regimes with natural solar irradiance

Abstract Rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. IR-30), grown from seed under natural solar irradiance, was exposed to CO2 concentrations ranging from 160 to 900 μl CO2/l air from 9 days after planting until senescence. Stomatal density was determined from leaf impressions at two growth stages: on leaf number 7 (31 days after planting), and on flag leaves (104 days after planting). Increasing CO2 concentrations resulted in a rise in stomatal density of leaves at both growth stages. The effect was greatest on the flag leaves, which exhibited a 54% increase in abaxial stomatal density (from 550 to 810 stomata/mm2) at 500 as compared with 160 μl CO2/l. Stomatal density increased with increasing CO2 up to 330 μl CO2/l; enrichment above this level resulted in no further significant increase in stomatal density. For both leaf ages, the abaxial stomatal density was more influenced by increases in CO2 than the adaxial surface. The increase in stomatal density was largely the result of a rise in the number of stomata per row, although on the abaxial surface more rows across the leaf also contributed to the response. Flag leaf area was not significantly different among the CO2 treatments, so the number of stomata per leaf followed similar trends to the stomatal density. This indicated the CO2 effect was on stomatal, rather than leaf area, development. The response of stomatal density to rising CO2 seems to be a species-dependent phenomenon, that varies with leaf surface and CO2 range utilized.
Composition and function of the eukaryotic N-terminal acetyltransferase subunits

Saccharomyces cerevisiae contains three N-terminal acetyltransferases (NATs), NatA, NatB, and NatC, composed of the following catalytic and auxiliary subunits: Ard1p and Nat1p (NatA); Nat3p and Mdm20p (NatB); and Mak3p, Mak10, and Mak31p (NatC). The overall patterns of N-terminally acetylated proteins and NAT orthologous genes suggest that yeast and higher eukaryotes have similar systems for N-terminal acetylation. The differential expression of certain NAT subunits during development or in carcinomas of higher eukaryotes suggests that the NATs are more highly expressed in cells undergoing rapid protein synthesis. Although Mak3p is functionally the same in yeast and plants, findings with TE2 (a human Ard1p ortholog) and Tbdn100 (a mouse Nat1p ortholog) suggest that certain of the NAT subunits may have functions other than their role in NATs or that these orthologs are not functionally equivalent. Thus, the vertebrate NATs remain to be definitively identified, and, furthermore, it remains to be seen if any of the yeast NATs contribute to other functions.
Metabolism of cholesterol-4-14C in Nicotiana plants

Abstract Cholesterol-4-14C was supplied to intact Nicotiana tabacum L. Maryland Robinson plants through the stem by wick feeding. After 24 or 56 hr, translocation and metabolism of cholesterol were found to take place. A higher recovery of supplied compound was observed in 24 hr than in 56 hr. Interconversion among cholesterol, campesterol and stigmasterol appeared to take place in Nicotiana plants.
Expert power, referent power, and charisma: Toward the resolution of a theoretical debate

Though emerging from qualitatively different leadership paradigms, House's (1977) conceptualization of charisma and French and Raven's (1968) personal power bases intuitively appear to represent similar leader characteristics. The present investigation examined the distinction among these constructs using ratings of leaders obtained from 142 state government employees. Structural equations analysis with LISREL VII showed support that: (1) charisma is an empirically distinct construct than referent and expert power; and (2) charisma uniquely contributes to the prediction of subordinates' attitudes above and beyond referent and expert power. Implications of the findings and suggestions for future research are addressed.
Specificity and reactivity of human granulocyte elastase and cathepsin G, porcine pancreatic elastase, bovine chymotrypsin and trypsin toward inhibition with sulfonyl fluorides.

Abstract Human granulocyte elastase (EC 3.4.21.11) and cathepsin G (EC 3.4.21.20), porcine pancreatic elastase (EC 3.4.4.7), and bovine chymotrypsin-A α (EC 3.4.4.3) and trypsin (EC 3.4.4.4) are inhibited by aryl and alkyl sulfonyl fluorides at different rates. The 26 000-fold variance in inhibition rates reflects the intrinsic reactivity and specificity differences of these closely related serine proteases. Human granulocyte elastase is inhibited more rapidly than porcine pancreatic elastase by all of the sulfonyl flourides studied. In contrast, human cathepsin G. reacts more slowly with the series of sulfonyl flourides than does bovine chymotrypsin-A α . Trypsin is the least reactive of the five enzymes, reflecting its relatively more stringent specificity requirements. Reagents such as CH 3 SO 2 F, 4-CH 3 C 6 H 4 SO 2 F, 3-CH 3 COC 6 H 4 SO 2 F and 2-NH 2 C 6 H 4 SO 2 F exhibit little or no selectivity toward the five enzymes studied. On the other hand, phenylmethane sulfonyl fluoride shows a range of reactivity of 137-fold toward the various proteases and is most reactive with bovine chymotrypsin-A α . The peptide sulfonyl fluoride 2-(Ac-Ala-Ala-NHN(CH 3 )CONH)C 6 H 4 SO 2 F had a reactivity range of 41, with granulocyte elastase being inhibited most rapidly. Although none of the sulfonyl fluorides are completely specific, the examples reported in this paper show that structural changes have considerable potential for increasing both the selectivity of sulfonylating agents toward various serine proteases and their reactivities.
Treating PTSD in the presence of multiple comorbid disorders: The case of Howard

This paper integrates the comments of Otto (2000) , Bufka (2000) , and Riggs (2000) on the case of Howard ( Kimble, 2000 ), a 51-year-old Vietnam veteran who presented with multiple comorbid psychiatric concerns. This summary conceptualization outlines themes that were common among all three case commentaries and emphasizes issues related to comorbidity. Common themes include the importance of patient preparation for treatment, the necessity for initial and ongoing functional assessments, the value of utilizing patient strengths, the significance of acknowledging the interplay among symptoms, and the advantages of multidisciplinary treatment. All three case commentaries were cautiously optimistic that change could be implemented even in this complicated and chronic case.
A layered aquifer model of atoll island hydrology: Validation of a computer simulation

Abstract The finite-element model FEMWATER was used to simulate groundwater movement in the two-dimensional vertical plane of an atoll island section. The model island had dimensions consistent with Enjebi Island (Enewetak Atoll), a surficial (Holocene) aquifer to a depth of 15m with hydraulic conductivity = 6.9 × 10−4 ms−1, overlying a (Plio-Pleistocene) aquifer with K = 6.9 × 10−2 ms−1. A tidally varying water level was applied to the ocean and lagoon boundaries, and the model was run until pseudo steady-state conditions were achieved in the groundwater variations. Hydraulic head contours in the vertical section demonstrate that water motion under the supratidal portion of the island is almost exclusively vertical. Calculated water table tidal lags and efficiencies are in excellent agreement with measured values from shallow wells on Enjebi Island, confirming the validity of the layered aquifer model and the approximate magnitudes of the hydraulic conductivities. Model results near island margins can be interpreted to explain other features of hydrologic field data from atoll islands. The results emphasize the potential importance of tidal effects and vertical water flow on reef island groundwater systems, and cast doubt on the utility of traditional models using the Dupuit assumptions of essentially horizontal flow.
How "LEADING QUIETLY" OFFERS REALISTIC HELP WITH THE DIFFICULT, IMPORTANT HUMAN PROBLEMS

Looking at leadership with a wide-angle lens shows that men and women who do not fit the traditional heroic mold are, daily, successfully solving important organizational, ethical, and practical problems—and contributing to a better world. Such quiet leaders operate from a realistic, not cynical, world view based on four guiding principles: You don't know everything; you will be surprised; keep an eye on the insiders; and trust, but cut the cards. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Attosecond physics: An easier route to high harmony

The generation of ultrashort light pulses by atomic ionization and recombination doesn't come cheap. But by niftily exploiting the play of light on a nanostructured surface, it can be done on a table-top.
New gas chromatographic-electron-capture detection method for the determination of atmospheric aldehydes and ketones based on cartridge sampling and derivatization with 2,4,6-trichlorophenylhydrazine

Abstract The derivatizing reagent 2,4,6-trichlorophenylhydrazine (TCPH) was applied for the first time to the determination of atmospheric aldehydes and ketones using gas chromatography (GC) with electron-capture detection. TCPH is volatile enough to be used with GC without the problems of thermal decomposition or complex procedures associated with other derivatives such as 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine. Small cartridges packed with octadecyl silica impregnated with TCPH had collection efficiencies greater than 99% for all carbonyls tested, except for acetaldehyde and propionaldehyde which had collection efficiencies of 80 and 94%, respectively. TCPH requires only 6 min at 100°C for complete reaction with low-molecular-mass carbonyls in the absence of an acid catalyst. Detection limits were determined by the blank and were 0.1 ppb (v / v) for formaldehyde in a 10-1 sample and much lower (typically 0.02–0.03 ppb, v / v) for many other carbonyls. As with other cartridge methods, a negative interference from ozone at 300 ppb (v / v) was found for the reagent and positive interferences were found for several other carbonyls. These interferences were eliminated through the use of sodium thiosulfate as an ozone scavenger.
Faux-floor development system for personnel detection using signal scavenging sensors

Motivated by the need to detect motion in elderly people, resulting in falls, we have developed a low cost sensor system using aluminum foil as the sensor of static electricity and electromagnetic energy. But to make this a system we need to amplify the data and use it by displaying the motion or activity of a person. We constructed a faux floor development board to provide an initial pilot test of the idea of using stray electric energy, or as we call it signal scavenging. The foils are placed on the faux floor (in this case a 1 m X 1 m wooden surface) allowing foil excitation from the motion of a test subject. The faux floor is a useful tool allowing testing of different foils, analog and digital electronics circuits and different carpeting. Importantly, even though the system supported a small number of foil sensors its performance characteristics clearly show the excellent detection capability of the system. Testing the timing characteristics resulted in reading the 4 sensors in 3.11 msec, indicating that for even a large system of a few hundred sensors we can poll the foils in sufficient time to detect the motion of people. Our data show true positive rates of 98% and false positive and false negative rates of 2%, a high detection rate. Using the development board has provided much helpful information on the use of signal scavenging for personnel detection.
Synthetic lethality: exploiting the addiction of cancer to DNA repair

Because cancer at its origin must acquire permanent genomic mutations, it is by definition a disease of DNA repair. Yet for cancer cells to replicate their DNA and divide, which is the fundamental phenotype of cancer, multiple DNA repair pathways are required. This produces a paradox for the cancer cell, where its origin is at the same time its weakness. To overcome this difficulty, a cancer cell often becomes addicted to DNA repair pathways other than the one that led to its initial mutability. The best example of this is in breast or ovarian cancers with mutated BRCA1 or 2, essential components of a repair pathway for repairing DNA double-strand breaks. Because replicating DNA requires repair of DNA double-strand breaks, these cancers have become reliant on another DNA repair component, PARP1, for replication fork progression. The inhibition of PARP1 in these cells results in catastrophic double-strand breaks during replication, and ultimately cell death. The exploitation of the addiction of cancer cells to a DNA repair pathway is based on synthetic lethality and has wide applicability to the treatment of many types of malignancies, including those of hematologic origin. There is a large number of novel compounds in clinical trials that use this mechanism for their antineoplastic activity, making synthetic lethality one of the most important new concepts in recent drug development.
Auraptenol, a coumarin compound in bitter (Seville) orange oil

Abstract 7-Methoxy-8-(2-hydroxy-3-methyl-3-butenyl)-coumarin has been isolated from bitter orange oil and named auraptenol. NMR spectra together with IR spectra and analytical data are presented as evidence of its constitution.
Where thought belongs An anthropological critique of the project of philosophy

Adorno, Arendt, Badiou, Derrida, Heidegger and Rorty have variously called for radically new conceptions of philosophy, but none has made a case for turning from the historical and genealogical past to the anthropological present. Taking the view that thought cannot escape the impress of a thinker’s immediate situation, this article invokes the phenomenological notions of lifeworld and lebensphilosophie to explore the social spaces where thought arises and transpires. Beginning with Hannah Arendt’s conception of thinking as grounded in the vita activa rather than the vita contemplativa, it is suggested that ethnographic method provides a compelling way of realizing her vision of thought as inextricably political and tied to events — expressions of the power relations between human subjects, and between private and public realms.
The bone marrow biopsy, osteoscan, and peripheral blood in non‐hematopoietic cancer

Bone marrow biopsies were obtained from the iliac crests of 101 male patients with unresectable cancers of non-hematopoietic origin. Tumor cells were identified in 31% of the biopsies. Bone scintophotography studies were performed on 67 patients with positive or suspicious scans reported in 67%. Abnormal peripheral blood smears were encountered in 51% of 100 patients. Histologically established marrow metastases associated with a positive osteoscan and an abnormal peripheral smear occurred in 8% of the patients. The association of either one of the latter two with a positive histologic specimen was observed in about one-half of the patients. The significance of these associations is discussed.
An empirical analysis of common stock call exercise: A note

Abstract This study tests the hypothesis that common stock call options are exercised rationally and in accordance with the commonly used frictionless markets boundary conditions. Using two years of historical early exercise data for common stock call options, the results show that contrary to the frictionless markets boundary conditions, approximately 20 percent of the early call exercise occurs at times other than ex-dividend dates. While most of the non-dividend related early exercise may be explained by transactions costs, a significant number of contracts appear to be exercised irrationally. These results suggest that failure to incorporate market frictions in option pricing models is likely to lead to specification error.
The Polarizing Influence of Fragmented Media: Lessons From Howard Dean

This article argues that digital media, by fragmenting people into ideologically homogeneous interest groups, polarizes society. Further, this polarization risks the transformation of agonistic political engagement into antagonistic ideological combat. As evidence of this danger, the authors examine the case of Howard Dean's 2004 presidential primary blogs. In these blogs, a rhetorical vision emerges of a dramatic fight between Dean's heroic supporters and the villainous Republicans, media elite, and Democratic challengers. Examples from Barack Obama's 2008 campaign blogs are offered as a counterpoint to the antagonism found in Dean's blogs. The authors argue that the type of political drama evident in the Dean blogs invite antagonism that undermines cross-group cooperation and thus weakens democratic culture.
Vaccinating the inflammatory bowel disease patient: deficiencies in gastroenterologists knowledge.

Background: Current therapy for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients often involves agents that suppress the immune system, placing patients at an increased risk for developing infections, of which several are potentially vaccine preventable. Many IBD patients are not being vaccinated appropriately. The aims of this study were to assess gastroenterologist's knowledge regarding vaccinating the IBD patient, eliciting the barriers that prevent vaccinations, and defining the gastroenterologist's role in vaccinations. Methods: One thousand gastroenterologists, randomly selected from the membership of the American College of Gastroenterology, were asked to complete a 19 question electronic survey regarding the suitable vaccines for the immunocompetent and immunosuppressed IBD patient and the barriers to recommending the vaccines. The perceived role of the gastroenterologist versus the primary care physician (PCP) was also assessed. Results: In all, 108 responses were analyzed; 68 (62%) gastroenterologists managed 40+ IBD patients, with 65 (52%) asking their patients about immunization history most or all of the time. The majority believed that the PCP should determine which vaccinations to give (64%) and to administer the vaccines (83%). Overall, 66%–88% of gastroenterologists correctly recommended the inactivated vaccines for their IBD patients not on immunosuppressive therapies while 20%–30% incorrectly recommended administering the live vaccines to their immunosuppressed patients. Conclusions: Gastroenterologist knowledge of the appropriate immunizations to recommend to the IBD patient is poor and may be the primary reason why the majority of gastroenterologists believe that the PCP should be responsible for vaccinations. Educational programs on vaccinations directed to gastroenterologists who prescribe immunosuppressive agents are needed. (Inflamm Bowel Dis 2011)
Implementation of sliding mode control using the concept of perturbation

This work presents further improvements on a class of non-linear robust motion controllers, namely Sliding Mode Control (SMC) and Sliding Mode Control with Perturbation Estimation (SMCPE). Typically, the SMC methodology requires a priori knowledge of the uncertainty upper bounds for the system dynamics. It may be a difficult task to accomplish, and sometimes even impossible, due to the complexity in identifying the individual dynamic uncertainties. This work utilizes a perturbation analysis to remedy this hardship. SMCPE, on the other hand, requires the upper bounds of perturbation estimation errors, instead of the uncertainties themselves. We present an enhancement on this process also, by evaluating these bounds based on the given hardware limitations at hand. The contributions of this work appear at two points: (a) new guidelines to obtain uncertainty knowledge, (b) new feedback gain selection strategy to assure robustness without being overly conservative. All critical steps, such as robustness and stability, are rigorously proven. Practicality is the major objective in this new formulation. The claims are verified through experiments on a three-axes industrial manipulator. It is shown that the controller does not have to know more than the hardware specs of the sensory and actuation devices in order to assure robustness of the two control routines. This makes control design process much easier to complete.
Activation energies and hole transport in photochemically modified molecularly doped polymers

The activation energy for charge transport in molecularly doped polymer films containing p-diethylaminobenzaldehyde diphenylhydrazone (DEH) is measured before and after systematic UV irradiation. UV exposure has been shown to induce a photochemical reaction of the DEH molecule which dramatically reduces the molecule's capability to transport charge. Presumably, the reduction in mobility is associated with the substantial increase (above 1 eV) in the ionization potential of the DEH molecule after photocyclization. The increase in ionization potential effectively removes the photochemically modified molecule from the primary transport manifold. In previous work, we have demonstrated that systematic UV irradiation of molecularly doped polymer films containing DEH provides a novel approach for diluting the dopant concentration and effectively increasing the intersite separation between 'active' dopant molecules in situ. Furthermore, ab initio calculations suggest that the dipole moment of the photoproduct is significantly lower than that of the unconverted DEH molecule. We exploit this photochemical process to prove the hopping activation energy, (Delta) , in DEH doped polycarbonate films parametric in UV irradiation time. The principal observation of this work is that despite a systematic and substantial elimination of active hopping sites and despite the systematic increase in the population of lower dipole moment neighbors, the hopping activation energy for the DEH/polycarbonate system remains constant.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Solid-state solubility influences encapsulation and release of hydrophobic drugs from PLGA/PLA nanoparticles

Biodegradable nanoparticles formulated from poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) and polylactide (PLA) polymers are being extensively investigated for various drug delivery applications. In this study, we hypothesize that the solid-state solubility of hydrophobic drugs in polymers could influence their encapsulation and release from nanoparticles. Dexamethasone and flutamide were used as model hydrophobic drugs. A simple, semiquantitative method based on drug-polymer phase separation was developed to determine the solid-state drug-polymer solubility. Nanoparticles using PLGA/PLA polymers were formulated using an emulsion-solvent evaporation technique, and were characterized for size, drug loading, and in vitro release. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used to determine the physical state of the encapsulated drug. Results demonstrated that the solid-state drug-polymer solubility depends on the polymer composition, molecular weight, and end-functional groups (ester or carboxyl) in polymer chains. Higher solid-state drug-polymer solubility resulted in higher drug encapsulation in nanoparticles, but followed an inverse correlation with the percent cumulative drug released. The XRD and DSC analyses demonstrated that the drug encapsulated in nanoparticles was present in the form of a molecular dispersion (dissolved state) in the polymer, whereas in microparticles, the drug was present in both molecular dispersion and crystalline forms. In conclusion, the solid-state drug-polymer solubility affects the nanoparticle characteristics, and thus could be used as an important preformulation parameter.
Abundance, diversity and seasonality of fishes in Colorado Lagoon, Alamitos Bay, California

Abstract A total of 152 169 fishes from 23 species were caught in monthly beach seine hauls during 1973 in Colorado Lagoon, the small, Y-shaped, upper arm of Alamitos Bay in southern California. Four species, northern anchovy, topsmelt, slough anchovy and shiner surfperch, comprised 99% of the catch. Numbers of species and individuals were highest during the summer (May–September) and both were highly correlated with lagoon temperature which ranged from 12·8–25·0 °C. Juveniles of northern anchovy were extremely abundant in August and September. Seven species were collected in only one month and six of these only in one of the warmer months (June–August). Five species, topsmelt, shiner surfperch, California killifish, staghorn sculpin and slough anchovy, occurred in wide size ranges and during most or all of the year and were considered to be residents. Three diversity indices (Shannon-Wiener, evenness and richness) reflected the changes that occur in numbers of species and individuals during the year.
Implementing phicons: combining computer vision with infrared technology for interactive physical icons

This paper describes a novel physical icon [3] (“phicon”) based system that can be programmed to issue a range of commands about what the user wishes to do with handdrawn whiteboard content. Through the phicon's UI, a command to process whiteboard context is issued using infrared signaling in combination with image processing and a ceiling-mounted camera system. We leverage camera systems that are already used for capturing whiteboard content [4] by further augmenting these systems to detect the presence and location of IR beacons within an image. An HDLC-based protocol and a built-in IR transmitter are used to send these signals.
Tcf7l1 is required for spinal cord progenitor maintenance

Neural progenitor cells must be maintained during development in order to produce the full complement of neuronal and glial derivatives. While molecular pathways have been identified that inhibit progenitor differentiation, it is unclear whether the progenitor state itself is actively maintained. In this study we have investigated the role of Tcf7l1 (formerly named Tcf3) in maintaining spinal progenitor characteristics and allowing the continued production of neurons and glia following primary neurogenesis. We find that spinal cord progenitor markers are progressively lost in embryos lacking Tcf7l1, and that the number of proliferative progenitors decreases accordingly. Furthermore, we show that the production of both neuronal and glial secondary derivatives of the pMN progenitor pool requires Tcf7l1. Together, these results indicate that Tcf7l1 plays an important role in spinal cord progenitor maintenance, indicating that this core function is conserved throughout multiple epithelial cell populations.
Transcription supports age-related increases of GFAP gene expression in the male rat brain

During aging, rodent and human brains show progressive increases in the levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) mRNA and protein. The role of transcription was investigated by in situ hybridization, using an intron-containing cRNA probe as a measure of primary GFAP transcripts. We found parallel age-related increases in GFAP intron RNA in the hippocampus, internal capsule, and corpus callosum of 3 versus 24 month old male F344 rats. We conclude that increased transcription supports the age-related increase of GFAP mRNA and protein. GFAP is a unique example of a gene that shows increased expression during aging in contrast to the decreased transcription of certain genes reported in non-neural tissues.
Routing through the mist: privacy preserving communication in ubiquitous computing environments

Ubiquitous computing is poised to revolutionize the way we compute and interact with each other. However, unless privacy concerns are taken into account early in the design process, we will end up creating a very effective distributed surveillance system, which would be a dream come true for electronic stalkers and "big brothers". We present a protocol, which preserves the privacy of users and keeps their communication anonymous. In effect, we create a "mist" that conceals users from the system and other users. Yet, users will still be able to enjoy seamless interaction with services and other entities that wander within the ubiquitous computing environment.
Extractive Technologies and Civic Networks’ Fight for Sustainable Development:

This article describes the fight of transnational civic networks to influence business development strategies and counter the threats to environmental and labor rights posed by the construction and exploitation of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline in Transcaucasia. The article starts by discussing the role of civil society in the global struggle for sustainable development. Then a brief overview of the geopolitical significance of the Transcaucasian-Caspian region in today’s oil and gas markets is presented. The case study looks at how the actions of international and domestic nongovernmental organizations influenced the BTC’s main shareholder and operator company, British Petroleum, as well as host countries’ governments, to switch to more environmentally cognizant and socially responsive practices. The article discusses internationalization of civil society networks in response to the looming environmental crisis in the region, using the BTC case as an illustration. The article concludes by gen...
Soil degradation as a reason for inadequate human nutrition

Soil degradation affects human nutrition and health through its adverse impacts on quantity and quality of food production. Decline in crops’ yields and agronomic production exacerbate food-insecurity that currently affects 854 million people globally, and low concentration of protein and micronutrients (e.g., Zn, Fe, Se, B, I) aggravate malnutrition and hidden hunger that affects 3.7 billion people, especially children. Soil degradation reduces crop yields by increasing susceptibility to drought stress and elemental imbalance. Strategies include: improving water productivity, enhancing soil fertility and micronutrient availability, adopting no-till farming and conservation agriculture and adapting to climate change. There are also new innovations such as using remote sensing of plant nutritional stresses for targeted interventions, applying zeolites and nanoenhanced fertilizers and delivery systems, improving biological nitrogen fixation and mycorrhizal inoculation, conserving and recycling (e.g., waste water) water using drip/sub-drip irrigation etc. Judiciously managed and properly restored, world soils have the capacity to grow adequate and nutritious food for present and future populations.
DEVELOPMENTAL CHANGES IN CHILDREN'S REACTIONS TO ANGER IN THE HOME

Developmental trends in children's reactions to anger and affection between others in the home were examined. School-age children evidenced greater emotional self-control and more effective and planful strategies for attempting to alter the course of others' conflicts. Children's responses to anger appeared to be mediated by individual differences in emotionality, which evidenced continuity across settings and between age periods. However, there was evidence that experience could modify reaction patterns to anger. Boys become less likely than girls to react emotionally to affection as they got older, but otherwise there were no developmental changes in responding to affection. Continuity across settings in reacting to affection was also apparent, but there was no relationship between patterns of responding to anger and affection.
Friend or not to friend: Coworker Facebook friend requests as an application of communication privacy management theory

Given that Facebook.com is a social networking tool used by a diverse audience, this study employs Communication Privacy Management (CPM) theory as a framework to investigate how working professionals respond to co-worker Facebook friend requests. Overall, 312 individuals with full-time jobs and Facebook accounts completed an online survey. Results confirmed that most working professionals accepted co-worker Facebook friend requests. However, request decisions varied in conjunction with organizational privacy orientation, current Facebook privacy management practices, and co-worker communication satisfaction. Results confirm that working professionals' Facebook linkage choices with other co-workers are best understood when embedded within a framework which provides a more complete understanding of the functioning of their privacy rules. Future research examining working professionals' social media privacy management practices when individual privacy norms contradict organizational privacy norms is discussed.
Adaptive second-order Volterra filtered-X RLS algorithms with sequential and partial updates for nonlinear active noise control

In this paper, we propose adaptive second-order Volterra filtered-X recursive least square (RLS) algorithms using sequential and partial updates for nonlinear active noise control. Recent research advancement has demonstrated that nonlinear active control is feasible for applications where the noise to be controlled may be a nonlinear and deterministic noise process such as chaotic noise rather than a stochastic, or white or tonal noise process, and both primary and secondary paths in an active noise control (ANC) system may exhibit a nonlinear behavior. To accommodate nonlinear active noise control, the standard second-order Volterra filtered-X recursive least square (VFXRLS) or least mean square (VFXLMS) algorithms are usually applied. The second-order VFXRLS algorithm offers fast convergence performance but suffers a huge computational burden. On the other hand, the standard second-order VFXLMS algorithm requires less computational complexity but behaves at a slow convergence rate. The proposed second-order VFXRLS algorithms with sequential and partial updates could significantly reduce the computational complexity required by the standard second-order VFXRLS algorithm with a compromised performance.
Estrogen Rapidly Activates the PI3K/AKT Pathway and Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1 and Induces Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A Expression in Luminal Epithelial Cells of the Rat Uterus

We have previously shown that 17beta-estradiol (E(2)) increases vascular endothelial growth factor A (Vegfa) gene expression in the rat uterus, resulting in increased microvascular permeability, and that this involves the simultaneous recruitment of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF1) and estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1) to the Vegfa gene promoter. Both events require the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) pathway. However, those studies were carried out using whole uterine tissue, and while most evidence indicates that the likely site of E(2)-induced Vegfa expression is luminal epithelial (LE) cells, other studies have identified stromal cells as the site of that expression. To address this question, the pathway regulating Vegfa expression was reexamined using LE cells rapidly isolated after E(2) treatment. In addition, we further characterized the nature of the receptor through which E(2) triggers the signaling events that lead to Vegfa expression using the specific ESR1 antagonist ICI 182,780. In agreement with previous results in the whole uterus, E(2) stimulated Vegfa mRNA expression in LE cells, peaking at 1 h (4- to 14-fold) and returning to basal levels by 4 h. Treatment with E(2) also increased phosphorylation of AKT in LE cells, as well as of the downstream mediators FRAP1 (mTOR), GSK3B, and MDM2. The alpha subunit of HIF1 (HIF1A) was present in LE cells before E(2) treatment, was unchanged 1 h after E(2), but was >2-fold higher by 4 h. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis showed that HIF1A was recruited to the Vegfa promoter by 1 h and was absent again by 4 h. The E(2) activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway, HIF1A recruitment to the Vegfa promoter, and Vegfa expression were all blocked by ICI 182,780. In summary, the rapid E(2)-induced signaling events that lead to the expression of Vegfa observed previously using the whole uterus occur in LE cells and appear to be initiated via a membrane form of ESR1.
Three dimensional conformal treatment planning with multileaf collimators

Purpose : Three dimensional conformal radiation treatments are complex, often involving large numbers of blocked or multileaf collimated fields that shape regions of high dose to conform to the treatment volume. As manual definition and digitization of aperture shapes and their corresponding multileaf configurations can be impractically time consuming, it was necessary to integrate the planning of multileaf fields into an existing three dimensional treatment planning system and improve the efficiency of treatment delivery to make these treatments feasible on a routine basis. Methods and Materials : A subfunction of the Beam's Eye View (BEV) component can be used to automatically generate a continuous aperture shape with a margin around the tumor to account for beam penumbra, and excluding any normal structures to be spared (each with its own margin). To convert a continuous aperture shape into one defined by the multileaf collimator (MLC), a leaf coverage mode is chosen to determine how leaves are fitted to aperture shapes. The conversion process also considers parameters of the specific MLC system, e.g., leaf thickness and the number of leaves. If normal structures to be shielded split the target into multiple regions, more than one multileaf aperture can result. An interactive leaf adjustment routine is also provided to allow for modification of individual leaf positions. Dose calculation programs then take into account multileaf apertures for computation of dose distributions using a pencil beam convolution model. Finally, prescription files specifying leaf and jaw configurations are prepared in treatment machine specific formats and downloaded to the computers driving the multileaf collimators and other components of the treatment machines. Results and Conclusion : An example is presented of a prostate treatment plan, with MLC configurations, dose distributions, and treatment delivery description, along with discussion of clinical implementation at Memorial Hospital.
Experiments and Experiences in Liaison Activities: Lessons from New Librarians in Integrating Technology, Face-to-Face, and Follow-Up

As is the case in many university libraries, Albertsons Library at Boise State University, has hired many new librarians to replace retiring librarians. These newer librarians, typically with less than 3 years’ academic library experience, are actively engaged in meeting the opportunities and challenges of subject liaison responsibilities using innovative Web-based tools. This article addresses liaison experiences with faculty-directed blogs, personalized faculty research pages, a wiki-based liaison manual, and the use of LibraryThing as a collection development tool. An overview of these efforts confirms that new technologies are only as good as the face-to-face communication and the follow-up that accompany their implementation. Much of the content in this article was presented at the 2007 and 2008 Acquisitions Institute conferences at Timberline Lodge at Mt. Hood, Oregon.
Vitamin D therapy in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism and hypovitaminosis D

Objective: To determine whether vitamin D repletion of patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) and vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency (hypovitaminosis D) has deleterious clinical and/or biochemical effects. Design: Prospective audit of the effect of vitamin D repletion on biochemical data in 56 patients with PHPT. Patients were treated with 50 000 units of vitamin D 2 weekly for 8 weeks with biochemical measurements at 5 and 10 weeks, and subsequently after 12 weeks on 800 units of vitamin D 3 daily, and in those with hypovitaminosis D after 12 weeks of up to 100 000 units of vitamin D 2 monthly. Methods: Serum calcium, albumin, phosphorus, 25-OHD, intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) and urine calcium/creatinine (Ca/Cr) ratios were measured before and during vitamin D therapy. Results: Patients treated with 50 000 units of vitamin D 2 weekly for 8 weeks resulted in a significant increase in serum 25-OHD levels from 36.4 to 89.4 nmol/l at 5 weeks (P<0.0001) and 88.6 nmol/l at 10 weeks (P<0.0001). There were no significant changes in serum calcium. At 10 weeks, there was a non-significant decrease in serum PTH and in urine Ca/Cr ratios. None of the patients developed any calcium-related adverse events. Subsequently, patients with subnormal 25-OHD levels on 800 units of vitamin D daily were treated for the next 12 weeks with up to 100 000 units of vitamin D 2 monthly with normalization of serum 25-OHD in all but 4 patients. Conclusion: These data fail to demonstrate any adverse effects of vitamin D repletion in PHPT.