cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hydrology, Herbivory, and the Decline of Spartina patens (Aiton) Muhl. in Outer Cape Cod Salt Marshes (Massachusetts, U.S.A.)

Abstract SMITH, S.M.; MEDEIROS, K.C., and TYRRELL, M.C., 2012. Hydrology, herbivory, and the decline of Spartina patens (Aiton) Muhl. in outer Cape Cod salt marshes (Massachusetts, U.S.A.). Salt marsh dieback in different regions of the United States exhibits considerable variability in symptoms, processes, and theoretical or proven causes. On Cape Cod (Massachusetts), where losses within the low-marsh zone (elevations below mean high tide, dominated by smooth cordgrass [Spartina alterniflora Loisel.]) have been particularly severe, recent studies suggest that intense grazing pressure from increased abundances of a native, herbivorous, purple marsh crab (Sesarma reticulatum) is to blame. Low-marsh dieback is spatially heterogeneous because it is closely related to the distribution of the crabs' preferred substrate (peat vs. sand or mud). However, vegetation losses have also occurred in the high marsh, which is comprised of mainly saltmeadow cordgrass (Spartina patens [Aiton] Muhl). In contrast to the low ...
The future of private sector unions in the U.S.

As noted, the union movement’s significant decline during the last four decades is primarily a private sector phenomenon. Since the mid-1950s, the union density of private sector workers has dropped from more than a third to less than a tenth, in contrast to that found in government employment, which is now about 37 percent.
Large scale circulation of the North Pacific Ocean

Abstract A least squares inversion procedure is used to estimate the large scale cirulation and transport of the subtropical and subpolar North Pacific Ocean from a modern data set of long hydrographic transects. Initially a deep surface of known motion is specified using information derived from abyssal property distributions, moored current meter observations, and basin scale topographic constraints. A geostrophic solution is obtained which conserves mass while devaiting as little as possible in a least squares sense from the initial field. The sensitivity of the solution is tested with regard to changes in the initial field and to the addition of conservation constraints in layers. It is found that about 10 Sv of abyssal water flows northward across 24°N, principally between the dateline and 160°E, in the deepest part of the Northwest Pacific Basin. The flow turns westward across 152°E and then mostly northward again near the Izu-Ogasawara Ridge and the coast of Japan. It then feeds a strong deep anti-cyclonic recirculation beneath the cyclonic subpolar gyre in the Northwest Pacific Basin. The abyssal waters near the western boundary region are found to have a strong component of flow that is upward and across isopycnal surfaces. Here, the abyssal waters complete an important loop in the global thermohaline circulation, entering as bottom water from the South Pacific and returning southward in a less dense and shallower layer. Deep flow into the Northeast Pacific Basin, and circulation within that basin, appear to be weak, making it remote from the main pathway of deep water renewal. The circulation of the subtropical and subpolar gyres dominates transport in the upper layers. The subtropical gyre appears to penetrate to about 1500–2000 m on both sides of the Izu-Ogasawara Ridge, which blocks deeper flow between the Philippine Basin and the Northwest Pacific Basin. The Kuroshio is estimated to carry about 32 Sv northward in the East China Sea. Farther east, as the thermocline slopes upward toward the eastern boundary, the eastward flow is even shallower. In terms of eddy activity, three regimes are observed at 24°N. Peak-to-rough eddy fluctuations in geostrophically balanced sea level diminish from about 40 cm in the west to about 5 cm in the east. Overall, the western boudary of the ocean is about 25 cm higher than the eastern boundary in the 24°N section. Patterns of heat and freshwater flux determined in the North Pacific are in accord with those from air-sea heat flux estimates and hydrological data although the magnitudes are in some cases different. There is large heat loss in the western ocean amounting to about 9.6 × 10 14 W and modest heat gain elsewhere. Heat transport across 24°N is estimated to be 7.5 × 10 14 W. The subpolar ocean has a large excess of precipitation and runoff over evaporation, about 5.6 × 10 5 m 3 s −3 north of 35°N, while in the subtropics there is excess evaporation, about 2.7 × 10 5 m 3 s −1 between 24°N and 35°N.
Effects of intranasal zinc sulfate on open field and maternal behavior in female rats

Abstract Nulliparous white rats were injected intranasally (IN) or intraperitoneally (IP) with zinc sulfate (Zn) or were injected IN with saline or air, and were induced to show maternal behavior through continuous pup exposure begun 24 or 48 hr after treatment. ZnIN and ZnIP groups all showed declines in locomotor activity and rearing in an open field. ZnIN females sniffed less and groomed more often and for more total time than ZnIP or AIR females, effects attributed to nasal irritation and impaired olfaction. Declines in activity did not appear due to systemic absorption of zinc sulfate. Induction of maternal behavior was facilitated by ZnIN but not by ZnIP. Modifications of IN injection procedures were felt to have reduced post-treatment debilitation caused by accidental aspiration of zinc sulfate.
Applications of in situ detection with an auto-mated micro batch analyzer

Abstract A new batch-type microscale liquid-phase analyzer, called an automated micro batch analyzer (a.m.b.a.), is introduced. The reaction chamber, a 1500-μl capacity polypropylene microcentrifuge tube, is equipped with conductometric, potentiometric, fluorimetric and spectrophotometric sensors. The sample is loaded into a loop injector and blown into the reaction chamber by compressed gas. Various reagents are delivered to the chamber from pneumatically pressurized reservoirs equipped with inexpensive high-speed valves in the liquid-delivery lines. The valves are under microcomputer control and highly precise microliter aliquots can be delivered by controlling valve on-times. Examples illustrated include acid-base, precipitation and compleximetric titrations with the conductometric sensor; acid-base titrations with the potentiometric sensor; determination of hydrogen peroxide with the fluorimetric sensor; and acid-base titrations, studies of metal/ligand complexation, standrd addition, liquid-liquid extraction and distillation of volatile analytes with the spectrophotometric sensor.
Teratogen update: Lead and pregnancy

This review focuses on the impacts of lead exposure on reproductive health and outcomes. High levels of paternal lead exposure (>40 microg/dl or >25 microg/dl for a period of years) appear to reduce fertility and to increase the risks of spontaneous abortion and reduced fetal growth (preterm delivery, low birth weight). Maternal blood lead levels of approximately 10 microg/dl have been linked to increased risks of pregnancy hypertension, spontaneous abortion, and reduced offspring neurobehavioral development. Somewhat higher maternal lead levels have been linked to reduced fetal growth. Some studies suggest a link between increased parental lead exposure and congenital malformations, although considerable uncertainty remains regarding the specific malformations and the dose-response relationships. Common methodological weaknesses of studies include potential exposure misclassifications due to the frequent unavailability of exposure biomarker measurements at biologically appropriate times and uncertainty regarding the best exposure biomarker(s) for the various outcomes. A special concern with regard to the pregnant woman is the possibility that a fetus might be exposed to lead mobilized from bone stores as a result of pregnancy-related metabolic changes, making fetal lead exposure the result of exposure to exogenous lead during pregnancy and exposure to endogenous lead accumulated by the woman prior to pregnancy. By reducing bone resorption, increased calcium intake during the second half of pregnancy might reduce the mobilization of lead from bone compartments, even at low blood lead levels. Subgroups of women who incurred substantial exposures to lead prior to pregnancy should be considered to be at increased risk.
Basic fibroblast growth factor is synthesized in cultured retinal pigment epithelial cells

Cultured cells derived from bovine retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) express the basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) gene and they contain 3.7 and 7.0 kb bFGF gene transcripts which are translated into immunoreactive bFGF of Mr 17,500 and 18,000, respectively. The RPE cell-derived bFGF is bioactive, i.e., it can stimulate the proliferation of capillary endothelial cells and the stimulation of cell proliferation is blocked by anti-bFGF antibodies. We suggest that RPE cell-derived bFGF may be involved in the repair mechanisms following retinal injury and in the intravitreal pseudoneoplastic proliferation of the injured RPE.
Ear selection and pediatric cochlear implants : A preliminary examination of speech production outcomes

Consonants; Vowels; Outcomes; Left-ear; Right-ear; PCC; PVC; CSIM; BIT; Conversation; Children; GFTA-2 Summary Objective: The goal of the current study was to examine whether ear selection (left versus right) for cochlear implantation results in significant differences in speech production outcomes. Methods: Ten children with right-ear implants were compared to five children with left-ear implants on intelligibility of speech produced in single words, sentences, and conversation as well as on accuracy of speech sounds produced during administration of a single word articulation test and in conversational speech. Results: The children with right-ear implants performed significantly better than those with left-ear implants but only on the single word tasks. No significant differences were observed at the sentence or conversational speech levels. Conclusion: Findings are discussed relative to the possibility that the obtained ear of implantation differences (if real) may disappear over time. Such a conclusion is quite tentative however given the small sample size in the current study. Such a limitation may also explain why no differences were obtained for the connected speech measures. Further study of ear selection outcomes is clearly indicated. # 2008 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Modeling Early Epstein-Barr Virus Infection in Drosophila melanogaster: The BZLF1 Protein

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is the causative agent of infectious mononucleosis and is associated with several forms of cancer, including lymphomas and nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The EBV immediate-early protein BZLF1 functions as a transcriptional activator of EBV early gene expression and is essential for the viral transition between latent and lytic replication. In addition to its role in the EBV life cycle, BZLF1 (Z) also has profound effects upon the host cellular environment, including disruption of cell cycle regulation, signal transduction pathways, and transcription. In an effort to understand the nature of Z interactions with the host cellular environment, we have developed a Drosophila model of early EBV infection, where we have expressed Z in the Drosophila eye. Using this system, we have identified a highly conserved interaction between the Epstein-Barr virus Z protein and shaven, a Drosophila homolog of the human Pax2/5/8 family of genes. Pax5 is a well-characterized human gene involved with B-cell development. The B-cell-specific Pax5 also promotes the transcription of EBV latent genes from the EBV Wp promoter. Our work clearly demonstrates that the Drosophila system is an appropriate and powerful tool for identifying the underlying genetic networks involved in human infectious disease.
Effect of false positive and false negative rates on inference of binding target conservation across different conditions and species from ChIP-chip data

ChIP-chip data are routinely used to identify transcription factor binding targets. However, the presence of false positives and false negatives in ChIP-chip data complicates and hinders analyses, especially when the binding targets for a specific transcription factor are compared across conditions or species. We propose an Expectation Maximization based approach to infer the underlying true counts of "positives" and "negatives" from the observed counts. Based on this approach, we study the effect of false positives and false negatives on inferences related to transcription regulation. Our results indicate that if there is a significant degree of association among the binding targets across conditions/species (log odds ratio > 4), moderate values of false positive and false negative rates (0.005 and 0.4 respectively) would not change our inference qualitatively (i.e. the presence or absence of conservation) based on the observed experimental data despite a significant change in the observed counts. However, if the underlying association is marginal, with odds ratios close to 1, moderate to large values of false positive and false negative rates (0.01 and 0.2 respectively) could mask the underlying association.
Effects of Continuous Feeding of Amprolium on Performance of Laying Hens

Abstract THE frequent occurrence of coccidiosis in layer flocks has led to speculation that either a program of planned immunization or one of preventative medication throughout the life of the bird will be used in the future to prevent coccidiosis (Reid, 1962). The recent development and use of chemicals which limit coccidial damage to a level below that required to cause the development of immunity have stimulated interest in, and some investigation (Nikolaiczuk, 1966; Stephens et al., 1967) of, the merits of feeding coccidiostats continuously to replacement and layer flocks. This method of coccidiosis control should eliminate the possibility of costly coccidiosis “breaks” in laying flocks. The efficacy of amprolium in preventing coccidiosis in young chickens and turkeys has been demonstrated by several investigators (Cuckler et al., 1960; Bond and Edgar, 1961; Morrison et al., 1961; Peterson and LaBorde, 1962; McLoughlin and Gardiner, 1962; Long, 1963; and others). Polin et al.…
Precursor Chemistry and the Structure of Silica Aerogels

Small-angle X-ray scattering is used to characterize the structure of aerogels prepared by two-stage polymerization processes. Second-stage catalysis controls the resistance to collapse during drying with the base-catalyzed system being most resistant. Base catalysis in the second stage leads to compaction of the polymer network on short length scales. This short-scale rigidity makes the networks sufficiently robust to withstand the surface tension forces present during solvent extraction and re-exposure to the atmosphere. Aging in solution also improves aerogel quality. In this case, a dissolution-repolymerization process leads to short length scale circuits and improved rigidity.
Effect of Watering Systems for Floor-Reared Pullets on Subsequent Caged Laying Hen Performance

Abstract Two watering system trials were conducted with floor-reared pullets. Trial 1 showed that pullets raised on trigger cups (STC) compared to pullets raised on dome waterers (DW) had significantly better feed conversion and lower mortality. A significant difference was shown between 4 and 5 hens per cage for hen-day egg production and feed per dozen eggs. There were no differences in production responses according to cage waterer availability or for main effect interactions. Trial 2 showed that raising pullets on STC, DW, or a DW to STC change during the rearing phase had no effect on cage laying performance. Mortality trends were shown according to waterer system. Trial differences were hypothesized to be associated with the laying cage waterer type used in each trial; fount cups were used in Trial 1 and TC in Trial 2.
Multi-Scale Continuum Modeling of Biological Processes: From Molecular Electro-Diffusion to Sub-Cellular Signaling Transduction.

This paper presents a brief review of multi-scale modeling at the molecular to cellular scale, with new results for heart muscle cells. A finite element-based simulation package (SMOL) was used to investigate the signaling transduction at molecular and sub-cellular scales (http://mccammon.ucsd.edu/smol/, http://FETK.org) by numerical solution of the time-dependent Smoluchowski equations and a reaction-diffusion system. At the molecular scale, SMOL has yielded experimentally validated estimates of the diffusion-limited association rates for the binding of acetylcholine to mouse acetylcholinesterase using crystallographic structural data. The predicted rate constants exhibit increasingly delayed steady-state times, with increasing ionic strength, and demonstrate the role of an enzyme's electrostatic potential in influencing ligand binding. At the sub-cellular scale, an extension of SMOL solves a nonlinear, reaction-diffusion system describing Ca2+ ligand buffering and diffusion in experimentally derived rodent ventricular myocyte geometries. Results reveal the important role of mobile and stationary Ca2+ buffers, including Ca2+ indicator dye. We found that alterations in Ca2+-binding and dissociation rates of troponin C (TnC) and total TnC concentration modulate sub-cellular Ca2+ signals. The model predicts that reduced off-rate in the whole troponin complex (TnC, TnI, TnT) versus reconstructed thin filaments (Tn, Tm, actin) alters cytosolic Ca2+ dynamics under control conditions or in disease-linked TnC mutations. The ultimate goal of these studies is to develop scalable methods and theories for the integration of molecular-scale information into simulations of cellular-scale systems.
Inflammatory disease and outcome of short bowel syndrome

Background: The outcome of the short bowel syndrome (SBS) is influenced by several factors including intestinal disease, remnant length and location, the other digestive organs, and intestinal adaptation. Because underlying inflammatory disease might influence several of these, the aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome of SBS in inflammatory conditions. Methods: A total of 106 adult patients with SBS evaluated over a 20-year period were studied. Thirty (28%) patients had either Crohn’s disease (n = 10) or radiation enteritis (n = 20). Results: Multiple resections were more common in the inflammatory group (57% versus 12%, P <0.05.) These patients had longer intestinal remnants but the type of colonic remnant and the presence of an ileal remnant, the ileocecal junction and a stoma was similar in both groups. A similar proportion of patients in both groups required parenteral nutrition (PN) in the first year (73% versus 68%). Patients with inflammatory conditions were less likely to require PN after the first year (33% versus 63%; P <0.05). Conclusions: Patients with SBS resulting from inflammatory disease appear to have a better nutritional prognosis after the first year. While they are more likely to have had multiple resections and develop SBS with longer remnant length, inflammatory disease itself is an important prognostic factor. This may be related to resolution of inflammatory disease or a greater adaptive response.
Robot Self-Localization based on a Single Image of Identified Landmarks

This paper introduces a novel self-localization algorithm for mobile robots, which recovers the robot position from a single image of identified landmarks taken by an onboard camera. The visual angle between two landmarks can be derived from their projections in the same image. The distances between the optical center and the landmarks can be calculated from the visual angles and the known landmark positions based on the law of cosine. The robot position can then be determined using the principle of trilateration. Extensive simulation has been carried out. A comprehensive error analysis provides the insight on how to improve the localization accuracy.
Resolving the Pneumococcal Vaccine Controversy: Are There Alternatives to Randomized Clinical Trials?

It has been more than five years since the relicensure of pneumococcal vaccine. There are few data, however, with which to evaluate the efficacy of pneumococcal vaccine for the conditions constituting current vaccine indications. As a result, recommendations for the use of pneumococcal vaccine remain controversial, and it is widely agreed that further clinical studies should be undertaken. Recommendations for future studies have emphasized the need for randomized clinical trials, which offer the best opportunity to assure scientifically valid results. Generally not considered are the substantial ethical and logistic problems that may impede the conduct of randomized clinical trials capable of resolving the current uncertainty. Observational studies, which include cohort, quasi-cohort, and case-control studies, are alternative approaches for evaluating pneumococcal vaccine. Although lacking the scientific strength of randomized clinical trials, certain observational designs, particularly case-control studies, pose no ethical difficulties and offer logistic advantages that will permit the rapid acquisition of statistically meaningful estimates of the efficacy of the vaccine for patients with current indications. When conducted with careful attention to measures for minimizing bias, observational designs offer attractive alternative strategies for resolving the pneumococcal vaccine controversy.
Differential effects of ouabain on human cell-mediated cytotoxicity: I. Inhibition of mitogen-induced cellular cytotoxicity and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity against chicken red cell targets☆

The effects of ouabain, a known inhibitor of lymphoproliferation, were studied in relation to the cytotoxic effector function of human peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes (MNL) against chicken red blood cell (CRC) targets. MNL effectors lysed 51Cr-labeled CRC targets in the presence of PHA (mitogen-induced cellular cytotoxicity—MICC) or rabbit anti-CRC antibody (antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity—ADCC) in the absence of ouabain. The addition of ouabain to the cytotoxic reaction caused profound diminution of MICC with greater than 90% suppression of killing at ouabain concentrations of 5 × 10−4M; ADCC was much more resistant to the effects of ouabain with only 60 to 70% inhibition of killing at similar ouabain concentrations (P < 0.01). Similar ouabain inhibition of MICC occurred whether the effector cell populations were unseparated MNL, depleted of monocytes, enriched for T cells, or depleted of T cells, suggesting a generalized activity by ouabain against all effector cells active in MICC. Ouabain inhibition of MICC could be overcome by increasing PHA concentrations, indicating that ouabain inhibition was not due to irreversible toxic effects on effector cells. Increasing the concentration of anti-CRC antibody resulted in increased killing in this ADCC system and, paradoxically, ADCC cultures with the highest antibody concentrations were more completely inhibited by ouabain. This enhanced inhibitory effect of ouabain on ADCC cultures with the highest antibody concentrations was not observed when the effector cell population was first depleted of phagocytic cells, suggesting a preferential inhibitory action by ouabain against monocyte effectors in ADCC. Thus, the differential inhibitory effects of ouabain on MICC and ADCC against CRC targets may be in part explained by the differing ouabain sensitivities of the various effector cell subpopulations involved in these cell-mediated cytotoxic events.
The Influence of Pulmonary Staple Line Reinforcement on Air Leaks

Objectives Although uncommon, prolonged postoperative air leaks are a troublesome complication of lung surgery. This study was performed to determine if buttressing pulmonary staple lines would reduce air leakage at varying airway pressures, and if there was a difference between buttressing materials. Methods Using cadaver lungs, the development of air leak from staple lines was evaluated at incremental airway pressures. Unreinforced staples were compared to staples reinforced with bovine pericardium and staples reinforced with expanded polytetrafluorethylene (ePTFE). Results Unreinforced staple lines began to leak air at an airway pressure of 20 mm Hg, and > 90% leaked at a pressure of 35 mm Hg. Both bovine pericardium and ePTFE significantly reduced the incidence of air leak at these airway pressures. At higher airway pressures, ePTFE was superior to bovine pericardium. Conclusion Staple line reinforcement with either material protects against air leak. Patients at risk for elevated airway pressures and/or postoperative ventilator support should be considered for utilization of these staple reinforcing materials.
A comparison between learning style preferences and sex, status, and course performance.

Students have learning style preferences that are often classified according to their visual (V), aural (A), read-write (R), and/or kinesthetic (K) sensory modality preferences (SMP). The purposes ...
Hormone Replacement Therapy and the Factor V Leiden Mutation

In 1993, individuals with a hereditary predisposition to venous thromboembolism whose plasmas exhibited a poor response to activated protein C (APC) in an activated partial thromboplastin time assay were identified.1 The molecular basis for this laboratory phenotype of resistance to APC was a guanine to adenine mutation at nucleotide 1691 in the factor V gene.2 This results in the replacement of arginine (R) at position 506 by glutamine in the resulting protein, a defect which has been termed factor V Leiden. R506 is the first of three sites at which APC normally cleaves and inactivates procoagulant factor Va. The Q506 substitution causes factor Va to be inactivated approximately l0-fold more slowly than normal, thereby making the cofactor relatively resistant to the anticoagulant action of APC.3 This allows for increased factor Va availability within the prothrombinase complex, thereby enhancing thrombin generation and the development of a hypercoagulable state. See page 1012 Factor V Leiden is the most common inherited risk factor for venous thromboembolism, increasing the risk of venous thrombosis by 4- to 10-fold in heterozygotes and 50- to 100-fold in homozygotes.4,5⇓ Heterozygosity can be identified in 12% to 20% of unselected white patients presenting with venous thrombosis and 40% to 50% of patients with a strong positive family history. Approximately 3% to 7% of normal white patients are heterozygous carriers of factor V Leiden, but the mutation is rare in …
The performance of an adaptive image data compression system in the presence of noise

In the present paper the problem of image data compression is considered, and the evaluation of system performance with quantitative figures of merit as well as qualitative results is attempted. Three adaptive prediction techniques proposed by Balakrishnan are described and applied to video data for the removal of so-called redundant samples. Typical prediction efficiencies of several predictors are cited and compared. Encoding of "compressed" data for transmission in a noiseless channel is next considered. The efficiencies of several practical encoding procedures are compared with the efficiency of the ideal noiseless code. The most important results describe the performance of an image data compression system in a noisy channel. Davisson has related the sample error rate of the data reconstructed at the receiver to the channel error rate for a special case. This result is used as a quantitative basis for evaluating the effects of channel errors on the performance of a specific compression system. In addition, sample television pictures which depict the qualitative effects of channel errors are exhibited. Finally, an experimental laboratory facility is briefly described, and its use in this and future work is outlined.
Data storage time sensitive ECC schemes for MLC NAND Flash memories

Errors in MLC NAND Flash can be classified into retention errors and program interference (PI) errors. While retention errors are dominant when the data storage time is greater than 1 day, PI errors are dominant for short data storage times. Furthermore these two types of errors have different probabilities of 0->1 or 1->0 bit flips. We utilize the characteristics of the two types of errors in the development of ECC schemes for applications that have different storage times. In both cases, we first apply Gray coding and 2-bit interleaving. The corresponding most significant bit (MSB) and least significant bit (LSB) sub-page has only one type of dominating error (0->1 or 1->0). Next we form a product code using linear block code along rows and even parity check along columns to detect all the possible error locations. We develop an algorithm to choose errors among the possible error locations based on the dominant error type. Performance simulation and hardware implementation results show that the proposed solutions have the same performance as BCH codes with larger error correction capability but with significantly lower hardware overhead. For instance, for a 2KB MLC Flash used in long storage time applications, the proposed ECC scheme has 50% lower energy and 60% lower decoding latency compared to the BCH scheme.
Heat-Pipe Effect on the Transport of Gaseous Radionuclides Released from a Nuclear Waste Container

When an unsaturated porous medium is subjected to a temperature gradient and the temperature is sufficiently high, vadose water is heated and vaporizes. Vapor flows under its pressure gradient towards colder regions where it condenses. Vaporization and condensation produce a liquid saturation gradient, creating a capillary pressure gradient inside the porous medium. Condensate flows towards the hot end under the influence of a capillary pressure gradient. This is a heat pipe in an unsaturated porous medium. We study analytically the transport of gaseous species released from a spent-fuel waste package, as affected by a time-dependent heat pipe in an unsaturated rock. For parameter values typical of a potential repository in partially saturated fractured tuff at Yucca Mountain, we found that a heat pipe develops shortly after waste is buried, and the heat-pipe`s spatial extent is time-dependent. Water vapor movements produced by the heat pipe can significantly affect the migration of gaseous radionuclides. 12 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab.
Interaction of Free and Bound Microplasmas

Low-temperature microplasmas confined to quasi-ellipsoidal cavities have been observed to interact with free columnar filaments produced in a parallel plate dielectric barrier discharge structure. Small arrays of microcavities, fabricated into the interior surfaces of two glass plates separated by 80 μm, support stable glows having major and minor axes of 700±50 and 540±20 μm, respectively, for a Ne gas pressure of 300-760 Torr. Surrounding the bound (microcavity) plasmas are diffuse columnar microplasmas having a mean diameter and separation (pitch) of 136±10 and 485±60 μm, respectively. Optical images of free microplasmas interacting with only two ~ 700-μm-diameter cavities show microplasmas trapped both at the perimeters of the microcavities as well as along a line bisecting the microcavities.
Affirming God as Panentheistic and Embodied

In an anthology on panentheism, Keith Ward assesses the appropriateness of the metaphor of embodiment for God, as well as the viability of the concept of panentheism itself, as he considers the theologies of Ramanuja, Hegel, and process thought. Ward frames polar problems with respect to the analogy of self-body/God-world and to the concept of panentheism. (1) Ramanuja and Hegel’s theologies ultimately deny the freedom and compromise the independence and otherness of the creatures. (2) Process theology compromises divine sovereignty and perfection, making God too passible to the world’s evils. This article attempts to transcend such one-sided approaches as it develops a balanced concept of panentheism and a metaphor of divine embodiment that provide for mutual influence between God and the world, wherein both the suffering and happiness of the world affect God, while maintaining sole divine causal ultimacy with respect to the world.
Esterification of acetic and oleic acids within the Amberlyst 15 packed catalytic column

A packed column system was used to study the esterification of acetic and oleic acids by the macro-porous acidic resin, Amberlyst 15. All reactions were at a constant temperature (75 oC) and catalyst mass (3 g). The impact of column flow rate conditions and the molar fatty acid to ethanol feedstock ratio on ester production is reported. The maximum ester production was noted at a flow rate of 0.25mL/min. The maximum observed ester yield for acetic acid (95.2±0.5%) and oleic acid (43.8±1.3%) was observed at an acid:ethanol molar ratio of 1: 3 and 1: 1, respectively. The difference in yield indicates the importance of the fatty acid chain length to the reaction.
An Update on Immunohistochemistry in Translational Cancer Research

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) takes advantage of the specific binding between antigen and antibody to measure the presence and abundance of antigen while simultaneously providing morphologic context on a tissue section. Since the revolutionary application of heat-induced epitope retrieval methods on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues, which started in early 1990s, IHC has been routinely used in diagnostic pathology. This approach has also enabled mining of the rich archives of pathologic specimens for exploration in translational cancer research. Newer IHC biomarkers are being continuously found as aids in differential diagnosis, prediction of outcome or response to molecular-targeted therapies. These are prime examples for translational cancer research. The last decade has witnessed some significant improvements in the use of this technology. This review provides an overview on the current status of IHC as applied in translational cancer research, commenting on the underlying principles in specimen preparation, reagent choice, staining procedure, and results evaluation so that both beginners and seasoned users could appreciate the key factors and benefit from this update.
Numerical study of low pressure air plasma in an actuated channel

A model for air plasma discharge based on drift-diffusion with local mean energy approximation is described. The model consists of 7 species and 18 reactions. The code is benchmarked with experimental and numerical results for low pressure glow discharge in a cylindrical tube. The code is used to simulate the discharge produced by a wire placed in a rectangular channel with grounded electrodes at the top and bottom walls. The discharge is concentrated near the wire. The actuator acts on the neutral gas through a body force and Joule heating. Around 80%–90% of the electrical power is converted to Joule heating of the neutral gas and the wall. The actuator produces a body force on the order of 0.1 mN/m. The effectiveness of the actuator increases from 100 to 300 V, and plateaus from 300 to 600 V. The results of the study suggest a further exploration of the channel concept.
Desorption Processes in Planetary Science

Surfaces of materials in the solar system and the interstellar media, not protected by atmospheres, can be exposed to a variety of energetic particle radiations: cosmic rays, solar particles and photons, and plasma particles trapped in planetary magnetospheres. Of considerable interest in planetary science is the exchange of atoms and molecules between the gaseous and condensed phases. Hence our ability to describe desorption from surfaces, stimulated by electronic energy deposition in a variety of materials, is a limiting factor in interpreting many remote sensing and spacecraft data. For instance, line/band spectra can often be obtained on atoms/molecules in the gas phase in the interstellar medium or near remote objects in the solar system like Io (a satellite of Jupiter) or the planet Mercury. Further, the nature of the radiation environment may be known and, indeed, the local plasma may be ionized species desorbed from the surface. As reflectance spectra of the surface or, in the interstellar media, light extinction curves due to the presence of grains, give much less or, often, no information on the surface composition, a description of the desorption processes can be critical in placing constraints on the composition. Recently a number of review articles have appeared which summarize aspects of the importance of electronically induced desorption and sputtering in planetary science[1–6]. Therefore, I briefly list some areas of interest, giving reference to these article and some other primary or secondary references.
Private Practice with a Social Conscience

Abstract A clinician describes her involvement in a non-profit organization that provides low-cost psychotherapy using the volunteer services of clinical social workers in private practice.
Radiation Pneumonitis and Low Dose Radiation Hypersensitivity

Analysis of a University of Michigan (UMich) clinical trial dose-volume histogram (DVH) dataset is summarized, the goal of which was to improve radiation pneumonitis (RP) prediction. A family of dose-damage profiles featuring low-dose radiation hypersensitivity (RHS) achieved higher predictive accuracy than mean lung dose (MLD), motivating a novel RHS normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) model. Results of this model are summarized. If one makes reasonable assumptions regarding the institution-specific DVH mix, the model can reproduce published MLD - RP risk curves obtained in clinical trials at Duke University, Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI), Washington University (WU) and the University of Milan (UMilan).
Devising a Practical Suitcase Hemodialyzer

Following Kolff’s invention of a practical hemodialysis system in 1943 (1) and Scribner’s demonstration in 1960 that repetitive hemodialyses could extend the life of uremic patients indefinitely (2), the long-term approach to uremia was altered dramatically. In the United States in mid 1977 more than 36,000 patients are sustained by regular hemodialyses at a cost in excess of $650,000,000. per year. For those patients who lack a donor or are either unsuitable or undesirous of a renal transplant, intermittent use of a hemodialyzer is a necessary and limiting fact of life.
Setting the Stage for Success: Mentoring and Leadership Development☆☆☆

The New Careers in Nursing (NCIN) Program funded by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has expanded enrollment in schools of nursing with accelerated nursing programs and increased diversity in the nursing workforce. As the demand for highly educated and skilled nurses continues to grow, accelerated nursing programs are thriving and increasing in number. The growing cadre of nontraditional nursing students has challenged nursing faculty to institute innovative teaching methods to develop accelerated students' leadership skills and to provide mentoring resources for newly licensed nurses to guide the successful and complex transition from the student to professional practice. To support its grantee schools and their scholars, the NCIN National Program office has supported the development and distribution of toolkits and other resources and solicited request for proposals to recognize outstanding contributions. The Program Innovation grants are intended to support nurse faculty educators working to develop and enhance educational projects to implement innovative approaches to accelerated nursing education that can be taken to scale and replicated in a variety of educational settings. The Legacy Award honors a program that describes lasting impact on the school as a result of participation in the NCIN program. Two of these projects are described with emphasis on leadership development and transition to practice.
Hemolytic Mechanism in Sickle Cell-Hgb C Disease.

SummaryRed cells from 3 patients with sickle cell-Hgb C disease transfused into normal individuals with and without a spleen, were found to have a survival time of approximately 50 days. The spleen, therefore, does not appear to have a critical role in the hemolysis occurring in this disease. Possible mechanisms for the red cell destruction, based on the per cent of Hgb S present, as well as the role of the spleen during periods of crisis, are discussed.
Effect of Thermal Degradation on the Adhesion of Polyimide/Silicon Interface

The object of this work is to identify the most important structure features in the bonding of polyimide/silicon during the curing anddegradation. An essential tool for this work is a quantitative adhesion measurement which can relate the macroscopic adhesion strength to the microscopic interfacial structures. We apply the blister test forthis purpose. In particular, the test is applied to examine the effect of thermal history on the adhesion of PMDA-ODA polyimide on siliconsurface. Our studies show that the test is accurate and sensitive. The adhesion data reveal that increases in adhesion strength coincide with the formation of certain thermal degradation products as revealedin the earlier thermal degradation studies. This suggests a mechanismfor increases in adhesion strength with curing temperature, based on chemical and physical modification of the interface.
Life Changes, Stereotyping, and Age Identification

The influence of life changes and stereotypes of old age on age identity was examined among 169 subjects 65 yr. or over. Negative stereotypes of old age were only weakly associated with a self-definition as old and were less important than life changes in determining age identification.
Insight and other psychotherapy change processes.

Insight belongs to a larger class of experiences that have special significance for psychotherapeutic change because they allow an individual to extend the positive effects of moments of new experience by organizing and storing those moments to make them available for future use. Insight can be understood as an act of the creative, synthesizing aspect of the personality, which is capable of combining multiple elements into a complex whole. Psychotherapeutic change can result from a number of events other than insight-acquisition; the change processes of special interest here share with insight-acquisition the capacity to promote moments of new experience within the psychotherapy session or outside it. Among these additional change processes are focusing, recategorizing, and active and passive imagining. Also discussed are induced feelings accompanied by minimal conscious cognitive processing, and changes of psychological structure induced outside awareness.
Cellular Microarrays for Chemical Sensing

The broad-spectrum sensitivity of cell-based biosensors offers the capability for detecting known and unknown chemical/biological agents. One cellular parameter that is often measured is the extracellular potential of electrically active cells. Membrane excitability in osteoblasts plays a key role in modulating the electrical activity in the presence of chemical agents. However, the complexity of this signal makes interpretation of the cellular response to a chemical agent difficult to determine. By analyzing shifts in the signal's power spectrum, it is possible to determine a frequency spectrum also known as the signature pattern vector (SPV) which is specific to a chemical. It is also essential to characterize single cell sensitivity and response time for specific chemical agents for developing detect-to-warn biosensors. To determine the real time sensing capability of single osteoblast sensors, multichemical sensing, also termed cascaded sensing, is performed and the performance of the sensor is evaluated. A system is described for the measurement of extracellular potentials from cells isolated onto planar microelectrode arrays. We used a 4x4 multiple microelectrode array system to spatially position osteoblast cells, by using a gradient AC field. Fast fourier transformation (FFT) and wavelet transformation (WT) analyses were used to extract information pertaining to the frequency of firing from the extracellular potential. Quantitative dose response curves and response times were also obtained with the cultured single cell systems using local time domain characterization techniques. Future applications of this technique are also discussed.
On the Coupling between Anomalous Passive Scalar and Velocity Increments in Turbulence

In 1949, Yaglom[1] derived an exact relation for the mixed passive scalar/velocity structure function known as the four-thirds law: $$ S_{3}^{{TU}}\left( r \right) \equiv \left\langle {{{{\left( {T\left( {x + r} \right) - T\left( x \right)} \right)}}^{2}}\left( {u\left( {x + r} \right) - u\left( x \right)} \right)} \right\rangle = - \frac{4}{3}{{ \in }_{T}}r $$ (1) where S 3 TU (r) is the third order structure function of the mixed passive scalar (T) and velocity (u) increments, r is the separation between the two points, (where r = ∣r∣), x is the space location of a given point, and ∈ T is the passive scalar dissipation rate. This expression can be generalized noting that the Euler equations are invariant under the scaling transformation: x ↦ λx, u ↦ λ h u, t ↦ λ 1-h t, and using the four-fifths law[2], one obtains[3] h = 1/3. Then, since the passive scalar advection equation (for zero diffusivity) is invariant under the scaling transformation T ↦ λ m T, one obtains m = h = 1/3 using both the four-fifths and the four-thirds laws. This result can be generalized to the (3ath order) passive scalar/velocity mixed structure function as: $$ S_{3a}^{TU}\left( r \right) \equiv \left\langle {{{\left( {T\left( {x + r} \right) - T\left( x \right)} \right)}^{2a}}{{\left( {u\left( {x + r} \right) - u\left( x \right)} \right)}^a}} \right\rangle = - \frac{4}{3}{ \in _T}{r^a} $$ (2)
An overview of space-time adaptive processing for radar

The paper provides a survey of space-time adaptive processing for radar target detection. Specifically, early work on adaptive array processing from the point of view of maximum signal-to-noise-ratio and minimum mean squared error perspectives are briefly reviewed for motivation. The sample matrix inversion method of I.S. Reed et al. (see IEEE Trans. on Aerospace and Electronic Systems, vol.10, p.853-63, 1974) is discussed with attention devoted to its convergence properties. Variants of this approach, such as E.J. Kelly's GLRT (see IEEE Trans. on Aerospace and Electronic Systems, vol.22, p.115-27, 1986), adaptive matched filters and ACE tests, are considered. Extensions to handle the case of non-Gaussian clutter statistics are presented. Current challenges of limited training data support, computational cost, and severely heterogeneous clutter backgrounds are outlined. Implementation and performance issues pertaining to reduced rank and model-based parametric approaches are presented.
Downregulation of Peroxiredoxin III Contributes to Arsenic Trioxide-Induced Apoptosis in APL.

Arsenic trioxide (ATO) induces differentiation and apoptosis in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Compared with other leukemia cells, the APL-derived NB4 cells are particularly sensitive to ATO-induced apoptosis. Several reports indicate that in NB4 cells, apoptosis occurs in part by a mechanism that involves the inhibition of glutathione peroxidase, one of the enzymes that regulate the levels of H 2 O 2 in the mitochondria, and that is present only at low levels in NB4 cells. Peroxirredoxin III (Prx III) is a mitochondria-specific H 2 O 2 -scavenger member of the thioredoxin-dependent peroxidases. NB4 cells express high levels of Prx III; however the role of Prx III in ATO-induced apoptosis in NB4 cells has not been investigated. We studied here whether Prx III is regulated during ATO-induced apoptosis in NB4 cells and whether the depletion of Prx III further sensitized these cells to ATO-induced apoptosis. The protein and mRNA levels of Prx III were decreased during ATO-induced apoptosis of NB4 cells. The down-regulation of Prx III occurred prior to the accumulation of reactive oxygen species, reduction in the mitochondrial membrane potential and apoptosis. Depletion of Prx III enhanced the ATO-induced mitochondrial damage, and also promoted cytochrome- c release, and caspase-3 and caspase-9 activation. Prx III is downregulated early during ATO-induced apoptosis, facilitating in this way the mitochondria-depending apoptotic events triggered by the accumulation of H 2 O 2 .