cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effectiveness of Very Thin Soil Layers in Chemical Release from Bed Sediment

The chemical containment effectiveness of both the natural recovery and the particle broadcasting processes for remediating contaminated bed-sediments depend upon very thin soil and/or sand layers millimeters in depth. Conventional capping for in situ chemical containment of bed-sediment or dredged material typically involves thick layers of 30 to 90 centimeters in depth. Few studies have been conducted with thin layers of candidate natural materials. A steady-state benzoic acid dissolution test apparatus and procedure, devised to realistically simulate bed-sediment chemodynamic conditions, was used to measure chemical flux through thin layers (1 to 8 mm) of soil, sand, and ideal porous media. The thin layers were found to be very effective. Flux reductions ranged from 81 to 96%, with fine sand being slightly better than top soil. Design algorithms developed for the thick layers used in conventional capping design will under predict the flux through very thin layers. Advective flow induced by surface roughness is proposed to explain the higher average measured-to-predicted flux ratio of 1.67.
Effects of Flutamide and Finasteride on Rat Testicular Descent

The endocrine control of descent of the testis in mammalian species is poorly understood. The androgen dependency of testicular descent was studied in the rat using an antiandrogen (flutamide) and an inhibitor of the enzyme 5 α-reductase (finasteride). Androgen receptor blockade inhibited testicular descent more effectively than inhibition of 5α-reductase activity. Moreover, its inhibitory effect was limited to the outgrowth phase of the gubernaculum testis, particularly the earliest stages of outgrowth. Gubernacular size was also significantly reduced in fetuses exposed to flutamide during the outgrowth period. In contrast, androgen receptor blockade or 5α-reductase inhibition applied after the initiation of gubernacular outgrowth or during the regression phase did not affect testicular descent. Successful inhibition of the development of epididymis and vas by prenatal flutamide did not correlate with ipsilateral testicular maldescent, suggesting that an intact epididymis is not required for descent of t...
Acceptability of canned ham of differing water content

The eating quality of canned hams made with water contents covering the range of the current commercial products was compared using laboratory panels. It was established that polyphosphate added up to 0.8% had no effect upon flavour and that scores for tenderness and juiciness increased with increasing water content. The importance of these differences to the consumer was tested by submitting canned pasteurised hams containing up to 27% ‘added water’ to a 715 member consumer panel. The panel identified increases in tenderness and juiciness but neither had much effect upon the average acceptability of the food. About 10% of the consumers preferred the material of highest water content.
Protection against multiple influenza A subtypes by vaccination with highly conserved nucleoprotein

Influenza epidemic and pandemic strains cannot be predicted with certainty. Current vaccines elicit antibodies effective against specific strains, but new strategies are urgently needed for protection against unexpected strains. DNA vaccines encoding conserved antigens protect animals against diverse subtypes, but their potency needs improvement. We tested DNA prime-recombinant adenoviral boost immunization to nucleoprotein (NP). Strong antibody and T cell responses were induced. Protection against challenge was T cell-dependent and substantially more potent than DNA vaccination alone. Importantly, vaccination protected against lethal challenge with highly pathogenic H5N1 virus. Thus, gene-based vaccination with NP may contribute to protective immunity against diverse influenza viruses through its ability to stimulate cellular immunity.
Catalytic C−C Bond Activation in Biphenylene and Cyclotrimerization of Alkynes: Increased Reactivity of P,N- versus P,P-Substituted Nickel Complexes

Reaction of Ni(COD)2 with the bidentate hybrid ligand (iPr)2CH2CH2NMe2 (PN) and PhC⋮CR (R = Ph, tBu, CF3, C⋮CPh) afforded the donor-stabilized mononuclear Ni(0) complexes (PN)Ni(η2-PhC⋮CR) (R = Ph (1), tBu (4), CF3 (5)) and the dinuclear compound (PN)Ni(η2;η2-PhC⋮C−C⋮CPh)Ni(PN) (3), respectively. In the presence of excess alkyne, compounds 1, 3, and 4 turned out to be active species for the catalytic carbon−carbon bond activation in biphenylene and formation of the corresponding 9,10-disubstituted phenanthrenes. However, cyclotrimerization to benzene derivatives instead of C−C bond cleavage occurred with complex 5 in the presence of excess CF3C⋮CPh and biphenylene. In contrast, the corresponding bis-phosphino-substituted species (dippe)Ni(η2-PhC⋮CR) (R = Ph (2), CF3 (9)) showed substantially reduced catalytic activity toward phenanthrene formation or cyclotrimerization reactions.
Reflected light imaging of ON and OFF responses in frog retina

Using a near infrared (NIR) light flood-illumination imager equipped with a high-speed CCD camera, we demonstrated reflected light imaging of stimulus-evoked retinal ON and OFF responses in isolated, but intact, frog eye. Both fast and slow transient intrinsic optical signals (IOSs) were observed. Fast optical response occurred immediately after the stimulus onset, and correlated tightly with the ON and OFF edges of the visible light stimulus. High resolution images revealed both positive (increasing) and negative (decreasing) IOSs, and dynamic optical change at individual CCD pixels could often exceed 10% of the background light intensity. Our experiment on isolated eye suggests that further development of fast, high resolution fundus imager will allow robust detection of fast IOSs in vivo, and thus allow noninvasive, three-dimensional evaluation of retinal neural function.
Femtosecond laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy of explosives and explosive-related compounds

In this work, we describe femtosecond laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) to detect trace amounts of explosive-related compounds (ERCs). A high-power pulsed laser is used in LIBS to form a plasma on the material surface and the optical radiation from the plasma is spectrally analyzed to determine the material composition. LIBS is minimally destructive because only a minute amount of material is consumed in the process. LIBS also enables remote analysis because only optical access to the material is needed. Femtosecond LIBS results for TNT on brass and molybdenum substrates, and RDX on molybdenum substrates are reported. We will also show the effect of detection gate delay and gate width on the enhancement of spectral information provided by LIBS.
Megacystis-Microcolon-Intestinal Hypoperistalsis Syndrome

We report a case of megacystis-microcolon-intestinal hypoperistalsis syndrome (MMIHS) in a newborn female infant who presented with an abdominal mass, absent bowel sounds, and feeding intolerance with bilious emesis. MMIHS is a rare congenital bowel and bladder defect requiring surgery and chronic total parenteral nutrition in an attempt to sustain life. With few exceptions, it is predominately fatal within the first six months of life. We describe the relevant clinical and radiologic findings with ultrasound correlation of this case followed by a brief review of literature included in the discussion.
Molding of Deep Polydimethylsiloxane Microstructures for Microfluidics and Biological Applications

Here we demonstrate the microfabrication of deep (> 25 microns) polymeric microstructures created by replica-molding polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) from microfabricated Si substrates. The use of PDMS structures in microfluidics and biological applications is discussed. We investigated the feasibility of two methods for the microfabrication of the Si molds: deep plasma etch of silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers and photolithographic patterning of a spin-coated photoplastic layer. Although the SOI wafers can be patterned at higher resolution, we found that the inexpensive photoplastic yields similar replication fidelity. The latter is mostly limited by the mechanical stability of the replicated PDMS structures. As an example, we demonstrate the selective delivery of different cell suspensions to specific locations of a tissue culture substrate resulting in micropatterns of attached cells.
Regulation of the rat muscle glycogen phosphorylase-encoding gene during muscle cell development.

Abstract The muscle isozyme of glycogen phosphorylase (MGP) catalyzes the hydrolysis of intracellular glycogen in mammalian tissues and is produced in skeletal muscle, brain and heart. The MGP gene is developmentally and neurally regulated in skeletal muscle, but little is known about the gene's transcriptional regulation. We have isolated and characterized the 5′ flanking region of rat MGP. Truncated portions of the MGP 5′ flanking region were coupled to the bacterial cat reporter gene and used in transient transfection assays in the mouse muscle C 2 C 12 cell line. The region between −211 and +62 contained the smallest regulatory domain capable of demonstrating developmentally regulated myogenic expression in C 2 C 12 cells. This was in contrast with findings from another investigation that transfected this cell line with human MGP [Lockyer and McCracken J. Biol. Chem. 266 (1991) 20262–20269]. A 172-nucleotide (nt) region between −839 and −666 functioned as a potent enhancer in C 2 C 12 cells when coupled to its cognate promoter, but not when coupled to a simian virus 40 promoter. This rat MGP enhancer region is 78% identical to a comparable region of the human MGP 5′ flanking region, but contains only one putative regulatory element that has been previously identified in other muscle genes. These data suggest that rat MGP transcription in C 2 C 12 muscle cells is modulated by a potent enhancer that utilizes novel regulatory elements.
Socioeconomic Relations in Pre-Communist China:

In an earlier issue of Modern China, Ramon H. Myers (1980: 243) challenged what he believed was the view held by most concerned scholars that in prerevolutionary China the relationships between landlords and tenant-farmers were invariably "oppressive and-exploitative." Limiting himself to north China, he makes excellent use of the substantial material gathered and produced by Japanese social scientists before World War II. Dr. Myers has long been known as an authority on those materials as well as an economist who has done important work relating to Taiwan. It is somewhat startling in view of his long association with data concerning landlord-tenant attitudes and activities to find him attributing modification of the view that landlord-tenant relations were oppressive to recent work by Ralph Thaxton (1975, 1977). A major point for which Myers (1980: 243) gives credit to Thaxton "is the insight that Chinese tenants in the early twentieth century held certain rights and expected these rights to be upheld by the groups with which they were dealing." As a matter of fact, the same point has been made before. Indeed, the present writer underlined it in his dissertation more than
Redirecting direct selling: High-touch embraces high-tech

Abstract Direct selling, defined as a sales channel without a fixed retail location, was built on the premise of leveraging an individual's social networks. This industry is being redirected by embracing social media; here, the challenge lies in providing the benefits of face-to-face selling, augmented by social media. An examination of the Direct Selling News ‘Global 100 Top Direct Sellers’ found that Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter represent the most widely employed social networks in the industry. While 76% of direct sellers utilize social media for promotional purposes, 55% use it for recruiting new distributors and 42% use it for reactive purposes. Consumers are the most popular target for social media, followed by distributors and communities. Social media has evolved as a driver of strategy, and will become even more important in the future. Improved customer relationships are developing by listening and reacting to concerns. The transparency created by social media is enhancing trust and ethical organizational cultures. Finally, consumer brand communities are emerging that increase brand value.
Prediction outcome probabilities as determinants of choice reaction time

In a two-stimulus two-response choice reaction time (RT) task in which Ss made stimulus predictions, the probability of a correct prediction was manipulated between Ss. The magnitude of the difference in RT to correctly and incorrectly predicted stimuli (i.e., the prediction outcome effect) was an increasing function of the probability of a correct prediction This finding was primarily due to a reliable decrease in RT to correctly predicted stimuli as the probability of a correct prediction increased, since RT to incorrectly predicted stimuli was not affected by prediction outcome probability. These results were interpreted as partially supporting a continuous expectancy notion which involves facilitory and inhibitory mechanisms winch are differentially influenced by the probability of a correct prediction.
X-ray microanalytical surveys of minor element concentrations in unsectioned biological samples

Abstract Approximate concentration maps of small unsectioned biological samples are made using the pixel by pixel ratio of PIXE images to areal density images. Areal density images are derived from scanning transmission ion microscopy (STIM) proton energy-loss images. Corrections for X-ray production cross section variations, X-ray attenuation, and depth averaging are approximated or ignored. Estimates of the magnitude of the resulting error are made. Approximate calcium concentrations within the head of a fruit fly are reported. Concentrations in the retinula cell region of the eye average about 1 mg/g dry weight. Concentrations of zinc in the mandible of several ant species average about 40 mg/g. Zinc concentrations in the stomachs of these ants are at least 1 mg/g.
A remark on a theorem of Bavula on Lüroth extensions

Abstract Using a theorem of Roquette–Ohm [P. Roquette, Isomorphisms of generic splitting fields of simple algebras, J. Reine Angew. Math. 214–215 (1964) 207–226 and J. Ohm, On subfields of rational function fields, Arch. Math. 42 (1984) 136–138], we indicate a short proof that a rational extension of a Luroth extension of a field k is a Luroth extension of k . This assertion was proved by Bavula [V. Bavula, Luroth field extensions, J. Pure Appl. Algebra 199 (2005) 1–10] with the added hypothesis that char ( k ) = 0 .
Double layer formation in a two-region electronegative plasma

The formation of a double layer (DL) in a two-dimensional (2D) electronegative plasma with a source (heating) section connected to a larger downstream section is described. A 2D particle-in-cell (PIC) code is used to exhibit the DL, which appears near the transition between the source and downstream chambers, over a range of pressures and electronegativities. Diagnostics of the PIC code allow the calculation of various plasma parameters, not easily measured in experiments, to be compared with an analytic theory. The theory consists of a collisionless one-dimensional model of a DL connected to 2D source and downstream global models. The conditions of positive and negative ion balance upstream and downstream, and the downstream energy balance determine the DL potential, electron temperatures, and other plasma parameters. A rescaled oxygen reaction set is used both for the simulation and for the analytic comparison. The PIC simulations exhibit a Maxwellian electron distribution in the source region at temper...
Pleuropulmonary blastoma the so-called pulmonary blastoma of childhood

The authors studied 11 pediatric intrathoracic neoplasms that share clinicopathologic features and constitute a specific tumor in children. These neoplasms were intrapulmonary, mediastinal, or pleural-based masses. A common histologic feature was the presence of small, primitive cells with blastematous qualities separated by an uncommitted stroma. Focal rhabdomyosarcomatous, chondrosarcomatous, and liposarcomatous differentiation was observed. Epithelial components had bland cytologic features and probably represented entrapped benign epithelium and/or mesothelium. The prognosis for these patients was grave; seven patients died of their disease 5 months to 2 years after diagnosis. Two patients have survived disease-free for 10 and 12 years after diagnosis. Two recent cases are alive 14 and 32 months after diagnosis. This neoplasm constitutes a distinct entity which has been reported in the literature as pulmonary blastoma in children. It differs from pulmonary blastoma in adults because of its variable anatomic location, primitive embryonic-like blastema and stroma, absence of a carcinomatous component, and potential for sarcomatous differentiation. The designation of pleuropulmonary blastoma is suggested by the authors for these intrathoracic neoplasms of childhood rather than pulmonary blastoma for histogenetic and anatomic reasons. The clinicopathologic features, immunophenotypic and ultrastructural characteristics, possible histogenesis, and differential diagnosis of these neoplasms from other thoracopulmonary tumors in children serve as the basis for this report.
A natural language interface to a clinical data base management system

Abstract Communication with a clinical data base in a natural language has been viewed for years as a desired objective to improve clinical decision making. This paper describes an exploratory system to interface medical personnel to an existing data base management system without a need for a formal query language. The methods involve contextual and syntactic analysis with emphasis on semantic interpretation of limited medical terminology in the area of kidney failure therapy. System testing by physicians resulted in modifications and improvements. A limited system of graphical displays and statistical analyses was integrated into the system to help physicians in the interpretations of clinical trends and observations.
Magnetohydrostatic equilibria and force-free states

The applicability of the usual force-free model in describing laboratory plasmas is critically re-examined. It is shown that plasma equilibrium cannot be deduced from a local equation in the magnetic field alone. Three major revisions in the usual theory follow: (i) The magnetic field in many assumed "force-free" configurations is habitually miscalculated; in particular, a hitherto unsuspected Lorentz self-force exists in the Bessel-function model for the Reversed-Field Pinch. (ii) In order to accommodate this additional force, the standard model for the Reversed-Field Pinch describes the plasma to be diamagnetic. (iii) Lorentz force-free plasmas are in a marginally stable state because they do not correspond to a state of minimum magnetic energy. It is widely misunderstood that the opposite is true.
Experimental observation of coherent backscattering in open ballistic microstructures

We report on observations of coherent backscattering in open devices consisting of a quantum point contact and two reflector gates. The devices are fabricated in a high-mobility two-dimensional electron gas system, and magnetotransport data are taken at a temperature of 385 mK. Unlike ballistic microstructures in which this effect has previously been measured, our devices are designed to yield many backscattered trajectories enclosing very similar areas. An array of these devices has been measured in order to average away magnetoconductance fluctuations.
Monitoring the fate of chlorine from MSW sampling through combustion Part I: Analysis of the waste stream for chlorine

Abstract The total chlorine and water soluble chlorine contents of the components of municipal solid waste (MSW) have been determined from sampling studies carried out at two sites, Baltimore County, MD, and Brooklyn, NY, for a five-day period. The total chlorine contents of the MSW samples from Baltimore County, MD, and Brooklyn, NY, are 0.45 and 0.89 mass %, respectively.
Sheared Aanti.Aanti base pairs in a destabilizing 2 x 2 internal loop: the NMR structure of 5'(rGGCAAGCCU)2.

The 5'(rGGCAAGCCU)(2) duplex contains tandem A.A pairs. The three-dimensional structure of the 5'(rGGCAAGCCU)(2) duplex was modeled by molecular dynamics and energy minimization with NMR-derived distance and dihedral angle restraints. Although the 5'(rCAAG)(2) loop is thermodynamically destabilizing by 1.1 kcal/mol, the tandem A.A pairs adopt a predominant conformation: a sheared anti-anti (A.A trans Hoogsteen/Sugar-edge) alignment similar to that observed in the crystal structure of the P4-P6 domain of the Tetrahymena thermophila intron [Cate, J. H., Gooding, A. R., Podell, E., Zhou, K., Golden, B. L., Kundrot, C. E., Cech, T. R., and Doudna, J. A. (1996) Science 273, 1678-1685]. The NMR-derived structure of the 5'(rGGCAAGCCU)(2) duplex exhibits cross-strand hydrogen bonds from N3 of A4 to an amino hydrogen of A5 and from the 2' oxygen of the A4 sugar to the other amino hydrogen of A5. An intrastrand hydrogen bond is formed from the 2' OH hydrogen of A4 to O5' of A5. The cross-strand A5 bases are stacked. The Watson-Crick G-C regions are essentially A-form. The sheared anti-anti (A.A trans Hoogsteen/Sugar-edge) alignment provides potential contact sites for tertiary interactions and, therefore, is a possible target site for therapeutics. Thus, thermodynamically destabilizing internal loops can be preorganized for tertiary interactions or ligand binding.
Publishing Research in Marketing Journals Using Structural Equation Modeling

This paper takes an objective look at how papers using structural equation models are received in the review process of academic marketing research journals. The focus is examining whether or not papers with structural equation modeling (SEM) applications enjoy an advantage in the review process and what the nature of such an advantage may be. A sample of submission records from a top marketing research journal is used to examine this issue. Results suggest that papers with SEM applications enjoy a modest advantage in the review process but that this difference is partially due to the fact that papers with SEM applications are rated more highly on multiple paper characteristics. For example, authors using SEM tend to have their papers rated more highly than others on the theoretical and conceptual development attribute. Thus, learning and applying SEM may have advantages not directly related to the application of the statistical approach.
Effect of long-term belimumab treatment on b cells in systemic lupus erythematosus: Extension of a phase II, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-ranging study

Objective To understand the effects of long-term BLyS inhibition in human systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods Seventeen patients with SLE who were enrolled in a clinical trial of belimumab, a BLyS-specific inhibitor, plus standard of care therapy were studied. Phenotypic analysis of lymphocytes was performed using flow cytometry. Circulating antibody-secreting cells were enumerated using enzyme-linked immunospot assay. Serum was analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using an antibody that recognizes products of the VH4–34 gene. Lymphocyte counts, Ig levels, and anti–double-stranded DNA antibody levels were available as part of the clinical trial analyses. Results Samples were collected on days 0, 84, 168, 365, and 532 and after day 730. The total number of B cells started to decrease from baseline between days 84 and 168. This was due to a decrease in naive and transitional B cells. CD27+IgD+ memory B cells and plasmablasts decreased only after 532 days, whereas CD27+IgD− memory B cells were not affected, and there were no changes in T cells. Serum IgM levels began to decline between days 84 and 168, but there were no changes in serum levels of IgG, IgG anti-DNA antibodies, or VH4–34 antibodies during the study. SLE patients had more IgM-, IgG-, and autoantibody-producing B cells than did normal controls on day 0. There was only a modest decrease in the frequency of total IgM-producing, but not IgG-producing, cells on days 365 and 532, consistent with the phenotypic and serologic data. Conclusion Our data confirm the dependence of newly formed B cells on BLyS for survival in humans. In contrast, memory B cells and plasma cells are less susceptible to selective BLyS inhibition.
Disclosures of illness by doctors to their patients: a qualitative study of doctors with HIV and other serious disorders.

Abstract Objective To examine issues concerning doctor's disclosures of their illness to their patients. Methods We interviewed 50 health care providers who had serious illnesses concerning their experiences with disclosures of their illness to patients. Results With regard to their diagnoses, these doctors struggled with whether, when, how and what to tell patients. These issues were prominent, and had broader implications for doctor–patient communication and interactions among doctors with HIV, but arose among doctors with other diagnoses as well. Particularly with HIV, questions emerged concerning whether to: tell patients without being asked, respond only if asked, tell the truth, lie or misrepresent the information. Patients appeared to face dilemmas of whether to ask about a doctor's diagnosis, and whether they had a right to know. Some patients hesitated to ask or felt ambivalent about knowing, as the illness could threaten the doctor–patient relationship. At times, patients learned of a doctor's illness only after the latter had died. Disclosures could strengthen or skew the doctor–patient relationship. We present a model and framework – concerning the complexities of these communications – that can be useful in exploring other key aspects of doctor–patient interactions. Conclusion These data raise larger questions of what information patients should be told about physicians. Medical education needs to address these issues better. Practice implications Physicians should realize that patients may be anxious about these concerns, and may view the pros and cons of physicians’ disclosures of illness differently than do these physicians themselves.
Application of Dublin Core metadata in the description of digital primary sources in elementary school classrooms

Researchers evaluated the ability of 4th and 5th grade science and social science students to create Dublin Core metadata to describe their own images for inclusion in Digital Portfolio Archives. The Dublin Core was chosen because it provided a systematic, yet minimal way for students to describe these resources at the item level and relate them to collection-level metadata prepared for digitized primary sources by archivists using Encoded Archival Description (EAD). Researchers found that while students were able to supply simple elements such as title and subject with relative ease, they had difficulty moving between general and progressively more granular or refined descriptive elements. Students performed poorly in distinguishing between and completing related, but distinct metadata elements, such as title, subject, and description. Researchers also found that there are still significant issues that need to be addressed if young users in a variety of learning contexts, especially those who are only recently literate, are to be able to make sense of richer metadata such as EAD that is used to describe collections of primary source material.
Proximity effect correction parameters for patterning of EUV reticles with Gaussian electron beam lithography

Proximity Effect Correction parameters for Electron Beam Lithography are of critical importance for Critical Dimension uniformity and pattern fidelity in the manufacture of Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography reticles 1 . The values of these parameters are well known for simple substrates, such as silicon wafers, but complex substrates such as EUV blanks, composed of several layers of materials (quartz, molybdenum, silicon and ruthenium) present a challenge 2,3 . The authors present a single exposure method for determining the PEC parameters for arbitrary substrates, demonstrated on silicon wafers and EUV reticles using a VB300 Gaussian EBL writer and patterns conducive to CDSEM metrology. The authors demonstrate the ability to utilize the parameters determined using this method to attain less than 3nm three-sigma CD uniformity across the pattern. The results of this empirical approach are compared to the results of Monte Carlo simulation to determine which layers in the EUV stack have the most impact on the optimal PEC parameters obtained.
Fortunate Sons: New Estimates of Intergenerational Mobility in the United States Using Social Security Earnings Data

Previous studies, relying on short-term averages of fathers' earnings, have estimated the intergenerational elasticity (IGE) in earnings to be approximately 0.4. Due to persistent transitory fluctuations, these estimates have been biased down by approximately 30% or more. Using administrative data containing the earnings histories of parents and children, the IGE is estimated to be around 0.6. This suggests that the United States is substantially less mobile than previous research indicated. Estimates of intergenerational mobility are significantly lower for families with little or no wealth, offering empirical support for theoretical models that predict differences due to borrowing constraints.
The effects of parent-body hydrothermal heating on amino acid abundances in CI-like chondrites

Abstract We determined the amino acid abundances and enantiomeric compositions of the Antarctic CI1 carbonaceous chondrites Yamato (Y)-86029 and Y-980115, as well as the Ivuna and Orgueil CI1 carbonaceous chondrites by liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection and time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Y-86029 and Y-980115 both show evidence of parent-body heating (500–600 °C) in addition to aqueous alteration, while Ivuna and Orgueil only show evidence for aqueous alteration. In contrast to Ivuna and Orgueil, which each contain ∼70 nmol/g of amino acids in acid-hydrolyzed, water extracts, both heated Yamato CI meteorites contain only low levels of amino acids that were primarily l -enantiomers of proteinogenic amino acids, indicating that they are likely to be terrestrial in origin. Because indigenous amino acids have been found in meteorites that have experienced metamorphic temperatures of >1000 °C with only minimal aqueous alteration, heating alone is not sufficient to explain the lack of amino acids in Y-86029 and Y-980115. Rather, our data suggest that the combination of heating and aqueous alteration has a profound destructive effect on amino acids in meteorites. This finding has implications for the origins of amino acids and other molecules in the early evolution of our solar system.
The local structure of characters

Let G be a connected real semisimple Lie group with Lie algebra g. Let g = t + s be the Cartan decomposition and K the maximal compact subgroup with Lie algebra t. Let Θ be the character of an irreducible representation. Then Θ has an asymptotic expansion at zero (in the sense of Taylor series). As consequences of this expansion we obtain results about the asymptotic directions in which the K-types occur and about the Gelfand-Kirillov dimension of the representation.
Two hands (or four) are better than one

A bacterial protease inhibitor provides a scaffold for the in vitro evolution of specific inhibitors of human serine proteases.
Physical health and crime among low-income urban women: An application of general strain theory

Abstract Purpose Although studies of General Strain Theory (GST) typically include measures of physical health in multi-item indices of strain, no work has investigated the independent influence of physical health on criminal offending. The current research explores the relationship between physical health and criminal offending among low-income women living in disadvantaged neighborhoods. Methods Using data from the Welfare, Children, and Families (WCF) project, criminal behavior is predicted over two years with measures of physical health, depression, anxiety, competing strain, and relevant background factors. Results Poorer physical health at baseline and declines in physical health increase the odds of offending onset among previous non-offenders and reduce the odds of decreased offending among previous offenders. In offending onset models, higher levels of anxiety and depression at baseline and increases in these symptoms partially mediate the effect of poorer baseline health and fully mediate the effect of the loss of physical health. In decreased offending models, increases in anxiety and depression fully mediate the effect of poorer baseline health and partially mediate the effect of the loss of physical health. Conclusions The data suggest that poor health and declines in physical health influence both offending onset and offending escalation directly and indirectly through increases in anxiety and depression.
On the ability of rough surface scattering approximations to predict hydrodynamic modulation of the ocean radar cross section: A numerical study

Scattering from the ocean surface at microwave frequencies is often described by the Bragg scattering model or the two-scale model. Here, the ability of these models to predict cross section modulation is investigated by comparing Bragg and two-scale cross-sections with cross sections calculated by a numerical electromagnetic approach. The numerical method is used as the standard of comparison. For slightly rough surfaces, the Bragg model is found to be very accurate, but for much rougher surfaces, the two-scale model is superior and should be used for calculating both the absolute cross section and the change in cross section due to spatial or temporal modulation of the ocean wave height spectrum. These results are relevant to the interpretation of SAR images of ocean surface phenomena which perturb the wave height spectrum at ripple wavelengths.
Tentorial dural arteriovenous fistula presenting symptoms due to mass effect on the dilated draining vein: case report

Background: Tentorial dural arteriovenous fistula (AVF) presented symptoms due to mass effect on the dilated draining vein. We report a patient presenting left hemisensory disturbance because of compression of the midbrain by a dilated draining vein of the AVF. The AVF has disappeared completely by drainer clipping after feeder embolization. Case Description: A 66-year-old woman presented with left hemisensory disturbance due to compression of the midbrain by a dilated draining vein with tentorial dural AVF. On admission, she complained of left hemisensory disturbance. Enhanced computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging, and magnetic resonance angiogram revealed the midbrain compressed by a mass lesion, which was a draining vein with AVF fed by numerous feeding arteries neighboring the right tentorial edge. The single-photon emission CT (SPECT) did not depict any laterality. Conclusion: This is a rare case of a tentorial dural AVF which caused left hemisensory disturbance not by venous congestion, but by a compression of the midbrain by the dilated draining vein, because SPECT showed no laterality. In this case, magnetic resonance angiogram, 3-dimensional CT angiography, and SPECT were useful in the diagnosis and planning the strategy for treatment.
The Diagnosis and Incidence of Allergic Fungal Sinusitis

Objectives To reevaluate the current criteria for diagnosing allergic fungal sinusitis (AFS) and determine the incidence of AFS in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Methods This prospective study evaluated the incidence of AFS in 210 consecutive patients with CRS with or without polyposis, of whom 101 were treated surgically. Collecting and culturing fungi from nasal mucus require special handling, and novel methods are described. Surgical specimen handling emphasizes histologie examination to visualize fungi and eosinophils in the mucin. The value of allergy testing in the diagnosis of AFS is examined. Results Fungal cultures of nasal secretions were positive in 202 (96%) of 210 consecutive CRS patients. Allergic mucin was found in 97 (96%) of 101 consecutive surgical cases of CRS. Allergic fungal sinusitis was diagnosed in 94 (93%) of 101 consecutive surgical cases with CRS, based on histopathologic findings and culture results. Immunoglobulin E-mediated hypersensitivity to fungal allergens was not evident in the majority of AFS patients. Conclusion The data presented indicate that the diagnostic criteria for AFS are present in the majority of patients with CRS with or without polyposis. Since the presence of eosinophils in the allergic mucin, and not a type I hypersensitivity, is likely the common denominator in the pathophysiology of AFS, we propose a change in terminology from AFS to eosinophilic fungal rhinosinusitis.
Human Lyme Arthritis and the Immunoglobulin G Antibody Response to the 37-Kilodalton Arthritis-Related Protein of Borrelia burgdorferi

In Borrelia burgdorferi-infected C3H-scid mice, antiserum to a differentially expressed, 37-kDa spirochetal outer-surface protein, termed arthritis-related protein (Arp), has been shown to prevent or reduce the severity of arthritis. In this study, we determined the immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody responses to this spirochetal protein in single serum samples from 124 antibiotic-treated human patients with early or late manifestations of Lyme disease and in serial serum samples from 20 historic, untreated patients who were followed longitudinally from early infection through the period of arthritis. These 20 patients were representative of the spectrum of the severity and duration of Lyme arthritis. Among the 124 antibiotic-treated patients, 53% with culture-proven erythema migrans (EM) had IgG responses to recombinant glutathione S-transferase (GST)-Arp, as did 59% of the patients with facial palsy and 68% of those with Lyme arthritis. In addition, 75 to 80% of the 20 past, untreated patients had reactivity with this protein when EM was present, during initial episodes of joint pain, or during the maximal period of arthritis. There was no association at any of these three time points between GST-Arp antibody levels and the severity of the maximal attack of arthritis or the total duration of arthritis. Thus, after the first several weeks of infection, 60 to 80% of patients had IgG antibody responses to GST-Arp, but this response did not correlate with the severity or duration of Lyme arthritis.
Industrial strength refinement checking

This paper discusses a methodology used on an industrial hardware development project to validate various cache-coherence protocol components. The idea is to use a high level model (HLM) written in Murphi for model checking purposes, and then to use the HLM as a checker during dynamic (i.e. simulation based-) validation of the RTL. Such a checker requires a formal notion of what it means for the RTL to implement the HLM. Due to RTL pipelining, concurrency, and different RTL/HLM semantics, an appropriate notion is non-obvious. We employ a notion we call behavioral refinement, and describe a methodology for creating refinement checkers. A novel aspect of our methodology is that all “ingredients” are specified using System Verilog (SV): even the Murphi model itself is compiled into SV. Thus any off-the-shelf SV simulation engine can be used. We report the successful use of our refinement checkers to catch bugs in a real project at Intel and give an example illustrating our methodology.
Feasibility study of the XM307 automatic grenade launching system

The Armypsilas MK-19 weapon system is an automatic grenade launcher capable of destroying thin-skinned vehicles and dismounted targets at ranges up to 2200 meters. Since its first use in the 1960s, the MK-19 has remained largely unchanged while technology has improved. Though the Army still relies on the MK-19 to fulfill the requirement for an automatic grenade launcher, modern alternatives do exist. In particular, the XM-307 allows for the use of a fire control system and air bursting munitions while remaining light enough for soldiers to employ in a dismounted manner. This research will determine if an alternative weapon provides a significant improvement in lethality over the MK-19 in realistic combat situations. Joint combat and tactical simulation (JCATS) software tests each weapon against a variety of enemies in terrain similar to current operating environments. The results of these tests - along with the weaponpsilas mobility, user interface, and logistics footprint - are analyzed, weighted, and scored through the use of the systems decision process (SDP) developed by the U.S. Military Academypsilas Department of Systems Engineering. Ultimately, this report provides a recommendation to the Armypsilas program manager of advanced crew served weapons on which weapon provides the greatest value to our troops in theater.
Sensory analysis of dairy products irradiated with cobalt-60 at −78°C

ABSTRACT Sensory evaluations by healthy individuals were conducted on cobalt- 60 irradiated retail dairy products which were to be incorporated into the low microbial diets of immunosuppressed patients. Irradiation (40 kGy at -78°C) caused little change in product color or texture, but generally there was a decrease in overall acceptability and an increase in off-flavor and aftertaste. Modified atmosphere packaging (nitrogen, helium, or air) or antioxidant addition (ascorbyl palmitate or a com- bination of butylated hydroxyanisole and butylated hydroxytoluene) prior to irradiation were effective in preserving specific sensory attri- butes, which in some cases resulted in improved overall acceptability (helium packed peppermint ice cream; ascorbyl palmitate treated strawberry yogurt bars) when compared to untreated irradiated prod- ucts. INTRODUCTION COMMERCIALLY STERILIZED dairy products are offered to immunosuppressed patients housed in laminar air flow iso- lation who receive low microbial diets because these patients are vulnerable to infection by low numbers of pathogenic or- ganisms (Tripathy and Mackaness, 1969). High numbers of normally non-pathogenic organisms in foods may also be harmful (Banerjee and Black, 1986). Pasteurization of dairy products inactivates many pathogens, but does not produce a sterile product. Common spoilage organisms in pasteurized milk and milk products include
Scale‐up criteria for stirred tank reactors

A method is derived for the design of stirred tank reactors for homogeneous reactions. A simple mixing model proposed previously by Curl (4) is used to compute the effects of finite mixing time on complex chemical reactions. It is also shown how the parameters of the model can be obtained by tracer experiments, or estimated theoretically by the assumption of isotropic turbulence. It is shown that in many practical cases the assumption of ideal mixing is a good approximation. However, the effects of imperfect mixing are more likely to be felt in a large reactor than in a pilot plant. Some quantitative examples are discussed. Methods are derived to compute the average outlet concentration for complex systems such as autothermic reactions, polymerization, crystallization, etc.
New measures and procedures to manage financial risk with applications to the planning of gas commercialization in Asia

This paper presents some new concepts and procedures for financial risk management. To complement the use of value at risk a new concept, upside potential or opportunity value as means to weigh opportunity loss versus risk reduction as well as an area ratio are introduced and discussed. Upper and lower bounds for risk curves corresponding to the optimal stochastic solution are developed, the application of the sampling average algorithm, one scenario at a time, is analyzed, and the relation between two-stage stochastic models that manage risk and the use of chance constraints is discussed. Finally, some anomalies arising from the use of value at risk and regret analysis are pointed out. These concepts are applied to the commercialization of gas and/or gas-derivatives (synthetic gasoline, methanol, and ammonia) in Asia. Results show that, given the set of costs chosen, the production of synthetic gasoline should be the investment of choice and that the use of contracts can increase expected profit. Other suboptimal cases are also revealed and it is shown how financial risk can be managed.
Beyond Word Segmentation: A Two- Process Account of Statistical Learning

The term statistical learning was originally used to describe sensitivity to conditional relations between syllables in the context of word segmentation. Subsequent research has demonstrated that infants are sensitive to many other kinds of statistical information. The range of statistical learning phenomena presents a challenge to prior theories and models, which have primarily focused on a single aspect of learning. From our perspective, sensitivity to conditional information yields discrete representations (such as words). Integration across these representations yields sensitivity to distributional information. To achieve sensitivity to both kinds of statistical information, we propose a framework that combines processes that extract units from the input with processes that compare across these extracted items. We review the literature on statistical learning to show how these processes map onto prior research, and we discuss how the interaction between these processes gives rise to more complex patte...
Temporal and spatial appearance of α‐dystroglycan in differentiated mouse myoblasts in culture

The dystrophin-glycoprotein complex plays an important role in muscle function. One of the components of the complex, a 156-kDa cell surface glycoprotein (alpha-dystroglycan) binds to laminin, thereby connecting the basal lamina and muscle cells. We have examined the progressive appearance of alpha-dystroglycan and laminin in muscle cells that differentiate in culture. We find that nondifferentiated cultures of C2C12 myoblasts express low amounts of dystroglycan mRNA and, in contrast, this gene is prominently expressed in differentiated myotubes. Immunofluorescence analysis with a monoclonal antibody against alpha-dystroglycan shows its progressive appearance during myoblast differentiation into myotubes. Immunostaining with a monoclonal antibody against laminin shows that it is not present on the surface of undifferentiated myoblasts. Subsequently, laminin becomes apparent on the surface of differentiated myotubes where it codistributes with immunostained alpha-dystroglycan. Immunoblotting of isolated surface membrane proteins of differentiated myotubes with antibodies against alpha-dystroglycan identifies a broad band of about 140-160 kDa, resembling alpha-dystroglycan from rabbit muscle. The composite results indicate that alpha-dystroglycan and laminin appear and become co-distributed on the surface of cultured C2C12 during the progression of differentiation.
Perceptions of Nursing Practice Scale Pilot Study: Directors of Nursing in Nursing Homes

In nursing homes, the urgency to advance our measurement of nursing practice grows because nursing homes are increasingly regarded as an essential component of the care continuum needed to achieve national care quality goals. Prior qualitative case study research identified two key characteristics of nursing practice that differentiated how licensed nurses in nursing homes enacted their scope of practice: the degree to which registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) function interchangeably in providing nursing care and the quality of the connections between RNs and LPNs. RN-to-LPN staffing ratio was a critical, contextual factor shaping these characteristics. The purpose of this pilot study was to develop and validate an instrument of interchangeability and connections between RNs and LPNs regarding how they assess, plan care, supervise, and delegate in nursing homes. One hundred and one RN directors of nursing completed the self-administered, pencil-and-paper, pilot survey instrument. Both classical test theory and item response theory indicated adequate psychometric properties of the 8-item RN-LPN Differentiation scale (α = .78) and the 12-item RN-LPN Collaboration scale (α = .79). The RN-LPN Differentiation score differed by state ( p p