cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lactoferrin disruption of bacterial type III secretion systems.

Many Gram-negative bacteria share a closely related mechanism for secretion of virulence proteins. This complex machine, the type III secretion system, secretes virulence proteins in response to sensing the presence of target mammalian cells. We have found that recombinant human lactoferrin impairs the function of this system in two model organisms: Shigella and Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC). In the case of Shigella, there is loss and degradation of two proteins secreted by the type III mechanism, invasion plasmid antigens B and C (IpaB and IpaC); these proteins normally form a complex that causes Shigella to be taken up by host mammalian cells. In the case of EPEC, lactoferrin causes loss and degradation of E. coli secreted proteins A, B and D (EspABD) particularly EspB. These proteins are components of type III machinery and are known to be key elements of EPEC pathogenesis. Studies using purified EspB demonstrated that lactoferrin has a direct proteolytic effect on EspB that can be prevented by serine protease inhibitors. A synthetic peptide of the N-terminal 33 amino acids of lactoferrin caused loss of cell associated EspB but, unlike the whole lactoferrin molecule, did not caused degradation of EspB. Thus, in both model systems, brief exposure to lactoferrin causes loss and degradation of type III secretion system virulence proteins.
Measuring coverage in MNCH: evaluation of community-based treatment of childhood illnesses through household surveys.

Community case management (CCM) is a strategy for training and supporting workers at the community level to provide treatment for the three major childhood diseases—diarrhea, fever (indicative of malaria), and pneumonia—as a complement to facility-based care. Many low- and middle-income countries are now implementing CCM and need to evaluate whether adoption of the strategy is associated with increases in treatment coverage. In this review, we assess the extent to which large-scale, national household surveys can serve as sources of baseline data for evaluating trends in community-based treatment coverage for childhood illnesses. Our examination of the questionnaires used in Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) conducted between 2005 and 2010 in five sub-Saharan African countries shows that questions on care seeking that included a locally adapted option for a community-based provider were present in all the DHS surveys and in some MICS surveys. Most of the surveys also assessed whether appropriate treatments were available, but only one survey collected information on the place of treatment for all three illnesses. This absence of baseline data on treatment source in household surveys will limit efforts to evaluate the effects of the introduction of CCM strategies in the study countries. We recommend alternative analysis plans for assessing CCM programs using household survey data that depend on baseline data availability and on the timing of CCM policy implementation.
Parameterized key assignment for confidential communication in wireless networks

Predistribution of cryptographic keys is a widely used approach for establishing secure communication between severely resource-constrained nodes with limited or no access to network infrastructure. Many proposed key predistribution schemes make the implicit assumption that message contents need not be kept private from nodes other than the intended recipient. Messages in such schemes are not guaranteed to be confidential-they may be read by nodes within the network other than the intended recipient. In this paper, we present TASK-a symmetric key predistribution scheme that enables secure and confidential communication within wireless networks. TASK distributes keys by generating and reinforcing a series of template key assignment instances. It is parameterized, which allows it to make use of key storage capacities that other recently proposed schemes cannot. We show, through analysis and simulation, that TASK can achieve a level of security superior to that of two recently proposed schemes that also provide confidentiality. We also demonstrate that the techniques used in TASK (namely parameterization, templatization, and selective reinforcement) can be applied to other key assignment schemes for star or bipartite networks.
Kinetics and reaction stoichiometry in the reductive dissolution of manganese(IV) dioxide and co(III) oxide by hydroquinone

Oxidation of hydroquinone (QH2) to p-benzoquinone (Q) in aqueous suspensions by manganese(IV) dioxide (MnO1.97) and cobalt (III) oxide (CoOOH) and subsequent reduced metal ion release were examined in order to explore the kinetics and mechanisms of surface chemical redox reactions. When the ratio [Q(aq)][Me2+(aq)] exceeds the value predicted from reaction stoichiometry, reduced metal ions are accumulating on oxide surfaces. This behavior was observed for both oxides, and is especially pronounced early in the course of reaction and in suspensions of high pH. Sorption of added Mn2+ onto Mn(IV) dioxide and Co2+ onto Co(III) oxide in reductant-free suspensions resembles the retention of reduced metal ions observed during the reductive dissolution reactions. Malonate has been shown to facilitate Co2+(aq) release during reaction of Co(III) oxide with hydroquinone. Rates of reduced metal ion adsorption/desorption relative to rates of prior surface chemical reactions are discussed using a numerical model. Comparisons are made with the reductive dissolution of Fe(III) oxides by hydroquinone.
Bayesian adaptive user profiling with explicit & implicit feedback

Research in information retrieval is now moving into a personalized scenario where a retrieval or filtering system maintains a separate user profile for each user. In this framework, information delivered to the user can be automatically personalized and catered to individual user's information needs. However, a practical concern for such a personalized system is the "cold start problem": any user new to the system must endure poor initial performance until sufficient feedback from that user is provided.To solve this problem, we use both explicit and implicit feedback to build a user's profile and use Bayesian hierarchical methods to borrow information from existing users. We analyze the usefulness of implicit feedback and the adaptive performance of the model on two data sets gathered from user studies where users' interaction with a document, or implicit feedback, were recorded along with explicit feedback. Our results are two-fold: first, we demonstrate that the Bayesian modeling approach effectively trades off between shared and user-specific information, alleviating poor initial performance for each user. Second, we find that implicit feedback has very limited unstable predictive value by itself and only marginal value when combined with explicit feedback.
Real-Time Display Of 3-D Computer Data Using Computer Generated Holograms

In this paper we discuss two "real-time" (turn around times of a few seconds up to a minute) systems for display of three dimensional computer data using computer generated holograms. In one system the computer generated hologram is written on a high-resolution CRT in contact with a liquid crystal light valve. The liquid crystal light valve modulates a coherent, collimated, polarized readout beam with the data that is displayed on the CRT. The modulated beam is then used to reconstruct the object that had been encoded in the hologram on the CRT. In the second system the computer generated hologram that had been displayed on the CRT is imaged and recorded on a thermoplastic plate. The developed thermoplastic plate can then be used to reconstruct the object with a coherent beam.
Proteomic Parsimony through Bipartite Graph Analysis Improves Accuracy and Transparency

Assembling peptides identified from LC−MS/MS spectra into a list of proteins is a critical step in analyzing shotgun proteomics data. As one peptide sequence can be mapped to multiple proteins in a database, naive protein assembly can substantially overstate the number of proteins found in samples. We model the peptide−protein relationships in a bipartite graph and use efficient graph algorithms to identify protein clusters with shared peptides and to derive the minimal list of proteins. We test the effects of this parsimony analysis approach using MS/MS data sets generated from a defined human protein mixture, a yeast whole cell extract, and a human serum proteome after MARS column depletion. The results demonstrate that the bipartite parsimony technique not only simplifies protein lists but also improves the accuracy of protein identification. We use bipartite graphs for the visualization of the protein assembly results to render the parsimony analysis process transparent to users. Our approach also gro...
An experimental study of flow and dispersion in the wakes of three-dimensional low hills

Abstract The effect of three-dimensional, axisymmetric hills on the mean flow and turbulence structure of a boundary layer is investigated through experiments conducted in a large meteorological wind tunnel Two conical hills having slopes of 26.5° and 17.5° and height (H) about one-quarter of the simulated boundary layer thickness were considered. Measurements of mean and turbulent flow and diffusion on the lee sides of the hills are presented and compared with the observations made without the hills. Velocity measurements behind the steeper hill (26.5°) showed a well defined recirculating zone and the presence of weak trailing vortices in the lower region (z = 0.3H), whereas no such features could be detected behind the gentler hill. Perturbations in mean velocity, Reynolds stress and variances of velocity fluctuations in the far wake (beyond 4H) are found to decay with the downwind distance from the center of the hill according to some power laws. The decay rates of mean velocity deficit and turbulence pertubations in the far wake are compared with the theoretical predictions of Hunt (1971, Central Electricity Research Lab. Rep. 1974, ARC, Rep. 35601, Atmos. 229) and Lemberg (1973, PhD Dissertation, Rep. No. BLWT-3-73, Univ. of W Ontario) as well as with the results of other experiments. Comparisons of diffusion measurements at various distances from a point source with and without the hill bring out several interesting aspects of dispersion in the wake of the gentler hill. A 40–65% reduction in maximum ground-level concentration (glc) was observed when the source was placed at the top of the hill, whereas a marked increase (up to six times) in the glc was noticed when the source was moved to the downwind base of the hill. Enhanced vertical and lateral dispersion was also evident in the wake region.
Prenatal HIV Counseling, Testing, and Antiretroviral Prophylaxis by Obstetric and Family Medicine Providers in Alabama

ABSTRACT Background The study reported here assessed the implementation of recommendations for routine universal prenatal counseling and voluntary HIV testing among Alabama physicians who provide prenatal care and determined factors associated with noncompliance. Methods Voluntary, confidential mailed survey of obstetrics and family medicine practitioners. Results Of the 138 physicians who responded to a mailed survey in Alabama, 17 (12.3%) indicated that they did not offer universal HIV counseling and testing to pregnant women. Factors associated with failure to offer universal HIV counseling and testing included having more than 50% of patients refuse HIV counseling and testing when offered and never knowingly having given prenatal/perinatal care to women with HIV. Low/medium familiarity with the US Public Health Service recommendations for perinatal zidovudine use to reduce HIV transmission and physician specialty are also suggested as predictors of not offering universal testing. Conclusions Despite the well-established benefits of antiretroviral prophylaxis to prevent vertical transmission of HIV, some physicians in Alabama have been slow to adopt universal testing of their pregnant patients for HIV in the prenatal period. Practitioner education is as important as patient education in eliminating pediatric HIV in the Deep South.
Positron Emission Tomography Radiopharmaceuticals for Imaging Brain Beta-Amyloid

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is defined histologically by the presence of extracellular β-amyloid (Aβ) plaques and intraneuronal neurofibrillary tangles in the cerebral cortex. The diagnosis of dementia, along with the prediction of who will develop dementia, has been assisted by magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography (PET) by using [ 18 F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). These techniques, however, are not specific for AD. Based on the chemistry of histologic staining dyes, several Aβ-specific positron-emitting radiotracers have been developed to image neuropathology of AD. Among these, [ 11 C]PiB is the most studied Aβ-binding PET radiopharmaceutical in the world. The histologic and biochemical specificity of PiB binding across different regions of the AD brain was demonstrated by showing a direct correlation between Aβ-containing amyloid plaques and in vivo [ 11 C]PiB retention measured by PET imaging. Because 11 C is not ideal for commercialization, several 18 F-labeled tracers have been developed. At this time, [ 18 F]3′-F-PiB (Flutemetamol), 18 F-AV-45 (Florbetapir), and 18 F-AV-1 (Florbetaben) are undergoing extensive phase II and III clinical trials. This article provides a brief review of the amyloid biology and chemistry of Aβ-specific 11 C and 18 F-PET radiopharmaceuticals. Clinical trials have clearly documented that PET radiopharmaceuticals capable of assessing Aβ content in vivo in the brains of AD subjects and subjects with mild cognitive impairment will be important as diagnostic agents to detect in vivo amyloid brain pathology. In addition, PET amyloid imaging will also help test the amyloid cascade hypothesis of AD and as an aid to assess the efficacy of antiamyloid therapeutics currently under development in clinical trials.
Editorial: Accounting journal assessment exercise

Journal, school and department assessment exercises have become a significant part of our academic landscape. The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News & World Report, Business Week and Financial Times al...
A Fast Marching Method for Hamilton-Jacobi Equations Modeling Monotone Front Propagations

In this paper we present a generalization of the Fast Marching method introduced by J.A. Sethian in 1996 to solve numerically the eikonal equation. The new method, named Buffered Fast Marching (BFM), is based on a semi-Lagrangian discretization and is suitable for Hamilton-Jacobi equations modeling monotonically advancing fronts, including Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman and Hamilton-Jacobi-Isaacs equations which arise in the framework of optimal control problems and differential games. We also show the convergence of the algorithm to the viscosity solution. Finally we present several numerical tests comparing the BFM method with other existing methods.
Proteomic Analysis of Neisseria gonorrhoeae Biofilms Shows Shift to Anaerobic Respiration and Changes in Nutrient Transport and Outermembrane Proteins

Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the causative agent of gonorrhea, can form biofilms in vitro and in vivo. In biofilms, the organism is more resistant to antibiotic treatment and can serve as a reservoir for chronic infection. We have used stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture (SILAC) to compare protein expression in biofilm and planktonic organisms. Two parallel populations of N. gonorrhoeae strain 1291, which is an arginine auxotroph, were grown for 48 h in continuous-flow chambers over glass, one supplemented with (13)C(6)-arginine for planktonic organisms and the other with unlabeled arginine for biofilm growth. The biofilm and planktonic cells were harvested and lysed separately, and fractionated into three sequential protein extracts. Corresponding heavy (H) planktonic and light (L) biofilm protein extracts were mixed and separated by 1D SDS-PAGE gels, and samples were extensively analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Overall, 757 proteins were identified, and 152 unique proteins met a 1.5-fold cutoff threshold for differential expression with p-values <0.05. Comparing biofilm to planktonic organisms, this set included 73 upregulated and 54 downregulated proteins. Nearly a third of the upregulated proteins were involved in energy metabolism, with cell envelope proteins making up the next largest group. Of the downregulated proteins, the largest groups were involved in protein synthesis and energy metabolism. These proteomics results were compared with our previously reported results from transcriptional profiling of gonococcal biofilms using microarrays. Nitrite reductase and cytochrome c peroxidase, key enzymes required for anaerobic growth, were detected as highly upregulated in both the proteomic and transcriptomic datasets. These and other protein expression changes observed in the present study were consistent with a shift to anaerobic respiration in gonococcal biofilms, although changes in membrane proteins not explicitly related to this shift may have other functions.
Load-balancing for parallel computation of fluid dynamics problems

Abstract Recent developments in computer networks and massively parallel computers provide exciting opportunities for computational fluid dynamics (CFD). In order to reduce the computation time and increase the efficiency of parallel CFD, we developed a new method to balance the load of computers. In this method, we realistically assumed that (1) computers are networked and may have different computation speeds, (2) CFD data can be divided into many small data blocks with possibly different sizes, and (3) the number of computers is much less than the number of data blocks. The greedy method for optimization is employed to provide a near optimal distribution of the data blocks on computers for achieving computer load balancing. This method provides a near optimal time solution to the computation of given parallel CFD algorithms.
Native Americans' cancer rates in comparison with other peoples of color.

BACKGROUND The National Cancer Institute developed population-specific programs to better understand cancer as it occurs within underserved populations such as American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and American Samoans. METHODS The data for American Samoans are derived from regional studies and from data collected from the Hawaii Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Registry. Native Hawaiian data are from the Hawaii SEER program and are limited to Native Hawaiians who live in that state. Alaska Native data are from the Lanier and Knutson 15-year summary of Alaska Native cancer data. American Indian data are from the New Mexico SEER program, which is generalizable to natives living in Arizona and New Mexico only and is relatively free of racial misclassification errors. RESULTS An overview of age-adjusted cancer incidence and mortality rates among American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, African Americans, and whites for 1977–1983 is provided. Five-year relative survival rates from cancer are from 1975–1984. Relative survival rates are provided for American Indians, Native Hawaiians, African Americans, and whites. CONCLUSIONS Based on the limited data available, divergent cancer patterns appear to be present in these Native American populations. Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians consistently display elevated rates that are frequently camouflaged when data are collapsed into “other” racial categories. Cancer 1996;78:1538-44.
Synthesis and characterization of phosphorescent cyclometalated platinum complexes.

The synthesis, electrochemistry, and photophysics of a series of square planar Pt(II) complexes are reported. The complexes have the general structure C∧NPt(O∧O),where C∧N is a monoanionic cyclometalating ligand (e.g., 2-phenylpyridyl, 2-(2‘-thienyl)pyridyl, 2-(4,6-difluorophenyl)pyridyl, etc.) and O∧O is a β-diketonato ligand. Reaction of K2PtCl4 with a HC∧N ligand precursor forms the chloride-bridged dimer, C∧NPt(μ-Cl)2PtC∧N, which is cleaved with β-diketones such as acetyl acetone (acacH) and dipivaloylmethane (dpmH) to give the corresponding monomeric C∧NPt(O∧O) complex. The thpyPt(dpm) (thpy = 2-(2‘-thienyl)pyridyl) complex has been characterized using X-ray crystallography. The bond lengths and angles for this complex are similar to those of related cyclometalated Pt complexes. There are two independent molecular dimers in the asymmetric unit, with intermolecular spacings of 3.45 and 3.56 A, consistent with moderate π−π interactions and no evident Pt−Pt interactions. Most of the C∧NPt(O∧O) complexes...
The structure of water surrounding a peptide: a theoretical approach

Abstract Recently developed integral equation methods for the evaluation of correlations of polar molecular solutes in polar solvent media have been solved for the alanine dipeptide in water. The results are compared with simulations of similar model systems. The use of the full molecular site-site correlations determined in this work can be used in approximate non-superposition theories for conformational populations in solution.
Exciton Dynamics in Semiconductor Nanocrystals

This review article provides an overview of recent advances in the study and understanding of dynamics of excitons in semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) or quantum dots (QDs). Emphasis is placed on the relationship between exciton dynamics and optical properties, both linear and nonlinear. We also focus on the unique aspects of exciton dynamics in semiconductor NCs as compared to those in bulk crystals. Various experimental techniques for probing exciton dynamics, particularly time-resolved laser methods, are reviewed. Relevant models and computational studies are also briefly presented. By comparing different materials systems, a unifying picture is proposed to account for the major dynamic features of excitons in semiconductor QDs. While the specific dynamic processes involved are material-dependent, key processes can be identified for all the materials that include electronic dephasing, intraband relaxation, trapping, and interband recombination of free and trapped charge carriers (electron and hole). Exciton dynamics play a critical role in the fundamental properties and functionalities of nanomaterials of interest for a variety of applications including optical detectors, solar energy conversion, lasers, and sensors. A better understanding of exciton dynamics in nanomaterials is thus important both fundamentally and technologically.
The hippocampus and contextual retrieval of information from memory: A theory

A theory which holds that information is normally stored within a specialized memory rather than the system immediately responsible for the performance of behavior is advanced. The transfer of information from storage to the system immediately responsible for performance, according to the theory, can occur independently of the occurrence of external stimuli. Usually such information transfer would be prompted by motivational cues and always result in anticipation of stimuli. The hippocampus is regarded as part of a system responsible for determining which information is to be transferred from storage to the performance system. The effects of hippocampal ablation are explained in terms of the elimination of such transfer. A subsidiary system relying upon habit formation is held to be responsible for the learning of which hippocampally ablated animals are capable.
Somatization: The path between distress and somatic symptoms

Somatization is an extremely common and poorly managed clinical phenomenon. Three traditions in pain research have impeded the understanding of somatization as a process: (1) somatization tends to be treated as an inherent property of a few patients who do not have organic disease; (2) current models of the psychology of pain focus upon the maintenance rather than the initiation of somatic symptoms and illness behavior; and (3) pain is studied in isolation from other common aversive somatic symptoms. A primary care perspective on somatization reveals it to be a ubiquitous and diverse process linking the physiology of distress and the psychology of symptom perception. Nearly all somatization is transient and treatable through modification of physician behavior and proper application of psychiatric and psychological therapies.
Behavior of Several Catalysts in the Combustion of Solid Propellant Sandwiches

Theme T two-dimensional solid propellant sandwich has evolved as a convenient test vehicle for theories dealing with both physical and chemical behavior of composite solid propellant ingredients. It allows detailed observation of the binder-oxidizer interface over a range of test conditions. Sandwiches have been used by several investigators." Hightower and Price used laminated, two-dimensional sandwiches of single crystals of ammonium perchlorate and hydrocarbon binder. They considered this configuration to be "a compromise between the complexity of the three-dimensional 'combustion zone' and the naivety of a one-dimensional approximation." Jones investigated the catalytic behavior of Harshaw Catalyst, Cu 0202 and ferric oxide, Fe2O3 in solid propellant sandwiches of polycrystalline ammonium perchlorate (AP) and carboxyl terminated polybutadiene (CTPB). Hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) was substituted for CTPB and the behavior of the same catalysts over the pressure range 600-3200 psia was investigated. The sandwich vertical burn rate, the normal regression rate of the oxidizer and qualitative details of the deflagration process were obtained by cinephotomacrography. The current study has extended the investigation to include two additional catalysts,
VALUE JUDGMENT IN THE OREGON MEDICAID EXPERIMENT

Oregon proposed a unique social experiment in which combinations of medical conditions and treatments were prioritized. Under the proposed program, providers would not be reimbursed for services relevant to 17% of the condition-treatment pairs. The program was designed to expand access and allow significantly more residents to qualify for Medicaid. The original Oregon proposal used four levels of human judgment: community values assessed in town meetings; ratings of the desirability of health states; medical judgment of treatment efficacy; and subjective reordering of the list by Oregon Health Services Commissioners. In August 1992, the Department of Health and Human Services rejected Oregon's application to proceed with the experiment, objecting to the use of one of the four types of subjective data: ratings of the desirability of health states. A revised application that eliminated this one subjective component was approved in March 1993. This paper demonstrates that among the four levels of judgment, the ratings of health states were supported by the most evidence of reliability and validity. Implications for future prioritization experiments are discussed.
Exposures of the shoulder and upper humerus

Extensile and adequate exposures of the shoulder and upper humerus are important in trauma surgery. The standard deltopectoral approach can be extended distally to expose the whole humerus if necessary. Often, wide exposures of the upper humerus are necessary to reduce complex fractures and apply the plate on the lateral aspect of the humerus. A thorough knowledge of the anatomy as well as strategies of nerve mobilization is necessary for achieving adequate exposures in this area. This article details the many exposure methods for the shoulder, upper humerus, and their extensile extensions.
International trends in the incidence of bone cancer are not related to drinking water fluoridation.

Background. Because osteosarcomas may develop in rats exposed to fluoridated water, water fluoridation might pose a cancer risk to humans. Methods. A time trend analysis of the cumulative risk (CR) of bone cancer for the period 1958-1987 for 40 cancer registry areas showed an increased risk for young males in Canada, Europe, and the United States, and a decreased lifetime risk for either sex in Europe. Results. This was unrelated to water fluoridation and may have resulted from changes in coding practices. Bone cancer risk was inversely related to the incidence of cancers of unknown origin, suggesting that bone metastases were erroneously coded as primary bone cancer. In 1968-1972, most areas recorded more bone cancer deaths than new cases of the disease. Conclusions. The mortality/incidence ratio, but not the incidence rate (IR), has dropped sharply since then, which erodes the basis of past inferences relating cancer mortality to fluoridation. Cancer 1992; 70:611–618.
Phospholipid composition of the brown fat and skeletal muscle of the hibernating ground squirrel, Citellus lateralis

Abstract 1. 1. Phospholipid analysis of brown fat and skeletal muscle of the ground squirrel, Citellus lateralis, reveals that the quantity of phospholipid increases significantly during hibernation, and, that there are significant differences in steady state values of phospholipid classes. 2. 2. Specifically, the mol% values of phosphatidylethanolamine and diphosphatidylglycerol were found to be elevated in brown fat from hibernating squirrels, while the corresponding values of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylserine and sphingomyelin were found to be reduced. 3. 3. Also, in skeletal muscle, the mol% values of phosphatidylethanolamine and diphosphatidyl glycerol are found to be elevated in tissue taken from hibernating squirrels, while the corresponding value of phosphatidylcholine was found to be reduced.
Cross-relaxation of the 1G4 state of Tm3+ in POCl3:SnCl4

Abstract The luminescence lifetime of the 1 G 4 state of Tm 3+ in POCl 3 :SnCl 4 ranges from 69 to 154 μs for Tm 3+ concentrations in the range 0.05−0.005 M. The cross-relaxation rate constant of 1 G 4 state ( k Q ) is 2 × 10 5 M −1 s −1 . Nonradiative relaxation of the 1 D 2 state is more pronounced than that of the 1 G 4 state, in spite of a lower energy gap, attributed to a charge transfer state of Tm 3+ in POCl 3 :SnCl 4 whose configurational coordinate potential surface crosses the potential surface of the 1 D 2 state.
Quantitative easing through the prism of the Barings crisis in 1890: central banks and the international money market

This article investigates the response of the Central Bank at the center of the network of international money markets in times of crisis. The Bank of England's response to the impending collapse of the Barings Bank in 1890 involved not just a bank-brokered loan guarantee but also a change in the rules and manner of intervention in the market for bill discounting that constituted a significant element of the unregulated money market of the time. Quantitative easing in the current context also marks the attempt by the Federal Reserve to tame the shadow banking system by intervening directly in these markets. Based on this historical analogy, we draw some lessons about the nature and limitations of central bank response.
Critical parameters for the heliumlike atoms: A phenomenological renormalization study

A mapping between the quantum few-body problem and its classical mechanics pseudo-system analog is used to study the critical parameters for the helium isoelectronic sequence. The critical point is the critical value of the nuclear charge Zc for which the energy of a bound state becomes degenerate with a threshold. A finite-size scaling ansatz in the form of a phenomenological renormalization equation is used to obtain very accurate results for the critical point of the ground-state energy, λc=1/Zc=1.0976±0.0004, as well as for the excited 2p2 3P state, λc=1.0058±0.0017. The results for the critical exponents α and ν are also included.
Measurement of nanogram concentrations of IgG by mixed hemadsorption.

Abstract We have modified the mixed hemadsorption technique so as to minimize the non-specific adsorption of indicator cells. This is accomplished by: (1) introducing fetal calf serum at several crucial steps in the procedure, and (2) standardizing the selection of high power fields to be counted so as to avoid erratic adherence patterns which occur around the well rim. Using these adjustments, IgG concentrations in the 12.5–400 ng/ml range can be measured accurately. Sample size: 2μl. Test time: 4 h. No radiosotope is required.
The Relationship Between Organizational Characteristics and Workforce Turnover Among Rural, Urban, and Suburban Public Child Welfare Systems

ABSTRACT Many child welfare agencies across the country are experiencing a severe workforce crisis involving high staff turnover rates. The purpose of this study was to analyze the similarities and differences on intention to leave among rural, urban, and suburban child welfare districts with an explicit focus on organizational, individual, and supervisory factors. Eight hundred and twenty workers and supervisors from twenty-five child welfare agencies participated in a survey addressing organizational, individual, and supervisory factors related to workforce turnover. ANOVA and Logistic regression models were conducted in the analysis. Findings suggest that there are unique influences on intention to leave among the three localities. Implications for social work education and organizational practice are discussed.
Child passenger safety: decisions about seating location, airbag exposure, and restraint use.

The installation of passenger-side airbags in new vehicles complicates efforts to maximize child safety in motor vehicle crashes. It has been recommended by both public and private organizations that children sit in the rear seat with proper restraint to achieve maximum safety. Drivers now need to decide whether a child should be restrained, where the child should be seated (front versus rear), and whether the child should be seated in front of a passenger-side airbag. This research was undertaken to determine which choice minimizes the risk of fatality to children. Using data from the U.S. Fatality Analysis Reporting System for calendar years 1989 to 1998, fatal vehicle crashes with child passengers younger than 13 years were analyzed. The effectiveness of passenger-side airbags and rear seating for children, by age category and restraint use, was estimated using the double-pair comparison method. For each of four age categories, the fatality risk of each possible combination of restraint use, seating location, and airbag presence was also estimated using logistic regression. Passenger airbags were associated with an increase in child fatality risk of 31% for restrained children, and 84% for unrestrained children. Passenger airbags did appear to offer protection to restrained 9- to 12-year-old children. Restraint use and rear seating were associated with statistically significant reductions in the odds of a child dying in a crash. In order to minimize child fatality risk, parents should seat children in the rear of the vehicle while using the proper child restraint system, especially in vehicles with passenger airbags. These findings support current public education efforts in the United States.
Numerical Simulation of Hollow Fiber Ultrafiltration Membrane

Low pressure driven ultrafiltraion (UF) processes has been applied in various industries due to its economical and easy operated benefits. Hollow fiber membrane is one of the most used membrane configuration in industry, membrane fouling is the major challenge for widely usage. Most of the investigation of UF was carried out by experiments to determine the effect of different operating conditions on permeate flux. However, experiments provide limited insight information on the membrane performance. In addition, the prediction of permeate flux under different operating conditions is necessary for experimental design and optimization. The purpose of the present study is to develop a numerical model to simulate the UF process and investigate the UF mechanism. A numerical model was developed using commercial CFD package (FLUENT). The effects of various operating conditions on permeate flux were determined by experiments and simulations, the comparison of the experimental and CFD results shows good agreements. Controlling membrane fouling will maintain a high productivity. The simulations were carried out to investigate the efficiency of removing accumulated particles on membrane surface by installing spacer filaments in membrane channels. The results suggested that the zigzag type spacer has d/h = 0.5 and l/h = 5 is more economical and efficient in reducing fouling.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
The mechanism of iodination reactions in thyroid glands.

Previous studies from this laboratory showed that inorganic iodide is oxidized by H2O2 and an enzyme, iodide peroxidase, before it is incorporated into tyrosine and protein by thyroid and salivary homogenates. It is reported here that several other naturally occurring biological oxidants or electron carriers cannot replace H2O2, although it had been shown elsewhere that flavin cofactors stimulate iodide utilization by thyroid preparations. The results of this study demonstrate that catalase or anaerobiosis prevent flavin activation, and thus support the conclusion that the activation is due to the production of H2O2 during autoxidation of the flavin. The peroxidases of salivary and thyroid glands are not identical because a homogenate of salivary gland will oxidize bromide and slightly incorporate it into tyrosine, but thyroid homogenates will not. Neither tissue oxidizes chloride or fluoride. Histidine is iodinated by thyroid and salivary extracts but tyrosine is overwhelmingly iodinated when both amino ...
Landscape Modeling for Everglades Ecosystem Restoration

A major environmental restoration effort is under way that will affect the Everglades and its neighboring ecosystems in southern Florida. Ecosystem and population-level modeling is being used to help in the planning and evaluation of this restoration. The specific objective of one of these modeling approaches, the Across Trophic Level System Simulation (ATLSS), is to predict the responses of a suite of higher trophic level species to several proposed alterations in Everglades hydrology. These include several species of wading birds, the snail kite, Cape Sable seaside sparrow, Florida panther, white-tailed deer, American alligator, and American crocodile. ATLSS is an ecosystem landscape-modeling approach and uses Geographic Information System (GIS) vegetation data and existing hydrology models for South Florida to provide the basic landscape for these species. A method of pseudotopography provides estimates of water depths through time at 28 × 28-m resolution across the landscape of southern Florida. Hydrologic model output drives models of habitat and prey availability for the higher trophic level species. Spatially explicit, individual-based computer models simulate these species. ATLSS simulations can compare the landscape dynamic spatial pattern of the species resulting from different proposed water management strategies. Here we compare the predicted effects of one possible change in water management in South Florida with the base case of no change. Preliminary model results predict substantial differences between these alternatives in some biotic spatial patterns.
Low Temperature Atomic Layer Deposition of Tin Oxide

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) of tin oxide (SnOx) films was achieved using a newly synthesized tin precursor and hydrogen peroxide. We obtained highly pure, conductive SnOx films at temperatures as low as 50 °C, which was possible because of high chemical reactivity between the new Sn precursor and hydrogen peroxide. The growth per cycle is around 0.18 nm/cycle in the ALD window up to 150 °C, and decreased at higher temperatures. Self-limited growth was demonstrated for both the Sn and O precursors. Thickness is linear in the number of cycles, with an induction period of not more than a few cycles. Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements showed that the composition ratio of O/Sn is ∼2 and that the films do not contain any detectable carbon or nitrogen impurities. X-ray and electron diffraction analyses identified crystallites of SnO2 with the rutile structure and average grain size 5−10 nm. The density of the films is 83% of the bulk rutile phas...
On a Degenerate Heat Equation with a Singular Potential

Using a new method, we generalize the blow up and existence result from P. Baras and J. A. Goldstein (1984, Trans. Amer. Math. Soc.284, 121–139) to heat equations on the Heisenberg group. In doing so we need to overcome the difficulty that the equation in this case is both degenerate and of variable coefficients. Comparing with the Euclidean case, an interesting new result is that solutions can blow up even when the singularity of the potential is weaker than the inverse square of the distance function.
Use of thromboelastography to tailor dual-antiplatelet therapy in patients undergoing treatment of intracranial aneurysms with the Pipeline embolization device.

Background Platelet function testing is controversial and not well studied in patients with neurovascular disease. Objective To evaluate the performance of thromboelastography (TEG) as a platelet function test in neurovascular patients treated with the Pipeline embolization device (PED). Methods A prospective protocol was instituted for platelet function testing in patients undergoing repair of intracranial aneurysms with the PED. All patients received dual antiplatelet therapy (DAT) and their response to both P2Y12 inhibitors and aspirin was quantified with TEG. Each patient9s DAT induction strategy was tailored based on the percentage ADP-induced and percentage arachidonic acid-induced platelet inhibition reported by TEG. Data collected included clinical presentation, aneurysm characteristics, treatment details, and periprocedural events. Patients were followed up clinically and/or angiographically at 30 days, 6 months, and 1 year. Results Thirty-four PED procedures were performed on 31 patients. TEG results altered the DAT strategy in 35% of patients. Technical success with the Pipeline placement was 100%. Two patients had minor strokes and five had transient ischemic attacks (TIAs). There have been no hemorrhagic complications. No patient had permanent neurologic deficits. Six of eight (75%) of patients with thromboembolic/TIA events were ADP-induced hyporesponders by TEG. Our 6- and 12-month angiographic occlusion rates were 78.9% and 89.5%, respectively. The 19 major branches covered by the PED that were assessed by follow-up imaging have all remained patent. Conclusions Platelet function testing with TEG altered our DAT induction strategy in a significant number of cases. No hemorrhagic or disabling thromboembolic complications were seen in this series. Future studies should compare methods of platelet function testing and, possibly, no platelet function testing in neurovascular patients undergoing flow diversion and/or stent-assisted treatment of intracranial aneurysms.
Psychiatric consultation with general hospital chaplains

This article describes a program in which psychiatrists serve as consultants to a group of chaplains working in a general hospital. The chaplains learn to use specific concepts and techniques from liaison psychiatry to evaluate and refine their own work. The consultants teach them about psychopathology in the medically ill, about the awareness and use of transference and countertransference reactions, and about how to define an appropriate role within the medical ward milieu. The article discusses the benefits of this consultation to chaplains and psychiatrists, especially in clarifying the role distinctions between the two groups.
Architectural Style, Aesthetic Landscaping, Home Value, and Crime Prevention

In this article, burglary-prevention measures are reviewed. Despite an abundance of literature on residential burglary prevention, both theoretical and practical, homeowners are still slow to take the necessary measures to avoid burglaries. The conclusion of the article is that, if certain architectural styles and types of landscaping, which add to aesthetic value as well as burglary deterrence of the house, can be promoted by means of some financial incentives, all parties concerned—homeowners, public and private agencies—will benefit.
Hippocampal seizure discharge produced by systemic digitoxigenin is antagonized by reserpine or p-chlorophenylalanine.

Abstract EEG was recorded from several brain regions during the i.v. infusion of digitoxigenin to conscious, freely-moving rats. Two seizure episodes were recorded from the ventral hippocampus with the second, more severe seizure characterized by low-frequency (3–6/sec), high-amplitude (0.9–1.5 mV) discharges. Secondary activity was recorded from the mesencephalic and reticular formations. Pretreatment of rats with p-chlorophenylalanine or reserpine prevented the first seizure and markedly delayed the second seizure to appear after 1.85 mg or 4.66 mg digitoxigenin/kg, respectively, compared to 0.79 mg/kg in untreated rats. The pretreatments did not alter the frequency of the discharges but reduced their amplitude to 0.4–0.75 mV. The results suggest a role for monoamines, and in particular serotonin, in the effect of digitoxigenin to cause hippocampal seizure discharge.
The Effects of Social Rank and Cage Shape on Selected Behavioral and Performance Traits of White Leghorn Layers

Abstract The effects of social rank and cage shape upon feeding frequency, overt aggressive activity, fearfulness, body weight, egg production, and feed usage were evaluated for a single strain of White Leghorn layers housed four per cage in deep and shallow designed cages in a semicommercial environment. Social rank did not affect frequency of feeding for birds in either cage design. However, birds in shallow cages did feed more frequently, consumed a numerically greater, although statistically nonsignificant, amount of feed, and had significantly larger egg size. Differences among social ranks were present for overt aggressive activity. Significant differences between cage designs for aggressive activity were not present, although birds in shallow cages consistently initiated fewer aggressive acts and generally had lower correlation coefficients for social rank and aggressive activity. No differences were observed between cage types for fearfulness, egg production, or body weight gains.
Evolution, theology and the Victorian scientist

Charles Darwin and the Problem of Creation. By Neal C. Gillespie. Pp.224. (University of Chicago Press: Chicago and London, 1979.) £11.55.
The physico-chemical properties of the AtT-20 cell's glucocorticoid receptor during depletion.

Abstract Glucocorticoid agonists decrease the number of glucocorticoid receptors in the cloned AtT-20 mouse pituitary tumor cell. To investigate whether the structure of the receptor is altered during this process, we monitored the physico-chemical properties of the nuclear and cytosolic receptors undergoing depletion. Agarose chromatography, DEAE-cellulose chromatography and sucrose gradient ultracentrifugation were employed. Cells were sampled after 2, 24, 48 and 96 h incubation with 10 nM tritiated triamcinolone acetonide. Agarose chromatography yielded, in each case, a single receptor-containing peak that had a Stokes radius of 5.8 nm. Nuclear and cytosolic glucocorticoid receptors from each preparation eluted from DEAE-cellulose as a single, symmetric peak at a KC1 concentration of 0.075 M. Sucrose gradient ultracentrifugation of all samples also yielded only a single peak. For each technique the amount of receptor recovered was inversely related to the length of intact cell incubation. Thus, depletion of the glucocorticoid receptor is not accompanied by observable changes in its size, surface charge or hydrodynamic properties. These results suggest that the first step of agonist-induced glucocorticoid receptor depletion in the AtT-20 cell involves the loss or alteration of the receptor's steroid-binding site.