cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Monte-Carlo study of angular and edge length distributions in a three-dimensional Poisson-Voronoi tesselation

Abstract Several hundred thousand three-dimensional Poisson-Voronoi cells have been simulated to study accurately the distributions of the dihedral angles (angles between adjacent faces), bond angles (angles between adjacent edges), total edge length of a face and total edge length of a cell. The mean values of the dihedral angle and the bond angle are found to be very close to those required by the equilibrium surface tension criterion for the polycrystalline grains. A two-parameter gamma distribution can be used to describe the total edge length distribution of a cell. For a sample size of less than few thousand cells, a twoparameter lognormal distribution can also be used to describe the total edge length distribution of the cell.
GUCY2C-targeted chimeric antigen receptor expressing T cells extend survival in a therapeutic mouse model of metastatic colorectal cancer

Adoptive T cell therapy (ACT) is an emerging cancer treatment paradigm with success in early phase clinical trials in melanoma and B cell leukemia. However, ACT has been unsuccessful in tumors arising from the colorectum, in part due to antigen-dependent “on-target off-tumor” toxicities producing damage to normal tissues. These adverse events reflect the use of affinity-enhanced T cell receptors which increase the risk of T cell-mediated damage to normal tissues expressing the target antigen, an effect which is amplified for antigens broadly expressed by different tissues. In that context, we have generated an antibody-based chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) targeting the cancer mucosa antigen guanylyl cyclase C (GUCY2C), a membrane-bound cyclase selectively produced on apical surfaces of intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) in small and large intestine, whose expression is maintained by >95% of metastatic colorectal tumors. We hypothesized that anatomical compartmentalization of GUCY2C, normally limited to luminal surfaces of intestine but conserved on all colorectal cancer cells, would enable GUC2YC-targeted CAR T cells to eliminate metastatic colorectal tumors in the absence of intestinal damage. Here, CARs specific for mouse or human GUCY2C were inserted into murine CD8+ T cells by retroviral-mediated gene transfer. GUCY2C-specific CAR T cells induced GUCY2C-dependent T cell activation quantified by staining CD25 and CD69 surface markers and intracellular accumulation of IFNγ, TNFα, and MIP1α. Further, GUCY2C-specific CAR T cells lysed CT26 mouse colon cancer cells, quantified by release of β–galactosidase, in a GUCY2C-dependent fashion. Moreover, these CAR T cells extended median and overall survival in therapeutic mouse models of GUCY2C-expressing colorectal cancer metastatic to lung. Importantly, the therapeutic effects of GUCY2C-CAR T cells were not associated with antigen-dependent clinical toxicity, including diarrhea, rectal bleeding, or rectal prolapse, or gross pathology, including hemorrhage or ulceration, in intestine. Together, these observations establish proof-of-principle that adoptive T cell therapy using GUCY2C-targeted CARs is therapeutically effective, in the absence of “on-target off-tumor” normal tissue destruction, in metastatic colorectal cancer.
A Picoliter-Volume Mixer for Microfluidic Analytical Systems

Mixing confluent liquid streams is an important, but difficult operation in microfluidic systems. This paper reports the construction and characterization of a 100-pL mixer for liquids transported by electroosmotic flow. Mixing was achieved in a microfabricated device with multiple intersecting channels of varying lengths and a bimodal width distribution. All channels running parallel to the direction of flow were 5 μm in width whereas larger 27-μm-width channels ran back and forth through the parallel channel network at a 45° angle. The channel network composing the mixer was ∼10 μm deep. It was observed that little mixing of the confluent solvent streams occurred in the 100-μm-wide, 300-μm-long mixer inlet channel where mixing would be achieved almost exclusively by diffusion. In contrast, after passage through the channel network in the ∼200-μm-length static mixer bed, mixing was complete as determined by confocal microscopy and CCD detection. Theoretical simulations were also performed in an attempt t...
SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION, AND REPRESENTATIVE CRYSTAL STRUCTURE OF LIPOPHILIC PLATINUMII (HOMOPIPERAZINE)CARBOXYLATE COMPLEXES

Abstract A series of new lipophilic platinum(II) complexes of the type [Pt(HPIP)L2] and [Pt(HPIP)L] (where HPIP = homopiperazine; L = acetate, propionate, butyrate, pentanoate, hexanoate, heptanoate, octanoate, nonanoate, decanoate, undecanoate, laureate, tridecanoate, myristate, pentadecanoate, palmitate, or heptadecanoate; and LL = oxalate, or tartronate) were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR, 13CNMR, and 195Pt NMR. In addition, the crystal structure of a representative complex [PtII(HPIP)(pentadecanoate)2], was determined by X-ray diffraction. The crystals were monoclinic, space group P21/c, with a = 28.212(6)A, b = 3.661(3)A, c = 10.218(2)A, and Z = 4. A total of 3940 reflections were collected, and the structure refined to R1 = 0.0522 and wR2 = 0.1333. The slightly distorted square plane of the platinum included the amino groups of the HPIP molecule in cis positions and oxygens from two monodentate pentadecanoates. The HPIP molecule was in a boat conformation and formed five- a...
Security challenges in IT infrastructure for cybersecurity curriculum support

With the evolving challenges in cyberspace there is a need for curriculum development in cybersecurity. Students in a cybersecurity curriculum need to access and learn about topics in cybersecurity such that they have a clear understanding of the sophistication of threats such that they can implement mitigation response. Development of hands on curriculum in cybersecurity therefore poses significant challenges to the information technology infrastructure in an instructional environment. Among the various challenges one of the significant challenges involves attack simulations of a cyber-attack requiring the creation of a walled infrastructure to accommodate the equipment where computing services are hosted. The challenges of containing malicious software which can be released by accident are also significant to the IT infrastructure. In this paper we show how the walled infrastructure with computing service can be created such that cybersecurity curriculum can be institutionalized where students locally and remotely can access this infrastructure. The walled IT infrastructure is based on risk escalation wherein connectivity and access to computing resources is contained as risk to computing infrastructure increases. We also show IT challenges in curriculum development on topics of hardware, software and networking for cybersecurity and how virtualization is a means for solving the challenges in those respective topics.
Chlorotic spotting on cherry leaves: possible causes

Abstract Causes of chlorotic spotting of cherry leaves in Washington State have been the subject of controversy. Diagnoses of herbicide injury have been made on the basis of visual inspection alone. However diagnoses based on visual observations may be misleading as there are numerous other possible causes, including diseases, disorders of unknown origin, nutrient deficiencies, genetic abnormalities, and various herbicides that may produce overlapping symptoms. This paper reviews symptoms produced by each of these factors.
Fluorescence spectra and magnetic resonance imaging of the ocular lens

During the past two decades, progress in biophysical technology has made it possible to monitor aging and pre-cataractous as well as cataractous changes in the ocular lens in vivo as well as in vitro. Because they are non-invasive these techniques can be performed in vivo and utilized as screening methods to detect and predict eventual lens opacification and they should also provide increasingly important information to help clarify the cataractogenic process. Three such biophysical approaches can now be employed in vivo; these include lens fluorescence, light scattering measurements, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) T2 analyses. We have utilized two of these methods [fluorescence spectroscopy and MRI measurements of lens water (T2) phases] to delineate normal age-related and pre- cataractous changes in a series of human subjects and in patients with early lens opacities. The parameters employed for these studies were based on data accumulated from in vitro experiments on human lenses and in vivo and in vitro data from animal experiments.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Reversible Sliding in Networks of Nanowires

This work demonstrates that metal nanowires in a percolating network can reversibly slide across one another. Reversible sliding allows networks of metal nanowires to maintain electrical contact while being stretched to strains greater than the fracture strain for individual nanowires. This phenomenon was demonstrated by using networks of nanowires as compliant electrodes for a dielectric elastomer actuator. Reversible nanowire sliding enabled actuation to a maximum area strain of 200% and repetitive cycling of the actuator to an area strain of 25% over 150 times. During actuation, the transmittance of the network increased 4.5 times, from 13% to 58%. Compared to carbon-based compliant electrodes, networks of metal nanowires can actuate across a broader range of optical transmittance. The widely tunable transmittance of nanowire-based actuators allows for their use as a light valve.
On the Use of Silicon Photonics for Optical Interconnect and Contactless Logic Testing

A silicon p-n junction that is biased in avalanche breakdown mode emits visible light. Although the efficiency of such silicon emitters is poor, their ability to modulate at GHz frequencies make them a good choice for many applications including optical interconnects and optical contactless logic testing. Results demonstrate the feasibility of an all silicon optical interconnect system and an all silicon contactless testing methodology using the silicon light emitter and standard silicon detectors.
Effects of in situ biostimulation on iron mineral speciation in a sub-surface soil

Abstract The in situ alteration of Fe redox states in subsurface soils by bacteria, otherwise known as bioreduction, may play a key role in the immobilization of hazardous redox active metals such as U, Tc, and Cr. The objective of this study was to characterize changes in Fe mineralogy occurring in a subsurface soil as a result of biostimulation in order to evaluate the bioremediation potential of this approach. Biostimulation was achieved by injecting glucose into the soil through a small well next to a sampling well. Cores taken from the sampling well were analyzed by variable-temperature 57 Fe Mossbauer spectroscopy. Results revealed that biostimulation resulted in an overall loss of Fe from the system and major changes in the distribution of its oxide and oxyhydroxide mineral forms. Compared to the non-biostimulated soil, the spectral components assigned to goethite were greatly diminished in intensity in the samples that had been biostimulated, whereas the hematite component was appreciably increased. The Fe(II):Fe(III) ratio in the non-oxide phase (aluminosilicate clay minerals) also increased, indicating that the bioreduction processes in the soil also affected the redox state of Fe in the constituent clay minerals.
Inner-sphere adsorption geometry of Se(IV) at the hematite (100)–water interface

Abstract The 3-dimensional structure of adsorption complexes on mineral surfaces provides insight into the fundamental mechanisms controlling sorption processes. This is important to the development of a general understanding of the behavior of contaminants such as selenite in the environment. The adsorption of selenite (SeO2−3) on the hematite (100) surface was studied using X-ray standing wave (XSW) measurements. Inner-sphere bidentate surface complexes bridging between adjacent singly-coordinated oxygen sites were identified as the primary adsorption site. The lack of binding to doubly-coordinated oxygen sites that were also exposed on the surface was likely due to differences in the reactivity or exchange kinetics of these sites or cation–cation repulsion, although the latter appears to be a secondary effect based on past observations. While these bridging bidentate geometries are similar to those inferred in past spectroscopic studies, the Se–Fe distances are such that these species might be misidentified as edge-sharing complexes if studied by EXAFS spectroscopy, highlighting the need for a fundamental understanding of mineral surface structure.
Was the 2006 Debian SSL Debacle a system accident

In this paper we examine in detail the Debian OpenSSL Debacle from the perspectives of a system accident, a concept derived from the work of Charles Perrow [1]. This event left users of Debian and its derivatives with seriously compromised cryptographic capabilities. We identify some common failings that might be problematic in other software development projects and offers some suggestions to help develop code more securely.
FMRP stalls ribosomal translocation on mRNAs linked to synaptic function and autism

FMRP loss of function causes Fragile X syndrome (FXS) and autistic features. FMRP is a polyribosome-associated neuronal RNA-binding protein, suggesting that it plays a key role in regulating neuronal translation, but there has been little consensus regarding either its RNA targets or mechanism of action. Here, we use high-throughput sequencing of RNAs isolated by crosslinking immunoprecipitation (HITS-CLIP) to identify FMRP interactions with mouse brain polyribosomal mRNAs. FMRP interacts with the coding region of transcripts encoding pre- and postsynaptic proteins and transcripts implicated in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). We developed a brain polyribosome-programmed translation system, revealing that FMRP reversibly stalls ribosomes specifically on its target mRNAs. Our results suggest that loss of a translational brake on the synthesis of a subset of synaptic proteins contributes to FXS. In addition, they provide insight into the molecular basis of the cognitive and allied defects in FXS and ASD and suggest multiple targets for clinical intervention.
Perturbation of the phagocytic response in P388D1 cultured macrophages by agents altering cell calcium

Abstract Phagocytosis in adherent P388D 1 (D 1 ) cells was monitored utilizing formalin treated Listeria monocytogenes ( Lm ) previously labeled with 125 iododeoxyuridine. The dependence of this phagocytic process on calcium was studied by using several agents which alter calcium metabolism. The calcium antagonist ruthenium red (RR) produced a dose and time dependent stimulation (60–70%) of Lm phagocytosis by D 1 cells. Utilizing another calcium antagonist, D-600, a prolonged inhibition (4 hours) of phagocytosis (40%) was observed. The addition of the cation ionophore A23187 produced a transient stimulatory increase (38% at 2 hours) in the phagocytic response. The concomitant addition of RR and D-600 did not alter the phagocytosis of Lm by D 1 cells as compared to control cells. However, this complete drug/drug antagonism was not seen with the combinations of A23187 and D-600 or RR and A23187. The addition of A23187 and D-600 resulted in a time dependent inhibition of phagocytosis which did not become maximal until 3 to 4 hours. A23187 and RR produced a time independent stimulation of phagocytosis which was significantly less than that which was observed for RR alone, but was of longer duration than the response produced by A23187 alone. The use of these calcium probes in the P388D 1 macrophage model suggests a role for calcium in the phagocytic process.
Gender differences in suicide attempts from adolescence to young adulthood

ABSTRACT Objective To examine associations of age, gender, and psychosocial factors during adolescence with risk of suicide attempt between ages 19 and 23 years. Method Initial assessments were conducted with 1,709 adolescents (aged 14–18) in western Oregon between 1987 and 1989. One year later, 1,507 participants returned for a second assessment. A subset of participants ( n = 941; 57.2% women) had a third diagnostic assessment after turning 24 (between 1993 and 1999). Information on suicidal behavior, psychosocial risk factors, and lifetime DSM-III-R psychiatric diagnosis was collected at each assessment. Results The suicide attempt hazard rate for female adolescents was significantly higher than for male adolescents (Wilcoxon χ 2 1 [ n = 941] = 12.69, p Conclusions Unlike depression, the elevated incidence rate of suicide attempts by adolescent girls is not maintained into young adulthood. Screening and prevention implications are discussed.
Ablation of C/EBP Homologous Protein Does Not Protect T17M RHO Mice from Retinal Degeneration

Despite the proposed link between ablation of the CHOP protein and delay of the onset of ER stress-mediated disorders including diabetes, Alzheimer Disease, and cardiac hypertrophy, the role of CHOP protein in photoreceptor cell death associated with Autosomal Dominant Retinitis Pigmentosa (ADRP) has not been investigated. T17M RHO transgenic mice carry a mutated human rhodopsin transgene, the expression of which in retina leads to protein misfolding, activation of UPR and progressive retinal degeneration. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of CHOP protein in T17M RHO retina. Wild-type, CHOP−/−, T17M RHO and T17M RHO CHOP−/−mice were used in the study. Evaluation of the impact of CHOP ablation was performed using electroretinography (ERG), spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), quantitative Real-Time PCR (qRT-PCR) and western blot analysis. Dark-adapted ERG analysis demonstrated that by 1 month, the T17M RHO CHOP−/− mice had a 70% reduction of the a-wave amplitude compared to the T17M RHO mice. The loss of function in T17M RHO CHOP−/− photoreceptors was associated with a 22–24% decline in the thickness of the outer nuclear layer. These mice had significant reduction in the expression of transcription factors, Crx and Nrl, and also in mouse Rho, and human RHO. The reduction was associated with an 8-fold elevation of the UPR marker, p-eIf2α protein and 30% down-regulation of sXbp1 protein. In addition, the histone deacetylase 1 (Hdac1) protein was 2-fold elevated in the T17M RHO CHOP−/− retina. The ablation of CHOP led to a reduction in the expression of photoreceptor-specific transcriptional factors, and both endogenous and exogenous RHO mRNA. Thus, despite its role in promoting apoptosis, CHOP protects rod photoreceptors carrying an ADRP mutation.
Expert pathology review and endoscopic mucosal resection alters the diagnosis of patients referred to undergo therapy for Barrett’s esophagus

Background Endoscopic therapy has emerged as an alternative to surgical esophagectomy for the management of Barrett’s esophagus (BE)-associated neoplasia. Accurate pretreatment staging is essential to ensure an appropriate choice of therapy and optimal long-term outcomes. This study aimed to assess the frequency with which expert histopathologic review of biopsies combined with endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) would alter the pretreatment diagnosis of BE-associated neoplasia.
Liver function tests and low-dose estrogen oral contraceptives

Twenty healthy female volunteers were treated with 35 microgram ethinyl estradiol and 0.4 mg norethindrone for a two-month period of time. Liver function tests (serum SGOT, SGPT, LDH, alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin, total protein, albumin and prothrombin times) were measured at baseline and control prior to treatment, and at one and two months of therapy. There was a 1.25% incidence of abnormalities in the 320 tests conducted during therapy. During the first month of therapy, there was a 1.9% incidence of abnormal tests. 0.625% incidence of abnormal tests was seen in the second month of treatment. A 5% incidence of abnormalities (single episodes in each parameter) was seen in SGPT, LDH, total bilirubin and prothrombin time levels during the two-month period. This was well below the 10-30% incidence of abnormalities reported with 50-100 microgram of estrogen-containing birth control pills in previous studies. There seems to be little effect on liver function tests with use of estrogen preparations containing 35 microgram ethinyl estradiol.
Serum insulin and growth hormone responses to arginine infusion before and during treatment with contraceptive steroids.

ABSTRACT Increased insulin and growth hormone (HGH) concentrations have been demonstrated in women receiving contraceptive steroids, by means of oral and intravenous glucose tolerance tests. In the present study, the plasma glucose, serum insulin and serum HGH responses to l-arginine monochloride infusion before and during the second cycle of treatment with ethinyl estradiol 3-methyl ether (100 μg) plus ethynodiol diacetate (1 mg) were evaluated in 12 young, healthy, non-obese subjects. Our data indicate that the contraceptive steroid treatment induced a significant elevation of serum insulin and HGH concentrations, without modification of the plasma glucose levels. While the mean cumulative glucose (ΣG) was unchanged, the mean cumulative insulin (ΣI) and HGH (ΣHGH) during the 2-hr tests were significantly increased during treatment. These data suggest that the contraceptive steroids induced a peripheral anti-insulin effect, since the ΣI/ΣG ratio was increased during treatment. This effect may be due to i...
Early age cracking behavior of internally cured mortar restrained by dual rings with different thickness

Abstract This paper presents the results of research which examined the early age cracking behavior of internally cured and plain mortars under restraint. Residual stress development, cracking stress and age of internally cured and plain mortars restrained by dual rings with different thickness were studied in detail. Tensile stress resistance was calculated according to the results of fracture test. Autogenous volume deformation was tested also. The obtained results reveal that, internally cured and plain mortars are unlike to crack at first 2 days due to the low residual stress. After that age, residual stress in plain mortar goes up quickly and induces the damage of material, which implies the higher possibility to crack with the past of age. Compared to plain mortar, lower shrinkage or expansion, lower elastic modulus and less damage are advantages of internally cured mortar to diminish the risk of cracking.
Regulation of MMP-9 expression by the A2b adenosine receptor and its dependency on TNF-α signaling.

Objective Macrophage- and vascular-derived matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 plays an important role in neointima formation after vascular injury. The A2b adenosine receptor (A2bAR) elevates cyclic adenosine monophosphate and suppresses tumor necrosis factor−α (TNF-α) levels at baseline and after vascular injury. Considering the influences of TNF-α on MMP-9 expression and activity, here we examined the effect of the A2bAR on the expression of MMP-9 and its potential dependency on TNF-α. Materials and Methods We applied protein activity and mRNA analyses of MMP-9 in macrophages derived from A2bAR knockout (KO) and TNF-α receptor KO mice. We employed guidewire-induced femoral artery injuries on A2bAR KO and control mice and analyzed by immunohistochemistry MMP-9 expression in the neointima area. Results MMP-9 activity is somewhat less in resident A2bAR KO macrophages compared with wild-type cells. However, MMP-9 is increased in activated macrophages from A2bAR KO when TNF-α is further elevated, or in wild-type cells after TNF-α treatment. In accordance, A2bAR activation downregulates MMP-9 expression in wild-type macrophages, which is ablated in TNF-α receptor KO cells. A greater vascular lesion after femoral artery injury in A2bAR KO mice is associated with elevated TNF-α levels and augmented MMP-9, compared to control mice. Conclusions Ablation of the A2bAR in activated macrophages increases MMP-9. A2bAR activation reduces MMP-9 expression, which depends on TNF-α and could contribute to the protective role of A2bAR in a vascular injury model.
The determination of particle size distribution of submicrometer particles by capillary hydrodynamic fractionation (CHDF)

Abstract Capillary tubes have been used to separate submicrometer colloidal particles by size. When dispersed colloidal particles of different sizes are transported through the open capillary tube by a fluid, they fractionate, emerging in order of decreasing diameter. This paper shows, for the first time, that the particle size distribution of polydisperse mixtures of submicrometer colloidal particles can be obtained from the separation achieved by flow through small-bore open capillary tubes. The integrated, computerized capillary hydrodynamic fractionation (CHDF) described here determines the particle size distribution of the sample containing submicrometer particles in suspension. An iterative numerical method was used to obtain the particle size distributions from the fractograms obtained. Several mixtures of well-characterized standards were injected into the CHDF system in order to illustrate the resolution of the separation. The high resolution of the separation achieved in a 4-μm-diameter capillary tube allows analytical fractionation of mixtures of particles with diameters of 234 and 357 nm in less than 200 s; the difference between their peak elution times is only 8 s. Particle size distributions of multimodal distributions obtained by CHDF were compared to those obtained by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in order to determine the accuracy of the calculated particle size distributions. Our results demonstrate that CHDF can be used to obtain particle size distributions of dispersions, regardless of the breadth of the distribution of submicrometer particles.
An improved preparation of substituted phosphoryl difluorides. Synthesis of trifluoromethylthiodifluorophosphine and trifluoromethylthiophosphoryl difluoride

Abstract Difluorobromophosphine reacts readily with bis(trifluoromethylthio)- mercury to yield the fluorophosphine CF3SPF2 in excellent yields. The resulting new phosphine is readily oxidized under very moderate conditions by ClF, Cl2 and O2 to give new chlorofluorophosphorane and fluorophosphoryl compounds which contain the CF3S moiety. CF3SPF2Cl2 and CF3SPF2Cl were not characterized because of their tendency to disproportionate. CF3SP(O)F2 has, however, been isolated and characterized. All the new compounds are relatively unstable and decompose with a fluoride shift from the methyl group to the phosphorus atom. A new synthetic route to the known difluorophosphoryl compounds OPF2Cl, OPF2Br, OPF2NCS and OPF2(CH3)2, by the direct oxidation of the respective difluorophosphine with oxygen, has been found.
Photoinduced self-localized polarons in Tl2Ba2Ca(1-x)GdxCu2O8: A proposal for Van Der Waals pairing

Abstract Photoinduced absorption measurements are reported for the infrared spectral range from 130 to 5000 cm −1 . The observation of infrared activity vibrational (IRAV) modes and an associated electronic transition (at 0.095 eV) with common intensity and temperature dependence indicate the formation of self-localized polarons. Both the dynamic mass (M d ) and the gap state energy (ħω el ) are smaller than in either YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ or La 2 CuO 4 . For all three systems, M d and ω e1 are correlated with T c of the superconducting phase; T c ∝ 1/M d , and T c ∝ [1/ω el ] β where β ≈ 0.6.
Role of cysteine and 4'-phosphopantetheine in the inactivation of pigeon liver fatty acid synthetase by S-(4-bromo-2,3-dioxobutyl)-coenzyme A.

Abstract S-(4-bromo-2,3-dioxobutyl)-CoA has been used as an inhibitor of fatty acid synthetase from pigeon liver. This affinity label selectively and irreversibly inhibits the acetyl transacylase and β-ketoacyl synthetase reactions of this multienzyme complex. Binding studies with [3H]-labeled bromodioxobutyl-CoA have established that four mol of the inhibitor are bound per mol of the enzyme complex, and that the radioactivity of this compound is covalently bound to cysteine and 4′-phosphopantetheine moieties. Other partial reactions of fatty acid synthesis are unaffected by bromodioxobutyl-CoA.
Dependence of the magnetization law on structural disorder in amorphous ferromagnets

Abstract Magnetic properties of some amorphous ferromagnets are well described within the random anisotropy real-space model. In that model the spatial distribution of local magnetic anisotropy axes is characterized by the correlation function C ( x ) which reflects a short-range structural order in a solid. We have found the explicit dependence of the magnetization law on C ( x ) in approaching saturation. It allows one to extract information about the structural disorder from the magnetization curve.
Simulation model for the effects of climate change on temperate grassland ecosystems

Abstract We studied the responses of temperate grasslands to climate change using a grassland ecosystem model which simulates seasonal dynamics of shoots, roots, soil water, mycorrhizal fungi, saprophytic microbes, soil fauna, inorganic nitrogen, plant residues and soil organic matter. Forty-year simulations were made for several climate change scenarios. The model was driven with observed weather and with combinations of elevated atmospheric CO 2 , elevated temperature, and either increased or decreased precipitation. Precipitation and CO 2 level accounted for most of the variation among climate change treatments in the responses of soil, plants, animals and microbes. Elevated temperature extended the growing season but depressed photosynthesis in the summer, with little net effect on annual primary production. Doubling CO 2 (1) caused persistent increases in primary production, in spite of greater nitrogen limitation, and (2) led to greater storage of carbon in plant residues and soil organic matter. The increased carbon storage was not great enough to keep pace with the present rate of increase in atmospheric CO 2 .
Soybean best management practices for Louisiana, USA, agricultural nonpoint source water pollution control.

This field study was conducted over a 3-year time period in Louisiana to determine which soybean (Glycine max L.) tillage practice discharged the least amount of nutrients and sediment from experimental plots after rainfall/runoff events. In addition, tillage effect on soybean yield was investigated. Experimental design consisted of three Louisiana soybean tillage treatments [conventional (CT), stale seedbed (SS), and no-till (NT)] with three replications per treatment. A randomized complete-block design was used for statistical analysis. Each of the nine treatment plots measured 27.1 m by 106.4 m and was equipped with an automatic runoff sampler integrated with a continuously recording flow meter and H-flume. Composite runoff samples were analyzed for ammonium N (NH4 +-N), nitrate N (NO3 −-N), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), total phosphorus (TP), orthophosphorus (ortho-P), total organic carbon (TOC), and total solids (TS). Analyte discharge (kg ha–1) per rainfall/runoff event was calculated using runoff ...
Drei-Front-Konfigurationen mit Energiezufuhr

Es werden die verschiedenen Moglichkeiten der Energiezufuhr auf Diskontinuitatsflachen in einer Uberschallparallelstromung betrachtet. Dabei zeigt sich, das die Energiezufuhr auf einer Front unter gleichzeitiger Ausbildung nur einer Stoswelle nicht moglich ist, sondern das sich zusatzlich zu der Energiefront noch mindestens zwei Stosfronten ausbilden mussen. Fur eine Anstrommachzahl M∞ = 10 und eine Energiezufuhr qi/W = 0,1 werden die verschiedenen moglichen Frontwinkel sowie die Drucke und die Stromlinienwinkel hinter den Fronten berechnet. Fur einige Bereiche ergeben sich dabei mehrere Losungen, wahrend fur andere, wozu naturlich auch der Choking-Bereich gehort, keine stationaren Losungen existieren. The heataddition on fronts of discontinuity in a supersonic stream is studied. It is shown, that heat-addition on one front with the formation of only one shock wave is not possible. There must be at least two shock waves besides the energyfront. For a Machnumber M∞ = 10 and a heataddition qi/W = 0,1 the angles of the front, the pressure and the inclination of the stream-lines behind the fronts are calculated. There are some values of the frontangle for which more then one solution can exist and some values for which no steady solution is possible, e.g. of course the choking range.
Aging and Fear of Crime: An Experimental Approach to an Apparent Paradox

Many fear of crime studies have revealed an interesting paradox: Although older adults are less likely to be victims, they report a higher fear of crime than younger adults. In this study, we experimentally manipulated vicarious exposure to crime. Younger (ages 18-29) and older adults (ages 61-78) were randomly assigned to view either a vivid video reenactment of a violent crime or a crime report newscast. Subjects in the violent video condition demonstrated significantly higher fear than did control group participants, but this effect was reliable only for younger adults. The older adults appeared to be unfazed by the violent video, and reported significantly less fear than the younger group. This could not be explained away on the basis of age group differences in neighborhood crime rates, victimization experience, or media exposure. Thus, when greater fear of crime is found in older adults, "old age" per se is not the cause.
The extraordinary Dr Biggs.

ALTHOUGH NOT QUITE A HOUSEHOLD NAME, DURing the late 19th and early 20th centuries Hermann M. Biggs (1859-1923) commanded enormous power and influence. Throughout his career at the helm of the Health Department of the City of New York and later as Commissioner of the New York State Department of Health, Biggs was world-renowned for developing innovative and effective policies that both protected the public’s health and respected the needs of the ill. While still a young man in the early 1880s, Biggs’ intellectual life was indelibly shaped by the exciting discoveries being made about bacteria and the then-novel germ theory of disease. Indeed, a signal event that occurred during Biggs’ medical student days at New York City’s Bellevue Medical College superbly illustrates the cultural and intellectual wedge then being driven between antiquated medical practices and the scientific revolution in healing that continues to the present. One of Biggs’ favorite medical school professors at Bellevue was William Henry Welch, a brilliant young pathologist and bacteriologist just beginning his meteoric rise to becoming one of the founders of the Johns Hopkins Hospital and Medical School and the leading medical statesman of his generation. One spring afternoon in 1882, Welch lectured to his pathology class, of which Biggs was a promising member, about Robert Koch’s monumental discovery of the tubercle bacillus as the cause of the white plague of tuberculosis. So inspired was Biggs by this pedagogic moment that he ran to Bellevue’s senior professor of medicine, the redoubtable and bespectacled Alfred L. Loomis, to tell him about the remarkable information. A few days later, the aging Loomis, author of scores of textbooks that made him famous among medical students and practitioners alike, ascended the lecture platform of the Bellevue Hospital amphitheater, looked merrily about the vast room, and boldly declared: “People say there are bacteria in the air, but I cannot see them.” Many of the medical students laughed uproariously at Loomis’ witty denunciation, as they are wont to do whenever their professor makes the slightest attempt at humor. Yet when Biggs later told Welch about the episode, the pathologist shook his head with an equal mixture of sadness and whimsy. “That’s too bad,” Welch quipped, “Loomis is such a nice man”; in other words, time had passed Loomis by, and his old notions about disease causation and prevention had been, or were about to be, superseded by new ones. And by refusing to accept
Caliban and the fen demons of Lincolnshire: the Englishness of Shakespeare's Tempest

Since Edmond Malone first scented the presence of the Bermuda pamphlets wafting from its pages back in 1808, The Tempest has been increasingly framed as a play about the European encounter with the “New World.” With the advent of post-colonial theory it has become a critical commonplace to regard Caliban's enslavement as a prescient expose of the “victimization of Third World peoples.” Yet Jerry Brotton raises a significant caveat when he claims such readings have spawned a “geographically restrictive view of the play” and exaggerated the scale of English settlement in early seventeenth-century America. Colonialism, however, is not exclusively une entreprise d'outre-mer. A colonial dynamic can also arise within a nation-state when the centre invades the periphery, or an urban elite seizes the communal wilds of the rural poor. If Shakespeare cast one eye across the Atlantic when he drew his servant monster, his gaze also encompassed creatures much closer to home. Specifically, I will argue that the chimera...
D-Nominate after 10 Years: A Comparative Update ToCongress: A Political Economic History of Roll Call Voting

This paper updates Congress: A Political-Economic History of Roll Call Voting. Congress is based largely on an analysis of the first 100 Congresses and is devoted to showing that important episodes in American political and economic history can be better understood by supplementing or reinterpreting more traditional analyses with the basic space theory of ideology. Ideology was measured by D NOMINATE scores. Here we update some of our findings using new estimations that are complete through the end of the 105th Congress. We find that the trend to polarization and unidimensionality that we identified in Congress has continued unabated through the 105th Congress. The shift to Republican control after the 1994 elections is part of this trend and does not represent a sharp break in roll call voting behavior. Comparison of NOMINATE results for the United States to those for other parliaments indicates the ideological character of roll call voting in Congress.
Weighing Accuracy of Samples Collected by IOM and CIS Inhalable Samplers

The tare-weight of the plastic filter cassette for the Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM) sampler and that of the plastic filter holder for conical inhalable sampler are not stable. However, the tare-weight of the IOM filter cassette made of stainless steel is stable. Weight variations of the 25-mm and the 37-mm polyvinyl chloride filters are no more than 0.006 mg (6 µg) after they are desiccated for at least 2 days.
Density fluctuations in liquid rubidium. I. Neutron-scattering measurements

We report neutron-scattering measurements of the coherent scattering function $S(Q,\ensuremath{\omega})$ of liquid rubidium at 315 K, in the range of wave vectors $1.25\ensuremath{\le}Q\ensuremath{\le}5.5$ ${\mathrm{\AA{}}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. In this range there is no evidence of peaks at finite $\ensuremath{\omega}$ in $S(Q,\ensuremath{\omega})$ plotted at constant $Q$. On the other hand the Fourier transform $F(Q,t)$ exhibits structure, notably for $Q=2.0$ ${\mathrm{\AA{}}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$, which indicates at least two characteristic (wavelength-dependent) relaxation times in the liquid. For wave vectors g3.0 ${\mathrm{\AA{}}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$, $F(Q,t)$ may be characterized by a single relaxation time. These results, in conjunction with our results for $Ql1.0$ ${\mathrm{\AA{}}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$, offer the possibility of detailed comparisons with models of the liquid state and with molecular-dynamics calculations.
In vitro induction of tumor-specific human lymphocyte antigen class I-restricted CD8 cytotoxic T lymphocytes by ovarian tumor antigen-pulsed autologous dendritic cells from patients with advanced ovarian cancer

Abstract Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential of dendritic cells pulsed with whole-tumor extracts derived from autologous ovarian cancer cells in eliciting a tumor-specific cytotoxic T-cell response in vitro from patients with advanced ovarian cancer. Study Design: CD8 + T lymphocytes stimulated in vitro with autologous ovarian tumor lysate–pulsed dendritic cells were tested for their ability to induce a human leukocyte antigen class I–restricted cytotoxic T-lymphocyte response able to specifically kill autologous tumor cells in standard 6-hour chromium 51 cytotoxicity assays. In addition, to correlate cytotoxic activity by cytotoxic T-lymphocytes with a particular lymphoid subset, 2-color flow cytometric analysis of intracellular cytokine expression (interferon γ and interleukin 4) at the single-cell level was performed. Results: Cytotoxic T lymphocytes specific for autologous ovarian tumor cells were elicited from 3 patients with advanced ovarian cancer. Although cytotoxic T-lymphocyte populations expressed strong cytolytic activity against autologous tumor cells, they did not lyse concanavalin A–stimulated autologous lymphocytes or autologous Epstein-Barr virus–transformed lymphoblastoid cell lines and showed negligible cytotoxicity against the natural killer cell–sensitive cell line K-562. Cytotoxic effect against the autologous tumor cells was inhibited by an anti–human leukocyte antigen class I monoclonal antibody (W6/32). It is interesting that CD8 + cytotoxic T lymphocytes expressed variable levels of CD56, a marker that may be associated with high cytotoxic activity. Finally, most of the tumor-specific CD8 + T cells exhibited a T H 1 cytokine bias, and a high percentage of interferon γ expressors among cytotoxic T lymphocytes was correlated with higher cytotoxic activity. Conclusion: These data show that tumor lysate–pulsed dendritic cells can consistently induce in vitro specific CD8 + cytotoxic T lymphocytes able to kill autologous tumor cells from patients with advanced stage ovarian cancer. This novel approach may have important implications for the treatment of residual or resistant disease with active or adoptive immunotherapy after standard surgical and cytotoxic treatment. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2000;183:601-9.)
Interpenetrating and pseudo-interpenetrating polymer networks of polyethylacrylate and zeolite 13X

Free radical polymerization of liquid ethylacrylate in the presence of zeolite 13X yielded PIPNs without crosslinker and IPNs if the crosslinker ethylene glycol dimethacrylate was present. We studied these materials both unextracted as well as partially extracted with a variety of solvents using DSC, SEM as well as Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS). These studies suggest that in the composites polyethylacrylate chains entered the internal pores of the zeolite. These chains had an extended state and did not exhibit a bulk glass transition, a similar behavior to that previously reported for polystyrene/zeolite 13X composite. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Disrupting Power and Privilege in Couples Therapy

Power disparities underlie many of the issues that couples bring for therapy. People in relationships are not equal; often one partner is systematically conferred unearned advantage and dominance. This article synthesizes results from three qualitative research studies to propose a social justice approach for clinical practice with couples. Interventions are suggested to keep issues of power and privilege a central focus while addressing the ordinary issues partners present for therapy.
Preventive antepartum care.

As the role of the obstetrician-gynecologist evolves to include primary care, the obstetrician must assume greater responsibility for providing prenatal preventive care, particularly regarding the STORCH5 pathogens.
Gobekko cretacicus (Reptilia: Squamata) and its bearing on the interpretation of gekkotan affinities

Gobekko cretacicus, a Cretaceous lizard from the Gobi Desert of Mongolia, is a key fossil for understanding gecko phylogeny. We revisit this fossil using high-resolution X-ray computed tomography. The application of this imaging method reveals new information about sutures, bone shape, and structural details of the palate and basicranium. These data were used to assess the phylogenetic affinities of Gobekko in the context of an existing squamate data set. The effects of character ordering, search strategy, and the addition of another putative gekkonomorph (Hoburogekko suchanovi) on inferred gekkonomorph relationships were explored. Available specimens of G. cretacicus are skeletally mature but have unfused nasals, frontals, and parietals, and (possibly) a persistent basicranial fenestra. Some putative gekkonomorphs are not consistently supported as closer to crown clade gekkotans than to autarchoglossans. In a strict consensus both Gobekko and Hoburogekko form a polytomy with extant geckos. Some of the adult character states of Gobekko are observable in embryos of extant species. The evolution of tubular frontals and dentaries in gekkotans may be structurally related to the loss of the postorbital and supratemporal bars in this lineage. The complete lack of a parietal foramen, and presumably a light-sensitive parietal eye, in this clade is of interest and could indicate an early origin of nocturnality in geckos.
A maximum-flow approach to dynamic handling of multiple incidents in traffic evacuation management

Contemporary terrorists have made public transportation a new theater of operations. Specifically, attacks on the urban transportation system can cause great disruption and alarm, which are the traditional goals of terrorism. The unexpected and stochastic character of terrorist attacks poses unique challenges to those responsible for security. Since the threat of terrorism is obscure and security measures are costly, it is hard to justify the expenditures before an attack. Security against terrorism therefore tends to be reactive. In this paper we propose new ITS technologies to enhance the surface transportation aspects of homeland security, by providing more efficient and safer evacuation for general public in case of terrorist attacks or other human caused disasters. In particular, we extend our existing work on developing a smart traffic evacuation management system (STEMS), by enhancing it with capabilities to adapt to the dynamics of the traffic environment, by leveraging real-time information obtained from sensors or other surveillance technologies. STEMS handles the unexpected aspect of terrorist attacks or other unpredictable disasters, by generating evacuation plans dynamically, when given an incident location and scope. To handle traffic dynamics, STEMS will continue to revise the initially generated plan, during the evacuation operation, to keep it consistent with the continuously changing traffic conditions. The advantages of this revision process are two-fold: first, it ensures that traffic will not be directed towards congested areas; and secondly, it decreases congestion by spreading the traffic from currently congested segments to alternative routes. Our simulation studies show that employing real-time information greatly improves STEMS performance and therefore, evacuation efficiency.
A comparison of satellite and shipboard gravity measurements in the Gulf of Mexico

Satellite altimeters have mapped the marine geoid over virtually all of the world’s oceans. These geoid height measurements may be used to compute free air gravity anomalies in areas where shipboard measurements are scarce. Two‐dimensional (2-D) transformations of geoid height to gravity are limited by currently available satellite track spacing and usually sacrifice short wavelength resolution. Full resolution may be retained along widely spaced satellite tracks if a one dimensional (1-D) transformation is used. Although the 1-D transform retains full resolution, it assumes that the gravity field is lineated perpendicular to the profile and is therefore limited by the orientation of the profile relative to the field. We investigate the resolution and accuracy of the 1-D transform method in the Northern Gulf of Mexico by comparing satellite gravity profiles with high quality shipboard data provided by Edcon Inc. The long wavelength components of the gravity field are constrained by a low degree reference ...