cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ancient Maya Landscapes: A Community of Prosperous Farmers

inside out: a path toward finding and mobilizing a community’s assets. Chicago: ACTA. Low, S. M., and D. Lawrence-Zuniga. 2003. The anthropology of space and place: locating culture. Malden, MA: Blackwell. Prior, M., and R. V. Kemper. 2005. From Freedman’s town to uptown: community transformation and gentrification in Dallas, Texas. Urban Anthropology 34(2–3):177–216. Putnam, R. D. 2000. Bowling alone: the collapse and revival of American community. New York: Simon & Schuster. Redfield, R. 1941. The folk culture of Yucatan. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Rubin, H. J. 2000. Renewing hope within neighborhoods of despair: the community-based development model. Albany: State University of New York Press. Tonnies, F. 1957 (1898). Community and society [Gemeinschaft und Gesellschaft]. East Lansing: Michigan State University Press. Wallman, S. 1997. Appropriate anthropology and the risky inspiration of “Capability” Brown: representations of what, by whom, and to what end? In After writing culture: epistemology and praxis in contemporary anthropology. A. James, J. Hockney, and A. Dawson, eds. Pp. 244–263. Association of Social Anthropology Monographs 34. London: Routledge. Wirth, L. 1938. Urbanism as a way of life. American Journal of Sociology 44(1): 1–24. Wolf, E. 1957. Closed corporate peasant communites in Mesoamerica and central Java. Southwestern Journal of Anthropology 13(1):1–18.
You've Got to Be Taught

ABSTRACT The Council on Social Work Education's Handbook on Accreditation and Procedures (1991) reiterates the council's previous mandate for incorporation of knowledge of racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity throughout both the undergraduate and graduate social work curriculum. This article presents an integrative cognitive and affective learning framework for multicultural social work education. The model encourages students' addressing the significance of their racial, ethnic, and cultural heritage and emphasizes the effects of this education and enrichment in developing an ethnic-sensitive social work practice.
Early Protection in Hamsters Immunized with Attenuated Venezuelean Equine Encephalomyelitis Vaccine

The rapid onset and persistence of homologous and heterologous protection induced by attenuated Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis (VEE) vaccine (TC-83) were studied in the hamster, by using challenge response as the index of protection. At 8 hr postvaccination with 103 median immunizing doses of TC-83 vaccine, 15 to 20% of animals were protected against challenge with VEE virus as well as Eastern and Western equine encephalomyelitis viruses. The percentage of protection increased with time postvaccination until 80 to 90% homologous and heterologous protection was achieved by 18 hr postvaccination. Temporal studies indicated that early protection (days 1 to 6) correlated with vaccine viremia, and that the percentage of protection against heterologous challenge decreased with the cessation of viremia. Data are presented to indicate that the early protection phenomenon is one of interference, since little or no replication of a challenge virus occurred when it was administered during the vaccine viremia stage.
Wevill, R. (2012). Britain and America After World War II: Bilateral Relations and the Beginnings of the Cold War

This is a study of the bilateral relations between the US and Britain during the period 1945–48 as mediated through the work of the British embassy in Washington. After a chapter which sets the con...
Regulatory Imperfections in the Electricity and Natural Gas Industries: Evidence from the Pricing and Investment Decisions of Single and Multi-Product Electricity Firms

Electricity and natural gas markets have traditionally been serviced by one of two market structures. In some markets, electricity and natural gas are sold by a dual-product regulated monopolist, while in other markets, electricity and natural gas are sold by separate single-product regulated monopolies. This paper analyzes the relative pricing and investment decisions of electricity firms operating in the two market structures. The unique relationship between these two products, namely that electricity and natural gas are substitutes in consumption and natural gas is an input into the generation of electricity, allows me to gain inferences regarding the efficacy of regulation in both the electricity and natural gas industries. The results imply that both electricity prices and reliance on natural gas generation are higher in a dual-product setting, both suggestive that regulators respond to the relative incentives of electricity and natural gas firms.
Chapter 11 Site-Directed Computer-Aided Drug Design: Progress Towards the Design of Novel Lead Compounds Using ‘Molecular’ Lattices

Abstract The object of this paper is to describe a novel approach for designing molecules by computer. The goal is to provide an interactive system that will use the forces of molecular recognition and expert input from an organic chemist to design lead compounds that are synthetically and biologically viable. When the binding site of a receptor is known through pharmacophoric mapping or x-ray crystallography, rational computer-aided design of novel lead compounds offers the hope of avoiding the shortcomings associated with the present methods of discovery by chance or mass-screening, as well as using any knowledge of mechanism that might be available.
Integrated System for Objective Assessment of Global and Regional Lung Structure

Sub-second multi-slice CT scanners can now provide detailed pulmonary structural and functional information. We describe an integrated software system to facilitate quantitative analysis of pulmonary anatomy and physiology. This system includes tools for lung, airway, lung lobe segmentation, parenchymal tissue characterization, as well as regional pulmonary ventilation and perfusion.
Geographic Information Systems

A geographic information system (GIS) refers broadly to a computer-based system of hardware and software capable of capturing, storing, analyzing, and displaying geographically referenced data. GIS has become more widely used in public health as technological advances have led to an increase in data availability and widely available software. Spatial analysis and spatial statistical methods are increasingly incorporated in public health research. Potential obstacles include measurement issues, cost of implementation, and confidentiality concerns. Internet GIS and wireless devices will continue to drive new applications of GIS for research and practice of public health.
Pediatric post‐marketing safety systems in North America: assessment of the current status

PURPOSE: It is critical to have pediatric post-marketing safety systems that contain enough clinical and epidemiological detail to draw regulatory, public health, and clinical conclusions. The pediatric safety surveillance workshop (PSSW), coordinated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), identified these pediatric systems as of 2010. This manuscript aims to update the information from the PSSW and look critically at the systems currently in use. METHODS: We reviewed North American pediatric post-marketing safety systems such as databases, networks, and research consortiums found in peer-reviewed journals and other online sources. We detail clinical examples from three systems that FDA used to assess pediatric medical product safety. RESULTS: Of the 59 systems reviewed for pediatric content, only nine were pediatric-focused and met the inclusion criteria. Brief descriptions are provided for these nine. The strengths and weaknesses of three systems (two of the nine pediatric-focused and one including both children and adults) are illustrated with clinical examples. CONCLUSIONS: Systems reviewed in this manuscript have strengths such as clinical detail, a large enough sample size to capture rare adverse events, and/or a patient denominator internal to the database. Few systems include all of these attributes. Pediatric drug safety would be better informed by utilizing multiple systems to take advantage of their individual characteristics. Language: en
Recent Changes in Annual Area Burned in Interior Alaska: The Impact of Fire Management

AbstractThe Alaskan boreal forest is characterized by frequent extensive wildfires whose spatial extent has been mapped for the past 70 years. Simple predictions based on this record indicate that area burned will increase as a response to climate warming in Alaska. However, two additional factors have affected the area burned in this time record: the Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO) switched from cool and moist to warm and dry in the late 1970s and the Alaska Fire Service instituted a fire suppression policy in the late 1980s. In this paper a geographic information system (GIS) is used in combination with statistical analyses to reevaluate the changes in area burned through time in Alaska considering both the influence of the PDO and fire management. The authors found that the area burned has increased since the PDO switch and that fire management drastically decreased the area burned in highly suppressed zones. However, the temporal analysis of this study shows that the area burned is increasing more r...
Hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction and the pharmacologically denervated lung. Role of cardiac output and sympathetic nervous system.

Summary The roles of the autonomic nervous system and cardiac output on hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction were studied in 15 mongrel dogs anaesthetised with intravenous pentoharbitone (30 mg/kg) and the lungs mechanically ventilated to maintain normal arterial blood gases. After a hypoxic challenge in Group I (n =6) and Group II (n =3) animals, autonomic denervation was achieved by total spinal block with tetracaine (20 mg) injected into the cisterna magna. Group I animals received a large volume of intravenous fluid (80 ml/kg normal saline) before the block while Group II animals were given minimum fluid. When Group I animals were exposed to 10% inspired oxygen, mean pulmonary arterial pressure increased by 88 and by 72% before and after the block, respectively. The cardiac output increased by 27% with hypoxia before the block while it did not change significantly with hypoxia after the block. The pulmonary vascular resistance increased by 65 and by 152% with hypoxia before and after the block. Group II animals were also exposed to 10% inspired oxygen. They showed a similar response to Group I animals before the block. However, after the block irreversible hypotension developed with hypoxia. In Group III animals (n =6), the same anaesthesia and hypoxic challenge protocol was used. Immediately after measurements at 10 minutes of hypoxia, the inferior vena cava was constricted to reduce the cardiac output to the control level and another set of measurements were made. The cardiac output increased by 30% with hypoxia and then was reduced to the control level with vena caval constriction. The mean pulmonary arterial pressure increased by 125% with hypoxia and then it decreased slightly with the inferior vena cava constriction. The pulmonary vascular resistance increased by 95% with hypoxia and then it further increased by 28% with the vena caval constriction. These results suggest that sympathectomy accentuates rather than attenuates the hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction and that an increase in cardiac output counteracts hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction. The results also suggest that adequate intravascular volume and oxygenation are extremely important for maintaining homeostasis when reflex sympathetic stimulation to the cardiovascular system has been eliminated.
Relate-me: Making News More Relevant

To get readers of international news stories interested and engaged, it is important to show how a piece of far-away news relates to them and how it might affect their own country. As a step in this direction, we have developed a tool to automatically create textual relations between news articles and readers. To produce such connections, the first step is to detect the countries mentioned in the article. Many news sites, including Al Jazeera (http://www.aljazeera.com), use automated tools such as OpenCalais (http://opencalais.com) to detect place references in a news article and list those as a list of countries in a dedicated section at the bottom (say, List A: [Syria, Germany]). If not already included, relevant countries could be detected using existing tools and dictionaries. The second step is to use the reader's IP address to infer the country they are currently located in (say, Country B: Qatar). Knowing this country gives us a "bridge" to the reader as now we can try relate the countries from List A, to the reader's country, Country B. Finally, we have to decide which type of contextual bridges to build between the pairs of countries. Currently, we are focusing on four aspects: 1) Imports & Exports: this section displays imports and exports between the Country B and List A, if any. For instance: "Qatar exports products worth $272m every year to Germany, 0.27% of total exports." Upon clicking on this information, it will redirect the user to another website, showing a breakdown of these imports and exports. 2) Distances: this simply states the direct distance in kilometers from Country B to every country in List A. For instance: "Syria is 2,110km away from Qatar." Upon clicking on this information, it will navigate to a Google Maps display, showing this distance. 3) Relations: this provides a link to the designated Wikipedia page between Country B and every country in List A. For instance, "Germany - Qatar Relations (Wikipedia)." It also shows a link relating the countries using Google News: "More on Qatar - Germany (Google News)" 4) Currencies: this shows the currency conversions between Country B's currency and every other country in List A, for instance: "1 QAR = 0.21 EUR (Germany's currency)." Our current tool, which will be demonstrated live during the poster presentation, was built using JavaScript. With the use of tools such as Greasemonkey, this allowed us to test and display the results of the project on Al Jazeera (http://www.aljazeera.com), without having site ownership. We believe that the problem of making connections between countries explicit is of particular relevance to small countries such as Qatar. Whereas usually a user from, say, Switzerland, might not be interested in events in Qatar, showing information regarding trade between the two could change their mind.
Suppression of Th2 Cell Development by Notch Ligands Delta1 and Delta4

Notch signaling plays important roles in Th cell activation. We show that in response to TLR ligation, dendritic cells up-regulate expression of Notch ligands Delta1 and Delta4 via a MyD88-dependent pathway. Expression of Delta1 or Delta4 by dendritic cells enhanced their ability to activate naive Th cells and promote Th1 cell development, and allowed them to strongly inhibit Th2 cell development. Promotion of Th1 cell development was dependent on IFN-γ and T-bet expression by responding Th cells. However, the inhibition of Th2 cell development occurred independently of IFN-γ or T-bet, and resulted from a block in IL-4-initiated commitment to the Th2 lineage. The promotion of Th1 cell development by Delta is not a reflection of the delivery of pro-Th1 instructional signal, but rather it is the result of a block in the downstream effects initiated by IL-4 signaling.
Mitochondrial Genetics and Optic Neuropathy

Mitochondrial dysfunction underlies many human disorders, including those that affect the visual system. The retinal ganglion cells, whose axons form the optic nerve, are often damaged by mitochondrial-related diseases which result in blindness. Both mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and nuclear gene mutations impacting many different mitochondrial processes can result in optic nerve disease. Of particular importance are mutations that impair mitochondrial network dynamics (fusion and fission), oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), and formation of iron–sulfur complexes. Current genetic knowledge can inform genetic counseling and suggest strategies for novel gene-based therapies. Identifying new optic neuropathy–causing genes and defining the role of current and novel genes in disease will be important steps toward the development of effective and potentially neuroprotective therapies.
Streptokinase Lysis of Arterial Thrombus Threatening Renal Allograft — A Case Report

This case report describes a diabetic patient with an arterial thrombus lo cated in the common iliac artery, just proximal to the takeoff of the renal artery to a transplanted kidney. The clinical problem was how to preserve both lower extremity perfusion and allograft function while lysing the thrombus. Thera peutic options considered were: (1) blind femoral thrombectomy using a Fo garty Catheter, (2) renal artery isolation and open thrombectomy, (3) selective intraarterial streptokinase infusion, and (4) systemic intravenous streptokinase infusion. The fourth option was chosen and resulted in complete dissolution of the thrombus while avoiding further distal embolization and renal transplant infarction.
Metformin modifies the exercise training effects on risk factors for cardiovascular disease in impaired glucose tolerant adults.

Impaired glucose tolerant (IGT) adults are at elevated risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Exercise or metformin reduce CVD risk, but the efficacy of combining treatments is unclear. To determine the effects of exercise training plus metformin, compared to each treatment alone, on CVD risk factors in IGT adults. Subjects were assigned to: placebo (P), metformin (M), exercise plus placebo (EP), or exercise plus metformin (EM) (8/group). In a double-blind design, P or 2000mg/d of M were administered for 12 weeks and half performed aerobic and resistance training 3 days/week for approximately 60 minutes/day at 70% pre-training heart rate peak. Outcomes included: adiposity, blood pressure (BP), lipids and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). Z-scores were calculated to determine metabolic syndrome severity. M and EM, but not EP, decreased body weight compared to P (p <0.05). M and EP lowered systolic BP by 6% (p < 0.05), diastolic BP by 6% (p < 0.05), and hs-CRP by 20% (M: trend p = 0.06; EP: p < 0.05) compared to P. Treatments raised HDL-cholesterol (p < 0.05; EM: trend p = 0.06) compared to P and lowered triacyglycerol (p < 0.05) and metabolic syndrome Z-score compared to baseline (EP; trend p = 0.07 and EM or M; p < 0.05). Although exercise and/or metformin improve some CVD risk factors, only training or metformin alone lowered hs-CRP and BP. Thus, metformin may attenuate the effects of training on some CVD risk factors and metabolic syndrome severity in IGT adults.
Is a histologically normal appendix following emergency appendicectomy always normal

Abstract Summary Background Appendixes removed from patients with suspected appendicitis often appear normal on histological examination. We examined appendix specimens for expression of abnormal amounts of cytokines, an indicator of an inflammatory response. Methods Tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα) and interleukin-2 (IL-2) expression was measured by in-situ hybridisation in ten specimens from patients with acute appendicitis, 12 normal appendix specimens removed from patients undergoing elective abdominal surgery, and 31 appendix specimens from patients with a clinical diagnosis of appendicitis but an appendix histologically classified as normal. Cytokine-specific RNA antisense probes were prepared by in-vitro transcription and digoxigenin (DIG) labelled. In-situ hybridisation was done on 5 μm paraffin sections. Tissue sections hybridised by sense probes acted as negative control for each cytokine. Following hybridisation, the probes were detected by alkaline phosphatase labelled anti-DIG monoclonal antibody and visualised by nitroblue tetrazolium staining. Findings All histologically proven acute appendicitis specimens demonstrated intense cellular TNFα mRNA expression in germinal centres and moderate levels of expression throughout the mucosa. IL-2 mRNA was strongly expressed in the lamina propria and only moderately expressed in germinal centres. Normal appendixes all showed almost complete absence of TNFα and IL-2 mRNA expression. Seven of the 31 histologically classified normal appendix specimens from patients with a clinical diagnosis of appendicitis demonstrated TNFα and IL-2 mRNA expression similar to acute appendicitis specimens in germinal centres, submucosa, and lamina propria layers. Interpretation TNFα and IL-2 mRNA expression is a sensitive marker of inflammation in appendicitis. A substantial proportion of histologically normal appendixes showed clear evidence of an inflammatory response in the form of increased cytokine expression.
On the design of maximally sparse beamforming arrays

The problem of designing nonuniformly spaced arrays is formulated as one of constrained optimization in which the cost function is chosen to select the array with the minimum number of elements. The response of the array is controlled by a set of inequality point response constraints. It is shown that a suitable cost function for this problem is the l/sub p/ quasi-norm for 0 >
Racial Differences In Self-Esteem Revisited: The Role of Impression Management In the Black Self-Esteem Advantage

Black individuals consistently report the highest levels of self-esteem of any racial group in the United States. The present study utilized the bogus pipeline procedure (i.e., the use of physiological equipment that ostensibly allows the researcher to detect if individuals are lying) to examine whether impression management plays a role in the relatively high levels of self-esteem that are reported by Black individuals. Participants were 95 undergraduates who volunteered to complete a measure of self-esteem before later responding to the same measure of self-esteem under either bogus pipeline or control conditions in the laboratory. Black participants with high levels of self-esteem were found to report more modest feelings of self-worth in the bogus pipeline condition than in the control condition. The results of the study suggest that impression management may be an important consideration when examining the feelings of self-worth reported by members of stigmatized groups.
A Human Short Open Reading Frame (sORF)-encoded Polypeptide That Stimulates DNA End Joining

The recent discovery of numerous human short open reading frame (sORF)-encoded polypeptides (SEPs) has raised important questions about the functional roles of these molecules in cells. Here, we show that a 69-amino acid SEP, MRI-2, physically interacts with the Ku heterodimer to stimulate DNA double-strand break ligation via nonhomologous end joining. The characterization of MRI-2 suggests that this SEP may participate in DNA repair and underscores the potential of SEPs to serve important biological functions in mammalian cells. Background: Large numbers of peptides encoded in human short open reading frames have been recently identified but not yet functionally characterized. Results: A peptide interacts with the Ku heterodimer and stimulates nonhomologous end-joining DNA repair. Conclusion: Newly discovered cellular peptides can be functionally characterized by identifying their interaction partners. Significance: Short ORF-encoded polypeptides participate in essential cellular processes.
Intercluster filaments in a ΛCDM Universe

The large-scale structure (LSS) in the Universe comprises a complicated filamentary network of matter. We study this network using a high-resolution simulation of structure formation in a A Cold Dark Matter cosmology. We investigate the distribution of matter between neighbouring large haloes whose masses are comparable to massive clusters of galaxies. We identify a total of 228 filaments between neighbouring clusters. Roughly half of the filaments are either warped or lie off the cluster-cluster axis. We find that straight filaments, on the average, are shorter than warped ones. Close cluster pairs with separation of 5 h -1 Mpc or less are always connected by a filament. At separations between 15 and 20 h -1 Mpc, about a third of cluster pairs are connected by a filament. On average, more-massive clusters are connected to more filaments than less-massive ones. This finding indicates that the most-massive clusters form at the intersections of the filamentary backbone of LSS. For straight filaments, we compute mass profiles. Radial profiles show a fairly well-defined radius, r s , beyond which the profiles follow an r -2 power law fairly closely. For the majority of filaments, r s lies between 1.5 and 2.0 h -1 Mpc. The enclosed overdensity inside r s varies from a few times up to 25 times the mean density, independent of the length of the filament. Along the filaments' axes, material is not distributed uniformly. Towards the clusters, the density rises, indicating the presence of the cluster infall regions. Filaments have been suggested to cause possible alignments between neighbouring clusters. Looking at the nearest neighbour for each cluster, we find that, up to a separation of about 15 h -1 Mpc, there is a filament present that could account for alignment. In addition, we also find some sheet-like connections between clusters. In roughly a fifth of all cluster-cluster connections where we could not identify a filament or sheet, projection effects lead to filamentary structures in the projected mass distribution.
X-ray emission from old novae.

THE strong X-ray source in Scorpius has been identified with a very blue stellar object which has many of the characteristics of an old nova1,2. The object varies irregularly by up to half an astronomical magnitude from day to day, but the average brightness appears to have been essentially the same for the past 70 years2. Superimposed on these variations is a fast flicker with a time scale of the order of a minute or so. The X-ray spectrum is rather complex; if the X-rays are assumed to result from thin-source bremsstrahlung, then the 1–10 A X-rays correspond to a temperature of about 5 × 107 °K (refs. 3–6), but the range from 44 to 60 A contains additional radiation which must come from a region of lower temperature6. The visible radiation probably comes predominantly from the same thin-source bremsstrahlung, although hydrogen emission lines and helium, carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen absorption lines appear superposed on the continuum2. Three orders of magnitude more energy is emitted as X-radiation than as visible light.
Polystyrene/Poly(n-butyl acrylate) Latex Blend Coalescence, Particle Size Effect, and Surfactant Stratification: A Spectroscopic Study

These studies show that polystyrene/poly(n-butyl acrylate) (p-Sty/p-nBA) latex blend coalescence is inherently affected by latex composition, p-Sty particle size, and the temperature difference between coalescence (Tc) and glass transition (Tg) temperatures. Sodium dioctylsulfosuccinate (SDOSS) surfactant molecules are expelled to the film−air (F−A) interface when Tc > Tg of the p-Sty phase. Quantitative attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR FT-IR) analysis shows that SDOSS−H2O concentration levels near the F−A interface diminish for larger p-Sty latex particle sizes and the magnitude of the SDOSS−COOH interactions near the F−A interface exhibits similar trends. Furthermore, the amount of SDOSS expelled to the F−A interface is directly proportional to the p-Sty phase surface area. These studies also show that SDOSS hydrophilic ends are preferentially parallel to the F−A interface, while hydrophobic ends are preferentially perpendicular.
Discovery and Characterization of the First Archaeal Dihydromethanopterin Reductase, an Iron-Sulfur Flavoprotein from Methanosarcina mazei

The microbial production of methane by methanogenic archaea is dependent on the synthesis of the pterin-containing cofactor tetrahydromethanopterin (H4MPT). The enzyme catalyzing the last step of H4MPT biosynthesis (dihydromethanopterin reductase) has not previously been identified in methane-producing microorganisms. Previous complementation studies with the methylotrophic bacterium Methylobacterium extorquens have indicated that an uncharacterized archaeal-flavoprotein-like flavoprotein (AfpA) from Methylobacillus flagellatus or Burkholderia xenovorans can replace the activity of a phylogenetically unrelated bacterial dihydromethanopterin reductase (DmrA). We propose that MM1854, a homolog of AfpA from Methanosarcina mazei, catalyzes the last step of H4MPT biosynthesis in methane-producing microorganisms. To test this hypothesis, a six-histidine (His6)-tagged version of MM1854 was produced. Bioinformatic analysis revealed the presence of one flavin mononucleotide (FMN)-binding site and two iron-sulfur cluster sites, consistent with an oxidoreductase enzyme. Purified His6-MM1854 occurred as a homodimer of 29-kDa subunits, and the UV-visible spectrum of the purified protein showed absorbance peaks at 380 and 460 nm, characteristic of oxidized FMN. NAD(P)H was incapable of directly reducing the flavin cofactor, but dithionite eliminated the FMN peaks, indicating successful electron transfer to MM1854. An electron transfer system of NADPH, spinach NADPH-ferredoxin oxidoreductase, and ferredoxin could also reduce the FMN peaks. A newly developed assay indicated that dithiothreitol-reduced MM1854 could transfer electrons to dihydromethanopterin. This assay was also effective with a heat-stable DmrX analog from Methanocaldococcus jannaschii (MJ0208). These results provide the first biochemical evidence that MM1854 and MJ0208 function as archaeal dihydromethanopterin reductases (DmrX) and that ferredoxin may serve as an electron donor.
Hot-electron-induced defects at the Si-SiO2 interface at high fields at 295 and 77 K

Fowler–Nordheim tunneling electron injection is performed at 295 and 77 K in metal‐oxide‐semiconductor capacitors. In both cases the positive charge generated at the Si‐SiO2 interface is found to be the ‘‘anomalous’’ positive charge related to the slow states. At low temperature this charge is created at a faster rate than at 295 K for both positive and negative polarity. Its saturated density, on the contrary, strongly depends on the polarity of the applied bias voltage at low temperature, being much smaller during injection at positive bias. Fast and slow states appear only after the sample is heated to room temperature. While interband impact ionization is ruled out as a possible generation mechanism, the results are consistent with the idea that the hot injected electrons lose their energy at the anode‐SiO2 interface by emitting an unidentified species which is responsible for the generation of the interfacial damage. A field‐ and temperature‐activated migration of the positive defects from the sites ...
Identification of Spermatogenesis With Multiphoton Microscopy: An Evaluation in a Rodent Model

Purpose: Microdissection testicular sperm extraction has replaced conventional testis biopsies for men with nonobstructive azoospermia and it has become first line treatment. The current problem is that the decision to retrieve tubules is based only on appearance and there is no guarantee that the tubules removed contain sperm. Multiphoton microscopy enables label-free immediate visualization of many biological processes in living tissue at subcellular resolution.Materials and Methods: We used multiphoton microscopy to study the different developmental stages of spermatogenesis using neonatal, pubertal and adult rat testes. We used a testis hypothermia plus ischemia model to study different testicular histopathologies with multiphoton microscopy. To assess the risk of photo damage DNA fragmentation in testis biopsies imaged at different intensities was assessed by TUNEL assay.Results: Multiphoton microscopy identified the stage of spermatogenesis in a seminiferous tubule in fresh tissue without using exog...
Experimental Characterization of Strain and Damage Evolution in Carbon Nanotube-Polymer Nanocomposites

An experimental characterization of nanocomposite strain and damage sensing in support of development of CNT-polymer nanocomposites for structural health monitoring (SHM) applications was conducted. As such, effort here is focused towards examining the piezoresistive behavior of poly(dimethyl-siloxane) (PDMS) and epoxy filled with acid treated single walled carbon nanotubes (COOH-SWNTs) under quasi-static compression and tension. Precision LCR Meter with two terminal method, in conjunction with mechanical testing and data acquisition system were used to measure instantaneous resistance values. Given the emphasis on SHM applications which correlate changes in electrical resistivity to deformation and damage, 0.1 wt% COOH-SWCNTs concentration below the nanocomposite electrical percolation threshold was considered for PDMS and epoxy. Measurements confirmed the onset of damage prior to noticeable effects in the stress-strain response. The resistance measurements were able to both detect strain for PDMS nanocomposites and damage initiation and provide continuous assessment of the damage state between damage initiation events for epoxy nanocomposites. Digital Image Correlation (DIC) System was used to observe the crack propagation on notched epoxy nanocomposite compact tension samples.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Activating People to Address Their Health Care Needs: Learning from People with Lived Experience of Chronic Illnesses

One of the primary goals of health care reform is improving the quality and reducing the costs of care for people with co-morbid mental health and physical health conditions. One strategy is to integrate primary and behavioral health care through care coordination and patient activation. This qualitative study using community based participatory research methods informs the development of integrated care by presenting the perspectives of those with lived experience of chronic illnesses and homelessness. Themes presented include the internal and external barriers to addressing health needs and the key role of peer support in overcoming these barriers.
From plankton to pathogen recognition

Two studies in the mid-1990s cracked a mystery of innate immunity–how foreign invaders are recognized. One study found that signaling through Toll-like receptor 4 activated the immune response. Another identified the signal: lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a cell envelope component of Gram-negative bacteria. The discoveries brought full circle observations that began with starfish in the 1880s.
Cloning and sequencing of a cDNA encoding the rat Bcl-2 protein

A rat cDNA encoding the Bcl-2 protein was cloned and sequenced. The primary amino-acid sequence deduced from the nucleotide sequence reveals a 236-aa protein having extensive homology with the mouse (95%), human (87%) and chicken (71%) Bcl-2 proteins.
Diets of Pliocene mammals from Omo, Ethiopia, deduced from carbon isotopic ratios in tooth apatite

Abstract Carbon isotopic ratios in tooth apatite of Pliocene fossil mammals from Omo, Ethiopia, dated at 2.0 m.y. ago reported here are consistent with dietary predictions based on modern herbivores of the African savannah. The results indicate the applicability of the technique in reconstructing dietary patterns of fossil animals including hominids.
Do Sharp-Tailed Grouse Select Loafing Sites to Avoid Visual or Olfactory Predators

Grouse should seek loafing sites hidden from predators; however, good hiding sites from predators that use vision to locate prey differ from good hiding sites from predators that use odor to locate prey. We compared characteristics of control sites to sites used for loafing by sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus) to determine whether selection of loafing sites was more influenced by the need to hide from visual or olfactory predators. Sites used for loafing were similar to control sites in characteristics that would help hide a grouse from visual predators (i.e., visual obstruction, lateral visibility, visual obstruction, cover ht, and surface roughness), but loafing sites differed from control sites in characteristics that would help hide a grouse from olfactory predators (i.e., greater updrafts, wind velocities, and atmospheric turbulence).
Mini radial keratotomy reduces ocular integrity: Axial compression in a postmortem porcine eye model

Abstract Objective This study aimed to examine ocular rupture force in pig eyes after "minimally invasive radial keratotomy" (MRK) and standard radial keratotomy (SRK). Design Experimental study. Materials A total of 71 pairs of pig eyes (51 control eyes) were examined. Intervention An axial-torsional Materials Testing System (MTS, Eden Prairie, MN) was used to apply blunt force to the corneal surface. A force transducer measured the rupture forces in control eyes and in eyes with MRK or SRK. Five groups of paired eyes were compared: 2.0-mm MRK versus control (N = 12), 3.5-mm MRK versus control (N = 21), 6.5-mm SRK versus control (N = 18), SRK versus 3.5-mm MRK (N = 10), and 3.5-mm MRK versus 2.0-mm MRK (N = 10). Main outcome measure Ocular rupture force (newtons) was measured. Results The mean rupture force in newtons was 746.3 for control eyes, 514.2 for 2.0-mm MRK, 353.1 for 3.5-mm MRK, and 246.2 for SRK. Analysis of variance showed a statistically significant difference ( P ≤ 0.04) between paired comparisons. Conclusion The MRK and SRK significantly weakened ocular integrity compared with control eyes not operated on. MRK required significantly more force to rupture than SRK. MRK eyes, however, ruptured at 50% to 70% of the force required to rupture eyes not operated on. Any patient considering radial keratotomy should be counseled about the risk of greater ocular damage in trauma.
A Conditional System to Specifically Link Disruption of Protein-Coding Function with Reporter Expression in Mice

Conditional gene deletion in mice has contributed immensely to our understanding of many biological and biomedical processes. Despite an increasing awareness of nonprotein-coding functional elements within protein-coding transcripts, current gene-targeting approaches typically involve simultaneous ablation of noncoding elements within targeted protein-coding genes. The potential for protein-coding genes to have additional noncoding functions necessitates the development of novel genetic tools capable of precisely interrogating individual functional elements. We present a strategy that couples Cre/loxP-mediated conditional gene disruption with faithful GFP reporter expression in mice in which Cre-mediated stable inversion of a splice acceptor-GFP-splice donor cassette concurrently disrupts protein production and creates a GFP fusion product. Importantly, cassette inversion maintains physiologic transcript structure, thereby ensuring proper microRNA-mediated regulation of the GFP reporter, as well as maintaining expression of nonprotein-coding elements. To test this potentially generalizable strategy, we generated and analyzed mice with this conditional knockin reporter targeted to the Hmga2 locus.
Home healthcare devices: Towards a scalable, portable, accurate, and affordable data acquisition instrument

This paper discusses the design, development, and testing of a compact multi-channel data acquisition instrument capable of performing human body measurement and processing. The cost of the proposed Multi-channel Analog Signal Acquisition (MASA) instrument is a fraction of that of the data acquisition system used with current digital stethoscopes. It allows for the sampling of up to 32 heterogeneous signals with a single high speed Analog to digital Converter taking into account the performance as well. Heterogeneous sampling rates are identified for each channel, and optimized for best data quality with minimal storage requirement.
Unidirectional chip-to-fiber grating couplers in unmodified 45nm CMOS Technology

We propose and demonstrate the first asymmetric unidirectional grating couplers fabricated in a 45nm unmodified CMOS process. Measured coupling efficiency from fiber-to-chip is ~40 %.Simulations show g70% efficiency is achievable with same design.
Power-Tube Performance in Class C Amplifiers and Frequency Multipliers as Influenced by Harmonic Voltage

In investigating the effect of harmonic voltage in class C amplifiers, it is found that the second- or third-harmonic voltages introduced into the plate or grid circuit in the proper phase improve the performance of the tube. Harmonics of higher order are found to be undesirable in general. The most favorable path of operation is determined and it is found that this path may be easily obtained by the introduction of the third-harmonic voltage 180 degrees out of phase with the fundamental voltage into the plate circuit. Various means for doing this are devised, and the power output and over-all efficiency of the tube, acting as a class C amplifier, is increased. The method of analysis employed, when applied to frequency multipliers, shows that by the introduction of harmonic voltages into these devices in the proper phase and magnitude, substantial increases in power output and efficiency may be obtained.
Direct determination of geochronologically useful radionuclides in sediments by low-energy photon analysis

Low-energy gamma-ray spectrometry is used for the nondestructive determination of 210Pb, 226Ra and 241Am in sediments. The self-absorption of the low-energy gamma rays is corrected using a technique involving direct gamma transmission measurements on sample and efficiency calibration standard. Several reference materials when analyzed by the described technique gave values similar to those obtained by other techniques. The utility of the technique is illustrated through the analysis of excess 210Pb and fallout 241Am profiles in two sediment cores from Great Slave Lake, NWT, Canada. It is proposed that simultaneous 241Am measurements provide an attractive alternative to the conventional measurement of fallout 137Cs profiles.
Polyharmonic cardinal splines

Abstract Polyharmonic splines, sometimes called thin plate splines, are distributions which are annihilated by iterates of the Laplacian in the complement of a discrete set in Euclidean n -space and satisfy certain continuity conditions. The term cardinal is often used when the set of knots is a lattice. Here, in addition to developing certain basic properties of polyharmonic cardinal splines, it is shown that such splines interpolate numerical data on the lattice uniquely.
Risks of Anticoagulation Therapy after Experimental Corticectomy in the Rat

To determine the optimal postoperative interval after which heparin therapy can be safely initiated, a rat model for experimental craniotomy and corticectomy was developed. In 50 rats (100 lesions), heparin therapy was initiated 1, 2, 3, 5, or 7 days after standardized bilateral frontal corticectomy and was continued for 7 days. Intraperitoneally administered heparin, 75 to 100 U/kg.h, was continuously given to maintain the activated partial thromboplastin time in one of two ranges: therapeutic (1.5-3 times control) or supratherapeutic (> 3 times control). The size of intracranial hemorrhage was determined from coronal brain sections by automated image analysis. No significant hemorrhage was observed in control (saline infusion) animals or in rats receiving therapeutic doses of heparin beginning more than 24 hours after surgery. Small (10-50 mm3) and large (> 50 mm3) hemorrhages were frequent at all intervals up to 5 days in animals with supratherapeutic activated partial thromboplastin time (P < 0.01). Judicious heparin therapy may be safely initiated at 48 hours after craniotomy and corticectomy in rats, whereas supratherapeutic anticoagulation is associated with intracranial hemorrhage at intervals of up to 5 days.
Generalizing a limit description of the natural logarithm

If f is a continuous positive-valued function defined on the closed interval from a to x and if k0 > 0, then [image omitted]. This generalizes a result of Finlayson describing ln(x) as a certain limit. Applications include new descriptions of arcsin(x) and arctan(x) as limits. This note could find use as an enrichment material in an introductory calculus course in the unit(s) introducing the Riemann integral and its applications.
Quantitative structure-activity relationships of 2,4-diamino-5-(2-X-benzyl)pyrimidines versus bacterial and avian dihydrofolate reductase

Quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSAR) have been formulated for a set of 15 2,4-diamino-5-(2-X-benzyl)pyrimidines versus dihydrofolate reductase from Lactobacillus casei and chicken liver. QSARs were also developed for comprehensive data sets containing mono-, di-, and trisubstituted benzyl derivatives. Particular emphasis was placed on the role played by ortho substituents in the overall binding process and subsequent inhibition of the catalytic process in both the prokaryotic and eucaryotic DHFRs. Comparisons between the two QSARs reveal subtle differences at specific positions which can be optimized to design more selective antibacterial agents.
Electrochemical Detection of Chloride by Underpotentially Deposited Silver Films on polycrystalline Gold

This paper describes an electrochemical method for measuring dilute levels of chloride using an underpotentially deposited (UPD) Ag adlayer on polycrystalline Au substrates as a sensing agent. Specifically, chloride ions adsorb onto the Ag UPD adlayer and effect changes in the electrochemical deposition and stripping characteristics of the silver film. Cyclic voltammograms (CVs) of the native Au/Ag(UPD) electrode in 0.1 M H2SO4(aq) exhibit a primary stripping peak for the Ag UPD adlayer at 550 mV vs Ag+/0, and chloride adsorption onto the Au/Ag(UPD) surface effects a peak shift to ∼600 mV vs Ag+/0, depending on the amount of adsorbed Cl-, as affected by the Cl- concentrations and contact times employed in the derivatization. The chloride-treated electrodes also exhibit a stripping peak at 275 mV that is not observed on the native substrate and increases in intensity with Cl- concentration and derivatization time. The integrated charge density for this latter stripping peak relative to that for the primary...
Fruit maturation patterns of Carya spp. (Juglandaceae): an intra-crown analysis of growth and reproduction

Fruit survival patterns, from fertilization to maturation, were examined for Carya ovata and C. tomentosa in a New Jersey USA forest. We observed fruiting and shoot growth characteristics over a 3-yr period to determine: (1) the patterns of fruit survivorship (from initiation to maturity) within and among years, (2) the relationships between shoot growth, fruit initiation, and fruit survival to maturity, and (3) the influence of phytophagous insects on fruit survival. We found that within years, smaller infructescences (1-2 fruits) exhibited greater relative survivorship than larger ones (3-4 fruits); however, absolute nut production was greatest for mid-sized infructescences (2-3 fruits). Among years, fruit survivorship varied considerably within populations. Across the 3-yr period we observed average fruit survivorship to be convex, linear, and concave, respectively. Likewise, shoot characteristics (length, width, number of leaves) varied concomitantly (decreasing fruit survivorship was accompanied by decreasing shoot length and number of leaves). Within years, we found no strong relationship between shoot characteristics and infructescence size and survival. The patterns of tree-to-tree variation suggested a strong genetic basis to shoot growth and fruit maturation. However, patterns of variation within and among years also indicated a strong environmental influence on these traits as well. Natural phytophagy by insects was observed to be low (<5%); however, shoot defoliations of 10-25% were not uncommon. Experimental defoliations (ambient, 10-15%, 20-40%, and 75-100%) did not result in reduced survival to maturity. Collectively, the data suggest that year-to-year variability in shoot growth has a greater influence on fruit maturation patterns than within year fruit-shoot relations.