cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ultrasonic control of ceramic membrane fouling caused by natural organic matter and silica particles

Abstract The ultrasonic control of membrane fouling caused by natural organic matter (NOM) and silica particles was investigated under various solution conditions. Twenty kilohertz ultrasound was applied to a cross-flow ultrafiltration system with γ-alumina membranes. Experimental results indicated that solution chemistry affected the ability of ultrasound to control membrane fouling. More effective control of membrane fouling occurred at high pH, low ionic strength, and in the absence of divalent cations, consistent with the expectation of stronger electrostatic repulsion between foulant–foulant and foulant–membrane components. Fourier transform infrared spectra of the NOM foulant showed the presence of aliphatic carbon and carboxylate functional groups, both of which decreased in magnitude with increasing pH, in the absence of Ca2+, or the presence of ultrasound. A decrease in the NOM rejection rate during ultrasound was observed. This likely occurred due to decreased steric exclusion of NOM through the fouled membrane, as scanning electron microscope images indicated that ultrasound partially removed the foulant layer from the membrane surface allowing larger NOM molecules to pass through the membrane. No damage to the membrane by ultrasound was observed.
Experimental simulation of internal short circuit in Li-ion and Li-ion-polymer cells

A multi-parameter controlled pinch test was developed to study the occurrence of internal short circuits in Li-ion and Li-ion-polymer cells. By tuning the control parameters (i.e., cell voltage as well as pinching area, load, and speed), the pinch test can reproducibly create an internal short between a cell jelly-roll's inner layer electrodes as small as 1-mm wide. This recreates conditions similar to those that may occur during service. In this paper we demonstrate the use of the pinch test as a means to assess design and manufacturing changes in Li-ion-polymer cells on their thermal stability and to identify features or characteristics that lower risk of potential thermal events created by internal short circuits.
Estimation of phenolic hydroxyl groups in wood by a periodate oxidation method

Abstract Oxidation of woodmeals with an excess of aqueous sodium periodate solution at 4°C released an amount of methanol approximately equivalent to the phenolic hydroxyl content of the lignin as determined by the aminolysis method. The periodate and aminolysis methods gave very comparable data for Norway spruce and aspen woodmeal samples.
An ultra-hyperbolic analogue of the Robinson-Kerr theorem

There is an SO(3, 3)-invariant integral transform mapping volume forms on ℝP3 into two-forms on the conformal compactification of ℝ2.2. The range of this transform is the space self-dual solutions of the ℝ2.2 Maxwell's equations. Moreover, using this transform, one gets a simple description of the null solutions of Maxwell's equations, analogous to the Robinson-Kerr description of the null solutions of Maxwell's equations on ℝ3, 1.
Breakeven costs for distributed advanced technology water-treatment systems

Abstract Breakeven costs associated with the strategic distribution of advanced treatment units in a water supply network to manage network-derived water quality degradation were investigated. Disinfections by-product (DBP) formation was used as a representative water quality degradation parameter. A basic DBP formation model was used to predict that fraction of residential service population receiving water degraded below required quality levels within a hypothetical water utility service population. The costs of upgrading centralized treatment facilities to meet DBP water quality standards were estimated and then apportioned over that population fraction to estimate breakeven or equivalent cost allowances for an alternative distributed treatment approach. Breakeven costs for single-connection treatment units were calculated for a range of service populations. A sensitivity analysis of the impacts of various network parameters on breakeven costs revealed the existence of singularities—sudden shifts in optimal technology selection—resulting from relatively small variations in required treatment levels.
Selective Oxidation of CO in Hydrogen under Fuel Cell Operating Conditions

Five catalysts (Au/MnO x , Pt/Vulcan-XC-72, Pt/SnO 2 /Vulcan-XC-72, Ir/carbon, and Ir/CoO x -Al 2 O 3 /carbon) were investigated as CO selective oxidation catalysts with O 2 under conditions similar to that of an operating fuel cell (76°C, high humidity). This investigation was done to study the possibility of integrating a CO removal reactor into a fuel cell stack. The Ir/CoO x -Al 2 O 3 /carbon catalyst was the superior catalyst for CO selective oxidation with the highest CO conversion and selectivity among the catalysts evaluated. A nearly 100% CO conversion occurred with the Ir/CoO x -Al 2 O 3 /carbon catalyst at O 2 /CO = 1.5. Although the Au/MnO x catalyst had high activity and selectivity for CO oxidation under dry conditions, its activity decayed dramatically due to instability of MnO x in the presence of water vapor and hydrogen.
The induction and augmentation of macrophage tumoricidal responses by platelet-activating factor.

Abstract Platelet-activating factor (PAF) has previously been shown to stimulate intracellular signal transductional events similar to the macrophage tumoricidal activators interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Macrophages stimulated with IFN-γ and LPS utilize various cytolytic mediators in order to kill tumor cells. However, PAF has been shown to only induce and enhance tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα)-mediated cytolysis by macrophages. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine whether PAF, in comparison with IFN-γ and LPS, could stimulate macrophages for both TNFγ- and non-TNFγ-mediated tumoricidal activity. For this, the activation of macrophages for a cytolytic response was characterized by the production of TNFγ and nitric oxide (NO - 2 ), as well as, their ability to kill select tumor cells. PAF together with IFN-γ stimulated macrophage secretion of NO - 2 . In addition, PAF enhanced IFN-γ- and LPS-stimulated NO - 2 production. PAF, together with IFN-γ, also activated macrophages for tumoricidal activity against TNFγ-resistant tumor cells. In assays to determine the temporal sequence of activation, increased tumor cell cytolysis was observed only when macrophages were first treated with IFN-γ. Moreover, PAF enhanced macrophage tumoricidal activity when added with LPS and IFN-γ. With respect to TNFγ production, macrophages activated with high concentrations of PAF stimulated significant levels of TNFγ compared to macrophages without PAF. A similar level was observed following multiple additions of a lower concentration of PAF, Also, PAF induced macrophage cytolytic activity against a TNFγ-sensitive tumor cell. In addition, PAF significantly enhanced LPS-induced TNFα production. Thus, PAF can play a modulatory role in the activation for non-TNFγ-mediated tumoricidal activity of macrophages.
Subcutaneous emphysema of the lower extremity of gastrointestinal orgin

Two cases of subcutaneous emphysema of the left lower extremity secondary to perforations of the rectum ,nd sigmoid colon are presented. Although this is an extremely rare syndrome, the true incidence is probably higher, as some cases will be misdiagnosed as gas gangrene unless careful clinical and postmortem examinations are performed. Only rapid recognition of the probable origin of the gas, coupled with aggressive, definitive therapy, can prevent the usually fatal course of this condition. In the absence of trauma to the chest or infection in a previously normal leg, subcutaneous emphysema of a limb should alert the physician to the possibility of a gastrointestinal perforation as a source of the gas. Perforations of the gastrointestinal tract into the subcutaneous tissue can occur anywhere from the neck to the lower extremities.
Thermal resistance to photoreactivation of specific mutations potentiated in E. coli B/r ung by ultraviolet light.

Mutagenesis by ultraviolet light was studied in a strain of E. coli ung, which lacks uracil-DNA glycosylase activity. Mutation potentiated by UV in cells already induced by nalidixic acid treatment was still photoreversible suggesting that pyrimidine dimers act directly as premutational photoproducts. Secondly, irradiated cells were held in buffer at 48°C for 0 to 135 min to allow for deamination of cytosines in pyrimidine dimers. The mutation frequencies for class 2 de novo suppressor mutation, for class 2 converted suppressor mutation and for backmutation were individually determined, before and after photoreactivation, as a function of this thermal treatment. Backmutation remained sensitive to photoreactivation throughout the treatment but de novo and converted suppressor mutations rapidly developed resistance to photoreactivation. This resistance was not seen in an ung+ control. A model is proposed to account for the selective resistance based on the hypothesis that class 2 de novo and converted suppressor mutations normally result from UV by GC to AT transitions at T=C dimers. The model describes deamination of the cytosine residues in these dimers to become uracil residues. In consequence, monomerization by photoreactivation in cells that can not repair uracils in DNA no longer reverses mutation and GC to AT transitions are established at the sites of uracils.
Synthetic fluid inclusions: XII. The system H2ONaCl. Experimental determination of the halite liquidus and isochores for a 40 wt% NaCl solution

Abstract The slopes of the liquidus and lines of constant liquid-vapor homogenization temperature (iso-Th) in P-T space for a 40 wt% NaCl bulk composition in the H2O-NaCl system were determined using synthetic fluid inclusions. Inclusions were synthesized in the one-phase field at 350°–800°C and 1–6 kbar, and the temperatures of liquid-vapor homogenization and halite dissolution were determined on a heating/cooling stage. The pressure along the liquidus corresponding to a measured halite dissolution temperature [Tm (halite)] was determined from the intersection of the inclusion iso-Th line in the one-phase field with the measured Tm (halite). The P-T position of the iso-Th line in the one-phase field was determined from the measured liquid-vapor homogenization temperature [Th (L-V)] of a given inclusion and the known experimental formation temperature and pressure for that same inclusion. The slope of the 40 wt% halite liquidus determined from synthetic fluid inclusions is −5.5°C/kbar. This value is in good agreement with an extrapolation of the data of Gunter et al. (1983) and cooling data of Koster van Groos (1991) to lower salinities, but shows considerable disagreement with the extrapolated heating data of Koster van Groos (1991). Over the salinity range 27–100 wt% NaCl, the slope of the halite liquidus predicted by the results from this study combined with data of Milne (1978), Gunter et al. (1983), and cooling data of Koster Van Groos (1991) is given by dT dP (°C/kbar) = − 38.38 + 0.90S − 0.0029S 2 , where “S” is the salinity in wt% NaCl. Microthermometric data combined with the known temperatures and pressures of formation were used to construct lines of constant liquid-vapor homogenization temperature (iso-Th) for fluid inclusions with a salinity of 40 wt% NaCl. The slopes of the iso-Th lines for inclusions which homogenize by vapor-bubble disappearance decrease smoothly with increasing Th, from 14.1 bars/°C for inclusions which homogenize at 323°C to 5.52 bars/°C for inclusions with homogenization temperatures of 650°C. For inclusions which homogenize by halite dissolution (Th
Long- and short-range stabilization of water by fluorine on Ag(110)

Abstract Water and fluorine were co-adsorbed on Ag(110) in an effort to model the metal/electrolyte interface and to compare the hydration of adsorbed fluorine with previous studies of hydroxyl and chlorine hydration. Thermal desorption of coadsorbed water reveals a series of fluorine-stabilized states with peak temperatures above that for the clean surface. At low water coverage water desorbs in a broad peak (B) at 260 K, representing strong hydration of fluorine, greater than that of Cl or OH. ESDIAD (electron stimulated desorption, ion angular distribution) measurements showed emission from this adsorption state along the [110] direction. With increasing water coverage, a (1 × 2) low-energy electron diffraction pattern and ESDIAD emission along [001] coincide with a new water desorption peak (A 1 ) at 216–230 K. Two more thermal desorption peaks, A 2 at 190–200 K and A 3 at 165–175 K, develop with additional water coverage. The solvation number N s , representing the average number of stabilized water molecules per fluorine atom, ranges from 13 in the limit of low fluorine coverage to 2 at high fluorine coverage. For solvation numbers greater than 6, the fluorine/water interactions must extend beyond nearest neighbors forming either a second hydration shell or some form of ordered water layer. As fluorine coverage increases, the form of stabilization shifts from a long-range to a more direct, short-range interaction. The surface solvation of fluorine is compared with that of OH and Cl on Ag(110), as well as with the gas phase, single-ion hydration of F − , OH − and Cl − .
A bibliographic guide to Latin American and Caribbean government publications on foreign investment, 1965–1981∗

Abstract This paper provides a bibliographic guide to official publications from Latin America and the Caribbean dealing with foreign investments between 1965 and 1981. A general discussion of the role of governments and intergovernmental organizations in the economic sector is followed by a description of the various categories of official publications that relate to the foreign investment process. The bibliography's first section lists current serial titles that are information sources for the latest investment laws and regulations. A second section provides access to publications of relevant international and intergovernmental organizations. Finally, the bibliography lists by country the publications of various regulatory agencies, central banks, planning departments, and statistical services.
Numerical Algorithm Conjugating Steady and Transient, Separated, Compressible Flow and a Solid Body Having Arbitrarily Distributed Heat Sources

A numerical algorithm that is second-order accurate in time has been developed for the conjugated problem of a separated, compressible flow field and a conductive solid body. The full two-dimensional time-dependent Navier-Stokes equations are coupled with the time-dependent energy equation for the solid body and are solved simultaneously. using implicit algorithms. The energy equation for the solid body may include arbitrarily distributed heat sources. The algorithm has been exmined for the case of two-dimensional supersonic compression-corner interaction, with a heat source embedded in the wall in the vicinity of the separation bubble and the attached boundary layer. The effect of the heat source on the flow field is studied for steady and transient cases.
Different Slave Journeys: Enslaved African Seamen on Board of Portuguese Ships, c.1760–1820s

Few African sailors boarded transatlantic slave ships, but their importance exceeded their numbers. They played important roles in the operation of the slave trade, especially along the African coast during slave acquisition. Based on Portuguese ship licenses, this study discusses the presence of African enslaved seamen on board Portuguese vessels. Although in captivity, slave sailors enjoyed some degree of freedom denied most slaves during the Atlantic crossing. Their language skills allowed them to work as interpreters, mediating interactions between slave captains and African merchants, as well as between slaves under the deck and the crew. African crew members were active participants in the transformation of the Atlantic world.
On the link between particle size and deviations from the Beer–Lambert–Bouguer law for direct transmission

Abstract Ballistic photon models of radiative transfer in discrete absorbing random media have demonstrated deviations from the Beer–Lambert–Bouguer law of exponential attenuation. A number of theoretical constructs to quantify the deviation from the Beer–Lambert–Bouguer law have appeared in the literature, several of which rely principally on a statistical measure related to the statistics of the absorber spatial positions alone. Here, we utilize a simple computational model to explore the interplay between the geometric size of the absorbing obstacles and the statistics governing the placement of the absorbers in the volume. We find that a description of the volume that depends on particle size and the spatial statistics of absorbers is not sufficient to fully characterize deviations from the Beer–Lambert–Bouguer law. Implications for future further theoretical and computational explorations of the problem are explored.
Behavior-Analytic Research on Dementia in Older Adults.

It is estimated that 1 in 10 adults aged 65 years and older have been diagnosed with dementia, which is associated with numerous behavioral excesses and deficits. Despite the publication of a special section of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis (JABA) on behavioral gerontology (Iwata, 1986), there continues to be a paucity of behavior-analytic research with this population. This review compares the research published before and after the behavioral gerontology special section and evaluates the most recently published aging articles in JABA.
1,1' ‐Ethylidenebis‐ [tryptophan] induces pathologic alterations in muscle similar to those observed in the eosinophilia‐myalgia syndrome

1,1'-Ethylidenebis[tryptophan] (EBT), a derivative of L-tryptophan (LT), is a trace contaminant in batches of LT implicated by epidemiologic evidence in the pathogenesis of the eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome (EMS). We treated female Lewis rats with EBT or unimplicated LT (4 mg per 100 grams daily) by intraperitoneal injection. No rash or weakness occurred in either group. All three EBT rats had a few necrotic muscle fibers. In two rats, perimysium and fascia were abnormally thickened and infiltrated with lymphocytes, macrophages, and sparse eosinophils; two rats had sparse perineurial inflammatory cells. Rats treated with unimplicated LT showed no abnormality. These findings replicate an important feature of human EMS and support the epidemiologic evidence linking EBT to the pathogenesis of the human disease.
Engineering photonic-plasmonic aperiodic surfaces for optical biosensing

ABSTRACT The ability to reproducibly and accurately control light matter interaction on the nanoscale is at the core of the field of optical biosensing enabled by the engineering of nanophotonic and nanoplasmonic structures. Efficient schemes for electromagnetic field localization and enhancement over precisely defi ned sub-wavelength spatial regions is essential to truly benefit from these emerging technologies. In particular, the engineering of deterministic media without translational invariance offers an almost unexplored potential for the manipu lation of optical states with vas tly tunable transport and localization properties over broadband freque ncy spectra. In this paper, we discuss deterministic aperiodic plasmonic and photonic nanostructures for optical biosensing applications based on fingerprinting Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) in metal nanoparticle arrays and engineered light scattering from nanostructured dielectric surfaces with low refractive index (quartz). Keywords: Aperiodic systems, plasmonics, colorimetric sensing, surface enhanced Raman scattering
Race, Crime, and Public Housing in Atlanta: Testing a Conditional Effect Hypothesis

This article tests a conditional effect hypothesis which predicts that the strength and magnitude of the association between racial composition and crime rates will dissipate with increasing distance of neighborhoods from public housing projects. We examine this hypothesis with 1990-92 geo-coded crime incident data matched with 1990 block-group-level census data for Atlanta. The hypothesis is supported in models predicting murder, rape, assault, and public order crime, but not robbery and property crime. Confirmation of our conditional effect hypothesis for several major types of crime suggests the potential for bias in interpretations of estimated race effects in multivariate neighborhood-level models that do not control for public housing
contested ritual, contested femininities: (re)forming self and society in a Nepali women's festival

The Tij festival of contemporary Nepal represents a case in which a ritual has become a crucial space for the cultivation of feminine subjectivities. For Tij, Hindu women create novel songs that are performed before the entire community. Sometime in the past this portion of a larger ritual complex, previously analyzed as representing and reproducing an ideal Hindu femininity, became a space for protests and complaints about the patriarchal Brahmanical ideologies and practices that dominate women's lives. In the wake of the democracy movement, the festival has been turned to a new arena, to the world of governmental politics, and the songs have become more explicitly revolutionary in content. Here, we argue that these critical voices, developed through the collective processes of song composition and their enactment in the special atmosphere of the festival, have provided a basis for women's critical self-consciousness and for their social action in the new political climate. [gender, ritual-in-practice, cultural production and social movements, women's political culture, Nepal, South Asia]
Multiple regulatory effects by transforming growth factor-beta on type I collagen levels in osteoblast-enriched cultures from fetal rat bone.

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF beta) stimulates bone formation in vivo and in vitro, related in part to an increase in type I collagen production. In osteoblast-enriched cultures from fetal rat bone, 24- to 48-h TGF beta 1 treatment enhanced collagen synthesis rates by 2.5- to 6-fold, while it increased collagen accumulation by 5- to 10-fold. These effects were not accounted for by similar changes in acid-soluble radioisotope, cell number, or steady state type I procollagen transcripts. Basal collagen synthesis and accumulation were markedly reduced when mRNA transcription was blocked with alpha-amanitin, but the relative stimulatory effects of TGF beta 1 persisted in toxin-treated cultures. Newly synthesized collagen was rapidly secreted into the culture medium. While pulse-chase studies demonstrated that total (medium plus cell-associated) collagen levels were stable throughout the 48-h period, TGF beta 1 increased the fraction of cell-associated collagen between 24-48 h, and this was partially bl...
Narrating the 1980s and 1990s: Voices of Poor and Working–class White and African American Men

Moving beyond our earlier analyses of secondary students' perspectives, we focus here on the voices of poor and working–class African American and white men and the ways in which they fashion social critique. What or whom does each group hold accountable for its current condition? Although the economy is choking both groups, their different vantages–their biographies of race–stimulate them to live out class and gender locations differently, encouraging African American men to blame the economy and racism, but white men to blame black males. This has serious implications for whether America can survive as “communities of difference.”
Risk Stratification and Prevention of Sudden Death in Patients with Heart Failure

For almost the past decade, recommendations for the use of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) for primary prevention of sudden cardiac death have been based upon the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Current guidelines recommend an ICD for heart failure patients with LVEF ≤35% and NYHA functional class of II or III; however, because the majority of heart failure patients who qualify for ICD implantation based on these criteria will never have an event requiring ICD therapy over several years of follow-up, additional methods of risk stratification for sudden death are clearly needed. Additionally, most of the nearly 300,000 cardiac arrests that occur each year occur in patients without heart failure or significant left ventricular dysfunction. To improve the identification of patients at risk for sudden death, several criteria other than ejection fraction have been proposed and studied. Markers of autonomic tone, including heart rate turbulence and QT dynamicity, have shown some ability to predict total mortality but not arrhythmic events. Microvolt T-wave alternans testing was initially thought to be highly predictive of life-threatening arrhythmias, but prospective large sub-studies of the MADIT II and SCD-HeFT trials have failed to show a predictive value for T-wave alternans testing. Newer markers for risk are based upon the detection of myocardial fibrosis, which forms the substrate for re-entrant and malignant ventricular tachyarrhythmias. Markers of collagen turnover or quantification of myocardial scar by MRI may hold the best promise for identifying patients at highest risk for sudden cardiac death and may also identify patients at high risk but with an ejection fraction above 35%, who are not currently recommended for ICD implantation.
Natural radionuclides in fine aerosols in the Pittsburgh area

Abstract Natural radionuclides have been proposed for use as tracers in assessing the transport of ozone and aerosols in the troposphere. Beryllium-7 is produced in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere and after formation rapidly attaches itself to fine aerosol particles. Measurements of 7Be at ground level can therefore be used as a tracer of stratospheric/tropospheric folding events, leading to injection of ozone and upper atmospheric aerosols into the lower atmosphere. Since its concentration varies little on regional scales it can also be used to detect and correct for sampling problems in particulate monitoring networks. Lead-210 and its progeny, 210Bi, and 210Po can also be used to determine the apparent tropospheric residence times for fine aerosols by looking at the 210Bi/210Pb and 210Po/210Pb activity ratios. Reported here are measurements of the natural radionuclides 7Be and 210Pb, taken at two sites near Pittsburgh, PA in the summer of 2001 and at a site near Centerton, New Jersey in 1999 during the NEOPS field campaign. Beryllium-7 results show no evidence of upper atmospheric input during the sampling period. Apparent residence times as calculated from 210Po/210Pb ratios are shorter for Pittsburgh than for Centerton, and shorter for both sites than those obtained previously in other areas, indicating a local aerosol source as well as a higher loading of water-soluble species such as sulfate and nitrate. A comparison of fine and course aerosol lifetimes shows no contribution of excess 210Po from wind-blown soil or from coal-fired power plants.
Vitamin D Insufficiency in Patients With THA: Prevalence and Effects on Outcome

Background The consequences of vitamin D insufficiency in the elderly remain controversial. The prevalence and potential effects of its chronic insufficiency on quality of life and physical function in patients undergoing THA have received little attention.
Urinary ascites in female neonate with myelodysplasia.

Abstract An unusual case of urinary ascites occurring in a female neonate with myelodysplasia is presented.
Testing Polymorphic Behavior

Our goal is to investigate specification-based approaches to testing OO components. That is, given a class C and its specification, how do we test C to see if it meets its specification? Two important requirements that we impose on the testing approach are that it must not require access to the source code of the class under test; and that it should enable us to deal with the polymorphic behavior of classes. In this paper, we report on our work towards developing such a testing approach.
Interferon-gamma knockout fails to confer protection against obliteration in heterotopic murine tracheal allografts.

Background Interferon-γ, produced by T-helper cells, activates macrophages and increases expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) products in acute and chronic rejection. We investigated the role of interferon-γ in murine heterotopic tracheal allografts. Methods Tracheas from BALB/c mice were heterotopically transplanted to BALB/c (12 isografts: 2 weeks [ n = 6] and 4 weeks [ n = 6], C57BL/6 (12 allografts: 2 weeks [ n = 6] and 4 weeks [ n = 6]) and C57BL/6 interferon-γ knockout mice (12 interferon-γ knockout allografts: 2 weeks [ n = 4] and 4 weeks [ n = 8]). BALB/c interferon-γ knockout tracheas were transplanted to C57BL/6 mice (reverse knockout: 4 weeks [ n = 6]) and BALB/c interferon-γ knockout mice (4 weeks [ n = 2]). C57BL/6 tracheas were transplanted to Bm12 mice (MHC Class II mismatch allografts: 4 weeks [ n = 6]). Conventional histology and immunohistochemistry for CD4, CD8 and CD11b were performed. Results Minimal ( + cells at 4 weeks (CD8 − , CD11b − ). Conclusions Absence of interferon-γ does not protect the allograft from obliteration. Epithelial destruction by cytotoxic T cells appears to be an important mechanism in the development of obliteration in murine heterotopic tracheal allografts.
Noradrenergic innervation of the substantia innominata: a light and electron microscopic analysis of dopamine β-hydroxylase immunoreactive elements in the rat

Noradrenergic input to the rat substantia innominata (SI) was analyzed in this study by immunocytochemical localization of dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH), the synthetic enzyme for noradrenaline. DBH immunoreactive (DBH+) axons ramified extensively within the SI and appeared to be contiguous with the DBH+ terminal fields within the bed nucleus of stria terminalis and the amygdaloid complex. DBH+ axons in the SI exhibited many large boutons en passant and boutons terminaux. These DBH+ boutons appeared much larger than those in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and thalamus. Electron microscopic analysis revealed that DBH+ boutons formed asymmetrical synapses with mainly dendrites, but also somata and spines of SI neurons. Dendrites which were postsynaptic to DBH+ boutons also formed synapses with many other unlabeled axon terminals. Since previous studies have shown that dendrites of SI cholinergic neurons formed few synapses, the present result suggests that the noradrenergic influence of SI cholinergic neurons may be mediated mainly by polysynaptic pathways.
Dynamics of spectral hole burning in self organized quantum dot amplifiers

Femtosecond differential transmission spectroscopy on quantum dots in the gain regime enables direct observation of the spectral hole dynamics; we can independently determine the gain recovery due to intradot carrier relaxation and capture from the barrier region.
Noradrenergic and GABAB Receptor Activation Differentially Modulate Inputs to the Premotor Nucleus RA in Zebra Finches

Neuromodulators can rapidly modify neural circuits, altering behavior. Songbirds provide an excellent system for studying the role of neuromodulation in modifying circuits that underlie behavior because song learning and production are mediated by a discrete set of interconnected nuclei. We examined the neuromodulatory effects of noradrenergic and GABAB receptor activation on synaptic inputs to the premotor robust nucleus of the arcopallium (RA) in zebra finches using whole cell voltage-clamp recording in vitro. In adults, norepinephrine strongly reduced input from the lateral magnocellular nucleus of the anterior nidopallium (LMAN) but only slightly reduced the input from nucleus HVC (proper name), the excitatory input from axon collaterals of other RA neurons, and input from GABAergic interneurons. The effect of norepinephrine was mimicked by the α2 adrenoceptor agonist UK14,304 and blocked by the α2 antagonist yohimbine. Conversely, the GABAB receptor agonist baclofen strongly decreased HVC, collateral, and GABAergic inputs to RA neurons while causing little reduction in the LMAN input. In juveniles undergoing song learning, norepinephrine reduced the LMAN input, caused only a small reduction in the HVC input, and greatly reduced the collateral and GABAergic inputs. Baclofen caused similar results in juvenile and adult birds, reducing HVC, collateral, and GABAergic inputs significantly more than the LMAN input. Significant increases in paired-pulse ratio accompanied all reductions in synaptic transmission, suggesting a presynaptic locus. The reduction in the LMAN input by norepinephrine may be important for mediating changes in song elicited by different social contexts and is well-placed to play a role in song learning.
Solution Behavior of Styrene‐Methacrylic Acid Random Ionomers by Viscometry and Fluorometry

Abstract The nature of the molecular association of styrene–cadmium methacrylate random ionomers in solution was studied by viscometry and fluorometry with respect to cadmium content and solvent composition. In tetrahydrofuran (THF), viscosity measurements show the dominance of intramolecular association at very dilute concentrations and the dominance of intermolecular association at high concentrations. Increasing the solvent polarity by mixing THF with methanol resulted in “polyelectrolyte behavior”; this behavior was also observed for ionomers in THF that had not been dried. This suggests the important role of a very small amount of polar solvent on the solution behavior of ionomers. Excimer emission was observed for a fluorescence probe [1,3,6,8‐pyrenetetrasulfonic acid tetrasodium salt (PTS) Na] inside intramolecular aggregates as well as intermolecular aggregates, indicating that caution needs to be taken when using excimer fluorescence to determine the “crossover concentration”.
Introduction to Symposium: Is Progressive Regionalism an Actionable Framework for Critical Planning Theory and Practice?

This symposium is the most recent in a series of activities by the guest editors, aimed at advancing planning scholarship under the rubric of progressive regionalism. Progressive regionalism is con...
Pulmonary manifestations in patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphomas.

BACKGROUND. Lungs are among the most common organs of extranodal involvement by cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCLs), yet the magnitude of lung involvement is not clear, and only a few case reports have addressed this issue to date. The objective of this study was to present the authors' observations on how to recognize lung involvement by CTCL and evaluate the clinical and radiologic differences between involvement of the lungs by CTCL and by pneumonia. METHODS. A retrospective analysis was conducted of all 710 patients with confirmed CTCL who presented to The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center between January 1996 and January 2005. Demographics, tumor characteristics, respiratory symptoms, thoracic imaging, microbiology, and laboratory studies were reviewed. RESULTS. During the 9-year period that was studied, 122 patients presented with pulmonary radiologic abnormalities, including 67 patients who also had respiratory symptoms. Pneumonia (n = 27 patients) or lung involvement (n = 6 patients) in patients with CTCL were associated with high mortality rates (hazard ratio, 1.82; 95% confidence interval, 1.08–3.07%; P = .026). The pathogens that were isolated from lower respiratory cultures were Staphylococcus aureus (n = 4 patients), Aspergillus fumigatus (n = 2 patients), Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare (n = 2 patients), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 1 patient), respiratory syncytial virus (n = 1 patient), and Candida parapsilosis (n = 1 patient). Most of the radiologic findings in patients with pneumonia were opacities. Six patients had involvement of lung by CTCL, and most common radiologic pulmonary findings were either a solitary nodule or multiple progressing pulmonary nodules. CONCLUSIONS. Pneumonia and lung involvement by CTCL are relatively rare but portend poor survival. Thus, patients with CTCL should be evaluated thoroughly with thoracic imaging when they experience respiratory symptoms. Cancer 2007. © 2007 American Cancer Society.
Excitonic artificial atoms in a quantum dot

Abstract We discuss the electronic properties of artificial atoms composed of a fixed number of electrons and holes confined to a parabolic quantum dot. The calculated emission spectra show distinct features related to the number of excitons. We identify the relevant “hidden symmetries” and show how they replace Hund's rules in two-component quantum dots.
A skull segmentation method for brain MR images based on multiscale bilateral filtering scheme

We present a novel automatic segmentation method for the skull on brain MR images for attenuation correction in combined PET/MRI applications. Our method transforms T1-weighted MR images to the Radon domain and then detects the feature of the skull. In the Radon domain we use a bilateral filter to construct a multiscale images series. For the repeated convolution we increase the spatial smoothing at each scale and make the cumulative width of the spatial and range Gaussian doubled at each scale. Two filters with different kernels along the vertical direction are applied along the scales from the coarse to fine levels. The results from a coarse scale give a mask for the next fine scale and supervise the segmentation in the next fine scale. The method is robust for noise MR images because of its multiscale bilateral filtering scheme. After combining the two filtered sinogram, the reciprocal binary sinogram of the skull is obtained for the reconstruction of the skull image. We use the filtered back projection method to reconstruct the segmented skull image. We define six metrics to evaluate our segmentation method. The method has been tested with brain phantom data, simulated brain data, and real MRI data. Evaluation results showed that our method is robust and accurate, which is useful for skull segmentation and subsequently for attenuation correction in combined PET/MRI applications.
Degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid by mixed cultures of bacteria.

We explored the feasibility of using mixed cultures for herbicide degradation, with the ultimate aim of application for effluent treatment. The present study reports on mixed cultures which were developed to grow aerobically with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) as the sole carbon substrate. Degradation of 2,4-D was verified by HPLC and UV-spectroscopic analysis of the residual 2,4-D concentration in the test cultures. Cultures that were initially developed with 2,4-D also grew readily with glucose, but the degradation of 2,4-D was effectively prevented under mixed substrate conditions. Mamor intermediates or metabolites resulting from 2,4-D degradation were not detected with the HPLC methodology except 2,4-dichlorophenol which appeared to accumulate transiently in the growth medium.
Characterizing snowmelt anomalies in hydrochemographs of a karst spring, Cumberland Valley, Pennsylvania (USA): evidence for multiple recharge pathways

Conductivity, water level, air temperature, and depth of snowpack were monitored during a 26-day melt period of 88-cm-deep snowpack at a karst spring to characterize internal runoff and diffuse infiltration. Chloride from road salt provided a tracer and the snowpack a recharge source during the melt period. The melt period was divided into phases based on air temperature and chemograph pattern. For the first and third phases, mean air temperatures were below freezing, but above freezing during the second and fourth phases. During the first phase when the temperature peaked above freezing, conductivity typically spiked 10–50 μS/cm, suggesting input of road salt from conduits. When the snowpack continuously melted, conductivity and water-level trends were upward with smaller daily spikes in conductivity indicating infiltration from the dilute snowpack. This pattern suggests that road salt input continued when snowmelt recharged through the epikarst, but at lower concentrations than the conduit input. Refreezing of the snowpack and shallow subsurface for a brief period interrupted the recharge, and there was no longer a sawtooth pattern of conductivity. It is apparent that frozen conditions did not cease recharge because a dual recharge process was evident. While dual recharge from internal runoff and diffuse infiltration occurred, the portions varied because of changing melting rates. Observed patterns indicated internal runoff dominated during frozen periods because recharge water moved as overland flow across a frozen surface to focused pathways. Diffuse infiltration became available during warmer periods because subsurface thawing allowed the snowmelt to penetrate the epikarst. Results of snowmelt monitoring in spring discharge indicated the transient nature of karst recharge.
Comparative Effectiveness of Telaprevir-Based Triple Therapy in Patients With Chronic Hepatitis C

Abstract Objective To examine the effectiveness and tolerability of triple therapy with pegylated interferon (p-IFN), ribavirin (RBV), and telaprevir in patients with chronic hepatitis C receiving treatment in an academic practice setting and in a more clinically diverse population compared with patients receiving treatment in phase 3 trials. Patients and Methods A prospective database of all patients with viral hepatitis undergoing antiviral therapy from January 1, 2006, to July 1, 2012, was queried to identify treatment-naive and -experienced patients with chronic hepatitis C receiving dual and triple therapies. On-treatment response categories included rapid virologic response, extended rapid virologic response, early virologic response, and sustained virologic response. These patients were compared with matched controls, namely, patients who underwent dual therapy with p-IFN and RBV. Matching was performed for age, cirrhosis status, and prior treatment. Results There were 55 patients who received triple therapy and met the eligibility criteria, consisting of treatment-naive (n=35) and -experienced patients (n=20: those with relapse, 9; those with nonresponse, 9; and those who terminated the treatment early, 2). Rapid virologic response was achieved in 41% of the patients, extended rapid virologic response in 41%, and early virologic response in 75%. Sustained virologic response was observed in 51% (18/35) of treatment-naive patients, 67% (6/9) of the patients with prior nonresponse, and 56% (5/9) of those with prior relapse. Corresponding results after dual therapy were 37% (23/62), 11% (2/18), and 27% (3/11), respectively. The mean decrease in the hemoglobin level at weeks 4, 8, and 24 of triple therapy was 2.8, 3.8, and 3.2 mg/dL compared with 2.4, 2.6, and 2.4 mg/dL with dual therapy (to convert mg/dL to mmol/L, multiply values by 0.0259). Conclusion Telaprevir-based triple therapy in clinical practice is considerably more effective than dual therapy with p-IFN and RBV despite the significant degree of anemia that complicated therapy, requiring RBV dose reduction and erythropoietin support.
Lactoferrin binds to neutrophilic membrane DNA

Lactoferrin (LF) binding to the surface of human neutrophils was shown to be dependent upon the presence of cell surface DNA by (i) an abrogation of LF binding after treatment of whole cells with DNAse; (ii) an abrogation of LF binding to a purified cell membrane suspension after DNAse digestion, (iii) a restoration of LF binding, after initial treatment of cells with DNAse, by the addition of exogenous DNA. Using a biotinylated LF probe, no other binding molecules were found after SDS PAGE of neutrophil cell membrane proteins. Further evidence of a DNA-LF interaction was obtained by the co-isolation of LF with DNA by both gel chromatography and affinity chromatography using Heparin Sepharose CL 6B. The interaction of LF with neutrophils was a saturable phenomenon with a Kd of 6.2 X 10(-6) M and a maximum binding of 9.2 X 10(6) molecules per cell. These results suggest that cell membrane DNA may have a novel role as a receptor for LF, and indicates the need for further experiments to determine whether the functional effects of LF are modified by the DNAse treatment of LF responsive cells.
Implications of incising the ventricular septum in double outlet right ventricle and in the Ross–Konno operation

Objective: Incision into the ventricular septum in complex biventricular repair is controversial, and has been blamed for impairing left ventricular function. This retrospective study evaluates the risk of a ventricular septal incision in patients undergoing double outlet right ventricle (DORV) repair and Ross—Konno procedure. Methods: From January 2003 to September 2007, 11 patients with DORV had a ventricular septum (VS) incision and 12 DORV patients did not. Sixteen patients had a Ross—Konno, and 16 had an isolated Ross procedure. The ventricular septalincisionwasmadetomatch atleastthediameterofa normalaorticannulus.In DORV,the VSDwasenlargedsuperiorly andtothe left.Inthe Ross—Konno, the aortic annulus was enlarged towards the septum posteriorly and to the left. Results: The median follow-up for the study is 19 months (1 month—4 years). For DORV, there were no significant differences in discharge mortality (p = 0.22), late mortality (p = 0.48), or late mortality plus heart transplant (p = 0.093). Although patients with DORVand VSD enlargement have a more complex postoperative course, there were no differences in ECMO use (p = 0.093), occurrence of permanent AV block (p = 0.55), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (p = 0.40), or shortening fraction (LVSF) (p = 0.50). Similarly, for the Ross—Konno there were no significant differences in discharge mortality (p = 0.30), late mortality (p = NS), LVEF (p = 0.90) and LVSF (p = 0.52) compared to the Ross, even though the Ross—Konno patients were significantly younger (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: Making a ventricular septal incision in DORV repair and in the Ross—Konno operation does not increase mortality and does not impair the LV function. The restriction of the VSD remains an important issue in the management of complex DORV. These encouraging results need to be confirmed by larger series.
Manganese-bearing rhizocretions in the Willwood Formation, Wyoming, U.S.A.: implications for paleoclimate during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum

Changes in the stratigraphic distribution of manganese (Mn)-bearing columnar structures interpreted as rhizocretions indicate a shift in paleohydrological conditions in the Bighorn Basin during the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). While most studies agree that significant warming occurred during the PETM, interpretations differ as to the effects of warming on the paleohydrologic regime. The columns consist of sand and silt cemented by calcite that also contains black, Mn-bearing nodules. The rhizocretions are typically vertically oriented and range from a few cm to over 50 cm in diameter and up to 75 cm tall. They are interpreted to have formed in the rhizospheres of relatively large root systems. The rhizocretions are restricted to intervals, showing only weak paleopedogenic development, that are interpreted as crevasse-splay or avulsion deposits. While such deposits are present throughout the study section at Polecat Bench in the northern Bighorn Basin, Wyoming, the Mn-bearing rhizocretions are found only below and above the PETM interval and within the initial carbon isotope excursion (CIE) marking the onset of the PETM. The abundance of black, Mn-rich nodules (< 1 cm in diameter) in the rhizocretions and presence of other pedogenic features indicate that the soils in which the plants were growing underwent seasonal flooding and repeated redox alternations. Their distribution in similar host deposits throughout the study interval, except for the main body of the PETM, supports climate as the driving factor in preservation of the Mn-bearing rhizocretions. The Mn-bearing rhizocretions support recent studies that suggest transient drying in northern Wyoming during the PETM.