cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Horizon brightness revisited: measurements and a model of clear-sky radiances

Clear daytime skies persistently display a subtle local maximum of radiance near the astronomical horizon. Spectroradiometry and digital image analysis confirm this maximum's reality, and they show that its angular width and elevation vary with solar elevation, azimuth relative to the Sun, and aerosol optical depth. Many existing models of atmospheric scattering do not generate this near-horizon radiance maximum, but a simple second-order scattering model does, and it reproduces many of the maximum's details.
Dickens and the Female Terrorist: The Long Shadow of Madame Defarge

Charles Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities is a novel fascinated by characters who have been buried alive and so must be “recalled to life” as well as by a “resurrection man’s” horrifying habit of grav...
Some simple effective approximations to the 2-Poisson model for probabilistic weighted retrieval

The 2-Poisson model for term frequencies is used to suggest ways of incorporating certain variables in probabilistic models for information retrieval. The variables concerned are within-document term frequency, document length, and within-query term frequency. Simple weighting functions are developed, and tested on the TREC test collection. Considerable performance improvements (over simple inverse collection frequency weighting) are demonstrated.
Optical and electrical properties of isotype crystalline molecular organic heterojunctions

We have studied the electrical and optical characteristics of isotype p‐P organic heterojunctions (HJ) consisting of CuPc (copper phthalocyanine) and PTCDA (3,4,9,10‐perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride). It is found that the charge‐transport properties of the heterojunction are limited by thermionic emission of holes over the energy barrier at the CuPc/PTCDA heterojunction at low forward and reverse bias, and by series resistance at high voltage. The heterojunction energy barrier at the CuPc/PTCDA valence‐band edge was measured using both current‐voltage and capacitance‐voltage analysis and was found to be ΔEvC,P=0.48±0.05 eV. Similar measurements made for HJs consisting of CuPc and PTCDA in combination with another perylene‐based material, 3, 4, 9, 10‐perylenetetracarboxylic‐bis‐benzimidazole (PTCBI), suggest that the band offsets for these three materials follow a transitive relationship. That is, ΔEvC,P=ΔEvC,B−ΔEvB,P, where subscripts C, P, and B refer to CuPc, PTCDA, and PTCBI, respectively. The resul...
“Limiting Birth”: Birth Control in Colonial Korea (1910–1945)

This article examines birth control as practice and discourse in 1920s and 1930s Korea under Japanese colonial rule and explores links with family planning and reproductive practices in post-1945 South Korea. The control of women’s reproduction held critical implications for meanings of domesticity, marriage, sexual relations, and new womanhood. While a woman-centered position did emerge regarding birth control, the parameters of the discourse, concerns of gynecology, and the material culture of birth control ultimately tied the bodies and health of women to their biological and social roles as mothers.
Estimating 11-year solar UV variations using 27-day response as a guide to isolate trends in total column ozone

The total column ozone response to 11-year solar ultraviolet (UV) variations is estimated here from the observed response to 27-day solar variations adjusted for the theoretical difference between the 27-day response and 11-year response. The estimate is tested by comparing two data sets where long-term drifts have been removed, the Nimbus 7 TOMS Version 6 total column ozone and the 280 nm core-to-wing ratio (a proxy for solar UV variations). The 365-day running means of data area-weighted between 40 deg N to 40 deg S latitude give a 1.9% ozone variation related to the 11-year solar cycle compared with the estimate of 1.8%. Estimates of linear trends were reduced by a factor of 2 by including solar effects. The standard deviation from the empirical model was reduced from 1.0 to 0.6 Dobson Units, by including the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO), but the QBO did not significantly alter trend estimates. Both the ozone responses to 27-day and 11-year solar variations were considerably stronger than predicted by a 2-D theoretical model.
Late Pleistocene and Holocene Faulting in the Western Truckee Basin North of Truckee, California

Evidence for active faulting in the Truckee Basin, north of Lake Tahoe, is observed in a meadow containing a scarp and small closed depression. Shallow, hand‐dug trenches show offset marsh stratigraphy of Holocene age. Lithostratigraphy descriptions and radiocarbon dates indicate the meadow was a marsh during the late Quaternary that was abruptly infilled with the deposition of the ∼7000 yr B.P. Tsoyawata tephra (Mt. Mazama). The tephra is offset up to 80 cm across a narrow, sub‐vertical, north–south‐striking fault zone. Additional offset of 30 cm occurred across the same structure during the late Pleistocene. Our study provides direct stratigraphic evidence for at least one surface‐faulting event during the Holocene, and another in the late Pleistocene, within the Truckee fault zone and provides new constraints on seismic sources capable of significant ground rupture and/or shaking in the greater Reno–Tahoe–Truckee area.
A resistive-network model for image segmentation

A novel physical analogy and associated algorithm is proposed for image segmentation. The physical analogy is that of an electrical network. The network is composed of discrete resistive elements that are interconnected, according to adjacency relations in the image. The resistances vary linearly with the image gradient and exponentially with the voltage across the elements. Segmentation is obtained by applying a voltage between a voltage source and ground that are located at points on the inside and outside of an object, respectively. Those points are identified in an interactive manner. Provided that a sufficiently high voltage is applied, a dichotomization of the voltages in the network occurs. In practice, the solution can be obtained in an iterative manner by gradually increasing the applied voltage. At each step as the source voltage is increased, the resistances are held constant and the Kirchoff's-law system of equations is solved algebraically. It is not clear yet whether image segmentation obtained by this algorithm is globally optimal with respect to a cost-function, as is the case for minimum s-t cut image segmentation. However, like minimum s-t cut algorithm, the resistive-network algorithm does tend to favor segmentation boundaries with shorter, and thus smoother, boundaries. A potential advantage of the resistive-network algorithm is that it is amenable to parallelization. The algorithm was found to provide reasonable results for segmentation of a synthetic image of step boundary degraded by blurring and Gaussian noise, low-contrast computed tomography (CT) of a ball, and CT of a liver lesion.
A review of petri-net applications in manufacturing

Petri-nets (PNs) can model concurrent and synchronous activities in a manufacturing system at various levels of abstraction. They have been used for modelling manufacturing systems, knowledge representation on the shop floor, process-planning applications, decisionsupport tasks, etc. PNs are being used in a growing variety of application areas. This paper focuses on PN applications in manufacturing. A comprehensive review of research is provided. The paper also describes the design and application of PNs in the modelling of a manufacturing cell, the representation of the working of the cell at various levels of abstraction, and the inferences that can be drawn through PN use. Ideas for future research are presented.
Quantitative exposure assessment: application of physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling of low-dose, long-term exposures of organic acid toxicant in the brain.

Abstract Our objective was to construct a physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model describing the kinetic behavior of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) on rats after long-term exposures to low doses. Our study demonstrated the model's ability to simulate uptake of 2,4-D in discrete areas of the rat brain. The model was derived from the generic PBPK model that was first developed for high-dose, single exposures of 2,4-D to rats or rabbits (Kim, C.S., Gargas, M.L., Andersen, M.E., 1994. Pharmacokinetic modeling of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) in rats and rabbits brain following single dose administration. Toxicol. Lett. 74, 189–201; Kim, C.S., Slikker, W., Jr., Binienda, Z., Gargas, M.L., Andersen, M.E., 1995. Development of a physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model for 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) dosimetry in discrete areas of the brain following a single intraperitoneal or intravenous dose. Neurotox. Teratol. 17, 111–120.), to which a subcutaneous (hypodermal) compartment was incorporated for low-dose, long-term infusion. It consisted of two body compartments, along with compartments for venous and arterial blood, cerebrospinal fluid, brain plasma and six brain regions. Uptake of the toxin was membrane-limited by the blood-brain barrier with clearance from the brain provided by cerebrospinal fluid ‘sink’ mechanisms. This model predicted profiles of 2,4-D levels in brain and blood over a 28-day period that compared well with concentrations measured in vivo with rats that had been given 2,4-D (1 or 10 mg/kg per day) with [ 14 C]-2,4-D subcutaneously (s.c.) for 7, 14, or 28 days, respectively. This PBPK model should be an effective tool for evaluating the target tissue doses that may produce the neurotoxicity of organic acid toxicants after low-dose, long-term exposures to contaminated foods or the environment.
Review of Shakespeare's All's Well That Ends Well (directed by Ralph Alan Cohen for the American Shakespeare Center) at the Blackfriars Playhouse, Staunton, Virginia, USA, 25 October 2013

Since its opening in Fall 2001, the Blackfriars Playhouse at Staunton, Virginia, has staged all-year seasons of Shakespeare and contemporary plays under the aegis of the American Shakespeare Center...
Synthesis and Characterization of a Pyromellitic Diimide-Based Polymer with C- and N-Main Chain links: Matrix for Solution-Processable n-Channel Field-effect Transistors

A highly soluble pyromellitic diimide-based polymer was obtained through imidization polymerization. The novel architecture features diimide subunits linked alternately at 3,6 and N,N′ positions. The polymer is highly transparent in the near-ultraviolet–visible regions. Smooth and uniform thin-films were obtained through spin-coating even after blending the polymer with PCBM in 1:9 polymer/PCBM weight ratio. While the polymer itself has modest electron mobility in typical bottom-gate top-contact OFETs, an electron mobility of 3 × 10–3 cm2 V–1 s–1 was achieved for the blend, which increased to 10–2 cm2 V–1 s–1 on exposure to propylamine. Thus, polyimides are demonstrated as promising binder materials for solution-processable n-channel semiconductor blends, of which very few examples are known.
Hemodilution with albumin, but not Hextend, results in hypercoagulability as assessed by Thrombelastography in rabbits: role of heparin-dependent serpins and factor VIII complex.

UNLABELLED Isovolemic hemodilution (IVHD) has been advocated as an effective method of reducing the need for transfusion but has been associated with hypercoagulability. We tested the hypothesis that IVHD enhances hemostatic function by decreasing circulating antithrombin activity in rabbits. Furthermore, it was determined whether different replacement solutions would affect hemostasis. Sedated rabbits were randomly assigned to groups that underwent IVHD (40% blood volume removed) with 5% human albumin (n = 10) or a 6% hetastarch solution (Hextend). Antithrombin and Factor VIII complex (VIII:C) activities were determined, and thrombelastography(R) was performed with or without platelet inhibition. IVHD resulted in a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in antithrombin (32%-39%) without fluid-specific differences observed. VIII:C did not change in the albumin group, whereas the hetastarch group had a significant (P < 0.05) decrease (43%) in VIII:C that was also significantly (P < 0.05) less than the albumin group. The time to clot initiation was decreased, and the rate of clot formation increased significantly via thrombelastography(R) in albumin animals. No significant change in clot kinetics was observed in hetastarch animals. In rabbits, the primary determinant of hemostasis after IVHD was the interaction of changes in antithrombin activity and VIII:C. These data serve as a rational basis to determine whether IVHD-mediated hypercoagulability encountered clinically may be attenuated or exacerbated by the choice of colloid administered. IMPLICATIONS Isovolemic hemodilution (IVHD) is associated with hypercoagulability. Rabbits hemodiluted with albumin, but not Hextend, became hypercoagulable secondary to a loss of antithrombin activity with simultaneous maintenance of Factor VIII complex activity (VIII:C). Hextend-treated animals had proportionate decreases in both antithrombin activity and VIII:C. IVHD-mediated hypercoagulability encountered clinically may be attenuated or exacerbated by the choice of colloid administered.
The construction of a versatile sinusoidal voltage calibrator.

The need for a sinusoidal voltage calibrator and its advantages over a DC calibrator are explained. The construction and operation of a suitable calibrator with variable amplitude and frequency is described. A calibration procedure using the prototype with an electroencephalographic feedback system which includes a Grass Model 7 Polygraph with an electrode selector panel is given. Sufficient detail is included to facilitate adaptation of this calibrator to other systems.
Participatory Approach to Ergonomic Risk Reduction: Case Study of Body Harnesses for Concrete Work

This project used a participatory process to develop a system for carpenters and laborers to obtain body harness equipment satisfying both safety and ergonomic concerns. Focus groups with workers identified poorly fitting and inappropriate body harnesses as one contributor to discomfort and pain among concrete form workers. An ordering system and selection guide was developed and implemented working with suppliers, the safety department, field crews and foremen. The system was piloted on a large high-rise project. Follow-up interviews and written surveys were conducted with 27 carpenters. The findings showed increases in participation, training, and interaction with foremen and crews regarding body harness fit, options, and safety. The findings further demonstrated perceived improvements in selection, fit, and overall body harness satisfaction. Workers who were present at the beginning of the project experienced better selection and training than those who arrived after the initial ordering efforts. The o...
NORMAL FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT DEFECTS OF THE HUMAN DENTITION

The development of the human dentition involves a highly orchestrated series of events that are strictly genetically controlled. The developmental timing, location, morphology, structure, and composition of teeth are primarily determined by cascades of molecular events that are regulated by hundreds of genes. 40 Normally, humans have 20 primary (i.e., deciduous, or shedding) teeth, which are lost in childhood, and 32 permanent teeth. Dentition begins to form at approximately 6 weeks in utero and continues through late adolescence, when the development of the permanent third molars is completed. Because the development of dentition is prolonged, it is susceptible to environmental influences for many years. A basic understanding of normal dentition and its development allows clinicians to accurately identify normal and abnormal dental conditions and make recommendations for appropriate therapeutic interventions and patient counseling. Delineating normal from abnormal dental development requires careful evaluation of the patient, including a medical, dental, and family history; clinical examination; and radiographic evaluation and may require special laboratory tests. This article reviews normal dentition and fundamental concepts of tooth development and provides a conceptual framework for diagnosing developmental defects of teeth.
Tissue Remodeling: Making Way for Cellular Invaders

Cellular invasion through protein matrices is a critical process during epithelial-mesenchymal transitions. A recent study of Caenorhabditis elegans vulval development reports a novel invasive mechanism in which cells coordinate spatially restricted degradation and sliding of a basement membrane during cellular ingression and tissue formation.
Effects of plant litter diversity, species, origin and traits on larval toad performance

Decreased plant diversity is expected to reduce ecosystem function. Although many studies have examined eff ects of plant species on trophic interactions, information regarding eff ects of native or non-native plant diversity on performance of individuals of higher trophic levels is limited. We reared larval American toad Anaxyrus americanus tadpoles in outdoor mesocosms containing litter of 1, 3, 6 or 12 plant species drawn randomly from a pool of 24 (15 native, 9 nonnative) species. Tadpole performance varied signifi cantly among litter types in single litter treatments and pH and litter C:N were signifi cant predictors of tadpole performance. Metamorphs were larger in mixtures than expected based on performance in single species treatments, suggesting a non-additive eff ect of diversity. Litter diversity did not aff ect probability of survival or probability of metamorphosis. Plant origin (native or non-native) had no signifi cant eff ect on amphibian performance. Our study suggests some benefi ts to tadpole development at low levels of plant diversity, but questions assumed benefi ts of increased plant diversity and assumed detrimental eff ects of nonnative plant species for a common larval amphibian. Presence of specifi c plant species with strong negative eff ects on tadpole performance may outweigh diversity benefi ts in brown food webs.
ELASTIC SCATTERING OF 40-MEV ALPHA PARTICLES FROM HEAVY ELEMENTS

Angular distributions have been measured for the elastic scattering of 40-Mev alpha particles from Ta, Au, Pb, and Th in the angular range 21\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} to 155\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}. If the ratios of the measured cross sections to the Coulomb cross section are assumed equal to 1.0 at small angles, they increase slightly with increasing angle, and in the vicinity of 30\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} decrease exponentially with increasing angle to values less than 0.001. These data are compared with the semiclassical, strong absorption model of Blair and with the recent model of Ford and Wheeler.
EFFECTS OF USE OF COMPUTER IN FIRST‐YEAR STATISTICS SEQUENCE ON STUDENT ATTITUDES*

The use of computers in teaching statistics can make an impact upon students in two ways. First, it can affect the amount and rate of learning of statistics. Second, it can affect student attitudes toward computers, statistics and quantitative methods. This note reports a study on the effects of the computer in teaching statistics on student attitudes. The data are based on pre- and post-course questionnaires administered in a first-year statistics sequence. The results partly confirm expectations, and partly raise questions for further investigation.
Jejunoileal bypass: general and psychiatric outcome after one year.

Abstract The authors studied 80 morbidly obese patients before and one year after jejunoileostomy. Most patients lost weight and improved in psychiatric status, although changes in such status often seemed to be related to causes other than the jejunoileostomy. The data indicate that, after a year, the complex interactions between physical, psychiatric, and psychosocial factors are often still changing and require continuing psychiatric assessment and intervention. The role of the psychiatrist before and after the surgery will become clearer as more data on long-term outcome become available.
Pollution Prevention Benefits of Dissolvable Protective Clothing

Programmatic operations at the Los Alamos National Laboratory Plutonium Facility (TA-55) involve working with various amounts of plutonium and other highly toxic, alpha-emitting materials. The spread of radiological contamination on surfaces, airborne contamination, and excursions of contaminants into the operator’s breathing zone are controlled through the radiological protection program. A key element of this program is the proper selection of protective clothing. Re-useable, launderable protective clothing has been the standard for several decades. Over the years, radioactive waste disposal costs have increased and disposal options have become more limited. This has prompted the development of single-use, dissolvable protective clothing. Single-use, dissolvable protective clothing is under evaluation as a replacement for launderable woven textile garments at TA-55. We examined re-useable, launderable and single-use, dissolvable protective clothing, addressed management issues (residual contamination, cost, environmental footprint, quality assurance), and waste minimization benefits. Replacement of launderable garments with single-use, dissolvable protective clothing improves the safety configuration of TA-55 by reducing LLW waste generation.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Emergency Department Utilization among Victims and Offenders Involved in Non-lethal Violence

The medical literature has focused on violent victimization as a public health concern, examining its correlates and evaluating intervention models. However, the emphasis on victimization in this literature overlooks the strong ties between victimization and offending risks outlined in the criminological literature, which may unnecessarily limit the scope of public health efforts to influence violence in our communities. This study examines whether the similarities observed in the criminological literature are evident in a health care setting. More specifically, do victims and offenders exhibit similar health care utilization patterns? We address this question by comparing the emergency department utilization records, criminal histories, and demographic characteristics of a sample of victims and offenders involved in non-lethal violence in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, USA in 2001. Our results suggest that victims and offenders have similar emergency department utilization patterns, with most visits being for injury. Moreover, most victims seen in the emergency department have criminal records that, in many ways, mirror those of offenders. The results suggest that violence intervention programs in public health settings should target both victims and offenders and capitalize on the overlap across these populations in outlining the long term risks of criminal involvement and motivating individual level change.
Compress periprosthetic fractures: interface stability and ease of revision.

Periprosthetic fractures after massive endoprosthetic reconstructions pose a reconstructive challenge and jeopardize limb preservation. Compressive osseointegration technology offers the promise of relative ease of prosthetic revision, since fixation is achieved by means of a short intramedullary device. We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 221 patients who had Compress® devices implanted in two centers between December, 1996 and December, 2008. The mean followup was 50 months (range, 1–123 months). Six patients (2.7%) sustained periprosthetic fractures and eight (3.6%) had nonperiprosthetic ipsilateral limb fractures occurring from 4 to 79 months postoperatively. All periprosthetic fractures occurred in patients with distal femoral implants (6/154, 3.9%). Surgery was performed in all six patients with periprosthetic femur fractures and for one with a nonperiprosthetic patellar fracture. The osseointegrated interface was radiographically stable in all 14 cases. All six patients with periprosthetic fracture underwent limb salvage procedures. Five patients had prosthetic revision; one patient who had internal fixation of the fracture ultimately underwent amputation for persistent infection. Periprosthetic fractures involving Compress® fixation occur infrequently and most can be treated successfully with further surgery. When implant revision is needed, the bone preserved by virtue of using a shorter intramedullary Compress® device as compared to conventional stems, allows for less complex surgery, making limb preservation more likely. Level of Evidence: Level IV, therapeutic study. See Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Mapping symbols to response modalities : Interference effects on stroop-like tasks

Response compatibility effects were assessed with a Stroop-like task which involved arrow and word stimuli. The subjects were required to respond to one stimulus—an arrow (e.g., →) or a word (e.g.,left)—and ignore the other. It was shown that response compatibility played a significant role in generating Stroop-like interference. Robust interference effects were observed when the subjects responded manually to word stimuli (ignoring irrelevant arrows) and when they responded vocally to arrow stimuli (ignoring irrelevant words). Smaller interference effects were observed under response-compatible conditions, namely, responding manually to arrows and vocally to words. In the second experiment, within-dimension displays (e.g., arrow-arrow or word-word displays) yielded a pattern of interference that did not interact with response modality. These findings indicate that both stimulus-response compatibility effects and target-distractor similarity are crucial for understanding Stroop-like interference.
Gradient analysis of diatom assemblages in a Puget Sound salt marsh: can such assemblages be used for quantitative paleoecological reconstructions?

Abstract Taphonomy is important to coastal paleoecologists because processes acting on diatom thanocoenoses tend to work towards obscuring original ecological relationships between diatom assemblages and the environment. The purpose of this paper is to briefly describe diatom taphonomy and present a method for quantitative reconstruction of environmental parameters from salt marsh diatom assemblages. The main hypothesis for this study is that major environmental and taphonomic processes (e.g., tides) act in predictable ways to distribute living and dead diatoms along environmental gradients. To test this hypothesis, a modern transect was established across a large salt marsh in southwestern Puget Sound for the purpose of determining modern species/environment gradients and calibrating species assemblages to environmental variables. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) relates modern species assemblages to environmental gradients, and weighted averaging calibration is used to develop transfer functions for predicting environmental information. CCA showed that the effect of salinity and elevation on the species distributions is significant, indicating that environmental processes control the distribution of sedimentary diatoms across the salt marsh surface in predictable ways. Salinity was strongly correlated with CCA Axis 1 and elevation with Axis 2. The calibration results indicate that, although mixing of allochthonous and autochthonous diatoms does occur, salt marsh diatom assemblages reflect major environmental gradients in Puget Sound salt marshes and can be effectively used for quantitative reconstructions of former environmental conditions.
Interaction of alcohols with proteins

The kinetics of denaturation of egg albumin have been determined for methanol, ethanol, propanol, and butanol. The reactions are first order in respect to protein but between 11th and 18th order for the alcohols. The denaturation reaction is characterized by a large temperature coefficient with little or no dependence on pH. There is a marked change of pH when proteins are denatured. A series of eight proteins has been studied. There is surprisingly little difference in susceptibility to alcohol denaturation between the various proteins. Methanol, ethanol, propanol, and butanol are strongly bound to egg albumin—butanol being the most strongly bound. The binding of alcohol is probably accompanied by protein dehydration. The polyhydric alcohols' behavior is much different. These alcohols do not denature proteins and the protein is hydrated. Sucrose produces the greatest degree of hydration.
Biphenylene End-Capped Polyaromatics

Abstract Biphenylene end-capped polyquinoline pre-polymers (DP = 3,11 and 22) were melt processed in the presence of a nickel catalyst at 325–340°C under 500 psi to give high quality transparent films. Very short cure times (∼ 5 min) were realized, and the resulting films were insoluble, had increased Tg's, and showed improved mechanical properties both above and below the Tg as compared with the uncured resins. The main curing reaction is a chain extension by the conversion of the biphenylene ends to tetrabenzocyclooctatetraene, while a smaller amount of crosslinking takes place. Biphenylene end-capped polyimide, poly(keto-ether-sulfone) and polyphenylquinoxaline pre-polymers also were synthesized. The polyimide pre-polymer (DP=3) was melt processed at 325°C and 500 psi (Ni catalyst) for 15 min to give films that showed good mechanical properties. Friedel Crafts polymerization to yield the biphenylene end-capped poly(keto-ether-sulfone) could not be adequately controlled to give reproducible oligomers. P...
Update on the Use of Topical Agents in Neonates

Topical agents include anything that touches the infant's skin. The skin is crucial to the way the infant perceives and responds to the care environment and, therefore, in neurodevelopment. Psychological stress negatively affects the barrier. The full-term infant has well-developed epidermal barrier despite spending 9 months being submerged in water. Vernix caseosa is a natural topical agent that facilitates stratum corneum barrier development through protective and adaptive mechanisms. Its properties include hydration, wound healing, antiinfection, and acid mantle development. The ontogeny of neonatal skin development and vernix biology provide the basis for assisting barrier maturation in premature infants, treating compromised skin and selecting topical agents. The published research on the effects of topical products on premature and damaged neonatal skin is very limited, especially for adequately sized randomized controlled clinical trials. Health care providers have keen interest and the skills to identify improved treatments through outcomes-based research.
A Line of Mice Selected for High Blood Ethanol Concentrations Shows Drinking in the Dark to Intoxication

Background Many animal models of alcoholism have targeted aspects of excessive alcohol intake (abuse) and dependence. In the rodent, models aimed at increasing alcohol self-administration have used genetic or environmental manipulations, or their combination. Strictly genetic manipulations (e.g., comparison of inbred strains or targeted mutants, selective breeding) have not yielded rat or mouse genotypes that will regularly and voluntarily drink alcohol to the point of intoxication. Although some behavioral manipulations (e.g., scheduling or limiting access to alcohol, adding a sweetener) will induce mice or rats to drink enough alcohol to become intoxicated, these typically require significant food or water restriction or a long time to develop. We report progress toward the development of a new genetic animal model for high levels of alcohol drinking. Methods High Drinking in the Dark (HDID-1) mice have been selectively bred for high blood ethanol concentrations (BEC, ideally exceeding 100 mg%) resulting from the ingestion of a 20% alcohol solution. Results After 11 generations of selection, more than 56% of the population now exceeds this BEC after a 4-hour drinking session in which a single bottle containing 20% ethanol is available. The dose of ethanol consumed also produced quantifiable signs of intoxication. Conclusions These mice will be useful for mechanistic studies of the biological and genetic contributions to excessive drinking.
Antimicrobial edible apple films inactivate antibiotic resistant and susceptible Campylobacter jejuni strains on chicken breast.

UNLABELLED Campylobacter jejuni is the leading cause of bacterial diarrheal illness worldwide. Many strains are now becoming multidrug resistant. Apple-based edible films containing carvacrol and cinnamaldehyde were evaluated for bactericidal activity against antibiotic resistant and susceptible C. jejuni strains on chicken. Retail chicken breast samples inoculated with D28a and H2a (resistant strains) and A24a (a sensitive strain) were wrapped in apple films containing cinnamaldehyde or carvacrol at 0.5%, 1.5%, and 3% concentrations, and then incubated at 4 or 23 °C for 72 h. Immediately after wrapping and at 72 h, samples were plated for enumeration of viable C. jejuni. The antimicrobial films exhibited dose- and temperature-dependent bactericidal activity against all strains. Films with ≥1.5% cinnamaldehyde reduced populations of all strains to below detection at 23 °C at 72 h. At 4 °C with cinnamaldehyde, reductions were variable for all strains, ranging from 0.2 to 2.5 logs and 1.8 to 6.0 logs at 1.5% and 3.0%, respectively. Films with 3% carvacrol reduced populations of A24a and H2a to below detection, and D28a by 2.4 logs at 23 °C and 72 h. A 0.5-log reduction was observed for both A24a and D28a, and 0.9 logs for H2a at 4 °C at 3% carvacrol. Reductions ranged from 1.1 to 1.9 logs and 0.4 to 1.2 logs with 1.5% and 0.5% carvacrol at 23 °C, respectively. The films with cinnamaldehyde were more effective than carvacrol films. Reductions at 23 °C were greater than those at 4 °C. Our results showed that antimicrobial apple films have the potential to reduce C. jejuni on chicken and therefore, the risk of campylobacteriosis. Possible mechanisms of antimicrobial effects are discussed. PRACTICAL APPLICATION Apple antimicrobial films could potentially be used in retail food packaging to reduce C. jejuni commonly present on food.
A cytotoxic isoflavone from Cudrania cochinchinensis

Abstract A new isoflavone, cudraisoflavone-A was isolated from Cudrania cochinchinensis and was found to be cytotoxic to PS cells in cultureIts structure was elucidated on the basis of NMR, MS, UV and IR spectral dataIn addition the known compounds, 3- O -methylorobol, dehydrocostus lactone, methyl linoleate, and sitosterol were also isolated and identified.
Assessment of a Reynolds Stress Closure Model for Appendage-Hull Junction Flows

A multiblock numerical method, for the solution of the Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes equations, has been used in conjunction with a near-wall Reynolds stress closure and a two-layer isotropic eddy viscosity model for the study of turbulent flow around a simple appendage-hull junction. Comparisons of calculations with experimental data clearly demonstrate the superior performance of the present second-order Reynolds stress (second-moment) closure over simpler isotropic eddy viscosity models. The second-moment solutions are shown to capture the most important features of appendage-hull juncture flows, including the formation and evolution of the primary and secondary horseshoe vortices, the complex three-dimensional separations, and interaction among the hull boundary layer, the appendage wake and the root vortex system.
Orientation of cholera toxin bound to model membranes

The orientation of cholera toxin bound to its cell-surface receptor, ganglioside GM1, in a supporting lipid membrane was determined by electron microscopy of negatively stained toxin-lipid samples. Image analysis of two dimensional crystalline arrays has shown previously that the B-subunits of cholera toxin orient at the membrane surface as a pentameric ring with a central channel (Reed, R. A., J. Mattai, and G.G. Shipley. 1987. Biochemistry. 26:824–832; Ribi, H. O., D. S. Ludwig, K. L. Mercer, G. K. Schoolnik, and R. D. Kornberg. 1988. Science (Wash, DC). 239:1272–1276). We recorded images of negatively stained cholera toxin and isolated B-pentamers oriented perpendicular to the lipid surface so that the pentamer ring is viewed from the side. The pentamer dimensions, estimated from the average of 100 molecules, are approximately 60 by 30 A. Images of side views of whole cholera toxin clearly show density above the pentamer ring away from the lipid layer. On the basis of difference maps between averages of side views of whole toxin and B-pentamers, this density above the pentamer has been identified as a portion of the A-subunit. The A-subunit may also extend into the pore of the pentamer. In addition, Fab fragments from a monoclonal antibody to the A-subunit were mixed with the toxin prior to binding to GM1. Density from the Fab was localized to the region of toxin above the pentamer ring confirming the location of the A-subunit.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
FORCE IDENTIFICATION BY VORTICITY FIELDS: TECHNIQUES BASED ON FLOW IMAGING

Oscillation of a cylinder in quiescent fluid gives rise to complex patterns of vortices, which are related to the forces on the cylinder. Quantitative imaging of these patterns via high-image-density particle image velocimetry allows determination of the instantaneous distributions of vorticity. By considering the vorticity at successive instants of time, it is possible to identify the contributions to the instantaneous lift using two concepts: the extended Blasius theorem, and the Lighthill impulse concept. This approach represents the first prediction of force based on experimental distributions of instantaneous vorticity.
A rapid low temperature method for preparation of methyl esters of fatty acids

A rapid method for preparation of methyl esters of fatty acids in lipids has been accomplished by forming the sulfuric acid complex of the lipid in ethyl ether at the temp of a dry ice-acetone bath. Decomposition of the complex with methanol results in direct formation of methyl esters of the fatty acids. A comparison was made of gas liquid chromatography (GLC) analysis of fatty acid composition of several fats using methyl esters prepared by this and by two other methods. Results of this comparison reveal that the method is not only rapid but provides complete reaction with no apparent changes in the fatty acids.
Mild Parkinsonian signs: An overview of an emerging concept

Mild Parkinsonian signs (MPS) include gait and balance changes, rigidity, bradykinesia, and tremor. MPS can occur commonly during the clinical examination of older people who do not have known neurological disease, with prevalence estimates for MPS as a whole ranging from 15% to 95%. MPS are generally progressive and they are coupled with functional difficulties, impaired gait and balance, and increased risks of mild cognitive impairment, dementia, and mortality. The mechanistic basis for these signs is unclear, but is likely to be multifactorial, with possible factors including an age-associated decline in dopaminergic nigrostriatal activity, the early development of neurodegenerative (Lewy body or Alzheimer's type) pathologies in the basal ganglia, or the accumulation of vascular pathology in the brain. It would be valuable to identify those individuals with MPS who are at increased risk for the development of future Alzheimer's disease, full-blown Parkinson's disease, or strokes, and to develop therapeutic strategies to intervene to lessen the likelihood of MPS-related morbidity and mortality.
Two-component alternative to dirac's equation

1.) The question as to why the Dirac equation has four and not two components is a very old one, and despite continuing interest, there is something of a consensus on the answer: four components are required to have a sharp parity. If one were willing to accept only CP sharp, the current standard view (as expressed by Weinberg [1]) is that one may indeed have a two component system, but then there exists no first order linear differential equation.
Child Abuse, Neglect, and Dependency Mediation Pilot Project

The Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 (ASFA) established a goal of one year from removal to permanence for all children taken into protective custody. When the Family Court of Mecklenburg County (Charlotte), N.C., opened its doors in 1999, more than half of the children in the protective custody of the Department of Social Services had been in custody for 12 months or more. Innovative approaches were needed to provide children in Mecklenburg County with a safe and permanent home in a more timely manner. The Child Abuse, Neglect, and Dependency Mediation Pilot Project was one approach selected by the Mecklenburg County Family Court to help achieve ASFA's goal of one year to permanence. This article details the court's two-year journey to make dependency mediation a reality.
Candidate locus for chorea and tic disorders at 15q

Cases of chromosomal aberrations are known to be associated with specific phenotypic abnormalities, including tics and chorea. We report the case of a 10-year-old caucasian boy with tics, chorea, and a de novo chromosome 15 paracentric inversion, 46,XY,inv(15) (q13;q22.3) identified with G-banding chromosome analysis (trypsin–Giemsa staining). Subsequent fluorescence in situ hybridization with locus-specific small nuclear ribonucleoprotein polypeptide N gene probe confirmed that the breakpoints of the inversion were distal to 15q12. Mutation analysis showed no mutation or polymorphism in the thyroid transcription factor 1 gene ( TITF1 ). The results suggest that 15q is a region to explore for candidate genes of etiologic importance in the development of tics and chorea.
Laser spectroscopy and lifetime measurements of Dy i states

The dysprosium spectrum is studied in the range of 273–284 nm by using pulsed-laser excitation in an atomic beam and fluorescence detection. Lifetimes and branching ratios for the decay to the ground term are determined from the analysis of fluorescence signals for 27 high-lying odd-parity levels.
Electro-optic performance of electroclinic materials with large induced tilt angle

The electric field induced tilt angles and the corresponding optical transmission properties are presented for two homologs and a mixture which exhibit a strong electroclinic effect at ambient temperatures. Tilt angles as large as 15 degree(s) are reported. The relationship between the molecular tilt angle and the transmission properties are emphasized.
Quantitative and Qualitative Methods to Assess Behavioral Change Among Injection Drug Users

SUMMARY The risk injecting drug users (IDUs) have for contracting the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) led to governmental requests for interventions to prevent its spread. At the same time there was an urgent need to evaluate the effectiveness of these proposed interventions. We believe that both quantitative and qualitative research methods should be employed in this effort. In this paper we discuss the differences between the two approaches, how they can complement one another, and present findings derived from their joint application to a particular risk behavior, needle sharing. Despite behavioral changes in a number of high risk activities, significant reductions in borrowing syringes were not reported by participants in structured interviews. Evidence obtained through participant observation and open-ended interviews indicated Colorado's paraphernalia law may have played a major role in encouraging this behavior.
When should clinicians switch treatments? An application of signal detection theory to two treatments for women with alcohol use disorders.

Abstract Statistical application of signal detection theory has been used to study the clinical utility of early treatment response in a range of treatments and psychiatric disorders. The current study sought to examine the predictive value of weekly within-treatment drinking using receiver operator curves (ROCs) and zero-inflated Poisson (ZIP) regression in 102 women with alcohol use disorders (AUDs) randomized to either alcohol behavioral individual treatment (ABIT; n = 52) or alcohol behavioral couples treatment (ABCT; n = 50). ROC analyses indicated that failure to achieve or sustain abstinence by the end-of-treatment and one-year follow-up was predicted with reasonable accuracy by week 4 percent days abstinent (PDA) in ABIT. ZIP models yielded similar results with evidence for within-treatment PDA with week 6 PDA predicting both the abstinence as well as percent days drinking at the end-of-treatment and one-year follow-up. Within-treatment PDA was a significantly better predictor of outcomes for ABIT than ABCT, despite a better overall treatment response for ABCT. Implications for stepped care models of alcohol treatment are discussed and recommendations for future research made. When Should Clinicians Switch Treatments: An Application of Signal Detection Theory to Two Treatments for Women with Alcohol Use Disorders.
Cultural Consensus Theory: Comparing different concepts of cultural truth

Abstract Cultural Consensus Theory (CCT) is a model-based approach to aggregating the responses of informants (respondents) to questions (items) about some domain of their shared cultural knowledge. The purpose of CCT is to allow a researcher to discover consensus knowledge in cultural groups. This paper compares and contrasts two CCT models for items requiring a dichotomous, true/false answer. The first model is the General Condorcet Model (GCM). A special case of the GCM is already in wide use, especially in cultural anthropology, and this paper generalizes that version and provides new mathematical and statistical results for it. The character of the GCM is that of a general signal detection model, where the item-trial type (signal or noise) as well as the respondents’ hit and false alarm rates, are latent rather than observable. The second model, the Latent Truth Model (LTM), is a new model that allows cultural truth to assume continuous values in the unit interval rather than the two-valued truth assumption of the GCM. Both models are compared analytically, and hierarchical Bayesian inference for each is developed. A posterior predictive model check is established for both models that bears directly on the assumption that there is a single consensus truth. In addition, the similarities and differences between the models are illustrated both with mathematical and statistical results, as well as by analyzing real and simulated data sets, and a second posterior predictive check that tends to differentiate the models is also provided.
A laboratory study of the heterogeneous uptake and oxidation of sulfur dioxide on mineral dust particles

[1] The heterogeneous uptake and oxidation of SO2 on particle surfaces representative of mineral dusts found in the atmosphere have been investigated. These particles include metal oxides (e.g., hematite, corundum), calcite, and China loess. FT-IR spectroscopy was used to characterize surface-bound species following exposure to gaseous SO2. It was found that SO2 irreversibly adsorbs as sulfite (SO32−) and/or bisulfite (HSO3−) on all particle surfaces with the exception of SiO2. The adsorbed species can be oxidized to sulfate and/or bisulfate (SO42− and/or HSO4−) upon exposure to ozone. Knudsen cell reactor studies were done to measure heterogeneous uptake coefficients for SO2. Initial uptake coefficients, calculated using BET surface areas, γBET, are found to be lower than that found for water droplets. As shown here, the γBET value for China loess can be predicted from the reactivity of the single component oxide and carbonate particles along with the average composition of the dust sample, with each component weighted by its natural abundance in the sample.