cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Black-Gold: a simple, high-resolution histochemical label for normal and pathological myelin in brain tissue sections

A novel haloaurophosphate complex called Black-Gold has been synthesized and applied to localize myelin within the central nervous system. The technique is tailored to studies using formalin fixed non-solvent processed tissue. The technique stains large myelinated tracts dark red-brown, while the individual myelinated axons appear black. This study demonstrates how this novel tracer can be used to localize both normal and pathological myelin. Specific myelin changes associated with exposure to diverse neurotoxicants including kainic acid, domoic acid, 3-nitropropionic acid, Fluoro-Gold and isoniazid are demonstrated and characterized. This study also demonstrates how Black-Gold can be combined with other histochemical markers including Nissl stains, retrogradely transported fluorescent tracers and fluorescent markers of neuronal degeneration. Advantages associated with the Black-Gold technique include high resolution, high contrast, short histochemical processing time, and consistent reproducibility.
Post–Cardiac Arrest Syndrome: Update on Brain Injury Management and Prognostication

Treatment of cardiac arrest should focus on maximizing neurologic recovery as well as systemic recovery to ensure the best possible functional outcome. This article focuses on the neurologic care of patients after they have been resuscitated from cardiac arrest. Maximizing neurologic outcome after cardiac arrest requires attention to prevention of primary and secondary brain injury. Primary brain injury such as hypoperfusion and hypoxic injury should be avoided by optimizing hemodynamic goals to maximize cerebral perfusion and maintain normoxia and normocarbia. Secondary brain injury mediated by excitotoxicity and the inflammatory cascade may be mitigated by therapeutic hypothermia. Other strategies that may be beneficial include the treatment of seizures and maintaining normoglycemia. Finally, accurate and timely prognostication is crucial because it influences withdrawal of care and overall mortality. With the adoption of therapeutic hypothermia, the classic prognostic paradigm that was previously used needs to be reexamined. The application of our knowledge of risk factors for poor outcome, serial physical examinations, neurophysiological tests, neuroimaging, and biochemical markers may need to be delayed until after rewarming. We emphasize the importance of a shift in physicians’ approach to the management of post–cardiac arrest syndrome, not only in prognostication, but also in the early and aggressive therapies that have been shown to improve survival and quality of life.
The possible role of tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) and tPA blockers in the pathogenesis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the leading cause of cognitive decline in aged individuals. The pathological hallmarks of AD include the formation of neurofibrillary tangles, along with senile plaques that are mainly composed of the amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide. Several lines of evidence implicate the tPA/plasmin system in AD. One type of cell death observed in AD is excitotoxic neuronal damage, and the tPA/plasmin system participates in excitotoxic cell death. Recent in vitro experiments report that the addition of aggregated Aβ peptide to primary cortical neurons leads to the up-regulation of tPA mRNA expression. Additionally, plasmin (activated by tPA) attenuates Aβ neurotoxicity by degrading the peptide and rendering it inactive. However, there is no evidence to demonstrate an in vivo contribution of the tPA/plasmin system in AD. We are currently examining the effects of the tPA/plasmin system on the deposition and toxicity of the Aβ peptide with in vivo paradigms of AD. We hope to define the contribution of the tPA/plasmin system in the development of AD pathology.
Correlation of the tei index with invasive measurements of ventricular function in a porcine model

Abstract Background The Doppler myocardial performance (Tei) index has been reported to be clinically useful in assessing left ventricular systolic and diastolic function in both adults and children. However, there are limited data to compare the Tei index with invasive measurements of ventricular function. We used a porcine model to directly correlate the Tei index with invasive indices of systolic and diastolic function. Methods Pressure volume loops were obtained from 10 pigs (32-45 kg). A micromanometer and a conductance catheter were placed in the left ventricle to record pressure and volume, respectively. A flow probe was placed around the ascending aorta to record cardiac output. Baseline pressure volume loops were generated during preload reduction through caval occlusion. Epicardial echocardiograms were performed just before the caval occlusion. Invasive indices including preload recruitable stroke work, ventricular stiffness constant, and cardiac output were assessed, as were noninvasive echocardiographic indices including Tei index and ejection fraction. An ischemic insult, ventricular fibrillation, was induced to alter ventricular function. After cardioversion and 40 minutes of reperfusion, echocardiographic and invasive measurements were repeated. Results There was a statistically significant inverse relationship between the percent change in Tei and the percent change in preload recruitable stroke work after ventricular fibrillation ( r = −0.70, P = .02), although the correlation between the actual values of Tei and preload recruitable stroke work were not statistically significant. There was a statistically significant inverse relationship between the percent change in Tei and the percent change in cardiac output ( r = −0.65, P = .03). There was a direct correlation between the value of Tei and the ventricular stiffness constant at baseline ( r = 0.63, P r = −0.85, P r = −0.69, P Conclusions This animal model is one of the first studies to demonstrate a direct correlation between the Tei index and systolic and diastolic invasive measurements of ventricular function. This supports the clinical use of this index as a measure of global ventricular function.
New Feruloyl Esterases to Access Phenolic Acids from Grass Biomass

In the Sorangium cellulosum strain So ce56 genome, two putative esterase-encoding genes (loci sce1896 and sce8927) were cloned, expressed in Escherichia coli, and the resulting enzymes (designated ScFAE1 and ScFAE2) were used to assess the possible release of ferulic acid (FA) from triticale and wheat brans, and an aqueous fraction of steam-exploded wheat straw. The two polypeptides, sharing only 30% sequence identity, exhibit a typical catalytic Ser-Asp-His triad, a characteristic of α/β-hydrolase fold proteins. Both ScFAE1 (35 kDa) and ScFAE2 (34 kDa) were purified to apparent homogeneity and comparison of their kinetic parameters indicated an apparent higher affinity of ScFAE2 than ScFAE1 towards the various feruloyl substrates. This property was reflected by the observation that ScFAE2 was capable of yielding up to 85% of FA from destarched triticale bran. In the steam-exploded wheat sample, more than 85% yield of FA or p-coumaric acid was also effected by ScFAE2 without the decomposition of valuable chemical such as furfural. The two cloned FAEs represent the first of myxobacterial origin to be characterized and they are classified as new members of the type D family of FAEs.
Comparison of thermal-hydraulic network control strategies

AbstractA dynamic thermal-hydraulic analysis of strategies used for the control of hydronic piping and heat exchanger networks is carried out. Three common temperature control methods are analysed and compared using a mathematical model. For this purpose a general thermal network with a primary loop, a secondary loop and a bypass that has the three control systems as special cases is proposed. The primary loop includes a chiller, while the secondary has a water-air cooling coil which serves as a thermal load. Integral controllers are used to vary the valve settings to control the air temperature leaving the cooling coil. The system responses for each of the three control schemes as a function of the thermal load are then compared to assess their relative merits using the temperature drop in the chiller as a criterion.
HEMOPHILIA A: RECURRENT MUTATIONS AND AN UNUSUAL DELETION

We have identified 14 mutations of the factor VIII (F8) gene from a panel of 107 patients with hemophilia A and have characterized these gene defects by restriction analysis, oligonucleotide hybridization, cloning and DNA sequencing. Recurrent point mutations that involve CG to TG transitions were identified in exon 18, exon 22 and exon 24, and a single CG to TG transition was identified in exon 23. In addition, a Taq I site alteration in intron 4 of the F8 gene was identified in a patient with mild hemophilia. Cloning and sequencing of this region suggests that a change in this Taq I site may create a new splice donor site. These data suggest that CG to TG transition is a prominent mechanism of mutation in hemophilia A. We estimate that the mutation rate of CG to TG in the F8 gene is at least 100 times greater than the average mutation rate per nucleotide. Six different deletions were also characterized. In one family, the deletion involved exon 26. However, the deletion endpoints in the male proband were different from those in his carrier mother, suggesting either gonadal mosaicism or a second deletion event in maternal meiosis. Of the 14 mutations, 6 occurred de novo within 2 generations; 4 in males and 2 in females. In these de novo mutations paternal age at conception was 35 (range = 32-38) and maternal age was 24 and 27. The ability to discover a sizable number of mutations in the F8 gene producing hemophilia A enables us to determine the frequency and nature of de novo mutations in man.
An investigation of the wear of abrasive grains by rubbing on ferrous and non-ferrous surfaces

Abstract The wear characteristics of abrasive grains have been extensively studied using stationary grains carrying a load of 1 or 2 lbs. bearing against a disk rotating at approximately 800 r.p.m. Mean wear volume was found to increase linearly with sliding distance. Carbon steel disks gave lower wear rates for the friable grains than the ductile grains while the reverse was found to be true for Waspaloy and stainless steel. The effect of sliding speed on wear rate and coefficient of friction is also discussed.
A stochastic agent-based model of pathogen propagation in dynamic multi-relational social networks

We describe a general framework for modeling and stochastic simulation of epidemics in realistic dynamic social networks, which incorporates heterogeneity in the types of individuals, types of interconnecting risk-bearing relationships, and types of pathogens transmitted across them. Dynamism is supported through arrival and departure processes, continuous restructuring of risk relationships, and changes to pathogen infectiousness, as mandated by natural history; dynamism is regulated through constraints on the local agency of individual nodes and their risk behaviors, while simulation trajectories are validated using system-wide metrics. To illustrate its utility, we present a case study that applies the proposed framework towards a simulation of HIV in artificial networks of intravenous drug users (IDUs) modeled using data collected in the Social Factors for HIV Risk survey.
A boundary value problem for a system of equations of mixed hyperbolic-elliptic type

We consider a second order system of partial differential equations of mixed hyperbolic-elliptic type on a domain bounded by two differentiable curves AC and BC in the hyperbolic region and a non-selfintersecting piecewise differentiabe curve I' connecting A to B in the elliptic region. AC and BC are either characteristic curves or satisfy certain simple inequalities with regard to the leading coefficients. We derive an apriori estimate for the system of differential operators for a certain class of functions with Dirichlet boundary condition on BC and part of and Neuman condition on the other part of r. The corresponding boundary value problem is formulated with uniqueness of a solution following directly from the apriori estimate.
Observational learning of imprinting behavior in Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica)

We investigated observational learning of imprinting behavior in Japanese quail. Restrained quail chicks observed a moving light or another chick following the moving light. Both kinds of experience led to following behavior in tests. Observer chicks followed better if they saw an imprinter chick following. However, imprinter chicks followed better in tests if no observer was present during training. Social contextual differences between training and testing viewed as interfering with a retrieval process could not account for the performance difference. Observational learning may compensate for individual differences in imprintability to promote clutch unity at exodus from the nest.
A comparison of parent training techniques in child behavior modification

Abstract Forty persons participated in a workshop designed to teach the basic performance skills necessary to carry out a child behavior modification project. Before the workshop, each participant underwent one of three types of experiences: (a) didactic pretraining in basic behavior modification principles, (b) placebo pretraining, or (c) no pretraining. Approximately 30 outcome measures fell into five categories: (a) participants' ability to perform the behavior modification skills taught in the workshop, (b) their involvement in the training, (c) whether or not they implemented their skills with their child, (d) attitudes toward the training and their child, and (e) self-reported use of skills after training. Results showed that the groups receiving behavioral principles pretraining did not demonstrate superior performance on any of the outcome measures when compared with the other groups. Differences which did not occur were primarily in the home implementation measures and tended to be on favor of the briefer training, which focused only on behavioral performance skills.
Melanocyte stimulating hormone in learning and extinction of two problems

Abstract Melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH), which produces pigmentary changes in amphibians, affects learning and extinction of aversive and appetitive habits in mammals. This study examined the effects of synthetic α-MSH on learning and extinction of two shock motivated T-maze tasks. The performance of pigmented rats with large or small lesions of the posterior neocortex was compared to the performance of intact rats. Results of the first problem showed a significant effect of the brain lesion but no differences between rats treated with MSH or saline. When switched to the second problem, rats injected with MSH took longer to learn the task than controls receiving saline. A relearning test 5 weeks later without injections showed that rats previously receiving MSH retained less than controls. The results suggest that MSH produced increased motivational arousal which led to delayed extinction of the first task, and therefore, slower learning of the second task.
MAP Kinase Phosphatase-1 and Septic Shock.

Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase cascades are crucial signal transduction pathways in the biosynthesis of pro-inflammatory cytokines. MAP kinase phosphatase (MKP)-1, an archetypal member of the MKP family, plays a pivotal role in the feedback control of p38 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). In vitro studies using cultured macrophages have provided strong evidence for a critical role of MKP-1 in the restraint of pro-inflammatory cytokine biosynthesis. Recently, a number of studies conducted using MKP-1 knockout mice have verified the importance of MKP-1 in the regulation of p38 and JNK and also in the regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokine synthesis. Upon lipopolysaccharide challenge, MKP-1 knockout mice produced dramatically greater amounts of inflammatory cytokines, developed severe hypotension, and multi-organ failure, and exhibited a remarkable increase in mortality. These studies demonstrate that MKP-1 is an essential feedback regulator of the innate immune response, and that it plays a critic...
Formation constants of some silver-cyclopolymethylenetetrazole complexes in aqueous solutions

Abstract The formation constants for the complexes formed between silver(I) nitrate and the water soluble 1,5-cyclopolymethylenetetrazoles (tri, tetra, penta, hexa, and heptamethylenetetrazole) were determined potentiometrically in aqueous solutions. The stoichiometry of the reaction is given by the following equation. The pKf values at 25° ranged from −2·91 to −3·13 with the exception of the heptamethylenetetrazole-silver(I) complex which differed by about 0·3 pKf unit. Once again, no simple correlation appears to exist between the length of the hydrocarbon chain and the stability of the respective silver(I) complex.
A Handbook of Contemporary Spanish Grammar

A Handbook of Contemporary Spanish Grammar is a new reference and practice book that has, according to the author, a variety of uses: as a stand-alone textbook for advanced Spanish grammar courses,...
Comment on ''magnetohydrodynamic-hypersonic viscous and inviscid flow near the stagnation point of a blunt body.''

Extension to MHD hypersonic stagnation flow theory of Bush, including viscous term and solving boundary value problem from both ends at once
Children's Space and Interests: Constructing an Agenda for Student Voice

Student voice is now a more prominent feature of the education policy agenda in England and Wales. The introduction of citizenship education and the demands on schools to become more socially inclusive have forced educationalists to look more critically at the most popular expression of student voice, the school council. Drawing on empirical data from four secondary schools, this paper explores the strategies adopted by students and staff in establishing the position of the school council both as a mechanism for the expression of students' interests and as a possible forum within a broader decision-making process in school. As such the paper provides an insight into new ways of governance that may resonate with young people's experiences in other settings, both temporal and spatial.
Facial Perception in Autism

Disturbances in gaze and patterns of facial interaction are prominent aspects of social dysfunction in autism; the nature of this disturbance has up to the present been unclear. This study examined the ability of autistic subjects to use the human face as a source of information. Autistic and age- and MA-matched retarded control subjects assembled a series of puzzles displaying photographs of human faces; puzzles differed in complexity, familiarity of the faces and configuration (normal vs scrambled faces). Significant effects of all three factors, but not of diagnostic group, were observed. The autistic subjects did not exhibit specific deficits in perception of faces.
Forage Utilization and Nutrient Requirements of the Goat

Abstract The goat, from a world wide view, is both hated and treasured because it survives and remains productive in areas that are seriously overgrazed and eroded. Goats are probably not the initial cause of rangeland deterioration, but they may be the primary culprit during the latter stages of destruction. Goats are presented as being different in diet selection and gastrointestinal physiology from other domestic animals (cattle and sheep) and similar to deer. These differences offer explanations of why the goat's elevated requirements can be satisfied under environmental conditions unsatisfactory for other animals. Some experimental evidence indicates that the goat has greater digestive capacity; however, this advantage is likely only in certain breeds or strains having definable anatomical dimensions and is not a characteristic of the entire goat population. Experimental evidence suggests that the dairy goat does not hold a distinct advantage in efficiency of milk production over the highly developed dairy cow; however, it is likely that under many circumstances in the world, milk can be produced more efficiently from goats than from cattle due to resources available and adaptability of the animals.
HUMAN BODY SHAPE INDEX BASED ON AN EXPERIMENTALLY DERIVED MODEL OF HUMAN GROWTH

Objectives To test the assumption of geometrically similar growth by developing experimentally derived models of human body growth during the age interval of 5 to 18 years; to use these derived growth models to establish a new human body shape index (HBSI) based on natural age-related changes in human body shape (HBS); and to compare various metrics of relative body weight (body mass index [BMI], ponderal index [PI], and HBSI) in a sample of 5- to 18-year-old children. Study design Nondisabled Polish children (n = 847) participated in this descriptive study. To model growth, the best fit between body height (H) and body mass (M) was calculated for each sex using the allometric equation M = m i H χ . HBSI was calculated separately for girls and boys, using sex-specific values for χ and a general HBSI from combined data. The customary BMI and PI were calculated and compared with HBSI values. Results The models of growth were M = 13.11 H 2.84 ( R 2 = 0.90) for girls and M = 13.64 H 2.68 ( R 2 = 0.91) for boys. HBSI values contained less inherent variability and were less influenced by growth (age and height) compared with BMI and PI. Conclusions Age-related growth during childhood is sex-specific and not geometrically similar. Therefore, indices of HBS formulated from experimentally derived models of human growth are superior to customary geometric similarity-based indices for characterizing HBS in children during the formative growth years.
L-type calcium channel agonist induces correlated depolarizations in mice lacking the β2 subunit nAChRs

Retinal waves are mediated in part by activation of nicotinic receptors containing the beta2 subunit. Mice deficient in beta2 containing nAChRs have maintained firing of action potentials but do not support correlated waves. As a result, beta2-/- mice have inhibited refinement of circuits within the retina as well as retinal projections to the CNS. Previously, we observed that correlated increases in calcium reminiscent of retinal waves could be induced in beta2-/- retina by pharmacological application of the L-type calcium channel agonist, FPL-64176. Here, we characterize FPL-induced activity patterns in beta2-/- retina using both whole cell and multielectrode array recordings. FPL-induced strong depolarizations in previously non-spiking beta2-/- retinal ganglion cells. Though these strong depolarizations were likely to underlie the FPL-induced calcium transients, they led to highly variable effects on the spiking of individual retinal ganglion cells. In addition, induced spiking activity had significantly weaker nearest-neighbor correlations than WT mice. Initial attempts of intraocular injections of FPL in beta2-/- mice did not rescue eye-specific layer formation. These findings indicate that activity induced by FPL is not sufficient for driving eye-specific segregation in beta2-/- mice.
Electrocoalescence based serial dilution of microfluidic droplets

Dilution of microfluidic droplets where the concentration of a reagent is incrementally varied is a key operation in drop-based biological analysis. Here, we present an electrocoalescence based dilution scheme for droplets based on merging between moving and parked drops. We study the effects of fluidic and electrical parameters on the dilution process. Highly consistent coalescence and fine resolution in dilution factor are achieved with an AC signal as low as 10 V even though the electrodes are separated from the fluidic channel by insulator. We find that the amount of material exchange between the droplets per coalescence event is high for low capillary number. We also observe different types of coalescence depending on the flow and electrical parameters and discuss their influence on the rate of dilution. Overall, we find the key parameter governing the rate of dilution is the duration of coalescence between the moving and parked drop. The proposed design is simple incorporating the channel electrodes in the same layer as that of the fluidic channels. Our approach allows on-demand and controlled dilution of droplets and is simple enough to be useful for assays that require serial dilutions. The approach can also be useful for applications where there is a need to replace or wash fluid from stored drops.
Update on the role of the distal arteriovenous fistula as an adjunct for improving graft patency and limb salvage rates after crural revascularization.

Background Critical ischemia of the lower limb continues to challenge the ingenuity of all interventionalists in achieving reliable, predictable, and durable patency. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of the distal arteriovenous fistula (dAVF) to enhance crural revascularization patency rates particularly when prosthetics are used. Methods All patients who underwent crural bypass with dAVF since 1979 were included. Graft patency was assessed periodically by clinical examination and Doppler studies. Results were analyzed by life-table methodology to obtain primary and secondary patency rates and limb salvage rates. Results A total of 502 crural bypass plus dAVF procedures were studied within 4 consecutive periods. Primary patency rates at 1 and 3 years for each of the 4 consecutive periods were (1) 36% and 10%, (2) 52% and 15%, (3) 54% and 31%, and (4) 70% and 46%. Corresponding secondary patency rates were (1) 43% and 17%, (2) 60% and 29%, (3) 60% and 44%, and (4) 72% and 50%. There was a statistically significant improvement for primary and secondary patency rates when comparing the last 2 periods with the first 2. Limb salvage rates also showed significant improvement for the same periods. Conclusions Creation of a dAVF should be considered as a component of crural revascularization when prosthetics are used. The altered hemodynamics associated with dAVF prevents overload and as a consequence, potential bypass closure. The contribution of dAVF for enhancing patency rates when autologous vein is used with compromised runoff requires further study.
Control of a DC/DC converter by fuzzy controller for a solar pumping system

Abstract The exploitation of the solar energy is very significant for the very sunny countries. Moreover the dryness phenomenon in these country is imposes more and more the use of pumping plants. The storage of the water in insulated basins from the wells has a double advantage. On the one hand, it is a technical storage solution of the solar energy collected by the photovoltaic panels. On the other hand, it is a hygienic way out to supply water for the rural population. In our work, we propose a technique for the identification of the maximum power point (MPP) based on fuzzy logic. This method is used to generate the cyclic ratio to operate the switcher within the maximum power of a photovoltaic array (PVA). For simulation purpose we made a complete modeling of the entire system. The system carried out consists of a photovoltaic array supplying, through a DC converter, a direct current (DC) engine coupled to a centrifugal pump. Our experimental bench consists of two principal units. A DC converter module composed of IGBT power transistors. And a processing module connected to a PC serial port, handling the input signals delivered by photovoltaic generator and controlling the power unit. The obtained experimental results confirm the simulation result which is very satisfactory and show the utility of the fuzzy controller for the optimization of the system.
Testicular scanning and other applications of radionuclide imaging of the genital tract

The major application of nuclear imaging techniques to the genital tract is pertechnatate scintigraphy for evaluation of the acute hemiscrotum. Within a few years of the first descriptions of scrotal imaging, this technique achieved recognition as a valuable, even indispensable, emergency diagnostic procedure in this context; its validity has since been well confirmed in hundreds of reported cases. Because it is an established procedure with widely recognized applications, its discussion will occupy most of this article. Other nuclear procedures, less widely used either because they are investigative or applicable to smaller patient populations, will be more briefly described.
Subharmonic Ripple Reduction in SCR-Type Magnet Power Supplies

Subharmonic ripple in a magnet power supply output can cause unwanted low frequency field ripple in a magnet load. Among other things the ripple may be caused by SCR firing circuit imbalance. In critical applications, simply providing equally spaced SCR firing pulses, as is done in some all digital control schemes, may not be sufficient. This paper discusses in general the causes of subharmonic ripple and some approaches to the problem. A negative feedback scheme utilizing bandpass filters is analyzed and applied to a group of twelve phase .5MW power supplies. Results are given which show a substantial improvement in power supply voltage and magnet field ripple content at 60, 120, and 180 Hz. Application of the approach to other types of power supplies and limitations of the approach are discussed.
Severe plastic deformation of copper by machining: Microstructure refinement and nanostructure evolution with strain

The microstructures of copper chips created by plane strain machining at ambient temperature have been analyzed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and orientation imaging microscopy (OIM). The strain imposed in the chips was varied by changing the tool rake angle. Characterization of orthogonal faces of the chips showed the microstructure to be essentially uniform through the chip volume, indicative also of uniform deformation.
Insitu measurement of osmium concentrations in iron meteorites by resonance ionization of sputtered atoms

Resonance ionization of sputtered atoms followed by time-of-flight mass spectrometry was used for in situ quantitative measurement of Os with a spatial resolution of ∼70 μm. Osmium concentrations in synthetic metals and iron meteorites were measured to demonstrate the analytical capabilities of the technique. A linear correlation between Os+ signal intensity and the known Os concentration was observed over a range of nearly 10^4 in Os concentration with an accuracy of ∼ ±10%, a minimum detection limit of 7 parts per billion atomic, and a useful yield of 1%. Resonance ionization of sputtered atoms samples the dominant neutral-fraction of sputtered atoms and utilizes multiphoton resonance ionization to achieve high sensitivity and to eliminate atomic and molecular interferences. Matrix effects should be small compared to secondary ion mass spectrometry because ionization occurs in the gas phase and is largely independent of the physical properties of the matrix material. Resonance ionization of sputtered atoms can be applied to in situ chemical analysis of most high ionization-potential elements (including all of the Pt-group elements) in a wide range of natural and synthetic materials. The high useful yield and elemental selectivity of this method should eventually allow the in situ measurement of Os isotope ratios in some natural samples and in sample extracts enriched in Pt-group elements by fire assay fusion.
Effect of taurocholate on the conversion of 3α, 7α, 12α-Trihydroxy-5β-Cholestan-26-OIC acid into cholic acid

Abstract To determine if the conversion of the intermediate, 3α, 7α, 12α-trihydroxy-5β-cholestan-26-oic acid (THCA), into cholic acid is influenced by taurocholate, two rats were infused intravenously with [3H] THCA until they reached a steady state. Taurocholate was then added and infused at a rate of 1 μmole/min/rat for 48 hours. The percentage of [3H] THCA recovered in the bile did not increase indicating that taurocholate does not suppress the conversion of THCA into cholic acid.
Heat Transfer From a Yawed Finned Tube

Etude experimentale de l'influence de l'inclinaison du tube a ailette sur le transfert de chaleur en convection forcee
A linear Ramsey theorem

Abstract We state and prove a theorem in exterior algebra which is an analogue of Ramsey's theorem in combinatorics, with vector spaces and alternating multilinear maps taking the roles played by sets and colorings. Our result can also be formulated as a theorem about the geometry of Grassmannians. The infinite-dimensional version of the theorem admits a quantum mechanical interpretation, and implies an interesting fact about operators on Hilbert space.
Conductance-Controlled Point Functionalization of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

We used covalent attachments to single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) to fabricate single-molecule electronic devices. The technique does not rely on submicrometer lithography or precision mechanical manipulation, but instead uses circuit conductance to monitor and control covalent attachment to an electrically connected SWNT. Discrete changes in the circuit conductance revealed chemical processes happening in real time and allowed the SWNT sidewalls to be deterministically broken, reformed, and conjugated to target species. By controlling the chemistry through electronically controlled electrochemical potentials, we were able to achieve single chemical attachments. We routinely functionalized pristine, defect-free SWNTs at one, two, or more sites and demonstrated three-terminal devices in which a single attachment controls the electronic response.
On the small-gap Taylor problem: An approximation and some exact results for non-axisymmetric modes

A new method of approximation for the small-gap Taylor problem is described, in which non-axisymmetric modes appear as a perturbation of axisymmetric modes. A detailed study of the dominant-mode pattern is made in a neighbourhood of (δ, μ) = (0, −0.7834) and the exact linearized equations are used to extend this. Here δ and μ are the dimensionless gap width and the ratio of the angular velocity of the outer cylinder to that of the inner cylinder. We find for −0.7834 > μ > −1.5 that as δ decreases the wave number of the most unstable mode increases.
METHAMPHETAMINE PRODUCERS AND USERS’ REACTIONS TO PSEUDOEPHEDRINE LEGISLATION IN THE RURAL SOUTH

ABSTRACT In 2005, Arkansas and Kentucky implemented laws restricting sales of pseudoephedrine medications that are used to produce methamphetamine [MA]. This paper uses baseline and follow-up qualitative interviews with MA producers and users in rural Arkansas and Kentucky to explore local reactions by drug users to these laws during the first year of their implementation. Participants suggested declines in the availability of pseudoephedrine and in MA production. However, limited amounts of pseudoephedrine could still be obtained, which permits some continued MA production. Participants also noted increased availability of imported MA. None of the participants with experience cooking MA were active in producing the drug at follow-up. Most participants reported halting or reducing MA use by follow-up. Decreased MA production and use among participants were not linked directly to the new pseudoephedrine laws. Rather, decreases were attributed to the cumulative effectiveness of law enforcement efforts in co...
Pap, Leo. The Portuguese in the United States: A Bibliography

La bibliografio emfazas la literaturon pri portugalaj enmigrintoj en Usono, sed enestas ankaŭ aludoj al fruaj portugalaj kontaktoj kun Usono kaj Havajo, aldono pri portugalaj enmigrintoj en Brazilo, Bermudo, Kanado kaj Venezuelo, kaj rilataj aferoj. Esploristoj bonvenigos tiun longe atenditan verkon, kun siaj 800 listigoj. La disdivido estas parte laŭ regiono. Usonaj oficialaj dokumentoj estas traktataj, kaj krome, la portugala gazetaro kaj portugalaj historiaj dokumentoj. Apartan atenton al lingvo kaj lingvolernado la bibliografio ofertas rilate al Havajo.La cefa kontribuo de la bibliografio estas gia sukcesa kolekto de alie malfacile troveblaj dokumentoj, inkluzive neeldonitajn manuskriptojn. Manko, tamen, estas klarigaj notoj. Domage, car, kun la helpo de tiaj notoj, esploristo eble sparus tempon, sercante dokumenton, kiu montrigus fakte neutila. Krome, estus helpe, indiki kie la dokumentoj trovigas.La bibliografio ne estas plena, aparte ne pri la pasintaj 15 jaroj, dum kiuj ekestis revekigo de la portugalaj studoj. Oni ne kulpigu nur Pap pro tiu manko: multaj referajoj ne estis eldonitaj, sed nur prezentitaj ce kunvenoj au neformale dissenditaj al kolegoj.La bibliografio de Pap konsistigas pason en la gustan direkton. Oni esperu, ke li nun preeparas freŝ an, pli detalan eldonon.
An easy and accurate approximation to the integrated compton cross section for the scattering of polarized X-rays into an arritrarily placed circular aperture

Abstract The Thomson and Compton cross sections or the scattering X-rays integrated over the solid angle of a circular aperture placed at an arbitrary position has been reported in a previous paper. In this paper a simple approximation to the integrated Compton cross section is presented which uses corrections to the integrated Thomson cross section. The approximation is compared to previously published integrations of the Compton cross section. The results are simple enough that the incoherent scattering cross section can be calculated with only a tabulation of the incoherent scattering functions and a pocket calculator.
Two-component Bose gas in an optical lattice at single-particle filling

The Bose-Hubbard model of a twofold degenerate Bose gas is studied in an optical lattice with one particle per site and virtual tunneling to empty and doubly occupied sites. An effective Hamiltonian for this system is derived within a continued-fraction approach. The ground state of the effective model is studied in mean-field approximation for a modulated optical lattice. A dimerized mean-field state gives a Mott insulator whereas the lattice without modulations develops long-range correlated phase fluctuations due to a Goldstone mode. This result is discussed in comparison with the superfluid and the Mott-insulating state of a single-component hard-core Bose gas.
Effect of menthol on the penetration of tobacco carcinogens and nicotine across porcine oral mucosa ex vivo.

Introduction: Menthol is a flavored tobacco additive claimed to mask the bitter taste and reduce the harshness of cigarette smoke. (Azzi, C., Zhang, J., Purdon, C. H., Chapman, J. M., Nitcheva, D., Hebert, J. R., et al., 2006, Permeation and reservoir function of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) and benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P) across porcine esophageal tissue in the presence of ethanol and menthol. Carcinogenesis, 27, 137-145). have shown that menthol increased the flux of tobacco carcinogens (TC) across porcine esophagus. As oral mucosa is exposed to both smoke and smokeless tobacco in tobacco users, the objective of this study was to determine whether menthol influenced the penetration of the TC nitroso - nornicotine (NNN) across porcine buccal (BM) and floor of mouth (FM) mucosa. Methods: Porcine BM and FM were collected at slaughter, mounted in perfusion chambers (n = 7/group), and exposed to tritiated NNN ( 3
Image processing in middle-school mathematics

Image processing by computer can play an important motivational role in middle-school mathematics. The fact that digital images are represented by arrays of numbers attests to the relevance of mathematics in the exciting realm of visual imagery. The project "Mathematics Experiences Through Image Processing" has developed software and activities that offer alternative experiences in arithmetic, algebra, problem-solving, geometric transformations, and digital representation. The paper describes some of the software, learning activities, issues faced and insights gained from experiences. >
Contextual wisdom: social relations and correlations for multimedia event annotation

This work deals with the problem of event annotation in social networks. The problem is made difficult due to variability of semantics and due to scarcity of labeled data. Events refer to real-world phenomena that occur at a specific time and place, and media and text tags are treated as facets of the event metadata. We are proposing a novel mechanism for event annotation by leveraging related sources (other annotators) in a social network. Our approach exploits event concept similarity, concept co-occurrence and annotator trust. We compute concept similarity measures across all facets. These measures are then used to compute event-event and user-user activity correlation. We compute inter-facet concept co-occurrence statistics from the annotations by each user. The annotator trust is determined by first requesting the trusted annotators (seeds) from each user and then propagating the trust amongst the social network using the biased PageRank algorithm. For a specific media instance to be annotated, we start the process from an initial query vector and the optimal recommendations are determined by using a coupling strategy between the global similarity matrix, and the trust weighted global co-occurrence matrix. The coupling links the common shared knowledge (similarity between concepts) that exists within the social network with trusted and personalized observations (concept co-occurrences). Our initial experiments on annotated everyday events are promising and show substantial gains against traditional SVM based techniques.
Heritable variation in stomatal responses to elevated CO2 in wild radish, Raphanus raphanistrum (Brassicaceae)

Rising atmospheric carbon dioxide may affect plant populations in the short term through effects on photosynthesis and carbon allocation, and over the long term as an agent of natural selection. To test for heritable effects of elevated CO2 on stomatal responses and plant fecundity in Raphanus raphanistrum, we grew plants from 12 paternal families in outdoor open-top chambers at ambient (35 Pa) or elevated (67 Pa) CO2. Contrary to results from a previous study of this species, total flower and fruit production were marginally lower under elevated CO2. Across families, stomatal index and guard cell length showed little response to CO2 enrichment, but these characters varied significantly among paternal families in both the direction and magnitude of their response to changing CO2. Although these family-by-CO2 interactions suggest that natural selection might affect stomatal characters when ambient CO2 levels increase, we found no significant correlation between either character and flower or fruit production. Therefore, our data suggest that while heritable variation for stomatal index and guard cell length exists in this population, selection due to increasing CO2 is not likely to act on these traits because they had no detectable effect on lifetime fecundity.
The President's Fiscal Year 1992 Budget: Almost Quiet on the Budgetary Front

The Fiscal Year 1992 Budget was prepared under unusual conditions. The Persian Gulf War, the piesident's disinterest in domestic issues, the bitter debate over the fiscal year 1991 budget, and the upcoming re-apportionment all combined to make this year atypical The result is a document in which the most substantial change is the cover—a patriotic red, white, and blue Inside, it uses the “one book” format of fiscal year 1991 The budget examines different interpretations of the budget deficit, implements major changes in budgetary accounting, and outlines assumptions made in preparing the budget. Overall, the budget document consolidates the gains made in 1990
Dietary and Pharmacologic Management to Prevent Recurrent Nephrolithiasis in Adults: A Clinical Practice Guideline From the American College of Physicians

This American College of Physicians (ACP) guideline on dietary and pharmacologic management to prevent recurrent nephrolithiasis in adults recommends management with increased fluid intake spread t...
Investigating the neural correlates of psychopathy: a critical review

In recent years, an increasing number of neuroimaging studies have sought to identify the brain anomalies associated with psychopathy. The results of such studies could have significant implications for the clinical and legal management of psychopaths, as well as for neurobiological models of human social behavior. In this article, we provide a critical review of structural and functional neuroimaging studies of psychopathy. In particular, we emphasize the considerable variability in results across studies, and focus our discussion on three methodological issues that could contribute to the observed heterogeneity in study data: (1) the use of between-group analyses (psychopaths vs non-psychopaths) as well as correlational analyses (normal variation in ‘psychopathic’ traits), (2) discrepancies in the criteria used to classify subjects as psychopaths and (3) consideration of psychopathic subtypes. The available evidence suggests that each of these issues could have a substantial effect on the reliability of imaging data. We propose several strategies for resolving these methodological issues in future studies, with the goal of fostering further progress in the identification of the neural correlates of psychopathy.
Dietary advanced glycation end-products, its pulmonary receptor, and high mobility group box 1 in aspiration lung injury

Background Gastric aspiration is a significant cause of acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Environmental risk factors, such as a diet high in pro-inflammatory advanced glycation end-products (AGEs), may render some patients more susceptible to lung injury after aspiration. We hypothesized that high dietary AGEs increase its pulmonary receptor, RAGE, producing an amplified pulmonary inflammatory response in the presence of high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), a RAGE ligand and an endogenous signal of epithelial cell injury after aspiration.
Planning and adjustments for the control of reach extent in a virtual environment

Background: Skilled performance of reach actions includes both anticipatory planning and compensatory adjustments made while moving. The execution of reach actions in a virtual environment (VE) demonstrates similar characteristics to reaches performed in the real-world, however, it is unclear whether the VE itself significantly impacts movement planning or compensatory adjustments. The purpose of this study was to directly compare the use of planning and adjustments to control extent for unconstrained reach actions performed in an immersive VE to those performed in an analogous real-world environment (RWE). Methods: Five non-disabled adults (29 ± 5 years) reached with the dominant, right arm to six targets presented in two directions (+45°, -45°) and three distances (8, 16, 24 cm) in a VE and an analogous RWE. Position data were sampled at 120 Hz from an electromagnetic marker on the index finger and differentiated to determine velocity and acceleration. The control of reach extent was compared between the two environments (paired t-test) as to the use of planning (correlation of peak acceleration with movement distance), compensatory adjustments prior to peak velocity (correlation of time to peak velocity with movement distance), and compensatory adjustments after peak velocity (variance in movement distance accounted for by deterministic statistical model). Results: Reach movements were relatively fast ( 92% of the variance in movement distance across participants and environments. Conclusions: The VE did not impact movement planning or subsequent compensatory adjustments for the control of reach extent when directly compared to an analogous RWE. An immersive VE is a valid environment for the study of unconstrained reach actions.
Preparation of superconducting weak links in molybdenum films by ion implantation

We have implanted patterns of N+ and/or S+ ions into Mo films so as to produce structures in which two heavily-doped Mo regions with relatively high transition temperature T c are connected by a short ( \sim 1\mu m) lightly-doped Mo region with lower transition temperature T' c . Near T' c the lightly-doped region acts as a weak link between the heavily doped regions and passes a supercurrent having an oscillatory "diffraction pattern" dependence on magnetic field similar to that of Josephson tunnel junctions.