cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bullous Dermatoses and Depression: A Systematic Review.

Importance There is a lack of evidence synthesis on the association between bullous skin disease and depression. Objective To synthesize and interpret the current evidence on the association between bullous skin disease and depression. Evidence Review This review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines and reviewed literature related to bullous skin disease and depression in the PubMed, Embase, PsycInfo, and Cochrane databases published between 1945 and February 2021. The quality of each included article was assessed via the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. This review was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42021230750). Findings A total of 17 articles were identified that analyzed a total of 83 910 patients (55.2% female; specifically, 6951 patients with bullous pemphigoid, 1669 patients with pemphigus, and 79 patients with epidermolysis bullosa were analyzed). The prevalence of depressive symptoms among patients with bullous dermatoses ranged from 40% to 80%. The prevalence of depression diagnosis among patients with bullous dermatoses ranged from 11.4% to 28%. Conclusions and Relevance In this systematic review, high rates of depression and depressive symptoms existed among patients with bullous skin disease. Adequate treatment of bullous dermatoses may be associated with a decrease in mental health burden on patients.
Legal and Political Reforms in Saudi Arabia

Introduction 1. Reforms within the Judiciary 2.National and International Dialogues 3. Political Participation and Municipal Elections 4. Political Reforms and the Succession Dilemma 5. Reforms and the Petition Industry 6. Saudi Arabia and the United States 7. Conclusion
MicroRNA Regulation of Cardiac Development and Disease

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the basic mechanisms by which miRNAs function, with a focus on the role of miRNAs during development and maintenance of the heart and vessels. It also discusses the function and regulation of specific miRNAs and their mRNA and the mechanisms that regulate gene expression and that can lead to new and distinct therapeutic targets for heart disease. The miRNAs play fascinating roles in the heart, both pre- and postnatally. Through their ability to post-transcriptionally regulate mRNA levels, and thus manage protein dosage, miRNAs provide finer regulation within the complex molecular networks that regulate cardiogenesis. The importance of this fine regulation is highlighted by the recognition that most known genetic causes of heart malformations in humans result from haploinsufficiency or heterozygous point mutations. The field of miRNA biology is growing rapidly, and new tools and mechanisms are becoming available. With further characterization, elucidating the function of cardiac-enriched miRNAs may provide us with new diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic targets for many forms of cardiovascular disease.
Variation in police patrol practices

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine whether patrol officers believe that police practices vary by precinct assignment and whether the precinct acts as a sub‐organizational level of analysis in police organizations.Design/methodology/approach – The research design is a multi‐method ethnographic case study including observational fieldwork, both structured and unstructured interviews and official departmental documents.Findings – The study finds that patrol officers overwhelmingly agree that police practices vary at the precinct level of analysis. This variation is perceived to be caused by: individual officer temperament/personality and level of experience,; culture, nature and expectations of the clientele/citizens; nature of calls for service, higher call loads and officer safety concerns; and command and precinct rules/norms. The study also finds that the precinct is a viable and important level of analysis within police organizations.Research limitations/implications – This study highligh...
Natural competence in Vibrio cholerae is controlled by a nucleoside scavenging response that requires CytR-dependent anti-activation

Summary Competence for genetic transformation in Vibrio cholerae is triggered by chitin-induced transcription factor TfoX and quorum sensing (QS) regulator HapR. Transformation requires expression of ComEA, described as a DNA receptor in other competent bacteria. A screen for mutants that poorly expressed a comEA–luciferase fusion identified cytR, encoding the nucleoside scavenging cytidine repressor, previously shown in V. cholerae to be a biofilm repressor and positively regulated by TfoX, but not linked to transformation. A ΔcytR mutant was non-transformable and defective in expression of comEA and additional TfoX-induced genes, including pilA (transformation pseudopilus) and chiA-1 (chitinase). In Escherichia coli, ‘anti-activation’ of nucleoside metabolism genes, via protein–protein interactions between critical residues in CytR and CRP (cAMP receptor protein), is disrupted by exogenous cytidine. Amino acid substitutions of the corresponding V. cholerae CytR residues impaired expression of comEA, pilA and chiA-1, and halted DNA uptake; while exogenous cytidine hampered comEA expression levels and prevented transformation. Our results support a speculative model that when V. cholerae reaches high density on chitin, CytR–CRP interactions ‘anti-activate’ multiple genes, including a possible factor that negatively controls DNA uptake. Thus, a nucleoside scavenging mechanism couples nutrient stress and cell–cell signalling to natural transformation in V. cholerae as described in other bacterial pathogens.
Effects of polyamines on partial reactions of membrane (Na+ + K+)-ATPase.

Abstract Spermine and spermidine inhibit the ( Na + + K + )-ATPase (ATP phosphohydrolase, EC 3.6.1.3) reaction so that the effect increases as the ionic content due to Na+ and K+ in the reaction is reduced. Several other amines inhibit ( Na + + K + )-ATPase to varying degress and methylglyoxal-bis(guanylhydrazone) was the most potent inhibitor among those tested. The inhibition by polyamines of the ATPase is uncompetitive with respect to Mg2+ and ATP activation of the reaction. Various naturally occurring polyamines and other amines inhibited Na+ activation of ( Na + + K + )-ATPase as well as Na+-dependent phosphoenzyme formation in an apparently competitive manner with respect to Na+. Likewise, K+-activation of ( Na + + K + )-ATPase as well as K + -p- nitrophenyl phosphatase was inhibited in an apparently competitive manner with respect to K+. Both the cation charge and structure (e.g., aliphatic chain length) may contribute to the inhibitory effects of the amines; however, Na+ sites appear to be more sensitive to cation charge than the aliphatic chain length of the amine, whereas the opposite appears to be true for K+ sites. The results do not indicate a specific effect of polyamines on ( Na + + K + )-ATPase or its partial reactions.
Suppression of antigen and mitogen induced human T lymphocyte DNA synthesis by bacterial lipopolysaccharide: mediation by monocyte activation and production of prostaglandins.

These studies further characterize the effects of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on circulating human mononuclear cells. Escherichia coli LPS did not induce 3H-thymidine incorporation in unseparated mononuclear cells from healthy subjects during 5 days of culture. However, in co-culture experiments, LPS 2 to 20 µg/ml suppressed the response to suboptimal concentrations of phytohemagglutinin and streptokinase-streptodornase by 36 to 84%. Depletion of adherent cells or phagocytic cells resulted in a T lymphocyte-enriched population highly responsive to stimulation by antigens and mitogens but refractory to suppression by LPS. Add-back experiments confirmed adherent cell dependence of the suppressive activity of endotoxin. Moreover, 5 × 104 adherent cells cultured with LPS for 24 hr and then washed inhibited the response of 1.5 × 105 T lymphocytes to antigen by 44 to 67%. Larger numbers of untreated adherent cells had a similar effect. Endotoxin was shown to activate monocytes under these cultural conditions by the criteria of increased attachment to plastic surfaces (by 2.0-fold) and increased release of immunoreactive prostaglandin E2 (by 6.6-fold). The prostaglandin release of cells cultured with LPS was reversed by indomethacin. Indomethacin and RO-20-5720 also blocked inhibition of lymphocyte function by large numbers of adherent cells and endotoxin-activated adherent cells. Moreover, supernatants of macrophages cultured with or without LPS suppressed T lymphocyte function; this activity was diminished when indomethacin was present during supernatant generation. These findings suggest that bacterial LPS activates human monocytes to produce prostaglandins that suppress T lymphocyte function.
Older Destination Therapy Patient Selection

Portions of this chapter were presented at the 29th Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, April 2009, Paris, France and the 31st Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, April 2011, San Diego, California, USA. The abovementioned abstracts were published by Adamson et al. (J Am Coll Cardiol. 57(25):2487–95, 2011).
Virtue Ethics and the Selection of Children with Impairments A Reply to Rosalind McDougall

In 'Parental Virtues: A New Way of Thinking about the Morality of Reproductive Actions' Rosalind McDougall proposes a virtue-based framework to assess the morality of child selection. Applying the virtue-based account to the selection of children with impairments does not lead, according to McDougall, to an unequivocal answer to the morality of selecting impaired children. In 'Impairment, Flourishing, and the Moral Nature of Parenthood,' she also applies the virtue-based account to the discussion of child selection, and claims that couples with an impairment are morally justified in selecting a child with the same impairment. This claim, she maintains, reveals that the flourishing of a child should be understood as requiring environment-specific characteristics. I argue that McDougall's argument begs the question. More importantly, it does not do justice to virtue ethics. I also question to what extent a virtue ethics framework can be successfully applied to discussions about the moral permissibility of reproductive actions.
Effects of Polymer Type and Storage Relative Humidity on the Kinetics of Felodipine Crystallization from Amorphous Solid Dispersions

Purpose The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of polymer type and storage relative humidity (RH) on the crystallization kinetics of felodipine from amorphous solid dispersions.
Complete reversal of chronic ethanol polydipsia by schedule withdrawal

Abstract Rats exposed to daily 3-hr intermittent food delivery sessions (binging) chronically ingested excessive amounts of either H 2 O or 5% EtOH (mean of 7.1 g/kg/3-hr). Withdrawing the intermittency of the feeding schedule once every 10 days (single-ration probe session) resulted in reduction of fluid intakes (both H 2 O and EtOH) to the level of animals always given daily single-ration sessions. This complete dependence of elevated fluid intake levels on the intermittent feeding schedule was unaffected by either the number of probes previously administered (0 to 11) or the duration the feeding schedule was maintained before introduction of the first probe session (29 or 109 days). The results of the probe sessions demonstrated that a history of ethanol overindulgence was not a sufficient condition for the maintenance of overdrinking. Continued overindulgence required the continued presence of the original inducing conditions. Ethanol-polydipsic animals exposed to periodic probe sessions also developed a slow rise in binge session intake. No such increase was observed in the water-polydipsic animals.
Time-lapse seismic attribute analysis for a water-flooded reservoir

One of the goals of time-lapse seismic monitoring is the direct detection of the fluid front and two-phase contact area. However, several factors affect the quality of time-lapse seismic difference data and decrease detectability. One of these factors is random noise. In this paper, we propose five different methods aimed at improving the quality and detectability of noisy time-lapse seismic difference data. Common to these methods is the transform of the differences to a domain where the time-lapse signal and random noise are well separated. Our proposed methods include direct Fourier transform based spectral decomposition, bispectra, wavelet transform, singular value decomposition and hybrid methods. We also propose a method that combines multiple time-lapse difference data and gives a final difference which enhances the common part and attenuates the differences of the multiple difference images resulting in a better detectability than the original images. A synthetic time-lapse model is used to demonstrate the feasibility of our proposed methods.
Infertility as Boundary Ambiguity: One Theoretical Perspective†

Infertility as a life event can be understood from a number of conceptual perspectives: a developmental crisis, a grief reaction, a disruption of marital contracts and roles, a crisis of identity, sexuality, and/or values, or a challenge of decision-making processes. Stress theory and the construct of boundary ambiguity can augment the understanding of the crisis of infertility by providing a different approach and unique perspective. It is the hypothesis of this article that the involuntarily childless couple may experience infertility as a stress of boundary ambiguity, that is, not knowing who is in and who is out of the family system. As infertile couples attempt to make the transition to parenthood they may experience the child they wish to have as a family member who is psychologically present but physically absent.
The three-dimensional structures of bacterial reaction centers

This review presents a broad overview of the research that enabled the structure determination of the bacterial reaction centers from Blastochloris viridis and Rhodobacter sphaeroides, with a focus on the contributions from Duysens, Clayton, and Feher. Early experiments performed in the laboratory of Duysens and others demonstrated the utility of spectroscopic techniques and the presence of photosynthetic complexes in both oxygenic and anoxygenic photosynthesis. The laboratories of Clayton and Feher led efforts to isolate and characterize the bacterial reaction centers. The availability of well-characterized preparations of pure and stable reaction centers allowed the crystallization and subsequent determination of the structures using X-ray diffraction. The three-dimensional structures of reaction centers revealed an overall arrangement of two symmetrical branches of cofactors surrounded by transmembrane helices from the L and M subunits, which also are related by the same twofold symmetry axis. The structure has served as a framework to address several issues concerning bacterial photosynthesis, including the directionality of electron transfer, the properties of the reaction center-cytochrome c 2 complex, and the coupling of proton and electron transfer. Together, these research efforts laid the foundation for ongoing efforts to address an outstanding question in oxygenic photosynthesis, namely the molecular mechanism of water oxidation.
Soybean Oil-Based Lubricants: A Search for Synergistic Antioxidants†

Vegetable oils can contribute toward the goal of energy independence and security due to their naturally renewable resource. They are promising candidates as base fluids for ecofriendly lubricants because of their excellent lubricity, biodegradability, good viscosity−temperature characteristics, and low evaporation loss. Their use, however, is restricted due to low thermo-oxidative stability and poor cold-flow behavior. This paper presents a systematic approach to improve their oxidation behavior by searching for a suitable additive combination. The study of antioxidant/antiwear additive synergism was investigated on a set of four antioxidants and three antiwear additives in vegetable oils using pressure differential scanning calorimetry (PDSC) and a rotary bomb oxidation test (RBOT). The results indicate that dialkyldithiocarbamate antioxidant performed better than diphenylamine and hindered phenol. The zinc dialkyldithiocarbamate antioxidant showed excellent synergism with antiwear additive antimony dit...
Nitrogen efficiency component analysis: an evaluation of cropping system differences in productivity

The development of cropping systems that use N efficiently requires methods that evaluate system differences in N use. A procedure, based conceptually on soil and plant processes that affect N use, was developed to evaluate differences in N use efficiency among cropping systems. The method uses measurements of yield, grain N, aboveground plant N, applied N, and postharvest inorganic soil N to partition cropping system differences in yield and grain N into N efficiency components. The components consists of N supply, available N efficiency, available N uptake efficiency, N utilization efficiency, grain N accumulation efficiency, and N harvest index [...]
Ultrananocrystalline Diamond-Coated Microporous Silicon Nitride Membranes for Medical Implant Applications

Ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD) exhibits excellent biological and mechanical properties, which make it an appropriate choice for promoting epidermal cell migration on the surfaces of percutaneous implants. We deposited a ~150 nm thick UNCD film on a microporous silicon nitride membrane using microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition. Scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy were used to examine the pore structure and chemical bonding of this material, respectively. Growth of human epidermal keratinocytes on UNCD-coated microporous silicon nitride membranes and uncoated microporous silicon nitride membranes was compared using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The results show that the UNCD coating did not significantly alter the viability of human epidermal keratinocytes, indicating potential use of this material for improving skin sealing around percutaneous implants.
Space Weather and the Ground-Level Solar Proton Events of the 23rd Solar Cycle

Solar proton events can adversely affect space and ground-based systems. Ground-level events are a subset of solar proton events that have a harder spectrum than average solar proton events and are detectable on Earth’s surface by cosmic radiation ionization chambers, muon detectors, and neutron monitors. This paper summarizes the space weather effects associated with ground-level solar proton events during the 23rd solar cycle. These effects include communication and navigation systems, spacecraft electronics and operations, space power systems, manned space missions, and commercial aircraft operations. The major effect of ground-level events that affect manned spacecraft operations is increased radiation exposure. The primary effect on commercial aircraft operations is the loss of high frequency communication and, at extreme polar latitudes, an increase in the radiation exposure above that experienced from the background galactic cosmic radiation. Calculations of the maximum potential aircraft polar route exposure for each ground-level event of the 23rd solar cycle are presented. The space weather effects in October and November 2003 are highlighted together with on-going efforts to utilize cosmic ray neutron monitors to predict high energy solar proton events, thus providing an alert so that system operators can possibly make adjustments to vulnerable spacecraft operations and polar aircraft routes.
Exposure of U.S. National Parks to land use and climate change 1900–2100

Many protected areas may not be adequately safeguarding biodiversity from human activities on surrounding lands and global change. The magnitude of such change agents and the sensitivity of ecosystems to these agents vary among protected areas. Thus, there is a need to assess vulnerability across networks of protected areas to determine those most at risk and to lay the basis for developing effective adaptation strategies. We conducted an assessment of exposure of U.S. National Parks to climate and land use change and consequences for vegetation communities. We first defined park protected-area centered ecosystems (PACEs) based on ecological principles. We then drew on existing land use, invasive species, climate, and biome data sets and models to quantify exposure of PACEs from 1900 through 2100. Most PACEs experienced substantial change over the 20th century (> 740% average increase in housing density since 1940, 13% of vascular plants are presently nonnative, temperature increase of 1 degree C/100 yr since 1895 in 80% of PACEs), and projections suggest that many of these trends will continue at similar or increasingly greater rates (255% increase in housing density by 2100, temperature increase of 2.5 degrees-4.5 degrees C/100 yr, 30% of PACE areas may lose their current biomes by 2030). In the coming century, housing densities are projected to increase in PACEs at about 82% of the rate of since 1940. The rate of climate warming in the coming century is projected to be 2.5-5.8 times higher than that measured in the past century. Underlying these averages, exposure of individual park PACEs to change agents differ in important ways. For example, parks such as Great Smoky Mountains exhibit high land use and low climate exposure, others such as Great Sand Dunes exhibit low land use and high climate exposure, and a few such as Point Reyes exhibit high exposure on both axes. The cumulative and synergistic effects of such changes in land use, invasives, and climate are expected to dramatically impact ecosystem function and biodiversity in national parks. These results are foundational to developing effective adaptation strategies and suggest policies to better safeguard parks under broad-scale environmental change.
Heterogeneous uptake of ozone on reactive components of mineral dust aerosol: an environmental aerosol reaction chamber study.

We have undertaken a kinetic study of heterogeneous ozone decomposition on α-Fe2O3 (hematite) and α-Al2O3 (corundum) aerosols under ambient conditions of temperature, pressure, and relative humidity in order to better understand the role of mineral dust aerosol in ozone loss mechanisms in the atmosphere. The kinetic measurements are made in an environmental aerosol reaction chamber by use of infrared and ultraviolet spectroscopic probes. The apparent heterogeneous uptake coefficient, γ, for ozone reaction with α-Fe2O3 and α-Al2O3 surfaces is determined as a function of relative humidity (RH). The uptake of ozone by the iron oxide surface is approximately an order of magnitude larger than that by the aluminum oxide sample, under dry conditions. At the pressures used, α-Fe2O3 shows clear evidence for catalytic decomposition of ozone while α-Al2O3 appears to saturate at a finite ozone coverage. The measured uptake for both minerals decreases markedly as the RH is increased. Comparison with other literature r...
A special beam element for the analysis of thin‐walled structural components

A new beam element is described which is capable of depicting the non-linear elastic mode interaction of overall bending/buckling with local buckling in thin-walled beam-columns. In addition to being capable of describing overall biaxial bending and twisting, the element has shape functions which contain implictly the relevant local buckling deformation. The mode interaction occurs by virtue of the non-linear coupling of the overall and local buckling deformation. The local and post-local buckling displacement fields are computed a priori in an efficient manner using the finite strip technique. The modulation of the local buckling amplitudes is also accounted for in the element. In general, the beam element incorporates three companion local modes, all of which may become important in the process of interaction. Examples are presented which illustrate the efficacy of the element for problems involving interaction of local and flexural buckling modes and the combined interaction of local, flexural and flexural--torsional modes.
FT and NPR1 expression patterns in Arabidopsis thaliana during flowering and in response to salicylate

For annuals, the timing of flowering is directly related to fitness and many factors influence it including temperature, photoperiod, resource level, physical stress, and pathogenic infection. The expression of “flowering genes” is regulated by these factors in order to mediate this timing. The FT gene is thought to be expressed in response to all of these factors while the NPR1 gene is induced by salicylic acid (SA), a signaling molecule in the stress-induced flowering pathway. It is unknown whether stress-induced expression of NPR1 may alter expression of specific “flowering genes” such as FT or whether SA may directly influence the expression of FT. Thus, we examined the expression of FT and NPR1 in Arabidopsis thaliana in response to exogenous application of SA. Gene expression was measured using RT-qPCR. Student t-tests were used to assess differences in expression of both FT and NPR1 in response to SA application. FT expression did not significantly differ in response to SA; however, this is likely a result of mispriming due to homology of FT-related genes. Surprisingly, NPR1 expression was not induced by SA in our study. Although our results provide some insights, creative primer design to measure FT expression and modifications to the experimental design are needed to fully elucidate the relationship between FT and NPR1 expression and SA.
Happiness, ownership, naming: Reflections on Northern Song cultural history

This essay talks about a significant moment in Chinese intellectual and literary history, centrally involving the nature of human happiness, which remains one of the great questions in all philosophical traditions. The Northern Song version of this question continues to have resonance in the contemporary world because we often still link happiness with particular situations and often, like our Northern Song predecessors, with particular sites and possessions. These questions can indeed be found earlier in the Chinese tradition, but in the major social transformations of the Northern Song-a growing commercial culture, and an elite defined by cultural prestige rather than by family background-this question came to enjoy a new intensity of discursive reflection.
Physiological and ecological effects of increasing temperature on fish production in lakes of Arctic Alaska

Lake ecosystems in the Arctic are changing rapidly due to climate warming. Lakes are sensitive integrators of climate-induced changes and prominent features across the Arctic landscape, especially in lowland permafrost regions such as the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska. Despite many studies on the implications of climate warming, how fish populations will respond to lake changes is uncertain for Arctic ecosystems. Least Cisco (Coregonus sardinella) is a bellwether for Arctic lakes as an important consumer and prey resource. To explore the consequences of climate warming, we used a bioenergetics model to simulate changes in Least Cisco production under future climate scenarios for lakes on the Arctic Coastal Plain. First, we used current temperatures to fit Least Cisco consumption to observed annual growth. We then estimated growth, holding food availability, and then feeding rate constant, for future projections of temperature. Projected warmer water temperatures resulted in reduced Least Cisco production, especially for larger size classes, when food availability was held constant. While holding feeding rate constant, production of Least Cisco increased under all future scenarios with progressively more growth in warmer temperatures. Higher variability occurred with longer projections of time mirroring the expanding uncertainty in climate predictions further into the future. In addition to direct temperature effects on Least Cisco growth, we also considered changes in lake ice phenology and prey resources for Least Cisco. A shorter period of ice cover resulted in increased production, similar to warming temperatures. Altering prey quality had a larger effect on fish production in summer than winter and increased relative growth of younger rather than older age classes of Least Cisco. Overall, we predicted increased production of Least Cisco due to climate warming in lakes of Arctic Alaska. Understanding the implications of increased production of Least Cisco to the entire food web will be necessary to predict ecosystem responses in lakes of the Arctic.
Fetal inoculation with donor cells in cardiac xenotransplantation

Background. In utero fetal inoculation with allogeneic cells has produced subsequent tolerance to experimental cardiac allografts. We attempted to extend this observation to a model of xenogeneic cardiac transplantation. Methods. Lewis rat fetuses were inoculated with Golden Syrian hamster thymocytes (n = 5) or whole spleen cells (n = 5) on the tenth day of intrauterine life. Six weeks after the birth of pretreated fetuses, heterotopic cardiac transplantation using a hamster donor was performed. Three to 4 weeks after parturition, we performed heterotopic cardiac transplantation using hamster donors in the female Lewis rats whose fetuses had been treated in utero. Results. Animals treated in utero with either thymocytes or whole spleen cells had graft survival of 3 days, not different from that in untreated Lewis rats (n = 5) ( p = not significant). Maternal Lewis rats whose fetuses were treated with thymocytes (n = 5) or whole spleen cells (n = 4) had markedly reduced survival of xenogeneic cardiac grafts (range, 3 to 20 hours; mean, 15 hours; p p p = not significant). Immunohistochemical staining of hyperacutely rejected grafts showed deposits of immunoglobulin M as well as immunoglobulin G and complement. In normally rejected xenografts, no immunoglobulin M was detected. Conclusions. These studies reveal the surprising observation that fetal exposure to xenogeneic cells sensitizes the maternal rat without tolerizing the fetal rat as observed in an allograft model. In addition, whole spleen cells produce a more vigorous hyperacute rejection than thymocytes, suggesting that B cells or macrophages may be the sensitizing agents. The accelerated rejection observed has the characteristics of an immunoglobulin M antibody-mediated hyperacute rejection response with deposition of complement.
SIGNAL-LIGHT NOMOGRAM

A nomogram is presented for predicting the sighting range for white, steady-burning signal lights. The theoretical and experimental bases are explained and instructions are provided for its use for a variety of practical problems concerning the visibility of signal lights. The nomogram is appropriate for slant path as well as horizontal sightings, and the gain of range achieved by utilizing binoculars can be predicted by use of it.
Fertiliser response of vegetation on ultrabasic terraces on Rhum

Summary The application of fertilisers to sparse vegetation on unstable ultrabasic soil on a ridge of extreme exposure on the Isle of Rhum, Inner Hebrides, resulted in a marked increase of vegetation cover and a change in species composition. On this site, nutrient deficiency appears to be a major factor limiting the development of closed plant communities.
Analysis of pentose phosphate shunt in rat and frog gastric mucosae.

Abstract Model systems analysis shows that the products of the pentose phosphate shunt in both rat and frog gastric mucosae recycle through the shunt, oxidize further through the citric acid cycle and form lactate in combination.
Technologies of compliance: Surveillance of self‐administration of tuberculosis treatment, 1956–1966

The development of antibiotics for tuberculosis in the 1950s liberated patients from prolonged hospitalization and enabled physicians to bring treatment to underserved populations. However, outpatient treatment programs could only be as effective as the reliability with which patients self‐administered medications. This anxiety with non‐compliance quickly became ubiquitous in medicine. Several physicians, treating tuberculosis among the Navajo, attempted to use technologies of surveillance to overcome this limitation. They used fluorescent tracers, urine testing, and radioactive pill dispensers to expose non‐compliance. Although successful, these techniques threatened patient‐doctor relationships with secrecy and distrust. Physicians turned instead to personal surveillance through directly observed therapy.
Sonographic estimates of vein size in the lower extremities: Subjective assessment compared with direct measurement

Purpose We studied whether subjective impression of vein size is a valid means of assessment during sonographic evaluation for deep vein thrombosis. Methods Diameter was assessed at 5 predetermined venous segments on 975 legs of 721 patients referred for evaluation for lower extremity deep vein thrombosis. The sonographer recorded a subjective assessment of whether the venous segment was enlarged, normal, or narrowed based on a visual impression of sonographic images obtained without compression. This subjective impression was then compared with the absolute measurements of vein diameter and vein diameter:artery diameter ratio at each segment. Results A significant correlation was found between the subjective characterization of vein size as enlarged, normal, and narrowed and both the absolute vein diameter and the vein:artery ratio at all 5 segments. Conclusions Vein size can be reliably categorized by the subjective impression of experienced sonographers. Therefore, actual measurement of the vein diameter is not necessary in the evaluation for deep vein thrombosis in the majority of patients. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound26:113–117, 1998.
2H NMR Studies of Simple Organic Groups Covalently Attached to Ordered Mesoporous Silica

The rotational dynamics of several chemically simple organic functional groups covalently attached to ordered mesoporous silica (OMS) are reported using solid-state 2H NMR spectroscopy. Hexamethyldisilazane-treated OMS samples show that resulting trimethylsilyl groups rapidly rotate on the OMS surfaces, even at low temperatures. However, subtle differences are observed between TMS groups on MCM-41 versus SBA-15 surfaces, possibly due to the presence of micropores in SBA-15. Different secondary amines display different dynamic behaviors, which appear largely dependent on whether the amine can engage in hydrogen bonding with residual surface silanols. The N-methylamine groups exhibit dynamic behavior that is dependent upon loading. At low loadings a spectrum consistent with a methyl rotor is observed, and at higher loadings a fast rotation about the methyl group 3-fold axis and additional motion that leads to further narrowing of the line shape is observed. The N-benzylamine line shape is quite complex, qua...
Surface charge evolution of mineral-organic complexes during pedogenesis in Hawaiian basalt

Changes in surface charge of soil particles that accompany mineral transformations during soil formation were measured for a humid tropical chronosequence in Hawaiian basalt ranging in lava flow age from 0.3 to 4100 kiloyears (ky). Parent mineralogy is dominated by glass, olivine, pyroxene, and feldspar, whereas poorly crystalline (PC) weathering products (allophane, microcrystalline gibbsite, ferrihydrite) accumulate in early to intermediate weathering stages (through 400 ky), and crystalline secondary minerals (kaolinite, gibbsite, goethite) are dominant in the oldest (1400 and 4100 ky) soils. Detailed characterization of the solid phase was accomplished with chemical extractions, X-ray diffraction analysis, and molecular spectroscopy (FTIR and 13 C MAS NMR). Simultaneous proton titration and background ion adsorption measurements were made on LiCl saturated soils over a range in pH (2-9) and ionic strength (0.001 and 0.01 M LiCl). Dependence of variable surface charge on solution composition reflects the changing nature of mineral-organic interactions over the course of pedogenesis. Points of zero net proton charge (PZNPC) ranged from 3.4 to 6.2 and 2.0 to 5.8 at 0.001 and 0.01 M ionic strength (I), respectively. Intermediate-aged soils containing the highest mass concentration of humified soil organic matter (SOM) and its complexes with PC minerals gave rise to the steepest charging curves (largest pH dependence) and highest PZNPC values. Surface charge properties of these soils most closely reflected their weakly acidic Al and Fe hydroxide constituents, which is consistent with metal hydroxide saturation of organic functional groups, rather than organic coating of mineral surfaces. Charging curves were less steep and PZNPC values were lower for the older soils, consistent with SOM coating of more crystalline goethite, kaolinite, and gibbsite surfaces in a soil system less impacted by labile Al and Fe. Copyright © 2004 Elsevier Ltd
Lodestone‐explanation for magnetic properties and characterization of the source of magnetic hardening

The microstructure of Class I lodestones was investigated by X-ray diffraction and by optical and transmission electron microscopy, and the behavior of lodestone magnetization was studied at temperatures of 4 to 825 K. It was found that intense magnetization is associated with the gamma Fe2O3-Fe3O4 intergrowth. Thermal demagnetization of the lodestone studied was nearly complete at 300 C. The loss of natural remanence was found to be associated with transformation of gamma Fe2O3 to alpha Fe2O3.
Visuo-Motor Integration in Split-Brain Cats

Chiasm- and callosum-sectioned (split-brain) cats and controls were trained to displace the correct one of two different objects, using each forelimb half the time. During this discrimination training, vision was restricted to one eye, thus confining visual input and learning to a single hemisphere in the split-brain animals. It was found that either forelimb could be used about equally well by all the animals.
Surgical Stress Induces an Amplified Inflammatory Response in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Background. Morbid obesity is believed to be an extreme of the metabolic spectrum. Moreover, diabetes is hypothesized to be associated with a chronic inflammatory state that is not observed in nondiabetic healthy individuals. We investigated the differences in expression of inflammatory cytokines induced by surgical stress between diabetic and nondiabetic individuals. Method. 39 morbidly obese patients undergoing laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (9 with type 2 diabetes mellitus) were compared with 8 nonobese euglycemic patients undergoing laparoscopic antireflux surgery. Cytokine levels for IL-6, IL-10, and IL-18 were measured 15 minutes before surgery and immediately after surgery. Results. IL-6 and IL-10 levels were elevated from baseline following surgery, but morbidly obese patients exhibited a much higher elevation than lean patients. Individuals with type 2 diabetes had the most pronounced IL-6 and IL-10 elevations. Baseline IL-18 levels were significantly higher in diabetic patients compared with nondiabetic or lean patients. However, IL-18 levels were not changed in response to surgery. Conclusions. Diabetes and morbid obesity are associated with augmented cytokine expression in response to surgical trauma that is several folds higher than in nonobese euglycemic patients. Diabetic patients exhibit a chronic elevation in IL-18 that is not changed by surgical stress.
Tauberian theorem for m-spherical transforms on the Heisenberg group

In this paper we prove a Tauberian type theorem for the space L(Hn). This theorem gives sufficient conditions for a L(Hn) submodule J ⊂ L(Hn) to make up all of L(Hn). As a consequence of this theorem, we are able to improve previous results on the Pompeiu problem with moments on the Heisenberg group for the space L∞(Hn). In connection with the Pompeiu problem, given the vanishing of integrals ∫zmLgf (z, 0) dσ (z) = 0 for all g ∈ Hn and i = 1, 2 for appropriate radii r1 and r2, we now have the (improved) conclusion f ≡ 0, where = · · · and form the standard basis for T(0,1)(Hn). (© 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Microstructural processes of fracture of rubber-modified polyamides

Abstract The microstructural processes of fracture in rubber-modified polyamides were studied in blends of polyamide 66/ethylene—propylene—diene rubber (PA66/EPDR) in Izod bending impact experiments. Izod tests were performed at various temperatures to determine the ductile—brittle transition as a function of temperature, rubber weight fraction and particle size. Subsequent analysis of the fracture surfaces by scanning electron microscopy revealed unique morphologies for various regions of toughness: in the brittle region, the fracture surface is patchy; in the transition region, there are occasional striations present on the fracture surface, along with the brittle fracture morphology; in the tough region, the fracture surface is fully covered by striations which penetrate only ≈2 μm beneath the surface in the form of shallow cracks perpendicular to the surface. The striations lie parallel to the main crack front and are a signature of the effective toughening of the polyamide through the incorporation of rubber particles. This drastic change in the fracture surface morphology and formation of striations at the ductile—brittle transition point is the result of elastic—plastic buckling of previously highly stretched material layers on the crack flank as they undergo a constrained accommodation. Morphological studies of the process zone, mainly below the crack flanks, have confirmed this hypothesis of buckling of surface layers. The spacing between the striations observed on the fracture surface of tough specimens varied with rubber content, particle size, temperature and strain rate. These effects are discussed in terms of local adiabatic heating and variations in the plastic resistance of the matrix material. A model for striation formation based on plastic buckling of a thin surface layer on a porous elastic foundation is provided that serves as a scaling relation accounting well for the temperature-dependent changes in striation spacing.
Dynamic angular segregation of vesicles in electrohydrodynamic flows.

We investigate a new type of behavior whereby small vesicles orbiting around a larger vesicle in a toroidal electrohydrodynamic flow undergo dynamic angular segregation. Application of a low frequency (∼50 Hz) electric field induces aggregation of adjacent unilamellar vesicles near the electrode, in a manner similar to that observed with rigid colloidal particles. For polydisperse vesicle suspensions, however, small vesicles ( 20 μm) in a toroidal electrohydrodynamic flow field. While orbiting, the smaller vesicles gradually segregate into well-defined angular cross sections. Viewed from above, the vesicles appear to form dynamic “bands” at prescribed angles, separated by regions devoid of vesicles. We interpret the angular segregation in terms of induced dipolar interactions, and we propose a model based on point dipoles rotating in a cellular flow field. We demonstrate that the model yields a surprisingly diverse range of vesicle trajectories...
On-chip patch-clamp sensor for solid-state nanopore applications

An integrated low-noise patch-clamp sensor is implemented for single-molecule DNA analysis using a solid-state nanopore. By adopting an instrumentation amplifier and a compensation switch for the headstage, the input-offset voltage and the deleterious effects of input parasitic capacitances are minimised. This high-sensitivity sensor amplifier was fabricated in a 0.35 µm CMOS process and tested with the solid-state nanopore also developed.
Auroral arc thicknesses as predicted by various theories

Twelve electron-acceleration mechanisms and 10 generator mechanisms for auroral arcs are examined, and a characteristic auroral-arc thickness is worked out for each mechanism except one. The arc thicknesses are then mapped down to the ionosphere along the terrestrial magnetic-field lines; near the Earth, a dipole magnetic-field model is used, and farther from the Earth, the mapping includes the effects of magnetic-field-line draping. The 21 theoretical models all predict auroral-arc thicknesses that are at least an order of magnitude wider than the optically observed arcs. As an alternative explanation of the observed narrow auroral arcs, the acceleration of ionospheric electrons to produce airglow in electrical discharge mechanisms appears improbable. Also unsuccessfully explored is the possibility that the observed narrow auroral arcs are caused by interference effects when Alfven waves reflect off the ionosphere. Suggestions are made for future ground-based auroral-arc measurements.
Investigation of surface inhibition and its effects on the lithographic performance of polysulfone-novolac electron-beam resists

Current resist materials used for electron beam lithography applications, such as mask making, have relatively low contrasts as compared to modern optical resists. Recently, our group has been investigating two component, polsulfone-novolac (SNS) resists which offer high sensitivities and moderate contrasts for electron beam lithography. Surface inhibition, which can help to reduce top surface loss in unexposed and partially exposed regions of the resist, is a very desirable property in such resists in order increase resist contrast. The main phenomenon being investigated in this work is the effect of soft bake temperature on surface inhibition in SNS resists. It was found that surface inhibition decreases dramatically in this resist system as a function of increasing bake temperature above 90°C. Results from this study indicate that there is a segregation of the polar polysulfone inhibitor away from the resist-air interface at bake temperatures above 90°C. Results from studies using various techniques including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and contact angle measurements to investigate this phenomenon are reported. Methods to enhance surface inhibition, and hence improve resist contrast, such as using surfactant loaded developers were also investigated in this work.
Modulation of arterial muscle contraction in Aplysia by glycine and neuron R14

Abstract Glycine and electrical activity in neuron R14 both enhance the contractility of the anterior aorta of the gastropod Aplysia californica . Glycine and R14 do not seem to cause contraction directly, change membrane permeabilities or alter junctional potentials occurring in the muscle fibers, yet they increase the force of contractions induced by other means. Modulation of muscle contraction is a new function for glycine.
Selenium in the tributaries of the Orinoco in Venezuela

The drainage basins of large pristine rivers are valuable natural laboratories for the study of trace element geochemistry. Their relatively unperturbed nature provides the opportunity to establish natural concentration ranges thus giving a background against which anthropogenically impacted environments may be understood. The wide range of geological provinces present in large basins also provides an opportunity to identify the underlying geochemical parameters which determine the sources and transport of the elements in the hydrosphere.