cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nickel-Titanium Shape Memory Alloy Motors and Electromechanical Devices

Shape memory alloys (SMA) have been an extensively used material for actuators in micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) because actuation force and displacement are greatest in SMA amongst many actuator materials [1]. Of the alloys currently available for SMA actuators, the most popular system is Nitinol (or NiTi) due to its good oxidation resistance, reversible martensitic transformation, broad range of transformation temperatures (from -100 - 100 °C), and specific power density [2]. Current commercially available SMA wire has easily achieved no-load strain of 5% with medium gage SMA wires demonstrating an axial force capacity of 2 Newtons or more. While the potential use of SMA materials in a thermal-electric motor has been documented beginning in the 1980's, there are a number of new allows and fatigue-resistant materials that may lead to more general designs with a wide range of motions and applications. Shape memory alloys are a special type of material that exhibit two unique properties, pseudo-elasticity and shape memory effect (SME). SMA undergoes SME because of martensitic or diffusionless transformation where each atom has a slight displacement, creating observable changes throughout the structure as the allow changes states. This alloy has the ability, once heated, to return to its parent austenite phase where it exists at higher symmetry. Upon cooling, the material returns to one of many lower symmetry martensitic phases. This thermal cycle is shown in Figure 1. [3,4]. It is even possible for many variants of martensite to be present in the same material. Pseudo-elasticity is a rubber-like flexibility that allows the SMA to be contorted for a variety of purposes. Once contorted, the application of heat will cause the alloy to undergo martensitic transformation. Upon completion of the cycle, the alloy will have returned to its original shape. The development of SMA-based electromechanical devices delivers traditional mechanical motion with non-traditional methods. Rather than electromagnetic components rotating about a central axis to produce power, the rotary SMA motor utilizes contracting elements, and mush as spark ignition rotary engine, it can be designed to produce angular motion. Motion is accomplished with sequenced electrical signals sent across each element mounted between an eccentric crank. Rotary motion is produced during the power portion of the cycle for specific SMA elements under the application of an electrical signal. Based on this concept, our team developed a demonstration model with four active elements. We have demonstrated rotary motion of the device for an extended period of time, and we believe that macro-scale models can reduce the concept substantially and perhaps to the MEMS level.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
An ancient transcriptional regulatory linkage.

Abstract Changes in gene regulatory networks are a major engine for creating developmental novelty during evolution. Conversely, regulatory linkages that survive for very long evolutionary periods might be characteristic of ancient and abstract functions of fundamental utility to all metazoans. The proneural genes, which encode a distinctive family of basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcriptional activators, act to promote neural cell fates in the ectoderm of diverse species. Here we report that these genes have been associated for at least 600–700 million years–since before the cnidarian/bilaterian divergence–with a high-affinity binding site for Hairy/Enhancer of split (Hes) repressor proteins. We suggest that the systematic identification of such ancient and conserved connections will be a powerful means of uncovering the primordial functions of transcription factors and signaling systems.
Juxtamedullary afferent and efferent arterioles constrict to renal nerve stimulation

Juxtamedullary afferent and efferent arterioles constrict to renal nerve stimulation. Sympathetic neural control of afferent and efferent arterioles of inner cortical (juxtamedullary) glomeruli has not been established, in part, because of difficulty accessing these vessels, normally located deep below the kidney surface. In this study we utilized the rat hydronephrotic kidney model to visualize the renal microcirculation and to quantitate the responses of juxtamedullary arterioles to brief (30 sec) renal nerve stimulation (RNS). Juxtamedullary afferent and efferent arterioles constricted in a frequency-dependent fashion to RNS, achieving a maximal constriction of 35% to 8 Hz stimulation. In these same kidneys, outer cortical afferent arterioles also constricted to RNS but outer cortical efferent arterioles did not. Microinjection of norepinephrine (NE) around single outer cortical efferent arterioles (to avoid the constriction of preglomerular vessels) constricted the efferent arterioles. However, the afferent arterioles of the same glomeruli were considerably more responsive to microinjected NE. Thus, the lack of constriction of outer cortical efferent arterioles to RNS may relate, in part, to their low sensitivity to NE, the primary neurotransmitter. These direct observations indicate that the juxtamedullary efferent arterioles are responsive to renal nerve stimulation whereas the outer cortical efferent vessels are not. These results, which should be cautiously extrapolated to normal filtering kidneys, indicate that glomerular hemodynamic changes evoked by the sympathetic nervous system are different for outer cortical and inner cortical glomeruli.
The Relation of Sample Size to the Number of Variables in Using Factor Analysis Techniques

The relationship of sample size to number of variables in the use of factor analysis has been treated by many investigators. In attempting to explore what the minimum sample size should be, none of these investigators pointed out the constraints imposed on the dimensionality of the variables by using a sample size smaller than the number of variables. A review of studies in this area is made as well as suggestions for resolution of the problem.
Water glass bonding for micro-total analysis system

We used water glass solution for bonding two glass wafers on which electrodes and a micro-channel were fabricated. This bonding technique makes possible to bond two glass wafers without concerning the problem of surface roughness. We evaluated many properties of the water glass bonding for using micro-chemical analysis, such as, effect of bond temperature on bond strength, thickness of bonding layer dependence on applied pressure during bonding, and so on. Because of high content rate of sodium in water glass, we evaluated cleaning effect to decrease sodium dissolution from bonding layer. Additionally, we studied the effect of the pH of solutions on bond strength. By using this technology, we made a micro-electrochemical chip as one of applications and identified an oxygen evolution current without break down of the chip. We show this bonding technique is very useful to make a micro-chip.
High pressure differential thermal analysis of the lanthanum nickel-hydrogen system

Abstract A high pressure differential thermal analysis apparatus is described which is capable of operation in the pressure range from 1–680 atm of hydrogen at temperatures from 20 to 900°C. This system has been used to investigate the LaNi 5 H 2 system from 1–200 atm.
Settling and dispersion of ocean dumped sewage sludge

Abstract Plumes resulting from the dumping of sewage sludge in the New York Bight are characterized in terms of mass concentration, salinity, coagulated particle size and acoustic backscattering. The plumes were found to exist near the surface of the water column with a low salinity/conductivity plume remaining near the surface, while the solids of the plume descended at rates near 0.08 cm s−1. Dumped sewage sludge removal rates showed near second-order dependency on mass concentration.
Regulation of exocellular protease in Neurospora crassa: induction and repression under conditions of nitrogen starvation.

Abstract Exponential-phase cells of Neurospora crassa require the continued presence of a protein inducer and nitrogen starvation to induce exocellular protease under conditions where protein is the sole nitrogen source. The nature of the protein inducer appears relatively unimportant, since both soluble proteins (e.g., myoglobin) and insoluble proteins (e.g., corn zein) will effect induction. Nonstarved cells of N. crassa appear to have small nitrogen pools, since nitrogen starvation of exponential cells prior to transfer into a medium where protein is the sole nitrogen source effects starvation-time-dependent decreases in protease biosynthesis. Ammonium ion represses protease synthesis, with apparent specificity at low concentrations. The amino acids arginine, tryptophan, and threonine effect repression of protease biosynthesis under conditions of nitrogen starvation. Under conditions of sulfur starvation, the amino acids cysteine, methionine, and cystine repress protease biosynthesis. In carbon-starved cells, all of the above amino acids, plus histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, phenylalanine, and valine, effect repression. Examination of amino acid pools formed when cells are grown on protein as the sole nitrogen source demonstrated that the amino acids which repress protease biosynthesis under conditions where protein is the sole carbon source accumulate in significant amounts during the course of protease induction, with kinetics consonant with the induction process.
1768 THE EFFECT OF INHALED DRUGS UPON CILIA MOTILITY

Cilia are essential for the proper maintenance of the respiratory tract. Inhaled drugs are frequently used in the treatment of respiratory disorders and have been shown not to alter ciliary structure. Their effect on ciliary motility has not been adequately studied. In the present study, the effect of various inhaled drugs on the duration of cilia motility was examined using specimens of rabbit trachea. All specimens were studied at room temperature via light microscopy with control samples analyzed concurrently. One drop of the specified drug was placed on the trachea and the duration of ciliary beat was monitored. The following results were obtained: All drug effects were reversible with washings of normal saline. The wide ranges of cessation time were thought to be due to tissue variation or to mucus on the tissue specimen causing decreased drug penetration. Mucomyst most rapidly effected the cilia. Nasalcrom increased the initial gross frequency of motility to greater than that of matched controls; however, early cessation was still evident. Correlations will be made with electron micrographic findings and in vivo functional studies. These effects should be kept in mind when prescribing inhaled drugs for patients.
New agents in the treatment of small cell lung cancer

The treatment of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) has evolved significantly over the past 3 decades. Single-agent and combination chemotherapies given with radiotherapy have greatly improved response rates and median survival. Combination regimens such as cisplatin/etoposide, carboplalin/etoposide, ifosfamide/carboplatin/etoposide, cyclophosphamide/doxorubicin/vincristine, and etoposide/ifosfamide/cisplatin have all achieved good response rates. Improving long-term survival, however, has remained problematic. Treatment with biological response modifiers (interferons alpha and gamma) has not shown promise in this setting. New agents showing good preliminary single-agent activity in untreated SCLC include paclitaxel, vinorelbine, gemcitabine, topotecan, and teniposide. Results obtained with single-agent docetaxel and CPT-11 are thus far inconclusive. Studies evaluating response and survival rates of these new agents in combination with agents of known activity are underway.
Towards a design optimization method for reducing the mechanical complexity of underactuated robotic hands

Underactuated compliant robotic hands exploit passive mechanics and joint coupling to reduce the number of actuators required to achieve grasp robustness in unstructured environments. Reduced actuation requirements generally serve to decrease design cost and improve grasp planning efficiency, but overzealous simplification of an actuation topology, coupled with insufficient tuning of mechanical compliance and hand kinematics, can adversely affect grasp quality and adaptability. This paper presents a computational framework for reducing the mechanical complexity of robotic hand actuation topologies without significantly decreasing grasp robustness. Open-source grasp planning software and well-established grasp quality metrics are used to simulate a fully-actuated, 24 DOF anthropomorphic robotic hand grasping a set of daily living objects. DOFs are systematically demoted or removed from the hand actuation topology according to their contribution to grasp quality. The resulting actuation topology contained 22% fewer DOFs, 51% less aggregate joint motion, and required 82% less grasp planning time than the fully-actuated design, but decreased average grasp quality by only 11%.
Comment on "Aircraft with Single-Axis Aerodynamically Deployed Wings"

I Ref. 1, the authors raise the question: "Is there an axis fixed in both [wing] B and [fuselage] A, such that, if B is rotated around the indicated axis relative to A an amount 9, starting in the [stored] configuration . . . , then B ends up having the [deployed] configuration . . . ?" They say they were able to show that such an axis exists. This question is but a special case of one that Leonard Euler raised and solved long ago. A famous theorem, due to Euler, states that any two orientations can be bridged by a single rotation around a fixed axis. The angle of this rotation may be extracted from the orthogonal matrix R describing the relative orientation by
Analysis of segmental renal gene expression by laser capture microdissection.

Analysis of segmental renal gene expression by laser capture microdissection. Background The study of normal renal physiology has been greatly aided by microdissection techniques that have delineated the exceptional functional and cellular heterogeneity both along the nephron and between different nephron populations. These techniques are not widely used to study renal injury as microdissection is difficult because of tissue necrosis or fibrosis. We developed a procedure to detect specific gene expression in specific locations of the kidney in histologic sections. Methods The anatomic specificity of laser capture microdissection (LCM) was employed with the sensitivity of reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results LCM/RT-PCR detected mRNA for podoplanin in 2% of a single glomerulus, rat basic amino acid transporter in 6% of a single cross-section of proximal straight tubule, and renin in eight proximal convoluted tubule cross-sections. LCM/RT-PCR could isolate pure populations of proximal convoluted tubules, proximal straight tubules, and thick ascending limbs from renal histologic sections, although pure collecting ducts could not be isolated. LCM/RT-PCR localized ischemia-reperfusion–induced induction of KC/interleukin-8 primarily to the medullary thick ascending limb, and detected transforming growth factor-!; (TGF-!;) mRNA in glomeruli of a patient with membranous glomerulonephropathy. Conclusions When used with an appropriate laser spot size, LCM/RT-PCR can measure gene expression in glomeruli or specific parts of the nephron and can study alterations in steady-state mRNA levels in animal models of renal disease. The applications, limitations, and refinements of this approach are discussed.
Direct interactions between PSD-95 and stargazin control synaptic AMPA receptor number

Excitatory synapses in the brain exhibit a remarkable degree of functional plasticity, which largely reflects changes in the number of synaptic α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptors (AMPARs). However, mechanisms involved in recruiting AMPARs to synapses are unknown. Here we use hippocampal slice cultures and biolistic gene transfections to study the targeting of AMPARs to synapses. We show that AMPARs are localized to synapses through direct binding of the first two PDZ domains of synaptic PSD-95 (postsynaptic density protein of 95 kDa) to the AMPAR-associated protein, stargazin. Increasing the level of synaptic PSD-95 recruits new AMPARs to synapses without changing the number of surface AMPARs. At the same time, we show that stargazin overexpression drastically increases the number of extra-synaptic AMPARs, but fails to alter synaptic currents if synaptic PSD-95 levels are kept constant. Finally, we make compensatory mutations to both PSD-95 and stargazin to demonstrate the central role of direct interactions between them in determining the number of synaptic AMPARs.
Nuclear RNA Turnover

In mammalian cells, significantly more RNA is turned over in the nucleus than in the cytoplasm. However, only recently have we begun to understand the mechanisms and regulation of nuclear RNA decay.
Accurate ab initio energy gradients in chemical compound space

Analytical potential energy derivatives, based on the Hellmann–Feynman theorem, are presented for any pair of isoelectronic compounds. Since energies are not necessarily monotonic functions between compounds, these derivatives can fail to predict the right trends of the effect of alchemical mutation. However, quantitative estimates without additional self-consistency calculations can be made when the Hellmann–Feynman derivative is multiplied with a linearization coefficient that is obtained from a reference pair of compounds. These results suggest that accurate predictions can be made regarding any molecule’s energetic properties as long as energies and gradients of three other molecules have been provided. The linearization coefficent can be interpreted as a quantitative measure of chemical similarity. Presented numerical evidence includes predictions of electronic eigenvalues of saturated and aromatic molecular hydrocarbons.
STUDIES ON THE CULTIVATION OF THE TYPHUS FEVER RICKETTSIA IN THE PRESENCE OF LIVE TISSUE

1. Rickettsia prowazeki can be cultivated for many generations in vitro, without diminution in numbers or virulence, in media similar to those described by Maitland, Rivers, and others for the cultivation of certain viruses. In all probability, such cultures can be maintained indefinitely. 2. It has been impossible, thus far, to cultivate the typhus rickettsia without employing living tissue.
Acknowledging intuition in clinical decision making.

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a scale to measure nurses’ acknowledgment of using intuition in clinical decision making. Development and validation of the scale was carried out in three phases. In Phase 1, scale items were generated from the published literature in nursing and management and a Content Validity Index (CVI) of .96 was computed on responses from a panel of five experts. In Phase 2, the scale was pilot-tested on a random sample of 106 psychiatric mental health nurses. In Phase 3, the revised scale was presented to a convenience sample of 112 nurses attending continuing education programs. Seven items were found to explain 40.6% of the variance in scores and were retained as the final unidimensional scale. Construct validity was supported by a difference in means of two groups that also differed on another measure of intuition.
The reliability of a silicon alloy transistor

Abstract Parameter drift measurements have been carried out on the 2S300 Small Signal Silicon Alloy Transistor, and very low leakage currents found approaching those of planar transistors. The high reliability of the device is discussed in terms of the factors tending to promote reliability which have been designed and built into the unit. The necessity for the automatic testing of highly reliable devices is explained, and a brief description of the equipment is given.
Phytophthora Leaf Spot and Foliar Blight of Pieris japonica Caused by Phytophthora citricola in California.

During 2004, containerized nursery stock of lily-of-the-valley-bush (Pieris japonica ‘Flamingo’, family Ericaceae) in Santa Cruz County was affected by a foliar disease. Symptoms consisted of large leaf spots, many developing at the leaf tips that ranged in size from 1 to greater than 4 cm in diameter. Spots were dark brown to almost black, generally oval to round, visible from both sides of the leaf, and did not exhibit signs of any pathogen. Lesions typically expanded and affected the entire leaf, leaf petiole, and stems, resulting in blight-like symptoms. Severely affected leaves abscised from the plant. In advanced stages of the disease, the foliage of the plant was killed. These symptoms resembled those caused by the sudden oak death (SOD) pathogen, Phytophthora ramorum (3). A Phytophthora sp. was isolated consistently from symptomatic leaf tissue. However, the species was identified as P. citricola based on morphological traits that included the following: production of semipapillate, noncaducous sp...
Occupational therapy in the assessment of a woman accused of murder.

A case of alleged matricide presenting unusual difficulties in the assessment process provided an example of the ways in which the discipline of occupational therapy may offer unique advantages in comparison to alternative methods of patient evaluation. The indications for selection of a specific approach, the therapeutic rationale, and relevant data thus elicited are discussed in relation to the clinical problem, psychodynamics and milieu aspects of countertransference.
Pathways to partisanships: Evidence from Russia

Newly competitive party systems provide an opportunity to observe individuals as they first acquire partisan orientations. The development of partisanship shortly after the advent of multiparty competition in Russia is investigated. Expectations from existing scholarship are grouped into potential "pathways" to partisanship: political motivation and ability, voting experience, exposure to politics, civic motivations, group pressures, and immersion in social networks. The contributions of these pathways to partisan stability, consistency, and self-identification are assessed. This study examines the origins of party identification in democracies and helps to clarify a discrepancy between theories of partisanship as a crutch for the unaware and evidence that partisans are more sophisticated than their fellow citizens.
Biogeochemistry of Fe(II) oxidation in a photosynthetic microbial mat: Implications for Precambrian Fe(II) oxidation

We studied the role of microbial photosynthesis in the oxidation of Fe(II) to Fe(III) in a high Fe(II) and high Mn(II) hot spring devoid of sulfide and atmospheric oxygen in the source waters. In situ light and dark microelectrode measurements of Fe(II), Mn(II) and O2 were made in the microbial mat consisting of cyanobacteria and anoxygenic photosynthetic Chloroflexus sp. We show that Fe(II) oxidation occurred when the mat was exposed to varying intensities of sunlight but not near infrared light. We did not observe any Mn(II) oxidation under any light or dark condition over the pH range 5–7. We observed the impact of oxygenic photosynthesis on Fe(II) oxidation, distinct from the influence of atmospheric O2 and anoxygenic photosynthesis. In situ Fe(II) oxidation rates in the mats and cell suspensions exposed to light are consistent with abiotic oxidation by O2. The oxidation of Fe(II) to form primary Fe(III) phases contributed to banded iron-formations (BIFs) during the Precambrian. Both oxygenic photosynthesis, which produces O2 as an oxidizing waste product, and anoxygenic photosynthesis in which Fe(II) is used to fix CO2 have been proposed as Fe(II) oxidation mechanisms. Although we do not know the specific mechanisms responsible for all Precambrian Fe(II) oxidation, we assessed the relative importance of both mechanisms in this modern hot spring environment. In this environment, cyanobacterial oxygen production accounted for all the observed Fe(II) oxidation. The rate data indicate that a modest population of cyanobacteria could have mediated sufficient Fe(II) oxidation for some BIFs. � 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Electrochemical determination of diphenol oxidase activity using high-pressure liquid chromatography☆

Abstract A quantitative assay for the diphenol oxidase activity of tyrosinase (EC 1.14.18.1) using high-pressure liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection is described. The assay is based on the observation ( M. Sugumaran, 1986, Biochemistry 25, 4489–4492 ) that tyrosinase catalyzes the oxidative decarboxylation of 3,4-dihydroxymandelic acid to 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde. The substrate and product were readily separated on a reverse-phase column equilibrated with 0.1 m citrate buffer, pH 3.2, containing 0.5 m m Na2 EDTA, and 5% (v/v) acetonitrile. The reaction of DHMA with mushroom tyrosinase was linear with time and proportional to the amount of enzyme present. The specific activity of mushroom tyrosinase using the method was about fourfold greater than that obtained using a spectrophotometric assay for diphenol oxidase following dopachrome formation from l -3,4-dihydroxyphenyl-alanine. The applicability of the high-pressure liquid chromatographic assay to determination of diphenol oxidase activity in small biological sample sizes was demonstrated by using microgram quantities of crude, cell-free hemolymph from Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.
Decontamination of waste solution from Davies-Gray analyses in a pilot-facility for process development

Abstract A pilot plant for removal of radioactivity from solutions has been built and tested. In an initial trial, uranium remaining in a Davies-Gray-analysis waste-solution was reduced 300,000-fold to 0.2 ppb by passing the solution through DiphonixTH ion-exchange columns. The columns were regenerated (and the uranium was recovered) with HEDPA (1-hydroxyethane-1,1-diphosphonic acid). The latter was destroyed with H2O2, and the uranium was reduced and precipitated as a phosphate. Final purification of the dissolved precipitate employed a U/TEVA·SpecTH (dipentyl pentylphosphonate) extraction chromatographic column. Studies of matrix effects upon the uptake of uranium by the DiphonixTH led to an initial dilution of the waste solution and to a reduction of ferric ion.
The Fourteenth Amendment Through Roe-Colored Glasses: Unenumerated Rights and the “Imperial Judiciary”

Critics of the “imperial judiciary” have accused the United States Supreme Court of usurping authority from legislators and executives by creating new rights that are found nowhere in the text of the Constitution. In this paper, I use two case studies to argue that unenumerated rights can be reconciled with democratic values. First, the protection of aggressive palliative care in Washington v. Glucksberg (1997) exemplifies a consensus-building decision whereby the Court holds that a broadly accepted norm or practice has constitutional underpinnings. Second, the invalidations of durational residency requirements for welfare benefits in Shapiro v. Thompson (1969) and Saenz v. Roe (1999) represent broadened-access decisions in which the state is required to extend a benefit to an excluded group yet retains the authority to define the benefit's content. These types of decisions are compatible with democratic norms insofar as they do not disable elected representatives from performing their quintessential task: deciding what policy values the state should pursue and how it should purse them. My argument suggests that a focus on Roe v. Wade (1973) exaggerates the ambitions and consequences of judicial protection for unenumerated rights and overlooks how such protection may enhance democratic politics.
Targeting antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family members with cell-permeable BH3 peptides induces apoptosis signaling and death in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) are frequently characterized by chemotherapy and radiation resistance and by overexpression of Bcl-Xl, an antiapoptotic member of the Bcl-2 protein family. In this report, we examined whether cell-permeable peptides derived from the BH3 domains of proapoptotic Bax, Bad, or Bak could be used to target Bcl-Xl and/or Bcl-2 in HNSCC cells and induce apoptotic death in these cells. To render the peptides cell-permeable, Antennapedia (Ant) or polyarginine (R8) peptide transduction domain was fused to the amino termini. Fluorescence microscopy of peptide-treated HNSCC cells revealed that the BH3 peptides colocalized with mitochondria, the site of Bcl-Xl and Bcl-2 expression. By contrast, a mutant peptide (BaxE BH3) that cannot bind Bcl-Xl or Bcl-2 was diffusely localized throughout the cytoplasm. Treatment of three HNSCC cell lines (1483, UM-22A, and UM-22B) with the wild-type BH3 peptides resulted in loss of viability and induction of apoptosis, as assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethythiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium (MTS) assays and annexin V staining. In general, Ant-conjugated peptides weremore potent than R8-conjugated peptides and Bad BH3 peptide was typically more potent than Bax BH3 or Bak BH3. Treatment of purified HNSCC mitochondria with BH3 peptides resulted in robust release of cytochrome c. Thus, the relative apoptosis resistance of HNSCC cells is not due to a deficit in this step of the intrinsic, mitochondrialmediated apoptosis pathway. We conclude that cellpermeable BH3 peptides can be used to target Bcl-Xl and/or Bcl-2 in HNSCC and that targeting of these proteins may have therapeutic value in the treatment of this disease.
Harbor seal population decline in the Aleutian Archipelago

Populations of Steller sea lions, northern fur seals, and northern sea otters declined substantially during recent decades in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands region, yet the population status of harbor seals has not been assessed adequately. We determined that counts obtained during skiff-based surveys conducted in 1977–1982 represent the earliest estimate of harbor seal abundance throughout the Aleutian Islands. By comparing counts from 106 islands surveyed in 1977–1982 (8,601 seals) with counts from the same islands during a 1999 aerial survey (2,859 seals), we observed a 67% decline over the ∼20-yr period. Regionally, the largest decline of 86% was in the western Aleutians (n = 7 islands), followed by 66% in the central Aleutians (n = 64 islands), and 45% in the eastern Aleutians (n = 35 islands). Harbor seal counts decreased at the majority of islands in each region, the number of islands with >100 seals decreased ∼70%, and the number of islands with no seals counted increased ∼80%, indicating that harbor seal abundance throughout the Aleutian Islands was substantially lower in the late 1990s than in the 1970s and 1980s.
Immunization with Herpes Simplex Virus 2 (HSV-2) Genes plus Inactivated HSV-2 Is Highly Protective against Acute and Recurrent HSV-2 Disease

To date, no vaccine that is safe and effective against herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) disease has been licensed. In this study, we evaluated a DNA prime-formalin-inactivated-HSV-2 (FI-HSV2) boost vaccine approach in the guinea pig model of acute and recurrent HSV-2 genital disease. Five groups of guinea pigs were immunized and intravaginally challenged with HSV-2. Two groups were primed with plasmid DNAs encoding the secreted form of glycoprotein D2 (gD2t) together with two genes required for viral replication, either the helicase (UL5) and DNA polymerase (UL30) genes or the single-stranded DNA binding protein (UL29) and primase (UL52) genes. Both DNA-primed groups were boosted with FI-HSV2 formulated with monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL) and alum adjuvants. Two additional groups were primed with the empty backbone plasmid DNA (pVAX). These two groups were boosted with MPL and alum (MPL-alum) together with either formalin-inactivated mock HSV-2 (FI-Mock) or with FI-HSV2. The final group was immunized with gD2t protein in MPL-alum. After challenge, 0/9 animals in the group primed with UL5, UL30, and gD2t DNAs and all 10 animals in the mock-immunized control group (pVAX-FI-Mock) developed primary lesions. All mock controls developed recurrent lesions through day 100 postchallenge. Only 1 guinea pig in the group primed with pVAX DNA and boosted with FI-HSV2 (pVAX-FI-HSV2 group) and 2 guinea pigs in the group primed with UL5, UL30, and gD2t DNAs and boosted with FI-HSV2 (UL5, UL30, gD2t DNA-FI-HSV2 group) developed recurrent lesions. Strikingly, the UL5, UL30, gD2t DNA-FI-HSV2 group showed a 97% reduction in recurrent lesion days compared with the mock controls, had the highest reduction in days with recurrent disease, and contained the lowest mean HSV-2 DNA load in the dorsal root ganglia.
Reconstruction of sectional images in frequency-domain based photoacoustic imaging

Photoacoustic (PA) imaging is based upon the generation of an ultrasound pulse arising from subsurface tissue absorption due to pulsed laser excitation, and measurement of its surface time-of-arrival. Expensive and bulky pulsed lasers with high peak fluence powers may provide shortcomings for applications of PA imaging in medicine and biology. These limitations may be overcome with the frequency-domain PA measurements, which employ modulated rather than pulsed light to generate the acoustic wave. In this contribution, we model the single modulation frequency based PA pressures on the measurement plane through the diffraction approximation and then employ a convolution approach to reconstruct the sectional image slices. The results demonstrate that the proposed method with appropriate data post-processing is capable of recovering sectional images while suppressing the defocused noise resulting from the other sections.
The Impact of Incarceration on Women’s Mental Health: Responses From Women in a Maximum-Security Prison

Many women enter prison with significant mental health conditions. Without appropriate intervention during incarceration, there is the potential for these conditions to worsen during confinement. As a result, women, most of whom will eventually be released from prison, might return to their families and communities with even more complex mental health needs. We examined women's perceptions of how incarceration had affected their mental health. Our study approach included descriptive surveys and focus groups with women in prison. Our analysis revealed that women's mental health might worsen, might improve, or might remain the same as a result of incarceration. Women's accounts also provide evidence to support the need for all women's correctional institutions to adopt a trauma-informed approach to care of this vulnerable population.
Coping with Stress in Outdoor Recreational Settings: An Application of Transactional Stress Theory

This study uses a transactional model of stress and coping as a way to understand how outdoor recreationists deal with negative setting elements during a recreation experience. Within the transactional model, coping behaviors can be viewed as the result of on-going transactions among personal and environmental factors, perceptions of threat or stress, and the perceived effectiveness of coping strategies. The current study focuses specifically on the relationship between reported levels of stress and the types of coping strategies used by recreationists in Glacier National Park. Findings suggest that certain behavioral and cognitive coping responses to stress are associated with different levels of reported stress. Specifically, respondents with lower levels of stress were more likely to engage in certain cognitive adjustments to cope with detracting situations. Respondents reporting higher levels of stress were more likely to engage in either direct action aimed at changing the environmental conditions or...
A generalized method for the distinction of radiation and surface-wave losses in microstrip discontinuities

A generalized method for calculating both radiation and surface-wave losses is developed for microstrip discontinuities. The losses are determined by a rigorous Poynting vector analysis where the current distribution over the microstrip discontinuities is a result of a full-wave moment-method solution. It is found that above a certain frequency, the surface-wave loss becomes more important than the radiation loss. A self-consistency check of the result based on power conservation is also presented. >
Regulation of G-protein signaling via Gnas is required to regulate proximal tubular growth in the Xenopus pronephros

In the kidney, proximal tubules are very important for the reabsorption of water, ions and organic solutes from the primary urine. They are composed of highly specialized epithelial cells that are characterized by an elaborate apical brush border to increase transport efficiency. Using the pronephric kidney of Xenopus laevis we discovered that the G-protein modulator cholera toxin resulted in a dramatic reduction of the proximal tubular size. This phenotype was accompanied by changes in the cytoarchitecture characterized by ectopic expression of the distal tubular marker 4A6 and an impairment of yolk platelet degradation. In addition, cholera toxin caused edema formation. However, this phenotype was not due to kidney defects, but rather due to impaired vasculature development. Based on experiments with antisense morpholino oligomers as well as pharmacological agonists and antagonists, we could show that the complex phenotype of cholera toxin in the pronephric kidney was caused by the hyperactivation of a single G-protein alpha subunit, Gnas. This-in turn-caused elevated cAMP levels, triggered a Rapgef4-dependent signaling cassette and perturbed exo- and endocytosis. This perturbation of the secretory pathway by Ctx was not only observed in Xenopus embryos. Also, in a human proximal tubular cell line, cholera toxin or a Rapgef4-specific agonist increased uptake and decreased secretion of FITC-labeled Albumin. Based on these data we propose that the Gnas/cAMP/Rapgef4 pathway regulates the signals inducing the proliferation of proximal tubules to acquire their final organ size.
Tribal casinos in California: the last vestige of indoor smoking

High levels of airborne particles from secondhand smoke have been reported in California Indian casinos. Yet, little is known regarding the smoking status of casino patrons, their avoidance of secondhand smoke while visiting, and their views on a hypothetical smoking ban. Predictors of visiting an Indian casino were assessed among participants of the 2008 California Tobacco Survey (n = 10, 397). Exposure to and avoidance of secondhand smoke were subsequently analyzed among a subset of participants who had visited a casino in the year prior to the survey (n = 3, 361). Ethnic minorities, older individuals, current smokers and residents of sparsely populated regions of California were more likely than other demographic groups to visit a tribal casino. Avoidance of secondhand smoke was more frequent among the never smokers than former and current smokers, particularly those who last visited a casino lacking physical separation between non-smoking and smoking sections. The never smokers versus current smokers disproportionately expressed a willingness to extend their stay and visit again if smoking were prohibited. If casinos became smoke free, then it is anticipated that they would be visited by a significantly larger number of Californians, including both patrons and those who otherwise would not have visited a casino.
Twenty-four-hour growth hormone (GH)-releasing peptide (GHRP) infusion enhances pulsatile GH secretion and specifically attenuates the response to a subsequent GHRP bolus.

GH-releasing peptide (GHRP; SKF on two occasions) for 24 h, followed by an iv bolus of GHRP or GHRH (1.0 micrograms/kg) and a 2.5-h saline infusion. Serum GH was measured every 10 min throughout the 28.5-h period. GH secretion rates [per L distribution volume (Lv)] were determined by deconvolution analysis; attributes of pulsatile GH release were assessed by Cluster analysis. GH secretion was enhanced and remained pulsatile during GHRP infusions. The two GHRP infusions increased GH secretion rates (micrograms per Lv/h) 8-fold compared to saline (GHRP, 12 +/- 2.1 and 12 +/- 2.2; saline, 1.5 +/- 0.34 and 1.4 +/- 0.27; P < 0.05). The number of GH pulses, pulse duration and height, incremental pulse amplitude, interpeak valley concentration, and individual pulse areas were significantly greater during GHRP infusions than during saline treatment. Attributes of pulsatile GH release on the two GHRP infusion days were significantly correlated, indicating that enhancement of GH secretion by GHRP is highly reproducible. Mean plasma insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) concentrations increased 12% and 22% on GHRP infusion days, whereas IGF-I levels declined 18% and 20% during saline infusions (P < 0.05). GHRP infusion significantly attenuated the GH response to a subsequent GHRP bolus injection; both GH secretion rates (GHRP, 4.1 +/- 1.6; saline, 19 +/- 3.0 micrograms/Lv.h; P < 0.05) and peak GH concentrations (GHRP, 7.9 +/- 2.9; saline, 25 +/- 2.9 micrograms/L; P < 0.05) were decreased. In contrast, peak GH concentrations in response to GHRH were significantly increased after GHRP infusion compared to those after saline treatment (24 +/- 4.7 vs. 11 +/- 2.7 micrograms/L; P < 0.05). We conclude that 24-h GHRP infusions augment pulsatile GH release and increase plasma IGF-I concentrations without significant adverse effects. Attenuation of the GH response to a subsequent GHRP bolus is not caused by depletion of pituitary GH, since the response to a GHRH bolus was enhanced by prior infusion of GHRP.
Mechanics of the Endothelium in Blood Flow

The endothelium is a single layer of confluent endothelial cells covering the entire inner wall of the heart and blood vessels. It is a mono layer (i. e. no cell stays on the back of another) resting on a collagenous basal lamina, with a thickness of from 2 to 5 μm, the higher spots reveling the cell nuclei. The endothelium separates blood from tissue. It’s importance to the circulation is somewhat analogous to the skin to a man, the roof to a house, the semipermeable membrane of a reverse osmosis water desalination plant, i. e., it separates; filtrates, and controls the mass transport between the tissue and the blood. It carries enzymes, and manufactures many of them, which control the clotting of blood, dissolution of clots, adhesion of leukocytes or cancer cells, passage of LDL, growth of new blood vessels, as well as inhibition of growth. Molecular biology of the endothelial cells responding to the shear stress of the flowing blood is advancing very rapidly. Paper by P.F. Davies (10, 11, 12), D.F. Dewey, Jr. (13, 55) J.A. Frangos (15), M.A. Gimbrone, Jr. (10, 55, 56). Kuo et. al. (38), Levesque et. al. (40), L.V. McIntire (18, 50), Nerem et. al. (49), Resnick et. al. (56), Sato et. al. (62, 63). Smiesko and Johnson (71), and others have opened up a new vista to biology. It has been found that the locally produced growth factors include the growth promotors such as the platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), (30, 44, 59), and the vascular endothelium-derived growth factor (VEFG), (26, 28, 47, 48, 60), and the growth inhibitors such as the endothelium-derived relaxation factor (EDRF) nitric oxide (5, 37, 46). Evidences are mounting that hypertension induces up-regulation of growth promoting substances and their receptors (Sarzani et. al. (59), and down-regulation of growth inhibitory factors EDRF and prostacyclin (Luscher et. al. (43), Panza et. al. (52)). It is established that gene expressions are functions of stress and strain, (Resnick et. al. (56), Shyy et. al. (66), and cell integrity, growth, and differentiation are influenced by stress and strain (Ingber et. al. (31, 32))
Adult sexual assault survivors' experiences with sexual assault nurse examiners (SANEs).

Sexual assault survivors often feel traumatized by the care received in traditional hospital emergency departments. To address these problems, Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) programs were created to provide comprehensive medical care, crisis intervention, and forensic services. However, there is limited research on the actual experiences and emotional impact of sexual assault survivors who seek treatment from SANEs. This qualitative study examined twenty rape survivors’ experiences with forensic nurse examiners of a Midwestern SANE program. Findings suggest that SANEs provided survivors with care and compassion, clear explanations, and choices. Taken together, these positive experiences were perceived as “humanizing”. However, some survivors perceived forensic nurses as hurtful when they were not provided with choices, explanation, and/or acted cold and distant. Implications for future research on SANE care and practice are discussed.
Two degree of freedom robust optimal control design using a linear matrix inequality optimization

This paper proposes a new method for the control design for reference tracking in a two degree-of-freedom (2DOF) robust optimal control framework. The main contribution of this paper is formulation of 2DOF multi-objective optimal control problem in terms of linear matrix inequalities. The proposed method enables formulating and solving for a larger set of performance specifications than existing conventional 2DOF designs. This method also provides a platform for implementing mixed-norm optimization problems that model many tracking applications. The theoretical results are corroborated by experiments that apply the proposed control design for a tracking problem on a positioning system.
Squeeze Film Flow of Elastic Fluids at Steady Motion and Dynamic Loads

Ecoulement d'un film comprime forme par un fluide elastique dans le cas d'un mouvement stationnaire et d'une charge dynamique
Where does the sociolinguistic variable stop

In 1972 Labov described the basic sociolinguistic question as the one ‘posed by the need to understand why anyone says anything’ (1972:207). Clearly the aim is very different from that of specifying the form of a grammar that generates all and only the well-formed sentences of a language. The goal is a theory of utterances. Moreover, the ‘why’ question can also be read as ‘what for’. What does anyone say anything for? I think we can safely say that this question places sociolinguistic analysis in a functional framework. If sociolinguistics looks for answers to the ‘why’ of saying something, it is seeking functional explanations.
Dispersion and stability analyses of the linearized two-dimensional shallow water equations in boundary-fitted co-ordinates

A Fourier analysis is used to study the phase and group speeds of a linearized, two-dimensional shallow water equations, in a non-orthogonal boundary-fitted co-ordinate system. The phase and group speeds for the spatially discretized equations, using the second-order scheme in an Arakawa C grid, are calculated for grids with varying degrees of non-orthogonality and compared with those obtained from the continuous case. The spatially discrete system is seen to be slightly dispersive, with the degree of dispersivity increasing with an decrease in the grid non-orthogonality angle or decrease in grid resolution and this is in agreement with the conclusions reached by Sankaranarayanan and Spaulding. The stability condition for the non-orthogonal case is satisfied even when the grid non-orthogonality angle, is as low as 30° for the Crank Nicolson and three-time level schemes. A two-dimensional wave deformation analysis, based on complex propagation factor developed by Leendertse, is used to estimate the amplitude and phase errors of the two-time level Crank-Nicolson scheme. There is no dissipation in the amplitude of the solution