cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A time-release technique for corrosion prevention

Researchers at the University of Illinois have developed an anti-corrosion system that is activated automatically where and when it is needed. Porous fibers are filled with calcium nitrite and coated with a salt-sensitive substance to control the response. The release of the corrosion inhibitor chemical is at the portion of the reinforcing bar in danger of corrosion when conditions would allow corrosion to initiate. In a series of tests with concrete samples containing either no protection or the conventional freely mixed calcium nitrite, this system performed well in that it delayed the onset of corrosion by at least three weeks in the laboratory specimens and reduced the amount of total corrosion by more than half.
Reduced power selective excitation radio frequency pulses.

A pulse synthesis algorithm is described that allows for the synthesis of selective radio frequency pulses requiring less peak power. The pulses thus synthesized have the same duration, total energy, and frequency response as those synthesized by the standard algorithm. Their phase function is, however, different. The power reduction is typically on the order of 60–70%. This modification will increase the utility of optimized selective pulses.
Control of rRNA expression in Escherichia coli

The control of ribosome synthesis has been a major focus in molecular biology for over 50 years. As protein synthesis is an essential, yet energetically costly, process, all cells (from bacteria to mammals) devote complex regulatory networks to fine-tune the expression of ribosomal RNA (and therefore ribosome synthesis) to the nutritional environment. In Escherichia coli, ribosomal RNA promoters are among the strongest in the cell and are regulated by trans-acting proteins (Fis and H-NS) and small molecules (guanosine 5'-diphosphate 3'-diphosphate and initiating nucleoside triphosphates). Recent work has dissected many of the molecular mechanisms responsible for the strength and regulation of rRNA promoters.
Sample Size Calculation for Intraclass Correlation in the Presence of Random Loss of Sampled Patients

When a trial involves an invasive laboratory test procedure or requires patients to make a commitment to follow a restrictive test schedule, we can often lose a great proportion of our sampled patients due to refusal of participation into our study. Therefore, incorporating the possible loss of patients into sample size calculation is certainly important in the planning stage of a study. In this paper, we have generalized the sample size calculation procedure for intraclass correlation by accounting for the random loss of patients in the beginning of a trial. We have demonstrated that the simple ad hoc procedure, that raises the estimated sample size in the absence of loss of patients by the factor 1/po, where po is the retention probability for a randomly selected patient, is adequate when po is large (=0.80). When po is small (i.e., a high refusal rate), however, use of this simple ad hoc procedure tends to underestimate the required sample size. Furthermore, we have found that if the individual retention probability varied substantially among patients, then the magnitude of the above underestimation could even be critical and therefore, the application of the simple direct adjustment procedure in this situation should be avoided.
Repecharge, Reflection, and Brain Processing: Personality Influences In the Classroom

Everyone appreciates a second chance, in the classroom or in life. Effective teachers realize the value of a "second chance" when initial strategies fail to elicit optimal learning. Second chances have a special impact on students with a particular personality preference, and brain research supports the bio-psycho-social nature of personality that is so evident in our students.
High pressure equation of state and sound velocities to fourth order elastic constants. Application to sodium chloride to 270 kbars

Abstract Using the theory of small deformation superposed on a finite strain, we expand the strain energy to fourth order in terms of the strain invariants, and derive an athernal expression for the equation of state and the longitudinal and shear velocities of sound of a homogeneous Isotropic material to fourth order elastic constants. We evaluate reported velocity data in sodium chloride by Voronov and Grigorev to 80 kbar in terms of our formulation, to predict the equation of state to 270 kbar. Experiments performed in our laboratory (Frankel, Rich, and Homan) to 270 kbar which use ultrasonic interferometry to obtain resonance frequency intervals in the specimen were also evaluated. Both results are in good agreement with Decker's equation of state.
Pre- and postnatal synaptogenesis in the rat supraoptic nucleus

Abstract The first synapses in the rat SON appear at fetal day 17; their number increases steadily to reach adult levels at postnatal day 25. Asymmetrical synapses are typical in the fetal SON, whereas throughout postnatal development symmetrical synapses occur more frequently and are characteristic of the adult SON. Furthermore, in fetal SONs most presynaptic terminals contain exclusively spherical electron-lucent vesicles. During further development an increasing number of presynaptic elements contain in addition to these electron-lucent vesicles one or more dense-cored vesicles, and in adult animals both vesicle types are present in most presynaptic terminals. The possibility of a prenatal cholinergic and a postnatal cholinergic-aminergic control of the rat SON is discussed.
Septic arthritis of the knee following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction : Results of a survey of Sports Medicine Fellowship directors

Abstract To determine the incidence of joint sepsis following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction and the prevailing attitudes toward its treatment, we surveyed the directors of Sports Medicine Fellowship programs about their practices in treating and preventing this complication. Of the 74 surgeons surveyed, 61 (82%) responded. These 61 surgeons performed an average of 98 ACL reconstructions yearly; 31 (51 %) routinely used a drain after ACL surgery, 18 (30%) had treated an ACL infection within the past 2 years, and 26 (43%) had treated an infection within the past 5 years. There was no significant difference in the number of infections and the surgeons' case load, graft choice, or method of reconstruction. Fifty-two surgeons (85%) selected culture- specific intravenous (IV) antibiotics and surgical irrigation of the joint with graft retention as initial treatment for the infected patellar tendon autograft, and 39 (64%) chose this regimen to treat the infected allograft. For the resistant infection unresponsive to initial treatment, IV antibiotics with surgical irrigation and graft retention were also selected as the most common treatment combination for 25 (39%) of the 61 respondents. After graft removal, the earliest a revision procedure would be considered was 6 to 9 months. The results of this survey confirm the widely held belief that septic arthritis of the knee is a relatively rare complication following ACL reconstruction. Once an infection is encountered, culture-specific IV antibiotics and surgical joint irrigation with graft retention are recommended as initial treatment. Graft excision and hardware removal is considered only for those infections resistant to initial treatment and for the infected allograft. Arthroscopy 1998 Oct;14(7):717-25
Competitive and demographic leverage points of community shifts under climate warming

Accelerating rates of climate change and a paucity of whole-community studies of climate impacts limit our ability to forecast shifts in ecosystem structure and dynamics, particularly because climate change can lead to idiosyncratic responses via both demographic effects and altered species interactions. We used a multispecies model to predict which processes and species' responses are likely to drive shifts in the composition of a space-limited benthic marine community. Our model was parametrized from experimental manipulations of the community. Model simulations indicated shifts in species dominance patterns as temperatures increase, with projected shifts in composition primarily owing to the temperature dependence of growth, mortality and competition for three critical species. By contrast, warming impacts on two other species (rendering them weaker competitors for space) and recruitment rates of all species were of lesser importance in determining projected community changes. Our analysis reveals the importance of temperature-dependent competitive interactions for predicting effects of changing climate on such communities. Furthermore, by identifying processes and species that could disproportionately leverage shifts in community composition, our results contribute to a mechanistic understanding of climate change impacts, thereby allowing more insightful predictions of future biodiversity patterns.
Effect of biosolids processing on lead bioavailability in an urban soil.

The potential for biosolids products to reduce Pb availability in soil was tested on a high Pb urban soil with biosolids from a treatment plant that used different processing technologies. High Fe biosolids compost and high Fe + lime biosolids compost from other treatment plants were also tested. Amendments were added to a Pb-contaminated soil (2000 mg kg -1 Pb) at 100 g kg -1 soil and incubated for 30 d. Reductions in Pb bioavailability were evaluated with both in vivo and in vitro procedures. The in vivo study entailed feeding a mixture of the Pb-contaminated soil and AIN93G Basal Mix to weanling rats. Three variations of an in vitro procedure were performed as well as conventional soil extracts [diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) and Ca(NO 3 ) 2 ] and sequential extraction. Addition of the high Fe compost reduced the bioavailability of soil Pb (in both in vivo and in vitro studies) by 37 and 43%, respectively. Three of the four compost materials tested reduced Pb bioavailability more than 20%. The rapid in vitro (pH 23) data had the best correlation with the in vivo bone results (R = 0.9). In the sequential extract, changes in partitioning of Pb to Fe and Mn oxide fractions appeared to reflect the changes in in vivo Pb bioavailability. Conventional extracts showed no changes in metal availability. These results indicate that addition of 100 g kg -1 of high Fe and Mn biosolids composts effectively reduced Pb availability in a high Pb urban soil.
Comparison of PEG chain length and density on amphiphilic macromolecular nanocarriers: self-assembled and unimolecular micelles.

Abstract Two classes of amphiphilic macromolecules were evaluated for drug delivery applications: those that exist as unimolecular micelles and those that self-assemble in aqueous solution to form micelles. This study compares the poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) chain length and density that constitute the corona of both classes. In particular, the effect of PEG branching on micellar size, water-solubility, resolubilization rate, drug loading efficiency and drug release rate were analyzed. Pluronic P85 and Cremophor EL, commonly used in pharmaceutical applications, were used as controls. Indomethacin (IMC) was used as the drug for encapsulation, release and resolubilization experiments. Results indicated that smaller micellar sizes, higher water solubilities and faster resolubilization rates were achieved from higher PEG densities compared to linear PEG analog of similar mass. Further, micellar sizes of both higher density PEG and linear PEG macromolecules were constant over a wide temperature range (2–70 °C). In contrast, Cremophor EL formed aggregates at 15 °C and Pluronic P85 underwent a size transition at 45 °C. IMC loading efficiencies for all amphiphilic macromolecules were comparable to controls. However, faster resolubilization and slower drug release were observed for higher density PEG macromolecules compared to linear PEG analogs and controls.
Using a probabilistic model of discourse relations to investigate word order variation

Like speakers of any natural language, speakers of English potentially have many different word orders in which to encode a single meaning. One key factor in speakers' use of certain non-canonical word orders in English is their ability to contribute information about syntactic and semantic discourse relations. Explicit annotation of discourse relations is a difficult and subjective task. In order to measure the correlations between different word orders and various discourse relations, this project utilizes a model in which discourse relations are approximated using a set of lower-level linguistic features, which are more easily and reliably annotated than discourse relations themselves. The featural model provides statistical evidence for the claim that speakers use non-canonicals to communicate information about discourse structure.
Spliceosomal small nuclear ribonucleoprotein biogenesis defects and motor neuron selectivity in spinal muscular atrophy

The SMN protein is essential and participates in the assembly of macromolecular complexes of RNA and protein in all cells. The best-characterized function of SMN is as an assembler of spliceosomal small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs). SMN performs this function as part of a complex with several other proteins called Gemins. snRNPs are assembled in the cytoplasm in a stepwise manner and then are imported to the nucleus where they participate globally in the splicing of pre-mRNA. Mutations in the SMN1 gene result in the motor neuron disease, spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Most of these mutations result in a reduction in the expression levels of the SMN protein, which, in turn, results in a reduction in snRNP assembly capacity. This review highlights current studies that have investigated the mechanism of SMN-dependent snRNP assembly, as well as the downstream effects on pre-mRNA splicing that result from a decrease in SMN. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "RNA-Binding Proteins".
Microstructure evolution in compacted granular beds

Abstract In this paper, the densification process experienced by a bed of frictional, inelastic spheres of diameter d in a rectangular vessel whose floor is subjected to high frequency (ω) and low amplitude (a/d≠0.1) sinusoidal oscillations is modeled using discrete element simulations. Our recent experimental observations as well as those in the literature motivate this investigation. Beginning with an initial random assembly resulting from gravity deposition, the floor motion activates the system so as to induce the formation of a distinct microstructure in the absence of a mean flow field. This is accompanied by an increase in coordination number and bulk solids fraction whose evolution is strongly dependent on the magnitude of the acceleration amplitude Γ≡aω2/g.
PRODUCTION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ANTIBODY AGAINST AFLATOXIN G1

Antibody against aflatoxin G1 (AFG1) was obtained from rabbits after immunizing the animals with AFG1 hemiacetal (AFG2a) conjugated to bovine serum albumin. A direct heterogenous ELISA in which AFG2a was conjugated to horseradish peroxidase was used for monitoring the antibody titers and for toxin detection. Competitive ELISA assay revealed that the antibody was most specific for AFG2a and least for AFB2. The relative cross-reactivity of this antiserum with aflatoxins G2a, G2, G1, M1, E1 and B2 was found to be 1, 7, 13, 47, 48, and 63, respectively. The lower detection limits for detection of AFG1 after derivatizing to AFG2a was around 15–25 pg per assay.
A Test in Need

Author's Summary— This test, for first year students, covers vocabulary, sentence sense and ability to read. It will serve as a stimulus for effective drill on such words as weshalb, weswegen, auf welche Weise. It can also be used as a diagnostic test for new students entering the sophomore year.
Service-Learning as a Method of Teaching Multiculturalism to White College Students.

Multicultural service-learning has come to be seen as a viable means by which to teach about the complexities of our multiethnic, multiracial world. However, when the service component involves having White college students tutor Black and Latino schoolchildren, there are numerous ethical issues that must be seriously considered. It is argued that a number of ideological and institutional barriers prevent multicultural service-learning from being an ethically defensible and transformative pedagogy. What it has become instead is a way of acting out cultural deficit thinking in the name of multicultural education.
Expression of PKC Iota Affects Neuronal Differentiation of PC12 Cells at Least Partly Independent of Kinase Function

Atypical PKC (aPKC) plays a role in establishing cell polarity and has been indicated in neuronal differentiation and polarization, including neurite formation in rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells, albeit by unclear mechanisms. Here, the role of the aPKC isoform, PKC iota (PKCι), in the early neuronal differentiation of PC12 cells, was investigated. NGF-treated PC12 cells with stably expressed exogenous wild-type PKCι showed decreased expression of a neuroendocrine marker, increased expression of a neuronal marker and increased neurite formation. Stable expression of a kinase-inactive PKCι, but not constitutively active PKCι lacking a regulatory domain, had similar though less potent effects. Pharmacological inhibition of endogenous aPKC kinase activity in parental PC12 cells did not inhibit neurite formation, suggesting that some of the observed effects of PKCι expression on neuronal differentiation are kinase-independent. Interestingly, exogenous expression of wild-type and kinase-inactive PKCι had little effect on overall PKCι activity, but caused a decrease in PKC zeta (PKCζ) kinase activity, suggesting an interplay between the two isoforms that may underlie the observed results. Overall, these findings suggest that in PC12 and perhaps other neuroendocrine precursor cells, PKCι influences an early differentiation decision between the neuroendocrine (chromaffin) and sympathetic neuron cell lineages, potentially by affecting PKCζ function.
Studies of metabolic changes in cell cultures infected with four serotypes of dengue fever viruses by frequency-pulsed electron-capture gas-liquid chromatography.

Abstract Monkey kidney cell cultures were infected with four serotypes of dengue viruses, and the supernatant fluids of the cell cultures were extracted for amines, alcohols, carboxylic acids, and hydroxy acids. The derivatized extracts were then analyzed by frequency-pulsed electron-capture gas—liquid chromatography (FPEC—GLC). FPEC—GLC profiles of the hydroxy acids showed peaks that were different for different serotypes and the FPEC-GLC carboxylic acid profiles differed from the control medium. These differences were reproducible when the same lot of medium was used. There were differences in profiles between lots of control media due apparently to different fetal bovine sera used in the growth medium. Therefore, the same lot of medium was necessary to reproduce profiles. The data obtained from the study indicate that FPEC—GLC can be used to detect changes in cellular metabolism caused by viral infection, and that these metabolic changes might be useful for detection of genetic differences in viruses as reflected by detectable changes in the metabolism of the infected cell.
Acute rejection in HCV-infected liver transplant recipients: The great conundrum.

Key Concepts: 1 In hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients, treatment of acute rejection is associated with worse outcomes (increased risk of allograft cirrhosis and mortality). 2 Whether patients with HCV are at higher risk for rejection remains controversial. 3 The mechanisms mediating acute rejection and recurrence of HCV are distinct, and as such, it should be possible to develop techniques based on these molecular differences that are diagnostically useful. 4 Liver biopsy is considered the gold-standard for diagnosing acute rejection and recurrent HCV; however, given histopathological similarities between the two conditions, discrimination can be extremely difficult. 5 At the present time, there are no reliable, noninvasive tools available to distinguish between HCV recurrence alone and acute rejection plus HCV recurrence. 6 Mild rejection per se is not associated with graft loss and treatment of rejection with steroids and OKT3 is associated with worse outcome in HCV; thus, it seems logical that we should no longer treat mild rejection. Liver Transpl 12:S38–S47, 2006. © 2006 AASLD.
The neurophysiological substrate for the cervico-ocular reflex in the squirrel monkey

Passive rotation of the trunk with respect to the head evoked cervico-ocular reflex (COR) eye movements in squirrel monkeys. The amplitude of the reflex varied both within and between animals, but the eye movements were always in the same direction as trunk rotation. In the dark, the COR typically had a gain of 0.3-0.4. When animals fixated earth-stationary targets during low-frequency passive neck rotation or actively tracked moving visual targets with head movements, the COR was suppressed. The COR and vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) summed during passive head-on-trunk rotation producing compensatory eye movements whose gain was greater than 1.0. The firing behavior of VOR-related vestibular neurons and cerebellar flocculus Purkinje cells was studied during the COR. Passive neck rotation produced changes in firing rate related to neck position and/or neck velocity in both position-vestibular-pause neurons and eye-head-vestibular neurons, although the latter neurons were much more sensitive to the COR than the former. The neck rotation signals were reduced or reversed in direction when the COR was suppressed. Flocculus Purkinje cells were relatively insensitive to COR eye movements. However, when the COR was suppressed, their firing rate was modulated by neck rotation. These neck rotation signals summed with ocular pursuit signals when the head was used to pursue targets. We suggest that the neural substrate that produces the COR includes central VOR pathways, and that the flocculus plays an important role in suppressing the reflex when it would cause relative movement of a visual target on the retina.
Internet mapping tools make scientific applications easy

Organizing complex information in the form of a map is a powerful and effective way of communication.This is especially true when linking spatially distributed scientific information to [real-world] applications. However, creating an intuitive and easy-touse interface between the user and the data requires a large amount of development time for user feedback and programming. To reduce this development time, it is now possible to couple spatial data with the increasingly popular Google Earth software (http://earth.google.com) package (Figure 1). (The products mentioned in this work do not indicate an endorsement by the authors. Additionally, the authors have no affiliation with the GoogleTM company) This free-to-use package allows users to avoid the costs associated with other high-end geographical information systems (GIS). While other free Internet GIS packages exist, including NASA's World Wind (http://worldwind.arc.nasa.gov) and Microsoft's Virtual Earth (http://local.live.com), one significant advantage of Google Earth is the use of Keyhole Markup Language (KML) for managing three-dimensional geospatial data. KML is an XML-based markup language that can be used to import and overlay user-defined data (vector or image form) and control views and zooming.
The Relational Database and the Concept of the Information System

E.F. Codd developed his relational database concept within a community that was attempting to create a general-purpose machine for retrieving and reasoning with data. Rather than just making progress toward that goal, this article argues that Codd's accomplishment marked the end of that effort and traces the heritage of the relational database system as it relates to the concept of an information system.
Genetic studies of F plasmid maintenance genes involved in copy number control, incompatability, and partitioning

Abstract We have identified a 2.1-kilobase (kb) region (44.1 to 46.19 kb) in F that is necessary and sufficient to form low copy number minireplicons. Within this region we have mapped (i) mutations ( cop ) inducing 4.4- to 28-fold increases in copy number and (ii) two separate regions that determine incompatability ( inc B and inc C). The 2.1-kilobase region has also been shown by others to contain (i) an origin of replication, ori (ii) a locus ( aos ) necessary for sensitivity to the plasmid replication inhibitor, acridine orange, and (iii) nine, 19- to 22-base-pair direct repeat sequences organized in two clusters. In the present work we more accurately locate the aos locus and show that it, as well as ori , inc B, inc C, and some cop mutations, map within or overlap the direct repeat regions. Analysis of other cop mutations indicates that they reduce or destroy the incompatability reaction associated with the 2.1-kb region; however, these cop mutations do not map within the inc B or inc C determinants. A 2-fold copy number elevation and unstable plasmid maintenance also results from deletion of the 46.19- to 49.2-kb region. Results described here and elsewhere suggest that the instability of the deletion mutant reflects the loss of partitioning gene, a gene that is probably identical to an inc locus, inc D, that had been identified in this region in prior work. Whether or not the inc D locus has anything to do with the slight copy number elevation is unknown.
Optimal dynamic rock-fluid physics template validated by petroelastic reservoir modeling

Separation of fluid pore pressure and saturation using inverted time-lapse seismic attributes is a mandatory task for field development. Multiple pairs of inversion-derived attributes can be used in a crossplot domain. We performed a sensitivity analysis to determine an optimal crossplot, and the validity of the separation is tested with a comprehensive petroelastic reservoir model. We simulated a poorly consolidated shaly sandstone reservoir based on a prograding near-shore depositional environment. A model of effective porosity is first simulated by Gaussian geostatistics. Well-known theoretical and experimental petrophysical correlations were then efficiently combined to consistently simulate reservoir properties. Next, the reservoir model was subjected to numerical simulation of multiphase fluid flow to predict the spatial distributions of fluid saturation and pressure. A geologically consistent rock physics model was then used to simulate the inverted seismic attributes. Finally, we conducted a sensi...
Structure of High-Energy Proton-Proton Scattering

A suggestion of how to correlate the electromagnetic form factors of the proton with $p\ensuremath{-}p$ scattering is developed in detail. We postulate a new elementary local interaction of current-current form plus a diffractive term, and construct for $p\ensuremath{-}p$ scattering an approximately unitary scattering amplitude for large fixed $s$ and all values of $t$, using the Fourier-Bessel transform of the scattering amplitude. The $t$ dependence of the resulting cross section is closely correlated with the fourth power of the electromagnetic form factor of the proton, as suggested first by Wu and Yang, and agreees well with high-energy data (${E}_{\mathrm{lab}}\ensuremath{\approx}30$ BeV) over many decades in values of $\frac{d\ensuremath{\sigma}}{\mathrm{dt}}$. Differences from related models are discussed, as well as further applications and experimental implications of the theory.
Falling Behind: Delayed Growth Explains Life-History Variation in Snake River Fall Chinook Salmon

Abstract Fall Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha typically migrate to the ocean as subyearlings (age 0), but a strategy whereby juveniles overwinter in freshwater and migrate to the ocean as yearlings (age 1) has emerged over the past few decades in Idaho's Snake River population. The recent appearance of the yearling strategy has conservation implications for this threatened population because of survival and reproductive differences between the two life histories. Different proportions of juveniles adopt the yearling life history in different river reaches and years, and temperature differences are thought to play some role in accounting for this variation. The specific circumstances under which juveniles pursue the yearling life history are poorly understood. We advance a hypothesis for the mechanism by which juveniles adopt a life history, formalize it with a model, and present the results of fitting this model to life history data. The model captures patterns of variation in proportions of yearl...
Material Support: The United States v. the Lackawanna Six

In December 2003, six American-Yemenis were sentenced for terms of seven to ten years for their role in providing material support to Al Qaeda, in violation of Title 18 United States Code §2339B. This article specifically examines the merits of the charge brought against the Six by reviewing precedent that has developed regarding §2339B from 2000 to 2004. This exercise uncovers a controversy over constitutionality, basic rights and due process that, in combination with the facts of the case, could have yielded each of the Six a better deal were the case to go to trial than he received by pleading guilty. Those pleas, made under real pressure from the prosecution, prevented the court from determining whether the Six “had ‘provided’ support to Al Qaeda, or merely ‘received’ it.”
Tensor polarization of deuterons scattered from He4 between 4 and 7.5 MeV

Abstract The tensor polarization of deutrons scattered from He 4 at a laboratory angle of 60° has been measured at seven deutron energies between 4 and 7.5 MeV. The spin tensor moments 〈 T 20 〉, 〈 T 21 〉 and 〈 T 22 〉 of the scattered deuterons were determined by observing the deviation from isotropy of the protons from the He 3 (d, p)He 4 reaction near the 430 keV resonance when the scattered deuterons initiate the reaction. Both moments 〈 T 20 〉 and 〈 T 22 〉 exhibit maxima at about 5.2 MeV deutron energy, reaching 60% of their maximum possible values. The moment 〈 T 21 〉 remains essentially zero over the entire energy range. Comparison with available calculations is presented.
Emissivity of a hot plasma from photon and plasmon decay.

Previous calculations of the emissivity of a plasma due to the decay of transverse photons and plasmons into neutrino pairs have used dispersion relations that are inaccurate at relativistic temperatures or densities. In the high-temperature limit, the use of the current ultrarelativistic dispersion relations increases the emissivity by a factor of 3.185. This may have a significant effect on the initial cooling rate for the core of a neutron star.
A high-order discontinuous Galerkin method for wave propagation through coupled elastic-acoustic media

We introduce a high-order discontinuous Galerkin (dG) scheme for the numerical solution of three-dimensional (3D) wave propagation problems in coupled elastic-acoustic media. A velocity-strain formulation is used, which allows for the solution of the acoustic and elastic wave equations within the same unified framework. Careful attention is directed at the derivation of a numerical flux that preserves high-order accuracy in the presence of material discontinuities, including elastic-acoustic interfaces. Explicit expressions for the 3D upwind numerical flux, derived as an exact solution for the relevant Riemann problem, are provided. The method supports h-non-conforming meshes, which are particularly effective at allowing local adaptation of the mesh size to resolve strong contrasts in the local wavelength, as well as dynamic adaptivity to track solution features. The use of high-order elements controls numerical dispersion, enabling propagation over many wave periods. We prove consistency and stability of the proposed dG scheme. To study the numerical accuracy and convergence of the proposed method, we compare against analytical solutions for wave propagation problems with interfaces, including Rayleigh, Lamb, Scholte, and Stoneley waves as well as plane waves impinging on an elastic-acoustic interface. Spectral rates of convergence are demonstrated for these problems, which include a non-conforming mesh case. Finally, we present scalability results for a parallel implementation of the proposed high-order dG scheme for large-scale seismic wave propagation in a simplified earth model, demonstrating high parallel efficiency for strong scaling to the full size of the Jaguar Cray XT5 supercomputer.
Effect of brief regional ischemia followed by reperfusion with or without superoxide dismutase and catalase administration on myocardial sarcoplasmic reticulum and contractile function.

Abstract The effect of reperfusion with and without free radical scavengers on sarcoplasmic reticulum and contractile function was examined in a canine model of 15-minute coronary artery occlusion followed by reperfusion. Dogs were reperfused with (n = 13) or without (n = 16) superoxide dismutase and catalase or were killed at 15 minutes of ischemia (n = 17). Superoxide dismutase and catalase were administered as a bolus (20,000 and 12,500 U/kg, respectively) begining 1.25 minutes before reperfusion followed by infusion of 16,000 and 12,500 U/kg/hr, respectively. Sarcoplasmic reticulum function was evaluated from the rate of calcium uptake of unfractionated subepicardial, subendocardial, and transmural homogenates determined with and without ruthenium red to close the calcium release channel. Mechanical function was evaluated by means of sonomicrometry. Fifteen minutes of ischemia significantly ( p p = NS between groups). Thus administration of superoxide dismutase and catalase beginning shortly before reperfusion had no effect on postreperfusion contractile dysfunction or sarcoplasmic reticulum function.
The effect of oxidized regenerated cellulose on experimental infected splenotomies

Abstract An experimental model is described in which two splenotomy sites are made in the spleen. In one site oxidized regenerated cellulose (ORC) was placed, in the other absorbable gelatin sponge (AGS). The animals were then challenged intravenously and the number of organisms from the splenotomy sites was measured over a period of time. The number of organisms isolated from the ORC site remained low during the 20 days of the study. The number of organisms from the AGS site was high, in the range of 106/ml.
Anion binding by a tetradipicolylamine-substituted resorcinarene cavitand.

Anion binding has been achieved with a resorcinarene substituted with four 2,2‘-dipicolylamine moieties on the upper rim. The four dipicolylamine groups reside in proximity on one rim of the cavitand. The dipicolylamine groups were protonated with triflic acid to provide the cationic ammonium sites for anion binding. This anion receptor binds strongly to anions of different geometries, such as H2PO4-, Cl-, F-, CH3CO2-, HSO4-, and NO3-. The association constants for binding these anions are large, on the order of log K = 5 in CD3CN, a solvent of intermediate dielectric constant. These values represent significant binding compared to other cavitands with nitrogen pendant groups. Evidence suggests that the cavitand provides two identical receptor sites formed by two dipicolylamine groups, facilitating the simultaneous binding of two anions. Intramolecular binding of anions between two protonated dipicolylamine groups is indicated on the basis of the comparison to a structurally similar monomeric analogue and...
IL-12 stimuli during ex vivo expansion not only prevents the upregulation of PD1 on tumor infiltrating adoptively transferred T cells but also on endogenous TILs which results in effective tumor regression

Meeting abstracts The blockade of negative immune regulators such as CTLA-4 and PD1 continues to show encouraging results in patients with solid malignancies. The efficacy of these therapies could be further enhanced in a combinatorial setting that includes adoptive cell therapy (ACT), and thus it
The resonance fluorescence of polarized radiation—I. The general scattering function

The general function describing the scattering of linearly polarized radiation in the presence of magnetic fields and/or anisotropic radiation fields, as derived by Weisskopf,(1) is considered in detail in this paper. The function gives the probability that an incident photon of a given frequency and propagating in a given direction with a specified direction of linear polarization will scatter into any other specified frequency, direction, and polarization direction. Coherence effects arise in weak magnetic fields where there is significant overlap of levels or from hyperfine splitting. The coherence influences the frequency, direction, and polarization redistribution of the scattered radiation; these effects are explicitly taken into account. We have expanded the general scattering function and introduced the appropriate matrix elements so that the redistribution function may be easily applied to any J to J″, electric or magnetic dipole transition. Calculations are also given for the absorption and emission probabilities as well as for a frequency independent scattering function. Application of the general scattering function to a specific transition is given in a subsequent paper.
The Soviet Calculus of Nuclear War

This book presents papers on nuclear weapons policy in the USSR. Topics considered include contemporary Soviet military policy, Soviet strategic planning, ballistic missile defense, Soviet arms control decision making since Brezhnev, Soviet positions on strategic arms control, negotiating with the Soviets, the slowdown of Soviet defense spending, weapons acquisition in the Soviet Union, and the Soviet Union and the East European militaries.
Disposition of sulphonamides in food‐producing animals: disposition of sulphathiazole in tissues, urine, and plasma of cattle following intravenous administration

Plasma, urine and tissue concentrations of sulphathiazole were determined at various times following intravenous administration to fifteen cattle. The averaged plasma and urine data were consistent with a two-compartment pharmacokinetic model with a half-life of elimination of 1.3 h and a total volume of distribution of 0.41 l/kg body weight. Sulphathiazole was eliminated by excretion of unchanged drug into urine (48%) and by formation of acetylated and polar metabolites. The averaged data obtained from eight selected tissue sites were consistent with the two-compartment pharmacokinetic model presented and confirmed that residues of sulphathiazole in edible tissue can be predicted from serum and urine concentrations of the drug.
Signaling: Sifting at the ciliary base

Transduction of extracellular signals by cilia requires regulated entry of pathway components. A new study uses chemical dimerization to induce diffusion and identifies size-dependent soluble diffusion rates consistent with a sieve-like barrier with 8-nm pore radii at the ciliary base.
Material Loss Impact on Device Performance for 32nm CMOS and Beyond

As semiconductor technology moves past the 32nm CMOS node, material loss becomes an ever more important topic. Besides impacting the size of physical features, material loss impacts electrical results, process control, and defectivity. The challenge this poses is further exacerbated by the introduction of new materials. The largest single influx of new materials has come over the last decade with the introduction of high-k/metal gate (HK/MG) materials. This paper focuses on the front-end-of-line (FEOL), summarizing key materials loss issues by process loop.
Synchronized Nasal Intermittent Positive-Pressure Ventilation and Neonatal Outcomes

BACKGROUND: Synchronized nasal intermittent positive-pressure ventilation (SNIPPV) use reduces reintubation rates compared with nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP). Limited information is available on the outcomes of infants managed with SNIPPV. OBJECTIVES: To compare the outcomes of infants managed with SNIPPV (postextubation or for apnea) to infants not treated with SNIPPV at 2 sites. METHODS: Clinical retrospective data was used to evaluate the use of SNIPPV in infants ≤1250 g birth weight (BW); and 3 BW subgroups (500–750, 751–1000, and 1001–1250 g, decided a priori). SNIPPV was not assigned randomly. Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) was defined as treatment with supplemental oxygen at 36 weeks9 postmenstrual age. RESULTS: Overall, infants who were treated with SNIPPV had significantly lower mean BW (863 vs 964 g) and gestational age (26.4 vs 27.9 weeks), more frequently received surfactant (85% vs 68%), and had a higher incidence of BPD or death (39% vs 27%) (all P CONCLUSION: SNIPPV use in infants at greatest risk of BPD or death (500–750 g) was associated with decreased BPD, BPD/death, NDI, and NDI/death when compared with infants managed with NCPAP.
Superconductivity and electron transport in amorphous (Zr-Ni)-Al alloys

The temperature dependence of electrical conductivity and superconducting transition temperature are reported for pseudobinary amorphous (Zr0.5 Ni0.5)1−x Alx and (Zr0.64 Ni0.36)1−xAlx alloys for x ≤ 0.25. Analysis of the electron-phonon enhancement of the thermopower for the Zr-rich series provides reasonable values of the electron-phonon coupling constant λ and information about the low frequency behavior of the Eliashberg function α2(ω) F(ω).
Batch and continuous processing of polymer layered organoclay nanocomposites

The generation of nanocomposites upon intercalation and exfoliation of clay tactoids using melt compounding is a difficult process. In this study various polymeric binders were melt compounded with organophilic clay particles using myriad methods, including sonication, batch mixing, and twin screw extrusion. The characterization of the compounded samples employing X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that there is little intercalation and exfoliation when nonpolar poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) and poly(propylene) (PP) binders were used, resulting in no significant changes in the dynamic properties of the suspensions upon small-amplitude oscillatory shearing. On the other hand, when polar polymeric binders, i.e., silanol terminated poly(dimethyl siloxane) and maleic anhydride modified PP were used for compounding with organoclays, TEM and XRD revealed intercalation with some partial exfoliation, resulting in increases in the dynamic properties, along with sensitivity to the thermomechanical history during processing. These results reinforce earlier findings, which suggest that the interfacial properties between the organoclays and the polymeric binders need to be tailored properly to enable the generation of nanocomposites of organoclays using melt compounding technologies. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 104: 1391–1398, 2007
Lipid composition of eggs and tadpoles of Agalychnis dacnicolor and Rana pipiens

Abstract 1. 1. The phosphatidylethanolamine of eggs from R. pipiens are more unsaturated than those of A. dacnicolor . 2. 2. The eggs of R. pipiens also have a higher content of phosphatidylethanolamine than eggs of A. dacnicolor . 3. 3. As the eggs develop into tadpoles the phosphatidylethanolamine content increases. 4. 4. The phosphatidylethanolamine in both species is more unsaturated than the phosphatidycholine. 5. 5. Since R. pipiens lives in lower temperature environment than A. dacnicolor these changes in phosphatidylethanolamine may represent an adaptation to environment leading to a more fluid membrane.
Robust Wavefront Sensing and Control for Space-Borne Imaging Interferometry and Coronagraph

An overview of image-based wavefront sensing and control, relevant to NASA, from Hubble Space Telescope to the James Webb Space Telescope and future proposed imaging interferometry and coronagraphic missions is given.
DILATATIONALLY INVARIANT QUANTUM ELECTRODYNAMICS OF ELECTRONS AND MUONS

The equation for a lepton propagator is studied in dilatationally invariant quantum electrodynamics and the possibility of an electrodynamic calculation of the electron-muon mass ratio is discussed. (auth)
Effective DNA/RNA co-extraction for analysis of microRNAs, mRNAs, and genomic DNA from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded specimens.

Background Retrospective studies of archived human specimens, with known clinical follow-up, are used to identify predictive and prognostic molecular markers of disease. Due to biochemical differences, however, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) DNA and RNA have generally been extracted separately from either different tissue sections or from the same section by dividing the digested tissue. The former limits accurate correlation whilst the latter is impractical when utilizing rare or limited archived specimens. Principal Findings For effective recovery of genomic DNA and total RNA from a single FFPE specimen, without splitting the proteinase-K digested tissue solution, we optimized a co-extraction method by using TRIzol and purifying DNA from the lower aqueous and RNA from the upper organic phases. Using a series of seven different archived specimens, we evaluated the total amounts of genomic DNA and total RNA recovered by our TRIzol-based co-extraction method and compared our results with those from two commercial kits, the Qiagen AllPrep DNA/RNA FFPE kit, for co-extraction, and the Ambion RecoverAll™ Total Nucleic Acid Isolation kit, for separate extraction of FFPE-DNA and -RNA. Then, to accurately assess the quality of DNA and RNA co-extracted from a single FFPE specimen, we used qRT-PCR, gene expression profiling and methylation assays to analyze microRNAs, mRNAs, and genomic DNA recovered from matched fresh and FFPE MCF10A cells. These experiments show that the TRIzol-based co-extraction method provides larger amounts of FFPE-DNA and –RNA than the two other methods, and particularly provides higher quality microRNAs and genomic DNA for subsequent molecular analyses. Significance We determined that co-extraction of genomic DNA and total RNA from a single FFPE specimen is an effective recovery approach to obtain high-quality material for parallel molecular and high-throughput analyses. Our optimized approach provides the option of collecting DNA, which would otherwise be discarded or degraded, for additional or subsequent studies.
Primary liver cancer mortality in the United States

We analyzed time trends and regional differences in mortality from primary liver cancer in the United States in order to explore possible effects of several factors which have been suggested as causes for liver cancer. Age-adjusted liver cancer death rates have been stable over time except for nonwhite males among whom there has been a 45% increase in liver cancer mortality between 1958 and 1975. The rates for nonwhite males are twice those for white males, and geographic trends in liver cancer mortality differ by race. The rates for white males are greatest in two southern regions, whereas rates for nonwhite males in these same regions are lower than they are elsewhere. Cirrhosis mortality trends parallel those for liver cancer among nonwhite males but not among white males. The similarities in trends for cirrhosis and liver cancer mortality among nonwhite males suggest that cirrhosis may be a major risk factor in this group. For white males, we must look to some other factor to explain the geographic differences that were observed.
A bioinformatics track in computer science

In this paper, we describe the bioinformatics track we created to better prepare students for health, medical and life science professions. Our program was motivated by the fact that bioinformatics training is in high demand. Many universities have responded to this demand by creating majors in bioinformatics, while others by creating minors in bioinformatics. Our response was less extreme as we opted for a computer science track in bioinformatics which we describe in this article.