cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ANTIBIOTIC CONTROL OF TISSUE REACTIONS IN DOGS VACCINATED WITH VIABLE CELLS OF COCCIDIOIDES IMMITIS

Abstract Castleberry, Merida W. (U.S. Army Biological Laboratories, Fort Detrick, Frederick, Md.), John L. Converse, and Peter J. Soto, Jr. Antibiotic control of tissue reactions in dogs vaccinated with viable cells of Coccidioides immitis. J. Bacteriol. 87:1216–1220. 1964.—A total of 12 dogs (15 to 25 lb each), vaccinated with viable Coccidioides immitis (subcutaneous injection of 260 viable arthrospores in the medial surface of the hind leg), resisted a respiratory challenge (aerosol) with the same organism (13,000 viable arthrospores) administered (aerosol) 2 months after vaccination. Oral amphotericin B therapy (150 mg of Fungizone per day for 21 days) of 6 of the 12 dogs, initiated immediately after vaccination, eliminated the undesirable side reactions of the viable vaccine (ulcerated vaccination site and inguinal lymphadenopathy exhibited by the 6 untreated dogs) without affecting the immunogenicity of the vaccine. Clinical observation (blood-urea nitrogen levels) during and after therapy and histological examination approximately 3 months after respiratory challenge failed to disclose any evidence of nephrotoxicity or renal damage due to the oral antibiotic therapy (total doses of more than 3 g of amphotericin B).
Amplification of hypoxic and acidic events by La Niña conditions on the continental shelf off California

[1] Low-oxygen and low-pH events are an increasing concern and threat in the Eastern Pacific coastal waters, and can be lethal for benthic and demersal organisms on the continental shelf. The normal seasonal cycle includes uplifting of isopycnals during upwelling in spring, which brings low-oxygen and low-pH water onto the shelf. Five years of continuous observations of subsurface dissolved oxygen off Southern California, reveal large additional oxygen deficiencies relative to the seasonal cycle during the latest La Nina event. While some changes in oxygen related to the isopycnal depression/uplifting during El Nino/La Nina are not unexpected, the observed oxygen changes are 2–3 times larger than what can be explained by cross-shore exchanges. In late summer 2010, oxygen levels at mid-depth of the water column reached values of 2.5 ml/L, which is much lower than normal oxygen levels at this time of the seasons, 4–5 ml/L. The extra uplifting of isopycnals related to the La Nina event can explain oxygen reductions only to roughly 3.5 ml/L. We find that the additional oxygen decrease beyond that is strongly correlated with decreased subsurface primary production and strengthened poleward flows by the California Undercurrent. The combined actions of these three processes created a La Nina-caused oxygen decrease as large and as long as the normal seasonal minimum during upwelling period in spring, but later in the year. With a different timing of a La Nina, the seasonal oxygen minimum and the La Nina anomaly could overlap to potentially create hypoxic events of previously not observed magnitudes.
Blood lead values in pregnant women and their offspring

Abstract Lead levels were determined from maternal and neonatal blood samples collected at a general-care hospital. Ninety-eight cord blood pair samples showed a high correlation of lead levels of mothers and corresponding infants with a product moment correlation coefficient of 0.6377. Thus neonates are born with lead levels comparable to maternal levels.
Brief Relapse Prevention with Substance Abusers

This chapter presents a brief, structured model for preventing relapse among drug and alcohol abusers. Relapse prevention is a form of substance abuse counseling which is usually delivered after an intensive inpatient or outpatient program and oriented toward the development of adequate coping skills that facilitate long-term abstinence and sobriety.The model of relapse prevention described in this chapter is based largely upon cognitive/behavioral psychotherapy and social learning theory. Although substance abuse disorders represent a complex of genetic, physiological, social-cultural, and psychological components, relapse prevention can be conceptualized as essentially a problem-solving process and a reorientation of life attitudes and values. This involves developing the client’s repertoire of skills in coping with stress, conflict, and frustration (remedial coping) as well as reorienting client’s attitudes and values so as to create a world view that is inconsistent with the abuse of substances (transformational coping).
More accurate alternatives to serum creatinine for evaluating glomerular filtration rate.

The timely reports by Laterza et al. (1) and Filler et al. (2) in the same issue of the Journal discuss the use of serum analytes other than creatinine as surrogates for glomerular filtration rate (GFR). They describe the advantages as well as the limitations of these factors in special adult circumstances and in the pediatric age group, respectively. Recent publications by the Work Group of the National Kidney Foundation (3) also reaffirm the limitation of basing GFR only on serum creatinine. Levey et al. (4) reviewed data from 1628 patients enrolled in the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease Study (MDRD). Their stated purpose was “to develop an equation from MDRD Study data that could improve the prediction of GFR from serum creatinine”. Of the 1628 patients selected, data from 1070 were used to derive the equations, and data from 558 were used to verify the equations. They concluded that GFR calculated from serum creatinine, albumin, urea, and basic patient demographic data closely approximates the GFR determined from direct methods such as renal clearance of [125I]iodothalamate (4). Their prediction equations 6 and 7 decreased unexplained variance from measured GFR by more than one-half when compared with measured creatinine or urea clearance or the Cockcroft–Gault equation, i.e., from 19.6% to a … E-mail mscott{at}labmed.wustl.edu
Mapping the Geopolitics of the Russian Federation: The Federal Assembly Addresses of Putin and Medvedev

This paper builds upon previous research on American state-of-the-union addresses and Russian geopolitics by examining how the Kremlin has represented Russia's geographic and geopolitical position in the post-Soviet era. It analyses presidential addresses to the Federal Assembly from 2000 to 2011, a period encompassing Vladimir Putin's first two terms as president and the single term of Dmitry Medvedev. In addition to exploring general trends evident in these speeches, this paper also provides in-depth analyses of three major themes: Russia's civilisational identity, the state of the international system and Russia's role within it, and global economics. We find that the legacies of the Cold War-era perceptions of threat, as well as dissatisfaction with the Cold War's resolution, remain salient in these speeches. However, there is some movement toward a broadening of Russia's cognitive map.
A generalized acoustic analogy

The purpose of this article is to show that the Navier-Stokes equations can be rewritten as a set of linearized inhomogeneous Euler equations (in convective form) with source terms that are exactly the same as those that would result from externally imposed shear stress and energy flux perturbations. These results are used to develop a mathematical basis for some existing and potential new jet noise models by appropriately choosing the base flow about which the linearization is carried out.
Measuring Treatment Effect in Acute Stroke Trials

To the Editor: We read with interest Bruno et al’s analysis of National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score in the trial of Org 10172 in acute stroke treatment (TOAST). They found the dichotomous variable, NIHSS score ≤2 at 3 months, to be associated with “very favorable outcome” at 3 months, defined as both Glasgow Outcome Scale of 1 and modified Barthel Index 19 to 20.1 Prior work analyzing the NINDS recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) trial (the only conclusively positive clinical acute stroke trial) found NIHSS score ≤2 to be one of the most …
The Influence of Exogenous Steroids on the Growth of Aspergillus niger and Torula utilis

The yield of Aspergillus niger mycelium from a synthetic medium can be increased by the addition of microgram quantities of cholesterol, ergosterol, cholestanol, 7-dehydrocholesterol, stigmasterol, sitosterol, pregnenolone, and the vitamins D. The stimulation is not due to degradation to the acetate level. It is obtained only in highly aerated cultures. The rate of growth of Torula utilis was not increased. Both organisms were inhibited by desoxycorticosterone, testosterone, androstenedione, cortisone acetate, progesterone, and diethylstilbestrol. T. utilis was also inhibited by estradiol. A small decrease in progesterone inhibition of T. utilis was obtained by adding ergosterol, cholesterol, or pregnenolone. Of the compounds which have been adequately tested the order of stimulatory activity for A. niger is: ergosterol > cholesterol > stigmasterol > 7-dehydrocholesterol > cholestanol > pregnenolone. Progesterone was inhibitory at low concentrations but stimulatory at higher ones, while 17-hydroxyprogesterone was neither inhibitory nor stimulatory. Desoxycorticosterone and testosterone were inhibitory at all concentrations. Complete inhibition of the growth of the fungus was not obtained with any of the steroids. It is concluded that A. niger has a metabolic requirement for a steroid with a hydroxy group on carbon 3, a double bond in the 5-6 position, and a side chain similar to that in ergosterol or cholesterol and that this material is growth-limiting in the early stages of the cultures described.
Copper-lowering therapy with tetrathiomolybdate for cancer and diseases of fibrosis and inflammation

Angiogenesis is required for tumor growth and is a likely Achilles heel for cancer. However, antiangiogenic agents have been somewhat disappointing in cancer therapy, perhaps because they target a single angiogenic factor, and there is much redundancy in angiogenic systems. Copper is required for high levels of angiogenesis, and many angiogenic factors have a requirement for copper. Thus, anticopper drugs offer the possibility of more global inhibition. Our group has developed tetrathiomolybdate (TM) for the initial treatment of neurologic Wilson's disease. Penicillamine makes about 50% of these patients neurologically worse, and many never recover. Only 2 of 55 (3.6%) patients worsened when treated with TM. Because TM exhibited desirable properties of potency, speed, and safety, we studied it as an antiangiogenic agent. We hypothesize that if copper is lowered to midrange, the cellular requirements for copper are met, but angiogenic cytokine signaling is inhibited. TM has shown strong inhibition of cancer growth in five rodent models, encouraging results in a canine study of advanced and metastatic cancer, and encouraging results in a phase 1/2 study of advanced and metastatic cancer in 42 patients. Finally, we have hypothesized that the pathway of fibrosis involving transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) and connective tissue growth factor is inhibitable by copper-lowering therapy with TM. This pathway is overactive and dysregulated in many diseases of fibrosis. In animal studies, TM has completely inhibited the pulmonary fibrosis induced by bleomycin, the hepatitis induced by concanavalin A, and the cirrhosis induced by carbon tetrachloride. We find that TM inhibits transforming growth factor beta and inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-1-beta. J. Trace Elem. Exp. Med. 16:191–199, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Gridlock in the blood.

All blood vessels originate from the same precursor cells in early embryos. So how do those precursors decide whether to contribute to arteries or veins? Studies of zebrafish bring us closer to the answer.
Ultrastructural examination of various stages of amelogenesis in the rat following parenteral fluoride administration.

Abstract The stages of differentiation, formation, transition, and early maturation were examined following multiple high dosages of sodium fluoride. The ability of the cells to recover from the effects of the fluoride ion was also studied. Fluorotic differentiating and transitional amelohlasts exhibited no detectable morphological differences from the control cells. The formative stage demonstrated a response to the fluoride in the morphology of the cells and their product. The ameloblast contained unusual vacuoles and granules and the adjacent forming enamel contained paired hypermineralized and hypomineralized zones. During maturation, groups of the ameloblasts often were altered with huge intracellular vacuoles, while adjacent enamel appeared to mature normally. Animals killed after a recovery period demonstrated no cellular disturbances and a layer of normal enamel formed over the fluoride response.
THE COMPONENT FRAGMENTS OBTAINED BY ACID DISSOCIATION OF PAPAIN‐SOLUBILIZED H‐2 MOLECULES

H-2Kk and H-2Dd molecules were specificially purified from a radioiodinated H-2a preparation obtained by papain digestion of spleen cell membranes of A/J strain mice. The molecules were isolated by binding to H-2 alloantisera of the corresponding private specificity followed by precipitation with rabbit anti-mouse IgG antiserum. The specifically precipitated radioiodinated H-2Kk and H-2Dd molecules were dissociated by acid treatment into large and small components of about 37,000 and 11,000 respectively. These were separated by gel filtration at acid pH or by gel isoelectric focusing in the presence of 6 M urea. Each component separated by gel filtration of the acid-dissociated H-2 molecules showed a high degree of size homogeneity as determined by sodium dodecyl sulphate-acrylamide gel electrophoresis. Upon gel isoelectric focusing, however, the small components showed two peaks of radioactivity closely located together at pH 7-8, both of which had a restricted pH range, while the large components gave one peak of a relatively wide pH range of pH 5-6. The H-2Kk and H-2Dd molecules gave essentially the same pattern in terms of the numbers and the positions of the radioactivity bands. Under the iodination conditions used the large components of H-2Kk molecules contained more radioactivity than the small components, while the reverse was true in case of H-2Dd molecules. Such a difference was also found with H-2Kk and H-2Dd molecules isolated by use of alloantisera of the respective public specificity. The assay of binding of the isolated components with H-2 alloantisera of defined specificity revealed that the large components retain most of the allospecificities of the parental H-2 molecules. No H-2 allospecificities were found on the small components. The small components showed extensive binding with rabbit antiserum against mouse beta2-microglobulin. The same antiserum did not show any binding with the large components. On the other hand, both of the components did bind with rabbit antiserum against papain-solubilized H-2 molecules.
A specific antidote against lethal alkyl phosphate intoxication. III. Repair of chemical lesion

Summary Experiments are described which demonstrate that PAM reactivates the esterase activity of diaphragm in the living animal intoxicated either by paraoxon or by DFP. In contrast, PAM does not reactivate the enzyme activity to a measurable degree after the administration of OMPA, neither in vivo nor in vitro. These results parallel the observation that PAM is a powerful antidote against paraoxon and DFP, but a very poor one against OMPA. The data thus offer strong additional evidence that the properties of PAM as an antidote against certain alkyl phosphates are based upon the reactivation of acetylcholinesterase inhibited by alkyl phosphate. For the determination of the enzyme activity in tissues removed after alkyl phosphate administration, a new and improved procedure has been applied: tissue slices were repeatedly extracted with chloroform in order to remove extracellular alkyl phosphate present in lipides and extracellular spaces. Using this method, the spontaneous recovery of esterase activity in diaphragm of mice after the injection of the LD50 of paraoxon and DFP has been determined and compared with the recovery obtained with PAM treatment. Much higher values were obtained when the animals were sacrificed during the first 24 hr. following injection of alkyl phosphates. The values are probably close to those in the living cell at the time of death. After 24 hr. the chloroform extraction did not increase the activity when compared to the values using homogenized tissue directly. Apparently, the extracellular alkyl phosphate had been removed by that time through the blood stream. The LD50 of paraoxon inhibits the enzyme activity less strongly than the LD50 of DFP. The spontaneous recovery up to about 90 % takes about 2 days after paraoxon and about 5 days after DFP.
Exposure and materiality of the secondary room and its impact on the impulse response of coupled-volume concert halls

How does sound decay when one room is partially exposed to another (acoustically coupled)? More specifically, this research aims to quantify how operational and design decisions impact sound fields in the design of concert halls with acoustical coupling. By adding a second room to a concert hall, and designing doors to control the sonic transparency between the two rooms, designers can create a new, coupled acoustic. Concert halls use coupling to achieve a variable, longer, and distinct reverberant quality for their musicians and listeners. For this study a coupled-volume shoebox concert hall is conceived with a fixed geometric volume, form, and primary-room sound absorption. Aperture size and secondary-room sound absorption levels are established as variables. Statistical analysis of sound decay in this simulated hall suggests a highly sensitive relationship between the double-sloped condition and (1) architectural composition, as defined by the aperture size exposing the chamber and (2) materiality, as defined by the sound absorptance in the coupled volume. The theoretical, mathematical predictions are compared with coupled-volume concert hall field measurements and guidelines are suggested for future designs of coupled-volume concert halls.
Social reinforcement by the spouse in weight control: A case study

Abstract In a weight-reduction program the effectiveness of self-monitoring of weight and restructuring environmental conditions affecting eating were compared with utilizing the subject's husband as a social reinforcer. Three pounds of weight were lost in ten weeks with self-monitoring and environmental restructuring, and 39 lb in 19 weeks with social reinforcement. Results showed that praise by a spouse was an effective method of weight reduction, and maintenance of weight loss continued after 90 weeks of follow-up.
Measurement of contractile stress generated by cultured rat muscle on silicon cantilevers for toxin detection and muscle performance enhancement.

Background: To date, biological components have been incorporated into MEMS devices to create cell-based sensors and assays, motors and actuators, and pumps. Bio-MEMS technologies present a unique opportunity to study fundamental biological processes at a level unrealized with previous methods. The capability to miniaturize analytical systems enables researchers to perform multiple experiments in parallel and with a high degree of control over experimental variables for high-content screening applications.Methodology/Principal Findings: We have demonstrated a biological microelectromechanical system (BioMEMS) based on silicon cantilevers and an AFM detection system for studying the physiology and kinetics of myotubes derived from embryonic rat skeletal muscle. It was shown that it is possible to interrogate and observe muscle behavior in real time, as well as selectively stimulate the contraction of myotubes with the device. Stress generation of the tissue was estimated using a modification of Stoney's equation. Calculated stress values were in excellent agreement with previously published results for cultured myotubes, but not adult skeletal muscle. Other parameters such as time to peak tension (TPT), the time to half relaxation (KRT) were compared to the literature. It was observed that the myotubes grown on the BioMEMS device, while generating stress magnitudes comparable to those previously published, exhibited slower TPT and KRT values. However, growth in an enhanced media increased these values. From these data it was concluded that the myotubes cultured on the cantilevers were of an embryonic phenotype. The system was also shown to be responsive to the application of a toxin, veratridine.Conclusions/Significance: The device demonstrated here will provide a useful foundation for studying various aspects of muscle physiology and behavior in a controlled high-throughput manner as well as be useful for biosensor and drug discovery applications.
Supersolid state of matter

We prove that the necessary condition for a solid to be also a superfluid is to have zero-point vacancies, or interstitial atoms, or both, as an integral part of the ground state. As a consequence, in the absence of symmetry between vacancies and interstitials, superfluidity has a zero probability to occur in commensurate solids which break continuous translation symmetry. We discuss recent 4He experiments by Kim and Chan in the context of this theorem, question its bulk supersolid interpretation, and offer an alternative explanation in terms of superfluid interfaces.
Diffusion distances of known iron complexes in model systems

Abstract Diffusion distances (abbreviated d’s), the distances between the sites of generation of presumed hydroxyl radicals ( OH) by low molecular weight forms of Fe and the site of their reaction with substrate, were measured for three model systems for cellular DNA of varying degrees of complexity. Two d’s for Fe complexed with each of ethylene diamminetetraaccetic acid (FeEDTA) and nitrilotriacetic acid (FeNTA) were measured for generation of malondialdehyde-type products (MDA) from deoxyribose and of single-strand breaks (SSBs) in the plasmid pBR322. The closer d’s for pBR322 SSB generation (5–6 nm) were considerably greater than the d’s for MDA generation in the deoxyribose assay (2–3 nm). This is consistent with charge-charge interactions playing an important role in defining d. The d’s for FeNTA, FeEDTA, and other Fe species generating SSBs in isolated Ehrlich ascites tumor cell nuclei ranged from 2.1 to 14 nm. Charge-charge interactions, Fe-ligand-specific interactions, and binding to nuclear components were concluded to be important factors affecting d in isolated nuclei. Other factors related to nuclear structure may also play a role.
Influence of light and temperature on Prochlorococcus ecotype distributions in the Atlantic Ocean

In a focused analysis of Prochlorococcus population structure in the western North Atlantic, we found that the relative abundances of ecotypes varied significantly with depth and, at seasonally stratified locations, with degree of vertical mixing. More limited regional variation was observed (e.g., Sargasso Sea, Gulf Stream, continental slope, and equatorial current), and local patchiness was minimal. Modeling of a combined North and South Atlantic data set revealed significant, independent effects of light and temperature on ecotype abundances, suggesting that they are key ecological determinants that establish the different habitat ranges of the physiologically and genetically distinct ecotypes. This was in sharp contrast with the genus Synechococcus, whose total abundance was related to light but did not vary in a predictable way with temperature. Comparisons of field abundances with growth characteristics of cultured isolates of Prochlorococcus suggested the presence of ecotype-specific thermal and light adaptations that could be responsible for the distinct distribution patterns of the four dominant ecotypes. Significantly, we discovered that one "low-light-adapted" ecotype, eNATL2A, can thrive in deeply mixed surface layers, whereas another, eMIT9313, cannot, even though they have the same growth optimum for (low) light.
Electrochemical measurements and thermodynamic calculations of redox equilibria in pallasite meteorites: Implications for the eucrite parent body

The intrinsic oxygen fugacity (IOF) of olivine separates from the Salta, Springwater, and Eagle Station pallasites was measured between 850 and 1150°C using oxygen-specific solid zirconia electrolytes at 105 Pa. The experimental apparatus consisted of a double-opposed electrolyte configuration with a CO-CO2 gas-mix bridging atmosphere. Four initial IOF measurements on Salta olivines revealed the effects of grain size and cell memory on experimental results; experiments with an IW cell memory and fine grain size (<45 μm) gave results most consistent with thermodynamic calculations. The IOF experimental results for olivine separates from Salta, Springwater, and Eagle Station fall within one log unit of the iron-wustite oxygen buffer (IW). While these measurements may provide only an upper limit to the IOF of the pallasites, they correlate with the compositions of the olivine and metal in these samples: Salta, the most reduced pallasite studied (IW − 0.5 logfO2), contains Fa12.5 and Fe90.5Ni9.0; Springwater, of intermediate redox state (~IW), contains Fa18.0 and Fe87.5Ni12.1; Eagle Station, the most oxidized sample (IW + 0.5 logfO2), contains Fa20.5 and Fe85.0Ni14.6. Electron microbeam characterization of the starting materials and run products from these experiments have shown that olivine is the only phase present. Thermodynamic calculations of redox equilibria involving equilibrium pallasite assemblages are in good agreement with our experimental results and provide a lower limit to pallasite redox stability; others involving disequilibrium assemblages, suggest that pallasites experienced localized, late-stage oxidation and reduction effects. Consideration of the redox buffer metal-olivine-orthopyroxene utilizing calculated Eucrite Parent Body (EPB) mantle phase compositions indicates that small redox gradients may have existed in the EPB. Such gradients may have produced strong compositional variation within the EPB. In addition, there is apparently significant redox heterogeneity in the source area of Eagle Station Trio (EST) pallasites and Bocaiuva iron meteorites.
psd: Adaptive, sine multitaper power spectral density estimation for R

We present an R package for computing univariate power spectral density estimates with little or no tuning effort. We employ sine multitapers, allowing the number to vary with frequency in order to reduce mean square error, the sum of squared bias and variance, at each point. The approximate criterion of Riedel and Sidorenko (1995) is modified to prevent runaway averaging that otherwise occurs when the curvature of the spectrum goes to zero. An iterative procedure refines the number of tapers employed at each frequency. The resultant power spectra possess significantly lower variances than those of traditional, non-adaptive estimators. The sine tapers also provide useful spectral leakage suppression. Resolution and uncertainty can be estimated from the number of degrees of freedom (twice the number of tapers). This technique is particularly suited to long time series, because it demands only one numerical Fourier transform, and requires no costly additional computation of taper functions, like the Slepian functions. It also avoids the degradation of the low-frequency performance associated with record segmentation in Welch's method. Above all, the adaptive process relieves the user of the need to set a tuning parameter, such as time-bandwidth product or segment length, that fixes frequency resolution for the entire frequency interval; instead it provides frequency-dependent spectral resolution tailored to the shape of the spectrum itself. We demonstrate the method by applying it to continuous borehole strainmeter data from a station in the Plate Boundary Observatory, namely station B084 at the Pinon Flat Observatory in southern California. The example illustrates how psd elegantly handles spectra with large dynamic range and mixed-bandwidth features-features typically found in geophysical datasets.
Synthesis of Binary Polymer Brushes via Two-Step Reverse Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization

Well-defined poly(n-butyl acrylate) (PnBA)/poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) binary brushes grafted from silicon surfaces have been successfully prepared via a two-step reverse atom transfer radical polymerization (reverse ATRP) of n-butyl acrylate and tert-butyl acrylate initiated from tethered diazo groups and subsequent hydrolysis of poly(tert-butyl acrylate) (PtBA). The final molar ratio of PnBA/PAA brushes was well-controlled by limiting the time allowed for the initial decomposition of a fraction of the diazo-initiator at higher temperature. After initiating growth of polymer chains from the surface-tethered initiator and deactivation by the Cu(II) complex, ATRP was carried out at 40 °C to achieve desired molecular weight while preventing further decomposition of the remaining unreacted diazo-initiator from which the PtBA brushes were grown in the second step. Measurement of film thickness, contact angle, and surface morphology of the resulting surfaces confirmed the PnBA/PAA binary brush structures and demo...
Desorption of chlorinated hydrocarbons from phytoplankton

Studies were conducted to investigate the desorptive characteristics of hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and 2,4,5,2′,4′,5′-hexachlorobiphenyl (HCBP) sorbed to algal and sediment suspensions by using three approaches: batch equilibration, air purging and competitive exchange. In both short-term and extended batch desorptions, sorption partition coefficients were consistently greater than desorption partition coefficients. Air-purging removed virtually all of the sorbed HCBP within 2 h, exhibiting a two-component release pattern for all tested sorbents. In competitive sorption tests, HCB originally sorbed to suspended sediments was released to be taken up by algae. These studies indicate the importance of sorbent type in the magnitude and strength of sorption for two hydrophobic compounds.
TU‐C‐141‐01: The Development of a Set of Deformable Thermoplastic Materials That Mimic Tissue for Kilovoltage and Megavoltage Computed Tomography

Purpose: To construct a phantom designed to test deformable image registration algorithms, by developing a set of deformable thermoplastic materials that mimic tissue for both kilovoltage and megavoltage computed tomography. Methods: A material formulation was developed to represent muscle, water, and adipose using two polyurethanes capable of deforming in boiling water to produce anatomical deformations. The CT Hounsfield Units (HU) were tuned by doping the polyurethanes with a primary additive to increase the HU and a secondary additive to decrease it. To mimic actual bone, a plastic mixture whose HU was controlled by a tertiary additive was formulated to remain rigid in boiling water. A phantom prototype representing a central sagittal head and neck slice was constructed using the optimized materials. To ensure the phantom was anthropomorphic, its geometry was designed by contouring the major anatomical sites of a patient. The phantom was constructed so it could be opened along the sagittal midsection where a grid of 300 nonradioopaque markers were placed with 5mm spacing. The grid served as a nonradioopaque means of characterizing the 3D magnitude of a deformation with an optical camera. Results: The phantom materials were successfully tuned to be both kV and MV compatible and made to represent different tissues. The phantom constructed from these materials exhibited a similar HU contrast to an actual patient and was successfully deformed around the neck section, producing a clinically realistic deformation of several mm in magnitude. Conclusion: Using the formulated set of materials, an anthropomorphic phantom depicting different tissue types was built and deformed in 3D in a clinically realistic fashion. By measuring the positional changes of the optical markers, the constructed phantom can be used to physically verify deformable image registration algorithms. The work was supported in part by a UC Proof of Concept Program Commercialization Gap Grant.
Rejuvenating Allen's Arc with the Geometric Mean

This article shows how the use of the geometric mean is pedagogically superior to the arithmetic mean in Allen's arc calculations. It allows the use of any one or a combination of three formulas wi...
Ethnic identity and interethnic dating in Portuguese young adults

Forty undergraduate Rutgers-Newark students (21 women and 19 men) of Portuguese descent, aged 18 to 28, participated in a study on identity com-mitment and attitudes toward interethnic dating. High commitment to a Portuguese identity was associated with a collectivist orientation and with having a social network densely populated with Portuguese people. High personal concern with the ethnicity of one’s dating partner was positively correlated with commitment to a Portuguese identity, and with having a social network densely populated with Portuguese people. High importance placed on parents’ opinions about the ethnicity of dating and marriage partners was associated with a collectivist orientation. For women but not men, commitment was associated with high concern with one’s partner’s ethnicity. Results are discussed in terms of gender and the development of commitment to an ethnic identity.
High Technology Manufacturing in Low Technology Plants

We performed a two-year case study on the ramp-up of a large flexible assembly system in a Midwestern automotive components plant. The new system was designed to be a creative replication of technology already in operation in the technology supplier's firm and was purchased under a broad corporate alliance agreement as well as a detailed adoption contract. Although the project met its installation schedule, production targets, and direct labor cost savings objectives, the installation of this innovative, partially-tended assembly system raised several issues and questions regarding the optimal part mix schedule, quality standards, and maintenance schedules. We hypothesize that a curvilinear relationship exists between supplier-user satisfaction and flexibility outcomes. Moderate levels of satisfaction appear to maximize the ratio of part families per hour change-over capability of a new flexible system.
Climate variability over the Greater Horn of Africa based on NCAR AGCM ensemble

The variability and extreme wet anomalies in the Greater Horn of Africa (GHA) climate are investigated based on a multi-year National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) AGCM ensemble data. While the GCM ensemble average reproduces realistic inter-annual variability of rainfall pattern over the GHA sub-region compared to observations, there is a distinct northward shift in the simulated regions of rainfall maxima throughout the season. However, in agreement with observations and many previous studies, the inter-annual variability derived from leading mode of EOF analysis is dominated by ENSO-related fluctuations. On the other hand, the spatial pattern corresponding to the second mode (EOF2) exhibits a unique dipole rainfall anomaly pattern (wet/dry conditions) over the northern/southern halves of our domain during all the three months of the short rains season. When the 3–10 year periodicity is filtered out from the 40-year EOF2 time series of the ensemble mean data, three distinct quasi-decadal regimes in the rainfall anomalies is exhibited for both monthly and seasonal mean data.
Variation of flow induced phase morphology of fluoroelastomer and polycarbonate blends and their mechanical properties

The variations of the flow induced phase morphology of fluoroelastomer/polycarbonate (FL/PC) extruded blends and their mechanical properties were investigated in this paper. The phase morphology and mechanical property of extruded blends under the capillary die were examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and tensile machine, respectively. From SEM observation, the dispersed phases in the longitudinal direction for these extruded blends were categorized as sphere, ellipsoid, rod, and fiber. Furthermore, the processing window for the deformation of phase morphology in the longitudinal direction for FL/PC 10/90 w/w and 25/75 w/w extruded blends at 235 and 260 °C was studied. As shear stress was smaller than 7.0 × 104 Pa, the spherical phase almost did not deform. The transformation from the sphere to the fiber form occurred in the range of shear stress 7.0 × 104 Pa and 15.8 × 104 Pa. In particular, as shear stress was larger than 15.8 × 104 Pa, the fiber broke up into a series of small droplets. Finally, it was concluded that the morphology with the mixture of fiber-like and spherical structures in the longitudinal direction could enhance the FL/PC blends with longer break elongation and higher Young’s modulus.
Learning within the Context of Play: Providing Typical Early Childhood Experiences for Children with Severe Disabilities.

Early childhood educators regard child-initiated, child-directed, teacher-supported play as the primary context in which young children learn, whereas special educators have relied more heavily on ...
Wound-induced accumulation of mRNA containing a hevein sequence in laticifers of rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis)

Abstract Hevein is a chitin-binding protein that is present in laticifers of the rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis). A cDNA clone (HEV1) encoding hevein was isolated by using the polymerase chain reaction with mixed oligonucleotides corresponding to two regions of hevein as primers and a Hevea latex cDNA library as a template. HEV1 is 1018 base pairs long and includes an open reading frame of 204 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence contains a putative signal sequence of 17 amino acid residues followed by a 187-amino acid polypeptide. This polypeptide has two striking features. The amino-terminal region (43 amino acids) is identical to hevein and shows homology to several chitin-binding proteins and to the amino termini of wound-inducible proteins in potato and poplar. The carboxyl-terminal portion of the polypeptide (144 amino acids) is 74-79% homologous to the carboxyl-terminal region of wound-inducible genes of potato. Wounding, as well as application of the plant hormones abscisic acid and ethylene, resulted in accumulation of hevein transcripts in leaves, stems, and latex but not in roots.
Does Parenting Style Matter? Concerted Cultivation, Educational Expectations, and the Transmission of Educational Advantage:

Recent work on the transmission of educational advantage has shifted empirical attention toward the active role of parents and their parenting style. Drawing from cultural capital theory and using longitudinal data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) (N = 512), this study examines how a specific style of parenting, concerted cultivation, and educational expectations relate to adolescents’ academic achievement. Results from a recursive structural equation model (SEM) confirm a direct relationship between educational expectations and achievement, but not for concerted cultivation. However, subsequent analyses indicate that educational expectations also mediate the relationship between a child’s social background and academic achievement. These results provide insights into the family’s role in the transmission of educational advantage and contribute to the larger public and scholarly debate regarding explanations for the stratification of educational outcomes.
Descendo a montanha e seguindo para o norte: como a degradação do solo e os pesticidas sintéticos orientaram a trajetória da agricultura mexicana ao longo do século XX

Mexico's strategy of development in the twentieth century tended to drive new agricultural investments into Mexico's northern deserts and a few lowland tropical valleys. A conjuncture of factors created this trend. The political faction known as "the Sonoran Dynasty" that dominated Mexico's post-revolutionary governments played a critical political and intellectual role. A political crisis resulting from a challenge to the Sonoran vision during the Cardenas government (1934-40) led to an agreement between the United States government, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the Mexican President elected in 1940 to create a program of agricultural research. The development strategy based on this research, which came to be called "The Green Revolution," would dominate Mexican agricultural policies and would also have a major impact on development patterns around the world. Using a combination of archival, secondary, observational, and interview methods, this article examines the deep historical roots of these events and their intended and unintended consequences.
Flash Nanoprecipitation: Prediction and Enhancement of Particle Stability via Drug Structure

Flash nanoprecipitation (FNP) can generate hydrophobic drug nanoparticles in ∼100 nm with a much higher drug loading (e.g., > 40 wt %) than traditional nanocarriers (e.g., < 20 wt %). This paper studies the effects of drug molecules on nanoparticle stability made via FNP and demonstrates that chemically bonding a drug compound (e.g., paclitaxel) with a cleavable hydrophobic moiety of organosilicate (e.g., triethoxysilicate) is able to enhance the particle size stability. A nonionic amphiphilic diblock copolymer, poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)-block-poly(ethylene glycol) (PLGA-b-PEG), is used as a model surfactant to provide steric stabilization. The experiments here show that the lower the drug solubility in the aqueous medium, the more stable the particles in terms of Ostwald ripening, which are consistent with the prediction by the LSW theory. The initial particle size distribution is sufficiently narrow and of insignificance to Ostwald ripening. To correlate the particle stability with hydrophobicity, t...
Blended Learning to Increase Student Satisfaction: An Exploratory Study

Undergraduate nursing research courses are often difficult to teach due to the challenging content and lack of student satisfaction. To address this issue, two nursing instructors and a librarian embedded online discussions into an accelerated format, introductory nursing research course. The study was conducted over two semesters with two different instructors. The researchers investigated if using the blended learning strategy of discussion boards enhanced the learning experience and tested their theory with two measures: a weekly qualitative questionnaire and a post-study survey. Results suggested that asynchronous online discussions increased student satisfaction in introductory nursing research course work.
Book review section: Computer intelligence and human intelligence

Great Ideas in Information Theory, Language, and Cybernetics Jagjit Singh New York: Dover Publications, 1966 pp. viii + 338, Paperbound, $2.00
Belontiidae chemosignal activity: interspecific attraction and perceived chemosignal similarity

Belontiidae chemical communicatory substances were examined for interspecific behavioral activity. In Experiment 1, male Betta were exposed to ripe-female-conditioned water (RFCW) from either the goldfish (Carassius auratus) or one of the following Belontiidae species: (a) Betta splendens, (b) Colisa labiosa, (c) Colisa lalia, (d) Macropodus opercularis, or (e) Trichogaster trichopterus. Time spent near and within a stimulus source tube was used to measure the chemosignal activity for each species. Both behavioral measures showed evidence for interspecific chemocommunication. The proximity measure indicated a phylogenetically nonspecific chemosignal, whereas tube occupancy indicated the presence of a specific Belontiidae system. Experiment 2 was a stimulus generalization test using a psychophysical paradigm. Male Betta were trained to discriminate Betta RFCW from Carassius RFCW, and were subsequently presented with RFCW from either (a) C. lalia, (b) M. opercularis, (c) T. trichopterus, and (d) P. reticulata. The latter were novel stimulus generalization chemosignals. The male Betta perceived Belontiidae RFCW stimuli as similar, whereas guppy RFCW was neither perceived as Belontiidae nor Carassius RFCW. Thus, Belontiidae chemosignals may be similar in structure due to a common phylogenetic ancestry.
Investigation of the quantum yield of the dye-sensitized photoinactivation of ribonuclease.

L'efficacite quantique de la photooxydation de la ribonuclease A sensibilisee par le bleu methylene, l'eosine Y et par FMN a ete etudie sous plusieurs conditions de reaction. On a varie le pH, la temperature, l'intensite de la lumiere et les concentrations de la ribonuclease, du tampon phosphate, de l'oxygene et des colorants.
Development of Millimeter-Wave Package for W-Band

The work described in this paper summarizes the design technology for millimeter-wave MMIC packages by utilizing alumina which is a conventional material used for high frequency packages, to bring forth high reliability. To develop a high performance package and to measure S-parameter accurately at W-band, RF feedthrough of package and interconnection substrate for measurement are improved. The feedthrough structure is optimized by matching the entire transmission mode between microstripline and stripline. for transmission mode oriented structure. A new concept using Radial-Stub-Pad is applied to the interconnection substrate. With these improvements, package insertion loss is about 1dB per one port feedthrough including interconnection substrates and ribbons at 90GHz to 100GHz.
Growth and energetics in Spisula subtruncata (da Costa) and the effect of suspended bottom material

Abstract The influence of suspended bottom material (0–25 mg · l−1) in addition to algal cells (Phaeodactylum tricornutum) (0–500 µg dry org wt · l−1) on clearance, growth and energetics in Spisula subtruncata (da Costa) has been studied. Clearance and respiration rate were independent of concentrations of algae and suspended bottom material. Algal ingestion rate was proportional to algal concentration, and independent of the concentration of suspended bottom material. Growth rate increased with algal concentration, and was further increased by 10 to 110 % by the addition of suspended bottom material. The positive effect of suspended bottom material on growth is due to a higher efficiency of assimilation of the ingested algae and/or to the utilization of organic matter in the suspended bottom material. The efficiency of algal assimilation decreased from 76 % at a low (150 µg dry org wt · 1−1) to 33 % at a high (500 µg) algal concentration in specimens fed pure suspensions of algae. The water processing po...
Global Existence of Smooth Solutions of the N-Dimensional Euler--Poisson Model

The global existence of smooth solutions of the Cauchy problem for the N-dimensional Euler--Poisson model for semiconductors is established, under the assumption that the initial data is a perturbation of a stationary solution of the drift-diffusion equations with zero electron velocity, which is proved to be unique. The resulting evolutionary solutions converge asymptotically in time to the unperturbed state. The singular relaxation limit is also discussed.