cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Florida as an exotic terrane: Paleomagnetic and geochronologic investigation of lower Paleozoic rocks from the subsurface of Florida

New geophysical and geochronological data are presented for a lower Paleozoic subsurface (794–827 m depth) sedimentary core recovered from Alachua County, northern Florida. Paleomagnetic data from samples taken at various depths along the core indicate that a high unblocking temperature component is isolated during thermal demagnetization between 400 and 600 °C. The mean inclination of this component is 65°, yielding a paleolatitude of 49°. Previous paleogeographic reconstructions for the early Paleozoic of North America place Florida at a significantly lower paleolatitude (∼28°), whereas our data are consistent with a Gondwanian fit (∼50°–60°). U/Pb isotopic systematics of zircons separated from core samples yield five dates ranging from ca. 1650 to 1800 Ma. Because there are no known source rocks of this antiquity in southeastern North America, the most probable provenance for these detrital zircons is either Africa or South America. These two new lines of geologic data provide strong evidence confirming previous suggestions that Florida was part of Gondwana during the early Paleozoic and that its current configuration is that of an exotic terrane sutured to North America during the fragmentation of Pangea.
RACE IS NOT A PREDICTOR OF PROSTATE CANCER DETECTION ON REPEAT PROSTATE BIOPSY

ABSTRACTPurpose:: We evaluated men undergoing repeat prostate biopsies for persistently increased serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels to determine if race was a predictor of cancer detection.Materials and Methods:: Between July 1995 and June 2002, 401 men had undergone 2 or more transrectal ultrasound guided prostate biopsies at our institutions. Clinical information was gathered using our prostate biopsy database and retrospectively reviewed. Race, age, serum PSA, PSA velocity, total number of biopsies performed, total number of previous negative cores and the presence of high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN) or atypical small acinar proliferation (ASAP) on prior biopsy were evaluated to determine if they were predictors of subsequent cancer detection. Multivariate analysis was performed using a time dependent covariate Cox proportional hazards model.Results:: Of the 401 men undergoing repeat prostate biopsy, 91 (22.7%) were diagnosed with prostate cancer. In total there were 18...
Developmental Toxicity of Inhaled N-Methylformamide in the Rat

Abstract Developmental Toxicity of Inhaled N-Methylformamide in the Rat. Rickard, L. B., Driscoll, C. D., Kennedy, G. L., Jr., Staples, R. E., and Valentine, R. (1995). Fundam. Appl. Toxicol. 28, 167-176. The developmental toxicity of N-methylformamide (MMF), an industrial chemical intermediate used in the production of agrichemicals, was examined in pregnant rats. MMF was administered by nose-only inhalation, 6 hr daily on Days 7-16 of gestation (the day copulation was confirmed was termed Day 1 of gestation, Day 1G) at exposure concentrations of 0, 15, 50, or 150 ppm. Dams were regularly monitored throughout gestation for body weight gain, feed consumption, and clinical signs. Cesarean sections were performed on Day 22G and the offspring were examined. Maternal toxicity was evident in dams exposed to 50 or 150 ppm; one dam exposed to 150 ppm died on Day 14G (considered to be treatment. related) and dams in the 50 and 150 ppm groups exhibited concentration-related clinical findings. Clinical signs of wheezing and rattling were observed both during and after the exposure period. The 150 ppm group also showed significant decreases in weight gain and feed consumption. A significant increase in the mean number of resorptions per litter at the 150 ppm level indicated an embryolethal effect. Developmental toxicity was apparent by a significant decrease in mean fetal body weight and increases in fetal malformations (subcutaneous cysts on the head, microphthalmia, anophthalmia, fused ribs and/or vertebra, and distended brain ventricles) and variations (misaligned and fused sternebrae) due to retarded development at 150 ppm. Significant fetal body weight decreases were also present at 50 ppm. Thus, in this study, the no-observable-adverse-effect level for both dam and fetus was 15 ppm MMF, indicating that for the parameters included in this study, the conceptus is not uniquely sensitive to MMF.
Activation of Human Liver Glycogen Phosphorylase by Alteration of the Secondary Structure and Packing of the Catalytic Core

Glycogen phosphorylases catalyze the breakdown of glycogen to glucose-1-phosphate, which enters glycolysis to fulfill the energetic requirements of the organism. Maintaining control of blood glucose levels is critical in minimizing the debilitating effects of diabetes, making liver glycogen phosphorylase a potential therapeutic target. To support inhibitor design, we determined the crystal structures of the active and inactive forms of human liver glycogen phosphorylase a. During activation, forty residues of the catalytic site undergo order/disorder transitions, changes in secondary structure, or packing to reorganize the catalytic site for substrate binding and catalysis. Knowing the inactive and active conformations of the liver enzyme and how each differs from its counterpart in muscle phosphorylase provides the basis for designing inhibitors that bind preferentially to the inactive conformation of the liver isozyme.
Promoter-specific activation of mouse lactoferrin gene by epidermal growth factor involves two adjacent regulatory elements.

The mouse lactoferrin gene responded to forskolin, 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate, and epidermal growth factor (EGF) stimulation via two adjacent enhancer elements, the cAMP response element (CRE) and EGF response element (EGFRE), collectively referred to as the mitogen response unit. In this report, we examined the minimal promoter and enhancer elements of the mouse lactoferrin gene that are required for EGF-induced transcriptional activation. We found that the CRE and noncanonical TATA box (ATAAA) are the minimal promoter elements for basal activity of the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter construct whereas the EGFRE is needed for an additional activity induced by EGF in transiently transfected human endometrial carcinoma RL95-2 cells (RL95-2). The EGFRE, however, did not function in heterologous promoters [SV 40 and thymidine kinase (TK)]. Therefore, EGF-stimulated lactoferrin gene activity is promoter specific in RL95-2 cells. In transiently transfected cells, EGF and forskolin s...
Life-sustaining treatment decisions for nursing home residents: who discusses, who decides and what is decided?

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether nursing home residents and their families reported discussions about life-sustaining treatment with their physicians, the relationship between such discussions and orders to limit therapy, and predictors of physician-patient communication about life-sustaining treatment. DESIGN: Cross-sectional interviews and retrospective chart abstraction. SETTING: Three regions: West Coast, New England, Western. SAMPLE: A total of 413 nursing home residents, 363 family/ surrogate interviews, and 192 resident interviews. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Measured were (1) physician-resident communication about life-sustaining treatment and (2) presence of an advance directive or do not resuscitate (DNR) order in resident's chart. RESULTS: Seventy-four percent of residents had DNR orders, and 32% had advance directives; only 29% of residents reported discussions about life-sustaining treatment. Of residents with DNR orders who could have participated in discussions about life-sustaining treatment, nearly half reported they had not discussed CPR with their caregivers. Older age, longer duration of time living in nursing home, location in a New England nursing home, physician-family member discussion, and the presence of an advance directive in the medical chart were positively associated with having DNR orders. Physician-resident discussion was not associated with having a DNR order. For the subsample of interviewed residents, age and a diagnosis of cognitive impairment were negatively associated with a physician-resident discussion about life-sustaining treatment, whereas the likelihood of having a discussion increased with increasing numbers of medical diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS: Chart orders to limit therapy are common, but physician-resident discussions about life-sustaining treatments are not. Far more family members than residents report such discussions with the resident's physicians.
Revisiting catamorphisms over datatypes with embedded functions (or, programs from outer space)

We revisit the work of Paterson and of Meijer & Hutton, which describes how to construct catamorphisms for recursive datatype definitions that embed contravariant occurrences of the type being defined. Their construction requires, for each catamorphism, the definition of an anamorphism that has an inverse-like relationship to that catamorphism. We present an alternative construction, which replaces the stringent requirement that an inverse anamorphism be defined for each catamorphism with a more lenient restriction. The resulting construction has a more efficient implementation than that of Paterson, Meijer, and Hutton and the relevant restriction can be enforced by a Hindley-Milner type inference algorithm. We provide numerous examples illustrating our method.
Ice-active substances associated with Antarctic freshwater and terrestrial photosynthetic organisms

Abstract: Macromolecular substances that cause pitting and other modifications of growing ice crystals were found to be associated with cyanobacterial mats, eukaryotic algae and mosses from Ross Island and the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica. Ice-pitting activities were largely retained by dialysis membranes with molecular weight cut-offs of up to 300 kDa. Unlike most aqueous solutes, the ice-active molecules were not excluded from the ice phase during freezing. The ice-pitting activities of each of the samples tested was destroyed by exposure to temperatures between 45 and 65"C, suggesting that they have a protein component. Ice-active substances were not found in cyanobacteria or mosses from temperate climates, but ice-activity was found to be associated with mosses from cold habitats in North America. Although the function of the ice-active substances is not known, their apparent confinement to cold environments suggests that they have a cryoprotective role. Received 25 April
The many facets of diversity

The panelists approach diversity from different points of view and experiences to produce a positive and productive foundation for an open discussion on the many facets of diversity, it potential, and positive impact on our profession.
Phenolic Compounds and Chromatographic Profiles of Pear Skins (Pyrus spp.)

A standardized profiling method based on liquid chromatography with diode array and electrospray ionization/mass spectrometric detection (LC-DAD-ESI/MS) was used to analyze the phenolic compounds in the skins of 16 pears (Pyrus spp.). Thirty-four flavonoids and 19 hydroxycinnamates were identified. The main phenolic compounds (based on peak area) in all of the pear skins were arbutin and chlorogenic acid. The remaining phenolics varied widely in area and allowed the pears to be divided into four groups. Group 1, composed of four Asian pears (Asian, Asian brown, Korean, and Korean Shinko), contained only trace quantities of the remaining phenolics. Yali pear (group 2) contained significant amounts of dicaffeoylquinic acids. Fragrant pear (group 3) contained significant quantities of quercetin glycosides and lesser quantities of isorhamnetin glycosides and the glycosides of luteolin, apigenin, and chrysoeriol. The remaining 10 pears (group 4) (Bartlett, Beurre, Bosc, Comice, D'Anjou, Forelle, Peckham, Red, Red D'Anjou, and Seckel) contained significant quantities of isorhamnetin glycosides and their malonates and lesser quantities of quercetin glycosides. Red D'Anjou, D'Anjou, and Seckel pears also contained cyanidin 3-O-glucoside. Thirty-two phenolic compounds are reported in pear skins for the first time.
“Not Blending In” Latino Students in a Predominantly White School

This article reports the findings of a study on the experiences of a small but growing population of Latino students in a small-town secondary school. All teachers and administrators were surveyed ...
Increased lethal effects of acutely administered anticholinesterases in female rats prefed with similar agents

Abstract Increased sensitivity to acutely injected O,O -dimethyl-1-hydroxy-2,2,2-trichloroethylphosphonate (trichlorfon) and physostigmine was observed in rats prefed 50 ppm of either octamethylpyrophosphoramide (OMPA) or parathion daily for 40 days. Differences were found in cholinesterase activities in brain, red cells, and plasma between OMPA- and parathion-treated rats sacrificed at 40 days. Increases in the acute lethal effects of physostigmine and trichlorfon were observed in remaining OMPA- and parathion-prefed rats injected at the time of enzyme assay.
Clinical studies of alpha-interferons in chronic myelogenous leukemia.

Chronic myelogenous leukemia Philadelphia chromosome-positive (CML Ph’) is characterized by a multistep evolutionary course starting with a benign phase of variable duration averaging 3.5 years and terminating in a blastic crisis. Therapeutic efforts with chemotherapy were directed toward altering the relentless course of the disease, but were unsuccessful, although supralethal chemotherapy and/or total body irradiation followed by allogeneic bone marrow transplantation became curative in a fraction of the patients (3, 4). The interferons by virtue of their ability to restore stability to the growth of stem cells without the Ph’ translocation in the bone marrow of a small fraction of CML Ph’ patients may provide the basis for a more rational combined therapy (chemotherapy/ biologic therapy) in CML Ph’ (6). The evolution of the therapeutic trials with interferons in CML are presented and potential further directions of biologic therapies in CML are discussed.
Multistatic Reflection Imaging with Terahertz Pulses

Recent advances in the technique of terahertz time-domain spectroscopy have led to the development of the first fiber-coupled room-temperature broadband terahertz sources and detectors. The fiber coupling permits the repositioning of the emitter and receiver antennas without loss of temporal calibration or alignment, thus enabling multistatic imaging. We describe a new imaging method which exploits this new capability. This technique emulates the data collection and image processing procedures developed for geophysical prospecting. We use a migration procedure to solve the inverse problem; this permits us to reconstruct the location, shape, and refractive index of targets. We show examples for both metallic and dielectric model targets, and we perform velocity analysis on dielectric targets to estimate the refractive indices of imaged components. These results broaden the capabilities of terahertz imaging systems, and also demonstrate the viability of the THz system as a test bed for the exploration of new seismic processing methods.
Ultra-photostable n-type PPVs

Poly(p-phenylenevinylene)s containing trifluoromethyl substituted aromatic rings (CF3-PPVs) exhibit high photooxidative stability to give robust materials suitable for demanding applications.
Lidar Measurement Techniques for Understanding Smoke Plume Dynamics in Sugarcane Production

Elastic backscatter lidar has proven to be a valuable tool for measuring plumes from agricultural sources. This paper discusses the use of a ground-based scanning system for plume measurements in sugarcane burning operations.
Mastermind Recruits CycC:CDK8 to Phosphorylate the Notch ICD and Coordinate Activation with Turnover

Notch signaling releases the Notch receptor intracellular domain (ICD), which complexes with CBF1 and Mastermind (MAM) to activate responsive genes. We previously reported that MAM interacts with CBP/p300 and promotes hyperphosphorylation and degradation of the Notch ICD in vivo. Here we show that CycC:CDK8 and CycT1:CDK9/P-TEFb are recruited with Notch and associated coactivators (MAM, SKIP) to the HES1 promoter in signaling cells. MAM interacts directly with CDK8 and can cause it to localize to subnuclear foci. Purified recombinant CycC:CDK8 phosphorylates the Notch ICD within the TAD and PEST domains, and expression of CycC:CDK8 strongly enhances Notch ICD hyperphosphorylation and PEST-dependent degradation by the Fbw7/Sel10 ubiquitin ligase in vivo. Point mutations affecting conserved Ser residues within the ICD PEST motif prevent hyperphosphorylation by CycC:CDK8 and stabilize the ICD in vivo. These findings suggest a role for MAM and CycC:CDK8 in the turnover of the Notch enhancer complex at target genes.
Structural and functional properties of the actin gene family.

Abstract The actin gene family is highly conserved across eukaryotic species, and its family members share a high degree of protein sequence homology. Despite a wealth of knowledge on the structural and functional properties of actin in general, the distinct characteristics of the individual actin isoforms are only beginning to be understood. Recent animal models have provided considerable insight into the unique functions of the different actin isoforms. Additionally, evidence is emerging that the different isoforms have distinct structural and biochemical properties that likely relate to their unique functions. Furthermore, specific regulatory elements and nucleotide coding sequence differences are thought to confer functional specificity to the actin isoforms. Continued elucidation of the functional distinctions between actin isoforms will further our knowledge of the pathophysiology underlying actin-related diseases.
Speckles in a highly corrected adaptive optics system

Understanding the behavior of post-correction speckles in adaptive optics systems at very high Strehl ratio is critical to determining the ultimate effectiveness of such systems for companion searches that may eventually allow the study of extrasolar planets. Recent investigations indicate that speckles, to first order in remnant phase left by the AO system, have a strong "anomalous" component that is not included in the standard (1-S) estimates of the power in the focal plane halo. Brightness of individual anomalous speckles can exceed that of "classical" speckles by orders of magnitude, although it is expected that other unusual properties of the anomalous speckles may cause them to average away rapidly in time integrations, or be instantaneously cancelled by suitable observational techniques. For example, the anomalous speckles are also "pinned," or spatially localized, on secondary Airy maxima, causing them to be suppressed on Airy nulls; they also have zero mean over time, as well as distinct symmetry properties that might be exploited. In this paper, I explore in some detail the range of operational parameters over which anomalous speckles are problematic.
Fourth and sixth order nonlinear permittivity and thermodynamics of tunability in 0.9Pb(Mg1/3,Nb2/3)O3·0.1PbTiO3 and Ba(Ti0.85,Sn0.05)O3 paraelectric ceramics

The nonlinear dielectric properties of 0.9Pb[Mg1/3,Nb2/3]O3·0.1PbTiO3 (PMN-PT) and Ba[Ti0.85,Sn0.15]O3 (BTS) paraelectrics were studied experimentally and theoretically. The nonlinear dielectric response was measured in the parallel plate capacitor configuration, whereby the low frequency linear permittivity ( ?33 ), and the higher order permittivities ( ?3333, ?333333 ) at 298 K were obtained as a33PMN-PT = 2.1x10?7 and ?33BTS = 4.1x10?8 (F/m), ?3333PMN-PT= ?4.9x10?20 and ?333333BTS = 9.85x10?34 (F3m/C2), and ?333333PMT-PT = 7.6x10?33 and ?3333BTS = ?7.3x10?21 (F5m3/C4). By using a self-consistent thermodynamic theory in conjunction with the experimental data, we compute the E3 dependence of electrostatic energy ?G , the field-induced polarization response P3 , the thermodynamic tunability ?2P3/?E32 , and prove that electrostatic free energy has to be expanded at least up to the sixth order in electric field define the critical field |E3*| at which maximum tunability is attained. We also show that |E3*| is a function on |?3333|/?333333 only. Consequently, we find |E3*|PMT-PT = 8.6x105 V/m and |E3*|BTS =8.0x105 V/m. We compute the engineering tunabilities as ?PMN-PT =65% and ?BTS =55%, and then define a normalized tunability ? to take into account the |E3*| parameter. Thereof, we determine |?|PMT-PT = 8.1x10?5 and |?|BTS =6.4x10?5 %/Vm?1. Our results reveal that |E3*|BTS >|E3*|PMNPT although ?BTS < ?PMNPT, unequivocally showing the need for defining a critical field parameter in evaluating the nonlinear dielectric response and tunability in particular, and in nonlinear dielectrics in general. The results also indicate that the nonlinear dielectric properties of PMN-PT are an order of magnitude higher than that of BTS, which we discuss in the context of structure-property relations of relaxors.
The Promissory Future(s) of Education: Rethinking scientific literacy in the era of biocapitalism

This article investigates the biopolitical dimensions that have grown out of the union between biocapitalism and current science education reform in the US. Drawing on science and technology study theorists, I utilize the analytics of promissory valuation and salvationary discourses to understand how scientific literacy in the neo‐Sputnik era has deeply involved educational life in biocapitalist circuits of exchange and production. I lay out this emerging terrain of ‘futuricity’ through a biopolitical analysis of the National Academies highly influential policy recommendation on science education, Rising Above the Gathering Storm as well as the Association of American Universities' National Defense Education and Innovation Initiative. Here it is argued that the educational subject usually seen as a site of human capital investment can better be understood as a ‘biovalue’ in at least two senses: the educational subject's body as a site of investment and as an extractable source of value directly related to...
Epidemic typhoid in Chile: analysis by molecular and conventional methods of Salmonella typhi strain diversity in epidemic (1977 and 1981) and nonepidemic (1990) years.

From 1977 to 1986, Chile experienced an important typhoid fever epidemic, despite statistics that indicated apparently improving levels of sanitation of drinking water and sewage disposal. The lack of antibiotic resistance among the Salmonella typhi strains isolated during this period, the mild clinical presentation of the disease, and the initially low level of efficacy of the S. typhi Ty21a vaccine in the population exposed to the epidemic suggested that this epidemic might have resulted from the dissemination of S. typhi strains with unique characteristics. To investigate this hypothesis, we used conventional methods (bacteriophage typing and biotyping) and molecular methods (restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis, ribotyping, IS200 typing, and PCR amplification of the fliC-d gene) to study a population of 149 S. typhi isolates during 1977, 1981, and 1990, the years that included periods with low (when the disease was endemic) and high (when the disease was epidemic) morbidities. Our results indicate that these S. typhi isolates in Chile represent a number of highly diverse variants of the clone of S. typhi with a worldwide distribution described by Selander et al. (R. K. Selander, P. Beltran, N.H. Smith, R. Helmuth, F.A. Rubin, D.J. Kopecko, K. Ferris, B.D. Tall, A. Cravioto, and J.M. Musser, Infect. Immun. 58:2262-2275, 1990). For example, we detected 26 PstI and 10 ClaI ribotypes among 47 and 16 S. typhi strains belonging to this clone, respectively. These results suggest that the Chilean epidemic was probably produced by multiple sources of infection because of deficient sanitary conditions. These findings illustrate the usefulness of molecular methods for characterizing the potential causes of the typhoid epidemics and the possible routes of transmission of S. typhi strains in typhoid epidemics.
Kin structure provides no explanation for intruders in social aphids.

Nontraditional social organisms have received increasing attention in recent years, because they present opportunities to study the convergent properties of social evolution. Some aphid species are social, occurring in dense clones with specialized morphs that attack predators and parasites. Little is known about how social aphid colonies resolve conflicts of interest when clonal barriers break down. Pemphigus obesinymphae is a North American gall-forming social aphid that produces both nymphal defenders that protect natal clones, and specialized intruders that invade other nearby clones on their host plants. We tested the hypothesis that clones are arranged on their host plants in spatial clusters of related family groups, such that intruders would be biased towards movement within kin groups. Movement within and not between kin groups would then provide insight into the nature of conflict in this social aphid. We sampled eight sites in the eastern United States and in Arizona, and used eight microsatellite markers to estimate pairwise relatedness between spatial groups. We found little evidence of deviation from random distributions of genotypes on their host plants. Evidently, Pem. obesinymphae intruders typically exploit unrelated clones, and spatial orientation provides no solution to the problem of ‘polyclonality’ in this species. We discuss implications of this result for our understanding of cooperation and conflict in social aphids.
Antimicrobial susceptibility of monoculture biofilms of a clinical isolate of Enterococcus faecalis.

The purpose of this study was to create a monoculture biofilm of a clinical isolate of Enterococcus faecalis and to determine susceptibility against four antimicrobial irrigants. Biofilms were subjected to 1-, 3-, and 5-minute exposures to one of the following irrigants: 6% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), 2% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX) or one of two new products, 6% NaOCl with surface modifiers (Chlor-XTRA) or 2% CHX with surface modifiers (CHX-Plus™) (Vista Dental Products, Racine, WI). It was hypothesized that NaOCl and CHX would be equally effective and that addition of surface modifiers would improve bactericidal activity of the respective irrigants compared to the original formulations. Results indicate that 6% NaOCl and ChlorEXTRA™ were significantly superior against E. faecalis biolfilms compared to 2% CHX and CHX-Plus™ at all time points except five minutes. (J Endod 2009;35: 95–97)
Patterns of Freshwater Species Richness, Endemism, and Vulnerability in California

The ranges and abundances of species that depend on freshwater habitats are declining worldwide. Efforts to counteract those trends are often hampered by a lack of information about species distribution and conservation status and are often strongly biased toward a few well-studied groups. We identified the 3,906 vascular plants, macroinvertebrates, and vertebrates native to California, USA, that depend on fresh water for at least one stage of their life history. We evaluated the conservation status for these taxa using existing government and non-governmental organization assessments (e.g., endangered species act, NatureServe), created a spatial database of locality observations or distribution information from ~400 data sources, and mapped patterns of richness, endemism, and vulnerability. Although nearly half of all taxa with conservation status (n = 1,939) are vulnerable to extinction, only 114 (6%) of those vulnerable taxa have a legal mandate for protection in the form of formal inclusion on a state or federal endangered species list. Endemic taxa are at greater risk than non-endemics, with 90% of the 927 endemic taxa vulnerable to extinction. Records with spatial data were available for a total of 2,276 species (61%). The patterns of species richness differ depending on the taxonomic group analyzed, but are similar across taxonomic level. No particular taxonomic group represents an umbrella for all species, but hotspots of high richness for listed species cover 40% of the hotspots for all other species and 58% of the hotspots for vulnerable freshwater species. By mapping freshwater species hotspots we show locations that represent the top priority for conservation action in the state. This study identifies opportunities to fill gaps in the evaluation of conservation status for freshwater taxa in California, to address the lack of occurrence information for nearly 40% of freshwater taxa and nearly 40% of watersheds in the state, and to implement adequate protections for freshwater taxa where they are currently lacking.
Processing, Magnetization and Structural Studies of Bioactive Ferromagnetic Glass-Ceramics

A series of ferromagnetic bioceramic samples in the system 45(CaO, P2O5), ySiO2xFe2O3 were synthesized with various processing parameters in order to study correlations between structure, magnetic properties and preparation variables. X-ray powder diffraction shows that the qualitative as well as the quantitative structure of the samples is strongly affected by processing parameters, including composition, annealing temperature and the chemical reactions. Magnetic measurements illustrate a strong correlation between the saturation magnetization, and hysteresis loss, with the processing parameters of the material.
Short- and long-term survival of large neurons in the excitotoxic lesioned rat caudate nucleus: A light and electron microscopic study

Large striatal neurons are spared in caudate tissue from postmortem brain of patients with Huntington's disease (HD) and in the rat caudate lesioned with excitotoxins at short postlesion intervals. In order to determine the survival of large neurons and other effects of excitotoxicity at longer postlesion intervals the rat caudate nucleus was examined 2,7, and 30 weeks after intrastriatal injections of the excitotoxin, quinolinic acid. The caudate nucleus diminished in size progressively up to 30 weeks postlesion due to (1) shrinkage and compacting of the lesion zone and (2) reduction in area of intact caudate, apparently due to gradual loss of the remaining caudate neurons. In Nissl-stained sections of the lesion zone where total neuronal density was less than 5% of contralateral control, large neurons were present at all postlesion intervals, forming 38-58% of the remaining neurons. Unexpectedly, a fivefold reduction in the number of large neurons was observed between 2 and 30 weeks postlesion. Also, at 7 and 30 weeks postlesion most of the large neurons were confined to the peripheral region of the lesion. At all postlesion intervals, large neurons retained ultrastructural integrity and some synaptic inputs despite the severe disruption of the surrounding neuropil. Surrounding the lesion zone was a transition zone which exhibited a decrease in total neuronal density to 53-74% of control. In this region the density of large neurons was not diminished, and the proportion of large neurons was elevated in comparison to that of controls at all postlesion intervals. Findings suggest that following excitotoxic lesion of the caudate nucleus there are marked differences between short- and long-term postlesion intervals in the survival and distribution of large neurons. We speculate that an imbalance in the synaptic connections with other caudate neurons leads to the persistent loss of large neurons in the lesion zone at long postlesion intervals. A transition zone surrounding the lesion, where cell loss is less severe than in the lesion zone, exhibits features more characteristic of the neuropathology of HD.
Sensitivity of a diagnostic test for amphibian ranavirus varies with sampling protocol

Field samples are commonly used to estimate disease prevalence in wild populations. Our confidence in these estimates requires understanding the sensitivity and specificity of the diagnostic tests. We assessed the sensitivity of the most commonly used diagnostic tests for amphibian Ranavirus by infecting salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum; Amphibia, Caudata) with Ambystoma tigrinum virus (ATV) and then sampling euthanized animals (whole animal) and noneuthanized animals (tail clip) at five time intervals after exposure. We used a standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR) protocol to screen for ATV. Agreement between test results from whole-animal and tail-clip samples increased with time postexposure. This indicates that the ability to identify infected animals increases following exposure, leading to a more accurate estimate of prevalence in a population. Our results indicate that tail-clip sampling can underestimate the true prevalence of ATV in wild amphibian populations.
Balloon Occlusion of the Hypogastric Arteries in the Management of Placenta Accreta: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Obstetric hemorrhage from placenta accreta is associated with a high rate of maternal morbidity and mortality. Recently, balloon occlusion catheters have been used to control intraoperative bleeding during the surgical management of placenta accreta. In this article, we present a review of the literature reporting the use of balloon occlusion catheters in the management of placenta accrete, and a case presentation outlining the use of a Fogarty balloon occlusion catheter to achieve hemostasis in the preoperative management of placenta percreta.
Transferring Waste Minimization Solutions Between Industrial Categories with a Unit Operations Approach: I. Chemical and Plating Industries

Abstract We describe a method that can be used to analyze chemical process flowsheets for waste minimization options for hazardous waste. The system is based on relating current waste minimization solutions to the waste generating unit operation. The system is simple and emphasizes EPA pollution prevention priorities. The system database contains numerous waste minimization solutions compiled from case studies, EPA reports, consultant reports and options identified during waste minimization visits. The database structure and the system which uses the database to analyze chemical process flow is described for two existing companies, a specialty chemical company and a plating company. A pollution prevention index (PPI) that emphasizes EPA pollution prevention priorities as well as economic and technical factors is proposed and is used by the system to rank solutions for a given process flowsheet. Analyses for the specific plating and specialty chemical companies examined are described in detail. It is shown...
AFM and Acoustics: Fast, Quantitative Nanomechanical Mapping

Combining atomic force microscopy and ultrasonic methods allows near-field detection of acoustic signals and thereby otherwise inaccessible nanoscale mechanical characterization. The two predominant variations, ultrasonic force microscopy and atomic force acoustic microscopy, are reviewed in detail. Applications of each to ceramics, polymers, metals, biological materials, and even subsurface structures are discussed, with a particular emphasis on image contrast mechanisms, data analysis, and experimental challenges. Finally, recent advances of these concepts into high-speed surface property mapping are presented, demonstrating 100-fold enhancements in full-frame imaging speeds.
Feedback and Feedback Inconsistency as Sources of Strain and Self-Evaluation

Six hundred and forty police officers participated in a survey of job performance feedback. Results were interpreted in terms of a hierarchical view of feedback, in which task feedback is relied upon most heavily for evaluating one's own performance, but feedback from the organization is used to adjust the way information from the task is used. Consistent with these expectations, self-evaluations were most closely associated with task feedback. Strain varied as a function of both (a) inconsistency between organization and task feedback, and (b) affective relevance of feedback from others.
Process Innovativeness and Firm Performance in Technology Service Firms: The Effect of External and Internal Contingencies

Innovativeness is the capability for innovation or the ability to innovate, and has been acknowledged as a key organizational capability. Process innovativeness is considered as an organization's capability to marshal, integrate, and leverage organizational resources to improve or create new processes. Researchers have noted that though growth in the service sector has been strong in recent years, research on innovation in service processes is sparse. Further, as information and communication technologies become an important component of many service firms' offerings, there is a growing need for research on service firms offering technology intensive services, i.e., technology service firms (TSFs). TSFs may be defined as firms that sell or provide technology in the form of management consultations, evaluations, tests, analyses, maintenance, purchasing advice, studies, designs, plans, and other artifacts. Our research, therefore, examines the relationship between process innovativeness and firm performance in TSFs. Using contingency theory arguments, our model proposes that environmental hostility (external contingency) and aggressive posture (internal contingency) moderate the relationship between process innovativeness and performance in TSFs. Based on data from 108 firms, our results show that firm performance in TSFs is positively related to process innovativeness. Further, we find that while environmental hostility has a moderating effect on the relationship of process innovativeness with TSF performance, no such relationship is found with aggressive posture.
Universal Precautions Revisited: Managing the Inherited Pain Patient

"Universal Precautions in Pain Medicine: A Rational Approach to the Treatment of Chronic Pain" was published in 2005. In it, a unified 10-step approach to the assessment and management of patients suffering from chronic pain was proposed. As well, a triage scheme of risk stratification was offered. By placing patients into risk categories of low, medium, or high (Groups I, II, and III), it became possible to recommend to primary care practitioners those patients whom they might confidently manage on their own, comanage with specialty support, or refer to specialty clinics with more experience and resources to tackle these often challenging cases. It is important to note that Universal Precautions is not simply about opioid prescribing, although the use of opioids does highlight the value inherent in managing risk in all patients. Moreover, it should serve to remind health care professionals that the presence of significant psychiatric comorbidities, including substance-use disorders, may represent treatable conditions that must be addressed in order to optimize outcomes. Universal Precautions as a concept should be based upon mutual trust and respect between patient and practitioner, both of whom should be committed to setting and achieving realistic goals in both cancer and noncancer pain patients. The goal of this article is to explore the application of a Universal Precautions approach to manage the care of patients with chronic pain who no longer have an appropriate source of the medications upon which they have become physically dependent-so-called inherited pain patients.
Schistosoma mansoni phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, a novel egg antigen: immunological properties of the recombinant protein and identification of a T-cell epitope.

In schistosomiasis mansoni, hepatic granulomatous inflammation surrounding parasite eggs is mediated by CD4+ T helper (Th) cells sensitized to schistosomal egg antigens (SEA). We previously showed that a prominent lymphoproliferative response of CD4+ Th cells from schistosome-infected C57BL/6 (BL/6) mice was directed against a 62-kDa component of SEA. A partial amino acid sequence of the 62-kDa component was found to be identical with one present in the enzyme phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK). Based on this sequence, a cDNA clone containing the entire coding region of PEPCK was identified, and the full recombinant Schistosoma mansoni PEPCK (rSm-PEPCK) of 626 amino acids was purified from a prokaryotic expression system. rSm-PEPCK strongly stimulated a specific T-cell hybridoma, 4E6, as well as CD4+ Th cells from SEA-immunized BL/6 mice and from infected BL/6, CBA, and BALB/c mice. In the infected mice, rSm-PEPCK elicited significant gamma interferon production as well as, to a lesser extent, production of interleukin-2 and -5. In BL/6 and BALB/c mice, the CD4+ Th cell response to rSm-PEPCK was greater than that directed against the egg antigen Sm-p40; conversely, CBA mice responded better to Sm-p40 than to Sm-PEPCK. A 12-amino-acid region (residues 398 to 409: DKSKDPKAHPNS) was demonstrated to contain a T-cell epitope; synthetic peptides containing this epitope significantly stimulated specific hybridoma 4E6 and polyclonal CD4+ Th cells. The identification and characterization of immunogenic egg components will contribute to the understanding and possible control of T-cell-mediated schistosomal disease.
Agent-based modeling and simulation of competitive electric power markets

The transition to agent-based competitive wholesale and retail markets for electric utilities around the world has been a difficult and controversial process. One of the difficulties that hindered the development and growth of a competitive power market is the absence of efficient computational tools to assist the design, analysis and operation of the power market. This paper investigates mathematical models associated with a competitive power market and how these models can be converted and transformed in such a way that makes it possible to use typical commercial power system software for agent-based modeling and simulation of the power market. The paper also develops a mechanism to integrate PowerWorld and MatLab for combined optimal power dispatch and agent-based learning interactions. Finally, the paper demonstrates a case study for a competitive electric power system using the integrated software system.
Bioterrorism Knowledge Mapping

Biomedical research used for defense purposes may also be applied to biological weapons development. To mitigate risk, the US Government has attempted to monitor and regulate biomedical research labs, especially those that study bioterrorism agents/diseases. However, monitoring worldwide biomedical researchers and their work is still an issue. In this chapter, we developed an integrated approach to mapping worldwide bioterrorism research literature. Our objectives are to identify the researchers who have expertise in the bioterrorism agents/diseases research domain, the major institutions and countries where these researchers reside, and the emerging topics and trends in bioterrorism agents/diseases research. By utilizing knowledge mapping techniques, we analyzed the productivity status, collaboration status, and emerging topics in the bioterrorism domain. The analysis results provide insights into the research status of bioterrorism agents/diseases and thus allow a more comprehensive view of bioterrorism researchers and ongoing work.
Institutional Professionalism for Lawyers: Realizing the Virtues of Civic Professionalism

William M. Sullivan's book, "Work and Integrity: The Crisis and Promise of Professionalism in America" (Jossey-Bass [San Francisco], 2d ed. 2005), laments the continuing decline in civic participation on the part of both American professionals and the public at large, resulting from the combined forces of technological change, globalization, and rampant materialism. Sullivan contends that professionals can point the way toward a renewed era of civic engagement by embracing a vision of professionalism that places a commitment to civic participation at its core. Though Sullivan's focus is on the professions generally, rather than the legal profession in particular, lawyers and legal academics have much to gain from considering Sullivan's views in conjunction with their work. This review essay represents an initial effort to compare Sullivan's views with existing scholarship regarding the appropriate professional roles and responsibilities of lawyers.
BE$T, an Energy Savings Tool

A new computer software tool has been created allowing the energy user to easily survey motors in his plant and record the inventory by means of a PDA (Palm Pilot or equivalent). The tool allows the user to easily perform a quick calculation, automatically selecting equivalent higher efficiency motors and calculating the payback time for the investment compared to energy savings. The tool is unique because of its ease of use and flexibility.
Counter-narratives of slavery in the Deep South: the politics of empathy along and beyond River Road

ABSTRACTThe historical institution of slavery is unevenly memorialized across the US's cultural landscape. This unevenness is particularly noticeable in ‘Deep South’ states such as Mississippi and Louisiana, where cotton and sugar cane plantations once required vast numbers of slaves to economically succeed. While many antebellum plantation sites now function as tourist attractions complete with ‘Big House’ tours, they often ignore or annihilate the memory of slavery from plantation history. However, not all plantations and museums disregard slavery, and the owners and workers at these sites intentionally employ slavery counter-narratives to evoke empathy in visitors and create a more socially just cultural landscape. This paper examines three sites along and beyond River Road that employ counter-narrative techniques: the Natchez Museum of African-American History and Culture, Frogmore Cotton Plantation, and Whitney Plantation. The paper includes a discussion of each site's narrative tactics and how they ...
COMPOSITE ICHNOFABRICS: CATEGORIZATION BASED ON NUMBER OF ICHNOCOENOSES AND THEIR TEMPORAL INCONGRUENCE

Abstract Three general types of composite ichnofabric can be distinguished based on mechanisms responsible for trace-fossil overprinting, number of ichnocoenoses present, and relative timing of ichnocoenosis emplacement. Autocomposite ichnofabrics, which comprise a single ichnocoenosis, form by gradual upward migration of vertically partitioned benthic communities in pace with sedimentation; because they are presumed to reflect paleoenvironmental stasis, they are most useful in assessing aspects of benthic paleoecology (e.g., endobenthic tiering). Heterocomposite ichnofabrics comprise two or more ichnocoenoses produced in response to short- to long-term environmental perturbations within a depositional system; they reflect depositional process (e.g., event sedimentation) and longer-term paleoenvironmental dynamics. Ultracomposite ichnofabrics form by overprinting of ichnocoenoses that are significantly temporally disjunct and reflect bioturbation in disparate depositional systems. Although the latter ichn...
The prevention of ice crystal growth from water by "antifreeze proteins"

Special blood proteins present in fish that live in freezing sea water prevent ice growth in the blood to temperatures down to 1.5°C below its equilibrium freezing point (melting point) [1]. These compounds are peptides (AFPs) in some fishes, glycopeptides (AFGPs) in others, and range in MW from 3,300 to 33,000 daltons, and are collectively known as antifreezes (AFs). Similar proteins are found in the hemolymph of certain co]d-tolerant insects [2]. The antifreeze action appears to be the only reported case of crystal growth inhibition from the melt by a molecular solute as opposed to a gel-forming polymer. It is in effect an inhibition, not just a retardation of growth velocity. The temperature range over which an ice crystal neither melts nor grows is a sort of freezing hysteresis gap (Fig. 1). Beside the hysteresis, the AFs have a profound effect upon the habit of ice grown from water, reversing the anisotropy of growth rate from fastest along the a-axes to predominantly along the c__-axis.