cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Factors in Processing Reclaimed Rubber

Abstract Production of reclaimed rubber of uniformly good physical and chemical properties is dependent first upon judicious classification and blending of raw materials. Grinding to a state in which no large particles are present, but without an excess of fines, allows a minimum devulcanizing time at a given temperature, decreases the tendency to depolymerize to an objectionable extent, and reduces the requirement for softeners. These conditions facilitate further processing to a smooth product of good quality with the desired plasticity and with optimum compounding, milling, calendering, and tubing characteristics. Devulcanization at high temperatures tends to reduce the tensile slightly and to increase the elongation as compared with treatment at lower temperatures. Alkali reclaims require efficient washing to remove residual caustic and the recovery of fines from the wash liquors involves problems of settling and filtration or screening. Drying of wet-processed reclaims at high temperatures or for an ...
Phenolic Compounds in Roots and Leaves of Four Citrus Cultivars

As part of an investigation of the biochemical changes associated with the decline of citrus trees caused by the burrowing nematode, Radopholus similis (Cobb) Thorne, a study was undertaken on the isolation of growth promoters and inhibitors in both the roots and young branch terminals. Since a number of phenolics have been identified as co-factors for indolyl-3-acetic acid (IAA) oxidase1, a better understanding of the type of growth associated with citrus decline would involve information concerning possible changes in the phenolic constituents. Another reason for consideration is the participation, if any, of phenolics in host resistance either prior to or after pathogenesis. This portion of the investigation is concerned with the extraction, chromatography and identification of the free and acid hydrolysable (bound) phenolics in the leaves and roots of 4 citrus cultivars.
Pretrial publicity: Media coverage and guilt attribution 1

Courts are often placed in the position of estimating community bias against a defendant on the basis of media coverage. This research attempts to estimate the degree to which one can predict pretrial guilt attribution from the publicity given a case by the media. The research also attempts to examine the relative impact of progressively higher levels of pretrial publicity using an information integration model. Data from five surveys of pretrial publicity, covering four murder cases, is analyzed. The results indicate that no media variable tested for was a good predictor of pretrial guilt attribution. The data also supports a linear rather than a configural model of information integration. The implications for these findings are also discussed.
Transport and tunneling measurements of quench-condensed Bi films

Abstract We report on transport and tunneling studies of thin amorphous quench-condensed Bi .97 Tl .03 samples deposited onto clean insulating substrates. The results extend into a previously unreported regime of normal sample resistances of 300–10,000 Ω. For all but the thinnest samples, measurements of the ratio of the superconducting energy gap to the superconducting transition temperature are in good agreement with previous measurements on very thick films. Tunneling measurements in the presence of small perpendicular magnetic fields are consistent with previous conclusions regarding inhomogeneities in similarly prepared samples.
Characteristics of turbulent nonpremixed jet flames under normal- and low-gravity conditions

Abstract An experimental study was performed with the aim of investigating the structure of transitional and turbulent nonpremixed jet flames under different gravity conditions. Experiments were conducted under three gravity levels, viz., 1 g, 20 mg, and 100 μg. The milligravity and microgravity conditions were achieved by dropping a jet-flame rig in the University of Texas at Austin 1.25-s and NASA-Glenn Research Center 2.2-s drop towers, respectively. The flames studied were piloted nonpremixed propane, ethylene, and methane jet flames at source Reynolds numbers ranging from 2000 to 10,500. The principal diagnostic employed was time-resolved cinematographic imaging of the visible soot luminosity. Mean and root-mean-square (RMS) images were computed, and volume rendering of the image sequences was used to investigate the large-scale structure evolution and flame tip dynamics. The relative importance of buoyancy was quantified with the parameter, ξ L , as defined by Becker and Yamazaki (Combust. Flame 33 (1978) 123–149). The results showed, in contrast to some previous microgravity studies, that the high-Reynolds-number flames have the same flame length irrespective of the gravity level. The mean and RMS luminosity images and the volume renderings indicate that the large-scale structure and flame tip dynamics are essentially identical to those of purely momentum-driven flames provided ξ L is less than approximately 2–3. The volume renderings show that the luminous structure velocities (i.e., celerities) normalized by the jet exit velocity are approximately constant for ξ L 6 , but scale as ξ L 3 / 2 for ξ L > 8 . The flame length fluctuation measurements and volume renderings also indicate that the luminous structures are more organized in low gravity than in normal gravity. Finally, taken as a whole, this study shows that ξ L is a sufficient parameter for quantifying the effects of buoyancy on the fluctuating and mean characteristics of turbulent jet flames.
Heparin interaction with cultured cells: possible role of fibronectin in uncoupling surface binding and endocytosis.

Cellular uptake of 3H-heparin by cultured Chinese hamster ovary cells does not follow the pattern that would be expected on the basis of binding kinetics. It is essentially non-saturable and its low pinocytotic index is consistent with fluid-phase endocytosis, while surface binding is saturable and suggests the presence of specific receptors. Most of the surface-bound heparin is released into the medium and only minimal amounts are internalized when temperature is shifted from 0 ° to 37 °C. This uncoupling of surface binding and endocytosis may be due to the binding of heparin to an external surface macromolecule that is only loosely attached to the plasma membrane, and may therefore escape endocytosis. Fibronectin is a likely candidate to provide that type of binding site. Heparin has been found to bind specifically to a number of mammalian cells (Kjellen et al., 1977; Glimelius et al., 1978;Shanberge et al., 1976; Fabian et al., 1978), but no attempt was made in those studies to distinguish between surface binding and cellular uptake. Heparin is transported into cells when complexed to other macromolecules (Fabian et al., 1978; Shen and Ryser, 1981;Morad et al., 1982) and does then exert some cellular effects (Shen and Ryser, 1981). Despite the wide clinical use of heparin, little is known about its membrane transport and intracellular effects, although endocytosis of other polyanions has been shown to inhibit phago-lysosomal fusion in macrophages (Geisow et al., 1980). We show here that endocytosis of heparin does occur in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, but that it follows a most unusual pattern in that it does not correlate with heparin binding to the cell surface. We suggest that this uncoupling is due to the binding of heparin to an external membrane macromolecule that, like fibronectin, is easily shed into the medium.
Primary antibody response in mice bearing leukemia L1210.

La risposta immunitaria primaria a globuli rossi di montone, studiata mediante la tecnica delle placche di Jerne in topi CDF1 normali o portatori di leucemia L1210, indica che lo sviluppo neoplastico deprime la formazione di anticorpi umorali solo nel caso in cui l'antigene venga iniettato in fase avanzata della malattia.
A Student's Perspective on Medical Ethics Education

Despite many efforts to increase ethics education in US medical schools, barriers continue to arise that impede the production of morally driven physicians who practice medicine with ideal empathy. Research has shown that, particularly during the clinical years, medical students lose the ability both to recognize ethical dilemmas and to approach such situations with compassionate reasoning. This article summarizes the current status of ethics education in US medical schools, described through the eyes of and alongside the story of a graduating medical student.
Growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-I and mesangial matrix in uremic rats.

Combined growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) therapy has been advocated for clinical use to minimize the diabetogenic effect of GH and enhance their anabolic effects. However, GH has been shown to accelerate the development of glomerular sclerosis in experimental animals and IGF-I mediates the renal effects of GH. The purpose of this study was therefore to examine morphometrically the effects of GH (1 mg intraperitoneally three times a week), IGF-I (50 μg/kg body weight subcutaneously twice a day), and combined GH/IGF-I treatments in vivo on mesangial matrix at 3–20 days after 5/6 nephrectomy in 140- to 150-g rats. There were no significant changes in growth and renal function after GH and/or IGF-I treatment. The effects of GH and IGF-I on glomerular size were additive, which were more prominent in juxtamedullary glomeruli. GH induced proportional increases in mesangial area (MA) and glomerular area (GA), whereas IGF-I induced a similar increase in GA without a corresponding change in MA. When compared with GH treatment alone, combined GH/IGF-I treatment resulted in a lesser degree of mesangial expansion despite an enhanced glomerular size. While additional studies are needed to examine the long-term effects of these findings, our results suggest a potentially beneficial effect of combined GH/IGF-I therapy during uremia.
Behavioral associations between prostate and colon cancer screening.

Background Despite the controversy over the utility of routine prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening in reducing prostate cancer-specific mortality, it has gained widespread use throughout the United States. Although colorectal cancer (CRC) screening reduces CRC mortality and appears to be cost effective, CRC screening adherence is suboptimal. To better understand screening behaviors among men, the Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance Survey was used to identify potential relationships that would allow interventions to enhance CRC screening. Study design We included in our analysis 22,304 men, 50 years and older, who participated in the 2002 Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance Survey. Chi-square and multivariate analyses were performed to determine the independent correlates of adherence to CRC screening. Independent variables evaluated were age, race, educational level, employment status, income, health insurance, the presence of a personal physician, self-reported general health, current smoking status, and receiving a PSA test. Results Men were more adherent with PSA screening than CRC screening (50.4% versus 47.6%;p Conclusions More men received PSA testing than CRC screening. Men who received PSA testing were more likely to adhere to CRC screening. Taken together, PSA testing may represent a "teachable moment" for a behavior-related intervention aimed at reducing the risk of colon cancer. Targeting men who already accept one form of cancer screening can potentially increase CRC screening adherence.
The role of type-IIIStreptococcus agalactiae extracellular type-specific antigen in mouse virulence enhancement

The adult mouse model was employed to examine the mechanism of virulence enhancement by the extracellular type-specific antigen (ETSA) of type-IIIStreptococcus agalactiae. Intraperitoneal injection of ETSA along with the infecting strain lowered the LD50 value forS. agalactiae and allowed for a more rapid proliferation of the organisms as opposed to that caused by the presence of a nonspecific dextran. The ETSA did not hinder recruitment of peritoneal exudate cells (PEC) into the peritoneal cavity as has been shown with capsular antigens of other bacteria. Chemiluminescent responses of mouse resident PEC demonstrated that these cells could render a respiratory burst when exposed to type-IIIS. agalactiae in the absence of complement and/or type-specific antibody. If the mouse PEC were exposed to ETSA before phagocytosis was attempted, however, ingestion of the type-III group-B streptococci was reduced. ETSA did not affect the viability of the PEC as determined by trypan blue exclusion. These results indicate that the ETSA can affect mouse PEC in an unidentified manner, thus rendering them less capable of ingesting and/or kiling type-IIIS. agalactiae.
Impact of positive surgical margins on prostate cancer recurrence and the use of secondary cancer treatment: data from the CaPSURE database.

Purpose:: We determined the impact of positive surgical margins on prostate specific antigen (PSA) recurrence and secondary treatment in patients who underwent radical prostatectomy as definitive local treatment for prostate cancer.Materials and Methods:: We reviewed the pathology reports of 1,383 patients in the CaPSURE * *Technology Assessment Group, San Francisco, California. database, a longitudinal disease registry of men with prostate cancer, who underwent radical prostatectomy as definitive local treatment. Pathological stage, Gleason score, and the number and location of any positive surgical margins were determined in each patient. PSA recurrence was defined as PSA 0.2 ng./ml. or greater on 2 consecutive occasions after radical prostatectomy. Secondary cancer treatment consisted of radiation or androgen deprivation after radical prostatectomy. Adjuvant and nonadjuvant secondary treatment was given within and more than 6 months after radical prostatectomy, respectively. Kaplan-Meier event rates of...
On connected filters in color image processing

A standard approach to extending gray-scale filters to color is the use of gray-scale filters on each of the red, green, and blue bands separately. This RGB component method, when applied to connected filters, causes the introduction of new colors into the image, which could lead to incorrect classification or analysis. We develop a method of applying connected filters to color images using rotation in the hue band of the hue-saturation-value (HSV) color space. The rotation shifts the discontinuity in hue such that the distance to the nearest k-means cluster mean is maximized and the histogram value is simultaneously minimized. When applied to the sample image set, the error from the RGB component approach is of the order of 10 times greater than that of our hue rotation approach. Additionally, our approach yields qualitatively improved images, with fewer new colors introduced than the RGB component method.
Ultra-slow processes in disordered insulators

Abstract We consider some consequences of very slow transition rates in Anderson localized disordered systems. Primary focus is on the glassy state of the electronic system. The problem is considered without, and with Coulomb interactions. It is found that the entropy changes smoothly through the glass temperature, while the poarizability changes sharply. Some possible applications of the electron glass are discussed.
Standing on the Shoulders of Giants Looking Ahead to Facilitating Membership and Relationships for Children with Disabilities

In the past 35 years, professionals in the field of early childhood special education have demonstrated great advances in social skills interventions for young children with disabilities. We no longer question if social behavior is important or if we can teach children social behaviors. Despite what we have learned, much work remains. In this article I identify three areas in which work is still needed: (a) working with families to define social outcomes in a meaningful and culturally relevant manner; (b) expanding our definition of social behaviors and moving toward a framework based on social relationships rather than social skills; and (c) developing interventions that are socially valid, ecologically valid, and sustainable across settings.
A Method of Permeabilization of Drosophila Embryos for Assays of Small Molecule Activity

The Drosophila embryo has long been a powerful laboratory model for elucidating molecular and genetic mechanisms that control development. The ease of genetic manipulations with this model has supplanted pharmacological approaches that are commonplace in other animal models and cell-based assays. Here we describe recent advances in a protocol that enables application of small molecules to the developing fruit fly embryo. The method details steps to overcome the impermeability of the eggshell while maintaining embryo viability. Eggshell permeabilization across a broad range of developmental stages is achieved by application of a previously described d-limonene embryo permeabilization solvent (EPS1) and by aging embryos at reduced temperature (18 °C) prior to treatments. In addition, use of a far-red dye (CY5) as a permeabilization indicator is described, which is compatible with downstream applications involving standard red and green fluorescent dyes in live and fixed preparations. This protocol is applicable to studies using bioactive compounds to probe developmental mechanisms as well as for studies aimed at evaluating teratogenic or pharmacologic activity of uncharacterized small molecules.
One-month adherence in children with new-onset epilepsy: white-coat compliance does not occur

OBJECTIVES. Adherence to antiepileptic drug therapy plays an important role in the effectiveness of pharmacologic treatment of epilepsy. The purpose of this study was to use an objective measure of adherence to (1) document patterns of adherence for the first month of therapy for children with new-onset epilepsy, (2) examine differences in adherence by demographic and epilepsy variables, and (3) determine whether treatment adherence improves for a short time before a clinic visit (eg, “white-coat compliance”). METHODS. Participants included 35 children with new-onset epilepsy (mean age: 7.2 years; 34% female; 66% white) and their caregivers. Children had a diagnosis of partial (60%), generalized (29%), or unclassified (11%) epilepsy. Adherence to treatment was electronically monitored with Medication Event Monitoring System TrackCap, starting with the first antiepileptic drug dose. Adherence was calculated across a 1-month period and for the 1, 3, and 5 days before and 3 days after the clinic appointment. RESULTS. Adherence for the first month of treatment in children with new-onset epilepsy was 79.4%. One-month adherence was higher in children of married parents and those with higher socioeconomic status but did not correlate with child9s gender, age, epilepsy type, prescribed medication, seizure frequency, or length of time since seizure onset. Adherence across the entire 1-month period was not different from adherence for the 1, 3, or 5 days before or 3 days after the clinic visit. CONCLUSIONS. Poor adherence seen for children with new-onset epilepsy during the first month of antiepileptic drug therapy is a cause for concern. Several demographic variables influence adherence to treatment, whereas the proximity to a clinic visit does not. Additional studies are needed to document whether this trend continues longitudinally and determine the clinical impact of poor adherence.
Fetal atrial natriuretic factor and arginine vasopressin responses to hyperosmolality and hypervolemia

Atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) is a class of diuretic and natriuretic peptides secreted by mammalian cardiac atria. Although basal plasma ANF levels in the ovine fetus are elevated relative to the adult, fetal secretion of ANF increases in response to intravascular isotonic saline infusion. Recent in vitro and in vivo studies indicate that ANF secretion also may be stimulated by increased plasma osmolality and/or sodium concentration. The present studies were conducted to determine if volume expansion associated with increased plasma osmolality would further augment ANF secretion in the ovine fetus. In response to successive 30-min intravenous infusions of 3% saline at 0.5 and 1.0 ml/kg/min fetal plasma ANF significantly increased from a basal level of 98 +/- 31 pg/ml to a peak of 439 +/- 42 pg/ml (p less than 0.05). During a 30-min postinfusion recovery period, fetal plasma ANF significantly decreased from peak values to 224 +/- 10 pg/ml (p less than 0.05), although remaining above basal levels. Fetal plasma osmolality significantly increased from 300 +/- 2 mosmol to 325 +/- 3 mosmol (p less than 0.05) whereas fetal plasma arginine vasopressin increased from 1.9 +/- 0.4 to 10.9 +/- 7.0 pg/ml (p less than 0.05) at the conclusion of the 3% saline infusion. During the saline infusion a significant increase in fetal heart rate and decrease in fetal hematocrit were noted. Fetal blood pressure and maternal plasma ANF and arginine vasopressin concentrations remained unchanged. Despite the potential stimulatory effects of hyperosmolality, increased plasma arginine vasopressin, and intravascular volume expansion, the increase in fetal plasma ANF in the present study did not exceed that induced by isotonic saline alone.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Solubilization and partial purification of a rat intestinal 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 binding protein.

Abstract A protein containing fraction that will bind 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 both in vivo and in vitro has been solubilized from the nuclear-debris fraction of rat intestinal mucosa and purified 15-fold.
Oceanic transport and storage of carbon emissions

Using a global carbon cycle model (GLOCO) that considers seven terrestrial biomes, surface and deep ocean layers based on the HILDA model and a single mixed atmosphere, we analyzed the response of atmospheric CO2 concentration and oceanic DIC and DOC depth profiles to additions of carbon to the atmosphere and ocean. The rate of transport of carbon to the deepest oceanic layers is rather insensitive to the atmosphereic-ocean surface gas exchange coefficient over a wide range, hence discrepancies between researchers on the precise global average value of this coefficient do not significantly affect predictions of atmospheric response to anthropogenic inputs. Upwelling velocity, on the other hand, amplifies oceanic response by increasing primary production in the upper ocean layers, resulting in a larger flux into DOC and sediments and increased carbon storage; experiments to reduce the uncertainty in this parameter would be valuable.
The scaphoid allograft: A new operation for treatment of the very proximal scaphoid nonunion or for the necrotic, fragmented scaphoid proximal pole

This is a preliminary report of eight cases in which an allograft was used to replace half of the scaphoid. The indications for the procedure include the following: (1) Severe necrosis with fragmentation of the proximal pole, (2) Very proximal pole nonunion with small (less than 20% of the bone), unreconstructable proximal fragments, and (3) One case of severely comminuted intra-articular fracture of the scaphotrapezial joint and basal joint of the thumb caused by a gunshot wound. The Herbert scaphoid screw was used to provide rigid fixation. Follow-up ranged from 8 to 30 months. The result was good in six of eight patients. It should be emphasized that this is a preliminary report of the early experience with a new operation for salvage of difficult scaphoid fracture problems.
Photoswitchable catalysis mediated by dynamic aggregation of nanoparticles.

Catalytic activity of gold nanoparticles in a hydrosilylation reaction is controlled by irradiation with UV or visible light. When exposed to UV, the particles aggregate and the catalysis is effectively switched “off”. When the particles are exposed to visible light, the particles redisperse and catalysis can proceed.
Cytoplasmic microtubule-associated proteins: Phosphorylation at novel sites is correlated with their incorporation into assembled microtubules

We have analyzed the detailed structure and cytoplasmic distribution of cytoplasmic microtubule-associated proteins. The procedure used to identify these proteins, based on preparation of detergent-extracted cytoskeletons, permits separation of fractions containing assembled and unassembled microtubule proteins. We show that two of these proteins, 69 and 80 kd, are closely related to one another and that each protein is present as a set of structurally related polypeptides with differing isoelectric points. In both neuroblastoma and pheochromocytoma cells, several of the isoelectric variants are greatly enriched in the fraction containing assembled microtubule components. Their differential distribution is correlated with phosphorylation at novel sites on the protein. These results support the possibility that covalent modification of a cytoskeletal component may specify its functional state.
Overt and Covert Coparenting Processes in the Family

This article introduces a new self-report instrument designed to measure the frequency of parental behaviors thought to promote or undermine children's sense of family. Members of 103 married couples rated their behavior in both public (all family members present) and private (alone with child) contexts. Factor analyses of these data revealed four distinct factors indexing: behaviors in the service of promoting a sense of Family Integrity; largely covert parent-to-child communications undermining, or conveying Disparagement of, the coparental partner; overt interparental Conflict in the presence of the child; and coparental disciplinary activities (Reprimand). Significant husband-wife correlations were found on each of the four individual subscales. Construct-specific intercorrelations also obtained between like scales on the new measure and on the Family Environment Scale and Quality of Coparenting Scale. Cluster analyses of husbands' and wives' scores on the four Coparenting Scale factors suggested five “types” of coparenting families: Disconnected, Supportive, Average, Distressed-Conflicted, and Passionate. These clusters, along with the value of self-report instruments in assessing coparenting behaviors that may be largely clandestine in nature, are discussed.
RADIOMETRIC MEASUREMENT OF FOOD QUALITY‐A REVIEW

Techniques used in the analysis of diffuse reflection and transmission in intact foods such as peaches and oranges are summarized. Examples are given to provide a basis for establishing the methods used for reduction of spectrophotometric data. Procedures for data analysis with computers are given along with examples of instrumentation.
Highly Efficient Automated Control for an MGR Gas Turbine Power Plant

A control system design for the Modular High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor Gas Turbine power plant (MGR-GT) is presented. The control system is designed to provide full-scale automated control functions for power output regulation and plant protection in accordance with utility requirements for modular nuclear power plants. Control of the plant power output is based on a unique integration of inventory control and bypass control, which not only enables required load following capabilities but also offers 45% electric generating efficiency over the power ranges from 100% to 50% of the rated level. The reactor power is controlled based on the strategy of maintaining constant core outlet temperature. This approach minimizes the occurrence of thermal transients and temperature redistribution in the core during reactor power changes. In addition, the control system also provides emergency protective control to protect the plant components and to mitigate the likelihood of bounding safety events in case of severe accidents. The operation of the control system is automated by controllers implemented based on the state-space feedback control methodology. A spectrum of transients in both normal and far-off normal conditions has been simulated to evaluate the operability of the plant. The simulation results for a few selected events will be described. The design demonstrates that the MGR-GT is a highly efficient and robust controllable power plant.Copyright © 1991 by ASME
The problem of bacterial contamination in studies of protein synthesis by isolated mitochondria.

Abstract There has been some question concerning the role of contaminating bacteria in observations of protein synthesis in isolated mitochondria. Although Roodyn, Reis, and Work (1) found that preparations of rat liver mitochondria do contain bacteria, Roodyn, Freeman, and Tata (2) later concluded that the bulk of amino acid incorporated was introduced into mitochondrial protein. On the other hand, Sandell et al . (3) recently reported that no incorporation could be observed in sterile, filtered mitochondrial systems. This communication reports a highly efficient means of separating labeled mitochondrial membrane proteins from contaminating bacteria. The results obtained establish conclusively that isolated mitochondria possess intrinsic capacity for protein synthesis and permit definition of conditions for studying this process unambiguously. However, they also show that significant amino acid incorporation may occur into contaminating bacteria, that bacteria may compete for and “monopolize” labeled amino acids, and that bacterial contamination may account for two properties previously attributed to protein synthesis in mitochondria, viz. insensitivity to ribonuclease (1, 4, 5) and non-requirement of ATP (6).
Effects of Continuous Flow Left Ventricular Assist Device Support on Microvascular Endothelial Function

The effects of continuous flow left ventricular assist device (CF-LVAD) support on microvascular endothelial function in New York Heart Association (NYHA) class IV heart failure (HF) patients are currently unknown. Microvascular endothelial function was assessed by beat-to-beat plethysmographic measurement of finger arterial pulse wave signal changes for 5 min following reactive hyperemia. A group of seven NYHA class IV HF patients was evaluated before CF-LVAD placement (HF), and a second group of six NYHA class IV HF patients was evaluated 1–4 months following CF-LVAD placement (CF-LVAD). Additionally, a third group of seven age-matched healthy subjects served as controls (control). There was no significant (P > 0.05) difference among the three groups in age, weight, or height. Systolic blood pressure (BP) was significantly higher in the control group (120 ± 2 mmHg) as compared to that in the HF (97 ± 8 mmHg, P = 0.005) and CF-LVAD (106 ± 4 mmHg, P = 0.003) groups. Diastolic BP was significantly lower in the HF group (57 ± 5 mmHg) as compared to that in the control (71 ± 2 mmHg, P = 0.012) and CF-LVAD (80 ± 7 mmHg, P = 0.008) groups. The reactive hyperemic index (RHI), a measure of endothelial function, was significantly higher in the control group (2.373 ± 0.274) than in both the HF (1.543 ± 0.173, P = 0.013) and CF-LVAD (1.355 ± 0.163, P = 0.004) groups; however, there was no significant (P = 0.223) difference in RHI between the HF and CF-LVAD groups. The results of the present study demonstrate that while 1–4 months of CF-LVAD support do not negatively affect microvascular endothelial function, 1–4 months of CF-LVAD support do not significantly improve vascular function in resistance vessels.
Numerical solution of the stationary state Schrodinger equation using transparent boundary conditions

To solve the discrete version of the stationary state Schrodinger equation to Numerov accuracy, the author uses boundary conditions at the limits of the computational domain that mimic an interval of infinite extent. He also describes methods for finding particle energies, scattering coefficients, and partial-wave phase shifts.
Major potential confounder not addressed.

Jennifer Vines This is the fi rst of 12 Correspondence pieces in this issue that are in response to an important PLoS Medicine Research Article: Auvert B, Taljaard D, Lagarde E, Sobngwi-Tambekou J, Sitta R, et al. (2005) Randomized, controlled intervention trial of male circumcision for reduction of HIV infection risk: The ANRS 1265 trial. PLoS Med 2(11): e298. Readers wishing to add their own views may do so using our E-letters facility, where the debate continues.
Syndeformational magnetization in the Ordovician Bigfork Chert at Black Knob Ridge, western Ouachita Mountains, southern Oklahoma

ABSTRACT Paleomagnetic and rock magnetic results from unweathered samples of the Ordovician Bigfork Chert at Black Knob Ridge in southern Oklahoma indicate the presence of a pervasive magnetization that resides in magnetite. The magnetization has a steep, southeast direction. Small and medium-scale folds acquired magnetization during or after Carboniferous folding. The declination in sites along Black Knob Ridge also shows a north to south 28° counter-clockwise shift. The Bigfork Chert at Black Knob Ridge was folded and thrusted along the Ti Valley fault system in the late Paleozoic. A pervasive late Paleozoic magnetization with a shallow inclination occurs in the laterally equivalent Viola Limestone in front of the thrust and in the Arbuckle Mountains. This direction is used as a reference for comparison with the Bigfork Chert Formation at Black Knob Ridge. The steep inclinations in the rocks at Black Knob Ridge are interpreted to be primarily the results of rotation around a horizontal axis as a result of thrusting. The declination change along the ridge is also interpreted to be the result of rotational movements during thrusting. The pervasive magnetizaion at Black Knob Ridge is interpreted to have been acquired during the deformation. The results of fold tests and an incremental test correcting for both strike and dip suggest remanence acquisition during late stage folding and during an early stage of thrusting. The low thermal history of the Bigfork Chert suggests that the pervasive component is a chemical remanent magnetization (CRM) although a strain-related mechanism cannot be definitely ruled out. The proposed CRM may be related to fluid migration through fractures produced during folding and thrusting. Alternatively, an in situ chemical process (e.g. maturation of hydrocrabons) may have caused the remagnetization.
Adaptive Partitioning and Scheduling for Enhancing WWW Application Performance

This paper studies runtime partitioning, scheduling and load balancing techniques for improving performance of online WWW-based information systems such as digital libraries. The main performance bottlenecks of such a system are caused by the server computing capability and Internet bandwidth. Our observations and solutions are based on our experience with the Alexandria Digital Library (ADL) testbed at UCSB, which provides online browsing and processing of documents, digitized maps, and other geo-spatially mapped data via the WWW. A proper partitioning and scheduling of computation and communication in processing a user request on a multiprocessor server and transferring some computation to client-site machines can reduce network traffic and substantially improve system response time. We propose a partitioning and scheduling mechanism that adapts to resource changes and optimizes resource utilization and demonstrate the application of this mechanism for online information browsing. We also provide a performance analysis and experimental results to study the impact of resource availability and the effectiveness of our scheduling techniques.
Myocyte Power Output in Humans with End-Stage Heart Failure: Effects of LVAD Treatment

Patients in heart failure are sometimes implanted with a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) to bridge them to transplant. Clinical data shows that ∼15% of these patients recover pump function and can subsequently have their LVAD removed. The goal of our study was to determine whether cellular level maximal power output of the left ventricle improves after patients are fitted with LVADs. Myocardial samples were obtained (1) from the left ventricle apex of patients when they were implanted with a LVAD and (2) from the left ventricle free wall when they subsequently received a heart transplant. Non failing cardiac samples were also obtained from organ donors for comparison. All samples were snap frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored in the vapor phase of liquid nitrogen. Multicellular preparations were then obtained by chemically permeabilizing the samples in 1% Triton solution after mechanical homogenization. These preparations were connected between a force transducer and a motor and maximally activated in a saturating Ca2+ solution. Once force had reached steady state, the preparations were allowed to shorten against pre-set loads imposed using SLControl software. Maximum power output was determined from the force-velocity curves. Preliminary results suggest that LVAD treatment improved cellular level maximum power output and isometric force. There was also a trend towards a lower maximum shortening velocity post-LVAD. Further studies, will determine whether intrinsic ventricular function is improved by LVAD implantation as well as the molecular mechanisms that may mediate any observed responses.
A hundred impossibility proofs for distributed computing

Abstract : This talk is about impossibility results in the area of distributed computing. In this category, I include not just results that say that a particular task cannot be accomplished, but also lower bound results, which say that a task cannot be accomplished within a certain bound on cost. I started out with a simple plan for preparing this talk: I would spend a couple of weeks reading all the impossibility proofs in our fields, and would categorize them according to the ideas used. Then I would make wise and general observations, and try to predict where the future of this area is headed. That turned out to be a bit too ambitious; there are many more such results than I thought. Although it is often hard to say what constitutes ad different results, I managed to count over 100 such impossibility proofs And my search wasn't even very systematic or exhaustive. It's not quite as hopeless to understand this area as it might seem from the number of papers. Although there are 100 different results, there aren't 100 different ideas. I thought I could contribute something by identifying some of the commonality among the different results.
Eolian sedimentation in the pacific off Northern Mexico

Abstract A sound-reflecting underbottom layer extends over a wide area of the Pacific Ocean floor off Baja California, Mexico. The top of this reflecting layer consists of a silty clay with a silt fraction of clastic minerals, dominantly quartz, alien to the local province of vulcanism. Investigation of the possible sources and transport modes for this silt indicates that it was windborne from arid continental areas during a period in the past when easterly dust storms had a higher transport efficiency than at present. Radiocarbon dating of the immediately overlying sediment indicates the age to be more than 40,000 years. The surface of the quartz grains is overgrown by chlorite. A possible origin for this coating by diagenetic transformation of desert varnish is suggested. The composite sediment resulting from deposition of eolian clastic silt together with pyroclastics and argillaceous components, closely resembles greywacke in texture and composition.
Christianity in the Light of Psychopathology

(1953). Christianity in the Light of Psychopathology. Religious Education: Vol. 48, No. 2, pp. 108-112.
Integrated assessments of payments for ecosystem services programs

Ecosystems provide crucial services such as clean water to humans. Numerous payments for ecosystem services (PES) programs have been implemented around the world. However, their socioeconomic and environmental consequences are rarely quantified simultaneously. In PNAS, Zheng et al. (1) present an insightful empirical analysis of socioeconomic and environmental effects of a PES program that supplies drinking water to ∼20 million residents in Beijing, China. The work also brings ecosystem service research closer to fully account for the pros and cons of PES programs, laying important groundwork to quantify telecouplings—socioeconomic and environmental interactions over distances (2).
The effects of hydrogen and segregation on fatigue crack nucleation at defined grain boundaries in nickel bicrystals

Abstract In order to explore the role of impurity segregation in intergranular fatigue crack initiation and propagation, tests have been made on nickel bicrystals, variously heat-treated to induce increasingly severe degrees of sulfur segregation, and using air, vacuum and hydrogen as the environment. The grains of the bicrystals were oriented to yield two types of boundaries: type I, with strong elastic-plastic incompatibility and type II, a compatible tilt boundary. If the boundaries were clean, persistent slip band cracking in the grains occurred in preference to intergranular cracking. Although equal degrees of sulfur segregation, as measured by Auger-spectroscopy, could be produced at the two types of boundaries by the heat treatments, the incompatible one was much more susceptible to intergranular cracking than the other, which could be made to crack intergranularly only by high partial pressures of hydrogen. The results show that high stresses associated with incompatibility coupled with a lowering of cohesive forces at the boundary produced by the segregant are the main factors controlling intergranular fracture.
Visions of Curriculum, Community, and Science.

Although the natural sciences are dedicated to understanding the natural world, they are also dynamic and shaped by cultural values. The sciences and attendant technologies could be very responsive to a population that participates in and uses them responsibly. In this essay, Nancy Brickhouse and Julie Kittleson argue for re-visioning the sciences in ways that respond to diversity. By way of educational processes, the sciences might be reshaped to advance critical issues such as social justice and eco-justice. This vision of science and science education opens up new possibilities for what counts as scientific knowledge and what it means to participate in science. We envision schools where young people learn to engage in science in ways that lead to the development of the science we need. To disengage in science is to leave it in the hands of elites whose values may work against the possibility of an ecologically and socially just society.
Pilot Installation of a Bridge Scour Monitoring Site

A pilot scour monitoring system was installed at the Mustang Creek bridge crossing on FM-1157 in Jackson County, Texas. It consists of four ultrasonic sensors mounted on four bridge piers. Maintenance engineers have access to the scour and stage data remotely through a cellular phone and modem at the site, which are powered by a battery and solar panels. The datalogger at the site is capable of monitoring multiple types of sensors, such as pressure transducers for stage, and ultrasonic and magnetic sliding collar sensors for scour. This fully programmable datalogger can generate alarm calls to an office computer when certain preprogrammed thresholds for stage and scour are reached. Automatic paging software, residing in an office computer, sends alarm calls to alphanumeric pagers carried by Texas Department of Transportation maintenance staff, based on alarm callbacks from the datalogger in the field.
Beyond methane: Towards a theory for the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum

Abstract Extreme global warmth and an abrupt negative carbon isotope excursion during the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) have been attributed to a massive release of methane hydrate from sediments on the continental slope [1] . However, the magnitude of the warming (5 to 6 °C [2] , [3] ) and rise in the depth of the CCD (> 2 km; [4] ) indicate that the size of the carbon addition was larger than can be accounted for by the methane hydrate hypothesis. Additional carbon sources associated with methane hydrate release (e.g. pore-water venting and turbidite oxidation) are also insufficient. We find that the oxidation of at least 5000 Gt C of organic carbon is the most likely explanation for the observed geochemical and climatic changes during the PETM, for which there are several potential mechanisms. Production of thermogenic CH4 and CO2 during contact metamorphism associated with the intrusion of a large igneous province into organic rich sediments [5] is capable of supplying large amounts of carbon, but is inconsistent with the lack of extensive carbon loss in metamorphosed sediments, as well as the abrupt onset and termination of carbon release during the PETM. A global conflagration of Paleocene peatlands [6] highlights a large terrestrial carbon source, but massive carbon release by fire seems unlikely as it would require that all peatlands burn at once and then for only 10 to 30 ky. In addition, this hypothesis requires an order of magnitude increase in the amount of carbon stored in peat. The isolation of a large epicontinental seaway by tectonic uplift associated with volcanism or continental collision, followed by desiccation and bacterial respiration of the aerated organic matter is another potential mechanism for the rapid release of large amounts of CO2. In addition to the oxidation of the underlying marine sediments, the desiccation of a major epicontinental seaway would remove a large source of moisture for the continental interior, resulting in the desiccation and bacterial oxidation of adjacent terrestrial wetlands.
Fate of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella on fresh-cut celery

Abstract Illnesses from Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella have been associated with the consumption of numerous produce items. Little is known about the effect of consumer handling practices on the fate of these pathogens on celery. The objective of this study was to determine pathogen behavior at different temperatures under different storage conditions. Commercial fresh-cut celery was inoculated at ca. 3 log CFU/g onto either freshly cut or outer uncut surfaces and stored in either sealed polyethylene bags or closed containers. Samples were enumerated following storage for 0, 1, 3, 5, and 7 days when held at 4 °C or 12 °C, and after 0, 8, and 17 h, and 1, and 2 days when held at 22 °C. At 4 °C, all populations declined by 0.5–1.0 log CFU/g over 7 days. At 12 °C, E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella populations did not change, while L. monocytogenes populations increased by ca. 0.5 log CFU/g over 7 days. At 22 °C, E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, and L. monocytogenes populations increased by ca. 1, 2, or 0.3 log CFU/g, respectively, with the majority of growth occurring during the first 17 h. On occasion, populations on cut surfaces were significantly higher than those on uncut surfaces. Results indicate that populations are reduced under refrigeration, but survive and may grow at elevated temperatures.
Digital communication and quantum phase detection

A theory of symmetric phase shift keying is developed using quantum mechanics. The minimum average probability of error is then determined for phase-shift-keyed optical communication systems which use physical states. It is shown that this minimum error is achieved by using states which are represented in the number state basis by discrete prolate spheroidal sequences. >
Online L1-Dictionary Learning with Application to Novel Document Detection

Given their pervasive use, social media, such as Twitter, have become a leading source of breaking news. A key task in the automated identification of such news is the detection of novel documents from a voluminous stream of text documents in a scalable manner. Motivated by this challenge, we introduce the problem of online l1-dictionary learning where unlike traditional dictionary learning, which uses squared loss, the l1-penalty is used for measuring the reconstruction error. We present an efficient online algorithm for this problem based on alternating directions method of multipliers, and establish a sublinear regret bound for this algorithm. Empirical results on news-stream and Twitter data, shows that this online l1-dictionary learning algorithm for novel document detection gives more than an order of magnitude speedup over the previously known batch algorithm, without any significant loss in quality of results.