cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Impacts of Prescribed Fire on PM2.5 Air Quality and Human Health: Application to Asthma-Related Emergency Room Visits in Georgia, USA

Short-term exposure to fire smoke, especially particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 µm (PM2.5), is associated with adverse health effects. In order to quantify the impact of prescribed burning on human health, a general health impact function was used with exposure fields of PM2.5 from prescribed burning in Georgia, USA, during the burn seasons of 2015 to 2018, generated using a data fusion method. A method was developed to identify the days and areas when and where the prescribed burning had a major impact on local air quality to explore the relationship between prescribed burning and acute health effects. The results showed strong spatial and temporal variations in prescribed burning impacts. April 2018 exhibited a larger estimated daily health impact with more burned areas compared to Aprils in previous years, likely due to an extended burn season resulting from the need to burn more areas in Georgia. There were an estimated 145 emergency room (ER) visits in Georgia for asthma due to prescribed burning impacts in 2015 during the burn season, and this number increased by about 18% in 2018. Although southwestern, central, and east-central Georgia had large fire impacts on air quality, the absolute number of estimated ER asthma visits resulting from burn impacts was small in these regions compared to metropolitan areas where the population density is higher. Metro-Atlanta had the largest estimated prescribed burn-related asthma ER visits in Georgia, with an average of about 66 during the reporting years.
Assessment for oil spill chemicals: Current knowledge, data gaps, and uncertainties addressing human physical health risk.

Abstract Limited models are available to estimate human physical health risks (e.g., probability of outcomes such as lung disease, cancer, skin disease) from exposure to chemicals resulting from oil spills that may occur offshore and later impact coastline spills. An approach is presented to assess physical health risks from oil spills that involves establishing a platform capable of assessing aggregate health risk (via inhalation, ingestion, and dermal exposure routes). Gaps include the need to develop models reflecting oil spill concentration distributions given the influence from environmental, physical, biological and chemical factors. Human activities need to be quantified for different populations including emergency response workers, fishermen, shellfish consumers, and children who play at beaches that may be impacted by oil spills. Work is also needed in developing comprehensive toxicological profiles for the majority of chemicals - including dispersants found in oil spills - and to estimate toxicity from mixtures.
Expanded Phylogenetic Diversity and Metabolic Flexibility of Microbial Mercury Methylation

ABSTRACT Methylmercury is a potent, bioaccumulating neurotoxin that is produced by specific microorganisms by methylation of inorganic mercury released from anthropogenic sources. The hgcAB genes were recently discovered to be required for microbial methylmercury production in diverse anaerobic bacteria and archaea. However, the full phylogenetic and metabolic diversity of mercury methylating microorganisms has not been fully explored due to the limited number of cultured, experimentally verified methylators and the limitations of primer-based molecular methods. Here, we describe the phylogenetic diversity and metabolic flexibility of putative mercury methylating microorganisms identified by hgcA sequence identity from publicly available isolate genomes and metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs), as well as novel freshwater MAGs. We demonstrate that putative mercury methylators are much more phylogenetically diverse than previously known, and the distribution of hgcA is most likely due to several independent horizontal gene transfer events. Identified methylating microorganisms possess diverse metabolic capabilities spanning carbon fixation, sulfate reduction, nitrogen fixation, and metal resistance pathways. Using a metatranscriptomic survey of a thawing permafrost gradient from which we identified 111 putative mercury methylators, we demonstrate that specific methylating populations may contribute to hgcA expression at different depths. Overall, we provide a framework for illuminating the microbial basis of mercury methylation using genome-resolved metagenomics and metatranscriptomics to identify methylators based upon hgcA presence and describe their putative functions in the environment. IMPORTANCE Specific anaerobic microorganisms among the Deltaproteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Euryarchaeota have been shown to produce the bioaccumulating neurotoxin methylmercury. Accurately assessing the sources of microbial methylmercury production in the context of phylogenetic identification, metabolic guilds, and activity in the environment is crucial for understanding the constraints and effects of mercury impacted sites. Advances in next-generation sequencing technologies have enabled large-scale, cultivation-independent surveys of diverse and poorly characterized microorganisms of numerous ecosystems. We used genome-resolved metagenomics and metatranscriptomics to highlight the vast phylogenetic and metabolic diversity of putative mercury methylators, and their depth-discrete activities in the environment. This work underscores the importance of using genome-resolved metagenomics to survey specific putative methylating populations of a given mercury-impacted ecosystem.
Vocal Fold Paresis 2020

Although the clinical significance of vocal fold paresis is generally acknowledged among specialists, details of evaluation and diagnosis remain highly debated. Many studies evaluating vocal fold paresis have been performed in the last two decades; most are retrospective and fraught with methodological concerns. Diagnosis and management of paresis remain founded primarily on experience and opinion with little high-quality evidence to support clinical practice. Universally agreed-upon standards for diagnosis remain elusive. Most laryngologists diagnose paresis by laryngoscopic or stroboscopic signs, despite acknowledged interrater inconsistencies. Laryngeal electromyography has the potential to be a valuable diagnostic adjunct, although not immune to similar concerns regarding interpretation. Diagnostic treatment trials offer a practical means to verify clinical impression. Treatment options are similar to those in vocal fold paralysis. Otolaryngologists should remain vigilant to identify paresis at the same time that they remain wary of casual overdiagnosis.
Predictors of Atrial Fibrillation During Long-Term Implantable Cardiac Monitoring Following Cryptogenic Stroke.

Background Following cryptogenic stroke, guidelines recommend cardiac monitoring for occult atrial fibrillation (AF). We aimed to evaluate predictors of AF during long‐term implantable cardiac moni...
Aham, Subjectivity, and the Ego: Engaging the Philosophy of Abhinavagupta

This paper engages Abhinavagupta’s (11th C.) philosophy of “aham,” “I” or “I-am,” in a global philosophical platform. Abhinavagupta reads aham to ground speech in experiencing and expressing subjectivity. The aham, in this background, has three distinctive topographies: aham as the ego of the empirical subject, aham as the subject of experience that objectifies the ego, and aham as the ego that embodies the totality (It is generally problematic to assign any specific concept to a particular philosopher. For example, the all-embracing nature of aham is already found in Utpala’s writings (Dyczkowski 1990, p. 11). Nemec (2011, p. 42) reiterates the fact that the concept of pūrṇāhantā or the vocabulary to support this concept is absent in Somānanda. Besides Abhinava, I am incorporating later Śākta commentarial texts in this analysis. My justification for giving Abhinava main credit is that he formally established this concept and later commentators primarily expand upon his insights. See also Baumer (2011, pp. 101–124). While aham in its most exalted sense relates to the absolute I-consciousness that embraces the totality, it immanently encloses all individualities within its embrace, enveloping all to find a singular identity through its transcendental gaze. Aham in this sense is the “I-am” in which all those within the parameters discover their individuality while also finding collectivity. It is the I-sense that determines or delimits the parameters of the body, and in this sense aham also stands for the embodied self-experience.
The Vibration and Acoustic Effects of Prop Design and Unbalance on Small Unmanned Aircraft

The vibration and acoustic effects due to prop design, damage, and unbalance on a popular small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) is presented. The use of sUAS or drones is becoming ever more popular for hobbyists, as well as in commercial and military operations, and the influence of props on the vibration and acoustic environment are of interest. Many types of props are available for use on sUAS that promise extended run times, increased performance, and quieter operation. While many systems promise these results, few studies have been conducted to measure and evaluate their true performance. Therefore, this review provides data obtained by experimentally measuring the vibration levels onboard the host aircraft as well as the acoustic levels produced. The data is analyzed to gain further understanding of the vibration and acoustic properties and make predictions on prop performance. The fundamental frequencies of the aircraft are found along with the acoustic signature. These two outcomes are compared and studied to find the correlation between them. The analysis will utilize an airframes that is commonly used in the UAS community along with frequently used props that are balanced and unbalanced and with and without damage. The data is obtained from aircraft fully powered and airborne in a hovering or level flight configuration. This study provides sUAS operators the information required for choosing the most effective prop design to effectively reduce vibration and acoustic sound levels.
Impact of Meteorological Factors and Southern Oscillation Index on Scrub Typhus Incidence in Guangzhou, Southern China, 2006–2018

Background: Scrub typhus was epidemic in the western Pacific Ocean area and East Asia, scrub typhus epidemic in densely populated areas in southern China. To better understand the association between meteorological variables, Southern Oscillation Index (SOI), and scrub typhus incidence in Guangzhou was benefit to the control and prevention. Methodology/Principal Findings: We collected weekly data for scrub typhus cases and meteorological variables in Guangzhou, and Southern Oscillation Index from 2006 to 2018, and used the distributed lag non-linear models to evaluate the relationships between meteorological variables, SOI and scrub typhus. The median value of each variable was set as the reference. The high-risk occupations were farmer (51.10%), house worker (17.51%), and retiree (6.29%). The non-linear relationships were observed with different lag weeks. For example, when the mean temperature was 27.7°C with1-week lag, the relative risk (RR) was highest as 1.08 (95% CI: 1.01-1.17). The risk was the highest when the relative humidity was 92.0% with 9-week lag, with the RR of 1.10 (95% CI: 1.02-1.19). For aggregate rainfall, the highest RR was 1.06 (95% CI: 1.03-1.11), when it was 83.0 mm with 4-week lag. When the SOI was 19 with 11-week lag, the highest RR was 1.06 (95% CI: 1.01-1.12). Most of the extreme effects of SOI and meteorological factors on scrub typical cases were statistically significant. Conclusion/Significance: The high-risk occupations of scrub typhus in Guangzhou were farmer, house worker, and retiree. Meteorological factors and SOI played an important role in scrub typhus occurrence in Guangzhou. Non-linear relationships were observed in almost all the variables in our study. Approximately, mean temperature, and relative humidity positively correlated to the incidence of scrub typhus, on the contrary to atmospheric pressure and weekly temperature range (WTR). Aggregate rainfall and wind velocity showed an inverse-U curve, whereas the SOI appeared the bimodal distribution. These findings can be helpful to facilitate the development of the early warning system to prevent the scrub typhus.
Energy Management Strategy for Dual-Motor-Based Electric Vehicle Powertrain Using Nonlinear Model Predictive Control

Due to the global crisis of climate change and the increasingly strict emission regulations, governments and industrial sectors have regarded electric vehicles (EVs) as the future replacement of conventional vehicles with internal combustion engines to fulfill the future consumer market requirements. Nevertheless, range anxiety is still one of the biggest obstacles in the transportation electrification process. Therefore, increasing powertrain efficiency is still one of the most critical topics in the research community. This paper compares two of the most widely used energy management strategies with the recently developed nonlinear model predictive control strategy concerning their ability to increase powertrain efficiency. The simulation results demonstrate the performance differences from different points of view.
A Green’s Function Representation of Crack Tip Inelastic Deformation and its Numerical Applications

The Green’s functions for the inelastic deformation over an infinitesimal area (or a plastic source) are obtained in an infinite isotropic medium with an elliptical hole (a crack as a special case) and their numerical applications are discussed.
Isocitrate dehydrogenase 1: what it means to the neurosurgeon: A review

Isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) mutations have been discovered to be frequent and highly conserved in secondary glioblastoma multiforme and lower-grade gliomas. Although IDH1 mutations confer a unique genotype that has been associated with a favorable prognosis, the role of the mutated IDH1 enzyme and its metabolites in tumor initiation and maintenance remains unresolved. However, given that IDH1 mutations are homogeneously expressed and are limited solely to tumor tissue, targeting this mutation could potentially yield novel treatment strategies for patients with glioblastoma multiforme.
Using Power and Caring to Mediate White Male Privilege, Equality, and Equity in an Urban Elementary Classroom: Implications for Teacher Preparation

Although students from diverse backgrounds may have access to equal educational opportunity by occupying the same classroom space, they do not necessarily enjoy equal and fair access to the same quality of experience within that classroom. The inequalities and inequities are partially a result of privilege, an advantage afforded to individuals because of their similarity to the norms operating in the classroom. In this article, the ways in which the white male students in a diverse, urban fourth grade classroom exercise privilege are identified and the white teacher's approach to mediating white male privilege, equality, and equity is examined. The teacher's approach is evaluated in terms of fairness via the white male students' perceptions of the classroom environment, viewed in relation to power and caring and is discussed with respect to implications for teacher preparation.
Near-Neutral Surface Layer Turbulence at the Boulder Atmospheric Observatory Tower: Evidence of Increasing Vertical Turbulence with Height

Abstract Wind and turbulence profiles were analyzed during breezy, near-neutral conditions at the Boulder Atmospheric Observatory tower to quantify the effects of an abrupt 20- to 30-m increase in terrain located 3–5 km west of the tower. Results indicate that regional roughness length z0 is greatest and local z0 is smallest in sectors downwind of a long, shallow bluff, suggesting that distant, more complex, upwind terrain enhances horizontal turbulence but has little effect on local wind speed profiles. Turbulence parameter profiles are nearly constant up to 200 m above ground level (AGL), and friction velocity u∗ is nearly constant up to 150–200 m for simple fetch with z0 equal to 4 cm and near-surface wind speed approximately equal to 7 m s−1 at 10 m AGL. Horizontal turbulence parameters, however, increase by 50% to nearly 100% at all tower levels downwind of the distant terrain bluff when compared with those with simple fetch. The effect of the bluff on vertical turbulence increases with height. Altho...
ION EXCHANGE PROCEDURES. V. SEPARATION OF BARIUM AND RADIUM.

Abstract A cation exchange procedure is described for separating barium and radium. Separation is achieved with EDTA solutions of controlled pH.
Liver Trauma During Combined Liposuction and Abdominoplasty: A Rare but Potentially Lethal Complication

Liposuction is a well-established procedure that is generally safe. However, rare complications can occur. The authors report on a 38-year-old woman who underwent combined abdominoplasty and liposuction at a private clinic. Four hours after the procedure, severe hypovolemic shock developed and required emergency transfer to a tertiary-care center. After primary fluid resuscitation, abdominal ultrasonography and computerized tomography revealed severe right-sided liver trauma, with active bleeding and free intra-abdominal fluid. Two attempts at right hepatic artery embolization failed to fully control the bleeding, and surgical hemostasis was required. After a 2-week hospitalization, the patient was discharged, and she returned to work 3 months later. Although it appears that this is the first reported case of liver trauma during liposuction, this potential complication should be kept in mind and identified early to permit efficient and effective management.
Trajectory classes of depressive symptoms in a community sample of older adults.

Objective—To identify trajectories of depressive symptoms in older community residents. Method—Depressive symptomatology, based on a modified Center for Epidemiological Studies– Depression scale, was obtained at years 0, 3, 6, and 10, in the Duke Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (N=4,162). Generalized growth mixture models identified the latent class trajectories present. Baseline demographic, health and social characteristics distinguishing the classes were identified using multinomial logistic regression. Results—Four latent class trajectories were identified. Class 1-- stable low depressive symptomatology (76.6% of the sample); class 2 – initially low depressive symptomatology, increasing to the subsyndromal level (10.0%); class3 -- stable high depressive symptomatology (5.4%); class 4 –high depressive symptomatology improving over 6 years before reverting somewhat (8.0%). Class 1 was younger, male, with better education, health, and social resources, in contrast to class 3. Class 2 had poorer cognitive functioning and higher death rate. Class 4 had better health and social resources. Conclusion—Reduction in high depressive symptomatology is associated with more education, better health, fewer stressful events, and a larger social network. Increasing depressive symptomatology is accompanied by poorer physical and cognitive health, more stressful life events, and greater risk of death.
Axigluon production at ep colliders

Abstract We study the prospects for the production of axigluons, the massive color-octet gauge bosons present in all chiral-color models, in ep collisions. We find that HERA will likely be able to exclude the currently allowed “window” of light axigluon masses, 25 GeV M A
Archaeological predictions for hominid land use in the paleo-Olduvai Basin, Tanzania, during lowermost Bed II times.

Abstract We present a preliminary predictive model of Oldowan stone artefact and scavenged larger mammal bone assemblages for 11 landscape facets modeled earlier to occur across a large portion (>300 km2) of the paleo-Olduvai Basin during lowermost Bed II times. This second phase of model-building is based on our earlier characterizations of the basin's landscape ecostructure and the inter-facet distribution of key resources and hazards probably encountered by Late Pliocene hominids (Peters & Blumenschine, 1995, 1996). Our current extension of the model of hominid–landscape interactions specifies additional theoretical components, including: (1) the assumed capabilities of Oldowan hominids (presumablyHomo habilis, primarily); (2) the landscape-facet-specific tasks they carried out; (3) the immediate stone and bone task residues they produced; and (4) the predicted composition, condition, density, and clustering of stone artefact and butchered and unbutchered bone assemblages for each facet. We develop ecological linkages between these new and formerly reported modeling components, the most fundamental of which is the facet-specific degree of tree/shrub cover abundance, and the correlated degree of competition among larger carnivores and hominids for scavengeable larger mammal carcasses. These factors condition variability among landscape facets in scavenging opportunities encountered by hominids, which in our model is the major predictor of bone and stone artefact assemblage composition. The predictive value of scavenging reflects the bias of paleoanthropological traces toward technology and butchery in their landscape context, but the model is surprisingly insensitive to what are usually thought to be critical social components of hominid land use. The predictions for the traces of hominid–landscape interactions modeled herein can be tested in the future against the landscape archaeological sample being excavated from lowermost Bed II by the Olduvai Landscape Paleoanthropology Project.
Sumeini group, Oman—evolution of a Mesozoic carbonate slope on a South Tethyan continental margin

Abstract Deposition of the mostly Mesozoic Sumeini Group occurred on the slope between the shallow-marine, Arabian carbonate platform and the deep-oceanic Hawasina Basin or South Tethys Sea. These strata record the evolution of the northeast Arabian continental margin from Permian(?) and Triassic rifting to ocean basin closing with the Late Cretaceous obduction of the Semail Ophiolite. Platform margin type and its evolution can be inferred from exposures of these slope sediments at Jebel Sumeini in the Western Oman Mountains. In the Lower Permian base of the sequence, bedded, spicular limestones suggest deep-marine conditions. This is followed by an enigmatic, thick sequence of bedded dolomite. In the Early to Middle Triassic (?), small carbonate submarine fans formed along a distally steepened slope. A subsequent interval of terrigenous, clastic sedimentation was followed by development of a steep escarpment margin during Ladinian to Norian time, with coralgal reefs at the shelf break and a debris apron at the base of the scarp. The Late Triassic is marked by another influx of terrigenous sediment which accompanied widespread emergence of the platform. In the Jurassic, a thick apron of thin-bedded limestone formed on the slope; this apron was cut by channelized gullies that now include blocks of older reefal material and oolitic sands. A well-documented submergence of the platform during the Tithonian and Early Cretaceous led to the deposition of radiolarian cherts on the slope and basin. Upper Lower Cretaceous megabreccias, up to > 200 m thick, suggest an interval of localized slope instability and/or tectonism. Continued deposition of bedded limestone and marl with lesser calcirudite marks the top of stratigraphic sequence at Jebel Sumeini. The Early to Middle Triassic (?) carbonate submarine fan deposits occur as discrete, lenticular sequences of bedded calciturbidite, modified grain flow and debris flow deposits which were derived from mostly slope sources. The Ladinian to Norian base-of-slope debris apron deposits were derived from both slope and shallow-marine sources (including reefs) and appear to form a laterally extensive but narrow belt of thick lenticular to sheet-like beds of debris which accumulated over a long interval of time. Coarse limestones in the Jurassic gullied slope deposits are distinct in that they occur randomly as individual channelized beds in a sequence dominated by thin-bedded lime mudstones. Thick Lower Cretaceous megabreccias are distinguished by their great lateral distribution and general lack of matrix.
Glow Discharge Resonance

The characteristics of glow discharges in argon and other rare gases excited by an audio-frequency alternating potential and by a direct potential modulated with an audio-frequency signal are described. When the frequency of the alternating potential is of the same order of magnitude as the frequency of the spontaneous oscillations present in these gases excited with a direct potential, remarkable standing light patterns are observed. In all cases where the discharges are steady enough for detailed measurements striations are found that travel a fraction of the distance from the anode to the cathode in each cycle. At certain positions striations running from the cathode to the anode are also observed. Where the two types of striations meet they are nearly stopped for a time interval of the order of 10−4 second. There is electrical and optical evidence that a plasma exists for this time interval and that this plasma emits a continuous radiation. The behavior and occurrence of the discharges are correlated with a tentatively proposed mechanism.
Human B-cell-stimulatory-factor production by both T4+ and T8+ lymphocytes

Abstract The T-cell subsets responsible for the production of human B-cell-stimulatory factor (BSF) have been identified. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC), E-rosette-forming cells, and isolated T 4 + T 8 + subpopulations were cultured for 5 days with and without phytohemagglutinin (PHA) stimulation; the supernatants were then assayed for BSF. BSF activity was detected by a costimulation assay using either Staphylococcus aureus Cowan I (SAC) or goat anti-human IgM as a B-cell comitogen. Supernatants from all four PHA-stimulated cell preparations were found to exhibit BSF activity. However, supernatants from the unseparated PBMNC showed a kinetic pattern for BSF production different from that of the E-rosette-enriched T-cell population in that the BSF activity of the former reached a maximum at Day 2, followed by a rapid decrease, whereas BSF production by the latter reached a plateau at Days 4–5. Although BSF activity was observed in supernatants from both T4 + - and T8 + -stimulated T-cell subsets, supernatants from T8 + cells contained 50% less activity than supernatants from T4 + cells. Supernatants from the unstimulated fractions and the mitogen-containing medium control did not exhibit BSF activity. These results indicate that both the helper and the suppressor cell fractions, i.e., T4 + and T8 + lymphocytes, are responsible for the production of BSF. However, it is unclear whether the BSF activities detected in both T-cell subsets are mediated by the same or different molecular entities.
Health related quality of life in genital herpes: a pilot comparison of measures.

Background: Genital herpes (GH) is a common sexually transmitted infection. Novel tools for the control of GH (for example, tests and vaccines) are emerging, but optimal assessment of the cost effectiveness of such interventions requires scaled, preference based estimates of the impact of GH on health related quality of life. Methods: We provided self administered interviews to 39 individuals with recurrent GH recruited from an STD clinic and a GH support group in southern Ontario, Canada. Health preference estimates were generated using visual analogue scales (VAS), a time-tradeoff approach (TTO) and the Health Utilities Index Mark-II (HUI-II). Quality of life was also assessed with the Recurrent Genital Herpes Quality of Life scale (RGHQoL). Results: Average (SD) health values for asymptomatic and symptomatic genital herpes were 0.89 (0.21) and 0.89 (0.22) using TTO, and 0.76 (0.30) and 0.71 (0.30) using VAS. Health utility estimates generated with HUI-II for transient symptomatic and asymptomatic health states were 0.93 (0.08) and 0.80 (0.16). Log transformed health value estimates exhibited convergent validity when compared to RGHQoL, as did health utility estimates for symptomatic GH. Utility scores for symptomatic GH increased (improved) with increasing age; no other subject characteristic was predictive of preference weights. Conclusions: Preference based measures of health related quality of life can be elicited with relative ease in the context of genital herpes, and preference weights are correlated with quality of life scores generated using the RGHQoL. Generation of preference weights will permit direct comparison of the economic attractiveness of herpes prevention interventions with that of other commonly available health interventions.
Public Pension Management: Issues and Trends

Abstract Expenditures for human resources typically account for the lion's share of government budgets. Success or failure in pension management has direct bearing on well-being of governments, taxpayers, and public employees and retirees. This article examines the management of public pensions. The article considers specific managerial issues faced by pension systems. This discussion focuses on both the investment side of pensions and the often-neglected benefits side. The article concludes with a discussion on the importance of public pension management to meeting governmental commitments and to ensuring the overall financial health of jurisdictions.
Aldehyde fixatives: Quantification of acid-producing reactions

Under conditions commonly used for the preservation of tissue for electron microscopy, substantial amounts of hydrogen ions were produced when either formaldehyde or glutaraldehyde was added to solutions of amines or proteins, or to tissue homogenates. In glycine-aldehyde reactions, hydrogen ions were generated in linear proportion to the glycine concentration over the range of 0.001 M to 0.100 M glycine. In the presence of 1% formaldehyde or 1% glutaraldehyde, 0.3–0.9 equivalents of acid were produced per mole of primary amine. This variation is a function of the specific primary amine used. Acid production increased with increasing formaldehyde concentration but did not increase appreciably with increasing glutaraldehyde concentration. The concentration of amines in tissue is high. These amines are probably responsible for much of the acid generated when aldehydes react with tissue homogenates. In amine-aldehyde reactions, the positive charge originally associated with the parent amine is simultaneously neutralized with the formation of hydrogen ions. Thus, in tissues exposed to aldehydes, there is a decrease in the overall positive charge which is related to the amount of acid generated. The inherent buffering capacity of liver and muscle was not sufficient to prevent large pH decreases when aldehydes were added to homogenates of these tissues. These data suggest that significant but transient pH decreases may occur within cells exposed to aldehydes. To minimize the aldehyde-induced pH decreases, a buffer should be chosen so that its pKa is 0.2–0.3 pH units less than the pH desired for a particular experiment. In addition, buffer concentrations of at least 0.10 M are suggested for fixatives in order to provide adequate buffering capacity during tissue preservation.
The t(8;21) fusion protein, AML1/ETO, transforms NIH3T3 cells and activates AP-1

The 8;21 translocation is the most common cytogenetic abnormality in human acute myelogenous leukemia, joining the AML1 gene on chromosome 21, to the ETO gene on chromosome 8, forming the AML1/ETO fusion gene. The AML1/ETO fusion protein has been shown to function mainly as a transcriptional repressor of AML1 target genes and to block AML1 function in vitro and in vivo. However, AML1/ETO can also activate the BCL-2 promoter and cause enhanced hematopoietic progenitor self-renewal in vitro, suggesting gain-of-functions unique to the fusion protein. We used NIH3T3 cells to determine the transforming capacity of AML1/ETO, and to further characterize its mechanism of action. Expression of AML1/ETO in NIH3T3 cells caused cell-type specific cell death, and cellular transformation, characterized by phenotypic changes, anchorage-independent growth, and tumor formation in nude mice. In contrast, neither expression of AML1A, AML1B or ETO altered the normal growth pattern of the cells. To investigate the mechanism of transformation by AML1/ETO, we analysed the levels of activated, phosphorylated c-Jun (ser63) and other constituents of the AP-1 complex, in the presence of various AML1/ETO related proteins. Expression of AML1/ETO increased the level of c-Jun-P (ser63), and activated AP-1 dependent transcription, which was inhibited by expression of a dominant-negative c-Jun protein. Mutational analysis revealed that the runt homology domain (RHD) and a C-terminal transcriptional repression domain in AML1/ETO are required for transformation, activation of c-Jun and increased AP-1 activity. These results establish the transforming potential of the t(8;21) fusion protein and link this gain-of-function property to modulation of AP-1 activity.
Production of ultrafine-grain microstructure in Mg alloy by alternate biaxial reverse corrugation

Abstract Magnesium alloys usually have poor formability at ambient temperatures due to a lack of sufficient number of slip systems associated with hexagonal close-packed crystal structure. Twinning is often found to accommodate plastic deformation in addition to slip in Mg alloys. Grain refinement of Mg alloys can significantly alter these processes. In the present work, severe plastic deformation is imparted to Mg alloy plate AZ31B using a process of alternate biaxial reverse corrugation followed by flattening. By progressively decreasing the deformation temperature from 250 to 170 °C during repeated deformation, an initial bimodal grain structure is progressively subdivided by slip and twinning. Concurrent dynamic recovery and some amount of recrystallization lead to the formation of nearly uniform ultrafine microstructure of average size 1.4 μm at e = 5.0. Twinning deformation causes grain refinement in the early stages, but as the grain size becomes finer twinning is increasingly inhibited even though the deformation temperature is lowered. Deformation twins disappear when the average grain size reaches about 2–3 μm. Texture evolution during processing is seen to be affected by the amount of strain and instantaneous grain size. A strong basal texture is formed after several flattening processes, but its intensity drops again as the grain size becomes finer.
The influence of emulsifying agents on the antiseptic activity of certain dermatologic preparations.

Five series of oil-in-water emulsions and four series of water-in-oil emulsions containing antiseptics were tested by the F. D. A. agar cup-plate method to determine the effect of different emulsifiers on their antiseptic values. The results indicated that no one emulsifier could be recommended for all antiseptics, but, in general, oil-in-water emulsions appeared to be more effective vehicles for antiseptics than water-in-oil emulsions.
Elasticity of Crystalline Molecular Explosives

Crystalline molecular explosives are key components of engineered explosive formulations. In precision applications a high degree of consistency and predictability is desired under a range of conditions to a variety of stimuli. Prediction of behaviors from mechanical response and failure to detonation initiation and detonation performance of the material is linked to accurate knowledge of the material structure and first stage of deformation: elasticity. The elastic response of pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), cyclotrimethylene trinitramine (RDX), and cyclotetramethylene tetranitramine (HMX), including aspects of material and measurement variability, and computational methods are described in detail. Experimental determinations of elastic tensors are compared, and an evaluation of sources of error is presented. Furthermore, computed elastic constants are also compared for these materials and for triaminotrinitrobenzene (TATB), for which there are no measurements.
Quantitative Determination of Dyes in Textile Fibers Part II: Nonionic Dyes in Polyester, Polyamide Acrylic, Acetate, and Cellulosic Substrates

The quantitative determination of nonionic dyes in polyester substrates by extraction with organic solvents has been studied. Highly accurate and precise results are obtained by extraction of the fabric or yarn (0.1 to 0.3 g sample) with dimethylformamide (DMF) containing a free radical inhibitor (5 to 20 g/l. 2,6-di-t-butyl-4-methylphenol) and a non volatile acid (p-toluenesulfonic acid) to lower the apparent pH of the solvent to 4.0. One extraction with this solvent at 140°C removes usually over 90% of the dye in 2 to 3 minutes. Most dyes are removed completely from the fiber by three extractions (3 min each).The method is also applicable to the quantitative determination of disperse dyes in polyamide, acrylic, and acetate fibers and DMF soluble nonionic dyes in cellulosic fiber.It is shown that extraction with hot DMF can give erroneous results unless a free-radical inhibitor is added and the acidity of the extraction solvent controlled to stabilize the solvent and the dye. Stabilized DMF or dimethylac...
In Defense of Sensitivity

The sensitivity condition on knowledge says that one knows that P only if one would not believe that P if P were false. Difficulties for this condition are now well documented. Keith DeRose has recently suggested a revised sensitivity condition that is designed to avoid some of these difficulties. We argue, however, that there are decisive objections to DeRose’s revised condition. Yet rather than simply abandoning his proposed condition, we uncover a rationale for its adoption, a rationale which suggests a further revision that avoids our objections as well as others. The payoff is considerable: along the way to our revision, we learn lessons about the epistemic significance of certain explanatory relations, about how we ought to envisage epistemic closure principles, and about the epistemic significance of methods of belief formation.
Phage-directed synthesis of copper sulfide: structural and optical characterization

The growth of crystalline copper sulfide using a viral template was investigated using sequential incubation in CuCl2 and Na2S precursors. Non-specific electrostatic attraction between a genetically-modified M13 bacteriophage and copper cations in the CuCl2 precursor caused phage agglomeration and bundle formation. Following the addition of Na2S, polydisperse nanocrystals 2-7 nm in size were found along the length of the viral scaffold. The structure of the copper sulfide material was identified as cubic anti-fluorite type Cu1.8S, space group Fm3[overline]m. Strong interband absorption was observed within the ultraviolet to visible range with an onset near 800 nm. Furthermore, free carrier absorption, associated with the localized surface plasmon resonance of the copper sulfide nanocrystals, was seen in the near infrared with absorbance maxima at 1060 nm and 3000 nm, respectively.
Sanctions, Perceived Anger, and Criminal Offending

In articulating models of offender decision-making, researchers have tended to focus on either deterrence/rational choice or situational/emotional considerations. In this paper, we merge these two lines of inquiry and examine how rational choice considerations and perceived angry reactions inter-relate in predicting assaultive violence. Using data collected on a random sample of young adults, we assess three hypotheses. First, that both rational choice and perceived anger exhibit additive effects on assault. Second, that perceived anger influences how rational choice considerations are interpreted. Third, that rational choice considerations influence assault under different levels of perceived anger, and in particular, that the effect of sanction threats fall apart under high perceived anger. Future theoretical and empirical directions are outlined.
Structural transitions of lysozyme in urea solution

Abstract The molecular state of lysozyme in high concentrations of urea is dependent upon the pH and temperature. At extremes of pH, or at elevated temperatures, a time-dependent transition occurs from the state prevailing at neutral pH and 25° to a new configuration characterized by greatly enhanced ultraviolet fluorescence, increased levorotation, and altered absorption spectrum. The degree of reversibility from alkaline solution depends upon the pH of exposure.
Effect of Aging on AXC/SSh Rat Ventral and Dorsolateral Prostate 5-Adenosyl-L-Methionine Decarboxylase and L-Ornithine Decarboxylase Messenger Ribonucleic Acid Content

Ventral prostate S-adenosyl-L-methionine decarboxylase (AMDC) and L-ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) transcript content decreased 5-fold as males aged from 6 to 26 months. In contrast, dorsolateral prostate AMDC and ODC transcript content in these individuals was age invariant. The differential effect of aging on tissue transcript levels reflected respective 3.5- and 5-fold decreases in ventral prostate total and poly(A)+ RNA content in aging males, whereas dorsolateral prostate RNA levels essentially were age invariant. Testosterone injection of 26-month-old males increased ventral and dorsolateral prostate content of AMDC and ODC transcripts 4- and 2.5- fold, respectively. Changes in ventral prostate ODC transcript levels correlated well with previously reported age- and testosterone- mediated changes in prostate ODC protein content; however, the relation between ventral or dorsolateral prostate AMDC mRNA levels and previously determined AMDC protein content was less stringent. Our observation that ventral...
Modern ground failure in the Garlock fault zone, Fremont Valley, California

Modern ground failures, ranging from renewed displacement on 2.5-km-long fault scarps to 1-km-long tension cracks, occur in Fremont Valley, California. Most of the failures formed along pre-existing Holocene fault scarps that are part of the tectonically active Garlock fault system. The failures began to form in the 1960s and currently affect an area of ∼17 km 2 that is coincident with ground-water-level decline induced by pumping for crop irrigation. Several observations indicate that these failures were caused by water-level decline rather than natural tectonism. First, modern ground failure began after water level started to decline and was restricted to the area affected by decline. Land subsidence was associated with this decline and appears to be caused by aquifer compaction. Second, geodetic monitoring from 1977 to 1982 of faults near the center of the cone of depression demonstrated that fault creep occurred during periods of seasonal water-level decline and stopped during periods of seasonal water-level recovery. By contrast, faults near the margin of the cone of depression, where water levels declined at a constant rate, moved at a steady rate. Third, surface strain fields near failures suggest that subsurface fault-associated deformation was restricted to aquifer-level depths. And fourth, seasonal rebound of the land surface across one fault was caused by elastic expansion of the aquifer system that was induced by large seasonal water-level recovery.
Ventilation of Ambulatory Rats Exposed to Methanol Vapor in a Flow-Through Exposure System: Measurement and Input to Toxicokinetic Models

AbstractVentilation parameters (minute ventilation, V; tidal volume, Vt; and breathing frequency, f) of female Sprague-Dawley rats were measured during an 8-h exposure to methanol vapor at concentrations of 1000, 5000, 10, 000, 15, 000 and 20, 000 ppm. Rats were exposed individually in a flow-through chamber that permitted simultaneous measurement of ventilation, methanol extraction from the airstream by the animal, and blood methanol concentration. Compared to the whole-body plethysmography with nose-only exposure (WBP) system, the total ventilation of rats in this study was approximately half; the Vt was approximately the same, but f was about 50% lower than reported in WBP exposed rats. The hourly ventilation decreased slightly with increasing blood methanol concentration up to 2000 mg/L; at concentrations exceeding 2000 mg/L, the hourly ventilation decreased more significantly. The exposure system method studied simultaneously yielded information on the extraction of methanol from the airstream, effi...
Guided resonance reflective phase shifters

We present reflective phase shifters based on high contrast gratings resting on a low-index spacer backed by a metallic mirror. The guided resonance of the grating combined with the reflection from the metallic mirror leads to an all-pass filter with 2π phase shift variation and unity reflectivity across the resonance. We present simulations, fabrication and measurement of passive devices fabricated in silicon over gold using a polymer as the spacer layer. Active control at high modulation speeds can be achieved by shifting the guided resonance wavelength using carrier injection or thermo-optic effect in silicon.
Radiation-induced genetic instability in vivo depends on p53 status.

Abstract In response to ionizing radiation and other agents that damage DNA, the p53 tumor suppressor protein activates multiple cellular processes including cell cycle checkpoints and programmed cell death. Although loss of p53 function is associated with radiation-induced genetic instability in cell lines, it is not clear if this relationship exists in vivo. To study the role of p53 in maintenance of genetic stability in normal tissues following irradiation, we have measured mutant frequencies at the adenine phosphoribosyltransferase ( Aprt ) and hypothanine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase ( Hprt ) loci and examined mechanisms of loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in normal T cells of p53-deficient, Aprt heterozygous mice that were subjected to whole-body irradiation with a single dose of 4 Gy X-rays. The radiation-induced mutant frequency at both the Aprt and Hprt loci was elevated in cells from mice with different p53 genotypes. The radiation-induced elevation of p53 −/− mice was significantly greater than that of p53 +/− or p53 +/+ mice and was caused by several different kinds of mutational events at the both chromosomal and intragenic levels. Most significantly, interstitial deletion, which occurs rarely in unirradiated mice, became the most common mechanism leading to LOH in irradiated p53 null mice. These observations support the idea that absence or reduction of p53 expression enhances radiation-induced tumorigenesis by increasing genetic instability at various loci, such as those for tumor suppressor genes.
Feeding Patterns, Water Sources and Fluoride Exposures of Infants and 1-Year-Olds

Concern about dental fluorosis prompted this study of feeding habits, water sources and fluoride exposures of about 100 children from birth to 18 months. Toothbrushing habits and dentrifice use, both at home and during child care, must be considered to estimate fluoride exposures and ingestion.
Primordial refractory metal particles in the Allende meteorite

Refractory metal particles containing Os, Re, W, Mo, Ir, and Ru were observed in a Ca-Al-rich inclusion in the Allende meteorite. These particles are the closest to unaltered primordial metal condensates from a nebula yet reported, and appear to have been isolated from the nebula before the condensation of refractories was complete. Computer calculations of condensation indicate that the temperature of isolation appears to be close to the calculated temperature of first formation of oxides (about 1620 K at 0.0001 atm) indicating that isolation may have been effected by coating of the particles by oxides.