cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pup exposure elicits hippocampal cell proliferation in the prairie vole.

Abstract The onset of parental behavior has profound and enduring effects on behavior and neurobiology across a variety of species. In some cases, mere exposure to a foster neonate (and a subsequent parental response) can have similar effects. In the present experiment, we exposed adult male and female prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) to two foster pups for 20 min and quantified cell proliferation in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus (DG), medial amygdala (MeA) and cortical amygdala (CorA). Prairie voles are highly social rodents that typically display biparental care and spontaneous parental care when exposed to foster pups. Comparisons were made between the animals that responded parentally or non-parentally towards the pups, as well as control conditions. Cell proliferation was assessed using injections of 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU) and immunocytochemical localization of this marker. The phenotype of the cells was determined using double label immunofluoresence for BrdU and TuJ1 (a neuronal marker). An increase in cell proliferation in the DG was seen in animals exposed to pups. However, animals that responded non-parentally had a greater number of BrdU labeled cells in the DG compared to those that responded parentally. The majority of BrdU labeled cells co-expressed TuJ1 across all groups. These results demonstrate that exposure to a foster pup and the behavioral reaction to it (parental or non-parental) are associated with site-specific changes in cell proliferation.
The Modern Science of Multicriteria Decision Making and Its Practical Applications: The AHP/ANP Approach

This paper presents a summary of the discrete mathematical part of my work, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and its generalization to dependence and feedback, the Analytic Network Process (ANP), for measuring tangible and intangible factors, particularly as applied to decision making. The factors of the decision are arranged in hierarchical or network structures and judgments are then made by the decision maker, or by an expert, about the dominant element for each pair with respect to a common property. From simple judgments on two elements at a time with respect to a common property, priority vectors are obtained that are combined throughout the structure to give the best outcome for a decision. The judgments may be inconsistent, and there is a mathematical way to measure inconsistency so that the outlying judgments may be revised by the decision maker in an acceptable way or a decision may be delayed until more consistent information is obtained. In practical applications using either hierarchical ...
The current role of simulators in teaching surgical techniques.

As the trainees' work week is abbreviated, simulators have been hailed by proponents as an efficient and effective way to assure technical skills, exposure to uncommon procedures, and decision-making with complex operations (Table 1). Probably more importantly, simulation can also hone team work, communication, and nontechnical skills. Naysayers of simulation sought data that the time spent in the skills lab was better than the traditional apprentice training model. Scott et al. demonstrated that residents practicing tasks in the skills lab as little as 30 min per day for 2 weeks resulted in improved operative performance of a laparoscopic cholecystectomy compared to controls. Tasks included moving lead numbers, dropping a bean, triangle transfer, running rope, and endostitch (Fig. 1). While practicing tasks in the skills lab was beneficial, few tasks provided feedback to the learner. Computer-based simulators such as the MIST-VR could assess both right and left hand and record errors. Hamilton et al. compared videotrainer and MIST-VR training modalities. While trainees preferred the videotrainer for realism, the computer-based system resulted in more intraoperative improvement. Seymour et al. then demonstrated that training in an MIST-VR in the skills lab resulted in fewer errors by residents during a laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the operating room (Fig. 2). While global assessment of performance repeatedly demonstrated improved overall operative performance by intraoperative raters blinded to training status, these initial studies failed to show improved knowledge of the procedure (e.g., laparoscopic cholecystectomy). This made sense, as the training to date focused on skills only. Hamilton et al. then created a laparoscopic hernia model molded from a cadaver. During the 2-week training in the skills lab, senior residents were also provided videotapes of the operation performed by experts and a commercially available interactive CD. Compared to controls, residents who participated in the skill-based curriculum improved operative performance and, importantly, knowledge of the procedure (Fig. 3). As more and more residency programs embraced technical skills training, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) established formal accreditation of education insti-
Neural characteristics of successful and less successful speech and word learning in adults

A remarkable characteristic of the human nervous system is its ability to learn to integrate novel (foreign) complex sounds into words. However, the neural changes involved in how adults learn to integrate novel sounds into words and the associated individual differences are largely unknown. Unlike English, most languages of the world use pitch patterns to mark individual word meaning. We report a study assessing the neural correlates of learning to use these pitch patterns in words by English-speaking adults who had no previous exposure to such usage. Before and after training, subjects discriminated pitch patterns of the words they learned while blood oxygenation levels were measured using fMRI. Subjects who mastered the learning program showed increased activation in the left posterior superior temporal region after training, while subjects who plateaued at lower levels showed increased activation in the right superior temporal region and right inferior frontal gyrus, which are associated with nonlinguistic pitch processing, and prefrontal and medial frontal areas, which are associated with increased working memory and attentional efforts. Furthermore, we found brain activation differences even before training between the two subject groups, including the superior temporal region. These results demonstrate an association between range of neural changes and degrees of language learning, specifically implicating the physiologic contribution of the left dorsal auditory cortex in learning success.
Depletion of alloreactive T cells: which cell?

Comment on Martins et al, page [3429][1] The bulk of alloreactivity in human hematopoietic stem cell products resides in a CD40hi activation antigen–positive T-cell population, the specific depletion of which may abrogate graft-versus-host disease while retaining reactivity both to third-party
Segment-specific effect of chloride channel blockade on rat renal arteriolar contractile responses to angiotensin II

Experiments were performed to determine the effect of a chloride channel blocker (indanyloxyacetic acid, IAA-94) on renal arteriolar vasoconstrictor responses to angiotensin II (AngII). The in vitro blood-perfused juxtamedullary nephron technique was exploited to provide access to the renal microvasculature of enalaprilat-treated rats. Under control conditions, 1 to 100 nmol/L AngII evoked concentration-dependent afferent arteriolar vasoconstriction. Baseline diameter of afferent arterioles was not altered by 30 mumol/L IAA-94; however, AngII responsiveness was markedly attenuated. The afferent response to K-induced depolarization was sustained in the presence of IAA-94. In efferent arterioles, neither baseline diameter nor AngII responsiveness was altered by IAA-94. These results suggest that full expression AngII-induced afferent (but not efferent) arteriolar vasoconstriction requires participation of chloride channels, which likely engender depolarization and subsequent opening of voltage-gated calcium channels.
Epstein-Barr virus in multiple sclerosis

Recent seroepidemiologic and pathologic evidence suggests that prior infection with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) may be necessary for the development of multiple sclerosis (MS). EBV infects more than 90% of all humans, most of whom remain healthy. In contrast, 99% of MS patients have evidence of prior infection with EBV. EBV infects resting B lymphocytes, immortalizing them into long-lived memory B cells that survive largely undetected by the immune system in the peripheral circulation. MS patients show elevated titers to EBV years before developing any neurologic symptoms. Postmortem pathologic analysis of brains of patients with MS has revealed diffuse EBV-associated B-cell dysregulation in all forms of MS. Theories of pathogenesis of EBV in MS include antigenic mimicry, immortalization of B-cell clones, and cytotoxic T-cell dysfunction against virally infected B cells. This article reviews the existing evidence of the relationship between EBV and MS and considers the therapeutic implication of this evidence.
Anticholinergic suppression of fetal rabbit upper gastrointestinal motility.

Objective: At birth the newborn digestive tract must assume the responsibility of assimilating nutrients for survival. Immature gastrointestinal motility in the neonate may result in impaired feeding and nutrition. Newborn gastrointestinal motility development requires the expression and functional maturation of gastrointestinal receptors. To explore the timing of fetal responses to gastrointestinal cholinergic motility agents, we assessed the effect of the anticholinergic agent atropine in the late-gestation rabbit fetus. Methods: Seven pregnant New Zealand White rabbits were studied at day 30 of their normal 31-day gestation. In each litter, two fetuses were selected as study (n = 14) and two as control (n = 14). Under ultrasound guidance, a spinal needle was percutaneously inserted through the maternal uterus into the fetal stomach and 0.5 ml of gastric content was aspirated. Fluorescein, labelled with colored microspheres, and either atropine (0.04 μg/g fetal body weight) or normal saline were injecte...
Antineoplastic agents. 256. Cell growth inhibitory isocarbostyrils from Hymenocallis

The bulbs of Hymenocallis littoralis, collected in Hawaii and horticulturally grown in Arizona, and bulbs of Hymenocallis caribaea and Hymenocallis latifolia, collected in Singapore, were found to contain a cytotoxic, isocarbostyril-type biosynthetic product, 7-deoxy-trans-dihydronarciclasine [2]. This new compound inhibited the cytopathicity and/or replication of various viruses. Companion cytotoxic constituents of H. littoralis and Hymenocallis sp. were found to be pancratistatin [1], narciclasine [5], and 7-deoxynarciclasine [4]. These four compounds, along with four other closely related compounds, were comparatively evaluated in the National Cancer Institute's in vitro cytotoxicity panel. Although there were striking differences in overall potency, some of the compounds shared a highly characteristic differential cytotoxicity profile against the 60 diverse human tumor cell lines comprising the NCI panel. As a group, the melanoma subpanel lines were most sensitive; certain individual lines within other subpanels (eg., NSC lung, colon, brain, renal) were as much as a thousand-fold or more sensitive than the less sensitive lines.
Hyperlinks: Architecture and Design

(2011). Hyperlinks: Architecture and Design. Design and Culture: Vol. 3, No. 3, pp. 399-402.
19F NMR imaging of a fluorinated anesthetic in a model system

Previous fluorine-19 NMR imaging studies have focused primarily on potential applications of perhuorocarbon liquids (Z-3) and emulsions (4-6) as contrast agents for a variety of organs. One of the disadvantages in using perfluorinated agents for fluorine imaging is the multiplicity of resonances arising from chemically nonequivalent fluorine atoms. These widely spaced resonances (50150 ppm) introduce chemicalshift artifacts in the frequency-encoded spatial dimension and require a spectrum simplification (7) prior to image collection. The published in vivo i9F NMR studies of fluorinated anesthetics (8, 9), fluorinated glucose analogs (l&13), and fluorouracil(14, 15) have employed primarily spectroscopic analysis, rather than imaging techniques. The one-dimensional 19F mapping of the fluorinated anesthetic distribution in rat brain showed it to be nonuniform and time-dependent, but did not provide sufficient anatomical detail to assign the signals to known structures (16). Assessment of drug delivery and drug biodistribution provides a different, as yet unexplored, area for potential i9F imaging application. In this communication we demonstrate the parallel use of 19F with ‘H NMR imaging to determine the distribution of fluorinated drugs in biological tissues. As an example we chose the general anesthetic halothane (CF$HBrCl), which has a high lipid solubility, in the model host system provided by a green pepper. The distribution of halothane in a green pepper equilibrated with a saturated (15 n&f) aqueous solution of the anesthetic is illustrated in Fig. 1, which shows fluorine-19 (upper) and proton (lower) images of the same cross section. Halothane partitions preferentially into hydrophobic environments and thus is found in the oilcontaining seeds of the pepper. The proton image helps to define the structures within the pepper which contain this fluorinated compound. Both images are of the 5 mm thick slice obtained with a 6 in. imaging coil tuned to the fluorine-19 frequency. The images were produced using a modified spin-warp (17, 18) sequence with 7x = 300 ms and TE = 25 ms for the proton image, and 7R = 5 s and 7z = 25 ms for the fluorine19 image. The matrix size was 256 X 256 and the field of view 11 cm for both images. To increase the signal-to-noise ratio, four acquisitions for proton and eight acquisitions for fluorine19 images were averaged. The images were acquired on a General Electric 2T CSI spectrometer and processed using the 2D FT software. The concentration of
Abrupt Seasonal Migration of the ITCZ into the Summer Hemisphere

Abstract Although the maximum of solar radiation at the top of the atmosphere moves gradually from one hemisphere to the other as part of the seasonal cycle, the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) moves abruptly into the summer hemisphere. An axisymmetric circulation model is developed to study this rapid transition. The model consists of an upper and lower layer of the Hadley circulation (HC), with the surface layer attached to a slab ocean and the lower layer connected to the upper layer by a constant lapse rate. The model is forced by solar heating, and the ITCZ is prescribed to coincide with the warmest sea surface temperature (SST). The collocation of tropical rainfall with warm SST allows the model ITCZ migration to be understood in terms of the relative influence of solar heating and atmospheric dynamics upon ocean temperature. Atmospheric dynamics allow the ITCZ to move off the equator by flattening the meridional temperature gradient that would exist in radiative–convective equilibrium. For th...
Foster Care Youth Share Stories of Trauma Before, During, and After Placement: Youth Voices for Building Trauma-Informed Systems of Care

Many research studies address child trauma experiences that take place before foster care placement. However, few studies focus on the types and patterns of trauma experiences that reportedly take place during and after foster care placement; that is, after entry into adult living. This study examined the testimony of 43 foster care youth who spoke to a listening panel comprised of state legislators, child welfare professionals, and university educators. Qualitative analyses of transcribed text data revealed 3 main themes. First, the youth reported experiencing trauma before, during, and after placement. Second, the youth described trauma events and situations that were chronic (i.e., intense, composite, or cumulative). Third, youth offered suggestions for reducing traumatic experiences for foster care youth. They recommended earlier family interventions, access to people who listen and care, improved parenting skills for foster parents, continuity of relationships, and opportunities for leadership for fo...
Influence of the shunt type in the difference in reduction of volume between the two lateral ventricles in shunted hydrocephalic children.

Introduction After shunt insertion there is commonly a disproportionate reduction in size of the lateral ventricle containing the catheter (shunted lateral ventricle), which is almost certainly related to shunt function. To explore the difference between two shunt types, the Differential Pressure Medium Pressure cylindrical (M.P.) and Delta 1.5 valves (manufactured by P.S. Medical, Goleta, CA, USA), we measured lateral ventricle volumes preoperatively and after 3 months, using segmentation techniques on CT or MR scans.
Fluorescence study of aggregation in water of PEO-grafted polydiphenylamine.

Fluorescence spectra of water-soluble conducting poly(ethylene oxide)-grafted polydiphenylamines (PDPA-g-PEOs with the Mns of PEO 350, 750, and 2000) in water were determined and interpreted. The e...
Growth Performance of Hybrid Striped Bass, Rainbow Trout, and Cobia Utilizing Asian Carp Meal-Based Aquafeeds

AbstractFish meal sparing is more difficult for nutritionally demanding carnivorous fishes, but economic considerations and the limited supply of fish meal continue to incentivize investigations of alternative protein sources for aquafeeds. A promising alternative to traditional, marine-origin fish meal is fish meal derived from undesirable freshwater species, such as the invasive Asian carp Hypophthalmichthys spp. To assess the relative value of such ingredients, we evaluated growth performance of juvenile hybrid Striped Bass (White Bass Morone chrysops × Striped Bass M. saxatilis; initial weight, 21.9 ± 0.2 g [mean ± SE]), Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (15.1 ± 0.2 g), and Cobia Rachycentron canadum (57.2 ± 0.5 g) reared for 8 weeks on practical diets containing different levels of menhaden fish meal (MFM), Asian carp meal (CFM), or a 50:50 blend of these ingredients such that 0, 20, 40, or 60% of the estimated digestible protein content was derived from fish meal. Growth performance was generally co...
Expression of a new tyrosine protein kinase is stimulated by retrovirus promoter insertion

Tyrosine protein kinases are important both in the normal regulation of cellular proliferation and in the oncogenic transformation of cells by several tumour viruses1. The LSTRA Moloney murine leukaemia virus (M-MuLV)-induced thymoma cell line2 contains ∼20-fold more phosphotyrosine in protein than do typical haematopoietic cell lines3; this seems to result from the expression of an abnormally high level of a cellular tyrosine protein kinase termed p56tck (refs 3,4). This kinase is normally expressed at low levels in most, but not all, murine T cells3,4. The elevated levels of p56tck could contribute to the malignant properties of LSTRA cells. Therefore, we have isolated cloned complementary DNAs encoding the whole of p56tck. Sequence analysis shows it to be a novel cellular tyrosine protein kinase which is distinct from all others described to date. p56tck is encoded in LSTRA cells by a hybrid messenger RNA; ∼200 nucleotides at the 5′ end of the mRNA are identical to the 5′ end of the genome of M-MuLV. The three- to ninefold transcriptional activation of the gene therefore results from retroviral promoter insertion.
Global methods to monitor the thiol-disulfide state of proteins in vivo.

Cysteines play an important role in protein biochemistry. The unique chemical property and high reactivity of the free thiol group makes reduced cysteine a versatile component of catalytic centers and metal binding sites in many cytosolic proteins and oxidized cystine a stabilizing component in many secreted proteins. Moreover, cysteines readily react with reactive oxygen and nitrogen species to form reversible oxidative thiol modifications. As a result, these reversible thiol modifications have found a use as regulatory nano-switches in an increasing number of redox sensitive proteins. These redox-regulated proteins are able to adjust their activity quickly in response to changes in their redox environment. Over the past few years, a number of techniques have been developed that give insight into the global thiol–disulfide state of proteins in the cell. They have been successfully used to find substrates of thiol–disulfide oxidoreductases and to discover novel redoxregulated proteins. This review will pr...
Successive processing of color and form from brief visual displays.

Visual processing of multidimensional stimuli was explored with a task designed to determine the number of separable perceptual stages operating and the nature of their relationship. Displays containing 2 rows of 5 randomly selected letters were presented briefly. In half the displays, 1 of the 10 letters was red and the other 9 black; in the remaining displays, all 10 letters were black. Ss made two responses to each display: color detection, in which the presence or absence of a red letter was judged, and letter naming, in which Ss reported as many letters as they could. The findings suggested that the two tasks were performed by separate perceptual mechanisms and the selection of letters to be named could be influenced by the information acquired by the color-detection mechanism.
Crystallization of monosodium urate and calcium urate at 37°C

Abstract The solubility of monosodium urate in a stoichiometric solution is 6.5 m M at 37°C. The supersaturation ratio required for nucleation increases from about 5 to over 20 as the sodium to urate ratio increases from 1 to over 30. Thus sodium urate nucleation is much more sensitive to urate concentration than to sodium concentration. Additions of physiological quantities of potassium and magnesium ions only slightly inhibit the nucleation of monosodium urate. The solubility of calcium urate in a stoichiometric solution is 0.5 mM at 37°C. Calcium did not influence sodium urate nucleation unless the solutions were also supersaturated with respect to calcium urate. In this case calcium urate almost always crystallized alone.
Evaluation of heating patterns of microwave interstitial applicators using miniature electric field and fluoroptic temperature probes

The SAR patterns were determined for four commercially available microwave (915 MHz) interstitial applicators. Values of SAR were determined using a miniature (3 mm diameter) implantable isotropic electric field probe or a custom 0.25 mm diameter fluoroptic temperature probe. These are the smallest such probes that are currently available. Similar radial variation of SAR was found at the axial position of the gap in the outer conductor for each applicator. Electric field probe measurements are much faster and avoid some of the errors caused by the rapid spatial variation of SAR with interstitial applicators. The major limitation on the electric field probe is its size; it is larger than the applicators being tested.
The Weed and Seed Program: A Nationwide Analysis of Crime Outcomes

The Weed and Seed program was created to target high-crime neighborhoods with sustained and intensive enforcement and community restoration resources. At present, however, no nationwide assessment of crime outcomes has yet been conducted comparing all jurisdictions that implemented this program with those that did not. This study conducted a series of panel data analyses to compare every Weed and Seed jurisdiction with 250 randomly selected, matched comparison locations nationwide from 1990 through 2004 to assess the impact of this program on Uniform Crime Report Part I felony offenses. In this first evaluation of crime outcomes among all Weed and Seed jurisdictions nationwide, results from five different quasi-experimental and panel data analyses indicated that the program was associated with reductions in robbery, burglary, and vehicle theft. In addition, the level of impact of the Weed and Seed program was similar to more expensive Department of Justice programs from the Office of Community-Oriented Po...
Clinical and Microbiological Analysis of Bloodstream Infections Caused by Chryseobacterium meningosepticum in Nonneonatal Patients

Chryseobacterium meningosepticum bloodstream infections in 11 nonneonatal patients were reported. More than half of the infections were community acquired. PCR assays indicated that the organisms produced extended-spectrum β-lactamases as well as metallo-β-lactamases. Genotyping showed diverse fingerprints among the isolates. Six patients survived without appropriate antibiotic treatment. Host factors are the major determinant of the outcomes of C. meningosepticum infections.
The functions of postpartum depression

Abstract Evolutionary approaches to parental care suggest that parents will not automatically invest in all offspring, and they should reduce or eliminate investment in their children if the costs outweigh the benefits. Lack of paternal or social support will increase the costs born by mothers, whereas infant health problems will reduce the evolutionary benefits to be gained. Numerous studies support the correlation between postpartum depression (PPD) and lack of social support or indicators of possible infant health and development problems. PPD may be an adaptation that informs mothers that they are suffering or have suffered a fitness cost, which motivates them to reduce or eliminate investment in offspring under certain circumstances, and that may help them negotiate greater levels of investment from others. PPD also appears to be a good model for depression in general.
DCLK1 expression in gastrointestinal stem cells and neoplasia

Abstract Doublecortin-like kinase (Dclk1), a gene involved in neurogenesis, has recently been found expressed in single cells of the human and murine adult gastrointestinal tract. Currently, there are opposing opinions on the exact
A Multiple Imputation Approach to the Analysis of Current Status Data with the Additive Hazards Model

This article discusses regression analysis of current status data, which occur in many fields including cross-sectional studies, demographical investigations, and tumorigenicity experiments (Keiding, 1991; Sun 2006). For the problem, we focus on the situation where the survival time of interest can be described by the additive hazards model and a multiple imputation approach is presented for inference. A major advantage of the approach is its simplicity and it can be easily implemented by using the existing software packages for right-censored failure time data. Extensive simulation studies are conducted and indicate that the approach performs well for practical situations and is comparable to the existing methods. The methodology is applied to a set of current status data arising from a tumorigenicity experiment and the model checking is discussed.
Hydrodynamic Performance of Gas Microbearings

Hydrodynamic performance of gas microbearings, fabricated with deep X-ray lithography and electroplating, will be presented in this article. Static performance in terms of load parameters and attitude angles was calculated using Molecular Gas Lubrication (MGL) theory. Threshold speed and allowable rotor mass were calculated to investigate safe operating conditions of the fabricated gas microbearings using orbit simulation. Finally, improved bearing designs were proposed to increase stability.
Analysis of the effects of induced fields from sliding electrical contacts

Sliding electrical contact surfaces are encountered in many applications, including current-collection brushes in generators, armatures sliding between rails, and circuit breakers. The speeds of relative motion between the two contact surfaces vary according to application; in the first two, speeds on the order of 1 km/s are not uncommon. Prediction of speed and the effects of fields on speed have traditionally been made using finite element codes. Here, an alternative semianalytic method is investigated. A rectangular armature sliding between a pair of rails is studied, with a typical current profile based on published data as input for the problem. A model analytical field consistent with the total current input is used. Forces and speeds are computed, and the effects of induced fields due to motion on the speed and the current are analyzed and compared to typical experimental data.
Black Holes and Gravitational Waves: Spacetime Engineering

General relativity — Einstein’s theory of relativistic gravitation — is the cornerstone of modern cosmology, the physics of neutron stars and black holes, the generation of gravitational radiation, and countless other cosmic phenomena in which strong-field gravitation is believed to play a dominant role. Yet the theory remains largely untested, except in the weak-field, slowvelocity regime. Moreover, solutions to Einstein’s equations, except for a few idealized cases characterized by high degrees of symmetry, have not been obtained as yet for many of the important dynamical scenarios thought to occur in nature. Only now, with the advent of supercomputers, is it possible to tackle these highly nonlinear equations numerically and explore these scenarios in detail. That is the main goal of numerical relativity, the art and science of developing computer algorithms to solve Einstein’s equations for physically realistic, high-velocity, strong-field systems. Numerical relativity also has a pressing goal — to calculate gravitational waveforms from promising astrophysical sources, in order to provide theoretical templates for the gravitational wave laser interferometers now under construction in the US, Europe and Japan.
Gelling Temperature of Gellan Solutions Containing Calcium Ions

Gelling temperatures were measured using a dynamic rheological testing method, a spectrophotometric method and direct visual examination combined with use of a thermocouple. Results from the dynamic testing method were most consistent. Gelling temperatures of gellan solutions increased from 30 to 72°C, as polymer concentrations increased from 0.4 to 2.0% w/v and Ca ++ concentrations increased from 2 to 40 mM. A mathematical model was developed based on the van't Hoff equation to relate gelling temperatures to composition and polymer molecular weight. The heat of cross-linking in Ca-gellan gels was estimated to be 428.6 kJ/mole, about 1.4 to 2.1 times greater than for gelatin gels.
Acoustic whispering-gallery modes in optomechanical shells

We numerically calculate the forms and frequencies of mechanical whispering-gallery modes in silica shells. Such modes were recently experimentally observed in water-filled optomechanical resonators, which constitute a bridge between optomechanics and microfluidics. We consider the three acoustic mode families of Rayleigh-Lamb waves, longitudinal waves and Love waves. Our study shows that these acoustic modes have rich velocity dispersion characteristics and can create considerable deformation of the inner surface of the shells. In this manner, a novel optomechanical interaction may be facilitated between fluids and light.
Array beamforming in the presence of a mounting tower using genetic algorithms

A beamforming method based on genetic algorithms (GAs) is proposed for antenna arrays in the presence of strong platform effects. A GA is used to maximize the mainbeam radiation and minimize sidelobe levels based on the active element patterns of the array. Simulation results show that the array excitations optimized by the GA can achieve superior beamforming performance than those from array theory or phase conjugation. Experimental results collected from a seven-element circular array further demonstrate the beamforming and direction finding performance of the GA based beamformer. In addition, an array element position optimization is carried out. Simulation results show further improvement in the beamforming performance.
Pathogenic enteric viruses and microbial indicators during secondary treatment of municipal wastewater

Pathogenic enteric viruses are responsible for a wide range of infections in humans, with diverse symptoms. Raw and partially treated wastewaters are major sources of environmental contamination with enteric viruses. We monitored a municipal secondary wastewater treatment plant (New Orleans, LA) on a monthly basis for norovirus (NoV) GI and GII and enterovirus serotypes using multiplex reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and microbial indicators of fecal contamination using standard plating methods. Densities of indicator bacteria (enterococci, fecal coliforms, and Escherichia coli) did not show monthly or seasonal patterns. Norovirus GII was more abundant than GI and, along with enterovirus serotypes, increased in influent during fall and spring. The highest NoV GI density in influent was in the fall, reaching an average of 4.0 log10 genomic copies/100 ml. Norovirus GI removal (0.95 log10) was lower than that for GII, enterovirus serotypes, and male-specific coliphages (1.48 log10) or for indicator bacteria (4.36 log10), suggesting higher resistance of viruses to treatment. Male-specific coliphages correlated with NoV GII densities in influent and effluent (r = 0.48 and 0.76, respectively) and monthly removal, indicating that male-specific coliphages can be more reliable than indicator bacteria to monitor norovirus GII load and microbial removal. Dominant norovirus genotypes were classified into three GI genotypes (GI.1, GI.3, and GI.4) and four GII genotypes (GII.3, GII.4, GII.13, and GII.21), dominated by GI.1 and GII.4 strains. Some of the seasonal and temporal patterns we observed in the pathogenic enteric viruses were different from those of epidemiological observations.
A model and a first analysis of distributed-search contraction-based strategies

While various approaches to parallel theorem proving have been proposed, their usefulness is evaluated only empirically. This research is a contribution towards the goal of machinedindependent analysis of theoremdproving strategies. This paper considers clausal contractiondbased strategies and their parallelization by distributed search, with subdivision of the search space and propagation of clauses by messagedpassing (e.g., a la ClausedDiffusion). A model for the representation of the parallel searches produced by such strategies is presented, and the boundeddsearchdspaces approach to the measurement of search complexity in infinite search spaces is extended to distributed search. This involves capturing both its advantages, e.g., the subdivision of work, and disadvantages, e.g., the cost of communication, in terms of search space. These tools are applied to compare the evolution of the search space of a contractiondbased strategy with that of its parallelization in the above sense.
Convergence of Pseudospectral Methods for a Class of Discontinuous Optimal Control

We consider the optimal control of feedback linearizable dynamic systems subject to mixed state and control constraints. The optimal controller is allowed to be discontinuous including bang-bang control. Although the nonlinear system is assumed to be feedback linearizable, in general, the optimal control does not linearize the dynamics. The continuous optimal control problem is discretized using pseudospectral (PS) methods. We prove that the discretized problem is always feasible and that the optimal solution to the discretized, constrained problem converges to the possibly discontinuous optimal control of the continuous-time problem.
Least-Squares Neutron Spectral Adjustment with STAYSL PNNL

The STAYSL PNNL computer code, a descendant of the STAY'SL code [1], performs neutron spectral adjustment of a starting neutron spectrum, applying a least squares method to determine adjustments based on saturated activation rates, neutron cross sections from evaluated nuclear data libraries, and all associated covariances. STAYSL PNNL is provided as part of a comprehensive suite of programs [2], where additional tools in the suite are used for assembling a set of nuclear data libraries and determining all required corrections to the measured data to determine saturated activation rates. Neutron cross section and covariance data are taken from the International Reactor Dosimetry File (IRDF-2002) [3], which was sponsored by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), though work is planned to update to data from the IAEA's International Reactor Dosimetry and Fusion File (IRDFF) [4]. The nuclear data and associated covariances are extracted from IRDF-2002 using the third-party NJOY99 computer code [5]. The NJpp translation code converts the extracted data into a library data array format suitable for use as input to STAYSL PNNL. The software suite also includes three utilities to calculate corrections to measured activation rates. Neutron self-shielding corrections are calculated as a function of neutron energy with the SHIELD code and are applied to the group cross sections prior to spectral adjustment, thus making the corrections independent of the neutron spectrum. The SigPhi Calculator is a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet used for calculating saturated activation rates from raw gamma activities by applying corrections for gamma self-absorption, neutron burn-up, and the irradiation history. Gamma self-absorption and neutron burn-up corrections are calculated (iteratively in the case of the burn-up) within the SigPhi Calculator spreadsheet. The irradiation history corrections are calculated using the BCF computer code and are inserted into the SigPhi Calculator workbook for use in correcting the measured activities. Output from the SigPhi Calculator is automatically produced, and consists of a portion of the STAYSL PNNL input file data that is required to run the spectral adjustment calculations. Within STAYSL PNNL, the least-squares process is performed in one step, without iteration, and provides rapid results on PC platforms. STAYSL PNNL creates multiple output files with tabulated results, data suitable for plotting, and data formatted for use in subsequent radiation damage calculations using the SPECTER computer code (which is not included in the STAYSL PNNL suite). All components of the software suite have undergone extensive testing and validation prior to release and test cases are provided with the package.
Buried by The Times: “All Jews Are Not Brothers”: The Publisher's Fight with Zionists

D uring 1942, as the Times published accounts of the millions already dead in Eastern Europe and the millions more in imminent danger, Arthur Sulzberger issued a written order to his staff about how to handle the unfolding events. A five-paragraph story on a speech by William Green, American Federation of Labor president, condemning “the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of Jews in Europe by the Nazi butchers,” caught Sulzberger's attention. But it was not the condemnation or who was issuing it that interested Sulzberger. “I have been trying to instruct the people around here on the subject of the word ‘Jews’, i.e., that they are neither a race nor a people, etc.,” Sulzberger wrote to his Washington Bureau Chief Arthur Krock at the end of December. The person who wrote the story's main headline (“A.F.L. Head Condemns Nazi Killing of Jews”) “had learned his lesson,” Sulzberger wrote. So had Green, who referred to “Jews.” “But the fellow in the Washington Bureau who wrote the lead turned what Green said into ‘the Jewish people.’ Will you caution him?” Krock did, asking his deputy to “please issue the necessary instructions.” For Sulzberger, the drive against Jewish nationalism – against conceiving of Jews as a people, against a Jewish homeland in Palestine, against the leaders who advocated those stances – overshadowed every other issue, even Hitler's plan to make Jewish nationalism an irrelevancy.
Mouse proximal tubular cell-cell adhesion inhibits apoptosis by a cadherin-dependent mechanism

Adhesion of epithelial cells to matrix is known to inhibit apoptosis. However, the role of cell-cell adhesion in mediating cell survival remains uncertain. Primary cultures of mouse proximal tubula...
Social Network Structures of Primary Health Care Teams Associated with Health Outcomes in Alcohol Drinkers with Diabetes

This study evaluates if social network structures in primary care teams are related to biometric outcomes of diabetic alcohol drinkers. The study results show that primary care teams with less hierarchical face-to-face social networks (i.e. more connection density, more 3-tie closures and less network centrality) have better controlled HbA1c, LDL cholesterol and blood pressure among their diabetic alcohol drinking patients. Notably, more interconnected primary care teams, with members who engage others in face-to-face communication about patient care, who feel emotionally supported by their coworkers, and who feel like they work with friends, share the same goals and objectives for patient care and have better patient outcomes, as evidenced by the diabetic biometric measures of their team’s patients.
Back-To-Back Amorphous Silicon Diodes For Driving Lc Displays

This paper describes the preparation and electrical characteristics of a-Si:H p-i-n-i-p and n-i-p-i-n thin film diodes suitable for driving monochrome liquid crystal displays with more than 500 lines. The symmetrical current-voltage curves in the reverse breakdown regime can be described by i=io exp (E/Eo) where Eo≃9×104 V/cm. In the range 20–125°C, the current is thermally activated with an energy of 0.25eV. The response time to applied voltage pulses is ≤ 10 us. The stability of the electrical characteristics is adequate for at least 104 hours of operation in an liquid crystal display. Electrical characteristics indicate that the reverse breakdown current is a tunneling current injected into the i-layer and that electrons are likely to be dominant.
Method of Transmission of Immunity to Equine Encephalomyelitic Virus inthe Guinea Pig

It has previously been reported that the young guinea pigs born of parents immune to the virus of equine encephalomyelitis of the western American type were themselves immune within certain time limits after which the immunity was lost.' It was further demonstrated that the resistance factor was transmitted through the maternal rather than the paternal side, indicating a passive transference either by way of the placenta or of the milk.
Spin-State Tuning at Pseudo-tetrahedral d6 Ions: Spin Crossover in [BP3]FeII–X Complexes

Low-coordinate transition-metal complexes that undergo spin crossover remain rare. We report here a series of four-coordinate, pseudo-tetrahedral P3FeII–X complexes supported by tris(phosphine)borate P3 ([PhBP3R]−) and phosphiniminato X-type ligands (−N═PR3′) that, in combination, tune the spin-crossover behavior of the system. Most of the reported iron complexes undergo spin crossover at temperatures near or above room temperature in solution and in the solid state. The change in spin state coincides with a significant change in the degree of π-bonding between Fe and the bound N atom of the phosphiniminato ligand. Spin crossover is accompanied by striking changes in the ultraviolet–visible (UV-vis) absorption spectra, which allows for quantitative modeling of the thermodynamic parameters of the spin equilibria. These spin equilibria have also been studied by numerous techniques including paramagnetic nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), infrared, and Mossbauer spectroscopies; X-ray crystallography; and soli...
Role of Safety Training: Impact on Hazard Recognition and Safety Risk Perception

AbstractHazard recognition and the accurate perception of safety risk are fundamental to the success of any safety program. When hazards remain unrecognized, or the associated safety risk is underestimated, the likelihood of catastrophic and unexpected injuries dramatically increase. Unfortunately, recent research has found that a large number of hazards in construction remain unrecognized. Likewise, past studies have demonstrated that safety risk is widely underestimated within construction. To improve hazard recognition and the accurate perception of safety risk, employers adopt a wide variety of training programs. However, the prevalent use of ineffective and unengaging training methods have significantly impeded training efforts in construction. The purpose of this research was to assess the impact of safety training on two objective training outcomes: hazard recognition performance and safety risk perception. The research objectives were accomplished by gathering empirical data from 51 active project...
Transcriptional Truncation of the Long Coding Imprinted Gene Usp29

Usp29 (Ubiquitin-specific protease 29) is a paternally expressed gene located upstream of another imprinted gene Peg3. In the current study, the transcription of this long coding gene spanning a 250-kb genomic distance was truncated using a knockin allele. According to the results, paternal transmission of the mutant allele resulted in reduced body and litter sizes whereas the maternal transmission caused no obvious effects. In the paternal mutant, the expression levels of Usp29 were reduced to 14-18% level of the wild-type littermates due to the Poly-A signal included in the knockin cassette. Expression analyses further revealed an unusual female-specific up-regulation of the adjacent imprinted gene Zfp264 in the mutant. Consistent with this, the promoter of Zfp264 was hypomethylated only in the female mutant. Interestingly, this female-specific hypomethylation by the knockin allele was not detected in the offspring of an interspecific crossing, indicating its sensitivity to genetic background. Overall, the results suggest that the transcription of Usp29 may be involved in DNA methylation setting of Zfp264 promoter in a sex-specific manner.
A diffusion problem from rock porosity measurements

Disposing of nuclear waste is becoming a major environmental problem. Nuclear waste buried in the ground may migrate with water seeping through it. Research carried out at Los Alamos National Laboratory involves tracking the migration of nuclear waste. The goal is to understand the migration process in order to design safe burial sites, ensuring, in particular, that the nuclear waste will not enter into the water table.
Effect of disorder on the dilute equilibrium vacancy concentrations of multicomponent crystalline solids

We develop statistical mechanical methods to predict the thermodynamic properties of dilute vacancies in multicomponent solids from first principles. The approach relies on a coarse-graining procedure to predict dilute vacancy concentrations with Monte Carlo simulations in alloys exhibiting varying degrees of short- and long-range order. We apply this approach to a study of vacancies in hcp based Ti-Al binary alloys and find a strong dependence of the equilibrium vacancy concentration on the Al concentration and the degree of long-range order, especially at low temperature.
Reverse mathematics and marriage problems with finitely many solutions

We analyze the logical strength of theorems on marriage problems with a fixed finite number of solutions via the techniques of reverse mathematics. We show that if a marriage problem has k solutions, then there is a finite set of boys such that the marriage problem restricted to this set has exactly k solutions, each of which extend uniquely to a solution of the original marriage problem. The strength of this assertion depends on whether or not the marriage problem has a bounding function. We also answer three questions from our previous work on marriage problems with unique solutions.