cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neumann boundary value problem for general curvature flow with forcing term

We consider the evolution of a strictly convex hypersurface by a class of general curvature. We prove that given some Neumann boundary condition, the flow exists for all time and converges to a solution with prescribed general curvature that satisfies the Neumann boundary condition. Our method also works for the corresponding elliptic setting.
Fibroblast growth factor 23 and cognitive impairment: The health, aging, and body composition study

Background Concentrations of fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23), a hormone that regulates phosphorus and vitamin D metabolism, increase as kidney function declines. Excess fibroblast growth factor 23 may impact brain function through promotion of vascular disease or through direct effects on neuronal tissue. Methods In the Healthy Aging and Body Composition Study, a longitudinal observational cohort of well-functioning older adults, intact serum FGF-23 was assayed in 2,738 individuals. Cognitive function was assessed at baseline and longitudinally at years 3, 5, and 8 by administration of the Modified Mini Mental State Examination (3MSE), a test of global cognitive function, and the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST), a test primarily of executive function. The associations between FGF-23 and baseline cognitive function and incident cognitive impairment were evaluated using logistic and Poisson regression respectively, and were adjusted for demographics, baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), urine albumin/creatinine ratio, comorbidity, and other measures of mineral metabolism including soluble klotho. Results The mean (SD) age was 74(3) years, with 51% female, and 39% black. The median (25th, 75th) FGF-23 concentration was 47 pg/mL (37, 60). Three hundred ninety-two individuals had prevalent cognitive impairment by the 3MSE and 461 by the DSST. There was no observed association between FGF-23 and baseline cognitive function for either cognitive test. There were 277 persons with incident cognitive impairment by 3MSE, and 333 persons with incident cognitive impairment by DSST. In fully adjusted models, each two-fold higher concentration of baseline FGF-23 was not associated with incident cognitive impairment by the 3MSE (IRR = 1.02[0.88, 1.19] fully adjusted model) or by the DSST (IRR = 0.98 [0.84, 1.15]. We saw no difference when analyses were stratified by eGFR greater than or less than 60 ml/min/1.73m2. Conclusion Intact FGF-23 was not associated with baseline cognitive function or incident cognitive impairment in this cohort well-functioning older adults.
Daily PM 2.5 concentration estimates by county, ZIP code, and census tract in 11 western states 2008–2018

We created daily concentration estimates for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) at the centroids of each county, ZIP code, and census tract across the western US, from 2008–2018. These estimates are predictions from ensemble machine learning models trained on 24-hour PM2.5 measurements from monitoring station data across 11 states in the western US. Predictor variables were derived from satellite, land cover, chemical transport model (just for the 2008–2016 model), and meteorological data. Ten-fold spatial and random CV R2 were 0.66 and 0.73, respectively, for the 2008–2016 model and 0.58 and 0.72, respectively for the 2008–2018 model. Comparing areal predictions to nearby monitored observations demonstrated overall R2 of 0.70 for the 2008–2016 model and 0.58 for the 2008–2018 model, but we observed higher R2 (>0.80) in many urban areas. These data can be used to understand spatiotemporal patterns of, exposures to, and health impacts of PM2.5 in the western US, where PM2.5 levels have been heavily impacted by wildfire smoke over this time period. Machine-accessible metadata file describing the reported data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.14161856
In vitro susceptibility testing of ceftiofur against bovine mastitis pathogens isolated as part of an ongoing surveillance program (2002- 2010)

Although many antimicrobial susceptibility reports have been published that include mastitis pathogens, few have compared susceptibility trends over time and geographical areas. In 2001, Pfizer Animal Health (PAH) initiated a pilot susceptibility surveillance program, and requested that six veterinary diagnostic laboratories submit bacterial pathogens isolated from naturally occurring mastitis infections for susceptibility testing at PAR. That year, 354 pathogens were tested. The program has grown and more than 1,200 isolates are tested each year. Results of ceftiofur activity against mastitis pathogens for the years 2002 to 2010 are reported here. SPECTRAMAST® was approved in 2005 for the treatment of clinical mastitis associated with coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS), Strep. dysgalactiae, and Escherichia coli in lactating dairy cattle and for the treatment of subclinical mastitis associated with Staphylococcus aureus, Strep. dysgalactiae, and Streptococcus uberis in dairy cattle at the time of dry off.
Does NGO Presence Decrease Government Spending? A Look at Municipal Spending on Social Services in Brazil

Summary Are NGOs becoming substitutes for government? In particular, as many NGOs have missions related to social outcomes such as education or health, what is their role in regard to government provision of these social goods? I examine municipal-level data from Brazil in order to explore the relationship between NGOs and social spending. I find that municipalities with higher concentrations of NGOs tend to have lower levels of social spending, except in areas of high poverty. This implies that NGOs may be crowding out the government in terms of social spending, at least in lower poverty municipalities.
The Connexin Channel Pore: Pore-Lining Segments and Residues

Connexins form channels with large aqueous pores that mediate flux of ions and biological signaling molecules between cells and across the plasma membrane. Conductance and selectivity properties of connexin channels are diverse. A number of studies have attempted to define the connexin pore in molecular terms and to reveal the key elements of the pore structure that may differ across connexins. These studies include point mutagenesis, domain exchange, scanning cysteine accessibility mutagenesis, and electron cryomicroscopy. Each type of study has provided information that points to specific segments of connexin protein as contributing to the pore lining. However, despite this work, and significant advances in understanding channel structure, gating, and permeation, current views have not reached a consensus regarding the principal domains contributing to the pore.
Poly(Chlorotrifluoroethylene) Substitution Reactions

Previous work by our group on polystyrene-based reagents showed that polystyrene could be mercurated and converted into polystyrene-bound phenyl seleninic acid, a versatile oxidizing agent1. Another polystyrene-based oxidant synthesized using the same mercuric intermediate was poly(iodoxystyrene)2. These polystyrene-based reagents were not hardy enough to allow repeated recycle of the polymeric reagents since benzylic protons, present in polystyrene, can be easily oxidized, causing the breakdown of the polymer backbone.
Pedigree-Free Descent-Based Gene Mapping from Population Samples.

Segments of the genome inherited from a common ancestor by related individuals are said to be identical by descent (IBD). Modern genetic marker data provide information to infer such segments among mu
Model Atmospheres for Peculiar Red Giant Stars

From the pragmatic point of view of the maker and user of model atmospheres—really model photospheres, we provide an overview of those available for peculiar red giant (PRG) stars. After listing the assumptions of the classic stellar atmosphere, we examine the prospects for generalizing each of these. Except for convection and spherical geometry, these generalizations will likely not appear soon. An examination of the parameter ‘space in effective temperature, surface gravity, and chemical composition covered by published atmospheres demonstrates the sketchiness of that coverage. Tests of the adequacy of current models as regards both self-consistency and agreement with stellar observations are discussed. Key observations against which to test models are scarce, particularly because essentially all red giants are variable. Models for warm and intermediate M giants and probably also the warmer S stars appear to be quite accurate. Models for cooler M and S stars and for N-type carbon stars must be regarded as tentative. Models for R stars may also be accurate, but very little testing has been done. Several applications of models, especially in calibrating the temperature scale, are described. We are reminded that photospheres exist in a wider world of stellar interiors and of stellar chromospheres, circumstellar shells, and mass loss. Spherical models and chromospheres are discussed.
Nature of the high-binding-energy dip in the low-temperature photoemission spectra of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+ delta.

At the transition to superconductivity, an anomalous high-binding-energy (\ensuremath{\approxeq}-90 meV) dip appears in the low-temperature photoemission spectra taken along the \ensuremath{\Gamma}-M\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{} high-symmetry direction of ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Sr}}_{2}$${\mathrm{CaCu}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{8+\mathrm{\ensuremath{\delta}}}$. This paper details experiments which further characterize the energy and k-space dependence of this dip structure. The dip occurs over a wide portion of the \ensuremath{\Gamma}-M\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{} zone diagonal (110), yet shows minimal energy dispersion. In the spectra taken along the \ensuremath{\Gamma}-X zone edge (100), the dip is very weak or not present. We show that these results imply that the dip is not an artifact dependent on the experiment or special features of the band structure and therefore is an intrinsic feature of the superconducting state of ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Sr}}_{2}$${\mathrm{CaCu}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{8+\mathrm{\ensuremath{\delta}}}$. The behavior of the normal-state bands along \ensuremath{\Gamma}-M\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{} in relation to the local-density-approximation prediction of a Bi-O-based electron ``pocket'' is also discussed, with our data explained most naturally if the Bi-O band remains above the Fermi level for all k.
Scale economies and capacity utilization: The importance of relative fuel prices

Abstract Several authors have directed attention to the importance of capacity utilization as an explanation for technical scale economies in the production of electricity. We analyse 1981 US firing-unit data for electric-generating companies to determine the relationship between capacity-utilization and scale economies. We show that capacity-utilization rates are functions of relative fuel prices and the mix of technology available to the company. This suggests that the results of capacity-utilization studies will be dependent on the relative fuel prices in the year(s) from which the data come, even if the capital stock is exactly the same. As a result ex ante , companies do not have much flexibility in choosing an expected utilization rate associated with scale.
Cor triatriatum in the adult. Complicated by mitral insufficiency and aortic dissection.

Abstract A case of cor triatriatum, complicated by acquired mitral insufficiency and aortic dissection with survival to the fifth decade is presented. A diastolic pressure gradient was recorded between the left ventricle and the proximal left atrial chamber which was entered by the transseptal catheter, but no transmitral gradient was present at surgery. Indicator, injected in the left ventricle, was not detected during sampling from the transseptal catheter, despite the demonstration of considerable mitral regurgitation by left ventricular angiocardiography. Cor triatriatum should be suspected, even in the adult patient, when such apparently anomalous hemodynamic observations as those present in this patient are encountered.
10. Seismic Instrumentation

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a comprehensive account of the seismic instrumentation that forms the backbone of seismometry. There are basically three devices that can be used for measuring seismic ground motions: (1) the pendulum sensor, which makes use of an inertial mass loosely coupled to the sensor housing; (2) the strainmeter, which measures the difference between displacements at two distinct points; and (3) the pressure sensor. A possible fourth device can be developed, at least in principle, using a gyroscope suspended in a balanced, frictionless gimbal system. Conservation of angular momentum of such a system offers the potential for measuring the rigid body rotation on top of displacement. Such devices are in common use in inertial navigation. Although the sensor is the most crucial element, a complete seismic monitoring system today consists of five parts: the sensor, the signal conditioning device, the recorder, the timing device, and the seismic data telemetry link. To provide better areal coverage with an accurate common time base and to improve operational economy, seismic stations are interconnected through telemetry links to form regional networks. Depending on the type of application, a multitude of designs for all these five parts are in current use.
Review of Soft X-Ray Lasers Using Charge Exchange

This paper will review charge exchange vacuum ultraviolet and soft x-ray lasers using ion beams1,2. The basic idea of the reaction is that one avoids the rapid Auger rates characteristic of many other x-ray laser schemes by picking up an electron in the outer shell of a hydrogen-like, helium-like, or lithium-like ion (see Table I).
Spanish Dermatological Vocabulary Used by Mexican Workers

Spanish is the second most common language spoken in the United States. Physicians can expect a growing population of patients who speak Spanish as their primary language. The purpose of this study was to develop a glossary of Spanish dermatological vocabulary commonly used by Mexican workers. Dermatologic terms were gathered from transcripts of in-depth interviews with 31 Latino farmworkers in North Carolina. Participants were asked to name and define words related to skin irritations. Farmworkers provided several definitions of some terms, and several Spanish equivalents exist for specific English words. This glossary is a supplement to other resources for learning medical Spanish and expands health care professionals' knowledge of dermatology-related Spanish vocabulary.
Design and operation of button-probe, beam-position measurements

Beam position measurement systems have been installed on the Advanced Free Electron Laser (AFEL) facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The position measurement uses a capacitive- or button-style probe that differentiates the beam-bunch charge distribution induced on each of the four probe lobes. These induced signals are fed to amplitude-to-phase processing electronics that provide output signals proportional to the arc tangent of the probe's opposite-lobe, signal-voltage ratios. An associated computer system then digitizes and linearizes these processed signals based on theoretical models and measured responses. This paper will review the processing electronics and capacitive probe responses by deriving simple theoretical models and comparing these models to actual measured responses. >
18F-DCFBC PET/CT for PSMA-Based Detection and Characterization of Primary Prostate Cancer

We previously demonstrated the ability to detect metastatic prostate cancer using N-[N-[(S)-1,3-dicarboxypropyl]carbamoyl]-4-18F-fluorobenzyl-l-cysteine (18F-DCFBC), a low-molecular-weight radiotracer that targets the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA). PSMA has been shown to be associated with higher Gleason grade and more aggressive disease. An imaging biomarker able to detect clinically significant high-grade primary prostate cancer reliably would address an unmet clinical need by allowing for risk-adapted patient management. Methods: We enrolled 13 patients with primary prostate cancer who were imaged with 18F-DCFBC PET before scheduled prostatectomy, with 12 of these patients also undergoing pelvic prostate MR imaging. Prostate 18F-DCFBC PET was correlated with MR imaging and histologic and immunohistochemical analysis on a prostate-segment (12 regions) and dominant-lesion basis. There were no incidental extraprostatic findings on PET suggestive of metastatic disease. Results: MR imaging was more sensitive than 18F-DCFBC PET for detection of primary prostate cancer on a per-segment (sensitivities of up to 0.17 and 0.39 for PET and MR imaging, respectively) and per-dominant-lesion analysis (sensitivities of 0.46 and 0.92 for PET and MR imaging, respectively). However, 18F-DCFBC PET was more specific than MR imaging by per-segment analysis (specificities of 0.96 and 0.89 for PET and MR imaging for corresponding sensitivity, respectively) and specific for detection of high-grade lesions (Gleason 8 and 9) greater than 1.0 mL in size (4/4 of these patients positive by PET). 18F-DCFBC uptake in tumors was positively correlated with Gleason score (ρ = 0.64; PSMA expression, ρ = 0.47; and prostate-specific antigen, ρ = 0.52). There was significantly lower 18F-DCFBC uptake in benign prostatic hypertrophy than primary tumors (median maximum standardized uptake value, 2.2 vs. 3.5; P = 0.004). Conclusion: Although the sensitivity of 18F-DCFBC for primary prostate cancer was less than MR imaging, 18F-DCFBC PET was able to detect the more clinically significant high-grade and larger-volume tumors (Gleason score 8 and 9) with higher specificity than MR imaging. In particular, there was relatively low 18F-DCFBC PET uptake in benign prostatic hypertrophy lesions, compared with cancer in the prostate, which may allow for more specific detection of primary prostate cancer by 18F-DCFBC PET. This study demonstrates the utility of PSMA-based PET, which may be used in conjunction with MR imaging to identify clinically significant prostate cancer.
Microvascular Endothelial Cells Poised to Take Center Stage in Experimental Renal Fibrosis

Peritubular microvascular insufficiency leading to tubulointerstitial hypoxia, capillary rarefaction, and tubular atrophy has long been considered an important pathomechanism promoting renal fibrosis as a final common pathway in CKD.[1][1] Hence, molecular mechanisms and consequences of impairment
Neighborhood Association Participation and Formal Volunteering in Japan

We examine the effect of participation in neighborhood association (NHA) activities on volunteering using the 2010 Japanese General Social Survey data. We find that controlling for established predictors of formal volunteering such as demographic and socioeconomic variables, NHA association participation, either operationalized as a dichotomous or interval variable, positively predicts volunteering. Moreover, some of the established predictors of volunteering (e.g., marital status and associational membership) are useful in predicting NHA participation. Our results indicate a complementary relationship between volunteering and NHA participation. We discuss implications of our study for future research on community volunteering in Japan and elsewhere.
Quantitative autoradiography of α1- and α2-adrenergic receptors in the cerebral cortex of controls and suicide victims

Alterations in both serotonergic and noradrenergic indices have been found in the brain of suicide victims. In order to better understand the role of the noradrenergic system in suicide, we carried out quantitative autoradiography of alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenergic receptors using [3H]prazosin and [3H]-p-aminoclonidine respectively. We compared the distribution and relative density of these receptors in the prefrontal (PFC) and alpha 1-adrenergic receptors in the temporal cortex (TC) of suicide victims and controls matched for postmortem delay, age, side of brain and sex. We found that: (1) the laminar patterns of alpha 1-adrenergic receptors in the PFC (n = 20) and the TC (n = 16) were different (P = 0.022); (2) there was a 37% increase in alpha 1-adrenergic binding corresponding to layers IV-V of PFC of suicide victims compared to controls (P = 0.029); (3) the TC had a greater density of alpha 1-adrenergic binding sites than the PFC across all cortical layers (P = 0.006); (4) alpha 2-adrenergic binding sites had a specific laminar distribution in the PFC (n = 24) which did not differ in controls and suicide victims; (5) binding to alpha 2-adrenergic sites in the PFC of suicide victims did not differ from controls; and (6) norepinephrine concentrations in the same brain areas were elevated in the suicide group compared to controls, but did not correlate with binding to alpha 1- or alpha 2-adrenergic sites. The increase in [3H]prazosin (to alpha 1-adrenergic receptors) but not in [3H]-p-aminoclonidine (to alpha 2-adrenergic receptors), and in norepinephrine concentrations in the brain of suicide victims provides further evidence for an association between suicide and altered brain noradrenergic function. Future studies must determine whether these changes in brain noradrenergic function indicate increased or decreased transmission.
Delayed hypersensitivity: is the same population of thymus-derived cells responsible for cellular immunity reactions and the carrier effect?

The developnent of delayed hypersensitivity as measured by footpad swelling follawing immunization with erythrocyte antigen closely parallels the development of the radioresistant, carrier erythrocyte specific thymus-derived cell population of the spleen capable of enhancing the anti-hapten response of a B cell population in vitro. These two thymus-derived cell activities have four properties in cammon. (1) The kinetics of sensitization are the same. (2) The dose of antigen required for sensitization is the same and is too small to elicit a humoral response. (3) The spcificity of the response with respect to the erythrocyte antigen and cross-reacting antigens is the same. (4) In neither case does the simultaneous injection of anti-erythrocyte antisera in amounts sufficient to suppress the humoral response to an immunogenic dose of antigen, effect the development of sensitization. The facts collectively indicate that the properties of the two cell populations, the one mediating footpad swelling and the oth...
Photoactive C16-C21 fragmentation of catharanthine

Photolysis of catharanthine in the presence of several potential electron acceptors and cyanide ion leads to either addition of cyanide at C3 and C5 or to C16-C21 fragmentation and addition of cyanide at C21. The product composition depends on the acceptor and the presence or absence of oxygen
Comparison of MEG and EEG on the basis of somatic evoked responses elicited by stimulation of the snout in the juvenile swine

Abstract Objective : Some basic characteristics of magnetoencephalographic (MEG) and electroencephalographic (EEG) signals were studied by comparing somatic evoked fields (SEFs) and potentials (SEPs) elicited by electrical stimulations of different areas of the snout in piglets. Methods : SEFs were measured with and without an intact skull, whereas SEPs were measured on the skull and cortex (Electrocorticograms – ECoG) and within the cortex of the same animal. Results : The SEFs above the skull and dura were very similar to each other in temporal waveform and spatial topography, indicating small effects of the skull. They both revealed very similar somatotopic projections of the snout. The SEPs on the skull and cortex were, in contrast, clearly different in their amplitudes as well as temporal and spatial morphologies, indicating significant effects of the skull. However, an early component of the SEP on the skull revealed a somatotopic representation of the snout, indicating that EEG can be also useful for inferring cortical projection areas. Discrepancies in their maps were due to predominance of the potentials produced by currents in the gyral cortex. The projection sites inferred from SEFs were quite accurate in comparison to those inferred from ECoGs and intracortical SEPs. Conclusion : The similarities and differences clearly point out the complementary nature of MEG and EEG.
Eisenhower's ‘atoms for peace’ speech: A case study in the strategic use of language

This article examines the speech “Atoms for Peace,”; delivered by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 8, 1953. The author demonstrates how a complex rhetorical situation resulted in the crafting and exploitation of a public policy address. Far from serving as a precursor to nuclear disarmament, the speech functioned to bolster the international image of the United States as a peacemaker, to warn the Soviets against a preemptive nuclear strike, and to alert the American public to the dangers of a nuclear exchange.
A multiple watershed field test of hydrogeomorphic functional assessment of headwater streams—Variability in field measurements between independent teams

Abstract Ephemeral and intermittent headwater streams are under increasing pressure from disturbance and development. Rapid, repeatable assessment techniques are needed in order to gauge the condition of these stream systems. Several attributes of these headwater streams constrain the use of the most widely used macroinvertebrate or water quality stream assessment techniques. The hydrogeomorphic (HGM) functional assessment is a reference-based alternative technique. To evaluate this alternative, repeated assessments were conducted in eight high-gradient headwaters in West Virginia by four independent teams. Across-site and measurement variance among teams was assessed using a coefficient of variation (CV, expressed as percent). A variability of >50% CV, which suggests less repeatable results, occurred in only 13.8% of measurements, primarily associated with 2 of the 9 variables examined (snag density and substrate size). Between site measurement variance was the greatest at more highly disturbed sample locations, particularly with regard to the large woody debris, tree species richness, and channel bank erosion variables. Variables with the lowest CV were tree diameter, detrital cover, canopy cover, and channel embeddedness. Based on these results, measurements included when applying HGM approach to these streams should focus on direct measurements or directed estimates that yield a large response range across a spectrum of sites while maintaining consistent repeatability among different teams, with special attention paid to their use in highly disturbed sites.
Verbal Aspects of Dreaming: A Preliminary Classification

Despite the fact that a handful of modern dream researchers have called attention to a link between language and dreaming, beginning with Freud (1900) and Kraepelin (1906), and continuing to the present (e.g. Heynick 1993), much remains to be understood about the role of language in dreaming. Certain commonly reported phenomena may be taken as evidence that the linguistic system is active during dreaming. Four categories of dream phenomena are described and illustrated to support the claim that verbal thought is an important component of dream formation and content.
Phosphorylation and Fucosylation of Myelin Protein In Vitro by Sciatic Nerve from Developing Rats

: Proteins of the paniculate fraction of sciatic nerve of rats ranging from 1 to 55 days of age were analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The major myelin protein, P0, could not be detected at 1 day of age, but by 10 days it comprised from 15 to 20% of the particulate protein, the same proportion as in adult rats. Growth of nerve continued throughout the period studied. Rat sciatic nerves were incubated with [32P]orthophosphate or [3H]fucose. Particulate matter proteins from sciatic nerve (and in certain cases proteins of myelin purified from sciatic nerve) were separated by polyacrylamide disc gel electrophoresis and the distribution of protein and of radioactivity along the gels was determined. [32P]Phosphate appeared to label all myelin proteins. Labeling with fucose was more specific; myelin basic proteins were not fucosylated. A developmental study showed that sciatic nerves from 2-day-old rats could incorporate radioactive fucose and [32P]-phosphate into several proteins at the P0 region of polyacrylamide gels. Specific radioactivity of [3H]fucose in P0 protein was highest in preparations from 5-day-old rats and declined by 80% over the next 5 days as it was diluted by accumulating myelin. The specific radioactivity of incorporated [32P] phosphate was high at the early age points and declined as a result of the accumulation of compact myelin. The results indicate an association of fucosylation and/or phosphorylation with some step in the formation of myelin.
Micronucleus formation induced by three polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in rat bone marrow and spleen erythrocytes following intratracheal instillation

Abstract Benz[ a ]anthracene (BA), dibenz[ a,h ]anthracene (DBA) and dibenzo[ a,i ]pyrene (DBP) are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) found in incomplete combustion products of fossil fuels, coal tar, and other organic materials. Workers in related industries may be exposed to these chemicals by inhalation. The information related to the potential health hazards of these chemicals to the exposed workers, however, is very limited. In the present study, micronucleus (MN) formation in rat bone marrow and spleen polychromatic erythrocytes (PCEs) was determined following three intratracheal instillations within a 24-h period with either BA, DBA or DBP. Three doses with five rats per dose were used for each chemical. Bone marrow and spleen cells were harvested 24 h after the first dosing. Results showed that the order of toxicity for the three PAHs was DBP>DBA>BA. BA induced MN in a dose-related manner in both bone marrow and spleen PCEs at doses above 25 mg/kg. DBA caused significant increases in the frequencies of MN in both spleen and bone marrow PCEs at the dose of 8.5 mg/kg or higher. At 10 mg/kg, DBP significantly increased MN frequency in spleen PCEs, but the increase in bone marrow PCEs was not significantly different from the control. These results indicate that: (1) all three PAHs studied are absorbed through the respiratory tract and their genotoxic metabolites reach the bone marrow and/or spleen; (2) except for DBP which does not induce MN in the bone marrow, all three PAHs induced MN in both bone marrow and spleen PCEs; and (3) the sensitivity of the spleen to the three PAHs is comparable to or higher than that of the bone marrow.
Estimating the potential CO2 mitigation from agricultural energy efficiency in the United States

Energy efficiency in agriculture is an underanalyzed aspect of a potential climate change mitigation strategy. According to the Fourth Assessment Report, experts report only medium agreement and medium evidence that energy efficiency can provide substantial reductions (Smith et al. 2007). This paper estimates the CO2 mitigation potential achievable through improvements in energy efficiency in the US agriculture sector. The data are presented in three formats: the cost data or break-even points of each technology, a marginal abatement supply curve expressed in terms of reduction in energy use by fuel category, and a marginal abatement supply curve expressed in terms of CO2 emission reductions by fuel category. The largest sources of energy use in the sector were identified as motors used in irrigation systems or other pumping operations; farm machinery such as tractors used in daily farm operations; and space conditioning, such as HVAC systems for livestock and crop-drying systems.
CRESCENT: a novel piezoelectric bending actuator

Piezoelectric actuators have significant potential for use in smart systems like vibration suppression and acoustic noise canceling devices. In this work, a novel piezoelectric bending actuator CRESCENT was developed. CRESCENT is a stress-biased ceramic-metal composite actuator. The technology involves the use of the difference in thermal contraction between the ceramic and the metal plates bonded together at a high temperature by a polymeric agent to produce a stress-biased curved structure. An extensive experimental investigation of this device in the cantilever configuration was carried out. The tip displacement, blocking force and electrical admittance and were chosen to characterize the performance of the actuator under quasistatic conditions. The device fabricated at optimum temperature exhibits large tip displacement and blocking force and possesses superior electromechanical characteristics to conventional unimorph actuators.
P300 topography in Alzheimer's disease

This study assessed whether P300 scalp topography distinguished subjects with Alzheimer's disease (AD) from controls. Specifically, it was predicted that the AD group would show maximum P300 amplitude over frontal areas and the largest P300 reduction over parietal and left hemisphere areas. These hypotheses were tested using a standard auditory oddball paradigm to compare 26 AD subjects and 26 controls matched on age, sex, handedness, and education. P300 was measured at frontal, central, parietal, and occipital sites over left and right hemispheres and along the midline. Results revealed that the distribution of P300 was different for the two groups such that the controls manifested a maximum over parietal areas, whereas the AD subjects showed a maximum at frontal sites with the largest reductions in P300 over parietal areas. No hemispheric differences in P300 were found. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that P300 represents the activity of multiple neural generators that are differentially disrupted by the disease process.
Analysis of the Actin–Myosin II System in Fish Epidermal Keratocytes: Mechanism of Cell Body Translocation

While the protrusive event of cell locomotion is thought to be driven by actin polymerization, the mechanism of forward translocation of the cell body is unclear. To elucidate the mechanism of cell body translocation, we analyzed the supramolecular organization of the actin–myosin II system and the dynamics of myosin II in fish epidermal keratocytes. In lamellipodia, long actin filaments formed dense networks with numerous free ends in a brushlike manner near the leading edge. Shorter actin filaments often formed T junctions with longer filaments in the brushlike area, suggesting that new filaments could be nucleated at sides of preexisting filaments or linked to them immediately after nucleation. The polarity of actin filaments was almost uniform, with barbed ends forward throughout most of the lamellipodia but mixed in arc-shaped filament bundles at the lamellipodial/cell body boundary. Myosin II formed discrete clusters of bipolar minifilaments in lamellipodia that increased in size and density towards the cell body boundary and colocalized with actin in boundary bundles. Time-lapse observation demonstrated that myosin clusters appeared in the lamellipodia and remained stationary with respect to the substratum in locomoting cells, but they exhibited retrograde flow in cells tethered in epithelioid colonies. Consequently, both in locomoting and stationary cells, myosin clusters approached the cell body boundary, where they became compressed and aligned, resulting in the formation of boundary bundles. In locomoting cells, the compression was associated with forward displacement of myosin features. These data are not consistent with either sarcomeric or polarized transport mechanisms of cell body translocation. We propose that the forward translocation of the cell body and retrograde flow in the lamellipodia are both driven by contraction of an actin–myosin network in the lamellipodial/cell body transition zone.
Distance-Dependent Electron Transfer in DNA Hairpins

The distance dependence of photoinduced electron transfer in duplex DNA was determined for a family of synthetic DNA hairpins in which a stilbene dicarboxamide forms a bridge connecting two oligonucleotide arms. Investigation of the fluorescence and transient absorption spectra of these hairpins established that no photoinduced electron transfer occurs for a hairpin that has six deoxyadenosine-deoxythymidine base pairs. However, the introduction of a single deoxyguanosine-deoxycytidine base pair resulted in distance-dependent fluorescence quenching and the formation of the stilbene anion radical. Kinetic analysis suggests that duplex DNA is somewhat more effective than proteins as a medium for electron transfer but that it does not function as a molecular wire.
Ultrasound measurement of carotid flow time changes with volume status

Assessment of volume status and responsiveness guides resuscitation strategy. Non-invasive techniques are desirable. Changes in carotid flow time have been proposed as a marker of volume status, but few data support their use. We sought to determine whether carotid flow time decreased in the volume-depleted state of acute blood loss, and whether volume-depleted individuals would demonstrate an increase in carotid flow time after a passive leg raise (PLR) maneuver.
Verification of Early Pregnancy Tests in a Multicenter Trial

This paper describes the validation procedure of early pregnancy tests within 2 days of missed menses by 6 different university clinical laboratories assaying for human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) by radioimmunoassay (5) or radioreceptor assay (1). Test materials were known amounts of hCG added to male serum or plasma divided into 2 aliquots and labeled "research" or with a fictitious patient name. Concentrations of hCG were 0 150 300 600 1200 2400 and 4800 mIU/ml. In a 2nd test concentrations ranged from 10 to 50 mIU/ml. In the 1st verification series there was general agreement with only 1 center finding a false positive pregnancy. In the 2nd series all laboratories identified correctly the serum without hCG. However the unknown with a quantity of hCG in the range of LH cross-reactivity was called positive by 2 labs. The other 4 called the result "equivocal." All 6 laboratories had adequate agreement between "research" and pseudo-patient samples. All laboratories could detect hCG at levels compatible with those observed at the time of a missed period less than 200 mIU/ml. Even large inter-assay variation in 1 center failed to affect the ability of that laboratory to detect low levels of hCG. 2 laboratories did not measure hCG levels above 1200 mIU accurately not a problem in diagnosing early pregnancy but a possible limitation in following multiple gestation or hydatidiform mole. This study demonstrates the importance of verification procedures before clinical studies that need an accurate early pregnancy diagnosis.
A Longitudinal Investigation of Reading Outcomes in Children with Language Impairments.

This investigation examined the reading outcomes of children with language impairments (LI). A large subsample of children who participated in an epidemiologic study of language impairments in kind...
The effect of recessing on the stresses in adhesively bonded single-lap joints

An alternative technique of bonding single-lap joints was investigated by removing portions of the adhesive from the interior of the overlap. This technique is termed as recessed bonding. Recessed bonded joints were analyzed using the finite element method. A linear, two-dimensional, plane strain analysis with isotropic materials was conducted. The stress distributions at the adhesive mid-thickness and interface were determined for joints with various levels of recessing, and compared to the stress distributions in continuous single-lap joints. In continuous single-lap joints, maximum stresses occur near the adhesive spew terminus. In recessed single-lap joints, maximum stresses remain near the adhesive spew terminus, and increase only slightly with increased level of recessing. At the recess ends steep stress gradients occur, which should be accounted for.
Enamel Fluoride in Nursing Rats with Mothers Drinking Water with High Fluoride Concentrations

The purpose of this study was to determine the F levels in plasma and molar enamel from rat pups whose mothers had received various levels of F during pregnancy and/or lactation. Rats were started on water containing 0 (Group I), 50 (Group II), or 100 (Group III) ppm F at the beginning of pregnancy or on the day of delivery. The mothers and pups were killed 13 days after delivery, and plasma F levels, milk F levels, and pup molar enamel F levels were determined. The mean maternal plasma F concentrations were 0.02 +/- 0.005 ppm in Group I, 0.10 +/- 0.031 ppm in Group II, and 0.21 +/- 0.057 ppm in Group III. The milk F values were about twice as high as the respective plasma concentrations. The plasma F concentration in control pups was 0.003 +/- 0.0002 ppm, and there was a rise to 0.006 +/- 0.0002 ppm in Group III. Enamel F concentrations were 0.62 +/- 0.13 ppm, 4.72 +/- 0.79 ppm, and 8.80 +/- 1.74 ppm, respectively. The plasma and enamel F values obtained from pups were not significantly different between the pre-natal/post-natal, and the post-natal-only groups. It was concluded that: fluoride levels in the plasma and enamel of control rat pups were much lower than those found in adult rats, such values could be increased only slightly when high doses of F were given to the mother, and unlike values reported for other species, rat milk fluoride concentrations were higher than the respective plasma values.
A Theoretical Study of Reactions on the ClHCN Surface

RHF+1+2/cc-pvdz calculations are reported for 14 minima and 9 transition states on the ClHCN ground state potential surface. The calculations predict the lowest energy route for the reaction Cl + HCN → HCl + CN to be a simple, direct, collinear abstraction. A lower energy addition reaction leading to the HClCN adduct is predicted to exist, but no direct pathway from HClCN to HCl + CN could be found. For the reaction of H with ClCN the calculations predict three pathways. These are, in order of increasing barrier height, addition to the carbon, forming HClCN; addition to the nitrogen, forming cis-ClCNH, and abstraction via a slightly bent transition state, forming HCl + CN.
Investigations into properties of charge traps created in CCDs by neutron and electron irradiation

Our group has been investigating the effects related to radiation damage of CCDs since 1998. In a series of measurements in 2003 we found the puzzling effect of very slow filling of charge traps created by radiation damage of the silicon device. In 2005 we intended to study this phenomenon in detail. However, while in 2003 we could see all the traps created by neutron irradiation in 1998–1997 unchanged, such traps unexpectedly almost completely disappeared in 2005. We explain this as an effect of annealing induced by electron irradiation, as in 2003 we irradiated with electrons the same device irradiated with neutrons in 1997–1998. Results of the 2005 measurements are presented.
A Slip-Link Model of Branch-Point Motion in Entangled Polymers

In melts of asymmetric three-arm star polymers in which a short arm is attached to two long, equal-length arms, the existing “tube” theory fails to predict how rapidly the motion of the branch-point becomes quenched when the length of the third, short, arm grows from zero length, for which the two other arms form a reptating linear chain, to a length equal to the other two arms, for which reptation is quenched. We use a simulation method that represents entanglements between two chains as “slip-links” that allow local relaxation of both chains when an end of either chain passes through the slip-link. We include an extreme form of branch-point motion in this algorithm and find that it can explain the anomalously rapid quenching of the branch-point if we assume that the time scale of the branch-point motion is set by the time required for the short arm to escape all entanglements, including those newly created while others are destroyed. The algorithm successfully predicts the linear viscoelasticity of H-po...
Kinetics of pre-reduction of manganese ore by CO

The degree of reduction of the higher oxides of manganese to the lowest oxide, MnO, achieved during the pre-reduction of manganese ore has a direct impact on the energy consumption for the subsequent smelting process. For ferruginous manganese ores, understanding the kinetics of pre-reduction is also useful for controlling the process parameters to optimise specific power consumption and maximise the metal recovery for upgrading by magnetic separation. The effects of reduction temperature, gas composition and particle size on the rate of reduction were investigated. Based on experimental results, the controlling step and activation energy for this reduction process were determined, and the rate expression was also developed.
Use of revision by elementary-school stutterers and nonstutterers during oral reading.

This paper describes a dimension of the stuttering problem of elementary-school children—less frequent revision of reading errors than their nonstuttering peers.
Lassa Virus Isolation from Mastomys natalensis Rodents during an Epidemic in Sierra Leone

Lassa fever is a severe febrile illness of man, first recognized in West Africa in 1969. During an epidemic in Sierra Leone, Lassa virus was isolated for the first time from wild rodents of Mastomys natalensis. A high prevalence of infected Mastomys was found in houses occupied by patients with Lassa fever. The data presented provide the first demonstration of an extra-human cycle of Lassa virus transmission and suggest that rodent control may be an effective method of limiting the disease.
An infrared photon-counting photometer based on the edge-illuminated solid-state photomultiplier

We present the design, construction, and test observations of a new infrared (IR) photon-counting photometer for astronomy based on the edge-illuminated solid-state photomultiplier (EISSPM). The EISSPM has a photon-counting capability over the 0.4-28 μm range with a nanosecond-scale intrinsic detector time resolution. Its quantum efficiency (QE) peaks greater than or equal to 30 % in the near-IR, which is much higher than the previous SSPM with back illumination. After characterizing the dark noise of the EISSPM at its operational temperature range, we develop an EISSPM-based IR photon-counting photometer for astronomical observations. This includes the design and construction of a full optical, cryo-mechanical, and electronics system as well as the software for operating the instrument on telescopes. We report the results of our test observations of the Crab Nebula pulsar using this new instrument on the Palomar Hale 5-m telescope with 10-μs time resolution.
Moving Past Sleight of Hand

Medical care historically has had a strong association with magic, illusion, and secrecy. Although we profess to be modern healthcare practitioners, utilizing manual therapy techniques, and strive for evidence-based practice, the reality is that one of the most ubiquitous of all manual therapy techniques, manipulation, is obscured by illusive and ill-defined terminology. As a first step in moving from magician to modern clinician, we recently proposed a nomenclature intended to standardize and clarify the terminology used in describing specific manual therapy techniques, recommending the use of 6 key characteristics. The persistent obfuscations appear to be aimed at obscuring the differentiation of manipulation from mobilization. The time has come for a more precise delineation between manipulation and mobilization and to move beyond seeing these valuable interventions simply as some sleight-of-hand technique. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2010;40(5):253–255. doi:10.2519/jospt.2010.0105