cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Discharge Before Noon

Hospitals throughout the country are experiencing patient flow issues. It is common for many emergency departments to be congested leading to patient flow issues. Although much efficiency has been gained in patient flow processes in the emergency departments, without bed availability on the medicine/surgery floor, it is very difficult to improve emergency department patient flow. One of the tools being trialed by hospitals is the concept of “discharge before noon”. This premise is based on the assumption that hospital patient flow on the medicine surgery floors can be made more efficient if an increased number of patients being discharged are sent home earlier in the day. The concept of discharge before noon seems like a very logical premise, but there may be some structural process issues with this premise. This article will discuss the premise and possible structural process faults associated with the discharge before noon construct.
Alkaloids from Eschscholzia californica and their capacity to inhibit binding of [3H]8-Hydroxy-2-(di-N-propylamino)tetralin to 5-HT1A receptors in Vitro.

A 70% ethanol extract of California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) was able to bind to 5-HT1A and 5-HT7 receptors at 100 μg/mL. The subsequent isolation procedure yielded the known alkaloids californidine (1), escholtzine (2), N-methyllaurotetanine (3), caryachine (4), and O-methylcaryachine (5), along with a new pavine alkaloid, 6S,12S-neocaryachine-7-O-methyl ether N-metho salt (7). The structure of 7 was determined by spectroscopic data interpretation, while the absolute stereochemistry was determined by means of circular dichroism. From the results obtained from the radioligand-binding assay of the pure compounds, including the commercially available protopine (6), it was evident that the activity on the 5-HT1A receptor was at least partly due to the presence of the aporphine alkaloid 3, which showed the highest inhibition of [3H]8-hydroxy-2-(di-N-propylamino)tetralin ([3H]8-OH-DPAT) binding with an EC50 value of 155 nM and a Ki of 85 nM.
3. The Holocaust Sublime: Singularity, Representation, and the Violence of Everyday Life

It has become common to view mass historical traumas like the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki or the Holocaust as singularities-in other words, events of such transcendent, almost metaphysical significance that they exceed intelligibility. Siding with "realist" intellectuals who instead emphasize the rootedness of genocide in the structures of modernity and everyday life, I argue that the discourse of singularity aestheticizes historical trauma in problematic ways. Drawing on Kant's analytic of the sublime, in which the subject, in confronting an awesome or terrifying phenomenon from a position of safety, comes to realize his or her own powers of transcendence and moral superiority, I argue that the holocaust sublime encourages the viewing subject to "face" overwhelming horrors of the past, but without having to confront the subject's actual responsibility for the atrocities of the present. By pitting the extraordinary or "singular" against the banal and everyday, the holocaust sublime thus obscures, rather than reveals, the habits of thought and social structures that make genocidal practices inevitable.
Androgyny: Some Audacious Assertions Toward Its Coming of Age

It is proposed that the field of research on psychological androgyny has entered a crucial period during which its development will not be optimal unless the following problems are recognized and corrected for: (a) the dangers of too rigidly held values; (b) the prevalence of dubious definitional assumptions; (c) the pervasity of diffuse and/or atheoretical research directions; and (d) alienation from certain basic concerns in “mainstream” personality research. The origins and nature of each of these problems are discussed, and in each case recommendations for future research are made. Finally, broad outlines are proposed for an idiographic model of sex roles designed to increase the predictive utility of assessment in the area of androgyny research.
Excimer laser processing of embedded fibers

Novel aspects of the excimer laser etching of nanostructures in embedded optical fibers are discussed. Emphasis is put on the etching of a specified hole geometry and on excellent surface quality of the hole walls.
Transcriptional Regulation of Neuronal Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Genes FUNCTIONAL INTERACTIONS BETWEEN Sp1 AND THE RAT β4 SUBUNIT GENE PROMOTER

To date, 11 members (alpha2-alpha9 and beta2-beta4) of the neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor gene family have been identified. These genes encode subunits that form distinct receptors with different pharmacological and physiological profiles in temporally and spatially restricted patterns within the nervous system. Distinct molecular mechanisms probably orchestrate the expression of various receptor subtypes, yet little is known of specific transcriptional regulatory elements and their associated factors that are responsible for this segregated pattern of expression. Here we report the identification of an element, in the 5'-flanking region of the rat beta4 subunit gene, containing a CA box that is necessary for beta4 promoter activity in a transiently transfected cholinergic cell line, SN17. This element was shown to interact with a protein(s) in SN17 nuclear extracts that is antigenically related to the transcriptional activator Sp1. Furthermore, co-transfection experiments confirmed that Sp1 can transactivate a beta4 promoter-reporter gene construct, indicating that Sp1 is necessary, at least in part, for transcriptional activation of the beta4 subunit gene.
A Monte Carlo simulation of the NOAA POES Medium Energy Proton and Electron Detector instrument

[1] The low-altitude, polar-orbiting NOAA POES satellites are known to exhibit a spurious response to relativistic electrons in the proton telescope instrument of the Medium Energy Proton and Electron Detector (MEPED). This sensitivity has recently been used to identify relativistic electron precipitation from the radiation belts, but has heretofore remained unquantified. Monte Carlo simulations of the proton and electron telescopes were performed using the Geant4 code, and we derive the characteristic response of each instrument to isotropic proton and electron fluxes in the energy range 10 keV to 10 MeV. Geometric factors were found to agree with the nominal G ∼ 0.01 cm2sr response for target species (e.g. proton response of the proton telescope), while both telescope types also admit particles of the opposite species. The electron telescope is shown to respond to protons of energies 210–2600 keV with G ∼ 0.01 cm2sr. The proton telescope is similarly shown to exhibit a non-negligible response to electrons, which although confined to the P1, P2, P3, and P6 energy channels, does attain an admittance of G ∼ 10−3 cm2sr near 460 keV and G ∼ 10−2 cm2sr near 1400 keV. These results confirm that the proton telescope can be used as an effective tool for detection of relativistic electron precipitation. Moreover, we suggest a method for combining the electron and proton telescope data to obtain corrected fluxes for both species which will facilitate the use of this instrument for quantitative studies of particle precipitation.
Anaphylactoid or allergic purpura

Summary Purpura may be a first manifestation of allergy in children. It may occur only after feeding a combination of foods or may possibly occur as the result of the ingestion of a specific food plus exposure to an inhalant or pollen. Purpura due to food ingestion may occur independent of abdominal or joint manifestations. The extremities, particularly the lower extremities, appear to be the site of predilection for purpuric lesions in most of our cases and in many described in the literature. Chocolate is a frequent causative food as noted in this group of cases. Careful history, elimination diet, and diet diary are more important than skin tests in these cases.
Subspecies and units for conservation and management of the northern bobwhite in the eastern United States

The northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) is a small game bird with sedentary lifestyle and has experienced population declines throughout most of its native distribution in the eastern United States. We investigated intraspecific genetic relationships among 14 local populations covering four putative subspecies (C. v. marilandicus, C. v. virginianus, C. v. mexicanus, and C. v. floridanus) in the United States. Analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequences revealed a small, but significant, genetic structure of northern bobwhite populations or subspecies in the eastern US. However, our results did not support current subspecies limits as distinct evolutionarily significant units, based on the amount of population genetic divergences and insufficient lineage sorting of mtDNA haplotypes among subspecies. Instead, our results suggest that C. v. virginianus, C. v. marilandicus, and C. v. mexicanus be merged into a single management unit, and C. v. floridanus be considered as another distinct unit for conservation and management.
ApoA-IV Polymorphism Associated With Myocardial Infarction in Obese NIDDM Patients: The San Luis Valley Diabetes Study

Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) confers myocardial infarction (MI) risk unexplained by known factors. In 356 NIDDM patients and 1,087 people with normal glucose tolerance, we investigated the association between MI risk and polymorphism at codon 360 in the apolipoprotein A-IV (apoA-IV) gene. During 1984–1992, MI was diagnosed in 84 diabetic and in 106 nondiabetic people. The risk of MI did not differ by apoA-IV phenotype in nondiabetic people; however, in NIDDM patients, those with the apoA-IV 1–2 phenotype had 2.8 (95% confidence interval: 1.4–5.6) higher MI risk than those with the 1–1 phenotype, adjusting for age, gender, ethnicity, hypertension, smoking, body mass index, fat centrality, and low-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The risk of MI was particularly high in obese NIDDM patients with the apoA-IV 1–2 phenotype: 5.1 (2.4–11.2) times that in obese apoA-IV 1–1 NIDDM patients and 7.7 (3.6–16.7) times that in lean nondiabetic people. The effect of apoA-IV 1–2 did not appear to be a part of the insulin-resistance syndrome nor was it dependent on diabetes duration or control. One half of the excess MI risk in the diabetic population studied was explained by the apoA-IV 1–2 phenotype. These results indicate that ∼ 17% of NIDDM patients have a high MI risk apoA-IV phenotype that is particularly deleterious in obese patients.
The complexity of selection and ranking in X + Y and matrices with sorted columns

Abstract The complexity of selection is analyzed for two sets, X + Y and matrices with sorted columns. Algorithms are presented that run in time which depends nontrivially on the rank k of the element to be selected and which is sublinear with respect to set cardinality. Identical bounds are also shown for the problem of ranking elements in these sets, and all bounds are shown to be optimal to within a constant multiplicative factor.
Modal decoupling conditions for distributed control of flexible structures

Introduction T problem of the control of distributed parameter systems can be roughly divided into two approaches: 1) discretize the system in space and then use finite dimensional control theory; and 2) deal with the distributed model directly without discretizing. Recently, Meirovitch and Baruh proposed a scheme for the optimal control of a certain class of conservative distributed parameter systems without resorting to discretization. In particular, they treated the control of self-adjoint conservative systems having known eigensolutions. It is the intent of this Note to point out that their results are applicable to a more general class of problems that includes nonconservative forces and to note that the necessary conditions are available for the existence of decoupling control laws. Decoupling control laws are defined to be those control laws dependent only on the modal state vector of the decoupled equation. This yields an infinite set of independent equations including the feedback control. The use of decoupled controls allows the distributed parameter control problem to be solved by the independent modal-space control method. This method allows each mode to be designed independently of other modes. As a result, the standard control problems involving optimal control and the regulator problem can be solved without difficulty. This method of control is not discussed in detail here, but is mentioned to supply motivation and application for the results that follow.
Your Loss Is Their Gain: The Corporate Body and the Corporeal Body in Richard Powers's Gain

This essay explores the inverse relationship between the corporate body and the corporeal body in Richard Powers's Gain. The novel's careful anatomy of corporate and American history demonstrates that as the corporation (considered a “person” by law) gains rights, the individual is stripped of them. Notwithstanding the novel's fantasy of a sovereign subject able to resist this biopolitical incorporation, Gain makes it clear that in the neoliberal age the corporate body has narrowed its “responsibility” to increasing shareholders' profits, while the subject's responsibility for her newly “privatized” body has expanded with troubling implications.
ELECTRONIC ENERGY FUNNELS IN CIS-TRANS PHOTOISOMERIZATION OF RETINAL PROTONATED SCHIFF BASE

The photoinduced cis−trans isomerization of all-trans retinal protonated Schiff base is studied using the full multiple spawning method. Our model allows for two classes of electronic transitions: exciton migration and quenching by coupling of the electronic and nuclear degrees of freedom. We find that quenching and exciton transfer are two temporally disjoint events and that exciton transport is highly directed. The observed selectivity in photoproducts is interpreted in terms of an electronic energy “funnel”, which is attributed to the Schiff base. The limits of the concept of an electronic energy “funnel”, when electron−phonon coupling is strong, are discussed and it is argued that such funnels can induce selectivity in excitation migration even when thermodynamic equilibrium among the excited electronic states is not reached.
Path of DNA within the Mu transpososome. Transposase interactions bridging two Mu ends and the enhancer trap five DNA supercoils.

Abstract The phage Mu transpososome is assembled by interactions of transposase subunits with the left (L) and right (R) ends of Mu and an enhancer (E) located in between. A metastable three-site complex LER progresses into a more stable type 0 complex in which a tetrameric transposase is poised for DNA cleavage. "Difference topology" has revealed five trapped negative supercoils within type 0, three contributed by crossings of E with L and R, and two by crossings of L with R. This is the most complex DNA arrangement seen to date within a recombination synapse. Contrary to the prevailing notion, the enhancer appears not to be released immediately following type 0 assembly. Difference topology provides a simple method for determining the ordered sequestration of DNA segments within nucleoprotein assemblies.
Cultural Preferences for Chaperone Use during Breast Examinations: A Preliminary Study.

Previous studies have demonstrated that use of chaperones by physicians occurs most consistently for pelvic and rectal exams than for breast examinations. Factors that may influence chaperone for breast examination include duration of doctor-patient relationship, gender of the examiner, and availability of an assistant. The purpose of this study is to characterize patient preferences, not previously reported, for chaperone use.A patient questionnaire was approved by the institutional IRB at NYU Langone Medical Center and Bellevue Hospital. It was translated into Chinese, Spanish, and Arabic. Responses were collected from 277 patients. Variables included age, marital status, highest level of education, income, family background, religion, primary language, and chaperone and examiner preferences. For the respondents who preferred a chaperone, education was categorized as some college or none, language was English or non-English-speaking, background was Caucasian or non-Caucasian, and religion was Christian or non-Christian. Descriptive analyses and Pearson9s chi-square test was used to determine significance.Median age was 49 years, range 17-87 years. 28 (10%) respondents preferred to have a chaperone present. An equal proportion of respondents did not want a chaperone (N=95, 34%) or had no preference (N=95, 34%). An additional 19% (N=53) of patients indicated that they preferred to be asked about their wishes. 142 (52%) indicated that they preferred a female examiner, 2 (1%) preferred a male examiner, and 126 (46%) had no preference regarding the examiner9s gender.Of the 28 patients who did prefer a chaperone, there was a statistically significant difference, p=0.011, for family background that was non-Caucasian. There was no statistical finding for differences in education, religion, or language.The majority of women responding to our survey either did not want a chaperone present for a breast examination or had no preference. However, the majority of all respondents did prefer to have a female examiner. This may simply represent that these patients were comfortable with a woman performing the exam. Additional investigation will further evaluate possible cultural differences. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(24 Suppl):Abstract nr 6080.
Enzymatic activity of yeast cell ghosts produced by protein action on the membranes.

Abstract Some enzymatic properties of a new type of yeast cell ghosts are described. The ghosts were obtained from Candida utilis by the action of small basic protein molecules (protamine, cytochrome c from horse heart, bovine pancreatic ribonuclease) on a water suspension of the cells at 30 ° for 30 min. The washed ghosts were examined for enzymatic activity by adding substrates and coenzymes which do not readily penetrate into intact cells. Permeation of these substances into the ghosts permitted enzymatic reactions which were observed by analysis of the products that diffused into the surrounding medium. The ghosts resemble parcels of enzymes which are confined by the leaky membrane or the cell wall.
Effect of ethnicity and age or menopause on the structure and geometry of iliac bone

We measured indices of bone volume (cancellous, cortical) and bone surface (cancellous, endocortical, and intracortical) in intact full-thickness transiliac bone biopsies obtained from 144 healthy women aged 20-74 (35 black and 109 white, 62 premenopausal and 82 postmenopausal). The data were analyzed by two-way analysis of variance of the four groups defined by age/menopause and ethnicity and by linear regression of major variables on age. None of the interaction terms was significant, and none of the regression slopes on age differed between blacks and whites, indicating that the effects of ethnicity and of age/menopause were independent. Accordingly, the data were also analyzed separately for the effects of ethnicity (pre- and postmenopausal combined) and age/menopause (blacks and whites combined). The analyses led to the following conclusions. (1) Blacks have more cancellous and cortical bone than whites in the ilium; the difference was due to thicker trabeculae and thicker cortices with no difference in trabecular number or cortical porosity. (2) The magnitude of the black/white differences was the same throughout the age range covered by the study, indicating differences in peak adult values, not in rates of loss with age. (3) As the result of age/menopause, there were significant reductions in all indices of the amount and structure of bone except for trabecular thickness; the magnitude of the reductions was the same in blacks and whites. (4) Cancellous bone loss was mainly the result of the complete removal of some trabecular elements with increased separation between remaining elements. Cortical bone loss was due to thinning from the endocortical surface with a small but significant contribution from increased cortical porosity, due to an increased number of intracortical canals. These patterns of bone loss were the same in blacks and whites. (5) Although the percentage losses of bone with age/menopause were higher for cancellous than for cortical bone, the absolute amounts of bone lost were about the same for cortical as for cancellous bone. (6) The ratio of surface to tissue volume decreased with age/menopause in cancellous bone but increased in cortical bone; rates of bone loss would change in the same manner if the loss per unit of surface remained constant. (7) The total extent of bone surface in the ilium did not change with age/menopause, so that the surface/volume ratio for the entire bone increased; volumetric bone turnover would increase and bone age decrease if remodeling activity per unit of surface remained constant.
Intestinal infarction in the absence of occlusive mesenteric vascular disease

Abstract Nine cases of intestinal infarction in the absence of occlusive mesenteric vascular disease are added to the 100 cases previously reported. One case is described in detail. The histologic examination of the bowel in all 9 cases revealed edema, vascular congestion and hemorrhage into the mucosa and submucosa. Some degree of necrosis of the bowel wall was observed in all of the cases reviewed. Evidence of heart disease was present in all cases with congestive heart failure, present clinically in 7 of the 9 cases, and pathologic and anatomic evidence of congestive failure demonstrated in all. Of the total of 109 cases now reported 75 had congestive heart failure. Most of these patients had such cardiac or circulatory conditions that a reduced cardiac output and mesenteric angiospasm might be anticipated. That angiospasm of the mesenteric vasculature can significantly contribute to the ischemia and necrosis of the bowel seen in these patients appears reasonably well established. In addition, it also seems reasonable to presume that the vascular sclerosis in many of these patients might also be an underlying factor. It would also appear that the congestion of the bowel seen in these and in many similar patients might be expected to contribute to the development or extension of the infarction.
Repolarization duration in patients with conduction disturbances after myocardial infarction.

This study compared different measurements of repolarization duration in patients after infarction with and without conduction disturbances and evaluated the prognostic significance of repolarization parameters for predicting mortality in patients with conduction abnormalities. The study population consisted of 3,282 patients after recent myocardial infarction. Repolarization duration was measured using Bazett QTc and JTc (QTc minus QRS) and Rautaharju QT and JT RR formulas. All-cause mortality was the end point of the predictive models. In 259 patients with conduction disturbances, 76 (2.3%) had indeterminate ventricular conduction disturbances, 126 (3.8%) had right bundle branch block, and 47 (1.4%) had left bundle branch block. Patients with left bundle branch block demonstrated excessive prolongation of the QTc interval, which was not observed when using the JT RR interval. There were no significant differences in repolarization duration by gender in patients with conduction abnormalities. Repolarization parameters were uniformly dichotomized at the 75th percentile (QTc interval >490 ms, JTc interval >360 ms, QT RR,QRS interval >433 ms, JT RR interval >359 ms) to determine their prognostic significance for predicting mortality. After adjustment for significant clinical predictors of mortality, the hazard ratios were 1.65 for QTc interval (p = 0.062), 1.46 for JTc interval (p = 0.168), 1.71 for QT RR,QRS interval (p = 0.043), and 1.70 for JT RR interval (p = 0.044) . In conclusion, patients with left bundle branch block, right bundle branch block, or indeterminate ventricular conduction disturbances show longer repolarization duration than patients without these conduction disturbances, and QT RR,QRS and JT RR intervals reflect better than QTc repolarization duration in patients with conduction disturbances. QT RR and JT RR intervals significantly and independently predict mortality in patients after infarction with conduction disturbances.
Quantum Dot Molecules Assembled with Genetically Engineered Proteins

We report the assembly of quantum dots using an approach that attempts to capitalize on the self-assembling properties of naturally occurring proteins. Colloidal quantum dots made of cadmium selenide core and a zinc sulfide shell, (CdSe)ZnS, were incubated with a genetically modified, bacterial cellulosomal protein, cohesin, and the resultant mixture subjected to fractionation using high-pressure size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC). We note that the HPSEC profile is distinctly bimodal. The peak corresponding to particles of larger effective hydrodynamic radius (Re) contains a plethora of sizable protein-coated, quantum dot assemblies with a predominance of structures that are trefoil-shaped. The fraction corresponding to particles of smaller Re contains individual, protein-coated quantum dots that are chemically different from their larger counterparts. This overall procedure is shown to successfully assemble novel quantum dot bioconjugates that exhibit light harvesting properties as well as providing a...
Towards nonionizing photoacoustic cystography

Normally, urine flows down from kidneys to bladders. Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) is the abnormal flow of urine from bladders back to kidneys. VUR commonly follows urinary tract infection and leads to renal infection. Fluoroscopic voiding cystourethrography and direct radionuclide voiding cystography have been clinical gold standards for VUR imaging, but these methods are ionizing. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility of a novel and nonionizing process for VUR mapping in vivo, called photoacoustic cystography (PAC). Using a photoacoustic (PA) imaging system, we have successfully imaged a rat bladder filled with clinically being used methylene blue dye. An image contrast of ~8 was achieved. Further, spectroscopic PAC confirmed the accumulation of methylene blue in the bladder. Using a laser pulse energy of less than 1 mJ/cm2, bladder was clearly visible in the PA image. Our results suggest that this technology would be a useful clinical tool, allowing clinicians to identify bladder noninvasively in vivo.
134 Cryopreservation of Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii (Chlorophyceae): A Cause of Low Viability at High Cell Density

Cryopreservation provides a convenient method for long term storage of living organisms. Current protocols allow the successful cryopreservation of a wide range of algae, although many strains remain recalcitrant to cryopreservation. Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a species utilized in many molecular and biochemical studies, survives cryopreservation best at low cell density. We show that reduced viability at higher cell densities is caused by the accumulation of a substance released from C. reinhardtii into the culture medium during cryopreservation. A mutant strain of C. reinhardtii (cw10) with a greatly reduced cell wall did not release a substance inhibitory to wild type or cw10 C. reinhardtii during cryopreservation, and could be cryopreserved with the same viability regardless of cell density. The inhibitory substance is small (mw<1300), polar, heat-stable and organic. Chlamydomonas moewusii Gerloff and Chlamydomonas zebra Korschikov ex Pascher both produce substances that reduce the viability of cryopreserved C. reinhardtii. However, neither is affected by the inhibitory substance produced by themselves or C. rienhardtii. Pandorina morum (Muller) Bory and Volvox carteri f. nagariensis Iyengar are colonial Volvocalean algae related to C. reinhardtii that cannot be successfully cryopreserved. They both generate substances that inhibit C. reinhardtii during cryopreservation. The identification of the substance inhibitory to C. reinhardtii during cryopreservation should explain why this alga cryopreserves best at a low cell density, and may lead to protocols that facilitate the more successful cryopreservation of C. reinhardtii and related algae.
The immune system of ectothermic vertebrates

Abstract The adaptive immune system, as defined by T cell receptors, immunoglobulins, and the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), has been described definitively at the level of teleost fish. Cartilaginous fish, which display many of the hallmarks of such an adaptive system, nevertheless have several features of their responses that seem primitive. Data are presented suggesting that some adaptive mechanisms in cartilaginous fish, including MHC restriction and somatic diversification, are present to the same ‘degree’ as compared to mammals, and that these animals may possess other molecules and functions previously overlooked. MHC linkage studies in amphibians suggest that the entire genetic complex, including class I, class II, and class III genes, arose early in the vertebrate line (at least 350 × 106 years ago) and has been maintained intact, at least for those genes involved in immunity. Studies of MHC in polyploid Xenopus have demonstrated that there is a maximal number of expressed MHC genes ‘permited’ to be expressed in any individual, regardless of the number of potential MHC-bearing chromosomes present in the species. A speculative hypothesis is presented on the origins of adaptive immunity based on ectothermic models.
Thermal decomposition of cycloadducts of vinylnaphthalenes with electron-deficient dienophiles

The thermal polymerization of styrene is a long-known and well-practiced phenomena. While the mechanism of the thermal initiation event has been the subject of several investigations, it is not yet well understood. In an attempt to gain further insight as to the details of possible initiation from styrene dimer, analogous stable cycloadducts (maleic anhydride, tetracyanoethylene) of 1- and 2-vinylnaphthalene have been synthesized, fully characterized spectroscopically, and subjected to thermal decomposition. In the main, the major thermal event observed for these styrene dimer mimics is retro cycloaddition. This process is characterized by an activation enthalpy of approximately 30 kcal mol–1. Aminor process which accompanies the major reaction is the homolysis of a carbon–hydrogen bond to generate a carbon radical which may be trapped as a stable adduct of the 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperinyloxy (TEMPO) radical.
Thermally integrated fuel processor design for fuel cell applications

Abstract Effective thermal integration could enable the use of compact fuel processors with PEM fuel cell-based power systems. These systems have potential for deployment in distributed, stationary electricity generation using natural gas. This paper describes a concept wherein the latent heat of vaporization of H2O is used to control the axial temperature gradient of a fuel processor consisting of an autothermal reformer (ATR) with water gas shift (WGS) and preferential oxidation (PROX) reactors to manage the CO exhaust concentration. A prototype was experimentally evaluated using methane fuel over a range of external heat addition and thermal inputs. The experiments confirmed that the axial temperature profile of the fuel processor can be controlled by managing only the vapor fraction of the premixed reactant stream. The optimal temperature profile is shown to result in high thermal efficiency and a CO concentration less than 40 ppm at the exit of the PROX reactor.
Diesel Emissions and Lung Cancer1

This paper uses two different methods to assess the potential risk of human lung cancer from exposure to diesel engine emissions. One method analyzes the best available epidemiological evidence on the lung cancer risks of persons exposed in their occupations to diesel engine emissions. The second conducts a comparative analysis of laboratory and epidemiological data on diesel engine emissions and two chemically related environmental exposures–coke oven emissions and roofing tar emissions. The estimates of potential risk derived from these two distinct methods are compared. The sources of uncertainty in each method are explicitly characterized. The value of these estimates for comparing the potential lung cancer risks from exposure to diesel engine emissions with other personal and societal risks are discussed. Also considered are the limitations of these results in predicting the possible excess incidence of lung cancer from ambient exposure to diesel emissions.
“Give Us a Chance to Get an Education”: Single Mothers' Survival Narratives and Strategies for Pursuing Higher Education on Welfare

Sweeping changes in 1996 to the U.S. national welfare system prioritized “work-first” policies while restricting educational opportunities for mothers on welfare. Based on qualitative longitudinal interviews and focus groups with 64 women participating in California's welfare reform program, CalWORKs, this research focuses on the narratives of single mothers on welfare pursuing higher education after the “end of welfare as we know it” by constructing “survival narratives.” Their “survival narratives” reveal the costs of pursuing higher education while on welfare, how they construct strategies that help them persevere through school, and critically assess the failures of welfare reform.
The detection of delayed γ-rays between intense bremsstrahlung pulses for discriminating fissionable from non-fissionable materials

Abstract The detection and identification of delayed fission γ -rays emitted between intense bremsstrahlung pulses was investigated as a method to discriminate between fissionable and non-fissionable materials. Photofission and other photonuclear reactions were induced in U 238 , Pb, Fe and Be targets using a pulsed bremsstrahlung beam for several endpoint energies between 8 and 20 MeV . In the 33 ms between irradiating pulses, correlated photon energy and time spectra were collected using a high-purity germanium detector. When non-fissionable materials were irradiated, the high-energy γ -ray yield decreased a couple orders of magnitude within the first ∼ 12 ms after the pulse. In contrast, the high-energy γ -rays emitted from the decay of fission fragments were nearly constant throughout the period between bremsstrahlung pulses. Hence, a basic energy and time discrimination provides a unique high-energy delayed γ -ray signature for fissionable material detection.
A linkage study of HLA and inherited adenocarcinoma of the colon.

A kindred with the familial cancer syndrome is reported in which every confirmed affected member of the pedigree had at least one primary carcinoma of the colon. The average age at which cancer appeared was 38 years, and multiple primary neoplasms occurred in 23% of the cancer patients. Transmission of the cancer trait is consistent with an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance. Colonoscopy eliminated the presence of any unsuspected cancers in family members at risk. HLA typing was done, and by direct typing or inference, data were available on 66 living and deceased individuals. There were four informative matings in the kindred, the offspring of which showed only three crossovers of a possible 17. The lod score totaled 1.06 at a recombination fraction of 0.20. The need for cooperative efforts of many investigators in HLA linkage studies is emphasized, along with the potential value of such an approach.
beyond mother nature: contractor fraud in the wake of natural disasters

ABSTRACT Fraud is a complex and multifaceted crime and the financial losses related to its numerous forms are enormous. Despite the well-publicized accounts of property and person-related crime, the financial losses and the total number of fraud victims far exceeds “normal” crime in America. Natural disasters present fraudsters a rich environment for contractor fraud. Prevention efforts can warn citizens, especially the elderly, that natural disasters present unique opportunities for criminal acts. The research findings reported here represent the first step in a developing research agenda on the relationship between natural disasters and criminal victimization.
Mapping saltcedar (Tamarix ramosissima) and other riparian and agricultural vegetation in the Lower Colorado River region using multi-spectral Landsat TM imagery

Saltcedar (Tamarix ramosissima), an invasive shrub species, has successfully invaded large extents of several riparian zones in the western United States and northern Mexico. Mapping the distribution and abundance of saltcedar over these large areas through a multi-seasonal, cost-effective monitoring approach using satellite remote sensing is very essential. Ground truth surveys were conducted at 79 locations where the spectral reflectance measurements of vegetation, type of plant species, plant heights, soil samples and GPS co-ordinates were recorded. All the sampling was designed to coincide with the satellite overpass period. The Landsat TM colour-composite spectral ratio image (normalized difference vegetative index (NDVI), R 1,5 and R 1,7 as green, blue and red) can clearly identify and map the areas infested with saltcedar. The Landsat image analysis shows that these spectral ratios can be applied to multiple satellite overpasses for monitoring the seasonal progression of the saltcedar growth over time.
PATTERNS OF PRE- AND POSTFERTILIZATION RESOURCE ALLOCATION WITHIN AN INFLORESCENCE: EVIDENCE FOR INTEROVARY COMPETITION

I investigated the distribution of ovules and seeds on the inflorescence of Solanum carolinense L. (Solanaceae). Ovules did not appear to vary in size, but the number of ovules per ovary and the size of ovaries decreased significantly along the inflorescence (from basal to distal positions). Experimental removal of basal ovaries at an early stage resulted in increased ovary size and number of ovules in distal ovaries, suggesting a dynamic system of control. Mature fruits displayed a similar pattem of decreasing mass and seed number with position along the infructescence. It is not clear whether the pattems of allocation to fruits are related to the pattems ofallocation to ovaries in a simple cause-and-effect relationship. However, a satisfying hypothesis that explains these and other pattems of allocation is that they are all manifestations of, or adaptations to, interovary competition along the inflorescence.
Construction of lattice orders on the semigroup ring of a positive rooted monoid

Abstract Lattice orders on the semigroup ring of a positive rooted monoid are constructed, and it is shown how to make the monoid ring into a lattice-ordered ring with squares positive in various ways. It is proved that under certain conditions these are all of the lattice orders that make the monoid ring into a lattice-ordered ring. In particular, all of the partial orders on the polynomial ring A [ x ] in one positive variable are determined for which the ring is not totally ordered but is a lattice-ordered ring with the property that the square of every element is positive. In the last section some basic properties of d -elements are considered, and they are used to characterize lattice-ordered division rings that are quadratic extensions of totally ordered division rings.
Homer proteins shape Xenopus optic tectal cell dendritic arbor development in vivo

Considerable evidence suggests that the Homer family of scaffolding proteins contributes to synaptic organization and function. We investigated the role of both Homer 1b, the constitutively expressed, and developmentally regulated form of Homer, and Homer 1a, the activity-induced immediate early gene, in dendritic arbor elaboration and synaptic function of developing Xenopus optic tectal neurons. We expressed exogenous Homer 1a or Homer 1b in developing Xenopus tectal neurons. By collecting in vivo time lapse images of individual, EGFP-labeled and Homer-expressing neurons over 3 days, we found that Homer 1b leads to a significant decrease in dendritic arbor growth rate and arbor size. Synaptic transmission was also altered in developing neurons transfected with Homer 1b. Cells expressing exogenous Homer 1b over 3 days had a significantly greater AMPA to NMDA ratios, and increased AMPA mEPSC frequency. These data suggest that increasing Homer 1b expression increases excitatory synaptic inputs, increases synaptic maturation, and slows dendritic arbor growth rate. Exogenous Homer 1a expression increases AMPA mEPSC frequency, but did not significantly affect tectal cell dendritic arbor development. Changes in the ratio of Homer 1a to Homer 1b may signal the neuron that overall activity levels in the cell have changed, and this in turn could affect protein interactions at the synapse, synaptic transmission, and structural development of the dendritic arbor. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol, 2008.
Olfactory Interference during Inhibitory Backward Pairing in Honey Bees

Background Restrained worker honey bees are a valuable model for studying the behavioral and neural bases of olfactory plasticity. The proboscis extension response (PER; the proboscis is the mouthpart of honey bees) is released in response to sucrose stimulation. If sucrose stimulation is preceded one or a few times by an odor (forward pairing), the bee will form a memory for this association, and subsequent presentations of the odor alone are sufficient to elicit the PER. However, backward pairing between the two stimuli (sucrose, then odor) has not been studied to any great extent in bees, although the vertebrate literature indicates that it elicits a form of inhibitory plasticity. Methodology/Principal Findings If hungry bees are fed with sucrose, they will release a long lasting PER; however, this PER can be interrupted if an odor is presented 15 seconds (but not 7 or 30 seconds) after the sucrose (backward pairing). We refer to this previously unreported process as olfactory interference. Bees receiving this 15 second backward pairing show reduced performance after a subsequent single forward pairing (excitatory conditioning) trial. Analysis of the results supported a relationship between olfactory interference and a form of backward pairing-induced inhibitory learning/memory. Injecting the drug cimetidine into the deutocerebrum impaired olfactory interference. Conclusions/Significance Olfactory interference depends on the associative link between odor and PER, rather than between odor and sucrose. Furthermore, pairing an odor with sucrose can lead either to association of this odor to PER or to the inhibition of PER by this odor. Olfactory interference may provide insight into processes that gate how excitatory and inhibitory memories for odor-PER associations are formed.
Group Environments in Self-Help Groups for Families:

Group Environment Scale (GES) ratings by members of 3 self-help groups for families enabled comparisons of social climate in three different types of groups: social-reform, self-reform, and support groups. These were affiliates of Al-Anon Family Groups, the NationalAlliance for the Mentally Ill, and a smaller, locally based support group allied with a state mental health association. Mean ratings for the three were similar on relationship and personal-growth dimensions and different on system-maintenance and system-change dimensions. Profiles resembled those of other self-help and support groups reported in the literature, and like those, differed from psychotherapy groups, with which they are most often compared The author discusses how these findings compare with those of earlier studies and also discusses the significance of characteristics, such as high cohesion, leader suppor4 task orientation, order and organization, and low anger and aggressiom
Catecholamine modulation of lymphocyte homing to lymphoid tissues.

Abstract Lymphocyte migration is an essential process for immune surveillance and for promoting cell–cell interactions necessary to generate an immune response. This report examined whether catecholamine prestimulation would alter the pattern of lymphocyte homing to spleen and lymph nodes in mice as determined by tracking fluorescently labeled cells. The results of cell sorter analysis showed that catecholamine-pretreated cells had increased accumulation in spleen and lymph nodes 1 and 2 h after iv injection. In addition, microscopic analysis showed that labeled cells migrated from the splenic red pulp to T-cell regions of the white pulp over a 2-h time course. Within the lymph nodes, labeled cells localized predominantly to the pericortex. Additional studies examined the migration of lymphocytes to lymphoid tissues of NGF-transgenic mice that have sympathetic hyperinnervation of spleen and peripheral lymph nodes. In contrast to the studies above, migration of T-cells from control mice to lymphoid tissues of the hyperinnervated mice was not different than that in control mice in most tissues. The accumulation of lymphocytes in lymphoid tissues is a balance between the influx of newly migrated cells and efflux back into the circulation. The studies in this report lend support to other studies showing catecholamine modulation of lymphocyte migration and homing, but it is a complex process about which much has yet to be understood.
Multivariable risk of developing new onset diabetes after transplant—results from a single‐center study of 481 adult, primary kidney transplant recipients

Background: Understanding the relative contributions of baseline demographics and immunosuppressive therapy on NODAT risk may help in developing preventive strategies. Methods: Using our prospectively followed cohort of 481 adult, primary kidney transplant recipients without pre-transplant diabetes, we determined the significant baseline predictors for the hazard rate of developing NODAT via Cox stepwise regression. The multivariable influence of first BPAR (defined as a time-dependent covariate) was also tested. Results: Median follow-up was 57 mo post-transplant; the overall percentage who developed NODAT was 22.5% (108/481). Four baseline predictors of a greater NODAT hazard rate were found (by order of selection): higher BMI (p < 0.000001), planned maintenance with SRL (p = 0.0003), non-white recipient (p = 0.0004), and older recipient age (p = 0.0004). Approximately one-half of the 106 patients in the highest demographic risk category (BMI ≥25 kg/m 2 , non-white race, and age at transplant ≥40 yr) developed NODAT; actuarial NODAT risk ranged from 10% to 30% in the lower demographic risk categories. First BPAR was also associated with significantly higher NODAT in multivariable analysis (p = 0.02)—the highly elevated NODAT rate observed during the first few months post-transplant and following first BPAR appears to demonstrate the diabetogenic effect of using high-dose (intravenous) corticosteroids. Conclusions: The disturbingly high NODAT rate found among patients having multiple demographic risk factors is still an important problem that awaits a better solution.
Growth of parametric fields in (2+1)-photon laser ionization of atomic oxygen.

The multiphoton excitation of an atom by a strong pulsed laser field creates a transient inversion of the pumped, excited level with respect to a lower-lying intermediate level. This results in a coupled time-and-distance traveling-wave situation appropriate for the growth of auxiliary radiation fields that are coupled to the excited, intermediate, and ground levels. Under certain circumstances these fields can suppress the multiphoton excitation process. The two-photon pumping of a ground {sup 3}{ital P} level of O to the first excited {sup 3}{ital P} level and ionization to the continuum by the same field are analyzed for the growth of amplified spontaneous emission and parametric four-wave mixing. A threshold growth condition is used to interpret the numerical solutions of the appropriate Maxwell-Bloch equations. A novel transition from exponential to linear growth of the parametric waves is observed in the calculations.