cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A method for the simultaneous determination of transport and structural parameters of forward osmosis membranes

Abstract We present a simple and rapid methodology to characterize the water and solute permeability coefficients (A and B, respectively) and structural parameter (S) of forward osmosis (FO) membranes. The methodology comprises a single FO experiment divided into four stages, each using a different concentration of draw solution. The experimental water and reverse salt fluxes measured in each stage are fitted to the corresponding FO transport equations by performing a least-squares non-linear regression, using A, B, and S as regression parameters. Hand-cast thin-film composite (TFC) FO membranes and commercial TFC FO, TFC reverse osmosis (RO), and cellulose acetate-based asymmetric FO membranes are evaluated following this protocol. We compare the membrane properties obtained with our FO-based methodology with those derived from existing protocols based on an RO experiment followed by an FO experiment. For all membranes, the FO-based protocol gives more accurate predictions of the water and salt fluxes than the existing method. The numerical robustness of the method and the sensitivity of the regression parameters to random errors in the measured quantities are thoroughly analyzed. The assessment shows that confidence in the accuracy of the determined membrane parameters can be enhanced by simultaneously achieving close fitting of the predicted fluxes to experimental measurements (i.e., high R2 values) and constant water to salt flux ratios in each stage. Additionally, the existing and proposed approaches yield consistently dissimilar results for some of the analyzed membranes, indicating a discrepancy that might be attributed to the different driving forces utilized in RO and in FO that should be further investigated.
Characterising the physical state and textural stability of sugar gum pastes

Abstract Water sorption and textural properties of four sugar gum pastes were investigated to characterise their physical state and textural stability when exposed to adverse %RH and/or temperature conditions. Dynamic vapour sorption (25 °C) and dynamic dewpoint isotherm (25 and 40 °C) methods showed that all gum pastes exhibit predominantly Type III sorption behaviour due to the presence of large amounts of crystalline sugars. Gum paste deliquescence points (RH o ) were influenced by sugar type, with the commercial materials (containing sucrose and glucose) exhibiting lower RH o values than the lab-made materials (containing sucrose); and by storage temperature, with lower RH o values at 40 °C compared to 25 °C. Changes in textural properties (hardness, distance to break, and structural integrity), signifying decreased gum paste stability, occurred concomitantly with the initial stages of increased water sorption, driven mainly by RH o differences among the gum paste materials.
Psychosocial and Family Functioning in Spina Bifida.

A developmentally-oriented bio-neuropsychosocial model is introduced to explain variation in family functioning and psychosocial adjustment in youth and young adults with spina bifida (SB). Research on the family functioning and psychosocial adjustment of individuals with SB is reviewed. The findings of past research on families of youth with SB support a resilience-disruption view of family functioning. That is, the presence of a child with SB disrupts normative family functioning, but many families adapt to such disruption and exhibit considerable resilience in the face of adversity. Parents of youth with SB, and particularly those from lower SES homes, are at-risk for psychosocial difficulties. Individuals with SB are at-risk for developing internalizing symptoms, attention problems, educational difficulties, social maladjustment, and delays in the development of independent functioning. Emerging adults are often delayed in achieving milestones related to this stage of development (e.g., vocational and educational achievements). Methodologically-sound, longitudinal, and theory-driven studies of family and psychosocial functioning are needed, as are randomized family-based intervention trials, to promote adaptive functioning and better psychosocial outcomes in families of individuals with SB.
Association patterns of spider monkeys: the influence of ecology and sex on social organization

In this paper I consider how the costs and benefits of group living in spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) vary between troop members. The results suggest that ecological factors set an upper limit to the number of spider monkeys that can associate and still efficiently exploit the available resources. In addition, the needs of the individual appears to influence the type and size of the subgroup it chooses. Adult males band together, travel over a large area, and are frequently sighted near the community's boundary. In contrast, adult females spend more time solitary than males and have association patterns that are strongly influenced by the presence of a dependent infant. Females with dependent infants tend to travel in small subgroups or alone, avoid the boundaries of the community's home range, and exhibit a restricted pattern of use of their range. The results suggest that males may be attempting to locate females with which they can breed, while mothers attempt to protect their infants by avoiding conspecifics and potentially dangerous situations near territorial boundaries.
THE EFFECTS OF ROTENONE AND TOXAPHENE UPON PLANKTON OF Two COLORADO RESERVOIRS1

a period of 384 hr. A 10-L sample from each culture was centrifuged, dried and ground. To each dried sample 20 ml of benzene were added and evaporated so as to extract any accumulated toxaphene and 10 ml of isopropyl alcohol were then added to the residues to dissolve any toxaphene which may have been extracted. The samples were reintroduced into 10 L of water and bioassayed. The results indicated that there was an insufficient quantity of toxaphene accumulated by the algae to incur a mortality among the test fish (Table 3). Periphyton ( composed of various algae, diatoms and ciliates) was exposed to a daily dosage of 0.01 ppm of toxaphene for 336 hr. The periphyton was then scraped from the inner surfaces of the aquaria and subjected to the toxaphene extraction procedures as mentioned above. Following addition of isopropyl alcohol to the periphyton residues they were reintroduced into 30 L of water and bioassayed for the presence of toxaphene. None of the test fish survived for longer than 24 hr (Table 4). In view of the results from the bioassay of planktonic algae it is suggested that periphyton may accumulate toxaphene by incorporating it into the mass rather than by absorption. Damselfly nymphs were exposed to lethal D< :OMMENT 219
Effective Synthetic Surfactant Aerosol via Metered Dose Inhaler (MDI) in an Acute Lung Injury Model 219

Effective Synthetic Surfactant Aerosol via Metered Dose Inhaler (MDI) in an Acute Lung Injury Model 219
Novel cancer immunotherapy agents with survival benefit: recent successes and next steps

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved two novel immunotherapy agents, sipuleucel-T and ipilimumab, which showed a survival benefit for patients with metastatic prostate cancer and melanoma, respectively. The mechanisms by which these agents provideclinical benefit are not completely understood. However, knowledge of these mechanisms will be crucial for probing human immune responses and tumour biology in order to understand what distinguishes responders from non-responders. The following next steps are necessary: first, the development of immune-monitoring strategies for the identification of relevant biomarkers; second, the establishment of guidelines for the assessment of clinical end points; and third, the evaluation of combination therapy strategies to improve clinical benefit.
QSAR FOR ALLERGIC CONTACT DERMATITIS

Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is a widespread concern in which sensitization occurs to low molecular weight chemicals. Currently, animal and human assays are used to identify chemicals with potential to cause ACD. MultiCASE, a computer based structure-activity relational system was employed to evaluate a data base of contact sensitizers and identify structural determinants (biophores) associated with sensitization. The data base was derived from reports of animal and human studies and consisted of 1034 chemicals of which 317 were classified as sensitizers (extreme, strong, moderate, or weak), 22 chemicals had marginal (questionable) activity, and 695 were inactive. MultiCASE identified 49 biophores with related expanded fragments which accounted for the activity of all active chemicals. The major biophores consisted of: 1) a nitrogen double-bonded to a carbon or a nitrogen; 2) substituted aromatic structures; 3) thiol and disulfide containing fragments; and 4) electrophilic moieties. Modulators of each biophore, which either augmented or decreased potency, included additional structural fragments, two dimensional distance descriptors, as well as physico-chemical characteristics. Internal evaluation of the data base indicated the sensitivity was 99.6%, and the specificity of the data set was 99.4%. Prediction of the activity of chemicals not in the learning set gave a concordance of 90.2% with experimental results. These findings demonstrate the ability of MultiCASE to identify contact sensitizers and suggest its ability to screen chemicals for their potential to produce ACD.
Vision-based sensing of forces in elastic objects

Abstract A minimally intrusive, vision-based, computational force sensor for elastically deformable objects is proposed in this paper. Estimating forces from the visually measured displacements is straightforward in the case of the linear problem of small displacements, but not in the case of the large displacements where geometric non-linearities must be taken into account. From the images of the object taken before and after the deformation, we compute the deformation gradients and logarithmic strains. Using the stress–strain relationships for the material, we compute the Cauchy’s stresses and from this we estimate the locations and magnitudes of the external forces that caused the deformation. A sensitivity analysis is performed to examine the effect of small deviations in the experimentally captured displacements on the estimated external forces. This analysis showed that the small-strain case is more sensitive and prone to numerical errors than the large-strain case. Additionally, a related method that is indirect and iterative is also presented in which we assume that we know the locations of the external forces. Numerical and experimental studies are presented for both micro- and macro-scale objects. The main conclusion of this work is that the vision-based force estimation is viable if the displacements of the deforming object can be captured accurately.
Raman scattering from 1T-TaS2

Abstract Raman measurements on the 1 T -polytype of TaS 2 are reported. In the commensurate charge density wave state, a large number of Raman-active peaks are observed below 400 cm -1 . Most of these peaks are attributed to k = 0 optic phonons resulting from superlattice formation.
Graphite Oven Flame Analysis: Application to Phosphorus Analysis

Abstract A graphite furnace has been coupled to a flame photometer as a means of analyzing for phosphorus. An analysis is accomplished by adding a phosphorus sample to the furnace, drying it, vaporizing it into a stream of nitrogen, mixing the stream of nitrogen with air, and drawing part of the nitrogen/air/sample into a fuel-rich hydrogen-air flame. The resulting POH emission is simultaneously recorded and integrated. This system has a detection limit of 0.001 mg/liter phosphorus for a 100 microliter sample of H3PO4. Response is linear over four orders of magnitude. Calcium and ferric ions depress phosphorus emission, however, the interference is less severe than previous systems for determining phosphorus by flame photometry. The relative standard deviation on repeat measurements of the same sample is better than 3%.
Saccharin: the risks and benefits.

Bernard L. Cohen of the University of Pittsburgh argues that the decision on whether or not to ban saccharin should be taken in the light of risk–benefit analysis. The risk of cancer may be outweighed by the risks of obesity.
Bounded approximate identities and tensor products

The question has been raised [R.J. Loy, Bull. Austral. Math. Soc . 5 (1970), 253–260] as to whether the existence of a bounded (left) approximate identity in the tensor product A ⊗ α B of Banach algebras A and B (for a a crossnorm on A ⊗ B ) implies the existence of a bounded (left) approximate identity in A and B . This is known [David A. Robbins, Bull. Austral. Math. Soc . 6 (1972), 443–445] to be the case for α equal to the greatest crossnorm. This paper answers the general question affirmatively.
A Pathway of Sequential Arginine-Serine-Rich Domain-Splicing Signal Interactions during Mammalian Spliceosome Assembly

Serine-arginine (SR) proteins are general splicing factors and can function through binding to exonic splicing enhancers (ESEs). SR proteins and several other mammalian splicing factors contain an arginine-serine-rich (RS) domain required to promote splicing. We have recently found that the ESE bound RS domain functions by contacting the branchpoint. Here, we perform RNA-protein crosslinking experiments to show that the branchpoint is sequentially contacted first in complex E by the RS domain of the essential splicing factor U2AF(65) and then in the prespliceosome by the ESE bound RS domain. Although the ESE bound RS domain can promote formation of the prespliceosome, at least one additional SR protein is required for complete spliceosome assembly. We show that the RS domain of this additional SR protein contacts the 5' splice site specifically in the mature spliceosome. We propose that direct contact with splicing signals is a general mechanism by which RS domains promote splicing.
Effects of different fractions of the barley kernel on the hepatic lipid metabolism of chickens.

Various physical fractions of the barley kernel were fed to one-day-old female and male chickens to determine their effect on hepatic β-hydroxy-β-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase and the lipogenic enzymes, acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACX), malic enzyme (ME), citrate-cleavage enzyme (CCE) and fatty acid synthetase (FAS) at the subcellular level. Significant inhibition (p<0.01) of cholesterol biosynthesis accompanied by significant decreases in plasma cholesterol concentrations and induction of fatty acid synthesis were found in diets based on pearled barley, barley pearlings and a high-protein barley flour (HPBF: aleurone and subaleurone layers of barley endosperm) separated from the pearlings when compared to corn. Lower weight gains in 1- to 4-week-old birds fed the high-protein barley flour were found to be the result of lower feed consumption; pair feeding of 12-week-old birds with diets based on corn and high-protein barley flour produced equal weight gains in both treatments and significant reductions in hepatic HMG-CoA reductase, plasma cholesterol and induction in several lipogenic enzymes in birds fed the high-protein barley flour. Substitutions of 5–20% high-protein barley flour for corn in a corn-based diet produced significant weight gains (p<0.01) of 10 to 20% in 2-week-old chickens, inhibited cholesterol biosynthesis by 45–65% and produced a 3-fold increase in a fatty acid synthetase. The results indicate that HPBF contains an inhibitor(s) of cholesterol biosynthesis and a growth factor(s) when compared to a corn-based diet.
Effect of Symmetry on a Three-Component Lamellar Phase: X-ray Scattering Study

X-ray scattering data of a three-component lamellar phase composed of oil (octane), water and a non-ionic surfactant (C l2 E 5 ) are shown for various surfactant concentrations as well as oil/water volume ratios, in order to study the periodicity of the layers as well as the effect of structural symmetry on their interactions and organization of the layers. The data are fitted with a recently proposed model which takes into account the geometry and the fluctuations of these repeated structures and gives a good fit for a highly fluctuating non-charged and non-oriented lamellar phase. The variation of the exponent n which characterizes the quasi-long range order indicates that the structure is more ordered for the most symmetrical system: i.e. for an oil/water ratio of 1.
Reducing the Uncertainty of Industrial Trace Humidity Generators through NIST Permeation-Tube Calibration

Permeation-tube moisture generators (PTGs) are commonly used by the semiconductor industry as transfer standards for the calibration of hygrometer systems measuring trace amounts of water vapor in gases (water vapor mole fractions typically below 1 × 10−6). They are relatively simple devices that generate a steady stream of humidified gas by diluting water vapor delivered at a constant rate from a permeable capsule with precisely metered purified gas, usually nitrogen. Here a new calibration service enabling the measurement of PTG permeation rates directly in terms of NIST primary standards of trace humidity generation is described. Rather than using commonly employed gravimetric methods for permeation-tube calibration, the method applied here links the permeation rate of the permeation tube to the thermodynamic properties of ice. Using a hygrometer based on cavity ringdown spectroscopy, we compare the water vapor concentrations produced by the NIST low frost-point generator (LFPG) and a specially constructed PTG containing the permeation tube undergoing calibration. A least squares fit of the data determines the permeation rate of the tube under test. We describe the calibration system, experimental procedure and present sample calibration data. The expanded relative uncertainty of NIST permeation-tube calibrations is 1.8% with a coverage factor k = 2, dominated by the Type A uncertainties.
DLTS and MCTS analysis of the influence of growth pressure on trap generation in MOCVD GaN

Abstract We demonstrate with DLTS and MCTS how changing growth pressure during MOCVD growth of GaN affects the majority and minority carrier trap signatures. Results indicate which specific traps are most strongly connected with the increased carbon concentration that lower growth pressure has led to. Carbon concentration is also verified with SIMS measurements. DLTS and MCTS measurements, related to carrier thermalization from traps, made up to a temperature of 450 K have found four majority carrier and two minority carrier traps. Using a lower growth pressures, at which greater incorporation of carbon is possible, has lead to larger concentrations of most of the traps; just as others have observed. However, the trap at E C − 0.48 eV is the least affected by the growth pressure. We relate all the traps found from DLTS and MCTS to those identified by others and mention the constituent atoms that the research community identifies with these traps.
Differentiation of Cultured Human Epidermal Keratinocytes at High Cell Densities is Mediated by Endogenous Activation of the Protein Kinase C Signaling Pathway

Normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEK) grown in serum-free medium on a plastic substrate spontaneously differentiate at high cell densities in vitro. Because protein kinase C (PKC) regulates murine keratinocyte differentiation triggered by a variety of stimuli, we examined the role of this signaling pathway in density-dependent activation of NHEK differentiation. Relative to subconfluent cultures, confluent NHEK expressed markedly higher levels of multiple differentiation markers assayed by immunoblotting, including keratin 1, loricrin, filaggrin, involucrin, TGK, and SPR-1. Expression of several of these markers continued to increase for several days after cells reached confluency. The total level of several PKC isoforms was not substantially altered in NHEK harvested at different cell densities, based on immunoblotting; however, subcellular fractionation revealed that PKCα underwent a redistribution to the particulate fraction in confluent and postconfluent NHEK cultures, suggesting that this isozyme was activated under these conditions and may be involved in triggering the terminal differentiation program. Supporting this concept, inhibition of PKC function using bryostatin 1 or GF 109203X blocked the induction of keratinocyte differentiation markers at high cell densities. These data suggest that endogenous activation of PKC is responsible for cell density-mediated stimulation of NHEK differentiation, establishing a critical role for this pathway in regulating human as well as murine keratinocyte differentiation.
Core excitation in the elastic scattering and breakup of Be 11 on protons

The elastic scattering and breakup of $^{11}\mathrm{Be}$ from a proton target at intermediate energies is studied. We explore the role of core excitation in the reaction mechanism. Comparison with the data suggests that there is still missing physics in the description.
Isolation of Aureimonas altamirensis, a Brucella canis–like bacterium, from an edematous canine testicle:

Microbiological and histological analysis of a sample from a swollen testicle of a 2-year-old Border Collie dog revealed a mixed infection of the fungus Blastomyces dermatitidis and the Gram-negative bacterium Aureimonas altamirensis. When subjected to an automated microbial identification system, the latter isolate was provisionally identified as Psychrobacter phenylpyruvicus, but the organism shared several biochemical features with Brucella canis and exhibited agglutination, albeit weakly, with anti-B. canis antiserum. Unequivocal identification of the organism was only achieved by 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing, ultimately establishing the identity as A. altamirensis. Since its first description in 2006, this organism has been isolated infrequently from human clinical samples, but, to the authors' knowledge, has not been reported from a veterinary clinical sample. While of unknown clinical significance with respect to the pathology observed for the polymicrobial infection described herein, it highlights the critical importance to unambiguously identify the microbe for diagnostic, epidemiological, infection control, and public health purposes.
Study Of The Different Methods For Combining Evidence

Suppose there are several mutually exclusive hypotheses H 1 , ..., H n about the state of nature. Let B(H i |E) denote the conditional belief that H i is true given the evidence E. The conditional belief can be a real number in the range [0, 1], an interval of these numbers, or a linguistic valuable like "likely". Let B(H i |E) and B(H i |E 2 ) stand for the truth of the hypothesis H i given evidence E 1 and E 2 separately, E 1 and E 2 being two "independent" bodies of evidence (the concept of independence will be discussed later). Let B(H i |E 1 E 2 ) denote the belief in the truth of H i given both E 1 and E 2 . E 1 and E 2 together may also be considered as a body of evidence, but we distinguish it from E 1 or E 2 alone by calling the former compound and the latter atomic. Clearly it is some function of the individual belief variables B(H i |E) and B(H i |E 2 ), i=1,...,n. There are several methods for computing the integrated belief or conditional probability function from its constituents, two notable ones being the Bayesian approach and the Dempster-Shafer approach with its historical antecedents due to Bernoulli and Lambert. Our aim in this paper is to study the axioms and consequences of the various approaches and evaluate whether they satisfy some common axioms which decision makers expect from these rules for combining various types of evidence.
Java management extensions for application management

Modern enterprise systems are composed of both centralized and distributed applications. Many of these applications are business-critical, creating the need for their control and management by existing management systems. A single suite of uniform instrumentation for manageability is needed to make this cost-effective. The JavaTM Management Extensions Agent and Instrumentation Specification, v 1.0, describes an isolation layer between an information technology resource and an arbitrary (enterprise-specific) set of management interfaces and systems. It includes a simple, yet sophisticated and extensible management agent that can accommodate communication with private or acquired enterprise management systems. The application programming interface is simple enough that manageability can be achieved in three to five lines of code. Yet, it is flexible enough that complex, distributed applications can be managed, allowing management of Java technologies as well as management through Java technologies. This paper includes an overview of application management issues and technologies. The JMX technology and application program interfaces are discussed in depth using examples pertinent to today's application developer.
Direct selection of mutants restricting efficiency of suppression and misreading levels inE. coli B

We describe a method for the direct selection ofE. coli mutants restricting efficiency of suppression and misreading levels using a T4-coded nonsense suppressor. One mutant isolated has the phenotype expected for a restrictive mutant and may be ribosomal. Other possibilities are discussed.
High-resolution computed tomography from efficient sampling

This paper investigates high-resolution reconstructions from efficiently sampled data in parallel-beam tomography, in particular, local tomography. A class of sampling schemes is defined and characterized, and it is shown that the standard scheme and the interlaced scheme of Cormack (Cormack A M 1978 Phys. Med. Biol. 23 1141-8) are most promising. An error analysis for the filtered backprojection algorithm for both global and local tomography is presented. The analysis provides insights on how to realize the theoretically superior resolution of the interlaced scheme in practice. A numerical experiment with real data indicates the feasibility of high-resolution local tomography using the interlaced scheme.
Nitrite inhalants: patterns of abuse in Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

Nitrite inhalants, as drugs of abuse, have received a new prominence in the literature since their use has been associated with Kaposi's Sarcoma and possibly other manifestations of acquired immuno...
Critical Models Coupled to Two-Dimensional Gravity in the Continuum

We discuss minimal conformal field theories M(p,q) coupled to 2-dimensional gravity in the continuum. We find a transformation that enables us to relate all models with p=2 to each other. We identify the Fock space in each model and calculate correlation functions. We thus show that the k-th multi-critical matrix model corresponds to the non-unitary minimal model with q=2k−1.
Resources for School Counselors and Counselor Educators: The Center for School Counseling Outcome Research

The Center for School Counseling Outcome Research (CSCOR) was founded in January 2003 to provide leadership in promoting quality school counseling research and to give practicing school counselors ready access to relevant research in order for them to make effective program decisions. CSCOR currently is the foremost national research facility supporting the school counseling profession. It sponsors the activities of the National Panel for School Counseling Evidence- Based Practice, conducts major outcome research studies, develops and disseminates outcome measures, reviews the research literature, and conducts yearly leadership academies about issues in evidence-based practice. CSCOR disseminates its work broadly through its Web site and listserv.
Pressure extinction limits of non-premixed flames

Pressure extinction limits of non-premixed (diffusion) flames are studied theoretically by examining the two key non-dimensional parameters: Damkohler number and radiation-heat-loss parameter. It is found that there is a critical value of the reaction order, n cr , for a given flame and flow configuration. If the overall combustion reaction order n is less than n cr , a high-pressure flame extinction limit exists as a result of a small limiting Damkohler number. If the overall combustion reaction order n is greater than n cr , both heat loss and Damkohler number contribute to the existence of the low-pressure extinction limit. The contribution of the Damkohler number increases with flame intensity. Since the value of the critical reaction order n cr varies with flame configuration and flow type, three examples of diffusion flames adjacent to a condensed fuel are given in the paper: stagnation-point flame, side-stabilised flame and spherical flame. The reason for the different value of the critical n cr is...
Recovery from hypoxia and hypercapnic hypoxia: impacts on the transcription of key antioxidants in the shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei.

Abstract Estuarine waters are prone to regular bouts of low oxygen (hypoxia) and high carbon dioxide (hypercapnia). In vertebrates, tissue hypoxia followed by reoxygenation can generate high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that exceed cellular antioxidant capacity, leading to tissue damage. Here we quantified the expression of several antioxidant genes in the hepatopancreas of Pacific whiteleg shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei , after exposure to hypoxia or hypercapnic hypoxia for 4 h or 24 h followed by recovery in air-saturated water (normoxia) for 0, 1, 6 or 24 h, as compared to time-matched controls maintained only in normoxia. Transcripts of cytoplasmic Mn-superoxide dismutase (cMnSOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and peptide-methionine (R)-S-oxide reductase (MsrB) increased after 4 h exposure to either hypoxia or hypercapnic hypoxia; these elevated transcript levels persisted longer in animals recovering from hypercapnic hypoxia than hypoxia alone. cMnSOD transcripts generally increased, but GPX, MsrB, glutathione-S-transferase (GST), and thioredoxin 1 (TRX-1) decreased or did not change in most long-term (24 h) treatment-recovery groups. Thus, the transcriptional responses of several antioxidant genes during recovery from tidally-driven hypoxia and hypercapnic hypoxia decrease or are muted by more persistent exposure to these conditions, leaving L. vannamei potentially vulnerable to ROS damage during recovery.
A class of new probability distributions for modelling environmental evolution with periodic behaviour

A new class of probability distributions is introduced. This class accentuates the periodic behaviour of environmental conditions in time and the random occurrence of some events on each period. A constructive approach is used following the logic of the appearance of random events in the evolution of real-world systems. Some physical and probabilistic properties of the new distributions are discussed. Elementary statistical data models are considered and two types of estimations of the attributes of these distributions are offered. Numerical and graphical illustrations with simulated and observed data are used to motivate our suggestions.
Probe Contact Pressure Effects on In Vivo Diffuse Reflectance and Fluorescence Spectroscopy

The effects of probe contact pressure on in vivo diffuse reflectance and fluorescence spectroscopy was investigated. Spectral alterations induced by contact probe pressure and the minimal pressure required to induce such effects are reported here.
Molecular characterization of arrestin family members in the malaria vector mosquito, Anopheles gambiae

Abstract Olfaction influences many insect behaviours including mate seeking and host selection. The molecular machinery underlying insect olfactory systems is a G protein-coupled receptor pathway that, in addition to activation, requires adaptation for olfactory sensitivity and discrimination. We have previously identified ARR1 (henceforth AgARR1), a sensory arrestin from the malaria vector mosquito Anopheles gambiae that has been postulated to modulate olfactory adaptation. This report describes three additional arrestin family members including ARR2 (henceforth AgARR2), which is similar to previously characterized insect sensory arrestins and is expressed at significantly higher levels in the antennae of male vs. female A. gambiae mosquitoes. This finding is consistent with the hypothesis that AgARR2 may be important for the regulation of olfactory-driven behaviours particular to male mosquitoes.
Theory of relativistic extended objects

Physical ideas and mathematical methods of molecular and nuclear physics are extended into the relativistic domain. The resulting models are noncanonical modifications of restricted modes of the string. They describe collective motions of relativistic extended objects in terms of variables which are derived from the symmetry group (for the center-of-mass motion) and from the spectrum generating group (for the intrinsic motion). The simplest relativistic model of this kind is used to calculate spectrum and radiative transitions of hadrons.
Laparoscopic Anatomy of the Llama Abdomen

Paralumbar laparoscopy was performed, caudal to the last rib, in seven llamas. All animals were anesthetized, instrumented, and placed in sternal recumbency. Systematic exploration was performed in six donated llamas dividing the abdomen into right and left, cranial and caudal quadrants. The main structures of diagnostic significance that could be observed from the right side were the parietal and visceral surface of the liver, diaphragm, first compartment of the stomach (C1), caudal aspect of the third compartment of the stomach (C3), pancreas, kidney duodenum, jejunum, and ascending colon. From the left side C1, varying lengths of jejunum, ileum, ascending colon, and spiral colon were identified. From both approaches the bladder, and in females the uterus and ovaries could be observed. All animals were necropsied immediately following the procedure. Gross examination of the abdominal viscera in the did not yield any abnormalities that had been missed by laparoscopic evaluation. Using a left paralumbar approach, one clinical case presenting with signs of acute abdominal discomfort was evaluated. A diagnosis was made of diffuse enteritis that was confirmed at necropsy. Because of the distensible nature of the South American camelid (SAC) abdominal wall, the small size of the abdominal viscera, and the freely mobile nature of most portions of the gastrointestinal tract a thorough examination was possible in all animals.
LITHIUM-BEARING ROCKS OF THE HORSE SPRING FORMATION, CLARK COUNTY, NEVADA

Abstract The Horse Spring Formation of Miocene age in Clark County, Nevada, contains as much as 0.5% Li in individual samples. Rock sequences which average 0.1% Li range from 3 m thick near Gold Butte (south of Mesquite, Nev.) to as much as 40 m thick near Lava Butte (east of Las Vegas, Nev.) about 75 km to the west. The lithium-bearing beds are light colored to white and contain hectorite in a dolomite, magnesite, or calcite matrix. Varied amounts of gypsum, halite, celestite, clinoptilolite, quartz, feldspar, biolite and colemanite are also present locally. Hectorite is the only lithium mineral recognized to date. The lithium-rich rocks contain low concentrations of most other minor elements except that boron and strontium are enriched. Rarely, barium, arsenic, and zinc are present in anomalously large amounts. The lithium-enriched part of the Horse Spring Formation was formed from a series of volcanic ashes which were deposited in a playa. Relict volcanic ash is recognizable in thin sections as remnant glass shards and vitroclastic textures. Most of the original glass has been altered to clay minerals, carbonate minerals, or zeolites, presumably through interaction with highly saline pore waters. Abundant evidence of spring activity suggests that thermal waters played a part in releasing the lithium from volcanic materials.
Diagnosis of fibromatosis colli by fine-needle aspiration.

Fibromatosis colli is a benign disorder presenting as a neck mass in neonates and older children. The differential diagnosis includes malignancies such as rhabdomyosarcoma. Neck masses in ten infants, discovered between the second and sixth week of age, were evaluated by fine-needle aspiration (FNA). The male to female ratio was 7:3. In 8 patients there was good obstetrical history. Six of the 8 patients had a difficult delivery, as indicated by breech presentation or the need for forceps. Diagnostic aspirations were performed between the second to ninth week of age. The major cytologic finding was benign spindle fibroblasts, usually arrayed in clusters. The cells possessed plump, ovoid nuclei. There were also multinucleated cells consistent with degenerating skeletal muscle fibers. Only one case demonstrated significant inflammation. FNA can provide a rapid and reliable diagnosis in fibromatosis colli. There is support for the idea that in this setting, the disorder is related to perinatal muscular trauma.
Quadrupole moment and effective E2 transition moments in 51V

Abstract Recently measured E2 rates for Coulomb excitation from the ground state of 51V to excited states are consistent with the use of effective single particle E2 operators and f 7 2 3 wave functions. From these operators the quadrupole moment of 51V is calculated and found to be in very good agreement with the new experimental (negative) value. The enhancement of the single proton E2 operator is equivalent to an effective charge eeff = 1.61e.
Light scattering and hydrodynamic properties of linear and circular bacteriophage lambda DNA.

Low-angle light scattering, sedimentation velocity, and intrinsic viscosity measurements have been made on circular and linear forms of lambda (λ) bacteriophage DNA. Available equations, used to relate hydrodynamic parameters of both forms to the molecular weight, give relatively consistent values of particle weights which essentially agree with the light-scattering results. An average molecular weight of (34 ± 3) × 106 for λ DNA was obtained in good agreement with literature values of (31–33) × 106. The linear λ DNA has a larger root-mean-square radius than the circular molecule, when determined by light scattering, but the difference does not appear to be us large as expected from hydrodynamic data. The two forms also show significantly different angular distrbutions of scattered light intensities which agree only qualitatively with those derived from existing theory. The light-scattering results suggest that further experiments and modifications of available theories should be undertaken.
Estimating transient freshwater lens dynamics for atoll islands of the Maldives.

Summary The water resources of the atolls of the Republic of the Maldives are under continual threat from climatic and anthropogenic stresses, such as changing rainfall patterns, sea-level rise, and contamination from human activities and climatic events. Groundwater, a historically important resource of the island communities of the Maldives, is particularly affected due to the fragile nature of the freshwater lens on small atoll islands. In this study the dynamics of the freshwater lens are simulated during an extended (1998–2011) time period to determine the fluctuation of lens thickness of islands of the Maldives in response to annual and long-term changes in rainfall. Particularly, maximum and minimum lens thickness during the simulation period are assessed, as well as the occurrence of general trends, either decreasing or increasing, in lens thickness. Simulations are performed for a variety of island sizes, corresponding to the range of sizes of the islands of the Maldives, and for the various climatic regions of the Maldives. Results indicate that many of the atoll islands are expected to have a measurable freshwater lens during the majority of a long-term climatic period, although significant decreases in thickness can occur during the months of the dry season, with complete depletion occurring for small islands. Of particular note is the observation of a general decrease in lens thickness, approximately 2–4 cm/yr, over the 14-year period for the northern regions of the Maldives. If continued at current rates, these trends can have a significant impact on groundwater resources for the Maldives. Results imply that fresh groundwater, if properly protected from land surface-derived contamination and over-pumping and associated salinization, can be a valuable source of water for the Maldives, particularly for the larger islands. Overall, results provide water resource managers and government officials with valuable data for consideration in water security measures.
The pathology of tumors. Part II: Diagnostic techniques.

Frozen section diagnosis of cancer is generally used to 1) determine the type and extent of treatment while the patient is in the operating room and 2) to confirm the adequacy of surgical excision. Frozen section diagnosis forms the basis for further surgery. Because of the pathologist's role in this decision, he should be as familiar as possible with pertinent clinical data (e.g., previous biopsy or surgery) prior to operation. In some cases he may wish to observe the lesion in situ or suggest an area to be biopsied. Frozen section is very reliable in cancer diagnosis. A recent review of 2,240 consecutive sections has shown an overall accuracy of 99.3 percent with 13 false-negatives and only five false-positives. The technique is useful for most specimens, even tissue from needle biopsies. When the pathologist receives the gross specimen he must orient it and describe the color, consistency and size of the tumor and record its appearance prior to sectioning. The specimen must be carefully examined for any indications of inadequate tumor excision. Specimens may have critical areas close to the wound limits and the sections must be careflly oriented to prove or disprove adequate excision. Specimen roentgenography is very useful in evaluating excision and in pinpointing the tumor area. Microscopic description of tumors includes details of pattern, nuclear changes, stroma, and many others. However, only the microscopic findings which have prognostic or therapeutic significance should be emphasized to the surgeon. Summarizing the pertinent findings in a final paragraph of the pathology report can translate routine microscopic description into constructive clinical information which will give the surgeon a clear idea of the probable behavior of the tumor. In addition to the standard procedures for preparing and examining specimens for final diagnosis, there are some special techniques which are extremely useful. These include immunohistochemical staining, electron microscopy, tissue culture and biochemical studies.
Design of printed X-band patch antenna arrays with switched line phase shifters

Microstrip phased array antennas printed on flexible substrates have broad applications in radar, aerospace, point-to-point communications, operations (e.g., RFID) and health monitoring. We report on the design, fabrication and characterization of 1×2 and 1×4 microstrip arrays operating at 10 GHz. The radiation characteristics of the arrays were simulated as a function of bending radius for three different bending configurations: concave, convex and longitudinal concave. Simulations examine the impact of bending radius and the number of radiating elements on performance compared to the planar case. As the number of radiating elements increases, the mutual coupling between patch antennas plays a vital role in the performance of the arrays. The results indicate that there is not a significant degradation in array performance until the substrate bending radius is below 20. As shown in Fig. 1(f) and 1(g), for extreme bending (e.g.,), significantly shifts to lower frequency whereas for longitudinal concave these shift observed lower compare to others. Also, for longitudinal concave arrays, the half power beam width (HPBW) remains almost unchanged though extreme bending of the substrate occurs (e.g.,). Finally, antenna arrays were optimized and simple switched line phase shifters were designed and implemented to steer the beam. Moreover, phase compensation for these antennas, when conformed, are analyzed. Antennas were fabricated using an additive manufacturing printing technique (aerosol jet) on Kapton substrates. In addition, the design of phase shifting elements in the arrays will be discussed as well as and designs of different feed structures. The details of the printing techniques for the array with details on the material selection and phase shifters will be provided.
HIV in women and children.

One of the most significant and distressing global health challenges facing us today is the worldwide pandemic of HIV/AIDS. Of mothers who are HIV positive and who have no intervention 15-30% will transmit the infection to their child during pregnancy or childbirth or through breast milk. It is estimated that each day there are nearly 1800 new HIV infections in children under age 15 and that 1400 children under age 15 die daily of AIDS-related illnesses; 95% of these deaths occur in the developing world. The United Nations and UNICEF are working to reverse this pandemic through the Millennium Development Project with a goal of ending the HIV/AIDS pandemic by the year 2015. This goal requires the initiation of interventions in developing countries where resources are limited. The focus areas include the following: 1. Prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. 2. Provision of treatment for pediatric patients who are HIV positive. 3. Prevention of infection in adolescents and young adults. 4. Protection and support of children who are HIV positive. (excerpt)
The Effect of Conductor Academic Task Presentation, Conductor Reinforcement, and Ensemble Practice on Performers' Musical Achievement, Attentiveness, and Attitude

This study examined the effect of conductor academic task presentation, reinforcement, and student performance on attentiveness, achievement, and attitude of members of a university symphonic band. The band rehearsed five times under three treatment conditions: A—directions followed by ensemble performance; B—academic task presentations followed by directions and ensemble performance; and C—academic task presentations, directions, and ensemble performance, followed by conductor reinforcement. Results indicated attentiveness was a function of both performance time and treatment. All treatments resulted in gains for music achievement, with Treatment B resulting in the smallest and Treatment C resulting in the largest gains. Student attitudes were related significantly to music, conductors, and their interaction. Student ratings of rehearsal enjoyment and conductor as a good teacher were significantly related to treatments, with Treatment C consistently rated the highest.
Memory models and the measurement of listening

Although most persons consider listening an essential communication skill, research in listening has not attracted the attention paid to other communication skills. Part of this neglect is due to definitions of listening, and part is due to some of the problems inherent in measuring listening. So‐called “standard”; methods of measuring listening have been shown to be completely confounded with traditional tests of intelligence. Since memory seems to be a vital part of definitions of listening it might serve as a basis for a new approach to measurement. Memory research indicates that short‐term, short‐term with rehearsal, and long‐term memories are all distinct. Listening tasks were devised which should utilize these three different kinds of memory and were found to be different from one another. To achieve a “comprehensive”; measure of listening, tasks requiring interpretation and concentration were added. All of these tasks were presented on audiotape. The varying subscales were found to be internally re...