cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Temporal variations in lead concentrations and isotopic composition in the Southern California Bight

Lead concentrations in surface waters of the Southern California Bight appear to have decreased threefold (from >170 to <60 pM) since they were initially measured by Clair Patterson and his associates in the 1970s. The decrease parallels a threefold decline in anthropogenic inputs of industrial lead to the bight over the past two decades. Moreover, mass balance calculations indicate that the primary source of lead to the bight now is upwelling. This is evidenced by the isotopic compositions of surface waters in the bight, which are most characteristic of Asian industrial lead aerosols (0.4793 [le] [sup 206]Pb/[sup 208]Pb [le] 0.4833) deposited in oceanic waters of the North Pacific. While the decrease in surface water lead concentrations in the bight reflects the reduction in industrial lead emissions from the United States, the isotopic compositions of surface waters in the southern reach of the bight reflect a concurrent increase in industrial lead emissions from Mexico (0.4852 [le] [sup 206]Pb/[sup 208]Pb [le] 0.4877). The isotopic composition ([sup 208]Pb/[sup 207]Pb [approximately] 2.427) of elevated lead concentrations of surface waters in San Diego Bay indicate that lead is being remobilized from contaminated sediments within that bay.
Disfluency and word length.

Five studies are reported in which the magnitude of the influence of word length upon the loci of instances of disfluency in the oral reading of stutterers and nonstutterers was investigated. The findings suggest that one factor which makes stutterers “unique”—differentiates them from nonstutterers—is not that they are more likely to be disfluent on long than on short words as has been assumed in the past, but rather the opposite. That is, word length does not exert as strong an influence upon the loci or their disfluencies as is “normal.” In other words, stutterers are more likely to be disfluent on short words than their nonstuttering peers.
Acute activation, desensitization and smoldering activation of human acetylcholine receptors.

The behavioral effects of nicotine and other nicotinic agonists are mediated by AChRs in the brain. The relative contribution of acute activation versus chronic desensitization of AChRs is unknown. Sustained “smoldering activation” occurs over a range of agonist concentrations at which activated and desensitized AChRs are present in equilibrium. We used a fluorescent dye sensitive to changes in membrane potential to examine the effects of acute activation and chronic desensitization by nicotinic AChR agonists on cell lines expressing human α4β2, α3β4 and α7 AChRs. We examined the effects of acute and prolonged application of nicotine and the partial agonists varenicline, cytisine and sazetidine-A on these AChRs. The range of concentrations over which nicotine causes smoldering activation of α4β2 AChRs was centered at 0.13 µM, a level found in smokers. However, nicotine produced smoldering activation of α3β4 and α7 AChRs at concentrations well above levels found in smokers. The α4β2 expressing cell line contains a mixture of two stoichiometries, namely (α4β2)2β2 and (α4β2)2α4. The (α4β2)2β2 stoichiometry is more sensitive to activation by nicotine. Sazetidine-A activates and desensitizes only this stoichiometry. Varenicline, cytisine and sazetidine-A were partial agonists on this mixture of α4β2 AChRs, but full agonists on α3β4 and α7 AChRs. It has been reported that cytisine and varenicline are most efficacious on the (α4β2)2α4 stoichiometry. In this study, we distinguish the dual effects of activation and desensitization of AChRs by these nicotinic agonists and define the range of concentrations over which smoldering activation can be sustained.
Politics in a New Key: Religiosity and Participation Among Political Activists

FN EW events surprised observers of American politics as much as the recent increase in religiously based conflict in American politics (Wald 1987: 6-12). The decade-long rise of the Christian Right is a case in point: dominant theories of modern politics predicted the decline of religion in public life (Guth et al. 1988). Equally troubling, if less commented upon, was the surge of left-wing church activism in the 1960s and its revival in the Reagan era on such issues as disarmament, sanctuary and aid for the homeless. And secular activists, in organizations such as the ACLU and People for the American Way, entered politics with hostility toward religious values. Robert McAfee Brown's Theology in a New Key (1978) symbolizes well this religio-political foment. His demand that churches become more responsive to political concerns anticipated a "new key" in politics as well-though not entirely in tune with his expectations. Explanations of the link between religion and politics frequently emphasize the role of elites in linking religious communities and commitments to political alignments (Ammerman 1987). Here we report on this connection for an increasingly important set of political activists: major financial donors to national party and political action committees. While donors may not fully represent all kinds of activists, campaign contributors are an active, influential and diverse set of political elites (Jones and Miller 1985) and one central to recent trends in national politics (Sorauf 1988). Instead of a recent "revival" of religion in politics, we find that a "reformation" of the political spectrum has been taking place among activists, with the traditional ethnocultural connection of religion and politics shifting to a secular-versus-religious underpinning for political alignments. These changes are best accounted for by demographic factors rather than the mobilization of new activists or new methods of
Thermodynamic Functions of Pendular Molecules

External electric or magnetic fields can hybridize rotational states of individual dipolar molecules and thus create pendular states whose field-dependent eigenproperties differ qualitatively from those of a rotor or an oscilator. The pendular eigenfunctions are directional , so the molecular axis id oriented . Here we use quantum statistical mechanics to evaluate ensamble properties of the pendular states. For linear molecules, the partition function and the averages that determine the thermodynamic functions can be specified by two reduced variables involving the dipole moment, field strength, rotational constant, and temperature. We examine a simple approximation due to Pitzer that employs the classical partition function with quantum corrections. This provides explicit analytic formulas which permit thermodynamic properties to be evaluated to good accuracy without computing energy levels. As applications we evaluate the high-field average orientation of the molecular dipoles and field-induced shifts of chemical equilibria.
The effects of electrolytes on the rates of hydroxyapatite formation at 25 and 38°C

The effects of electrolytes on the rates of hydroxyapatite (HAp) formation at 25 and 38°C were investigated. Solutions were selected to contain ions in common with HAp lattice ions or to contain ions capable of substituting into HAp. The effects of phosphate, calcium, chloride, and fluoride were studied in particular. The reactants from which HAp was formed were a mixture of the particulate solids CaHPO 4 and Ca 4 (PO 4 ) 2 O. These reactants were proportioned to form the calcium deficient composition Ca 9 HPO 4 (PO 4 ) 5 OH at complete reaction. The rates of HAp formation were examined by determining rates of heat liberation at 25 and 38°C using isothermal calorimetry and by analyzing the variations in solution chemistry. HAp formation initially occurs by a mechanism which is interfacially controlled. However, because the reactants dissolve incongruently, HAp overgrows these particles and eventually the conversion becomes diffusionally controlled. The presence of electrolytes influences HAp formation but in differing ways. Solutions containing phosphate salts initially accelerate the rate of HAp formation by reducing the incongruency of the CaHPO 4 dissolution. Sodium fluoride accelerates reaction by improving the crystallinity of the apatite overgrowths as a result of fluoride incorporation into the HAp, thereby making them less effective as diffusion barriers. Calcium chloride solutions tend to reduce the proportion of HAp formed prior to the onset of the diffusionally controlled reactions. Although the reactants used were proportioned to produce calcium-deficient HAp at complete reaction, no evidence was obtained to indicate the uptake of calcium and chloride from CaCl 2 solutions to form a chloroapatite having a Ca/P ratio > 1.5.
Solar Maximum Mission experiment - Initial observations by the active cavity radiometer

The Active Cavity Radiometer on board the SMM is providing high-quality measurements of the solar irradiance. After correction for the solar distance, the orbital displacement of the satellite, and the relativistic shift of irradiance due to the satellite motion, the observed standard deviation is in the range 10-15 parts per million in a 96-minute integration. Measurable solar variations occur on time scales of a few minutes to a few days. The total amplitude of the variations in the daily averages from February 16 to March 31, 1980, was 0.10% based upon 96-minute averages.
Age-related changes in the relative growth of the posterior fossa.

We have established a normative data set for the relative size of the structures of the midline posterior fossa from birth to 90 years old. Data were obtained from morphometric analysis of midsagittal magnetic resonance imaging scans of the brain utilizing a simple image analysis system. There are several significant changes in the size of these structures with an increase in chronologic age. The relative size of the cisterna magna decreases with age. Anterior cerebellar vermal lobules (I through V) appear to grow more rapidly than the rest of the cerebellum. Other, less significant, trends include a decrease in the overall size of the cerebellum, superior posterior vermal lobules (VI and VII) and inferior posterior lobule (VIII) with an increase in age. It is, therefore, necessary to use age-standardized normative data when making morphometric correlations with clinical disorders. (J Child Neurol 1991;6:15-19).
Starting Fights: The Debate as Teaching Tool

During a one-year experiment in postgraduate psychiatric education, residents participated in live debates instead of attending traditional lectures and seminars. A variety of controversial topics in psychiatry were covered. Both residents and faculty rated the debate as a thought-provoking and highly effective teaching tool, and a fun one, to boot.
Student teamwork: A capstone course in game programming

Many computer science (CS) undergraduate programs have experienced dramatic reductions in the number of incoming freshman and transfer students in recent years. Simultaneously, industry feedback informs us that graduating students should have experience working with others and on long-term software projects. This requirement is due to the fact that most industry projects are team-based, often take months or years to complete, and are often global in nature. Institutions have addressed these issues in a number of ways. Cal Poly Pomona's CS department created a one-term ten-week project course in game programming offered during spring 2006. Teams were assembled comprising of four or five students. The final deliverable for each team was a CD which included a working 3D game and all design documentation (i.e. UML diagrams, source code, etc). This paper discusses the design, implementation, and results of this course. It also describes the outstanding efforts put forth by the students.
Changes in the Mechanical Properties of Cells undergoing Neoplastic Transformation

We report on our effort to characterize the mechanical changes in cells that undergo neoplastic transformation. The cells we are studying include normal human mammary epithelial cells, as well as immortalized and tumorigenic versions of the same cells. We are studying three different aspects of cell behavior using different tools. The measurements include determining the elastic moduli of the different cells (in both the nuclear and cytoplasmic regions) using an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) with a 5.3 um diameter spherical probe; measuring the diffusion and binding of mismatch repair proteins in the different cells using a confocal microscope to perform Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching (FRAP) measurements as well as Raster Imaging Correlation Spectroscopy (RICS); and finally measuring the diffusion and transport of different natural organelles such as lysosomes and peroxisomes using particle tracking microscopy. In this presentation, we plan to provide a summary of results in all three areas to date, and to put our measurements in the context of related work published by others.This work is supported by NSF Materials and Surface Engineering grant CMMI-1152781.
Metallic forging using electrical flow as an alternative to warm/hot working

Manufacturing processes (e.g., forging, rolling, extrusion, and forming) rely on heat to reduce the forces associated with fabricating parts. However, due to the negative implications associated with hot working, another more efficient means of applying energy is desired. This paper investigates material property changes of various metals (aluminum, copper, iron, and titanium based alloys) in response to the flow of electricity. Theory involving electromigration and electroplasticity is examined and the implications thereof are analyzed. It is shown that, using electrical current, flow stresses are reduced, resulting in a lower specific energy for open-die forging. It is also shown that an applied electrical current increases the forgeability of materials, allowing greater deformation prior to cracking. Moreover, the changes caused by the flow of electricity are significantly greater than those explained by resistive heating. Additionally, elastic recovery is decreased when using electrical flow during deformation. Finally, for most materials, these effects were dependent on strain rate. Overall, this work demonstrates that substantial increases in the forgeability of metals are achieved by deforming the material while applying an electrical current. These improvements exceed those achieved through comparable increases in workpiece temperature and demonstrate that this method provides a viable alternative to warm/hot working.
Oral contraceptive efficacy and antibiotic interaction: A myth debunked

The purpose of this study was to review the pharmacokinetic and clinical literature regarding the efficacy of oral contraceptives when used concomitantly with antibiotic therapy. Relevant literature was identified by searching MEDLINE and EMBASE. Other sources were located by consulting the bibliographies of the material collected from MEDLINE and EMBASE. Pharmacokinetic evidence demonstrates that plasma levels of oral contraceptive steroids are unchanged with the concomitant administration of antibiotics, including ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, clarithromycin, doxycycline, metronidazole, ofloxacin, roxithromycin, temafloxacin, and tetracycline. However, reduced steroid levels have been reported in women taking rifampin with oral contraceptives. Clinical reports of contraceptive failure with antibiotic use are retrospective, have multiple potential biases, and are not supported by pharmacokinetic data. Available scientific and pharmacokinetic data do not support the hypothesis that antibiotics (with the exception of rifampin) lower the contraceptive efficacy of oral contraceptives.
Photographic shutters: better pictures with a reconsideration of shutter efficiency

An efficient photographic shutter is one which can open and close in small fractions of the exposure time, and this property is generally thought desirable. But no one combination of f/stop and time in an efficient shutter can match the subjective quality, depth of field, and motion stopping ability of certain deliberately inefficient shutters used on automatic cameras. These advantages are derived from a simple optical model by MTF techniques and are confirmed experimentally.
Immunohistochemical analysis of primary breast tumors and tumor-draining lymph nodes by means of the T-cell costimulatory molecule OX-40

OBJECTIVES: The OX-40 receptor (OX-40R/CD134) is expressed primarily on activated CD4 + (helper) T cells. We have previously reported the presence of OX-40 + T cells in head and neck cancer and melanoma, where they appear to be restricted to tumor compartments (primary tumor infiltrating lymphocytes [TILs] and draining lymph node cells) and therefore may represent the tumor antigen-specific CD4 + T cells. METHODS: In order to determine the degree of OX-40R expression, and any relationship with the presence of tumor cells (lobular and/or infiltrating ductal carcinoma), 45 archived paraffin-embedded breast primary tumors and their associated draining (axillary) lymph nodes were retrospectively analyzed using standard immunohistochemical techniques. RESULTS: Seven of 45 primary tumors (16%) and 7 of 29 with lympocytic infiltrates (24%) were noted to have elevated levels of OX-40R + lymphocytes within the tumor specimens, including 2 of 4 specimens thought to have only pure ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). No OX-40R + lymphocytes were noted in normal breast tissue. Twenty-one (43%) patients had axillary metastases at the time of resection. High levels of OX-40R expression was seen in 9 (45%) of these 21 axillary node specimens, whereas no such staining was seen in the node-negative specimens (P <0.001). Furthermore, in a patient thought to be without axillary disease, several subcapsular single-cell metastases were retrospectively discovered near a lone cluster of OX-40R + lymphocytes. In general, visual inspection showed OX-40R + T cells to be in close proximity to tumor and often in direct contact with metastatic cells. CONCLUSIONS: The OX-40R is upregulated on lymphocytes within tumor draining lymph nodes, and these lymphocytes are specifically localized around tumor deposits. These data imply that OX-40R immunostaining may be useful for both determination of occult involvement of lymph nodes by tumor and for identification of potential candidates for future OX-40 based immunotherapy.
Yeast bcy1 mutants with stationary phase-specific defects.

Entry into the stationary phase requires the yeast BCY1 gene, which encodes the regulatory subunit of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase (cAPK). New bcy1 mutants, constructed by in vitro mutagenesis of the 3′-region encoding the cAMP-binding domains, were classified as early or late-acting mutants based on viability studies. The late-acting bcy1 mutants accumulated fewer stationary phase-specific Bcy1p isoforms and had decreased cAPK activity. This late-acting class is novel and dies after 7 days in culture, later than two previously reported stationary phase mutants, ubi4 and ard1.
Vancomycin-Associated Nephrotoxicity: Grave Concern or Death by Character Assassination?

Vancomycin-associated nephrotoxicity was reported in 0% to 5% of patients in the 1980s. This has been confirmed by numerous clinical trials comparing novel anti-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus agents with vancomycin at the Food and Drug Administration-approved dosage of 1 g every 12 hours. Treatment failures of vancomycin in patients with methicillin-resistant S. aureus infections have been reported despite in vitro susceptibility. These failures have led to the use of vancomycin doses higher than those approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Higher doses are being administered to achieve goal vancomycin trough concentrations of 10 to 20 microg/mL recommended by several clinical practice guidelines endorsed by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Recent studies suggest that increased rates of nephrotoxicity are associated with aggressive vancomycin dosing. These increased rates are confounded by concomitant nephrotoxins, renal insufficiency, or changing hemodynamics. These studies also have demonstrated that vancomycin's nephrotoxicity risk is minimal in patients without risk factors for nephrotoxicity. Clinicians unwilling to dose vancomycin in accordance with clinical practice guidelines should use an alternative agent because inadequate dosing increases the likelihood of selecting heteroresistant methicillin-resistant S. aureus isolates.
Incorporating an intelligent tutoring system into CS1

Intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs) have been used to complement classroom instruction in recent years, and have been shown to facilitate learning. We incorporate an ITS named Intelligent Learning Materials Delivery Agent (ILMDA) into our CS1 course and collect evidence to validate two hypotheses: (1) The ITS improves student learning, (2) The ITS "learns" to tutor the students more efficiently and/or effectively. Our method of inquiry includes collecting data tracked while a student interacts with the ITS, post-test scores, and exam scores. We also use control and treatment groups, as well as different versions of the ILMDA in our experiments. Based on the results, we see indications that support the above two hypotheses.
Hemodynamic effects of calcium chloride injection following cardiopulmonary bypass: response to bolus injection and continuous infusion

To determine the hemodynamic effects of intravenous injection of calcium chloride, 26 patients were studied immediately after termination of extracorporeal circulation. Eighteen patients (Group A) had injection of a single bolus of CaCl2; in the other 8 patients (Group B), the bolus injection was followed by infusion of CaCl2 at a rate of 1.5 mg/kg/min for 10 minutes. Myocardial contractile element velocity (Vpm), aortic blood flow, electrocardiograms, and left ventricular, systemic arterial, pulmonary arterial, and left atrial pressures were recorded continuously. The baseline ionized calcium level after bypass was 3.6 +/- 0.6 mg/100 ml (normal range, 3.9 to 4.5 mg/100 ml); this increased to 5.4 +/- 0.5 mg/100 ml 1 minute after CaCl2 injection. The ionized calcium level was 4.7 +/- 0.6 mg/100 ml 6 minutes after CaCl2 injection in Group A, and was 5.9 +/- 0.2 mg/100 ml and 6.4 +/- 0.2 mg/100 ml at 6 and 10 minutes, respectively, in Group B. There was significant early hemodynamic improvement after CaCl2 injection, including increases in Vpm (p less than 0.001), cardiac index (p less than 0.001), mean blood pressure (p less than 0.01), and stroke volume index (p less than 0.001). A similar pattern of hemodynamic response was observed in both groups. Approximately 1 minute after CaCl2 injection, cardiac index returned to control level, Vpm and mean blood pressure remained elevated, and heart rate declined (p less than 0.01). Systemic vascular resistance gradually increased and was significantly elevated (p less than 0.05) in Group B at 3 minutes and in Group A at 6 minutes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Fieldwork with Infants: What Preservice Teachers Can Learn from Taking Care of Babies.

The literature on infant care and education indicates that infant fieldwork has distinct learning opportunities that could work as an important supplement to more traditional field placements. The following study supports these assertions by providing an in-depth look at the experiences of three preservice early childhood teachers while engaging in fieldwork with infants over the course of one semester. The preservice teachers' perspectives and descriptions, as generated through individual interviews, reflective journals, and a focus group interview, were used to illuminate the unique aspects of working with infants and the impact of the fieldwork on their development as teachers. The findings suggest that structured experiences in the infant classroom pushed the preservice teachers to construct new ideas about development, curriculum, the role of the teacher, working with parents and families, and building relationships with children. The infant fieldwork also provided the preservice teachers with valuab...
Adherence with Use of Oral Agents in the Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis B

Oral nucleos(t)ide agents are used to prevent major complications of chronic hepatitis B infection, such as the development of cirrhosis, hepatic decompensation, hepatocellular carcinoma, and death. To achieve benefit, long-term, and potentially, life-long, antiviral therapy is needed to maintain adequately suppressed hepatitis B viral loads, and therefore, medication adherence is essential. However, long-term therapy may also be complicated by virological breakthrough and the development of antiviral resistance. This will be a brief review of the several recent studies that have examined how patient adherence affects virological outcomes, as well as the potential factors that can affect adherence to antiviral therapy for hepatitis B. infection.
Arterial sampler filling time during arterial and venous punctures, and its relationship with mean arterial pressure in human subjects.

BACKGROUND: When obtaining an arterial blood sample via percutaneous puncture, there is a risk of accidentally obtaining venous blood. Conventional methods of confirming arterial blood at the bedside, such as blood color and pulsatile return, can be misleading in patients with low blood pressure or hypoxemia. OBJECTIVE: To determine if the arterial sampler filling time can be an accurate indicator of obtaining an arterial blood sample in subjects with various blood pressures. Our hypotheses were that there would be a statistically significant negative correlation between sampler filling time during arterial puncture and mean arterial blood pressure, and a statistically significant difference between venous and arterial filling times in human adults. METHODS: Prior to an arterial puncture, we measured and recorded arterial blood pressure noninvasively. During the arterial and venipuncture procedures we measured the amount of time it took to fill the sampler and the volume of blood obtained. A t test for independent samples was calculated to determine if mean arterial sampler filling times were significantly different between the arterial and venous groups. Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated to determine the relationship between mean arterial pressure and seconds of filling time per milliliter in the arterial group. RESULTS: This study included 38 human subjects; 22 were adult patients ordered for arterial blood gases by arterial puncture; 16 were normal, healthy, adult volunteers who had a venipuncture performed using an arterial blood sampler. The mean ± SD filling time was 15 ± 4 s/mL for the arterial group and 115 ± 48 s/mL for the venous group, and the difference was significant ( P < .001). The range of mean arterial pressures was 69–125 mm Hg; the average mean arterial pressure was 91 ± 13 mm Hg, and the Pearson correlation coefficient for mean arterial pressures and sampler filling times was –0.49 ( P = .02). CONCLUSION: Our results were consistent with a laboratory study showing a significant difference between arterial and venous filling times and a negative correlation between mean arterial pressure and sampler filling time, but our times in adult subjects were longer. Respiratory therapists may find arterial sampler filling time as a useful indicator of successful arterial puncture at the bedside.
Receipt of a False Positive Test Result During Routine Screening for Ovarian Cancer: A Teachable Moment?

The term “teachable moment” (TM) has been used to describe a life transition or event which motivates an individual to change a behavior or presents an opportunity to intervene to prompt behavior change. We examined whether receipt of a false positive ovarian cancer (OC) screening result may represent a TM. 403 women participating in an OC screening program completed questionnaires assessing demographic, clinical, behavioral, and psychosocial information. The TM was operationalized as expressed interest in receiving health-related information. We hypothesized that among women receiving a false positive screening test result, those women who had experienced greater personal perceived risk for OC as well as distress would be more interested in receiving health-related information than women receiving a normal result. Analyses revealed that women receiving a false positive screening result were less interested in receiving health-related information than women receiving a normal screening result. For women receiving a false positive result, expressed interest in receipt of health-related information was only modestly related to distress and related even less to perceptions of OC risk. Our data do not support viewing a false positive OC screening result as a TM. Potential explanations for the current findings as well as recommendations for future research investigating the TM are discussed.
Lambda-rings of automorphisms

Under composition, the set of automorphisms of a single algebra forms a group. The topic of this paper is the full set of all automorphisms of all algebra structures in a given abstract class on a fixed finite set. A lambda-ring, known as the automorphism type ring, is associated with this full set of automorphisms, and its structure is described. For certain classes (such as the variety of lattices), the full set of automorphisms is represented up to conjugation in the symmetric group by the automorphisms of a single, so-called representative algebra. In this case, the automorphism type ring is a subring of the ring of class functions on the automorphism group of the representative algebra.
Evolutionary transfer of the chloroplast tufA gene to the nucleus.

EVOLUTIONARY gene transfer is a basic corollary of the now widely accepted endosymbiotic theory, which proposes that mitochondria and chloroplasts originated from once free-living eu bacteria1. The small organellar chromosomes are remnants of larger bacterial genomes, with most endosymbiont genes having been either transferred to the nucleus2 soon after endosymbiosis3,4 or lost entirely, with some being functionally replaced by preexisting nuclear genes5,6. Several lines of evidence indicate that relocation of some organelle genes could have been more recent. These include the abundance of non-functional organelle sequences of recent origin in nuclear DNA7,8, successful artificial transfer of functional organelle genes to the nucleus9, and several examples of recently lost organelle genes4,10, although none of these is known to have been replaced by a nuclear homologue that is clearly of organellar ancestry. We present gene sequence and molecular phylogenetic evidence for the transfer of the chloroplast tuf A gene to the nucleus in the green algal ancestor of land plants.
Assessing the interaction of price optimisation and system-wide transportation selection on a third-party logistics provider

We utilise a non-linear integer programming model of ABC’s (the name of the company has been disguised) combined forward-reverse logistics system that enables them to enhance their strategic planning in three ways: We compare the recommendations from this model against the most representative (i.e., baseline) model for ABC’s system in the extant literature. This baseline model does not perform 1–3. We show that considering 1–2 simultaneously results in significantly higher system-wide profits than just 1 alone, and that this profit increase is enhanced when ABC is operating in higher price elasticity markets. These results have promise to generalise to other third party logistics providers since their systems are similar.
Reachable grasps on a polygon: The convex rope algorithm

An algorithm that finds the externally visible vertices of a polygon is described. This algorithm generates a new geometric construction, termed the convex ropes of each visible vertex. The convex ropes give the range of angles from which each vertex is visible, and they give all the pairs of vertices which are reachable by a straight robot finger. All of the convex ropes can be found in expected time order n, where n is the number of vertices of the polygon. We discuss the application of this geometric construction to automated grasp planning. The algorithm may also be useful in image interpretation and graphics where efficient computation of visible points is important. The direct application of the algorithm is restricted to two dimension since sequential ordering of vertices is required. Extension to three dimension would rely on well chosen intersecting or projective planes.
C5a negatively regulates toll-like receptor 4-induced immune responses.

Summary The complement system and the Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are two central arms of innate immunity that are critical to host defense as well as the development of adaptive immunity. Most pathogens activate both complement and TLRs, suggesting the potential for crosstalk between the two systems. We show here that the complement-derived C5a anaphylatoxin negatively regulates TLR4- and CD40-induced synthesis of IL-12 family cytokines (IL-12, IL-23, and IL-27) from inflammatory macrophages (M ϕ s) by extracellular signal-regulated kinase- and phosphoinositide 3 kinase-dependent pathways. This decreased cytokine response translates into a decreased T helper type 1 (Th1) response in vitro and in vivo. Accordingly, we found enhanced Th1 immunity in C5a receptor-deficient mice, something that conferred protection from Leishmania major infection. Our findings identify the negative impact of C5a on IL-12 family cytokines as an important mechanism for regulating Th1 polarization in response to innate and adaptive immune network activation.
Reductive Dechlorination of Tetrachloroethene by a Mixed Bacterial Culture Growing on Ethyl Lactate

Abstract Chloroethenes like tetrachloroethene (PCE) are the most prevalent groundwater contaminants in the USA. Their presence as nonaqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) makes remediation difficult. Among options for NAPL cleanup, co-solvent injection has demonstrated success. However, the process has the potential to leave considerable residue of the co-solvent as well as residual chloroethene. Our rationale in this study was to examine whether this residual solvent could be a potential electron donor for the remediation of the residual chloroethene. We hypothesized that ethyl lactate, a “green” solvent, could serve both as a NAPL extraction solvent and an electron donor for reductive dechlorination of residual chloroethene. We examined whether a mixed culture known to degrade PCE with lactate could also grow on ethyl lactate and whether it could stimulate PCE dechlorination. Biomass growth and PCE dechlorination were observed by protein and chloride production, respectively, in the culture; with a specific dec...
Quality control strategies for sedation in gastrointestinal endoscopy

Abstract The safe administration of sedation is critical for maintaining high quality in endoscopy. Quality is achieved through adequate training of personnel, adherence to guidelines, and frequent review of outcome parameters. This article provides a definition of standards and guidelines. An enumeration of procedural standards listed in the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) guidelines for sedation and anesthesia provides a practical context for these definitions. Performance measures for outcome standards, suggested guidelines for education of endoscopy personnel, and research directions in sedation quality are also discussed. The goal of this article is to provide the reader with a more concrete understanding of the implementation of quality control in endoscopic practice.
Input-output synchronization for bias drift reduction of MEMS gyroscopes

MEMS vibratory gyroscopes ideally possess uncoupled components on their orthogonal drive and sense axes. Asymmetries in the structure of the device, caused by manufacturing non-idealities and device wear, introduce unwanted dynamic interactions between the sense and drive axes. These interactions often lead to the transfer of energy from the drive axis to the sense axis in the absence of any external perturbation. The transferred energy (leakage) appears as a time-accumulating bias drift on the measurement signal on the sense axis, resulting in error to the sensor output. This paper describes the application of an input-output controller to compensate for non-ideal interdependencies of drive and sense axes for vibratory gyroscopes in order to reduce the bias drift in the sense axis.
Hornblendite and related rocks of Annette and Duke Islands, Southeastern Alaska

Annette and Duke Islands lie in the extreme southern part of southeastern Alaska just north of Dixon Entrance. They consist of crystalline rocks excepting a fringe of stratified rocks on the north, east, and south sides of Annette Island. The crystalline rocks consist of several varieties of gneiss, and igneous rocks which range from ultrabasic varieties to albite granite. The ultrabasic rocks consist of saxonite and hornblendite and are found chiefly on Duke Island. Intermediate rocks consist of gabbro and diorite. The core of Annette Island and the point on the northeast side of Duke Island consist of albite granite, the most silicic rock in the region. This paper deals chiefly with the hornblendite and associated hornblendic rocks and their origin. (For a more complete discussion of the geology of these islands the reader is referred to “The geology of Annette and Duke Islands, southeastern Alaska.” to be published by the United States Geological Survey.)
The Impact of Race on the Pretrial Decision

This study examined the effect of race on the pretrial release decision for drug offenders. Although this decision point has not been examined as extensively as the final sentencing decision, it is a critical discretion point which impacts defendants’ future sentencing outcomes. The results found that race had a significant impact on judges’ decisions to release a defendant on recognizance, with black defendants less likely to receive this release status. Race was not significant, however, in the decision of bail amount or in the likelihood to post bail. These results are consistent with the focal concerns perspective which suggests that black defendants are viewed by courts as more dangerous and blameworthy and thereby, less likely to be released on their own recognizance.
The onset of Rayleigh–Bénard convection in non-planar oscillatory flows

The onset of thermal convection in the presence of an oscillatory, non-planar shear flow is investigated on a linear basis. For the case of planar oscillations, the basic shear has no effect upon the value of the critical Rayleigh number but does act as a pattern selection mechanism. For the non-planar case, when there are two horizontal components of the basic velocity, the same result is true if the components are either in phase or directly out of phase. For the general case, however, stabilization occurs because convection rolls experience the stabilizing effects of shear regardless of their orientation. The results are obtained both by expansion in terms of the amplitude of the oscillating flow and in terms of its frequency, assuming the frequency to be small. The degree of stabilization increases with the Prandtl number. Pattern selection still occurs with non-planar oscillations.
Optical effects of energy degraders on the performance of fragment separators

Next-generation facilities for the production of exotic beams require large acceptance fragment separators to separate and transmit rare isotopes. Fragment separators require energy degraders in order to achieve high purity separation of these rare species. The introduction of the degrader into an aberration-free optical design of a separator induces aberrations at the achromatic image. These may be completely eliminated by shaping the degrader appropriately. We have shown that, in order to eliminate these aberrations, some aberrations must be nonzero at the dispersive image, where the degrader is placed. A second order design with robust optics is presented.
The Role of Social Network and Support in Mental Health Service Use: Findings From the Baltimore ECA Study

Objective: A significant number of people with mental illness do not use mental health services to receive treatment for their symptoms. This study examined the hypothesis that social network and social support affect mental health service use. Methods: Data were from the Baltimore cohort of the Epidemiologic Catchment Area study, a prospective cohort study that gathered data over four time points. This study examined data gathered in 1993–1996 (N=1,920) and 2004–2005 (N=1,071). The study examined indicators of social network and social support in relation to four types of service use (general medical, mental health within general medical, specialty psychiatric, and other human services) with multivariate logistic regression. Examples of other human services include a selfhelp group or crisis center for help with any psychological problem. Weighted generalized estimating equations were used for the analyses. Results: Among persons with major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, or alcohol use disorder in the past year or psychological distress in the past few weeks, general medical service use was reduced when the frequency of contact with relatives or friends occurred less than daily, but it was increased by about 40% when there was a higher than median level of spousal support. In contrast, receiving general medical services for mental health problems was reduced by about 50% when there was a higher than median level of social support from relatives. Specialty psychiatric service use was reduced when there was regular contact with six or more relatives and there was a higher than median level of social support from friends and relatives. None of the social network or social support measures were significantly (p≤.01) associated with use of other human services. Conclusions: Increased contact with the social network and higher levels of social support were associated with greater use of general medical services. However, more social support was associated with use of fewer services within the specialty psychiatric sector. (Psychiatric Services 60:1222–1229, 2009)
Influence of dietary zinc on cataracts in rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri)

The purpose of this study was to determine the cause of lens cataracts in hatchery trout fed diets containing white fish meal. After preliminary investigations, three experiments were conducted with fry of rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) that were fed practical-type diets containing either 40% herring meal (control diet) or 40% white fish meal with and without various mineral supplements. In all experiments, the trout fed herring meal grew well and had normal lenses. Those fed the diet containing white fish meal without supplement grew slowly and developed bilateral cataracts determined by using a slit-lamp biomicroscope. The severity of cataracts was increased by supplementing the diet with a mixture of minerals (phosphates and carbonates of calcium, sodium and potassium). Cataracts were prevented, however, with supplemental Na2EDTA or zinc but not by supplements of manganese, copper, iron or various other minerals. The metabolic alterations responsible for the zinc-deficiency cataract were not determined.
Are exposure to cytomegalovirus and genetic variation on chromosome 6p joint risk factors for schizophrenia

Background. Published data support genetic variants, as well as certain infectious agents, as potential risk factors for schizophrenia. Less is known about interactions between the risk factors.Aim. To evaluate exposure to infectious agents and host genetic variation as joint risk factors.Methods. We investigated four infectious agents: cytomegalovirus (CMV), herpes simplex viruses 1 and 2 (HSV1, HSV2), and Toxoplasma gondii (TOX). We initially compared exposure using specific serum antibodies, among simplex and multiplex nuclear families (one or more than one affected offspring, respectively). If interactions between infectious agents and host genetic variation are important risk factors for schizophrenia, we reasoned that they would be more prominent among multiplex versus simplex families. We also evaluated the role of variation at chromosome 6p21‐p23 in conjunction with exposure. We used 22 short tandem repeat polymorphisms (STRPs) dispersed across this region.Results. Though exposure to all four agen...
Blocking activity of non-cytotoxic F (ab')2 tumor cell antibody fragments.

SummaryImmune guinea pig gamma2-globulin is cytotoxic in vitro for tumor cells in the presence of guinea pig complement. F(ab')2 antibody fragments, prepared by pepsin degradation of the gamma2-globulin, are not cytotoxic. Preincubation of tumor cells with F(ab')2 fragments blocks the cytotoxic activity of gamma2-globulin in high F(ab')2/globulin ratios. The implication of these findings for immunologic enhancement of tumors is discussed.
Rickettsia Africae, a Tick‐borne Pathogen in Travelers to Sub‐Saharan Africa

A 31 year-old female presented with fever, arthralgias and myalgia ten days after returning from Zimbabwe. On physical exam she had scattered small, pink papules over the lower abdomen and two hemorrhagic pustules with central necrosis (eschars) on her left leg and left buttock. There was inquinal lymphadenopathy with no splenomegaly or hepatomegaly. A punch biopsy was performed which showed necrotizing vasculitis with ulceration of overlying epidermis and papillary dermis. Immunohistochemical studies performed at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention were positive for spotted group Rickettsiae. Treatment with doxycycline 200 mg/d for two weeks resulted in complete recovery. The clinical and histopathologic findings were consistent with Tick Bite Fever caused by Rickettsia africae.
Suicide Prevention in Young Adults (Age 18–30)

The rate of suicide in young adults has more than doubled since 1950. This paper presents some explanations for this rise and analyzes the diagnoses and population groups whose high rates of suicide contribute most of this increase. The factors leading to suicide are presented for each group, and preventative interventions are developed from the analyses. Groups that can be readily affected by suicide reduction measures are discussed, and methods for reducing their suicide rates are proposed.
Impact of dopant profiles on the end of range defects for low energy germanium preamorphized silicon

As the industry continues to aggressively scale CMOS technology, the shift to lower energy ion implantation becomes essential. The consequent shallower amorphous layers result in dopant profiles that are in closer proximity to the end of range (EOR) damage and therefore a better understanding of the interaction between the dopant atoms and the EOR is required. A study is conducted on the influence of dopant profiles on the behavior of the EOR defects. Czochralski-grown silicon wafers are preamorphized with 1 × 10 15 cm −2 , 10 keV Ge + ions and subsequently implanted with 1 × 10 15 cm −2 ,1 keV B + ions. A sequence of rapid thermal and furnace anneals are performed at 750 ◦ C under a nitrogen ambient for periods of 1 s up to 6 h. Plan view transmission electron microscopy (PTEM) reveals a significant difference in the defect evolution for samples with and without boron, suggesting that the boron influences the evolution of the EOR defects. The extended defects observed for samples which contain boron appear as dot-like defects which are unstable and dissolve after very short anneal times. The defect evolution however, in samples without boron follows an Oswald ripening behavior and form { 311 }-type defects and dislocation loops. Hall effect measurements denote a high initial activation and subsequent deactivation of the dopant atoms which is characteristic of the formation of boron interstitial clusters. Diffusion analyses via secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) support this theory. © 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.