cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modeling studies of mountain-scale radionuclide transport in the unsaturated zone at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

We investigate radionuclide transport from a high-level nuclear waste repository to be situated in the unsaturated zone (UZ) at Yucca Mountain (YM), Nevada. Several radioactive solutes (that cover the range of sorption behavior) and colloids of various sizes are studied. The results of the study indicate the importance of the subsurface geology and site hydrology, i.e., the presence of faults (they dominate and control transport), fractures (the main migration pathways), and the relative distribution of zeolitic and vitric tuffs. The effects of the climatic conditions, diffusion, and sorption (for solutes) or infiltration (for colloids) onto the matrix are discussed. The influence of the colloid size on transport is also investigated.
Predicting Assembly Dimensions with Functional Build: A Case Study Using DOE

When using the functional build approach to manufacturing validation during new product development, manufacturers use preproduction assemblies to evaluate whether components within an assembly may build dimensionally correct products. This approach allows some individual component characteristics to not meet their original design specifications, provided the resultant assembly meets its requirements. In applying this functional build methodology, manufacturers assume that the preproduction assemblies provide data representative of what the manufacturer will encounter in the regular production process. This paper evaluates the predictive validity of the functional build approach by utilizing a design of experiment to examine the effect of two factors—build fixture and method of attachment—in constructing functional build preproduction assemblies of stamped sheet metal components. The results confirm the importance of using assembly fixtures that closely resemble regular production processing.
A QUANTITATIVE STUDY OF SYNAPSES ON MOTOR NEURON DENDRITIC GROWTH CONES IN DEVELOPING MOUSE SPINAL CORD

The proportion of synaptic contacts occurring on dendrites as well as on dendritic growth cones and filopodia was determined from electron micrographs of developing mouse (C57BL/6J) spinal cord. Comparable areas of the marginal zone adjacent to the lateral motor nucleus were sampled from specimens on the 13th–16th days of embryonic development (E13–E16). At the beginning of this period, synapses upon growth cones and filopodia comprise about 80% of the observed synaptic junctions, but this proportion decreases with developmental time so that in E16 specimens growth cone synapses account for slightly less than 30% of the synaptic population. Conversely, at E13, synapses upon dendrites comprise less than 20% of the total number of synapses, but increase with developmental time so that they account for about 65% of the synaptic population of E16 specimens. From these data, we suggest the following temporal sequence for the formation of synaptic junctions on motor neuron dendrites growing into the marginal zone. New synapses are initially made upon the filopodia of dendritic growth cones. A synaptically contacted filopodium expands to become a growth cone while the original growth cone begins to differentiate into a dendrite. This process is repeated as the dendrite grows farther into the marginal zone so that synapses originally made with filopodia come to be located upon dendrites. This speculation is briefly discussed in relation to the work and ideas of others concerning synaptogenesis and dendritic development.
Composition of the Top Management Team and Firm International Diversification

This study investigates the impact of various top management team characteristics on firm international diversification. Relying on data from 126 firms in the electronics industry, we find that certain top management team characteristics are related to international expansion. Specifically, results indicate that lower average age, higher average tenure, higher average elite education, higher average international experience, and higher tenure heterogeneity are associated with firm international diversification. The study reinforces the importance of top management team composition in internationalization decisions and suggests further research in this context.
Inflow Can Be Enough: A Limited Approach to Revascularization in Critical Limb Ischemia

Objectives: Traditionally, in-line vascular reconstruction is held as the gold standard for the treatment of critical limb ischemia (CLI). However, there is a paucity of data regarding treatment of inflow alone to resolve rest pain or heal tissue loss. Thepurposeof this studywas todetermine theoutcomesofpatients with CLI who underwent an inflow-only approach to revascularization as their initial treatment of CLI. Methods: All patients undergoing femoral endarterectomy with or without endovascular treatment were reviewed. Patients were included for analysis if they had CLI defined by rest pain or tissue loss and did not present acutely. Exclusion criteria were prior vascular surgical interventions, concomitant distal bypass, and claudication as an indication. Preoperative imaging was reviewed and a runoff score for the whole leg, as well as above-knee and below-knee scores were calculated using the modified Bollinger runoff score. Results: A total of 247 in-flow procedures were identified over a 5-year period, and 65 met criteria. Mean age was 72.4 years; 57% had tissue loss. The average followup was 18 (standard deviation [SD], 17.3) months (range, 0-68 months). There was one 30-day mortality (1.5%).
Fe(III) Periplasm-to-Cytosol Transporters of Gram-Negative Pathogens

Iron acquisition by bacteria is a concept that is embedded in both classical microbiology and contemporary biochemistry. Early work by Warburg (1949) defined the bacterial requirement for iron and allowed Schade and Caroline (Schade 1985) to deduce that the bacteriostatic property of serum could be reversed by the inclusion of iron. This in turn led to the contributions of Neilands and colleagues (1987) toward defining the biology of bacterial, fungal, and plant siderophores; this is a concept that is now accepted as a necessary, but by itself insufficient contributor to the virulence of many bacterial pathogens (Weinberg 1978, 1984). Focused studies on bacterial iron acquisition have set up a dichotomy of iron transport systems for gram-negative pathogens: those that employ a siderophore-mediated mechanism (Neilands 1980, 1981, 1991, 1995; Sawatzki 1987) and those that utilize a mechanism involving transferrin-bound iron (Schryvers and Lee 1989; Williams and Griffiths 1992). The culmination of these studies is a broad literature describing the molecular and biochemical basis for high-affinity iron transport.
Molecular structure of ThBr4(DME)2 (DME = 1,2-dimethoxyethane)

The molecular structure of ThBr4(DME)2 (DME = 1,2-dimethoxyethane), the first structurally characterized thorium complex containing a simple bidentate ether ligand, is described. The eight-coordinate complex presents a distorted dodecahedral geometry, with Th—Br and Th—O bond lengths in the ranges 2.8516(13)–2.8712(13) A and 2.564(8)–2.620(8) A, respectively. ThBr4(DME)2 is monoclinic, space group P21/n, a = 7.672(1), b = 14.581(1), c = 15.847(2) A, β = 102.24(1)°, V = 1732.4(3) A3, and Z = 4.
Magnetic Resonance in the Assessment and Development of Surgical Strategies for Protecting the Brain During Cardiovascular Surgery

Neurological and neuropsychological impairments are important sequelae of cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass, particularly aortic arch surgery requiring circulatory arrest. The nature of the underlying brain injuries remains poorly understood. Hypothermic circulatory arrest is commonly used for brain protection during aortic arch surgery, but the safe duration of this technique is limited. Other techniques used for brain protection have been proposed and used clinically. However, none of the techniques is completely satisfactory. Precise, and preferably quantitative, definition of the localization and nature of the underlying injuries is a precondition for rigorous evaluation of the efficacy of prophylactic measures. Magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy and imaging are unique, non-invasive tools that are amenable to repetitive monitoring of the anatomical, biochemical and physiological status of the brain. The ability of magnetic resonance spectroscopy and imaging to detect physiological and pathological changes in the brain is described. Results of serial experiments studying the biochemical and physiological sequelae of various selective brain perfusion techniques in an in vivo pig model are presented. MR imaging can provide non-invasive information on physiological and pathological changes and MR spectroscopy can follow changes in metabolism and intracellular pH in the brain in various body perfusion situations. The combined information can help understand the nature of underlying brain injuries and develop better surgical strategies for protecting the brain during cardiovascular surgery.
Exact Solution of Quadratic Fermionic Hamiltonians for Arbitrary Boundary Conditions

We present a procedure for exactly diagonalizing finite-range quadratic fermionic Hamiltonians with arbitrary boundary conditions in one of $D$ dimensions, and periodic in the remaining $D\ensuremath{-}1$. The key is a Hamiltonian-dependent separation of the bulk from the boundary. By combining information from the two, we identify a matrix function that fully characterizes the solutions, and may be used to construct an efficiently computable indicator of bulk-boundary correspondence. As an illustration, we show how our approach correctly describes the zero-energy Majorana modes of a time-reversal-invariant $s$-wave two-band superconductor in a Josephson ring configuration, and predicts that a fractional $4\ensuremath{\pi}$-periodic Josephson effect can only be observed in phases hosting an odd number of Majorana pairs per boundary.
Oxygen Evolution Activity and Stability of Ba6Mn5O16, Sr4Mn2CoO9, and Sr6Co5O15: The Influence of Transition Metal Coordination

Several coordination motifs of cobalt and manganese ions were obtained in various transition metal oxides, which enabled different oxidation and spin states. Combined high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) confirmed the presence of coordination environments such as Co2+ in disordered prisms and Co4+/Mn4+ in face-shared octahedra. The influence of cobalt and manganese coordination on the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity and oxide stability in alkaline solution was studied. Under cycling, the surface of perovskites that consists of Co2+ in prisms was amorphized and the activity was similar to that of LaCoO3, which has a stable surface composed of Co3+ in octahedral coordination. These findings highlight the critical role of the electronic structure of transition metal oxides on the OER activity and stability.
A Dynamical State Space Representation and Performance Analysis of a Feedback Controlled Rotary Left Ventricular Assist Device

The Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) is a mechanical device that can assist an ailing natural heart in performing its functions. The latest generation of such devices is a rotary-type pump which is generally much smaller, lighter, and quieter than the conventional pulsatile-type pump. The rotary-type pumps are controlled by varying the rotor (impeller) speed. If the patient is in a health care facility, the pump speed can be adjusted manually by a trained clinician. However, an important challenge facing the increased use of these LVADs, is the desire to allow the patient to return home. The development of an appropriate patient adaptive feedback speed controller for the pump is therefore crucial to meet this challenge. In addition to being able to adapt to changes in the patient’s daily activities by automatically regulating the pump speed, the controller must also be able to prevent the occurrence of suction. In this paper we will discuss the theoretical and practical issues associated with the development of such a controller. As a flrst step, we will present a state-space mathematical model, based on a nonlinear equivalent circuit flow model, which represents the interaction of the pump with the left ventricle of the heart. The associated state space model is a 5-dimensional vector of time varying nonlinear difierential equations. The time variation occurs over 4 consecutive intervals representing the contraction, ejection, relaxation, and fllling phases of the left ventricle. The pump in the model is represented by a nonlinear equation which relates the pump rotational speed and the pump flow to the pressure difierence across the pump. Using this model, we will discuss a gradient based feedback controller which increases the pump speed to meet the patient requirements up to the point where suction may occur. At that point the controller will maintain a constant pump speed keeping the gradient of the minimum pump flow at zero. Simulation results using the model equipped with the feedback controller are presented for two cases representing two levels of patient activities. Performance of the controller for noisy measurements of pump blood flow is also investigated. Our results show that such a feedback controller performs very well and is fairly robust against measurements noise.© 2005 ASME
Enhanced High Temperature Power Controller

This paper describes an implementation strategy used to develop a high temperature power controller. The system is based on using high-temperature (HT) silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology with silicon carbide (SiC) based integrated circuits (ICs) to create an efficient, high-temperature power controller. Two drives were tested with this system, one using normally off JFET switching and the other using MOSFET switching. Normally off JFETs made from SiC were used to drive the output loads. Such circuit designs will improve the efficiency of future smart grid power controllers.
Fixation of distal ulna fractures associated with distal radius fractures using intrafocal pin plate.

Distal radius fractures are often associated with fractures of the distal ulna, most commonly the ulnar styloid. Fractures of the ulnar head and neck can lead to instability and have been associated with distal radius nonunion, distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ) instability, and decreased forearm rotation.1 2 3 When distal radius fractures are associated with fractures of the distal ulna there is increased instability, which can lead to a difficult reduction given the lack of ulnar support, especially in the setting of comminution or osteoporosis. Multiple studies have advised operative fixation of unstable ulna fractures involving the neck or metaphysis.1 3 4 5 Operative fixation of these unstable fractures presents a challenge because of poor bone quality, subarticular location of the fracture, and added operative time. Internal fixation utilizing percutaneous Kirschner wire (K-wire) techniques, locked plates and blade plates, have been used. Percutaneous K-wire techniques offer the advantage of being minimally invasive to the surrounding soft tissues but offer limited stability in comminuted fractures or fractures involving osteoporotic bone. Internal fixation utilizing dorsal plating may cause extensor tendon irritation, and secure fixation may be difficult in the setting of osteoporosis. Only one or two screws can be accommodated in distal fixation of these distal fractures, and those screws must often be unicortical because of the proximity of the DRUJ. Ring reported good results after internal fixation using a condylar blade plate; however, seven of the 24 patients in the series required removal of the plate as a result of soft tissue irritation.5 6 The intrafocal pin plate device has been designed for fixation of distal radius fractures. These plates offer locking technology distally with a curved intramedullary stem proximally (Fig. 1). At our institution, we have found that these plates offer a good alternative for unstable, displaced subcapital fractures of the ulna that occur in conjunction with distal radius fractures. The intrafocal pin plate has a low profile, requires minimal dissection, and provides a fixed angle mechanism. The purpose of this article is to describe our technique for fixation of these difficult fractures utilizing an intrafocal pin plate device (Tornier Inc., Medina, MN). Fig. 1 Intrafocal pin plate, two sizes shown. The distal aspect of the plate provides an ulnar buttress as well as locking screw fixation. The proximal aspect provides multiple points of fixation within the intramedullary canal.
Gemtuzumab ozogamicin (Mylotarg) monotherapy for relapsed AML after hematopoietic stem cell transplant: efficacy and incidence of hepatic veno-occlusive disease

Gemtuzumab ozogamicin (GO) (Mylotarg, CMA-676) is a novel chemotherapeutic agent consisting of an anti-CD33 monoclonal antibody linked to calicheamicin, and is associated with a 30% response rate in patients with CD33-positive acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in first relapse. GO therapy has a 20% incidence of grade 3 or 4 hepatotoxicity, and has recently been associated with hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD). The efficacy and toxicity of GO in patients with AML who have relapsed after hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) is unknown, as this population was largely excluded from phase II studies. We reviewed the outcomes of eight consecutive patients with AML who received GO following relapse after HSCT. Two (25%) had responses to GO. One patient, who had had two previous HSCT and prior hyperbilirubinemia, developed severe VOD and died 14 days after GO therapy. The other seven patients did not meet diagnostic criteria for VOD. We conclude that GO can be safe and effective in patients who relapse following HSCT, but that caution is warranted in patients with multiple risk factors for VOD.
Biosystematics of the Hesperocimex complex Hemiptera-Cimicidae and avian hosts Piciformes Picidae; Passeriformes Hirundinidae

The 3 known species of Hesperocimex List, 1925, are keyed, redescribed, and illustrated, their chromosomal complements are compared, and results of hybridization are reported. H. coloradensis List, 1925, an ectoparasite of woodpeckers and purple martins nesting in cavities in trees, ranges from eastern Colorado to California, Oregon, and British Columbia. The sibling species H. sonorensis Ryckman, 1958, and H. cochimiensis Ryckman and Ueshima, 1963, are associated with purple martins nesting in holes made by woodpeckers in large cacti— H. sonorensis in the Saguaro cacti of Arizona and Sonora, H. cochimiensis in the Cardon cacti of Baja California. H. coloradensis is recognizable by its larger size and paler hue; H. sonorensis differs from both the others in having the male intromittent organ strongly curved at its tip, rather than straight. In certain pairings between H. sonorensis and H. cochimiensis, Pi fecundity was greatly reduced, but the Fi and F2 individuals that reached adulthood were fertile. All other pairings attempted between the various species were either unproductive or yielded, at most, sterile Fi offspring. H. sonorensis has a diploid chromosome count of 42 (20 pairs of autosomes plus XX in females, XY in males), and H. cochimiensis, with only 19 pairs of autosomes, has a diploid count of 40. H. coloradensis departs markedly from both the other species in having a diploid count of 42 in males, 44 in females; both sexes have 19 pairs of autosomes, but the sex chromosomes in males are X1X2X3Y, in females 2X12X22X3
Continuity and change in Germany's treatment of non-Germans.

PIP: This essay criticizes 2 conventional approaches to migrants in Germany. 1 focuses on racism in German history while the 2nd examines the tradition of repressive laws which exploit and dominate foreigners. This essay finds these approaches appropriate until the 1970s. From that point, German governments tend to accept foreigners and develop new programs of integration. The essay concludes with ways future research can uncover new and subtle forms of control and domination; the goal of integration itself may become a form of control. Future research can investigate 1) the extent to which integration is rhetorical rather than substantial, 2) the extent to which policies create restrictive forms of integration, and 3) how integration forces migrants to make choices they might not choose to make, such as the choice forced by the current debate over which group of Moslems should rule Islam in Germany.
Infrastructure assessment with small unmanned aircraft systems

As small unmanned aircraft systems become increasingly affordable, reliable, and formally recognized under federal regulation, they become increasingly attractive as novel platforms for civil applications. This paper details the development and demonstration of both fixed-wing and rotorcraft-based unmanned systems for infrastructure assessment tasks. Tasks such as inspecting pavement condition and vegetation encroachment on roadways, debris and tree coverage on railways, and corrosion on bridges and water towers are considered. Rationale for sensor, vehicle, and ground equipment selections are provided, in addition to developed flight operation procedures for two-man crews. Preliminary imagery results are presented and analyzed, and these results demonstrate that both fixed-wing and rotor-wing small unmanned aircraft systems hold promise in enabling rapid and cost-efficient infrastructure health assessment.
The windblown hand : correction of the complex clasped thumb deformity

The complex clasped thumb deformity associated with a windblown hand requires correction of three distinct deficits: an adduction contracture of the thumb-index web space, a flexion-volar subluxation contracture of the thumb metacarpophalangeal joint, and severe hypoplasia of the superficial thenar muscles. Severe contractures of the thumb web space are best released by an extensive soft-tissue release and skin coverage with a large, dorsal ration-advancement flap. The thumb metacarpophalangeal joint flexion contracture is corrected by an extensive soft-tissue release, often accompanied by metacarpophalangeal joint fusion. An opponensplasty substitutes for the lack of thenar muscle. Correction of all of the deficits is required to achieve good thumb function.
Introduction: Reproducing Englishness

A ruined seat of hereditary authority provides a landscape through which the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge looks to reshape meaning, history, sensibility, and our affective bonds to place. Transformed from Milton’s “‘Most musical, most melancholy’ Bird!,” Coleridge gives us a communicative and inquisitive bird: a “merry Nightingale / That crowds, and hurries, and precipitates / With fast thick warble his delicious notes” (ll. 13 and 43–5). In the grove, night-time becomes a canvas for the imagination, a space to see with different senses. Worship and devotion are brought out of doors and given to wild nature. Coleridge’s speaker’s somewhat polemical stance on the aesthetics of the past nevertheless uses and incorporates the material forms and the discursive products of preceding generations. The poem asks us to re-organize our senses and rethink our associations, to close our eyes so that we can “perchance behold [the nightingales] on the twigs” (l. 65) and to forgo the mannered appropriation of the natural world. That these signature elements of the Romantic revolution lie “hard by” the fragments and ruins of past institutions tells us something, ultimately, about the way that national consciousness and national identity cohere over generations and eras, absorbing discontinuities, and weaving a stable sense of ethnic nationhood out of disparate threads.
Federal Oversight of the Debt Relief Industry: A More Effective Means of Deterring Illegal Debt Settlement Schemes

The revolving debt of American consumers has recently been on the rise. While this growth may be a sign of emergence from the Great Recession, many Americans struggle to manage their debt and often turn to the debt relief industry for help. Debt settlement companies often promise to settle an individual’s debt for pennies on the dollar but end up stringing the individual along and taking what little money they had left without settling their debt. A historical lack of uniformity in state laws and a general lack of scrutiny have allowed these companies wide latitude to act in ways that harm indebted individuals. Some debt settlement companies can be helpful to those searching for a way to overcome seemingly insurmountable debt. However, without proper oversight, many debt settlement companies can and will continue to deceive and abuse cash-strapped individuals.Current penalties for noncompliance with the law are not sufficient to deter deceptive and abusive debt relief schemes. In order to achieve greater deterrence, federal action is needed.Although regulating the debt relief industry has largely been under the purview of individual state governments, the federal government can and should create a more comprehensive federal legislative scheme to regulate the industry and increase penalties for noncompliance.
Simulating Microstructure Evolution of Ultrasonic Welding of Battery Tabs

Abstract Ultrasonic welding offers ability to weld thin layers of malleable metals at low temperature and low power consumption. During ultrasonic welding, intensive material interactions occur due to the severe plastic deformation (SPD) and frictional heat generation, which leads to the microstructural change. Different grain microstructures have been observed after different ultrasonic welding conditions. Theory of the microstructural evolution was for the first time hypothesized as three regimes, namely SPD, dynamic recrystallization (DRX) and grain growth according to the material thermomechanical loading conditions. A novel metallo-thermo-mechanically coupled model was developed to model the temperature-dependent mechanical deformation and microstructural evolution during the ultrasonic spot welding process. The numerical analysis was carried out with a three-dimensional (3D) finite element model using DEFORM 11.0. The material constitutive model considered cyclic plasticity, thermal softening and acoustic softening. Dynamic recrystallization and grain growth kinetics laws were applied to simulate the microstructural evolution under different welding time durations. The simulation results demonstrated that the essential characteristics of the deformation field and microstructure evolution during ultrasonic welding were well captured by the metallo-thermo-mechanically coupled model. The numerical framework developed in this study has been shown to be a powerful tool to optimize the ultrasonic welding process for its mechanical properties and microstructures.
A Novel, Colorimetric Platelet Activation Assay for Diagnosis of Heparin Induced Thrombocytopenia

Abstract Abstract 5127 Washed platelet assays are used in the laboratory diagnosis of Heparin Induced Thrombocytopenia (HIT). Commonly, platelet activation is assessed by qualitative observation of platelet aggregation over time, or by measurement of radiolabeled granule release. This study describes a different washed platelet assay endpoint, using metabolic dye reduction to distinguish platelets that have been activated from those remaining at rest. The indicator reagent (CellTiter 96® AQueous One Solution, Promega Corp., Madison, WI) contains an electron coupling reagent and a tetrazolium compound which is reduced by viable cells into a colored formazan product. Washed platelets metabolize the indicator dye in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. The novel assay we have developed for application to HIT diagnosis is based on the observation that subsequent to activation by HIT-antibody immune-complexes, platelets lose the ability to reduce the dye. Wells containing platelets incubated with HIT antibodies remain light in color in the presence of 0.1 U/ml unfractionated heparin (UFH). In the presence of HIT antibody and 100 U/ml UFH, or when incubated with HIT-negative sera, platelets reduce the reagent to its dark purple product. The performance of this colorimetric assay was compared to the Serotonin Release Assay (SRA) in 17 separate assays, using a total of 145 serum specimens. For SRA, sera were incubated with 14C-serotonin labeled platelets and 0.1 or 100 U/ml UFH. Simultaneously, assays using the same specimens and conditions were conducted with unlabeled platelets prepared from the same donor. Following the incubation period, supernatants of labeled platelets were counted for radioactivity, and unlabeled platelets were exposed to reagent dye for 30–90 minutes at 37°C, then evaluated spectrophotometrically at 490 nm. Specimens positive by SRA cause platelet activation in the presence of 0.1 U/ml UFH, but not in the presence of 100 U/ml UFH. Platelet activation in the SRA has been defined historically as ≥20% serotonin release; however, higher cut-off values are often more specific for clinically relevant antibodies. Metabolic activity of post-incubation platelets is presented as the ratio of the optical density (OD) measured in wells with 0.1 U/ml UFH to the OD of wells with 100 U/ml UFH. HIT-positive specimens are detected by a low OD ratio; negative specimens result in a ratio approaching unity. Table 1 compares results of the SRA and the colorimetric assay. The mean metabolic activity ratio is >0.800 for SRA negative specimens, and decreases progressively as percent serotonin release increases. Using cut-off values of >20% serotonin release and OD ratio of 80% serotonin release and metabolic activity ratio of Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Should We Bring Back the Passenger Pigeon? The Ethics of De-Extinction

AbstractRecent advances in synthetic biology have made it possible to revive extinct species of animals, a process known as ‘de-extinction’. This paper examines two reasons for supporting de-extinction: (1) the potential for de-extinct species to play useful roles in ecosystems; and (2) human valuing of certain de-extinct species. I focus on the particular case of passenger pigeons to argue that the most critical challenge for de-extinction is that it entails significant suffering for sentient individual animals. I also provide reasons to take existence value, or valuing the mere the fact that a species exists, into consideration in debates over de-extinction.
Editor’s Highlight: Collaborative Cross Mouse Population Enables Refinements to Characterization of the Variability in Toxicokinetics of Trichloroethylene and Provides Genetic Evidence for the Role of PPAR Pathway in Its Oxidative Metabolism

Background Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a known carcinogen in humans and rodents. Previous studies of inter-strain variability in TCE metabolism were conducted in multi-strain panels of classical inbred mice with limited genetic diversity to identify gene-environment interactions associated with chemical exposure. Objectives To evaluate inter-strain variability in TCE metabolism and identify genetic determinants that are associated with TCE metabolism and effects using Collaborative Cross (CC), a large panel of genetically diverse strains of mice. Methods We administered a single oral dose of 0, 24, 80, 240, or 800 mg/kg of TCE to mice from 50 CC strains, and collected organs 24 h post-dosing. Levels of trichloroacetic acid (TCA), a major oxidative metabolite of TCE were measured in multiple tissues. Protein expression and activity levels of TCE-metabolizing enzymes were evaluated in the liver. Liver transcript levels of known genes perturbed by TCE exposure were also quantified. Genetic association mapping was performed on the acquired phenotypes. Results TCA levels varied in a dose- and strain-dependent manner in liver, kidney, and serum. The variability in TCA levels among strains did not correlate with expression or activity of a number of enzymes known to be involved in TCE oxidation. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα)-responsive genes were found to be associated with strain-specific differences in TCE metabolism. Conclusions This study shows that CC mouse population is a valuable tool to quantitatively evaluate inter-individual variability in chemical metabolism and to identify genes and pathways that may underpin population differences.
Buckling shape transition of an embedded thin elastic rod after failure of surrounding elastic medium

Abstract When the compressive load to a thin elastic rod embedded in an elastic medium exceeds a threshold, the thin rod buckles into an exponentially decaying short wavelength profile to minimize the total energy of the system. As the compressive load continues to increase, the buckling amplitude increases correspondingly, until the rod/medium interface fractures and the short wavelength buckling profile morphs into a different shape as fracture propagates into the surrounding medium. In this study, such shape transition in the presence of surrounding medium failure is investigated using a combined experimental and theoretical approach. We identify the ansatz that can be used to describe the post-fracture buckling profile, and then develop a forward scheme using the energy principle to predict the buckling profile of the thin rod when fracture happens in the medium. We also develop a backward scheme where we use the post-fracture buckling profile to estimate the buckling profile before fracture of the surrounding medium. Comparison of experimental and theoretical results indicates that the modeling framework can be used to characterize the buckling profile transition of a thin elastic rod embedded in a fractured elastic medium.
The promise of emerging developments and concepts in mesothelioma

The most common form of malignant mesothelioma is that affecting the pleura. Mesothelioma, despite being considered a relatively rare tumor, appears to be more common now reversing previous worldwide predictions of a disease plateau and eventual decreased burden. In fact, the future prevalence of this pleural cancer is predicted to be increasing, raising concerns for a serious burgeoning international public health problem (1). Several industrialized nations are still without country-wide, legislative total bans on the production and use of asbestos such as China, India and the United States.
Memory Search and Retrieval

In order to demonstrate its understanding of an editorial, OpEd must be able to answer questions about the issues addressed in that editorial. Chapter 1 established that question answering in OpEd is characterized in terms of three processes: (1) understanding questions from the perspective of the editorial’s memory representation, or argument graph; (2) retrieving conceptual answers from the argument graph; and (3) generating conceptual answers in natural language. Furthermore, Chapter 1 indicated that question comprehension is performed by the same conceptual parser used for editorial comprehension, and answer generation is performed by a recursive-descent, English generator. This chapter examines the techniques used in the process of retrieving information from conceptual representations of editorials.
A Ratiometric Acoustogenic Probe for in Vivo Imaging of Endogenous Nitric Oxide

Photoacoustic (PA) imaging is an emerging imaging modality that utilizes optical excitation and acoustic detection to enable high resolution at centimeter depths. The development of activatable PA probes can expand the utility of this technology to allow for detection of specific stimuli within live-animal models. Herein, we report the design, development, and evaluation of a series of Acoustogenic Probe(s) for Nitric Oxide (APNO) for the ratiometric, analyte-specific detection of nitric oxide (NO) in vivo. The best probe in the series, APNO-5, rapidly responds to NO to form an N-nitroso product with a concomitant 91 nm hypsochromic shift. This property enables ratiometric PA imaging upon selective irradiation of APNO-5 and the corresponding product, tAPNO-5. Moreover, APNO-5 displays the requisite photophysical characteristics for in vivo PA imaging (e.g., high absorptivity, low quantum yield) as well as high biocompatibility, stability, and selectivity for NO over a variety of biologically relevant anal...
A Metatheory for Cognitive Development (Or "Piaget Is Dead" Revisited).

In 1997, I argued that with the loss of Piaget's theory as an overarching guide, cognitive development had become disjointed and a new metatheory was needed to unify the field. I suggested developmental biology, particularly evolutionary theory, as a candidate. Here, I examine the increasing emphasis of biology in cognitive development research over the past 2 decades. I describe briefly the emergence of evolutionary developmental psychology and examine areas in which proximal and distal biological causation have been particularly influential. I argue that developmental biology will continue to increasingly influence research and theory in cognitive development and that evolutionary theory is well on its way to becoming a metatheory, not just for cognitive development, but for developmental psychology generally.
Imaging and quantitating abrasion damage on transparent substrates using edge light illumination

A system was developed to characterize surface damage on samples subjected to abrasion testing. It is optimized to correlate directly with human visual rankings while providing repeatable quantitation of damage.
Klein on Certainty and Canonical Beliefs

In “Epistemic Compatibilism and Canonical Beliefs” Peter Klein argues that we can’t know much about the world around us, but we can know that most of our ordinary beliefs about the world are true.1 He calls the set of the most obviously true common-sense beliefs about the world around us “the canon”.2 The canon includes beliefs such as that there are tables, there are dogs, and there are trees outside. According to Klein, we can’t know any of the propositions in the canon. About them, skeptics are right. But, contrary to what skeptics assert, we can know a general proposition about these canonical beliefs, namely, that the preponderance of them is true. Let us call this general proposition ‘the meta-proposition’. Thus, on Klein’s view, although we can’t know what we might call “specific facts” about the world, we can know that the meta-proposition is true, i.e., we can know that our general world view is correct.
Spectroscopic Signatures of Floppiness in Molecular Complexes

The challenge of correctly inferring even the qualitative features of the potential energy hypersurface from spectroscopic measurements is heightened dramatically in studies of weakly bound molecular complexes where large amplitude motion is present. This is especially true for data obtained from low temperature, supersonic expansions where Boltzmann distributions limit the range of internally excited states that can be investigated. To stress this point, we present simulated spectra for two model triatomic systems, a “pinwheel” and a “hinge,” with nearly flat potentials that support extremely large amplitude internal rotation and bending, respectively. Even in these highly “floppy” molecular systems, the exact quantum term values can be fitted remarkably well to a standard semirigid, asymmetric top Hamiltonian, but one corresponding to a qualitatively different, vibrationally averaged molecular geometry. These results indicate that simple eigenvalue analysis of jet cooled molecular spectra in the absence of hyperfine resolution may not be sufficiently sensitive to large amplitude angular motion, and that data from a variety of techniques may prove necessary to assess the degree of molecular rigidity.
Mechanism of Oxygen Induced Contraction of Ductus Arteriosus

The ductus arteriosus is a wide muscular artery that connects the aorta and pulmonary artery allowing blood ejected by the right ventricle to by-pass the non-functional pulmonary bed in utero. Shortly after birth, the ductus constricts due to the contraction of its smooth muscle. Numerous investigators (1,2,3,4) have drawn attention to the postnatal increase in arterial oxygen pressure as a stimulus for muscular closure of the ductus arteriosus. Although other agents may act to constrict the vessel in vivo(1,3,5,6,7,8) increased oxygen pressure appears to be the major factor responsible for closure of the ductus at birth. The studies described here represent an attempt to understand the mechanism underlying the constrictor effect of oxygen on this blood vessel. All of the studies have been performed on the ductus arteriosus of the neonatal guinea pig mounted for isometric measurement of force in an organ bath.
Permanently Bound Quarks

The material in these lectures is taken primarily from a paper by K. Johnson (Phys. Rev. £6, 1101 [1972]] and from several papers [in preparation] by CM. Bender, G.S. Guralnik, and J.E. Mandula. Further references to related and background material are given in those papers.
Synthesis, structures and characterization of complexes containing a 2,6-bis(guanidinyl)pyridine ligand on iron(II), cobalt(II), nickel(II), copper(I), copper(II) and zinc(II)

Abstract A new chelating guanidine ligand, 2,6-bis(tbo)pyridine (1, tbo = 1,4,6-triazabicyclooctene), was synthesized from Htbo and 2,6-dibromopyridine and its coordination chemistry with mid- and late-first-row transition metal ions (Fe2+, Co2+, Ni2+, Cu+, Cu2+ and Zn2+) was explored. The complexes [1-Fe(OTf)(MeCN)]OTf, [1-Co(OTf)(MeCN)]OTf, [1-Ni(MeCN)3](OTf)2, [1-Cu]OTf, [1-Cu(OTf)(MeCN)]OTf, and [1-Zn(OTf)2] were structurally characterized by X-ray diffraction. Across this series, 1 exhibits both facial and meridional coordination modes depending on metal ion size. The metal complexes were additionally characterized spectroscopically and electrochemically, revealing 1 as a weaker donor than several related guanidine-containing chelates.
The influence of EDTA Vacutainer blood collection tube on the level of blood interleukin-1 receptor antagonist.

Abstract Background The use of anticoagulants may influence the composition of blood cells and interfere with plasma levels of IL-1ra when unprocessed EDTA blood samples are stored for long periods of time. Methods Blood was drawn into EDTA and heparinized blood collection tubes from 11 HIV-1 negative men participating in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS) and 4 healthy volunteers. The blood was processed according to the experiments detailed in the method and after incubation; supernatants were collected and stored at -70 °C until batch testing using IL-1ra ELISA. Results There was no difference between the levels of IL-1ra in EDTA blood collected into plastic and glass tubes (p = .911). There were significant increases from baseline levels of IL-1ra (p ≤ .05) after 24 h incubation for diluted whole blood and PBMC supernatants but not for granulocytes supernatants. Conclusion EDTA as an anticoagulant influences the blood concentrations of IL-1ra in unprocessed blood. Thus, EDTA blood is not a suitable specimen for measurement of IL-1ra. Other types of anticoagulated blood should be processed within one hour of draw whenever measuring plasma levels of IL-1ra.
Subsecond detection of guanosine using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry.

Guanosine is an important neuromodulator and neuroprotector in the brain and is involved in many pathological conditions, including ischemia and neuroinflammation. Traditional methods to detect guanosine in the brain, like HPLC, offer low limits of detection and are robust; however, subsecond detection is not possible. Here, we present a method for detecting rapid fluctuations of guanosine concentration in real-time using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) at carbon-fiber microelectrodes. The optimized waveform scanned from −0.4 V to 1.3 V and back at a rate of 400 V s−1 and application frequency of 10 Hz. Potential limits were chosen to increase selectivity of guanosine over the structurally similar interferent adenosine. Two oxidation peaks were detected with the optimized waveform: the primary oxidation reaction occurred at 1.3 V and the secondary oxidation at 0.8 V. Guanosine detection was stable over time with a limit of detection of 30 ± 10 nM, which permits its use to monitor low nanomolar fluctuations in the brain. To demonstrate the feasibility of the method for in-tissue detection, guanosine was exogenously applied and detected within live rat brain slices. This paper demonstrates the first characterization of guanosine using FSCV, and will be a valuable method for measuring signaling dynamics during guanosine neuromodulation and protection.
Caffeine inhibits hypoxia-induced nuclear accumulation in HIF-1α and promotes neonatal neuronal survival.

Abstract Apnea of prematurity (AOP) defined as cessation of breathing for 15–20 s, is commonly seen in preterm infants. Caffeine is widely used to treat AOP due to its safety and effectiveness. Caffeine releases respiratory arrest by competing with adenosine for binding to adenosine A1 and A2A receptors (A1R and A2AR). Long before its use in treating AOP, caffeine has been used as a psychostimulant in adult brains. However, the effect of caffeine on developing brains remains unclear. We found that A1R proteins for caffeine binding were expressed in the brains of neonatal rodents and preterm infants (26–27 weeks). Neonatal A1R proteins colocalized with PSD-95, suggesting its synaptic localization. In contrast, our finding on A2R expression in neonatal neurons was restricted to the mRNA level as detected by single cell RT/PCR due to the lack of specific A2AR antibody. Furthermore, caffeine (200 μM) at a dose twice higher than the clinically relevant dose (36–130 μM) had minor or no effects on several basic neuronal functions, such as neurite outgrowth, synapse formation, expression of A1R and transcription of CREB-1 and c-Fos, further supporting the safety of caffeine for clinical use. We found that treatment with CoCl2 (125 μM), a hypoxia mimetic agent, for 24 h triggered neuronal death and nuclear accumulation of HIF-1α in primary neuronal cultures. Subsequent treatment with caffeine at a concentration of 100 μM alleviated CoCl2-induced cell death and prevented nuclear accumulation of HIF-1α. Consistently, caffeine treatment in early postnatal life of neonatal mice (P4-P7) also prevented subsequent hypoxia-induced nuclear increase of HIF-1α. Together, our data support the utility of caffeine in alleviating hypoxia-induced damages in developing neurons.