cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Investigating the impact of stochastic vehicle arrivals to optimal stop spacing and headway for a feeder bus route

Summary Stop spacing and service frequency (i.e., the inverse of headway) are key elements in transit service planning. The trade-offs between increasing accessibility and reducing travel time, which affect transit system performance, need to be carefully evaluated. The objective of this study is to optimize stop spacing and headway for a feeder bus route, considering the relationship between the variance of inter-arrival time (VIAT), which yields the minimum total cost (including user and operator costs). A solution algorithm, called successive substitution, is adapted to efficiently search for the optimal solutions. In a numerical example, the developed model is applied to planning a feeder bus route in Newark, New Jersey. The results indicate that the optimal stop spacing should be longer that those suggested by previous studies where the impact of VIAT was ignored. Reducing VIAT via certain operational control strategies (i.e., holding/stop-skipping, transit signal priority) may shorten stop spacing and improve accessibility. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A dual‐wavelength radar technique for measuring the turbulent energy dissipation rate ε

We used the ratio of simultaneous observations of radar reflectivity by S- and UHF-band radars together with Hill's model of refractivity fluctuations due to turbulence to infer e, the rate of viscous dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy per unit mass. Observations were made for 25 days from November 13 to December 7, 1995, at 11.4°S, 130.4°E (about 100 km northwest of Darwin, Australia) during the Maritime Continent Thunderstorm Experiment (MCTEX). The 500 m pulse length data covered the height range 872 to 3032 m MSL. The observed distribution of e has a strong diurnal variation, with mean daytime and nighttime values of e of the order of 10−3 and 10−5 m²s−3, respectively. With the dual-wavelength technique most non-turbulent echoes (including particulate echoes) are identified and filtered out, since the ensemble of turbulent observations is identified by its conformity to Hill's model. The technique is self-calibrating, requiring only the relative calibration of the two radars using observations during rain, and does not require precise absolute calibration of either radar.
Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition reduces food intake and weight gain and improves glucose tolerance in melanocortin-4 receptor deficient female rats.

Abstract Functional loss of melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) activity leads to hyperphagia and an obese, glucose intolerant phenotype. We have previously established that inhibition of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) reduces food intake, body weight and glucose homeostasis in diet-induced obesity. The current study assessed the effect of ACE inhibitor treatment in MC4R-deficient female rats on body weight, adiposity and glucose tolerance. Rats homozygous (HOM) for a loss of function Mc4r mutation had an obese phenotype relative to their wildtype (WT) littermates. Inhibition of ACE for 8 weeks produced reductions in body weight gain in both HOM and WT rats; however, food intake was only reduced in HOM rats. Weight loss following ACE inhibitor treatment was specific to fat mass while lean mass was unaffected. HOM rats were severely glucose intolerant and insensitive to exogenous insulin injection, and treatment with an ACE inhibitor improved both glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in HOM rats although not fully to that of the level of WT rats. The current study indicates that HOM rats are sensitive to the anorectic effects of ACE inhibition, unlike their WT littermates. This resulted in a more rapid reduction in body weight gain and a more substantial loss of adipose mass in HOM animals, relative to WT animals, treated with an ACE inhibitor. Overall, these data demonstrate that MC4R signaling is not required for weight loss following treatment with an ACE inhibitor.
Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase activity prevents signaling pathways for cell cycle arrest after DNA methylating agent exposure

Mouse fibroblasts, deficient in DNA polymerase β, are hypersensitive to monofunctional DNA methylating agents such as methyl methanesulfonate (MMS). Both wild-type and, in particular, repair-deficient DNA polymerase β null cells are highly sensitized to the cytotoxic effects of MMS by 4-amino-1,8-naphthalimide (4-AN), an inhibitor of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) activity. Experiments with synchronized cells suggest that exposure during S-phase of the cell cycle is required for the 4-AN effect. 4-AN elicits a similar extreme sensitization to the thymidine analog, 5-hydroxymethyl-2′-deoxyuridine, implicating the requirement for an intermediate of DNA repair. In PARP-1-expressing fibroblasts treated with a combination of MMS and 4-AN, a complete inhibition of DNA synthesis is apparent after 4 h, and by 24 h, all cells are arrested in S-phase of the cell cycle. Continuous incubation with 4-AN is required to maintain the cell cycle arrest. Caffeine, an inhibitor of the upstream checkpoint kinases ATM (ataxia telangiectasia-mutated) and ATR (ATM and Rad3-related), has no effect on the early inhibition of DNA synthesis, but cells are no longer able to maintain the block after 8 h. Instead, the addition of caffeine leads to arrest of cells in G2/M rather than S-phase after 24 h. Analysis of signaling pathways in cell extracts reveals an activation of Chk1 after treatment with MMS and 4-AN, which can be suppressed by caffeine. Our results suggest that inhibition of PARP activity results in sensitization to MMS through maintenance of an ATR and Chk1-dependent S-phase checkpoint.
Diagnosing duplications – can it be done?

New genes arise through duplication and modification of DNA sequences on a range of scales: single gene duplication, duplication of large chromosomal fragments and whole-genome duplication. Each duplication mechanism has specific characteristics that influence the fate of the resulting duplicates, such as the size of the duplicated fragment, the potential for dosage imbalance, the preservation or disruption of regulatory control and genomic context. The ability to diagnose or identify the mechanism that produced a pair of paralogs has the potential to increase our ability to reconstruct evolutionary history, to understand the processes that govern genome evolution and to make functional predictions based on paralogy. The recent availability of large amounts of whole-genome sequence, often from several closely related species, has stimulated a wealth of new computational methods to diagnose gene duplications.
Synthesis of a hemin with structurally equivalent propionic acid side chains: 2,4-dimethyldeuterohemin IX dimethyl ester.

Recent investigations concerning the structure of metalloporphyrin complexes and the nature of their interaction with proteins, for example [ I] have emphasized the need for a simple symmetrical porphyrin, closely related to protoporphyrin, to. which either one or two Iigand bearing groups may be covalently attached. The familiar derivatives of protoporphyrin IX are unsuitable because the propionic acid groups, by which ligands are most conveniently attached by ester or amide linkage, are nonequivalent. Therefore synthetic derivatives having two different groups on the propionic acid side chains are composed of two structural isomen which cannot be easily separated_ The presence of the two isomers was thought to be responsibIe, at least in part, for difficulties we have encountered in obtaining crystalline protoheme derivatives suitable for X-ray crystallography. In order to eliminate this problem, we developed an improved synthesis for 2.4-dimethyIdeuteroporphyrin IX dimethyl ester (I). Fischer and Jordan 121 first synthesized this compound starting from substituted pyrroles, a tedious procedure for any laboratory not already possessing the requisite pyrrole derivatives. A more convenient route, starting with protoporphyrin dimethyl ester is shown in Eq. (1). Porphyrin I also has been synthesized in low yield by Chang [ 31 starting from deuterohemin. Protorporphyrin IX dimethyl ester (II) was first oxidized with osmium tetroxide to the bis-glycol (III) and subseqtiently with sodium periodate to 2,Pdiformyldeuteroporphyrin IX dimethyl ester (IV) as described by Sparatore and Mauzerall 141. Compound III was purified by column chromatography in chloroform methanol on silica gel (yield, 69%). Compound IV crystallized from the reaction mixture (yield, 80%) and was not further purified since only one component was evident on thin layer chromatography, its visible spectrum was identical to that reported 143 and it was found to slowly decompose on standing
Flow boiling of FC-72 from a screen laminate extended surface matrix

An investigation is conducted to assess the thermal performance of multi-layered screen laminates when used as porous extended surface matrices (ESMs) in vertical up flow boiling. A dielectric coolant (FC-72) is used as the working fluid. Four specimens are constructed having different mesh-geometries and/or number of layers. Channel Reynolds numbers are varied from 2700 to 8500 and ESM base superheats are varied from 0 to 40^oC. Results indicate that devices equipped with this technology can tolerate steady heat fluxes in excess of 100W/cm^2 (based on the base cross section area of the ESM) with corresponding ESM base superheats below 30^oC. Thermal performance (the increase in heat flux at a given superheat) increases by as much as 30% for a 3-fold increase in Reynolds number. The total capacity of the ESM (the product of heat flux and base cross section area) increases approximately linearly with ESM thickness. A feature of this technology is that it greatly extends the heat flux working range over an unenhanced surface.
Thermistor Recording of Forehead Skin Temperature as an Index of Carotid Artery Disease

Skin temperatures were recorded from the medial upper orbital area and above the nasal, mid and lateral portions of the brows in normal subjects and in patients with suspected cerebrovascular disease. Temperatures were reduced across the brow in patients with external carotid artery disease. Temperatures were lower than normal in the orbit in patients with internal carotid artery disease except when the internal carotid circulation was severely compromised. In such patients the supraorbital temperature was higher than normal, suggesting significant reversed flow via the supraorbital artery. With internal carotid occlusion, lateral brow temperatures suggested increases in external carotid flow. The interpretation of results was more reliable when temperatures were compared to normal values than when they were judged as differences between the two sides as is done in thermography.
Modeling the PDF for the irradiance of an uplink beam in the presence of beam wander

ABSTRACT Recent studies of ground-to-space beam propagation have revealed significant departures from Rytov theory when the beam diameter w 0 is on the order of the atmospheric coherence width r 0 . It has been shown that such departures from Rytov theory are primarily a consequence of beam wander and other low-order aberrations. In this paper we discuss modeling of the probability density function (PDF) for uplink beams. In particular, we show how the PDF transitions from lognormal statistics when w 0 /r 0 > 1 . The most interesting regime is the transition region near w 0 /r 0 = 1 , where the statistical behavior of tracked and untracked beams differs significantly. Keywords: atmospheric turbulence, beamwave propagation, scintillation, scintillation statistics 1. INTRODUCTION Scintillation effects due to electromagnetic wave propagation through an inhomogeneous medium are generally treated as a weak perturbation of the vacuum solution to Maxwell's electromagnetic field equations. When this approach is combined with a statistical description of turbulence-induced refractive index fluctuations, one can accurately model the behavior of far-field irradiance fluctuations when the path-integrated wavefront distortion is small compared to the optical wavelength. Although many investigators have also applied this analytical approach to strong turbulence conditions, the results of this study demonstrate that better descriptions of the scintillation phenomenon result when the propagation expressions are modified to permit a wider range of validity. The need for a non-traditional description of optical scintillation is immediately apparent to anyone who has carefully studied beam images generated by numerical simulations or experiments in which laser beams are propagated through an atmospheric channel. The structural evolution of the short-exposure beam profile is dramatic as the strength of the field perturbations increases; therefore, no single description adequately characterizes the entire range of behavior. This article identifies three distinct performance regimes, and derives separate statistical models for each. This work was sponsored by the Department of the Air Force under Air Force Contract FA8721-05-C-0002. Opinions, interpretations, conclusions, and other recommendations are those of the authors and are not n ecessarily endorsed by the United States Government. _______________________________
Real-Time scheduling techniques for implementation synthesis from component-based software models

We consider a class of component-based software models with interaction style of buffered asynchronous message passing between components with ports, represented by UML-RT. After building a logical software model, it is necessary to synthesize a multi-threaded implementation that runs on a given target hardware platform and satisfies timing constraints. Commercial code generators generate functional code, but ignore concurrency and timing issues. In this paper, we compare alternative multi-threading strategies for implementation synthesis from this class of software models, and describe real-time scheduling analysis techniques that are useful during design space exploration for implementation synthesis. We use the elevator control application to illustrate our analysis techniques.
A short-chain acyl-CoA: 1-alkyl-2-acyl-sn-glycerol acyltransferase from a microsomal fraction of the rabbit harderian gland

The 3-position of the alkyldiacylglycerols from the pink portion of the rabbit harderian gland is occupied exclusively by isovaleric acid. We describe a microsomal 1-alkyl-2-acyl-sn-glycerol acyltransferase from this gland which specifically incorporates short-chain acyl-CoA's into the 3-position of alkylacyl-glycerols. The enzyme is most active in the presence of CoA esters with chain lengths similar to isovaleric acid and is inactive in the presence of acetyl CoA and long-chain acyl-CoA's. No evidence was found for an enzyme that would transfer long-chain acyl-CoA's to the same substrate. The specificity of this acyltransferase can account for the exclusion of long-chain acyl moieties from the 3-position of the alkyldiacylglycerols in the harderian gland of rabbits.
Coinhibition of viral interferon induction by benzo[a]pyrene in association with occupation-related particles

Benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) in combination with coal, asbestos, or metal particles was studied for its inhibitory effects on interferon-alpha/beta induction by influenza virus in rhesus monkey kidney (LLC-MK2) cell monolayers. B[a]P per se had no adverse effect on the induction process. However, when cell cultures were pretreated with B[a]P that was bioactivated by rat liver S9 homogenate, from 52 to 65% inhibition of interferon induction occurred. Significantly greater (P less than 0.05) depression (coinhibition) of viral interferon induction (greater than 83%) resulted when bioactivated B[a]P was incorporated with coal particles representative of coal rank (anthracite, bituminous, lignite, peat). Coinhibition affected by bioactivated B[a]P was coal rank-independent but any interferon inhibitory activity affected by coal particles per se was coal rank-dependent. When metals (aluminum, aluminum oxide, ferric oxide, nickel, or chromium) or asbestos fibers (chrysotile, crocidolite, anthophyllite, or amosite) were individually mixed with bioactivated B[a]P, coinhibition of cellular interferon synthesis also resulted which was significantly greater (P less than 0.05) than that manifested by bioactivated B[a]P or particles per se. Coinhibition of interferon induction by silicates (Min-U-Sil, DQ-12, hypersthene, or wollastonite) and the bioactivated hydrocarbon was not in evidence although some silicates alone partially inhibited the induction process. Viral interferon induction was inhibited in a dose-response manner by B[a]P (+/- S9) in combination with selected particles. The adsorption of B[a]P to all types of particles was no more than 5.98 micrograms B[a]P/mg of particles and, moreover, less than 0.5% by weight. These findings provide further evidence that bioactivated B[a]P and occupation-related particles act together to coinhibit a biological defense mechanism, the interferon induction phase of the interferon system.
Effect of cold storage on calcium-related responses and electrolyte content of rabbit aortic strips

Abstract Rabbit aortic strips stored 4 days at 6°C in Ringer solution had potentiated responses to 10 −9 −10 −8 M norepinephrine. After 24 hr, or 4 days at 6°C in a high calcium Ringer (4.8 mM) responses to all concentrations of norepinephrine were potentiated. Responses of fresh and cold stored aortae were depressed in calcium-free Ringer and by 10 −3 M LaCl 3 . Maximum tension in a 60 mM potassium, calcium-free Ringer was maintained longer by cold stored aortie than by fresh aortae. Rate of tension decline in this solution was the same for both groups of aortae. The ED 50 for calcium-induced responses was increased in the cold-stored aortic strips. Calcium required for norepinephrine responses was greater in the cold-stored aortae. In normal Ringer at 37°C fresh aortae did not respond to increases in calcium. After cold storage, 7 out of 12 aortae developed tension in response to calcium in normal Ringer. After 24 hr or 4 days at 6°C sodium and calcium contents of aortae were increased, potassium decreased. After 2 hr incubation at 37°C of cold-stored aortae, sodium contents were same as that of fresh aortae; calcium was still increased and potassium decreased. These data suggest potentiation after cold storage is due to a depolarization of the muscle membrane and not to an increase in effectiveness of calcium.
Uterine rupture during a failed trial of labor: are there any identifiable risk factors in labor management?

Abstract Objective: To determine risk factors for uterine rupture in women undergoing a trial of labor after previous low-transverse cesarean delivery. Methods: A 10-year retrospective review was performed to identify all patients with uterine rupture attempting vaginal birth after cesarean at our institution (N = 25). For each rupture case, the next failed vaginal birth after cesarean (N = 25) was selected as a control. Maternal age, parity, number of prior cesarean deliveries, and labor management were compared. Student’s t test and χ2 were performed for statistical analysis. Results: Patients were similar with regard to maternal age, parity, number of prior low-transverse cesarean deliveries, and gestational age at time of delivery. Conclusions: In our study, no specific factors in the management of a trial of labor were clearly associated with uterine rupture. Risk factors Rupture Control P value No. of inductions 14/25 (56%) 9/25 (36%) 0.15 Prostaglandin gel 9/25 (36%) 5/25 (20%) 0.20 Maximum dose oxytocin (mU/min) 15/4 ± 8.9 15.2 ± 11.9 0.36 Duration of oxytocin (h) 5.4 ± 2.8 6.9 ± 5.3 0.05 Use of IUPC 9/25 (36%) 15/25 (60%) 0.08
The Potential for Medical Therapy to Reduce the Risk of Colorectal Cancer and Optimize Surveillance in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

It has been proposed that effective disease control through abrogation of inflammation in IBD may also reduce CRC risk in these individual patients. This article summarizes the potential for medical therapy to reduce the risk of CRC via primary and secondary prevention, and offers practical ways in which a goal of mucosal improvement or healing may be incorporated into clinical practice.
Unification of Harper-Dorn and power law creep through consideration of internal stress

Abstract A single relation has been developed to describe the steady state creep behavior of coarse grained polycrystalline metals over a wide range of stress. The range of stress includes low stress Harper-Dorn (H-D) creep, intermediate stress power-law creep, and high stress power-law-breakdown creep. The unified creep relation is based on a diffusion-controlled dislocation creep model incorporating an internal stress which is visualized both to assist and inhibit the motion of dislocations. The internal stress arises from the presence of dislocations within subgrains. An extension of the unified creep relation is made by introduction of a structure dependent term based on the influence of subgrain size on the creep rate. It is proposed that the creep rate in the H-D regime can be decreased by subgrain size refinement and by a decrease in random dislocation density. The unified creep relations are shown to predict accurately the steady state creep rate of aluminum for over four orders of magnitude of stress in the temperature range of 0.21–0.99 T m In addition, good correlations are obtained for analysis of creep data for tin and lead, including the previously anomalous micro-creep tin data of Chalmers.
Determination of deuteron quadrupole moment from calculations of the electric field gradient in D 2 and HD

We have carried out an accurate determination of the quadrupole moment of the deuteron nucleus. The evaluation of the constant is achieved by combining high accuracy Born-Oppenheimer calculations of the electric field gradient at the nucleus in the ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ molecule with spectroscopic measurements of the quadrupolar splitting in ${\mathrm{D}}_{2}$ and HD. The derived value is $Q=0.285783(30$) fm${}^{2}$.
Demersal assemblages in the Irish Sea, St George's Channel and Bristol Channel

Abstract Macro-epibenthic invertebrate and demersal fish assemblages are described from 101 beam trawl stations in the Irish Sea, St George's Channel and Bristol Channel. Cluster analysis was used to identify those stations where catches were similar, in terms of species composition and biomass, and six assemblages were identified. The average similarity within these assemblages ranged from 44 to 58%. Species that were indicative of the differences between the six assemblages were used to describe their biological characteristics. Plaice and dab dominated on fine substrates in inshore waters ( Pleuronectes – Limanda assemblage), whereas sea urchins and sun-stars dominated on the coarser substrates further offshore ( Echinus – Crossaster assemblage). Thickback sole and hermit crabs were typical of the transitional area ( Microchirus– Pagurus assemblage). Norway lobster and witch dominated on the muddy sediments in the Irish Sea ( Nephrops – Glyptocephalus assemblage). Dead man's fingers beds ( Alcyonium assemblage) occurred on coarse substrates in inshore waters throughout the study area, whereas common spider crabs were only dominant in the Bristol Channel ( Maja assemblage). The common starfish ( Asterias rubens ) was an important component of all assemblages. The distribution of these assemblages was primarily correlated with depth, temperature and substrate type. Their spatial distribution was similar to previously described distribution patterns of sediments and infaunal communities in the area.
Studies of higher-order flow harmonics in PbPb collisions at 2.76 TeV with CMS

High-order Fourier harmonics (vn, n>2) in the azimuthal distributions of charged particles produced in PbPb collisions at a nucleon–nucleon center-of-mass energy sNN=2.76TeV are presented. The vn coefficients are studied using the event-plane method and a Fourier decomposition analysis of the two particle correlations in various collision centrality, pT and η ranges. A unique measurement of vn in the ultra-central collisions (UCC) is performed using the long-range component of the two particle correlations. These data provide strong constraints on the theoretical models of the initial condition in heavy ion collisions and the transport properties of the produced medium.
A miniature batteryless health and usage monitoring system based on hybrid energy harvesting

The cost and size of the state-of-the-art health and usage monitoring systems (HUMS) are determined by capacity of on-board energy storage which limits their large scale deployment. In this paper, we present a miniature low-cost mechanical HUMS integrated circuit (IC) based on the concept of hybrid energy harvesting where continuous monitoring is achieved by self-powering, where as the programming, localization and communication with the sensor is achieved using remote RF powering. The self-powered component of the proposed HUMS is based on our previous result which used a controllable hot electron injection on floatinggate transistor as an ultra-low power signal processor. We show that the HUMS IC can seamlessly switch between different energy harvesting modes based on the availability of ambient RF power and that the configuration, programming and communication functions can be remotely performed without physically accessing the HUMS device. All the measured results presented in this paper have been obtained from prototypes fabricated in a 0.5 micron standard CMOS process and the entire system has been successfully integrated on a 1.5cm x 1.5cm package.
Thermo-physical and impact properties of epoxy nanocomposites reinforced by single-wall carbon nanotubes

The thermo-physical properties and the impact strength of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol F (DGEBF) epoxy nanocomposites reinforced with fluorinated single-wall carbon nanotubes (FSWCNT) are reported. A sonication technique was used to disperse FSWCNT in the glassy epoxy network resulting in nanocomposites having large improvement in modulus with extremely small amount of FSWCNT. The glass transition temperature decreased approximately 30 °C with an addition of 0.2 wt% (0.14 vol%) FSWCNT, without adjusting the amount of the anhydride curing agent. This was because of non-stoichiometry of the epoxy matrix that was caused by the fluorine on the single-wall carbon nanotubes. The correct amount of the anhydride curing agent needed to achieve stoichiometry was experimentally examined by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The storage modulus of the epoxy at room temperature (which is below the glass transition temperature of the nanocomposites) increased up to 0.63 GPa with the addition of only 0.30 wt% (0.21 vol%) of FSWCNT, representing an up to 20% improvement compared with the neat epoxy. The Izod impact strength slightly decreased when the amount of FSWCNT was increased to 0.3 wt%. The excellent improvement in the storage modulus was achieved without sacrificing impact strength.
Interfacial Fracture Characterization of Nano-Scale Thin Films Using Single-Strip Stress-Engineered Superlayer

Characterization of interfacial fracture parameters for nano-scale thin films continues to be challenging due to the difficulties associated with preparing samples, fixturing and loading the samples, and extracting and analyzing the experimental data. In this paper, we propose a stress-engineered superlayer test method that can be used to measure the interfacial fracture parameters of nano-scale (as well as micro-scale) thin films without the need for loading fixtures. The proposed test employs the residual stress in sputter-deposited metals to provide the energy for interfacial crack propagation. The innovative aspect of the test is the use of an etchable release layer that is deposited between the two interfacial materials of interest. The release layer is designed such that the available energy for interfacial crack propagation will continue to decrease as the crack propagates, and at the location where the crack ceases to propagate, the available energy for crack propagation will be the critical energy for crack propagation or the interfacial fracture toughness. The proposed test method has been successfully used to characterize Ti thin film on Si substrate.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
The effect of the number of seed variables on the performance of Cooke′s classical model

Abstract In risk analysis, Cooke′s classical model for aggregating expert judgment has been widely used for over 20 years. However, the validity of this model has been the subject of much debate. Critics assert that this model′s scoring rule may unintentionally reward experts who manipulate their quantile estimates in order to receive a greater weight. In addition, the question of the number of seed variables required to ensure adequate performance of Cooke′s classical model remains unanswered. In this study, we conduct a comprehensive examination of the model through an iterative, cross validation test to perform an out-of-sample comparison between Cooke′s classical model and the equal-weight linear opinion pool method on almost all of the expert judgment studies compiled by Cooke and colleagues to date. Our results indicate that Cooke′s classical model significantly outperforms equally weighting expert judgment, regardless of the number of seed variables used; however, there may, in fact, be a maximum number of seed variables beyond which Cooke′s model cannot outperform an equally-weighted panel.
Mercury in eggs and feathers of great egrets (Ardea albus) from the Florida Everglades.

Great egret (Ardea albus) eggs and nestling feathers were collected for total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) analysis from two colonies in the Florida Everglades in 1999 and 2000. THg was present in all eggs at a mean concentration of 0.39 ± 0.19 μg/g fresh weight (n = 33, range = 0.08–0.86 μg/g). Egg-THg levels did not differ significantly between colonies or years. MeHg concentration in eggs was 0.35 ± 0.18 μg/g fresh weight (n = 20, range = 0.05–0.82 μg/g,), and on average represented 85% of the THg found in the egg. Concentration of THg in feathers from egret nestlings, age 11–31 days, ranged from 1.4 to 8.6 μg/g dry weight. Feather-THg levels also did not differ significantly between colonies or years. THg concentrations in feathers, normalized based on bill length, were positively correlated to THg concentrations in eggs from the same clutch. Levels of THg in both eggs and feathers were lower in 1999 and 2000 than values reported for similar samples collected in 1993–95, indicating that MeHg exposure has decreased in the southern Everglades since the mid-1990s. THg levels in eggs and nestling feathers for the period of this study were below levels associated with toxic reproductive effects. Clutch size, fledging success, and brood size observed in this study were consistent for this species in the Everglades. Collectively, these results suggest that MeHg was not adversely affecting the reproductive performance of this population during the study.
Synthesis, Characterization, and Antifouling Potential of Functionalized Copper Nanoparticles

The synthesis, characterization, and antimicrobial properties of functionalized copper nanoparticle/polymer composites are reported. Copper nanoparticles (Cu NPs) are stabilized by surface attachment of the acrylic functionality that can be copolymerized with other acrylic monomers, thus, becoming an integral part of the polymer backbone. Biological experiments show that Cu NP/polymer composites exhibit antimicrobial activity similar to that of conventional copper-based biocides. Atomic absorption spectroscopy shows the smallest amount of copper ions leaching from chemically bound acrylated Cu NPs compared to the nonfunctionalized biocides. These composites have a strong potential for use in antibacterial or marine antifouling coatings.
Hedonic Estimates of Neighborhood Ethnic Preferences

This article uses a new hedonic technique to examine households’ ethnic preferences and help assessors estimate the impact of neighborhood ethnicity on housing prices. A hedonic function, which rel...
Say it with me: Stuttering inhibited

This study examined fluency enhancement in people who stutter via the concomitant presentation of silently mouthed visual speech. Ten adults who stutter recited memorized text while watching another speaker silently mouth linguistically equivalent and linguistically different material. Relative to a control condition, in which no concomitant stimulus was provided, stuttering was reduced by 71% in the linguistically equivalent condition versus only 35% in the linguistically different condition. Despite being an 'incomplete' second speech signal, visual speech possesses the capacity to immediately and substantially enhance fluency when it is linguistically equivalent to the intended utterance. It is suggested that fluency enhancement via concomitantly presented external speech is achieved through the extraction of relevant speech gestures from the external speech signal that compliment the intended production, thereby compensating for possible internal inconsistencies in the matching of speech codes in people who stutter. As visual speech perception relies on fewer redundant cues to demarcate the intended gestures, when used as an external stuttering inhibitor, higher degrees of linguistic equivalence seem to be necessary for optimal stuttering inhibition.
Location of the Maximum on Unimodal Surfaces

Pinning down the maximum of a function in one or more variable is a basic computing problem. Without further a priori information regarding the nature of the function, of course, the problem is not feasible for computation. Thus if the function is permitted to oscillate infinitely often then no number of evaluations can give information regarding its maximum.J. Kiefer, in his paper, treats the one-dimensional problem and shows that the correct a priori assumption regarding the function is that of “unimodality.” He then gives the complete and exact optimal procedure within this framework.In this paper is given what the author believes is the correct a priori background for functions of several variables. (This is analogous to unimodality in one dimension.) However, there is not obtained the exactness of Kiefer's result, but rather the determination of the correct procedures to within “order of magnitude.”
Standard of care--in sickness and in health and in emergencies.

After 9/11, policy analysts speculated that clinicians may be reluctant to provide care during disasters because of fear of medical liability and proposed policies to create different standards of care for emergencies. In the context of the Haitian earthquake, the author argues that redefining the standard of care in disasters is neither necessary nor justified.
Perspective – FcRn transports albumin: relevance to immunology and medicine

Recent evidence validates a forgotten 40-year-old hypothesis: the MHC-related Fc receptor for IgG (FcRn) protects albumin from intracellular catabolic degradation, as it does for IgG, accounting for the uniquely long half-lives of both molecules and explaining their direct concentration–catabolism relationships. Albumin and IgG bind to FcRn at low pH but not at physiological pH. These two ligands bind independently of one another by distinctive mechanisms and to different surfaces of the receptor. Kinetic studies of FcRn-deficient mice indicate that, at steady-state, FcRn salvages from the degradative pathway a similar amount of albumin as is produced by mice and almost four-times more IgG than is produced. Thirty-fivefold more albumin than IgG molecules are protected from degradation by FcRn per unit time. It can be inferred that FcRn is expressed in nearly all cells. This receptor, originally described as transporting IgG from the mother to the fetus or neonate, now has a wider role central to the homeostatic regulation and conservation of both albumin and IgG throughout life.
Natural hybridization between an outcrossing and a selfing Phlox (Polemoniaceae): the maternal species of F1 hybrids

Natural F1 hybrids between the outcrossingPhlox drummondii and the predominantly selfingP. cuspidata were examined to ascertain the proportion of hybrid individuals mothered by each species. Species-specific restriction fragment patterns (both nrDNA and cpDNA) were established as markers, and synthetic hybrids of known parentage were utilized to determine that the chloroplast genome is maternally inherited. Of 89 mature natural hybrids examined, approximately two thirds were mothered byP. drummondii, the outcrosser. That the outcrosser should mother most hybrids is expected since it is dependent upon incoming pollen for fertilization, and hybrids may result when heterospecific pollen is received. The fact that the highly selfingP. cuspidata mothered nearly one third of the hybrids is surprising, and may be related to both pre-zygotic and post-zygotic factors. Which species mothers hybrids has important implications for the potential for introgression as well as its direction.
Determination of submicrometer particle size distributions across a power plant plume

Abstract Submicrometer particle size distributions were spatially resolved across a power plant plume by inversion of the outputs of three continuous particle sensors. Total submicrometer particle surface and volume concentrations closely followed the SO2 profile. Particle concentrations in the nuclei size range 0.008–0.05 μm increased from background values to maxima in the plume edges. Nuclei concentrations were depressed in the plume center in the presence of increased particle surface concentration in the accumulation 0.05–1.0μm size range.
The Laguerre inequalities and the zeros of the Riemann ξ-function

The main result of this article shows that some finite Fourier cosine transform of the Jacobi θ-function, the ‘truncated’ Riemann ξ-function, has at least two non-real zeros. The proof is based on the Laguerre inequality and some high-precision numerical work. Infinite Fourier cosine transforms of kernels related to the Jacobi θ-function are also discussed.
Direct measurements of fluorine atom concentration, gain length and small signal gain in an hydrogen fluoride overtone laser

Experimental techniques have been developed to directly measure the concentration of fluorine atoms, the gain length and the small signal gain in a hydrogen fluoride 5 cm slit nozzle laser. A gas phase titration technique was utilized to measure the fluorine atom concentration using HCl as the titrant. The gain length was measured using a pitot probe to locate the interface of the primary flow with the high Mach number shroud flows. A tunable diode laser was utilized to perform small signal gain measurements on HF overtone (ν=2→0) transitions.
Indolent zygomycosis associated with deferoxamine chelation therapy.

Summary. This paper describes a 7 1-year-old man with myelodysplasia who required multiple transfusions and subsequent deferoxamine chelation therapy and who then developed indolent cutaneous and probable pulmonary infection with Rhizopus species. The patimt did not have rapidly progressive infection as has been described in almost all previously reported deferoxaminetreated patients with zygomycosis. Amphotericin B therapy was successful in curing the infection. Zusamxnenfassung. Es wird der Fall eines 7 1 -jahrigen Mannes mit Myelodysplasie beschrieben, der mehrfach Transfusionen rnit anschlieoender Deferoxamin-Chelat-Therapie erhalten hatte und darauf einen schmerzlosen HautprozeB und wahrscheinlich auch eine Lungeninfektion durch Rhizopus spec. entwickelte. Im Gegensatz zu den bisher bei fast allen Patienten mit Zygomykose nach Deferoxamin-Behandlung beschriebenen Fallen entwickelte sich die Infektion im vorliegenden Fall langsam. Unter Amphotericin B-Therapie heilte die Infektion ab.
Observations at the J user conference: held at the University of Toronto

The Conference Attendees were graciously greeted and registered on Monday morning. Coffee and other goodies were available and the hundred plus attendees quickly fell into spirited conversation. In fact, there always seemed to be snacks or lunch and conversation outside the lecture rooms where Strand had software, books and T-shirts available and demonstration machines were set up. A table was covered with papers from the talks and from some non-presenters. The rooms in the Koffler Institute for Pharmacy Management were comfortable and each contained an overhead and computer demonstration equipment.
3-dimensional forces and molecular dynamics of live cells

The forces exerted by an adherent cell on a substrate were studied previously only in the two-dimensions (2D) tangential to the substrate surface. We used a novel technique to measure the three-dimensional (3D) stresses exerted by live bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs) on polyacrylamide deformable substrate, with particular emphasis on the 3D forces of focal adhesions. On 3D images acquired by confocal microscopy, displacements were determined with imageprocessing programs, and stresses in tangential (XY) and normal (Z) directions were computed by finite element method (FEM). BAECs generated stress in normal direction (Tz) with an order of magnitude comparable to that in tangential direction (Txy). Tz is upward at the cell edge and downward under the nucleus, changing continuously with a sign reversal between cell edge and nucleus edge. With the use of green fluorescent protein (GFP) labeled paxillin, the dynamics of this intracellular molecule were studied concurrently with the measurement of 3D forces. In the dynamic region, including the new lamellapodium forming region in the front and the retracting region in the rear, the tangential forces (Fxy) are correlated with the size of the focal adhesions (FAs) much more strongly than those in the stable region under the nucleus. In the dynamic region, normal force (Fz) was upward and positively correlated with FA size, while Fz in the stable region was downward and negatively correlated with FA size. These findings show the influence of the size of FAs on the 3D forces they exert on the substrate. This technique can be applied to study any adherent type of live cells to assess their biomechanical dynamics in conjunction with biochemical and functional activities, thus elucidating cellular functions in health and disease.
Cryptosporidium: from Molecules to Disease

The protozoan parasite, Cryptosporidium, has recently emerged as a human pathogen. It was unidentified or unrecognized as a cause of illness in humans until 1976. Since then, it has caused gastrointestinal illness around the world. Its small size, low infectious dose, resistance to chlorination, and durability in the environment has made it a uniquely challenging organism for environmental scientists and public health professionals. This book includes full text of abstracts and invited papers from an international conference held in Australia in October 2001. More than 100 scientists from more than 15 countries contributed to the conference. The "from molecules" aspect of the book, which addresses molecular and biochemical features of the life cycle, infection, and detection of Cryptosporidium, gives a complete picture with detailed papers and abstracts of subjects, including pathogenesis and immune response, cell culture methods, detection methods, and molecular taxonomy. The main focus of the book is on descriptions and evaluations of traditional and novel methods to detect and differentiate Cryptosporidium. Papers are also included that describe methods of detecting Cryptosporidium in environmental water samples, detail surveys that determine the occurrence of Cryptosporidium in water supplies, and explain how to acquire laboratory accreditation for testing water samples. The book focuses less on understanding the public health aspects of Cryptosporidium, its epidemiology, and treatment for the illness it causes. Notably absent are descriptions of serologic assays used for detecting Cryptosporidium in surveillance and epidemiologic studies. Recent studies have identified a high seroprevalence in the general population, which indicates that infection may be widespread (1–5). Including examples of quantitative microbial risk assessments would have been useful (6). These assessments are logical extensions of the valuable human infectivity studies described in several papers in the book. The treatment portion presents interesting results of randomized trials of nitroaxanide therapy but is otherwise limited. The organization and grouping of the papers and abstracts were confusing. An introduction and summary for each section to help the reader identify and assimilate the information in an organized manner would have been helpful. Despite these shortcomings, this book assembles and summarizes an impressive array of recent advances in Cryptosporidium research. I recommend this book for laboratory scientists, microbiologists, laboratory technicians, and water-quality professionals. Medical professionals involved with research to detect and differentiate Cryptosporidium will likely find this book useful. Because of the technical nature of the papers and the emphasis on microbiologic methods, the book will be less useful for public health professionals, risk managers, and epidemiologists. Because of the rapid progress of Cryptosporidium research, I recommend using this book as one reference but also conducting a broad search of current literature for new studies or additional advances.
Risk of adverse outcomes associated with blood transfusion after cardiac surgery depends on the amount of transfusion.

Background Blood product transfusion has been known for immunosuppressive effects, and over-transfusion is linked with adverse outcomes. In cardiac surgery, the risk of non-transfusion can be poor postoperative oxygen delivery and hemorrhage. We hypothesized that infectious complications, organ dysfunction, and mortality result after a given threshold of blood product transfusion is exceeded. Methods Retrospectively, a prospectively maintained institutional database was analyzed from April 1, 2004 through December 31, 2006. All patients undergoing coronary artery bypass and/or valve operations were evaluated for bivariate and multivariate associations of blood-product transfusion with postoperative complications and mortality. Additionally, risk factors associated with transfusion were assessed. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves analyses were employed to determine transfusion thresholds associated with complications. Results During the study period, 741 patients met inclusion criteria. Fifty-four percent received postoperative blood-product transfusions. Previous cardiac intervention, renal dysfunction, stroke, and immunosuppression were some of the risks associated with transfusion ( P P Conclusion Bloodless cardiac surgery is associated with a decreased morbidity and mortality. Limiting transfusion is advisable. Transfusion of less than 5.5 units of total blood-products may not have deleterious effects on outcomes.