cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Collective Interactions among Colloidal Particles with pH-Dependent Charges: A Symmetrized Poisson-Boltzmann Approach

Abstract A symmetrized Poisson-Boltzmann equation for a mixture consisting of colloidal particles and a binary electrolyte is employed to examine the interactions among the particles when their charging is due to the dissociation of H + ions. It is shown that the electrostatic energy of the H + ions, which is neglected in the traditional Poisson-Boltzmann approximation, can affect the dissociation of the particles and hence their charge. The particle-particle pair-correlation function shows that under some conditions the electrostatic interactions generate an effective attraction among the particles. This attraction leads to aggregation and the size of the aggregates is evaluated. It is also shown that the electrostatic screening in the colloidal mixture cannot be described by a single Debye length.
PVSS—A photovoltaic system simulation program

Abstract A computer program has been developed to accurately simulate the performance of a photovoltaic system. Sixteen configurations can be simulated, including systems with combinations of battery storage, inverters, d.c.-voltage regulators and maximum power point trackers. Models are presented for system components, and sample runs illustrating various aspects of program performance are described.
Regulation of the Growth Rate of Streptococcus mutans

Streptococcus mutans strain GS-5 was grown under a variety of environmental conditions in order to achieve different balanced growth rates. A range of growth rates could be obtained using limitations in the concentrations of glutamate/glutamine, leucine, or valine. Different balanced growth rates were also obtained when cells were grown in a variety of carbon sources. Using glucose, cellobiose, amygdalin, maltose, mannitol, and galactose, reproducible doubling times were obtained ranging from 61 to 226 min.
LED-based spectrally tunable source for radiometric, photometric, and colorimetric applications

A spectrally tunable light source using a large number of LEDs and an integrating sphere has been designed and is being constructed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The source is designed to have a capability of producing any spectral distribution, mimicking various light sources in the visible region by feedback control of individual LEDs. The output spectral irradiance or radiance of the source will be calibrated by a reference instrument, and the source will be used as a spectroradiometric as well as a photometric and colorimetric standard. A series of simulations have been conducted to predict the performance of the designed tunable source when used for calibration of display colorimeters. The results indicate that the errors can be reduced by an order of magnitude when the tunable source is used to calibrate the colorimeters, compared with measurement errors when the colorimeters are calibrated against Illuminant A. The source can also approximate various CIE daylight illuminants and common lamp spectral distributions for other photometric and colorimetric applications.
Counseling African American Women: Let's Talk About Sex!

In the absence of clear, specific literature, this article provides information about the sexuality of African American women and identifies culturally relevant practices counselors may use to gain...
Intentionality, Morality, and Their Relationship in Human Judgment

This article explores several entanglements between human judgments of intentionality and morality (blame and praise). After proposing a model of people's folk concept of intentionality I discuss three topics. First, considerations of a behavior's intentionality affect people's praise and blame of that behavior, but one study suggests that there may be an asymmetry such that blame is more affected than praise. Second, the concept of intentionality is constitutive of many legal judgments (e.g., of murder vs. manslaughter), and one study illustrates people's subtle considerations of intentionality in making those judgments. Third, controversial recent studies suggest that moral considerations can affect judgments of intentionality, and an asymmetry may exist such that blame affects those judgments more than praise. I report two new studies that may shed light on these recent findings, and I discuss several theoretical models that might account for the impact of moral considerations on intentionality judgments and for the relationship between the two more generally.
Effects of the putative antagonist NCS382 on the behavioral pharmacological actions of gammahydroxybutyrate in mice

Rationale: Gammahydroxybutyrate (GHB) is an endogenous chemical found in the human brain that when administered systemically readily crosses the blood–brain barrier and produces behavioral effects. Some previously reported observations, including reports of specific antagonism by NCS382 (6,7,8,9-tetrahydro-5-[H]-benzocycloheptene-5-ol–4-ylidene acetic acid), support the hypothesis that GHB is a neurotransmitter with its own receptor system. In addition to its uncertain physiological role, the recent interest in GHB has been engendered by its illicit use and abuse. Objectives: To further characterize the behavioral effects of GHB and to evaluate NCS382 for its potential antagonistic effects. Methods: Following the administration of GHB alone and in combination with NCS382, mice were tested in a Functional Observational Battery (FOB) and for their effects on locomotor activity and on schedule-maintained behavior. Additionally, spontaneous and NCS382-precipitated withdrawal in rats chronically treated with GHB was examined. Results: In the FOB, GHB generally produced depressant-like effects that were generally not reversed by NCS382. GHB also dose dependently reduced locomotor activity and rates of operant behavior, which were generally not reversed by co-administrations with NCS382. Neither spontaneous nor NCS382-precipitated signs of physical dependence were observed following chronic GHB administration. Conclusion: GHB dose dependently produced depressant-like effects on learned and unlearned behavior. The putative GHB antagonist NCS382 failed to convincingly antagonize these effects. Physical dependence was not evident following spontaneous withdrawal or NCS382 challenge. Taken together, these results suggest that NCS382's ability to antagonize GHB's effects may be very limited.
The Power of the Denominator: A Proposal for More Comprehensive Modeling of Risk Factors in Ice Hockey Injuries

In the sport of ice hockey, the incidence of injury has been investigated at multiple levels of participation based on collective player exposure, which assumes equal playing time among participants. However, playing time varies enormously between individual players on a given team because of variability in the number and length of shifts. Individual player monitoring, although laborintensive, more accurately identifies risk factors for sustaining injuries. Specific player exposure data are necessary for detailed analysis of factors such as style of play, illegal activities, equipment, player size, and officiating. In addition, prospective, uniform and accurate collection of exposure data may permit meaningful comparison of injury rates between levels of participation in ice hockey and also among different sports. Refinement of data collection tools that determine individual player injury exposure will increase the power of the denominator and facilitate prevention of ice hockey injuries.
When a Patient Commits Suicide: An Empirical Study of Psychoanalytic Clinicians

Twelve psychoanalysts/psychoanalytic psychotherapists who had a patient commit suicide while in treatment, or shortly after leaving treatment, were interviewed to gain a deeper understanding of the effects of patient suicide on the clinician. A phenomenological research interview was used to gather data, and a psychoanalytic lens was used to interpret the data, generating a descriptive account of the experience of having a patient commit suicide. Thematic analysis of the transcripts yielded eight common themes associated with the clinician's subjective experience of having a patient suicide. The eight themes may be broadly grouped into three general structures: I. Traumatic loss and grief; II. Interpersonal relationships; and III. Professional identity concerns.
Studies on the relationship between treatment condition and micronucleus induction in V79 cells exposed to silica and glass fibers

Abstract Studies have been carried out to determine the relationship between treatment condition and frequencies of micronucleated cells (MNC) and multinucleated cells (MTC) in Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts (V79 cells) exposed to dusts and fibers. Cells were treated with Min-U-Sil 5 silica or Owens Corning AAA-10 glass fibers under three different conditions: 24-h exposure (24E), 24-h exposure followed by 24-h post-incubation in fresh medium (24E–24P), and 48-h exposure (48E). Results showed that the frequency of MNC increased in a concentration-related manner in silica-treated V79 cells only under the condition of 24E–24P. The increase in MNC frequency after 24-h exposure was not concentration-related. No significant increase in MNC was detected in cells sampled after 48-h treatment. The frequencies of MTC in the treatment groups were higher than that in the control group. However, the increase was not statistically significant. Compared with silica, glass fibers were more active for MTC and MNC induction on a mass basis. The highest response was also observed under the condition of 24E–24P. These results indicate that 24-h exposure followed by 24-h post-incubation is a suitable treatment condition for the micronucleus assay on mineral dusts and fibers.
Sleep and circadian contributions to adolescent alcohol use disorder

Adolescence is a time of marked changes across sleep, circadian rhythms, brain function, and alcohol use. Starting at puberty, adolescents' endogenous circadian rhythms and preferred sleep times shift later, often leading to a mismatch with the schedules imposed by secondary education. This mismatch induces circadian misalignment and sleep loss, which have been associated with affect dysregulation, increased drug and alcohol use, and other risk-taking behaviors in adolescents and adults. In parallel to developmental changes in sleep, adolescent brains are undergoing structural and functional changes in the circuits subserving the pursuit and processing of rewards. These developmental changes in reward processing likely contribute to the initiation of alcohol use during adolescence. Abundant evidence indicates that sleep and circadian rhythms modulate reward function, suggesting that adolescent sleep and circadian disturbance may contribute to altered reward function, and in turn, alcohol involvement. In this review, we summarize the relevant evidence and propose that these parallel developmental changes in sleep, circadian rhythms, and neural processing of reward interact to increase risk for alcohol use disorder (AUD).
Large-scale phosphoproteomic analysis of membrane proteins in renal proximal and distal tubule

Recent advances in mass spectrometry (MS) have provided means for large-scale phosphoproteomic profiling of specific tissues. Here, we report results from large-scale tandem MS [liquid chromatograp...
Modulation of ovarian ornithine decarboxylase activity during follicular differentiation/maturation

The role of gonadotropins and estrogen on the regulation of ovarian ornithine decarboxylase was studied during follicular differentiation/maturation. In intact immature rats follicular differentiation/maturation was initiated with sequential administration of estrogen and follicle stimulating hormone. Ornithine decarboxylase activity in response to human chorionic gonadotropin was markedly enhanced (2-fold) in rats with preovulatory antral follicles when compared to rats with non-ovulatory follicles. This increase could be attributed to the alteration in the turnover of the enzyme. Following follicle maturation the half life of the human chorionic gonadotropin stimulated ornithine decarboxylase was increased from 18 to 62 min. This increase in half life was associated with differentition of follicles. In the estrogen treated group (which does not induce follicular differentiation), the half life of the enzyme remained unaltered. The regulation of ornithine decarboxylase through the formation of protein inhibitor antizyme induced by diamino hexane, was unaltered during follicular differentiation.
Thymoglobulin dose optimization for induction therapy in high risk kidney transplant recipients.

Background Thymoglobulin (rATG) has become the agent of choice for induction therapy in high immunological risk kidney transplant recipients. However, its optimal dosing in this subgroup has not been studied. Methods To evaluate the effect of total rATG dosing on graft outcomes in such patients, we conducted a retrospective cohort study of 96 adult patients who received repeat transplants (85%) or had panel reactive antibody more than 40% (19%) and were maintained on tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, and steroid. Group 1 (n=33) received less than or equal to 7.5 and group 2 (n=63) received more than 7.5 mg/kg rATG. Graft and patient survival, incidence of acute rejection (AR), and 12-month serum creatinine (SCr) were examined. Results The groups were comparable regarding demographics, donor source, retransplantation, panel reactive antibody, and human leukocyte antigen mismatch. Group 2 had more African Americans (44.4% vs. 21.2%, P=0.03). During the 25.4+/-18.0 months follow-up graft survival was 82.5% and 79.4%, respectively (P=0.54). Three in group 1 and four in group 2 died (P=0.65). The incidence of biopsy proven AR during the first 12-months did not differ between the groups (9.5% vs. 8.8%, respectively, P=0.9). SCr at 12 months was 1.6+/-0.7 in group 1 and 1.8+/-1.0 in group 2 (P=0.3). There was no independent association between rATG dose and graft survival (hazard ratio: 0.85, P=0.79, 95% CI: 0.26-2.7 for group 2 vs. 1) or 1-year SCr (regression coefficient=0.02 for ln(SCr), P=0.3; 95%CI: -0.01 to 0.6). Conclusion Our results suggest that in high risk kidney transplant recipients total rATG doses less than or equal to 7.5 mg/kg are safe and effective in achieving a low rate of AR and graft outcomes comparable to higher doses.
A High-Level Control Language For An Autonomous Land Vehicle

An implicit high-level control language was designed and implemented for describing and controlling the path to be executed by the FMC Autonomous Vehicle. This language is an interpreted command language and runs on a Sun workstation. It takes a list of points describing the robot's global path in either Universal Tansverse Mercator (UTM) or geodetic (latitude, longitude) coordinates. First, the input is interpreted into descriptions of vehicle direction, a sequence of bounded path segments, and advice for road following and other such actions. Then, local sensor data is fused with this global path description and finally translated into mobility commands for vehicle control.
Wired Professional Development: New Librarians Connect Through the Web

ABSTRACT Taking advantage of professional development opportunities is imperative for new academic librarians. Even if not a position requirement, continuing education and professional involvement have the potential to inspire and improve job performance. While online resources should not replace traditional professional development experiences such as conferences, they can certainly provide additional ways to develop skills and expertise. Connecting with other librarians electronically through listservs, virtual conferences, and other online opportunities can make such involvement more accessible for new professionals.
RESIDUAL STRAINS IN PORCINE AND CANINE TRACHEA

Abstract Residual strains exist in canine and porcine tracheas. They are revealed by cutting the trachea first perpendicular to its axis into rings, then radially into sectors. Each sector is characterized by an opening angle which is defined as the angle subtended between two radii joining the middle point of the inner wall to the tips of the inner wall. The trachea being non-axisymmetric, the opening angle depends on the position of the radial cut. The trachea being also nonuniform in the axial direction, the opening angle varies along the length of the trachea. In the dog, the opening angle of the trachea cut at the anterior position (cartilaginous) is about 100° at the larynx; it increases fairly linearly to 180° midway down the trachea; then increases slowly to about 200° at the lower end where the trachea bifurcates into the main bronchi. Dog trachea cut in the posterior (muscular) position have an opening angle of about 50° at the larynx, which increases to about 70° three-quarters of the way down the trachea, then drops to 60° at the lower end. In the pig, the opening angle of the trachea is much smaller, the values at anterior and posterior cuts are similar (without significant difference), and their mean value decreases from about 15° at the laryngeal end to about 5° at the lower end. These species and regional differences are discussed in relation to tracheal geometry and structure. It is shown that one radial cut reduces a tracheal ring of either dog or pig into zero-stress state; and that the opening angle obtained by cutting the ring at one point can be computed from that obtained by cutting at another point if the geometry of the tracheal sector is known at a zero-stress state.
Genetic and physical analysis of the nodD3 region of Rhizobium meliloti

The nodulation (nod) genes of the symbiont Rhizobium meliloti are transcriptionally controlled by protein activators in the nodD gene family. While NodD1 and NodD2 act in concert with small molecular weight inducers provided by the host legume plant, NodD3 is an inducer-independent activator of the nod promoters. We determined the sequence of the nodD3 gene, confirmed the expression of a 35 kDa protein in vitro, and determined the insertion points of five Tn5 insertions in the region of the nodD3 gene. We found the NodD3 amino acid sequence to be markedly diverged from the sequences of NodD1 and NodD2, which were more similar to the inducer-dependent NodD of another species, Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar viciae. The expression of nodD3 is not well understood, but involves at least SyrM, another positive activator related to the LysR-NodD family. One of the phenotypically mutant Tn5 insertions used in genetic studies of NodD3-dependent nod regulation lacks NodD3 protein as determined by Western blots, but another expresses about 50-60% of the wild type level. The location of these Tn5 insertions substantially upstream of the open reading frame for NodD3 suggests importance of relatively distant regulatory sequences for nodD3 expression. An insertion that did not cause a NodD3- phenotype is located in the extreme C-terminus of the protein coding region.
Volterra modeling of digital magnetic saturation recording channels

A Volterra input-output model of a magnetic recording channel that allows the readback signal to be defined precisely in terms of the recorded binary data for situations with significant nonlinear distortion (NLD) is described. An efficient procedure to determine the model characteristics from measurements is introduced. The technique was applied to an experimental channel that has significant nonlinear distortion. A comparison of modeled with measured readback waveforms shows precise agreement. It is concluded that, with Volterra models (VMs), substantially better agreement of modeled and measured waveforms can be achieved compared to that attained with conventional linear techniques. VMs are well suited for the analysis and development of advanced signal-processing techniques that can cope with NLD. Moreover, they can be used to characterize and evaluate head and disk components in terms of the underlying physical effects of the recording process. >
The Impact of Adherence to Pediatric Community-Acquired Pneumonia Guidelines on Clinical Outcomes:

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) accounts for over 150,000 hospitalizations annually in the United States,1 and is one of the most common inpatient diagnoses.2 In children, treatment for CAP is typically presumptive based on epidemiologic data specifying the most common etiologies for each age group. Guidelines from the Infectious Diseases Society of America on management of CAP in children recommend initial empiric therapy of ampicillin or penicillin G for a child who is hospitalized. In addition, the guidelines strongly recommend collection of blood cultures (BCs) in any children requiring hospitalization for presumed moderate to severe bacterial CAP.3 The primary objective of our study was to evaluate how closely we adhere to guidelines on empiric therapy choices for management of pediatric CAP, including how often BCs were obtained and subsequently influenced management. Our secondary objective was to assess whether this management correlated with clinical outcomes.
Studies on Chlamydomonas chloroplast transformation: foreign DNA can be stably maintained in the chromosome.

As shown originally by Boynton and co-workers (Boynton, J.E., Gillham, N.W., Harris, E.H., Hosler, J.P., Johnson, A.M., Jones, A.R., Randolph-Anderson, B.L., Robertson, D., Klein, T.M., Shark, K.B., and Sanford, J.C. [1988]. Science 240, 1534-1538), a nonphotosynthetic, acetate-requiring mutant strain of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii with a 2.5-kilobase pair deletion in the chloroplast Bam 10 restriction fragment region that removes the 3' half of the atpB gene and a portion of one inverted repeat can be transformed to photosynthetic competency following bombardment with microprojectiles coated with wild-type Bam 10 DNA. We have found that assorted other circular plasmids, single-strand DNA circles, or linear, duplex DNA molecules containing the wild-type atpB gene can also complement the same mutant. DNA gel blot hybridization analysis of all such transformants indicates that the complementing DNA has integrated into the chromosome at the atpB locus and suggests that a copy-correction mechanism operating between the inverted repeats maintains sequence identity in this region. Sequences from the intact inverted repeat may be recruited to restore the incomplete copy when exogenous DNA with only a portion of the deleted sequence is introduced. Furthermore, a foreign, unselected-for, chimeric gene flanked by chloroplast DNA sequences can be integrated and maintained stably in the chloroplast chromosome. The bacterial neomycin phosphotransferase structural gene fused to the maize chloroplast promoter for the large subunit gene of ribulose-1,5-biphosphate carboxylase (rbcL) has been integrated into the inverted repeat region of the Bam10 restriction fragment. RNA transcripts that hybridize to the introduced foreign gene have been identified.
Remote RF powering system for MEMS strain sensors

A reliable remote RF powering system is developed for industrial wireless MEMS strain sensing applications. The prototype system is insensitive to mechanical rotation and produces a stable DC voltage of 2.8 V with a 2 mA current supply capability from a 50 MHz RF power source with a power conversion efficiency of 11%. An improved efficiency can be expected with an optimized power transmitter design. The CMOS power converter electronics are fabricated in a 1.5 /spl mu/m CMOS process occupying an area of approximately 1 mm /spl times/ 1 mm. The achieved DC power is adequate for supplying a high-performance wireless MEMS strain sensing system.
Colloid oncotic pressure and total protein changes in horses during anesthesia fluid therapy

According to Starling forces, colloid oncotic pressure COP is an important determinant of fluid distribution between the vascular and extra-vascular space. The influence of common anesthetic management on plasma COP has not been reported in horses. It is necessary to seek this information preliminary to more in depth study of systemically ill horses. In this study we measured direct COP and total plasma protein concentration (TP) changes before and during routine anesthetic management of 12 adult healthy horses presented for elective surgery. Horses were fasted overnight before anesthesia. Xylazine 0.39 ± 0.13 mg kg–1 IV was administered 5–15 minutes prior to anesthetic induction with IV ketamine 1.86 ± 0.29 mg kg–1, diazepam 0.05 ± 0.01 mg kg–1 and guaifenesin 39 ± 11.2 mg kg–1. Anesthesia was maintained with isoflurane as required (1.4 ± 0.2% end tidal). Blood samples were taken before premedication, immediately following induction and every 30 minutes thereafter for 2.5 hours. Direct COP was measured with a colloid osmometer and TP by refractometry. Peri-anesthetic fluid therapy consisted of commercial Lactate Ringer's solution (LRS) at a rate of 11 ml kg–1 hour–1 (total LRS at 2.5 hours was 13.5 ± 2.7 L). Before anesthesia COP and TP was 22.22 mm Hg and 6.9 ± 0.4 g dl–1 respectively. Within 15 minutes of anesthetic induction, COP and TP decreased significantly (19.9 ± 1.9 mm Hg and 6.3 ± 1.9 g dl–1 respectively; p < 0.01). Over the 2.5 hours course of uneventful anesthesia the COP and TP decreased in a linear fashion (for COP R2 = 0.96 and TP R2 = 0.97). The COP and TP were 15 ± 1.3 mm Hg and 5.1 ± 0.2 g dl–1 at 2.5 hours of anesthesia. The Pearson correlation coefficient for COP versus TP was 0.705. In conclusion, the data indicates that COP, like TP decreases over the course of relatively routine anesthetic management of horses.
Process Development for Antibody Purification from Tobacco by Protein A Affinity Chromatography

Tobacco is possibly the most promising plant for plant-made pharmaceuticals, e.g., antibodies, due to its high biomass yields and robust transformation technology. Protein A affinity chromatography is commonly used for antibody purification, however, direct application of tobacco extract to protein A chromatography columns may be problematic due to the nonspecific binding of native tobacco proteins (NTPs). Three different protein A resins, ProSep-vA High Capacity, Ultra, and Ultra Plus, from Millipore were studied for antibody purification from tobacco. Experiments were run with extracts from nontransgenic tobacco and the model antibody, human immunoglobulin G (IgG). The efficiency of the wash buffers to reduce nonspecific binding of NTPs to the resins was evaluated by altering the ionic strength and pH. Considering all factors, Ultra Plus Protein A resin may be the best in antibody purification from tobacco.
Multiplication of certain neurotropic viruses in the rabbit eye following intraocular inoculation.

Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus and Semliki Forest virus readily multiply in the rabbit eye following inoculation into the vitreous. Less than 10 mouse LD50 of LCM virus was sufficient to induce multiplication in the eye, whereas, approximately 1000 LD50 of SFV was required to initiate infection. Both viruses multiplied in the rabbit eye as an inapparent infection. Little or no virus could be recovered from the optic nerves or brains of the rabbits, although virus was present in high titer in the eyes. The animals showed no signs of illness other than a transitory fever. Large amounts of SFV induced a severe iritis followed by corneal opacity. This reaction appeared to be due to "toxic" properties of the virus. No ocular reactions have been observed with LCM virus other than a mild transitory hyperemia. The yield of virus from the eye following inoculation of large amounts of SFV was less than when more dilute inocula were used. Maximum multiplication of both viruses occurred about 48 hours after inoculation into the vitreous. SFV remained in high titer for about 4 days and thereafter could be recovered in variable amounts up to about 5 weeks after inoculation. LCM virus could be recovered in gradually decreasing amounts up to about 3 weeks after inoculation. Serum-neutralizing antibodies appeared in high titer (neutralization index up to 3000) following inoculation of SFV into the rabbit eye. However, only traces of antibody could be detected in extracts of the eyes. SFV was obtained irregularly and in low titer from the aqueous humor following inoculation into either the vitreous or anterior chamber. No significant difference in the virus content of the vitreous, an extract of the retinal cells, and an extract of the whole eye could be detected 48 hours after inoculation of SFV into the vitreous. The Lansing strain of poliomyelitis virus failed to cause any detectable reaction in the rabbit eye and no evidence of multiplication of the virus was obtained in these experiments.
Frequency-dependent first hyperpolarizabilities from linear absorption spectra

The first hyperpolarizabilities (β) of donor–acceptor-substituted push–pull molecules are generally described by a model in which the lowest excited electronic state dominates the optical response. It is shown that within the usual assumptions accompanying this two-state model, β(-2ω; ω, ω) can be expressed in terms of a Kramers–Kronig transform of the linear optical absorption spectrum. The method is applied to p–nitroaniline and several other push–pull chromophores, and results are compared with experimental data where available. Comparison of calculated and measured frequency dispersions is suggested as a purely experimental method, requiring no additional parameters, to test the assumptions of the two-state model.
Multiple free energy minima in systems of confined tethered polymers—toward soft nanomechanical bistable elements

The conformations of a flexible polymer chain end-tethered within a confined geometry can exhibit multiple states separated by a substantial free energy barrier—bistability. It may be possible to exploit this feature to build soft nanomechanical elements actuated by an electric or flow field. The present work uses Brownian dynamics simulations of a coarse-grained model of DNA to examine the characteristics of two types of systems, denoted entropically bistable and competitively bistable. An example of an entropically bistable system is a polymer tethered at a short pore connecting two large open regions. Bistability in this case arises because of the presence of a pair of entropically favorable states, where all the polymer segments are in one or the other open region. An example of a system that may display competitive bistability is a polyelectrolyte chain end-tethered at the mouth of a long pore that opens into a large region. In the absence of an electric field the bulk of the chain resides in the open region. If a sufficiently large field is applied parallel to the pore, the chain resides entirely in the pore. At intermediate field strength, however, simulations predict that the competition between conformational entropy and electrostatic energy can lead to a pair of free energy minima, one where the chain is mostly in the pore and the other where the chain is mostly in the open space. For both of these cases, computation of the potential of mean force yields predictions of free energy barrier heights larger than thermal energy.
Laser Sounder for Active Remote Sensing Measurements of CO 2 Concentrations

We report on progress of our CO2 laser sounder laboratory breadboard system the goal of which is to measure the integrated column abundance of CO2 to better than 1 ppm from low Earth orbit globally, measuring at all latitudes and seasons through day and night. The challenge for an orbiting CO2 instrument is to achieve high precision not high sensitivity. We have made simple yet significant improvements to our active, optical-sensing laser-sounder instrument and real-time data processing that now enables absolute absorption measurements to better than plusmn 0.05% for over 10 hours before re-calibration (equivalent to a 1 ppm precision from orbit). Data from an eight day, 0.8 Km open path comparison test with a LICOR shows excellent agreement.
Recent Evidence from Assyrian Sources for Judaean History from Uzziah to Manasseh

A late eighth-century BCE tomb has been found at the Assyrian city of Kalhu (Nimrud) in northern Iraq, containing the bodies of two Assyrian queens identified from inscribed grave-goods. Their name...
Faecal dry weight and potassium are related to faecal sodium and plasma aldosterone in rats chronically fed on varying amounts of sodium or potassium chlorides.

Recent studies have shown that faecal residue (dry weight) and Na and K increase with increasing levels of dietary fibre, an effect which may be related to unstirred layers that slow absorption and the flow rate of chyme through the gastrointestinal tract. Salts of Na are the primary osmotic components of chyme and influence both retention of fluid in the bowel and transit of fluid from the small to the large intestine. The present study examines the chronic effects of dietary Na and K intake on faecal Na, K and residue excretion. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were given 12-13 g feed/d (control (g/kg): Na 4, K 8.5) for 1 week, followed by a 4-week period where Na or K intake was altered (0.01-3 times control levels). These diets altered chronic (> 1 week) faecal residue excretion and affected Na and K excretion by 8-, 310- and 2100-fold respectively. Low dietary Na reduced faecal Na and residue; K excretion was doubled during week 1, but fell over weeks 2-4 despite a 4-5-fold increase in plasma aldosterone. Chronic high dietary Na increased faecal Na, residue and K despite a 60% decrease in plasma aldosterone. Chronic low dietary K decreased faecal Na, K and residue and plasma aldosterone. Chronic high dietary K did not alter faecal Na and K despite increased faecal residue and a 4-5-fold increase in plasma aldosterone. Faecal water was unchanged by diet, paralleling changes in faecal residue. Analyses of the results provide systematic models of chronic regulation of faecal Na, K and residue excretions. When plasma aldosterone is low ( 1500 ng/l) weekly faecal residue excretion is equal to 2.3 g + 2.6 g/mmol Na, and K excretion is equal to 0.7 mmol/week + 0.55 mmol/mmol Na.
A simulation approach for adapting a production line balancing procedure to a probabilistic environment

Abstract Many of the line balancing procedures at present available have several limiting characteristics. First, they often tend to be based on approaches that encompass deterministic operating parameters when, in fact, realistic production systems have probabilistic operating parameters. Secondly, they are often applicable only to small noncomplex production lines. It is the purpose of this paper to demonstrate how Q-GERT network modelling and simulation can be employed to ascertain the effect of these realistic operating conditions on a line balancing procedure. Once such effects have been determined it will be shown how simulation can be used to adapt the line balancing procedure to realistic operating conditions.
On Extending the Complex FastICA Algorithm to Noncircular Sources

The complex fast independent component analysis (c-FastICA) algorithm is one of the most ubiquitous methods for solving the ICA problems with complex-valued data. In this study, we extend the work of Bingham and Hyvarinen to the more general case of noncircular sources by deriving a new fixed-point algorithm that uses the information in the pseudo-covariance matrix. This modification provides significant improvement in performance when confronted with noncircular sources, specifically with sub-Gaussian noncircular signals such as binary phase-shift keying (BPSK) signals, where c-FastICA fails to achieve separation. We also present a rigorous local stability analysis that we use to quantify the effects of noncircularity on performance. Simulations are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of our method.
The financial feasibility of delivering forest treatment residues to bioenergy facilities over a range of diesel fuel and delivered biomass prices.

Abstract Forest treatments have the potential to produce significant quantities of forest residue biomass, which includes the tops and limbs from merchantable trees and smaller trees removed to meet management objectives. We spatially analyzed the sensitivity of financially feasible biomass volumes for delivery to a bioenergy facility across 16 combinations of delivered biomass and diesel prices for a 515,900 ha area in western Montana. At the lowest delivered biomass price analyzed, $31.52 per oven dried tonne (ODT), 28% of the potential volume was financially feasible at the lowest diesel price, $0.053 L −1 , dropping off to 6% of the volume at the highest diesel price analyzed, $1.32 L −1 . With a 50% increase in delivered biomass price to $47.28 ODT −1 , feasibility increased to 88% at the $0.53 L −1 diesel price, dropping to 36% of the volume at the $1.32 L −1 diesel price. Another 50% increase in delivered biomass price to $63.05 ODT −1 resulted in the feasible volume converging on the total potential volume at the lower diesel prices, and at the highest delivered price, $78.81 ODT −1 , nearly all potentially available biomass is financially feasible even at the highest diesel fuel price analyzed. Haul was almost entirely restricted to paved roads closest to the bioenergy facility at the lowest delivered biomass price. As delivered price increased, feasible volume expanded further into areas accessed by unpaved roads as well as paved roads further from the bioenergy facility. Results show that financial feasibility is much more sensitive to changes in delivered biomass prices than diesel prices.
Starlite figures of merit for tokamak current drive-economic analysis of pulsed and steady state power plants with various engineering and physics performance parameters

The physics efficiency of current drive (/spl gamma//sub B//spl prop/n/sub I0/R/sub 0//P/sub C/D), including the bootstrap effect, needs to exceed certain goals in order to provide economical steady state operation compared to pulsed power plants. The goal for /spl gamma//sub B/ depends not only on engineering performance of the current drive system, but also on normalized beta and the effective safety factor of the achievable MHD equilibrium.
Development and Validation of a High-Throughput Screen for Inhibitors of SARS CoV and Its Application in Screening of a 100,000-Compound Library

The authors have developed a high-throughput screen (HTS) that allows for the identification of potential inhibitors of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS CoV) from large compound libraries. The luminescent-based assay measures the inhibition of SARS CoV-induced cytopathic effect (CPE) in Vero E6 cells. The assay was validated in 96-well plates in a BSL3 containment facility. The assay is sensitive and robust, with Z values > 0.6, signal to background (S/B) > 16, and signal to noise (S/N) > 3. The assay was further validated with 2 different diversity sets of compounds against the SARS CoV. The "hit" rate for both libraries was approximately 0.01%. The validated HTS assay was then employed to screen a 100,000-compound library against SARS CoV. The hit rate for the library in a single-dose format was determined to be approximately 0.8%. Screening of the 3 libraries resulted in the identification of several novel compounds that effectively inhibited the CPE of SARS CoV in vitro-compounds which will serve as excellent lead candidates for further evaluation. At a 10-microM concentration, 3 compounds with selective indexes (SI50) of > 53 were discovered.
Approaches to Multicultural Education in the United States: Some Concepts and Assumptions

Review of the literature on multicultural education within the United States reveals that program proponents have provided no systematic delineation of the views. To promote conceptual clarity and to bring some order to the field's broad scope, the author suggests that extant programs can be organized into four approaches. Analysis stems primarily from the anthropological literature on acculturation, ethnicity, and cultural pluralism. A fifth approach is offered that builds upon anthropological definitions of both education and culture and provides one basis for the evaluation of the other four approaches.
Design of a Magnetic Linear Accelerator (MAGLAC) as Driver for Impact Fusion (IF)

Concept and design of a magnetic linear accelerator to accelerate a 0.1-1.0 gm superconducting solenoid projectile to a velocity exceeding 105 m/s are presented. Such a device could serve as ignitor for inertial confinement fusion. We propose a magnetic linac in which the longitudinal acceleration elements are individually controlled. Transverse and rotational motions are stable. Accelerator and projectile elements are described. We find no obstacle to development of this concept.
Adaptive control of active tilting-pad bearings

A promising mechanical bearing candidate for active operation is the tilting-pad bearing. The active tilting-pad bearing has linear actuators that radially translate each pad/pivot pair. The use of feedback control is determining the actuator forces allows for the automatic, continuous adjustment of the pad position during the operations of the rotating machine. In this paper, we first develop the full-order dynamic model of the active bearing system such that the actuator forces are the control inputs. The hydrodynamic force produced by the lubricant film is modeled as a linear spring-damper with unknown damping and stiffness coefficients. An adaptive feedback controller is designed to asymptotically regulate the rotor displacement, despite the uncertainties in the coefficients of the lubricant force. High-fidelity simulation results show that the proposed adaptive controller significantly improves the bearing performance in comparison to the common passive operation.
Some aspects of plasma copolymerization of acetylene with N2 and/or water

Plasma polymerizations of mixture of acetylene-N2, acetylene-H2O, were investigated by using an electrodeless glow discharge from a 13.5-MHz radiofrequency source. Properties of plasma polymers were examined as functions of mole ratios of N2 and/or H2O to acetylene. The concentration of trapped free radicals and the internal stress in a plasma polymer decreased as the mole ratio of N2 or H2O increased. Water showed the most pronounced effects in those properties at the mole ratio of 0.3. Gas permeabilities increased by the copolymerization of N2 and/or H2O. Surface energies were also investigated by analysis of contact angles of liquids. Copolymerization of N2 caused a remarkable increase in polar contribution of surface energy. Some fundamental aspects of flow-rate pressure relationship of mixed gases are presented.
The Salt Finger Experiments of Jevons (1857) and Rayleigh (1880)

Abstract Over a century before Melvin Stern discovered salt fingers, W. Stanley Jevons performed the first salt finger experiment in an attempt to model cirrus clouds. Remarkably, he seemed to realize that a more rapid diffusion of heat relative to solute played a role in the experiments. However, he oversimplified the physics and incorrectly assumed that the “interfiltration of minute, thread-like streams” was a general result of superposing heavy fluid over light fluid. Interestingly, Lord Rayleigh became aware of these experiments more than two decades later. Here newly discovered evidence is presented that Rayleigh repeated the Jevons experiments at the Cavendish laboratory in Cambridge in April 1880. The results led him to initiate the study of buoyancy effects in fluids by formulating several stability problems for a stratified, but nondiffusive, fluid. He thus discovered the expression for the buoyancy frequency of internal waves and the convective phenomenon now known as the Rayleigh–Taylor instab...
Shift-and-invert parallel spectral transformation eigensolver: Massively parallel performance for density-functional based tight-binding

The Shift-and-invert parallel spectral transformations (SIPs), a computational approach to solve sparse eigenvalue problems, is developed for massively parallel architectures with exceptional parallel scalability and robustness. The capabilities of SIPs are demonstrated by diagonalization of density-functional based tight-binding (DFTB) Hamiltonian and overlap matrices for single-wall metallic carbon nanotubes, diamond nanowires, and bulk diamond crystals. The largest (smallest) example studied is a 128,000 (2000) atom nanotube for which ∼330,000 (∼5600) eigenvalues and eigenfunctions are obtained in ∼190 (∼5) seconds when parallelized over 266,144 (16,384) Blue Gene/Q cores. Weak scaling and strong scaling of SIPs are analyzed and the performance of SIPs is compared with other novel methods. Different matrix ordering methods are investigated to reduce the cost of the factorization step, which dominates the time-to-solution at the strong scaling limit. A parallel implementation of assembling the density matrix from the distributed eigenvectors is demonstrated.
Abstract 301: Decreased Right Ventricular Function in a Novel Model of Pulmonary Insufficiency in Rat

The population of adult patients with right ventricular (RV) dysfunction is increasing due in part to the increasing number of children with corrected congenital heart defects that now survive to adulthood. We have developed a novel model of pulmonary insufficiency (PI) to investigate the time course of right ventricular failure due to volume loading. Methods: PI was created in Sprague-Dawley rats by disrupting the pulmonary valve. After a limited thoracotomy, a custom made hook was inserted through the RV apex into the RV-pulmonary artery annulus and moved back and forth several times to disrupt the valve. After 16-18 weeks, function was assessed by echocardiography (Visualsonics 2100) and RV function was measured using a Langendorff isolated heart system. Results: Evidence of PI was noted by regurgitant flow using color Doppler. There was no difference in RV weight or left ventricular function by echo between the sham and PI groups. Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) was significantly lower in PI compared to sham (2.46±0.19, n=8 vs. 3.16±0.13, n=5, p Conclusions: Disruption of the pulmonary valve in a rat model caused mild to moderate PI. Measures of RV function (TAPSE and DP) were decreased in the PI group. Response to dobutamine was robust in the sham group and diminished in both mild and moderate PI groups. This is a novel model of PI that can be used to investigate the mechanisms of RV failure in response to volume overload.
The Intraoperative Team: Getting the Most Out of Collaborative Care in the Operating Room

As surgery continues to become increasingly complex both technologically and procedurally, effective collaboration among intraoperative team members remains an important way to decrease errors and increase patient care safety. Multiple studies in recent years have shown that communication failure is the central issue in many critical incidents where patients experienced complications that could have been prevented.