cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intergenerational Human Capital Spillovers: Indonesia's School Construction and Its Effects on the Next Generation

We analyze the effects of increased access to education in one generation on human capital outcomes in the next generation. Using longitudinal data, we exploit the geographical and cohort variations in exposure to a massive primary school construction program in the 1970s in Indonesia. We show that the school building project increases primary school completion rates among both men and women. We find that children whose mothers were exposed to the school building project score higher on the national primary school examination, suggesting the importance of maternal education in the intergenerational transmission of human capital.
Transport of phenolic compounds from leaf surface of creosotebush and tarbush to soil surface by precipitation.

During the last 100 years, many desert grasslands have been replaced by shrublands. One possible mechanism by which shrubs outcompete grasses is through the release of compounds that interfere with neighboring plants. Our objective was to examine the movement of secondary compounds from the leaf surface of creosotebush and tarbush to surrounding soil surfaces via precipitation. Units consisting of a funnel and bottle were used to collect stemflow, throughfall, and interspace precipitation samples from 20 creosotebush (two morphotypes) and 10 tarbush plants during three summer rainfall events in 1998. Precipitation samples were analyzed for total phenolics (both species) and nordihydroguaiaretic acid (creosotebush only). Phenolics were detected in throughfall and stemflow of both species with stemflow containing greater concentrations than throughfall (0.088 and 0.086 mg/ml for stemflow and 0.022 and 0.014 mg/ml for throughfall in creosotebush morphotypes U and V, respectively; 0.044 and 0.006 mg/ml for tarbush stemflow and throughfall, respectively). Nordihydroguaiaretic acid was not found in any precipitation collections. The results show that phenolic compounds produced by creosotebush and tarbush can be transported to the soil surface by precipitation, but whether concentrations are ecologically significant is uncertain. Nordihydroguaiaretic acid was not present in the runoff from creosotebush.
Comparison of 2D Shear Wave Elastography, Transient Elastography, and MR Elastography for the Diagnosis of Fibrosis in Patients With Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

OBJECTIVE. The aim of the present study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of liver stiffness measurements (LSMs) obtained using MR elastography (MRE), transient elastography (TE), and 2D shear wave elastography (SWE) in patients with biopsy-proven nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). SUBJECTS AND METHODS. We prospectively enrolled 62 adult subjects (mean age [± SD], 50 ± 13 years; 58% women; body mass index [weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters], 35 ± 7). Two-dimensional SWE, MRE, and TE were performed at a mean of 105 ± 86 days after liver biopsy. The area under the ROC curve (AUROC) values and 95% CIs for the corresponding LSMs (expressed in kilopascals) were calculated, with significant fibrosis (Metavir liver fibrosis score, F2-F4) and advanced fibrosis (F3-F4) used as outcome measures. Pairwise comparisons of AUROC values were conducted using the DeLong test. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. RESULTS. For the 62 subjects, valid LSMs were obtained for 57 subjects with the use of 2D SWE, for 59 subjects with TE, for 59 subjects with MRE, and for 54 subjects with all three modalities combined. The AUROC values (95% CIs) of 2D SWE, TE, and MRE for the diagnosis of significant fibrosis were 0.80 (0.67-0.92), 0.77 (0.64-0.89), and 0.85 (0.74-0.95), respectively. The AUROC values (95% CIs) of 2D SWE, TE, and MRE for the diagnosis of advanced fibrosis were 0.89 (0.80-0.98), 0.86 (0.77-0.95), and 0.95 (0.89-1.00), respectively. Pairwise comparisons revealed similar diagnostic accuracy for significant fibrosis (2D SWE vs MRE, p = 0.431; 2D SWE vs TE, p = 0.317; and MRE vs TE, p = 0.052) and advanced fibrosis (2D SWE vs MRE, p = 0.348; 2D SWE vs TE, p = 0.293; and MRE vs TE, p = 0.059). CONCLUSION. For patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD, 2D SWE, MRE and TE exhibited comparable and very good to excellent diagnostic accuracy for advanced fibrosis and comparable but lower accuracy for significant fibrosis.
Measurements of Melt Pool Geometry and Cooling Rates of Individual Laser Traces on IN625 Bare Plates

The complex physical nature of the laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) process warrants use of multiphysics computational simulations to predict or design optimal operating parameters or resultant part qualities such as microstructure or defect concentration. Many of these simulations rely on tuning based on characteristics of the laser-induced melt pool, such as the melt pool geometry (length, width, and depth). Additionally, many of numerous interacting variables that make the LPBF process so complex can be reduced and controlled by performing simple, single-track experiments on bare (no powder) substrates, yet still produce important and applicable physical results. The 2018 Additive Manufacturing Benchmark (AM Bench) tests and measurements were designed for this application. This paper describes the experiment design for the tests conducted using LPBF on bare metal surfaces, and the measurement results for the melt pool geometry and melt pool cooling rate performed on two LPBF systems. Several factors, such as accurate laser spot size, were determined after the 2018 AM Bench conference, with results of those additional tests reported here.
Eating Disorders on College Campuses in the United States: Current Insight on Screening, Prevention, and Treatment

Background Eating disorders are prevalent on college campuses and pose significant risks to student health, well-being, and academic performance. However, few students receive access to evidence-based prevention and treatment. Objective The present review synthesizes the recent literature on ED screening, prevention, and treatment approaches on college campuses in the United States. We provide an overview of ED screening efforts on college campuses, including relevant screening tools, summarize the extant literature on prevention programming, as well psychological and pharmacological treatment approaches, and outline limitations of current programming and provide future directions for research. Conclusion Recent advances in ED screening, prevention, and treatment efforts highlight the importance of early detection and intervention. Innovative approaches to screening and dissemination of evidence-based prevention and treatment programs on college campuses are warranted. Implications for future research are discussed.
Conditional Point Sampling: A stochastic media transport algorithm with full geometric sampling memory

Abstract Current methods for stochastic media transport are either computationally expensive or, by nature, approximate. Moreover, none of the well-developed, benchmarked approximate methods can compute the variance caused by the stochastic mixing, a quantity especially important to safety calculations. Therefore, we derive and apply a new conditional probability function (CPF) for use in the recently developed stochastic media transport algorithm Conditional Point Sampling (CoPS), which 1) leverages the full intra-particle memory of CoPS to yield errorless computation of stochastic media outputs in 1D, binary, Markovian-mixed media, and 2) leverages the full inter-particle memory of CoPS and the recently developed Embedded Variance Deconvolution method to yield computation of the variance in transport outputs caused by stochastic material mixing. Numerical results demonstrate errorless stochastic media transport as compared to reference benchmark solutions with the new CPF for this class of stochastic mixing as well as the ability to compute the variance caused by the stochastic mixing via CoPS. Using previously derived, non-errorless CPFs, CoPS is further found to be more accurate than the atomic mix approximation, Chord Length Sampling (CLS), and most of memory-enhanced versions of CLS surveyed. In addition, we study the compounding behavior of CPF error as a function of cohort size (where a cohort is a group of histories that share intra-particle memory) and recommend that small cohorts be used when computing the variance in transport outputs caused by stochastic mixing.
Effects of Radiation Treatment on Pituitary Gland and Hypothalamus Function.

Purpose/Objective(s) Sinonasal tumors are a rare and aggressive type of head and neck tumor. Radiation therapy is one of the primary treatment modalities for sinonasal malignancies, yet previous studies have shown that radiation to the head and neck region can damage the pituitary gland leading to endocrine dysfunction. The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between radiation dose and endocrine dysfunction in the hypothalamic-pituitary axis in patients undergoing radiation therapy for treatment of sinonasal and skull-based malignancies. Materials/Methods A retrospective chart review examined data from 89 adult patients receiving radiation therapy for sinonasal and skull-based malignancies at an academic institution between 2007 – 2019. Mean and max radiation doses to the hypothalamus and pituitary gland were determined from computed tomography scans. Patients were evaluated for endocrine levels before and after completion of radiotherapy. All patients were evaluated for thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and thyroxine (T4) levels, while a subset of patients (n = 27) were also assessed for adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), cortisol, prolactin, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1), and testosterone levels. Endocrine dysfunction was defined as a new onset of abnormal endocrine levels following radiation therapy. Results The percentage of patients demonstrating post-radiation endocrine dysfunction in each hypothalamic-pituitary axis was as follows: TSH: 50%, T4: 43%, ACTH: 40%, Cortisol: 52%, Prolactin: 31%, IGF1: 11%, Testosterone: 38%. Logistic regression analysis indicated a significant relationship between mean radiation dose to pituitary gland and TSH dysfunction (P = 0.0090), with increased dose correlated with higher rates of TSH dysfunction (Odds ratio: 1.05; 95% confidence interval: 1.01 – 1.09). Similarly, there was a significant relationship between max radiation dose to pituitary gland and TSH dysfunction (P = 0.0053) with increased dose correlated with higher rates of TSH dysfunction (Odds ratio: 1.05; 95% confidence interval: 1.02 – 1.09). Conclusion Cranial radiotherapy for the treatment of sinonasal and skull-based malignancies was accompanied by endocrine dysfunction in 64% of patients studied. Mean and max radiation dose to the pituitary gland were statistically significant parameters predicting TSH dysfunction. We recommend that clinicians regularly monitor endocrine levels in patients following radiation therapy, particularly in cases where high radiation doses are used.
Meta-Analysis of Nonrandomized Studies to Assess the Optimal Timing of Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting After Acute Myocardial Infarction

The optimal timing of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in patients after an acute myocardial infarction (MI) is unknown. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies comparing mortality rates in patients who underwent CABG at different time intervals after acute MI. Bias assessments were completed for each study, and summary of proportions of all-cause mortality were calculated based on CABG at various time intervals after MI. A total of 22 retrospective studies, which included a total of 137,373 patients were identified. The average proportion of patients who died when CABG was performed within 6 hours of MI was 12.7%, within 6 to 24 hours of MI was 10.9%, within 1 day of MI was 9.8%, any time after 1 day of MI was 3.0%, within 7 days of MI was 5.9%, and any time after 7 days of MI was 2.7%. Interstudy heterogeneity, assessed using I2 values, showed significant heterogeneity in death rates within subgroups. Only 1 study accounted for immortal time bias, and there was a serious risk of selection bias in all other studies. Confounding was found to be a serious risk for bias in 55% of studies because of a lack of accounting for type of MI, MI severity, or other verified cardiac risk factors. The current publications comparing timing of CABG after MI is at serious risk of bias because of patient selection and confounding, with heterogeneity in both study populations and intervention time intervals.
A Systematic Literature Review on Injury Prevention in Transportation Sector

Accidents caused by vehicles of transportation domain are the leading cause of death worldwide. Nearly 75% of road deaths happen in developing countries. The road traffic accident rate caused by four-wheeled vehicles is the highest among the reported statistics on road traffic accidents. Standing motorized scooters’ popularity has been continuously increasing in major cities of the USA and surge of traumatic injuries is observed in many hospitals. This report will analyze bibliometric data using tools like Harzing's Publish or Perish, VOSviewer, MAXQDA, Mendeley, BibExcel, and CiteSpace to provide a systematic literature review of publications on the above-mentioned subject. Analysis is performed on articles considered from a variety of outlets, including Google Scholar, Web of Science, SpringerLink, ResearchGate, and a few chapters from Salvendy's Handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics, Fourth Edition. A co-citation analysis was performed to identify the most significant publications in the literature. This article also discusses how potential studies like usage of autonomous vehicles, usage of virtual reality, reducing human intervention, and increasing human-computer interaction can avoid accidents in the transportation industry.
Lifetime Job Demands, Work Capacity at Older Ages, and Social Security Benefit Claiming Decisions

We use Health and Retirement Study data linked to the Department of Labor’s O*Net classification system to examine the relationship between lifetime exposure to occupational demands and retirement behavior. We consistently found that both non-routine cognitive analytic and non-routine physical demands were associated with worse health, earlier labor force exit, and increased use of Social Security Disability Insurance. The growing share of workers in jobs with high levels of cognitive demand may contribute to growth in DI use.
Learning Spatial Context: Using Stuff to Find Things

The sliding window approach of detecting rigid objects (such as cars) is predicated on the belief that the object can be identified from the appearance in a small region around the object. Other types of objects of amorphous spatial extent (e.g., trees, sky), however, are more naturally classified based on texture or color. In this paper, we seek to combine recognition of these two types of objects into a system that leverages "context" toward improving detection. In particular, we cluster image regions based on their ability to serve as context for the detection of objects. Rather than providing an explicit training set with region labels, our method automatically groups regions based on both their appearance and their relationships to the detections in the image. We show that our things and stuff (TAS) context model produces meaningful clusters that are readily interpretable, and helps improve our detection ability over state-of-the-art detectors. We also present a method for learning the active set of relationships for a particular dataset. We present results on object detection in images from the PASCAL VOC 2005/2006 datasets and on the task of overhead car detection in satellite images, demonstrating significant improvements over state-of-the-art detectors.
On the Uniqueness of Nested Relations

In this paper, we consider two fundamental properties of nested relations: minimum and uniqueness. By nested relations we mean relations over simple and/or set-valued domains. It is shown that the complexity of deciding whether or not a given first normal form relation has a nested form with no more than K tuples is NP-complete. A template dependency is given as an essential integrity constraint to guarantee that a class of first normal form relations has unique nested relations with minimum number of tuples.
Icosahedral phase formation in Ti68-xCr32Six alloys

Abstract We report, for the first time, the formation of the icosahedral phase (i-phase) in rapidly quenched Ti68-xCr32Six alloys, where 69 ≤ x ≤ 18. The i-phase occurs at a composition for which there are no structurally similar crystalline phases. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction measurements are presented. The TEM diffraction patterns show strong localized diffuse scattering and spot anisotropy. These features are compared with similar ones found in Al83Cr17 and Ti61Mn37Si2 icosahedral phases. No evidence for an enthalpic signature of phase transformation was found upon heating to the melting temperature, indicating that the i-phase is at least strongly metastable. The first estimates of the density are reported.
Radio Frequency Interference with the Model 1000SA Alco-Analyzer ® Gas Chromatograph

Radio frequency interference (RFI) from available frequencies in the 150 to 170 mHz band has been identified as affecting the analysis of a vapor sample using an Alco-Analyzer gas chromatograph. Various effects on the recording of the ethyl alcohol concentration curve are discussed and demonstrated for identification of rf-induced changes.
Cyclic 3',5'-nucleotide phosphodiesterase. Demonstration of an activator.

Abstract The activity of a mixture of a purified and a crude cyclic 3′,5′-nucleotide phosphodiesterase was greater than the summed activities of the individual preparations. The crude enzyme contained an activator, which was removed from the purified enzyme during purification. The activator, isolated free of phosphodiesterase activity, effectively reconstituted the activity of the purified enzyme. The relative inactivity of purified phosphodiesterase was due to removal of the activator from the enzyme.
An exploratory study: Stereotypes about mothers in prison

Abstract According to a 1991 report of the Bureau of Justice Statistics, over three-quarters of incarcerated women have children. In most instances, prior to incarceration these women were the primary caretakers. Several criminologists have argued that the correctional system provides minimal emotional support for incarcerated mothers to maintain ties with their children. Stereotypes about the ideal mother may hinder such support. There is a paucity of research, however, that distinctly examines who stereotypes whom as well as how these stereotypes affect behavior. This lack of understanding makes it difficult to determine how stereotypes influence correctional programming and practices. This exploratory study focused on stereotypes about incarcerated mothers. Attitudes pertaining to such stereotypes were compared between four groups: (1) female inmates, (2) peer counselors, (3) correctional officers, and (4) prison program staff. Group membership was significantly related to three of the attitudinal measures. Behavioral measures hypothesized to be related to these attitudes were also measured (i.e., the likelihood to perform certain acts rather than actual or overt behaviors). Additional analyses examined the relation between attitudes and behavioral intentions.
Structure-function studies on bacteriorhodopsin. VIII. Substitutions of the membrane-embedded prolines 50, 91, and 186: the effects are determined by the substituting amino acids.

Abstract To study their role in the structure and function of bacteriorhodopsin, three prolines, presumed to be in the membrane-embedded alpha-helices, have been individually replaced as follows: Pro-50 and Pro-91 each by Gly and Ala and Pro-186 by Ala, Gly, and Val. The mutants of Pro-50 and Pro-91 all showed normal chromophore and proton pumping. However, the rates of regeneration of the chromophore in Pro-50----Ala, Pro-91----Ala and ----Gly with all-trans-retinal were about 30-fold slower than that in the wild-type, whereas the chromophore regeneration rate in Pro-50----Gly was 10-fold faster than in the wild-type. While, Pro-186----Ala regenerated the wild-type chromophore, the mutants Pro-186----Val and Pro-186----Gly showed large blue shifts (about 80 nm) in the chromophore regenerated with all-trans-retinal and showed no apparent dark-light adaptation. Pro-186----Gly first regenerated the wild-type chromophore with 13-cis-retinal which was thermally unstable and rapidly converted to the blue-shifted chromophore obtained with all-trans-retinal. High salt concentration restored the wild-type purple chromophore in the Pro-186----Gly mutant. Thus, in this mutant, the protein interconverts between two conformational states. Pro-186----Ala and Pro-186----Gly showed about 65%, whereas Pro-186----Val showed 10-20% of the normal proton pumping.
Controlling Redundancy in Large Search Spaces: Argonne-Style Theorem Proving Through the Years

Argonne National Laboratory has been a center of research in automated theorem proving for nearly thirty years. In that time Argonne scientists and collaborators have developed a long series of theorem-proving systems with which to explore this fascinating field. Since the first systems of the mid-sixties, many features have changed of course, but others, perhaps the most fundamental, have remained the same. We survey here some of the history of those theorem-proving programs from the earliest to the most current, focusing in particular on the fundamental approach that has remained basically unchanged as a framework for the implementation of new ideas as they have come along. We will also try to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each of the systems by describing some of the problems that each could solve and could not solve, thus motivating the ideas for the next, system.
International Sectoral Agreements in a Post-2012 Climate Framework

This Pew Center on Global Climate Change Working Paper examines international sectoral agreements as one element of post-2012 climate change framework. It is part of a Pew Center series expanding on key recommendations of the Pew Center's Climate Change Dialogue at Pocantico. The paper explores different types of international sectoral approaches, the potential benefits of sectoral agreements, factors that make a sector more or less well suited for a sectoral agreement, and key design variables that must be addressed in developing international sectoral agreements.
Improving off-chip memory energy behavior in a multi-processor, multi-bank environment

Many embedded/portable applications from image and video processing domains are characterized by spending a large fraction of their energy in executing load/store instructions that access off-chip memory. Although most performance-oriented locality optimization techniques reduce the number of memory instructions and, consequently, improve memory energy consumption, we also need to consider energy-oriented approaches if we are to improve energy behavior further. Our focus in this paper is on a system with multiple homogeneous processors and a multi-bank memory architecture that process large arrays of signals. To reduce energy consumption in such a system, we use a compiler-based approach which exploits low-power operating modes. In such an architecture, one of the major problems is to address the conflicting requirements of maximizing parallelism and reducing energy consumption. This conflict arises because maximizing parallelism requires independent concurrent accesses to different memory banks, whereas reducing energy consumption implies limiting the accesses at a given period of time to a small set of memory banks (so that the remaining banks can be placed into a low-power operating mode). Our approach consists of three complementary steps, namely, parallel access pattern detection, array allocation across memory banks, and data layout transformations. Our preliminary results indicate that our approach leads to significant off-chip memory energy savings without sacrificing the available parallelism.
Supercritical fluid chromatography and microbore liquid chromatography for drug analysis.

Supercritical fluid and microbore liquid chromatography offer potential applications for drug analysis. In supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC), the mobile phase is a gas (e.g., carbon dioxide) maintained at its supercritical state--that is, above its critical temperature and pressure, above which it cannot be liquefied even with further increases in applied pressure. The SFC mobile phase has low viscosity, approximating that of a gas, and high diffusivity, between those of a gas and a liquid. These properties yield favorable column efficiency, between that of capillary gas chromatography (GC) and liquid chromatography (LC). SFC analysis may be performed by either packed or open tubular capillary columns and with GC and LC detectors. SFC, interfaced with mass spectrometry, may become a viable alternative to GC/MS for drug identification in clinical and forensic toxicology. Advantages of microbore liquid chromatography include enhanced mass sensitivity, reduced solvent consumption, and others. Microbore columns (internal diameters 1 to 2 mm) may be packed with 3-, 5-, or 10-micron particles. Potential applications include micro-sample analysis (5-200 microL) for neonatal and pediatric drug monitoring, and drug confirmation analysis for toxicology.
The concentration dependence of micelle aggregation and the shape of micelles of sodium dodecyl sulfate and hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide

Abstract The recently reported data by Corti and Degiorgio for the diffusion coefficients and micelle molecular weights of two surfactants were used for correlating the concentration dependence of hydrodynamic and thermodynamic properties of micellar particles.
Fusobacterium nucleatum: a commensal-turned pathogen

Fusobacterium nucleatum is an anaerobic oral commensal and a periodontal pathogen associated with a wide spectrum of human diseases. This article reviews its implication in adverse pregnancy outcomes (chorioamnionitis, preterm birth, stillbirth, neonatal sepsis, preeclampsia), GI disorders (colorectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, appendicitis), cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis, respiratory tract infections, Lemierre's syndrome and Alzheimer's disease. The virulence mechanisms involved in the diseases are discussed, with emphasis on its colonization, systemic dissemination, and induction of host inflammatory and tumorigenic responses. The FadA adhesin/invasin conserved in F. nucleatum is a key virulence factor and a potential diagnostic marker for F. nucleatum-associated diseases.
Tamoxifen-induced eccrine squamous syringometaplasia.

A 74-year-old woman had carcinoma of her right breast for which surgery was performed. Four weeks following the start of tamoxifen therapy, she developed papules and plaques over her face, trunk and limbs. A skin biopsy showed perivascular and periadnexal mixed inflammatory cellular infiltrate with fibroplasia. Notably, the dermis also showed squamous epithelial islands, which in foci were noted to be closely associated with eccrine epithelium. This was confirmed with double peroxidase – alkaline phosphatase immunohistochemistry – the eccrine lumina highlighted with carcinoembryonic antigen (polyclonal) and the squamous metaplasia positive for cytokeratin 5/6. Eccrine squamous syringometaplasia was diagnosed. With close clinicopathological correlation, the cutaneous eruption was attributed to tamoxifen. Following discontinuation of the drug, the eruption resolved. Eccrine squamous syringometaplasia has been reported to occur in association with diverse conditions, including skin ulcers, burns and as a cutaneous adverse drug reaction, most commonly to chemotherapeutic drugs. This is believed to be the first report involving tamoxifen. Teoh DC-W, Aw DC-W, Jaffar H, Ling W, Yong W-P, Lee Y-S, Choo S-N, Tan K-B. Tamoxifen-induced eccrine squamous syringometaplasia.
Tetracycline-induced hemolytic anemia

The tetracyclines are a group of widely used antibiotics that have been incriminated in causing adverse hematologic problems, including hemolytic anemia. This paper presents the third documented case of acquired hemolytic anemia and the first case of nonimmune-mediated hemolysis resulting from tetracycline hydrochloride. A review of the literature reveals the infrequency with which these side effects occur with the use of these agents.
Your terno's draggin’: Fashioning Filipino American performance

In this essay, I explore the semiotics of the terno, the Philippine national dress, creatively interpreted by diasporic artists as a dense metaphor for the proper and improper Filipina. These artistic deployments of the terno lay bare unquestioned notions of Filipina femininity and nationalism to be fabrications of colonialism, militarization and globalization. The reconfigurations of the infamous “butterfly dress” by multimedia artist groups Barrionics and Mail Order Brides (M.O.B.) take center stage in my discussion. The genealogy of the terno I focus on in this article emphasizes alteration and transformation, to resist facile binaries of the nation as traditional and the diaspora as the site of modern and innovative modifications. My historicization of the terno underscores it as an emergent form in which to situate the uses of the terno in Filipino American performance projects within the history of the terno itself. Specifically, the essay focuses on the defamiliarization of feminine constructs that...
EFFECTS OF H ION ON ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS: EFFECTS ON HERBACEOUS BIOMASS, MINERALIZATION, NITRIFIERS AND NITRIFICATION IN A FOREST COMMUNITY

The effects of H ion were studied by lowering the soil pH in a deciduous forest. Increased H+ burden significantly reduced the dry mass of herbaceous vegetation. Increased H+ significantly mobilized Ca (226%) and Mg (244%) to the deeper soil profile, thus reducing uptake of those nutrients by intact vegetation. Moreover, the low pH also had a drastic impact on nitrifiers and nitrification. The 70%o reduction in NO-3-N was directly related to the reduction in numbers of Nitrosomonas (91%) and Nitrobacter (100o). Ammonium N also declined under H+ stress, indicating a reduction in N-mineralization process. It was hypothesized that increased H+ stress in deciduous forests may deplete major nutrients, mobilize micronutrients, reduce soil microbial populations and decrease plant biomass. Thus a deciduous forest may evolve into a nutrientpoor soil ecosystem and may shift toward a "semi-podzol ecosystem." A WIDE RANGE of soil pH values in natural plant communities is a well-established fact. Soil pH is determined by many factors, among
Longitudinal changes in adolescent cigarette smoking behavior: Onset and cessation

Employing a 1-year longitudinal design, this study examined factors related to change in adolescent smoking. Predictors of smoking onset differed from predictors of continued smoking, underscoring the importance of studying factors related to adolescent smoking onset separately from mechanisms associated with changes in smoking among current smokers. Peer smoking predicted continuation of smoking after smoking initiation. Smokers received over 26 times more offers to smoke than did nonsmokers, suggesting that smokers attempting to quit need effective refusal skills to be successful. Habitual smoking was found to develop slowly, providing a substantial time window for refusal skill training and other prevention efforts. Predictors of smoking onset differed by developmental level. Peer smoking, and marijuana use were stronger predictors of smoking onset for high-school students, and number of cigarette offers predicted better among middle-school students. Parent variables were not significant predictors of later smoking. Intention to smoke was unrelated to onset and was redundant with pretest smoking behavior in predicting cessation.
Depression of myofibrillar ATPase activity by halothane.

SUMMARY Halothane was found to reduce the ATPase activity of both myocardial and skeletal muscle myofibrillar preparations. The results support the hypotheses that there is a close association between myocardial tension development and the enzymatic hydrolysis of ATP, and that halothane exerts its cardiac effects by inhibiting this process. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Es wurde festgestellt, dass Halothan die ATPase-Aktivitat sowohl von Myocard-als auch Skelettmuskel-Myofibrillenpraparationen reduziert. Diese Resultate stutzen die Hypothesen, dass ein enger Zusammenhang zwischen der Entwicklung einer Herzmuskelanspannung und der enzymatichen Hydrolyse der ATP besteht, und dass Halothan seine Wirkung auf das Herz drch eine Hemmung dieses Prozesses ausubt.
Plasma cortisol response of seawater-adapted mummichogs (Fundulus heteroclitus) during deep MS-222 anesthesia

Anesthetics are used to reduce stress in fishes during handling and transfer. However, deep anesthesia of seawater-adapted mummichogs (Fundulus heteroclitus) results in a time-related increase in plasma cortisol, indicating a primary (neuroendocrine) stress response. Groups of seven fish were bled within 1 to 12 min of exposure to the anesthetic MS-222. Plasma cortisol rose more rapidly in fish removed from the MS-222 solution immediately after 1 min and held between wet paper towels than in fish that remained immersed. The difference between methods was significant (P 0.05).
A design pattern language for engineering (parallel) software: merging the PLPP and OPL projects

Parallel programming is stuck. To make progress, we need to step back and understand the software people wish to engineer. We do this with a design pattern language. This paper provides background for a lively discussion of this pattern language. We present the context for the problem, the layers in the design pattern language, and descriptions of the patterns themselves.
Coexistence of multiple phases in finite systems.

Dynamic coexistence of several phaselike forms, a solid, microcrytalline phase, a homogeneously melted phase, and phases exhibiting a solid core and a melted surface, is found in isothermal molecular dynamics simulations of magic-number rare gas clusters. We present a mean-field model showing that the observed behavior is possible if (a) the core and surface both undergo finite-system analogs of first-order transitions with overlapping coexistence regions and (b) the mode-softening defects of the core exhibit an attractive interaction with the vacancy-floater pairs on the surface.
Aortic implantation of mesenchymal stem cells after aneurysm injury in a porcine model.

Background Cell-based therapies are being evaluated in the setting of degenerative pathophysiologic conditions. The search for the ideal method of delivery and improvement in cell engraftment continue to pose a challenge. This study explores the feasibility of introducing mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) following aortic injury in a porcine model. Methods Bone marrow-derived MSC were obtained from eight pigs, characterized for the MSC markers CD13 and CD 29, labeled with green fluorescent protein (GFP), and collected for autologous injection in a porcine model of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). The pigs were euthanized (1–7 d) after the procedure to assess the histologic characteristics and presence of MSC in the aortic tissue. Negative controls included noninjured aorta. Tracking of the MSC was conducted by the identification of the GFP-labeled cells using immunofluorescence. Results AAA sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin showed disorganization of the aortic tissue; collagen-muscle-elastin stain demonstrated fragmentation of elastin fibers. The presence of the implanted MSC in the aortic wall was evidenced by fluorescent microscopy showing GFP labeled cells. Engraftment of MSC up to 7 d after introduction was observed. Conclusion Autologous implantation of bone marrow-derived MSC following aortic injury in a porcine model may be successfully accomplished. The long-term impact and therapeutic value of such cell-based therapy will require further investigation.
Growth of Poliomyelitis Viruses in Large Stationary Cultures.

SummaryPoliomyelitis viruses were propagated in large stationary tissue cultures of plasma imbedded monkey testes. Large volumes of supernatant fluids with high virus titers were achieved. The virus yield, as measured by titer and duration of maximum growth, was almost identical with that obtained in roller tubes, and greater than that reported for suspended cell flask cultures. The method had another advantage in that equipment for rotating bottles was not required. Since the Roux flasks could be stacked one on top of another, a minimum of incubator space was required.
Heat and social rank impact behavior and physiology of PRRS-virus-infected pigs

Abstract Changes in thermal environment can invoke a stress response in pigs, which in turn can potentially impact their immune system and disease susceptibility. We investigated effects of heat stress and social rank on behavior, immune responsiveness, and performance of pigs challenged with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) virus. Sixty-four 7-week-old PRRS-naive pigs were assigned to each of four experimental treatments consisting of a 2 × 2 factorial design: PRRS (PRRS− or PRRS+) and environmental temperature (24 °C or 32 °C). Blood samples were taken prior to and at days 7 and 14 post-inoculation, and alveolar macrophages were collected via bronchoalveolar lavage at day 14. Total white blood cell counts, natural killer cytotoxicity, macrophage numbers, macrophage subpopulations, and performance measures were all significantly affected by social rank, heat stress, and/or infection status of the pig. Heat stress and PRRS status also significantly influenced the amount of time pigs spent lying with or without contacting another animal. Cortisol and various immune measures were also affected by PRRS status. These results show not only that intranasal inoculation with PRRS virus affects physiological, behavioral, and performance measures in growing pigs, but that social rank influences pigs' immune responsiveness to PRRS as well. Moreover, heat stress does not have additive negative impact on physiological or performance traits in pigs challenged with PRRS virus.
THE SOUND-APPERCEPTION TEST: ORIGIN, PURPOSE, STANDARDIZATION, SCORING AND USE.

(1965). The Sound-Apperception Test: Origin, Purpose, Standardization, Scoring and Use. The Journal of Psychology: Vol. 59, No. 2, pp. 371-412.
Early olfactory learning is influenced by sex in hamsters but not rats.

Abstract The odor of cedar shavings repels infant and juvenile rats and hamsters reared in pine shavings when animals are tested in a two-choice situation. Housing male and female infants of either species in cedar shavings for 3 days before testing increases preference for both cedar odor and for a mixture of cedar and conspecific odors. Similar exposure of juvenile male and female rats and male hamsters, has little or no significant impact on odor preferences. However, housing female hamsters in cedar at either developmental stage equally influences odor preferences. The data imply that sex differences influence the development of early odor-guided behavior in hamsters but not rats. These species differences may have adaptive significance in that the birth of a litter produces a greater environmental change demanding a larger preference adjustment of solitary female hamsters than colonial female rats.
Isolation of a tetrasaccharide common to MM, NN and MN antigens

Abstract A tetrasaccharide consisting of 2 moles sialic acid, 1 mole galactose, and 1 mole N-acetylgalactosaminol was isolated from MM, NN, and MN blood group substances subsequent to degradation with alkaline sodium borohydride. Upon removal of sialic acid with bacterial or viral sialidases, a disaccharide, galactosyl-N-acetylgalactosaminol, was obtained. Periodate oxidation studies suggested that the two sialic acid residues are linked to galactose and N-acetylgalactosaminol, respectively. A tentative structure is proposed.
Effects of nonequilibrium plasmas on atomic reaction rates.

The influence of electron-density fluctuations on atomic reaction rates is studied in a hydrogen model plasma. We show that the effective ionization rates are found to be extremely sensitive to deviations of the electron density from the local thermal equilibrium (LTE) distribution, while the effective recombination rates are relatively stable against such fluctuations. This sensitivity has serious implications on plasma modeling and diagnostics, and could be employed to test the LTE assumption in an evolving plasma.
Realization of optical superlens imaging below the diffraction limit

Recently, the concept of superlensing has received considerable attention for its unique ability to produce images below the diffraction limit. The theoretical study has predicted a 'superlens' made of materials with negative permittivity and/or permeability, is capable of resolving features much smaller than the working wavelength and a near-perfect image can be obtained through the restoration of lost evanescent waves (Pendry 2000 Phys. Rev. Lett. 85 3966–9). We have already demonstrated that a 60 nm half-pitch object can indeed be resolved with λ0/6 resolution with the implementation of a silver superlens with λ0 = 365 nm illumination wavelength, which is well below the diffraction limit (Fang et al 2005 Science 308 534–7). In order to further support the imaging ability of our silver superlens, a two-dimensional arbitrary object with 40 nm line width was also imaged (Fang et al 2005 Science 308 534–7). In this paper, we present experimental and theoretical investigations of optical superlensing through a thin silver slab. Experimental design and procedures as well as theoretical studies are presented in detail. In addition, a new superlens imaging result is presented which shows the image of a 50 nm half-pitch object at λ0/7 resolution.
The effect of lactoperoxidase-catalyzed iodination on the integrity of mitochondrial membranes.

The effect of lactoperoxidase-catalyzed iodination on rat liver mitochondria was investigated. A change from the condensed to the swollen conformation is observed by electron microscopy after extensive iodination of the mitochondria. The outer membrane breaks after incorporation of 0.2 nmol or more iodine atoms per mg of mitochondrial protein releasing adenylate kinase, a soluble enzyme located in the intermembrane space. Further iodination of the mitochondria ruptures the inner membrane, releasing proteins such as glutamic dehydrogenase from the matrix space. Lipid peroxides and I2 are not intermediates in the disruptive effect of extensive lactoperoxidase-catalyzed iodination on the membranes. During iodination at pH 6.5 almost no release of protein or glutamic dehydrogenase activity is detectable and the loss of adenylate kinase activity from the particulate is diminished. The effect of extensive iodination on mitochondrial membranes limits the amount of iodide which can be incorporated with the lactoperoxidase membrane-labeling procedure when this technique is used as a surface probe of mitochondrial membranes.
Energy-resolved photoionization of alkylperoxy radicals and the stability of their cations.

The photoionization of alkylperoxy radicals has been investigated using a newly developed experimental apparatus that combines the tunability of the vacuum ultraviolet radiation of the Advanced Light Source at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory with time-resolved mass spectrometry. Methylperoxy (CH3OO) and ethylperoxy (C2H5OO) radicals are produced by the reaction of pulsed, photolytically produced alkyl radicals with molecular oxygen, and the mass spectrum of the reacting mixture is monitored in time by using synchrotron-photoionization with a double-focusing mass spectrometer. The kinetics of product formation is used to confirm the origins and assignments of ionized species. The photoionization efficiency curve for CH3OO has been measured, and an adiabatic ionization energy of (10.33 ± 0.05) eV was determined with the aid of Franck−Condon spectral simulations, including ionization to the lowest triplet and singlet cation states. Using the appearance energy of CH3+ from CH3OO, an enthalpy of formatio...
Simplifying soft tissue closure of the large meningomyelocele defect: A technical note

The surgical management of large neural tube defects not amenable to primary closure poses a significant challenge. As a result, large residual skin defects often prompt excessively aggressive primary closure, complicated skin incisions, or flap advancements. However, our experience with the purse-string closure of a large meningomyelocele skin defect demonstrates that this technique can effectively provide coverage of very large meningomyelocele defects with minimal residual deformity. Here, we discuss the successful coverage of a large 5 x 5 cm meningomyelocele skin wound via staged purse-string closure spaced 2 weeks apart.
FORMAL FAILURE MODELS

Abstract Formal safety analysis methods have gained a lot of importance during the last years. All these methods have in common, that they rely on a formal model of a system which describes desired, functional behavior as well as unwanted erroneous behavior correctly. Most of the time the formal models are created in an ad hoc manner. This is very error prone and therefore compromises the benefit of the following formal analysis. In this paper we present a systematic approach to formally model failure modes. The approach can be combined with most formal safety analysis. We apply the method to a real world case study: a radio-based railroad crossing. We illustrate the results by applying a formal safety analysis method on the model.
Analysis of Young's modulus anomaly at the Peierls transition in TaS3

Abstract The temperature dependence of Young's modulus in o-TaS3 in the vicinity of the charge-density-wave phase transition is analyzed. It is assumed that strain enters the free energy through a strain-dependent transition temperature Tp. Successful fitting to data requires the inclusion of a quadratic term in the strain dependence, in addition to the usual linear one. This is equivalent to introducing a term in the modulus proportional to the charge-density-wave gap. The ratio between linear and quadratic terms is consistent with a previous measurement of the stress dependence of Tp.
SENSITIVITY OF BALLISTIC DEPOSITION TO PSEUDORANDOM NUMBER GENERATORS

Ballistic deposition (BD) serves as a prototype for studies of dynamic scaling phenomena in nonequilibrium growth processes. In BD, particles are sequentially added to a growing surface at randomly selected positions. The model is typically investigated by computer simulations where randomness is implemented by pseudorandom number generators (PRNGs). The implicit assumption that PRNGs adequately represent true randomness is tested in this study via a statistical analysis of the width of the BD interface. We study the width of the interface over time scales orders of magnitude longer than the expected model relaxation time, yet much smaller than the period of the PRNG, and observe fluctuations which still appear to be correlated. Distinct dynamic behavior is observed for an implementation with a different PRNG, further indicating a strong coupling between the model and the PRNGs (even with PRNGs that pass extensive statistical tests). Thus we demonstrate a breakdown of basic sampling assumptions, and of the ergodic exploration of phase space.