cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Determining the affinities of salt marsh fucoids using microsatellite markers: Evidence of hybridization and introgression between two species of fucus (Phaeophyta) in a Maine estuary

The high degree of morphological plasticity displayed by species of the brown algal genus Fucus L. is well documented. Such variation is especially pronounced for those estuarine taxa lacking hold-fasts (termed ecads) that often bear little resemblance to the attached species from which they are derived. To better understand the systematics of salt marsh fucoids, we developed a suite of four micro-satellite-containing loci capable of distinguishing between F. vesiculosus L. and F. spiralis L. The genetic markers were used to determine the relationships of the fucoid ecads F. vesiculosus ecad volubilis (Hudson) Turner and a muscoides-like Fucus in the Brave Boat Harbor (ME, USA) estuary. Ecad populations had 2- to 3-fold higher levels of heterozygosity than attached populations of F. vesiculosus and F. spiralis. Further, ecads were "intermediate" between F. vesiculosus and F. spiralis in their allele frequencies and genotype composition. Our data indicate that populations of muscoides-like Fucus in Brave Boat Harbor mainly consist of F 1 hybrids between F. vesiculosus and F. spiralis, whereas F. vesiculosus ecad volubilis may arise through backcrosses between F. vesiculosus and other fertile hybrids. Finally, our data support the hypothesis that introgression has occurred between attached populations of F. vesiculosus and F. spiralis.
Regression calibration for logistic regression with multiple surrogates for one exposure

Abstract Methods have been developed by several authors to address the problem of bias in regression coefficients due to errors in exposure measurement. These approaches typically assume that there is one surrogate for each exposure. Occupational exposures are quite complex and are often described by characteristics of the workplace and the amount of time that one has worked in a particular area. In this setting, there are several surrogates which are used to define an individual's exposure. To analyze this type of data, regression calibration methodology is extended to adjust the estimates of exposure-response associations for the bias and additional uncertainty due to exposure measurement error from multiple surrogates. The health outcome is assumed to be binary and related to the quantitative measure of exposure by a logistic link function. The model for the conditional mean of the quantitative exposure measurement in relation to job characteristics is assumed to be linear. This approach is applied to a cross-sectional epidemiologic study of lung function in relation to metal working fluid exposure and the corresponding exposure assessment study with quantitative measurements from personal monitors. A simulation study investigates the performance of the proposed estimator for various values of the baseline prevalence of disease, exposure effect and measurement error variance. The efficiency of the proposed estimator relative to the one proposed by Carroll et al. [1995. Measurement Error in Nonlinear Models. Chapman & Hall, New York] is evaluated numerically for the motivating example. User-friendly and fully documented Splus and SAS routines implementing these methods are available ( http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/faculty/spiegelman/multsurr.html ).
Liberation and analysis of protein-bound arsenicals.

Abstract Protein-bound arsenicals were liberated from binding sites on liver cytosolic proteins by exposure to 0.1 M CuCl at pH 1. This method released greater than 90% of the arsenicals associated with biological matrices. Ultrafiltrates of CuCl-treated cytosols were subjected to thin-layer chromatography to speciate and quantify inorganic and methylated arsenicals. For rat liver cytosol in an in vitro methylation assay and for liver and kidney cytosols from arsenite-treated mice, most inorganic arsenic was protein bound. Appreciable fractions of the organoarsenical metabolites present in these cytosols were also protein bound. Therefore, CuCl treatment of cytosols releases protein-bound arsenicals, permitting more accurate estimates of the pattern and extent of arsenic methylation in vitro and in vivo.
Catechol-O-methyltransferase biochemical genetics: Human lymphocyte enzyme

Human erythrocyte (RBC) catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) is under genetic control. Experiments were performed to determine whether COMT in the human lymphocyte is regulated in parallel with RBC COMT. Supernatants of lymphocyte homogenates contained COMT activity. However, they also contained a potent COMT inhibitor, the effect of which could be negated by dilution. Lymphocyte COMT activity was maximal at a reaction pH of 7.7 an at a MgCl2 concentration of 0.67 mM. The apparent Km value for 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, the catechol substrate for the reaction, was 1.2 x 10(-5) M and that for S-adenosyl-L-methionine, the methyl donor, was 2.3 x 10(-6) M. An average of 48.3 /+- 3.3% (mean /+- SEM) of the enzyme activity in crude lymphocyte homogenates from 3 subjects was removed by centrifugation at 100,000 g for 1 hr and was presumed to be membrane associated. The average COMT activity in lymphocytes isolated from blood of 23 randomly selected adult subjects was 14.0 /+- 1.2 units/10(6) cells (mean /+- SEM) or 913 /+- 69 units/mg protein. There was a significant correlation of relative RBC with relative lymphocyte COMT activity in these 23 subjects. The correlation coefficient was 0.733 (P less than 0.001) when lymphocyte enzyme activity was expressed per milligram of protein and 0.649 (P less than 0.001) when lymphocyte activity was expressed per 10(6) cells. These results are compatible with the conclusion that the genetic polymorphism which regulates RBC COMT activity may also regulate the level of human lymphocyte COMT activity.
Improved applicator–patient coupling in microwave‐induced hyperthermia

The effect on the efficiency of power transfer and microwave leakage of different applicator--load coupling schemes is examined. For a 915-mHz applicator and musclelike phantom separated by 4 cm, it is found that by filling the air gap with dielectric powder or deionized water, the efficiency of power transfer from applicator to load can be raised to levels comparable to that obtained for direct applicator--load contact. For these coupling conditions, it is also found that microwave leakage intensities in the immediate vicinity of the applicator--phantom interface can be reduced to direct contact levels. Employment of such materials and techniques in our clinic, for coupling applicators to patient surfaces in the administration of local hyperthermia to head and neck tumors, has facilitated the reduction of average microwave leakage intensities from more than 15 MW/cm/sup 2/ to less than 3 MW/cm/sup 2/ in most cases.
Electric-Field-Directed Self-Assembly of Active Enzyme-Nanoparticle Structures

A method is presented for the electric-field-directed self-assembly of higher-order structures composed of alternating layers of biotin nanoparticles and streptavidin-/avidin-conjugated enzymes carried out on a microelectrode array device. Enzymes included in the study were glucose oxidase (GOx), horseradish peroxidase (HRP), and alkaline phosphatase (AP); all of which could be used to form a light-emitting microscale glucose sensor. Directed assembly included fabricating multilayer structures with 200 nm or 40 nm GOx-avidin-biotin nanoparticles, with AP-streptavidin-biotin nanoparticles, and with HRP-streptavidin-biotin nanoparticles. Multilayered structures were also fabricated with alternate layering of HRP-streptavidin-biotin nanoparticles and GOx-avidin-biotin nanoparticles. Results showed that enzymatic activity was retained after the assembly process, indicating that substrates could still diffuse into the structures and that the electric-field-based fabrication process itself did not cause any significant loss of enzyme activity. These methods provide a solution to overcome the cumbersome passive layer-by-layer assembly methods to efficiently fabricate higher-order active biological and chemical hybrid structures that can be useful for creating novel biosensors and drug delivery nanostructures, as well as for diagnostic applications.
Differential protein expression in the metal-reducing bacterium Geobacter sulfurreducens strain PCA grown with fumarate or ferric citrate

Geobacter sulfurreducens, generally considered to be a strict anaerobe, is a predominant microbe in subsurface environments, where it utilizes available metals as electron acceptors. To better understand the metabolic processes involved in the metal-reduction capability of this microbe, the proteins expressed by cells grown anaerobically with either fumarate or ferric citrate as electron acceptor were compared. Proteins were separated by 2-DE under denaturing or nondenaturing conditions, and proteins varying in abundance with a high level of statistical significance (p<0.0001) were identified by peptide mass analysis. Denaturing 2-DE revealed significant differences in the relative abundance of the membrane proteins OmpA and peptidoglycan-associated lipoprotein, several metabolic enzymes, and, in addition, superoxide dismutase and rubredoxin oxidoreductase. Nondenaturing 2-DE revealed elevated catalase in cells grown with ferric citrate. These results suggest that, in addition to adjustments in membrane transport and specific metabolic pathways in response to these two different electron acceptors, distinct differences exist in the oxidative environment within the cell when fumarate or soluble ferric citrate is provided as electron acceptor. Although an anaerobe, G. sulfurreducens appears to have alternate mechanisms for dealing with reactive oxygen species in response to increased intracellular soluble iron.
Perspectives: A Teaching Hospital Executive

P erhaps the most critical and difficult issue facing academic medicine is the nature and function of its central responsibility: education. The focus of this issue of Health Affairs supports this assertion. While the delivery of patient services and the conduct of basic and applied research in this country are not untroubled and the funding for both of them is not predictable, these aspects of academic medicine seem both robust and responsive to the changing requirements and demands of society compared to medical education. Robert Ebert and Eli Ginzberg have laid out the history of the events that have brought us to this place, and put forward an agenda for change that addresses some of the fundamental dysfunctions. What is particularly interesting about these recommendations is that they are almost entirely within the purview of the academic health center (AHC). Achieving the changes may require foundation support for developing and testing new models, as the authors note. Yet I believe there are enough funds within the system now to allow a new operating system to function once it has been tested. I write both to buttress their arguments and to call for more radical reform of some of those models. My vantage point is that of a chief executive officer of an institution that is the “primary teaching” hospital for a medical school, has approximately 450 residents and fellows in twenty programs, and has more than 100 medical students resident at any one time. I also have completed five years as program director for the Commonwealth Fund’s Task Force on Academic Health Centers.
Pharmacokinetic model describing the disposition of butadiene and styrene in mice

Coexposure to 1,3-butadiene (BD) and styrene occurs in the workplace of many polymer industries. The reactive epoxide metabolites of both compounds are responsible for their genotoxicity. A physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model was developed to describe the simultaneous disposition of BD and styrene in mice coexposed by inhalation. A model with one oxidative pathway and competition between BD and styrene was compared with a model with two oxidation pathways for both BD and styrene. The different PBPK models were used to simulate the observed rate of BD metabolism and blood concentration of styrene from 8-h inhalation exposures of mice to mixtures of BD and styrene. The model with two oxidative pathways more accurately simulated the observed inhibition of BD uptake in coexposed mice.
Evaluation of Multi-frame Fusion Based Face Classification Under Shadow

A video sequence of a head moving across a large pose angle contains much richer information than a single-view image, and hence has greater potential for identification purposes. This paper explores and evaluates the use of a multi-frame fusion method to improve face recognition in the presence of strong shadow. The dataset includes videos of 257 subjects who rotated their heads by 0° to 90°. Experiments were carried out using ten video frames per subject that were fused on the score level. The primary findings are: (i) A significant performance increase was observed, with the recognition rate being doubled from 40% using a single frame to 80% using ten frames; (ii) The performance of multi-frame fusion is strongly related to its inter-frame variation that measures its information diversity.
A multigrid and upwind viscous flow solver on 3-D embedded and overlapped grids

A numerically efficient method is presented for solving the three-dimensional governing equations of the viscous compressible flow about complex configurations with topologically different components. The physical domain is decomposed into regions for which the grid generation is relatively simple and virtually with no significant restrictions. The Navier-Stokes equations are solved by an implicit, approximately factored, upwind, finite-volume scheme. The block inversions and the diagonalized scalar inversions of the coefficient matrices are modified to allow the holes created in the computational domain by the embedded and overlapped grids. The convergence is accelerated by a multigrid algorithm despite the existence of such holes. The solution for s supersonic flow past a blunt-nose-cylinder at high angle-of-attack is obtained using a C-O grid embedded in a global Cartesian grid.
Relationships Between Clinical Assessments and Patients' Perceptions of the Effects of Heart Failure on Their Quality of Life

Abstract Background Hypothetically, most of the effects of heart failure on quality of life might be attributed to symptoms produced by the pathology. Relationships between measures of these concepts need to be quantified to test this conceptual model. Methods and Results Measurements of heart failure pathology and symptoms and quality of life as measured by the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure (MLHF) questionnaire at the 4-month visit in the Valsartan Heart Failure Trial were analyzed. Correlation and regression analyses corrected for estimated reliability of measurements were used to quantify relationships. The percentage of variance in dependent variables that was related to explanatory variables was summarized by the coefficient of determination (100 × R 2 ) from regression models. Dyspnea at rest, dyspnea on exertion, paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea, orthopnea, fatigue, and New York Heart Association class were significantly related to MLHF scores. Combined, these symptoms explained 41% of the variation in MLHF scores. Controlling for symptoms, age explained an additional 4.5% of the variation in MLHF scores, whereas race, gender, and available comorbidities each explained R 2 = 17%) or MLHF scores (combined R 2 = 7%). Conclusion Symptoms of heart failure explain a substantial proportion of the variation in the effects of heart failure on patients' quality of life as measured by the MLHF score. The effects of heart failure on quality of life can vary with age independently of symptoms. Pathologic measures of heart failure including some well-known correlates of the risk of hospitalization and death are not strongly related to symptoms or quality of life. Further studies are needed to understand the relationships between heart failure pathology and symptoms and to identify determinants of the effects of heart failure on patients' quality of life that were not related to symptoms.
Promotor(a)s, the organizations in which they work, and an emerging paradox: How organizational structure and scope impact promotor(a)s’ work

Abstract Objective To analyze how organizational structures and scope (geographic and programmatic) generate dissonance between the organization and its workers, creating a paradox with policy implications for access to health care in hard-to-reach populations. The workers are lay community health workers called promotor(a)s. The organizations are community based organizations in which the promotor(a)s work, either as volunteers, part-time or as full-time wage staff. Method Ethnographic study of 12 organizations and their promotor(a)s. Data gathering included interviews with organization directors, promotor(a)s, service providers working with the organizations, and community residents served by the organizations and workers. In addition, promotor(a)s were observed in the course of their work. Sampling was a non-probability, snowball procedure for identifying the organizations and the workers within them. Results A paradox is emerging between (a) promotor(a)s who perceive their work to be locally focused and tightly integrated with the communities they serve and live in, and (b) the employing organizations that are expanding in geographical and programmatic scope because the work promotor(a)s do is in increasing demand by agencies and funding sources external to the communities served. The paradox potentially threatens to undermine and transform the work and working environment of the promotor(a)s. The challenge is to find a balance that will sustain a workable and working relationship among the organization, the workers, and the communities served. Conclusion Care is needed in setting out policies that translate the paradox into greater congruence among organization, workers and communities. Policy needs discussed focus on (a) worker training, (b) worker employment and deployment, and (c) funding source recognition of the paradox.
Intraoperative blood transfusion is a major risk factor for coronary artery bypass grafting in women

Background. Women have been found to have greater mortality from coronary artery bypass grafting than men. Uncertainty exists regarding the causes of the differences in outcomes between men and women after coronary artery bypass grafting. Methods. From a database of 2,569 patients having coronary bypass grafting we have determined factors that contribute to poorer outcomes in women compared with men. Results. Women were found to have greater mortality, postoperative bleeding, and postoperative pulmonary failure than men ( p p = not significant). Patient factors other than sex accounted for all the significant predictors (stepwise logistic regression) of mortality, postoperative bleeding, postoperative renal failure, postoperative pulmonary failure, postoperative stroke, need for intraaortic balloon pump, and postoperative infection ( p Conclusions. Mortality and morbidity is less in men despite their higher preoperative creatinine level, greater incidence of reoperation, lower ejection fraction, and more common atherosclerosis of the ascending aorta.
Analysis of a Leptospira interrogans locus containing DNA replication genes and a new IS, IS1502

A region of the Leptospira interrogans serovar pomona genome encoding DNA replication genes was characterized. This region, designated the ppa-ntrC locus, includes 19 open reading frames and a new insertion sequence, IS1502. Although this locus resembles replication origins from many eubacteria, it lacks several genes common to homologous loci. Some replication-related genes were previously located near rrf, and may have been moved to that location by homologous recombination between short sequence elements common to both loci. Further analysis showed that the ppa-ntrC region has undergone substantial change during spirochete evolution. Transcription analysis using RT-PCR revealed uniquely organized polycistronic mRNAs in the ppa-ntrC locus. The dnaN and recF intergenic region of serovar pomona was different from the homologous sites of 41 L. interrogans serovars by the presence of IS1502. The distribution of IS1502 throughout pathogenic Leptospira species varies. This result suggests that IS1502 may have been recently introduced into Leptospira.
Genetic Diversity in Purple Nutsedge (Cyperus rotundusL.) and Yellow Nutsedge (Cyperus esculentusL.)

Abstract Differential susceptibility of nutsedge biotypes ( Cyperus sp.) to Puccinia canaliculata, a rust fungus registered as a bioherbicide, exists. In an attempt to understand the possible genetic basis of this difference, RAPD (random amplified polymorphic DNA) analysis was used to study genetic variation within collections of purple nutsedge ( Cyperus rotundus ) and yellow nutsedge ( Cyperus esculentus ) samples obtained from different geographical locations. Expectedly, purple nutsedge genotypes differed significantly from yellow nutsedge genotypes. Purple nutsedge samples, however, showed very limited intraspecific variation, with most showing no differences. In contrast, yellow nutsedge samples showed a wide range of variation. The RAPD technique revealed a far greater level of variation in nine Californian samples than was previously shown by isozyme analysis, raising questions about the method of dispersal of this species. The uniformity of RAPD patterns in most purple nutsedge samples suggests that purple nutsedge plants may form large regional clones that are most likely propagated by asexual means. In contrast, however, the extensive variation exhibited by the yellow nutsedge samples may be attributable to dispersal by seeds produced as a consequence of sexual reproduction. These results have implications for biological control of these weed species.
Evolving water management practices in shale oil & gas development

Abstract Advances in horizontal drilling coupled with hydraulic fracturing have unlocked trillions of cubic feet (billions of cubic meters) of natural gas and billions of barrels (millions of cubic meters) of petroleum in shale plays across the United States. There are over 72,000 unconventional well sites in the United States, with anywhere from 2 to 13 million gallons (7500–49,000 cubic meters) of water used per unconventional well. While unconventional wells produce approximately 35% less waste water per unit of gas than conventional wells, the sheer number of wells and amount of oil and gas being produced means that water use has increased by as much as 500% in some areas. Such large water demands give rise to questions about water management, including acquisition, transportation, storage, treatment, and disposal. While these issues vary by play, some key concerns include competition for drinking water sources, impacts of fresh and wastewater transportation, the extent of wastewater recycling, contamination, and the effects of various treatment and disposal methods on communities and watersheds. These concerns have not been fully resolved, yet there is a noticeable, and largely quantifiable, evolution of management practices toward operating more sustainably and with smaller regional impacts. Here we explore water management issues as they arise throughout the unconventional drilling process, particularly focusing on how practices have changed since the beginning of the shale boom and how these issues vary by play.
Cultural Management of Weeds in Turfgrass

Cultural management of weeds in turfgrass is the use of mowing, fertilization, irrigation, cultivation, planting, and turfgrass selection to affect weed populations. There is consensus in the literature on a few cultural factors influencing some weeds in cool-season turfgrasses. Taller mowing height, 4 to 8 cm, depending on turfgrass, reduces populations of crabgrasses (Digitaria spp.) in Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) and fescues (Festuca spp.). A high rate of N fertilization (100-300 kg N ha -1 yr -1 ) reduces populations of crabgrasses, dandelion (Taraxacum officinale G.H. Weber ex Wiggers), and other broadleaf weeds in cool-season turfgrasses. Annual bluegrass (Poa annua L.) may be favored by this high rate of fertilization. Fertilization of turfgrasses when they are not actively growing increases weeds. Slow-growing grasses such as zoysiagrasses (Zoysia spp.) have more weeds at high N fertilization rate. Environmental stresses including drought injury, unnecessary aeration or vertical mowing, biotic stress such as nematode and insect herbivory, and diseases contribute to weed colonization. Adapted cultivars and species of turfgrasses that are genetically resistant to biotic and environmental stresses have the fewest weed problems. Adapted turfgrasses can sometimes be effectively managed in the absence of herbicides, especially if they are well established. The generalized mechanisms for cultural management of weeds are poorly understood. Research is needed on optimizing the choices of herbicide and/or cultural practices as part of an integrated management system for turfgrass.
MILITARY LASER APPLICATIONS: PROVIDING FOCUS TO NONLINEAR OPTICS R&D

Hopkins shares his view from the nonlinear optics R&D arena, looking at the military laser applications that drive and focus efforts in nonlinear optics.
Impact of biofouling on the electrochemical behaviour of 304 stainless steel in natural seawater

Biofilm formation on 304 stainless steel (S30400) does not necessarily result in an ennoblement of the corrosion potential. Instead, biofilms composed of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria from Gulf of Mexico water formed an anaerobic biofilm/metal interface and caused the corrosion potential to move in the negative direction. Biofilms from the same source containing photosynthetic diatoms in the presence of light produced aerobic biofilm/metal interfaces and a positive shift (ennoblement of the corrosion potential). Corrosion potentials of stainless steels exposed in natural seawater cannot be predicted without an understanding of the composition of the biofilm and its impact on interfacial chemistry. In this paper, measurements of corrosion potential, interfacial pH and dissolved oxygen have been correlated with SEM/EDAX surface analyses to evaluate the electrochemical behaviour of stainless steels exposed to Gulf of Mexico water. The interfacial chemistries that influence the corrosion potential are also d...
Issues in calibrating infrared seekers at low energy levels

A number of errors can occur in the calibration of infrared sources, and in the evaluation of infrared seeker sensitivity at low energy levels on automatic test equipment. Some sources of error and their potential magnitudes will be discussed in the following text. Also, the theoretical SNR of a simple radiometer in the 4- to 5-micrometer range will be discussed.© (1982) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Effect of turbulence on the particle settling velocity in the nonlinear drag range

Abstract Particle settling velocity in the nonlinear drag range is investigated using a Monte Carlo simulation for particles in a low Reynolds number, isotropic, Gaussian, pseudo turbulence. The settling velocity is affected by both the trajectory bias, which enhances the settling velocity, and the nonlinearity of the drag associated with the turbulence, which reduces the settling velocity. The effect of the trajectory bias is important in an almost frozen turbulence when the settling velocity is comparable to the turbulence and particle motion in the creeping-flow regime. For a nonfrozen turbulence, the effect of the trajectory bias on the settling velocity may be overwhelmed by the effect of the nonlinear drag associated with the turbulence. The ensemble average of the second invariant of the turbulence deformation tensor, 〈II d 〉, along the particle trajectories is obtained to characterize statistically the trajectory bias and the correlation between the particle concentration and turbulence structure. 〈II d 〉 attains its maximum value at zero settling for a given particle inertia. The effect of increasing the settling velocity leads to an exponentially decreasing 〈II d 〉 for a large settling rate, and hence a significant reduction in the trajectory bias and the concentration-structure correlation. For very small or large particle inertia, 〈II d 〉 vanishes.
Unresectable squamous cell carcinoma of the lung and its management by combined bleomycin and radiotherapy. A clinical study of the enhanced results.

The interaction between the antibiotic bleomycin and x-radiation has been studied in vitro and in vivo. Tissue culture results appear to reflect in vivo sensitivities correctly. Simultaneous exposure to bleomycin and gamma radiation enhances killing of both sensitive and resistant lines. Data from a pilot study combining bleomycin with conventional radiation for unresectable squamous cell carcinoma of the lung suggest that the simultaneous administration of bleomycin (10 mg/m2 intravenously twice weekly) with short-course radiation treatment is well tolerated and without dangerous pulmonary complications. Tumor response was greater in the combined-therapy group (46%) than in radiation-only controls (26%); median survivals were 13 and 6 months, respectively. Unlike previously published data, responders appeared to have a significant survival advantage over nonresponders, suggesting that bleomycin may be slightly effective in inhibiting the development of systemic metastasis, and that it positively enhanced local control of primary disease.
Some Implications of Medical Beliefs and Practices for Social Anthropology

A people's medical beliefs and practices persist because they answer instrumental and moral imperatives, and they are empirically effective. This is not the same thing as saying that they are effective from the standpoint of Western medical notions or that they always bring the results for which people hope. The empirical effectiveness of these practices has important ontological consequences, since it enables sickness episodes to communicate and confirm ideas about the real world.
Layer Structure Preservation during Swelling, Pillaring, and Exfoliation of a Zeolite Precursor

MCM-22(P), the precursor to zeolite MCM-22, consists of stacks of layers that can be swollen and exfoliated to produce catalytically active materials. However, the current swelling procedures result in significant degradation of crystal morphology along with partial loss of crystallinity and dissolution of the crystalline phase. Fabrication of polymer nanocomposites and coatings with MCM-22 for separation, barrier, and other applications requires a swelling method that does not alter drastically the crystal morphology and layer structure and preserves the high aspect ratio of the layers. Here, we demonstrate such a method by swelling MCM-22(P) at room temperature. The low-temperature process does not disrupt the framework connectivity present in the parent MCM-22(P) material. By extensive washing with water, the swollen material, MCM-22(PS-RT), evolves to a new ordered layered structure. Interestingly, the swelling procedure is reversible and the swollen material can be restored back to MCM-22(P) by acidification of the sample. The swollen material can also be pillared to produce an MCM-36 analogue. It can also be exfoliated, and layers can be incorporated in a polymer matrix to make nanocomposites.
Tribological performance of MoS2 compacts containing MoO3, Sb2O3 OR MoO3 and Sb2O3

Selected oxides and sulfides have been previously investigated as bulk additives to enhance the tribological performance of MoS2 in air from ambient temperature to about 315 °C. Sb2O3, in particular, has been identified as a superior additive for high temperature aerospace applications. In experiments designed to investigate a hypothesis that the superior tribological performance of MoS2-Sb2O3 formulations results from formation of an Sb2O3-MoO3 eutectic, compacts of MoS2 with MoO3, Sb2O3 or MoO3 and Sb2O3, were prepared and tribologically evaluated at 316 °C. Formulations containing Sb2O3 or MoO3 resulted in higher friction but much less wear than MoS2 compacts, with the wear volume of MoS2-MoO3 compacts at about half that of compacts containing Sb2O3. Data from compacts containing mixtures of MoO3 and Sb2O3 indicate no synergism between the additives, as would be expected if an eutectic of MoO3-Sb3O3 yields any significant benefits in MoS2-Sb2O3 formulations as hypothesized previously. In fact, X-ray diffraction and differential thermal analysis data indicated no evidence of eutectic formation. Alternatively, it is hypothesized that these soft oxides, owing to their low shear strength, permit MoS2 crystallites to retain a preferred orientation achieved during asperity contact, improving the overall tribological performance. The protective role of MoO3 in MoS2 compacts is anomalous in that MoO3, a product of the oxidation to be avoided in high temperature applications of MoS2, is tribologically beneficial in compacts with MoS2 in such applications.
Editorial for Special Issue: ACM IHI 2010 Best Papers

The ACM IHI 2010 conference took place in Arlington, Virginia during November 11 and 12. This special issue includes 9 contributions, showcasing extended versions of the conference best papers as well as the best and most representative papers of the different areas covered by the conference. It is a pleasure to write the introduction to this special issue of Springer’s Journal of Medical Systems. Dr Smalheiser and I were the two program committee cochairs for the 2010 ACM International Health Informatics Symposium (IHI 2010), the inaugural event for the new ACM Special Interest Group on Health Informatics (SIGHIT). IHI 2010 included a very diverse set of papers drawn from 246 submitted contributions, with authors from more than 30 countries. The conference, held in November 2010, featured oral as well as poster presentations of a subset of those contributed papers. Nine of these papers were selected as being the best examples of the type of research contributions that should become the hallmark of IHI in the years to come, but they also embody some of the most exciting research carried out by the lively community that supports both IHI and SIGHIT. This JOMS issue includes longer versions of these nine papers, which allowed the authors to considerably expand the papers and add additional information concerning their original research. It was also our aim to cover some of the most representative research areas seen during the conference. Therefore, it is our privilege to welcome you to read the following papers:
The Magnetic Properties of Evaporated Nickel and Iron Films

Coercive force, retentivity, and hysteresis loop forms for evaporated films of Ni and Fe.---Films of nickel and iron, produced by evaporation at low pressure, were studied with the object of verifying the reported existence of an abrupt change of coercive force at a critical thickness, and also to discover the cause of certain peculiar hysteresis loop forms. Critical thickness was found for iron films at approximately 50 m\ensuremath{\mu}, in satisfactory agreement with Sorensen. At this thickness the coercive force changes abruptly from the high value of approximately 100 for thinner films. The observations were made upon films deposited on a base of aluminum foil,.0025 cm in thickness. The foil was heated previous to and during deposit. No such critical thickness was observed in nickel. Peculiar hysteresis loops were found. Nickel films unheated have very narrow loops, with magnetic induction nearly proportional to the field up to 139 gauss, where the induction is one-third to one-half that of the metal in bulk. Films heated previous to and during deposit give a magnetic induction at 139 gauss that is approximately three times as great, or like that of metal in bulk. But the retentivity and coercive force increase five-fold and become less like those of the metal in bulk. In similarly heated films of iron, these last two magnetic properties are also much greater than with metal in bulk. The peculiarities of the films are probably caused by the nature of the crystalline state. To what extent the phenomena depend upon the presence of the aluminum base is yet to be ascertained. The present view is that the presence of gas alters the crystal growth. On the whole the experiments seem to emphasize the importance of the influence of the crystalline state upon magnetic properties.
Comparison of analytic models for estimating the effect of clinical factors on the cost of coronary artery bypass graft surgery

Abstract The cost of treating disease depends on patient characteristics, but standard tools for analyzing the clinical predictors of cost have deficiencies. To explore whether survival analysis techniques might overcome some of these deficiencies in the analysis of cost data, we compared ordinary least square (OLS) linear regression (with and without transformation of the data) and binary logistic regression with two survival models: the Cox proportional hazards model and a parametric model assuming a Weibull distribution. Each model was applied to data from 155 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. We examined the effects of age, sex, ejection fraction, unstable angina, and number of diseased vessels on univariable and multivariable predictions of costs. The significant univariable predictors of cost were consistent in all models: ejection fraction was significant in all five models, and age and number of diseased vessels were each significant in all but the OLS model, while sex and angina type were significant in none of the models. The significant multivariable predictors of cost, however, differed according to model: ejection fraction was a significant multivariable predictor of cost in all five models, age was significant in three models, and number of diseased vessels was significant in one model. All five models were also used to predict the costs for an average patient undergoing surgery. The Cox model provided the most accurate predictions of mean cost, median cost, and the proportion of patients with high cost. This study shows: (1) lower ejection fraction and older age are independent clinical predictors of increased cost of CABG, and (2) the Cox proportional hazards model shows considerable promise for the analysis of the impact of clinical factors upon cost.
A stochastic model for dual label experiments: an analysis of the heterogeneity of S phase duration

We develop a statistical approach for the study of S phase duration in experiments using sequential pulses of two thymidine analogues. Cell entrance into S phase is assumed to follow a possibly nonhomogeneous Poisson process, and the duration in S phase independently follows an unspecified distribution, thus allowing the possibility of variable S phase duration times for cells. Several conclusions regarding experimental design considerations are reached. The availability of three labelled cell subgroups comprising cells receiving exactly one of the two thymidine analogues or receiving both thymidine analogues at least doubles the efficiency of the mean S phase duration estimate compared to conventional estimates based on two labelled groups. Increasing the duration between the two thymidine analogue pulses can also dramatically increase the efficiency. The modelling technique was applied to fourteen uveal melanomas from patients who received in vivo injections of two thymidine analogues, bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUrd) and iododeoxyuridine (IdUrd). Counts of labelled cells were consistent with steady-state time homogeneous entry into S phase and nonhomogeneous spatial entry into S phase.
The business of stem cells.

Professor Debora Spar argues that the commercial consequences of U.S. policy are staggering. The future of stem-cell research is likely to be driven as much by markets as by science.
Effect of Microbubble Size on Fundamental Mode High Frequency Ultrasound Imaging in Mice

High-frequency ultrasound imaging using microbubble (MB) contrast agents is becoming increasingly popular in pre-clinical and small animal studies of anatomy, flow and vascular expression of molecular epitopes. Currently, in vivo imaging studies rely on highly polydisperse microbubble suspensions, which may provide a complex and varied acoustic response. To study the effect of individual microbubble size populations, microbubbles of 1-2 microm, 4-5 microm and 6-8 microm diameter were isolated using the technique of differential centrifugation. Size-selected microbubbles were imaged in the mouse kidney over a range of concentrations using a Visualsonics Vevo 770 ultrasound imaging system (Visualsonics, Toronto, Ontario, Canada) with a 40-MHz probe in fundamental mode. Results demonstrate that contrast enhancement and circulation persistence are strongly dependent on microbubble size and concentration. Large microbubbles (4-5 and 6-8 microm) strongly enhanced the ultrasound image with positive contrast, while 1-2 microm microbubbles showed little enhancement. For example, the total integrated contrast enhancement, measured by the area under the time-intensity curve (AUC), increased 16-fold for 6-8 microm diameter microbubbles at 5 x 10(7) MB/bolus compared with 4-5 microm microbubbles at the same concentration. Interestingly, 1-2 microm diameter microbubbles, at any concentration, did not measurably enhance the integrated ultrasound signal at tissue depth, but did noticeably attenuate the signal, indicating that they had a low scattering-to-attenuation ratio. When concentration matched, larger microbubbles were more persistent in circulation. However, when volume matched, all microbubble sizes had a similar circulation half-life. These results indicated that dissolution of the gas core plays a larger role in contrast elimination than filtering by the lungs and spleen. The results of this study show that microbubbles can be tailored for optimal contrast enhancement in fundamental mode imaging.
Moral activity and domain theory : an alternative interpretation of research with young children

Abstract This paper explores some developmental issues concerning the theory of moral development as articulated by Turiel and his colleagues and commonly referred to as "domain theory." We contend that domain theory has difficulty as a theory of moral development for three reasons: (1) lost in a profusion of studies which demonstrate that domain distinctions exist at very young ages, it neglects the question of how the domains develop; (2) it neglects the sociohistorical aspects of the development of domains (e.g., moral and conventional) as well as development within the domains; and (3) it fails to recognize that developmental implications of individual differences in the development and recognition of domains. An alternative interpretation to the findings that young children make domain distinctions at very young ages, drawn from ideas proposed by A. N. Leontiev, suggests that young children′s responses to moral transgressions are based in part on their reactions to the observable consequences of activities, rather than on a conceptual understanding of these activities. We also draw on Vygotsky′s notion of the pseudoconcept and suggest that while children may make domain distinctions that resemble adult thinking, they think about these moral issues in ways that are qualitatively different from adult thought. That is, their thinking is characterized by the moral pseudoconcept, rather than a true conceptual understanding of morality. We suggest future research that pays close attention to children′s perceptions and understanding of the consequences of moral activity and how these perceptions and understandings change and develop over time.
An Environmental Assessment Of Enhanced Oil Recovery

The objective of this assessment is to quantify some of the environmental effects of a significant increase in United States oil production by tertiary or enhanced oil recovery (EOR) methods. The problems associated with each EOR technology are discussed and controls and regulations are briefly summarised. A tertiary oil production scenario for the United States was developed focussing only on mainland fields in the lower 48 states. It included all of the EOR methods expected to be in use during the next two decades. The environmental impacts, including water requirements, air emissions and generation of solid wastes, are then scaled to this scenario. The effects of control technologies and state regulations are considered. A comparison is also made between the impacts of EOR as an energy source and impacts associated with coal and synthetic fuels which concludes that EOR is preferable in many respects. There are environmental risks associated with EOR technologies, specific projects and specific fields in the production scenario; however, most problems are solvable by responsible regulation, enforcement of regulations and application of the best professional engineering by project operators.
Oscillatory flow patterns in patients with aortic valve disease

Abstract The directional Doppler velocity detector was used in 10 normal adult subjects and 42 patients with aortic valve disease to define the flow velocity patterns associated with each of the valvular lesions and to determine how they are altered by repair or replacement of the aortic valve. The patients with aortic stenosis and aortic stenosis plus insufficiency were found to have a much greater time interval from onset of systole to peak ejection than control subjects. The average value in patients with aortic insufficiency and those with mitral valve disease plus aortic insufficiency was slightly less than normal. This time interval decreased after surgery in all patients with aortic stenosis and aortic stenosis plus aortic insufficiency, whereas there was no consistent change in those with aortic insufficiency or with mitral valve disease plus aortic insufficiency. Reverse flow was present in the femoral arterial tracing of all control subjects, and the simultaneous occurrence of forward and reverse flow was consistently demonstrated. The degree of flow reversal was less in the brachial artery and absent in all but 1 of the radial arterial tracings of these normal individuals. The magnitude and duration of retrograde flow was greatest in the patients with aortic regurgitation, and in many of these cases it was marked in the radial artery. Reversal of flow was not present in the radial artery of patients with pure aortic stenosis. In the patients with aortic stenosis, the duration and magnitude of reverse flow tended to increase after surgery. Postoperatively there was usually a decrease in the duration of reverse flow in the group with aortic insufficiency and the group with aortic stenosis plus aortic insufficiency. The average peak reverse flow decreased after correction of aortic insufficiency but was essentially unchanged in the group with aortic stenosis plus aortic insufficiency.
hCG-induced TSH receptor activation and growth acceleration in FRTL-5 thyroid cells.

Our previous studies have indicated specificity cross-over between LH/hCG and the TSH receptor. We have now analyzed the ability of the TSH-dependent Fisher Rat thyroid cell line (FRTL-5) to proliferate in a differentiated state under the influence of highly purified hCG (hCG-CR121). TSH receptor activation and growth induction were observed after 7 days suspension from a TS1I-induced growth phase. The effect of 10 ug hCG-CR121 was equivalent to 500±43 (mean+SEM) uIU of human TSH (2nd IRP, 80/558) with reference to growth stimulation, as judged by 72-h [3H]-thymidine uptake and to approximately 15±35 uIU human TSH with reference to receptor activation as judged by cylic AMP accumulation. These date demonstrate specificity cross-over by hCG for the TSHdependent FRTL-5 cell line and suggest that hCG has greater growth-stimulating than thyroid-stimulating potential when compared with human TSH.