cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A new spectrophotometric method for the micro determination of sulfuric acid esters in sulfatide fractions

A new micro method has been developed for measuring sulfatide fractions. Sulfuric acid ester absorption is measured at 8.02 μm (μ) by infrared spectrophotometry, compared with that of a standard sulfatide, and corrected for phosphorus. General problems in measuring sulfatides are noted; procedural details, control studies, advantages, and limitations of the present method are discussed.
Recent advances in durable sapphire windows for visible to MWIR and UV applications

Sapphire is being used more frequently as an optical window material in conjunction with optical sensors operations in the UV and in the visible to MWIR bands. This paper addresses two related development efforts. The first is associated with the development of a thick Al2O3 coating to be deposited over gridded sapphire windows operating in the visible to MWIR optical band. This coating serves as an environmental barrier - in particular to protect the grids against high-speed rain impact. The second is associated with the optimization of the optical transmittance properties of the environmental barrier for UV applications. This paper describes each area of development, the resulting coatings, the highly successful performance results achieved.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Perinatal exposure to alcohol: implications for lung development and disease

In utero alcohol exposure dramatically increases the risk of premature delivery. However, the majority of premature and term newborns exposed to alcohol remain undetected by medical caregivers. There is a desperate need for reliable and accurate biomarkers of alcohol exposure for the term and premature newborn population. The inability to identify the exposed newborn severely limits our understanding of alcohol's pathophysiological effects on developing organs such as the lung. This chapter will review potential advancements in future biomarkers of alcohol exposure for the newborn population. We will discuss alcohol's effects on redox homeostasis and cellular development of the neonatal lung. Finally, we will present the evidence describing in utero alcohol's derangement of innate and adaptive immunity and risk for infectious complications in the lung. Continued investigations into the identification and understanding of the mechanisms of alcohol-induced alterations in the premature lung will advance the care of this vulnerable patient population.
Optimal Retirement Portfolios: Social Security Personal Accounts in the Context of the Four Pillars

The United States debate on Social Security reform is centered on the transition of the public pension system from a pure defined benefit plan to one that would include individual defined contribution accounts. Largely missing from the debate on personal accounts are analyses of potential interactions with other Social Security programmes and the aggregate shift in risk burdens concerning retirement security. This paper provides insights into both issues within the context of personal accounts and the four pillars. We argue that a transition to a personal account system places additional stress on other Social Security programmes and shifts retirement security risk burdens from the national government to individual households. As well, the change would not effectively reduce potential long-run liabilities for the national government since U.S. society is unlikely to tolerate increases in elderly poverty or homelessness. Indeed, potential long-run liabilities may be greater due to the increased investment and longevity risks that would be borne by households.
Altered exopolysaccharides of Bradyrhizobium japonicum mutants correlate with impaired soybean lectin binding, but not with effective nodule formation.

The exact mechanism(s) of infection and symbiotic development between rhizobia and legumes is not yet known, but changes in rhizobial exopolysaccharides (EPSs) affect both infection and nodule development of the legume host. Early events in the symbiotic process between Bradyrhizobium japonicum and soybean (Glycinemax [L.] Merr.) were studied using two mutants, defective in soybean lectin (SBL) binding, which had been generated from B. japonicum 2143 (USDA 3I-1b-143 derivative) by Tn5 mutagenesis. In addition to their SBL-binding deficiency, these mutants produced less EPS than the parental strain. The composition of EPS varied with the genotype and with the carbon source used for growth. When grown on arabinose, gluconate, or mannitol, the wild-type parental strain, B. japonicum 2143, produced EPS typical of DNA homology group I Bradyrhizobium, designated EPS I. When grown on malate, strain 2143 produced a different EPS composed only of galactose and its acetylated derivative and designated EPS II. Mutant 1252 produced EPS II when grown on arabinose or malate, but when grown on gluconate or mannitol, mutant 1252 produced a different EPS comprised of glucose, galactose, xylose and glucuronic acid (1:5:1:1) and designated EPS III. Mutant 1251, grown on any of these carbon sources, produced EPS III. The EPS of strain 2143 and mutant 1252 contained SBL-binding polysaccharide. The amount of the SBL-binding polysaccharide produced by mutant 1252 varied with the carbon source used for growth. The capsular polysaccharide (CPS) produced by strain 2143 during growth on arabinose, gluconate or mannitol, showed a high level of SBL binding, whereas CPS produced during growth of strain 2143 on malate showed a low level of SBL binding. However, the change in EPS composition and SBL binding of strain 2143 grown on malate did not affect the wild-type nodulation and nitrogen fixation phenotype of 2143. Mutant 1251, which produced EPS III, nodulated 2 d later than parental strain 2143, but formed effective, nitrogen-fixing tap root nodules. Mutant 1252, which produced either EPS II or III, however nodulated 5–6 d later and formed few and ineffective tap root nodules. Restoration of EPS I production in mutant 1252 correlated with restored SBL binding, but not with wild-type nodulation and nitrogen fixation.
Medroxyprogesterone Acetate (MPA) Inhibits Pituitary-Independent Steroidogenesis by Inhibiting 3 β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type II (3 β-HSDII)

Medroxyprogesterone Acetate (MPA) Inhibits Pituitary-Independent Steroidogenesis by Inhibiting 3 β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type II (3 β-HSDII)
The Energy Storage System for a 3.5-Megajoule Magnetic Compression Experiment

The Scylla experimental program has shown that a small volume of high temperature (>107°K) plasma can be produced by the application of a fast-rising, sinusoidal, axial magnetic field to a volume of partially ionized deuterium gas. The apparatus described was designed to produce a plasma with the same final density and temperature as in a net energy-producing plasma but for a much shorter containment time. However, the magnetic half period will be of sufficient length to allow the stability problem to be studied thoroughly. The engineering aspects of the 3.5 Mjoule experiment, Scylla IV, are discussed in detail. The basic problems in the design are those of minimizing the source inductance, providing electrical insulation for tens of kilovolts and providing transmission systems and switches capable of handling currents of 20 to 30 megamperes. The design of the capacitor banks, switching system, cabling and cable headers, and collector plates is described.
Rotavirus Diarrhoea in Apache Children: A Case-Control Study

A case-control study of rotavirus diarrhoea in Apache children up to two years old was conducted at the White Mountain Apache reservation from 1 May through 15 December 1985 to identify risk factors for rotavirus diarrhoea. The mothers of fifty cases, forty-five hospital controls and twenty-five neighbourhood controls participated in this study. Exposure to other children with diarrhoea stood out as the single most important factor for acquiring rotavirus diarrhoea (Odds ratio = 14.0). Other significant risk factors were living in homes with septic tanks and in homes with 'poor environmental sanitation.'. Minimizing contacts of children with diarrhoea therefore would be the most effective measure in preventing the spread of this disease in the community.
Calculation of amino acid pKaS in a protein from a continuum electrostatic model: Method and sensitivity analysis

We used continuum electrostatic theory to calculate pKas of amino acids in protein. A Green's function formalism, based on a finite-difference solution to the Poisson–Boltzmann equation for a unit point charge, yields electrostatic potentials that allow calculation of amino acid pKas to an estimated accuracy of tenths of a pKa unit. Improvements over previous methods include the ability to focus the finite difference grid to arbitrarily small grid spacing, an analytical representation of the molecular surface, and a novel procedure to calculate the reaction field potential. Using this method, we performed a sensitivity analysis of calculated pKas in the photosynthetic reaction center. Calculated pKas are most sensitive for residues that are not well-exposed to solvent. Variations in the parameters of the continuum electrostatic model cause pKa shifts that are larger than the accuracy of the numerical method, but probably not large enough to account for some of the discrepancies between calculated and experimentally measured pKas that have been reported for the reaction center. © 1996 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Barriers to rational decision-making in environmental planning

Abstract Comparison of radically different solutions to environmental problems is often demanding in terms of knowledge-based clarification of decision criteria, as the options’ consequences tend to vary along many variables. The idea of ‘optimal’ solutions is often difficult to apply in a meaningful way in such situations. The rationality of decisions must rather be addressed through analyses of the processes that preceded them. Ideas of rational discourse have been developed that are adapted to this approach. The perspectives of Foucault and Habermas are applied in an analysis of a case of wastewater management in a Norwegian municipality. The paper addresses the importance of trust and knowledge to rational discourse, as well as the dependence of these on power embedded in inert discursive structures. It is argued that early in the planning process, explicit debate among all parties involved on basic value premises and ensuing decision criteria is essential in order to prevent the public debate from being distorted by existent tacit discursive structures.
Energy Efficiency of Legged Robot Locomotion With Elastically-Suspended Loads Over a Range of Suspension Stiffnesses

Elastically suspending a load from humans and animals can increase the energy efficiency of legged locomotion and load carrying. Similarly, elastically-suspended loads have the potential to increase the energy efficiency of legged robot locomotion. External loads and the inherent mass of a legged robot, such as batteries, electronics, and fuel, can be elastically-suspended from the robot chassis with a passive compliant suspension system, reducing the energetic cost of locomotion. In prior work, we developed a simple model to examine the effect of elastically-suspended loads on the energy cost of locomotion from first principles. In this paper, we present experimental results showing the energy cost of locomotion for a simple hexapod robot over a range of suspension stiffness values. Elastically-suspended loads were shown to reduce the energy cost of locomotion by up to 20% versus a rigidly-attached load. We compare the experimental results to the theoretical results predicted by the simple model.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Event-related brain potentials preceding speech and nonspeech oral movements of varying complexity.

Cortical preparation for movement is reflected in the readiness potential (RP) waveform preceding voluntary limb movements. In the case of oral movements, the RP may be affected by the complexity o...
A methodology for analysis of 002 lattice fringe images and its application to combustion-derived carbons

Abstract A technique is presented for semi-quantitative digital analysis of 002 lattice fringe images of carbon materials. The automated technique yields statistics on fringe length and tortuosity, as well as new quantitative parameters describing the mode, degree, and length scale of orientational order among graphene layers. The technique is applied to combustion-derived carbons with special emphasis on the nanostructural characterization of a variety of solid fuel chars as a function of residence time. During the combustion of pulverized coal and biomass (120 ms at 1700–1900 K), the main features of char nanostructure are established early, near the end of the rapid, in-flame pyrolysis. Only for the high-volatile bituminous coals is the nanostructural order in the young chars significantly altered by the subsequent char combustion process. A noteworthy general observation is the presence of two distinct length scales for orientational order in most chars. At short length scales ( 30 A), a lesser but significant degree of orientational order is still present among the distinct domains. Quantitative analysis of this low-grade long-range order using Maier–Saupe theory indicates that it cannot arise by a liquid crystal mechanism. Long-range orientational order in these samples can thus be classified as ‘mesophasic’, exhibiting a high degree of order arising through liquid crystal formation in the fluid phase of pyrolysis (or retention of anisotropy in very high rank coals), and ‘statistical’, perhaps arising from elongational strain during carbonization.
Actin-induced Closure of the Actin-binding Cleft of Smooth Muscle Myosin

The putative actin-binding interface of myosin is separated by a large cleft that extends into the base of the nucleotide binding pocket, suggesting that it may be important for mediating the nucleotide-dependent changes in the affinity for myosin on actin. We have genetically engineered a truncated version of smooth muscle myosin containing the motor domain and the essential light chain-binding region (MDE), with a single tryptophan residue at position 425 (F425W-MDE) in the actin-binding cleft. Steady-state fluorescence of F425W-MDE demonstrates that Trp-425 is in a more solvent-exposed conformation in the presence of MgATP than in the presence of MgADP or absence of nucleotide, consistent with closure of the actin-binding cleft in the strongly bound states of MgATPase cycle for myosin. Transient kinetic experiments demonstrate a direct correlation between the rates of strong actin binding and the conformation of Trp-425 in the actin-binding cleft, and suggest the existence of a novel conformation of myosin not previously seen in solution or by x-ray crystallography. Thus, these results directly demonstrate that: 1) the conformation of the actin-binding cleft mediates the affinity of myosin for actin in a nucleotide-dependent manner, and 2) actin induces conformational changes in myosin required to generate force and motion during muscle contraction.
Some stability techniques for multistep methods

A partial survey is given of sundry results in the stability theory of multistep formulae when these are used to integrate time-varying or nonlinear stiff systems, with emphasis on systems arising in circuit analysis.
A Factorial Study of Labor Arbitration Cases

Summary A Factor analysis of issues involved in labor arbitration cases was undertaken in order to determine if seemingly independent grievance issues may, in fact, be related to more basic underlying factors. A sample of 120 arbitration cases was drawn from those appearing in the Prentice-Hall arbitration series. Two judges independently classified the issues involved in each case according to 17 grievance categories. These 17 grievance categories were intercorrelated and factored by use of the centroid method. Five grievance factors were extracted and identified as (A) Economic Security, (B) Control of Job Environment, (C) Job Status and Recognition, (D) Union Security, and (E) Power Relations. It was concluded that the grievance cases considered in this study resulted from dissatisfactions which could be classified by these five grievance factors. This seems to suggest that the numerous grievance factors generally associated with arbitrations are indeed superfluous and, in fact, may be represented by only five factors, the most important of which seems to be Economic Security.
A Theoretical Treatment of the Absorption and Emission Properties of Cu(II) Porphyrin

Abstract We examine the electronic spectrum of Cu(II) porphyrin using the intermediate neglect of differential overlap model. The isolated molecule is predicted to have trip-doublet absorption, corresponding to porphyrin triplets, at 9000 and 13900 cm−1. The Q band is calculated at 15900 cm−1, in good agreement with experiment. We find that coordinating with ligands such as pyridine in the fifth position leads to a state in energy below the Q band that is mostly d(z2) → d(x2−y2) but with appreciable a2u(π) → d(x2−y2) character. We postulate that the presence of this state quenches the emission when Cu(II) porphyrins are complexed with strong base ligands.
Revenue and expenditure variance analyses for local governments

Abstract Managerial accounting techniques do not appear to be widely applied to local governmental units by accounting educators. This article explains how variance analysis procedures used in the private sector can be modified for analysis of governmental operations to identify the components contributing to changes in actual revenues or expenditures from year to year. Specifically, changes in funding levels due to inflation, population and funding decisions are isolated. The changes due to funding decisions are desegregated further to determine the extent of shifts in funds and the proportional share of the remaining increase or decrease in funds. This latter “shift and share” component of the analyses (similar to mix variance computations) can more clearly identify the funding emphasis of the local political unit.
Concentrations of lead, cadmium and barium in urban garden-grown vegetables: The impact of soil variables

Paired vegetable/soil samples from New York City and Buffalo, NY, gardens were analyzed for lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) and barium (Ba). Vegetable aluminum (Al) was measured to assess soil adherence. Soil and vegetable metal concentrations did not correlate; vegetable concentrations varied by crop type. Pb was below health-based guidance values (EU standards) in virtually all fruits. 47% of root crops and 9% of leafy greens exceeded guidance values; over half the vegetables exceeded the 95th percentile of market-basket concentrations for Pb. Vegetable Pb correlated with Al; soil particle adherence/incorporation was more important than Pb uptake via roots. Cd was similar to market-basket concentrations and below guidance values in nearly all samples. Vegetable Ba was much higher than Pb or Cd, although soil Ba was lower than soil Pb. The poor relationship between vegetable and soil metal concentrations is attributable to particulate contamination of vegetables and soil characteristics that influence phytoavailability.
Acquisition and extinction of runway performance under escape, avoidance, and partial-avoidance procedures*

The acquisition and extinction of locomotor responses of rats in a straight alley were examined for groups trained under escape, partial-avoidance, and avoidance procedures. During acquisition, one group (escape) received a 0-sec delay between being dropped into the alley and the onset of shock; two groups (partial avoidance) had 0.5- and 1-sec delays; and two groups (avoidance) had delays of 2 and 4 sec. On the final day of acquisition, the partial-avoidance rats displayed higher running speeds than either the escape- or avoidance-trained animals. The 4-sec avoidance group was consistently slower than all other groups. Speeds for all groups decreased during extinction, with rate of decline showing some relation to terminal acquisition level. Relative group performance levels proved to be consistent with a simple arithmetic model based on the assumption that changes in running speeds affect the aversiveness of the situation by altering US duration, CS duration, and effective US length.
Surface structure determination from ion scattering images

Abstract Spatial- and time-resolved, element-specific images which represent real-space projections of the interatomic vectors in a surface have been obtained for kiloelectron-volt scattered He and Ar and recoiled Pt atoms from Pt{111}. Spatial-dispersion results from blocking and focusing by “atomic lenses” into structure-sensitive patterns, forming the basis for a scattering and recoiling imaging spectrometry. The technique is coupled with classical ion trajectory simulations for determination of the Pt{111} surface relaxation for which previous low energy electron diffraction and ion scattering measurements have produced controversial results. Pt{111} has become a standard for surface science measurements, and accurate determination of its surface relaxation is important for use as a standard and for verifying and calibrating theories of relaxation and reconstruction.
Males Slings: Compressive versus Repositioning

Postprostatectomy urinary incontinence is a disorder that often has a devastating effect on quality of life for those who suffer from it. The artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) has become the gold standard for the treatment of this disorder, but this prosthetic device is expensive, requires manual manipulation, and is associated with mechanical failure. Slings to treat postprostatectomy urinary incontinence are not new; they date back to at least 1951 [1]. The failures of these early sling operations as well as other procedures for treatment of postprostatectomy urinary incontinence led in part to the development of the AUS [2]. Despite the success of the AUS, there has been a renewed interest in
Routine preoperative laboratory analyses are unnecessary before elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Background: We formulated a clinical pathway (CP) for elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC), which included the following preoperative evaluation: history and physical (HP two had abnormal HP three had abnormal US; and four had abnormal LFTs. No patient with choledocholithiasis had abnormal LFTs but normal H&P and US. Conclusions: Routine LFTs before elective LC are not cost effective. Before LC H&P and US are warranted, but LFTs do not add any useful information and should not be routinely measured.
Systems Architecting Methodology for Space Transportation Infrastructure

Evaluation of launch architectures requires the assessment of options over a range of dimensions, which can be broadly grouped into technical performance, time to initial capability, cost, and satisfaction of stakeholders’ various needs. The challenge is to fairly compare a broad range of architectures across these dimensions. This paper presents a systems architecting methodology for comprehensive but transparent exploration of available options for future space transportation infrastructure, as applied to a super heavy lift launch infrastructure case study. The methodology supports investigation of the tradeoffs associated with stage propellant selection, launch vehicle configuration, and other relevant design parameters. The study considers potential low-Earth-orbit-class vehicles derived from the baseline vehicle to deliver early benefit from the heavy lift vehicle and provide an ongoing cost effective low-Earth-orbit service. The technical assessment methodology is validated against existing launch v...
Full-wave algorithm to model effects of bedding slopes on the response of subsurface electromagnetic geophysical sensors near unconformities

We propose a full-wave pseudo-analytical numerical electromagnetic (EM) algorithm to model subsurface induction sensors, traversing planar-layered geological formations of arbitrary EM material anisotropy and loss, which are used, for example, in the exploration of hydrocarbon reserves. Unlike past pseudo-analytical planar-layered modeling algorithms that impose parallelism between the formation's bed junctions, our method involves judicious employment of Transformation Optics techniques to address challenges related to modeling relative slope (i.e., tilting) between said junctions (including arbitrary azimuth orientation of each junction). The algorithm exhibits this flexibility, both with respect to loss and anisotropy in the formation layers as well as junction tilting, via employing special planar slabs that coat each "flattened" (i.e., originally tilted) planar interface, locally redirecting the incident wave within the coating slabs to cause wave fronts to interact with the flattened interfaces as if they were still tilted with a specific, user-defined orientation. Moreover, since the coating layers are homogeneous rather than exhibiting continuous material variation, a minimal number of these layers must be inserted and hence reduces added simulation time and computational expense. As said coating layers are not reflectionless however, they do induce artificial field scattering that corrupts legitimate field signatures due to the (effective) interface tilting. Numerical results, for two half-spaces separated by a tilted interface, quantify error trends versus effective interface tilting, material properties, transmitter/receiver spacing, sensor position, coating slab thickness, and transmitter and receiver orientation, helping understand the spurious scattering's effect on reliable (effective) tilting this algorithm can model. Under the effective tilting constraints suggested by the results of said error study, we finally exhibit responses of sensors traversing three-layered media, where we vary the anisotropy, loss, and relative tilting of the formations and explore the sensitivity of the sensor's complex-valued measurements to both the magnitude of effective relative interface tilting (polar rotation) as well as azimuthal orientation of the effectively tilted interfaces.
The similiarity of facial expressions in response to emotion-inducing films in reared-apart twins.

BackgroundWhile the role of genetic factors in self-report measures of emotion has been frequently studied, we know little about the degree to which genetic factors influence emotional facial expressions.MethodTwenty-eight pairs of monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins from the Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart were shown three emotion-inducing films and their facial responses recorded. These recordings were blindly scored by trained raters. Ranked correlations between twins were calculated controlling for age and sex.ResultsTwin pairs were significantly correlated for facial expressions of general positive emotions, happiness, surprise and anger, but not for general negative emotions, sadness, or disgust or average emotional intensity. MZ pairs (n=18) were more correlated than DZ pairs (n=10) for most but not all emotional expressions.ConclusionsSince these twin pairs had minimal contact with each other prior to testing, these results support significant genetic effects on the facial display of at least some human emotions in response to standardized stimuli. The small sample size resulted in estimated twin correlations with very wide confidence intervals.
Microwave synthesis of nanocarbons from conducting polymers

Bulk quantities of nanocarbons having pre-selected morphology can be synthesized in a simple and rapid microwave heating approach directly from conducting polymers.
Embedded Autonomy and Uneven Metropolitan Development: A Comparison of the Detroit and Nagoya Auto Regions, 1969-2000:

This article compares the relationship between national embeddedness and metropolitan development in the Detroit and Nagoya auto regions. Based upon literature, descriptive data and in-depth interviews with 140 development officials in these 2 regions, it finds that, over the past 30 years, the US governmental system, its national approach to development and a lack of institutional support for metropolitan planning, have produced fiercely competitive interlocal relations. These elements have also exacerbated conditions of uneven metropolitan development in the Detroit auto region. Conversely, it argues that Japan's embedded autonomy has produced extremely co-operative intermunicipal relations and has helped to facilitate relatively balanced growth in the Nagoya auto region, during this same period. In other words, despite arguments against it, the spatial configurations of metropolitan areas in the US and Japan continue to be embedded or nested within their national (and sub-national) contexts.
ENFERMEDADES DEL SUEÑO EN EL RECIEN NACIDO

Sleep disorders in the newborn. Sleep disorders are classified in dyssomnias, parasomnias, sleep disorder associated with medical and psychiatric disorders and proposed sleep disorders. Only the parasomnias have been studied as such in the newborn period. The parasomnias that occur in this age group are infant sleep apnea, congenital central hypoventilation syndrome, sudden infant death syndrome, and benign neonatal sleep myoclonus. Infant sleep apnea includes three entities: (1) apnea of prematurity, (2), apparent life threatening episodes with apnea and (3) obstructive sleep apnea. Congenital central hypoventilation syndrome can be associated with other autonomic system illness, such as Hirschsprung disease (Haddad syndrome) and neuroblastoma. The implementation of the supine sleep position and smoking free homes has diminished the frequency of sudden infant death syndrome. Benign neonatal sleep myoclonus should be considered in all newborns with a normal exam between the episodes when they always occur during sleep. This entity may be mistaken for status epilepticus, because it is associated with increases in heart rate. Benzodiazepines prolongs the duration of the episodes.
Unconditionally secure communications over fading channels

In this paper, we propose a novel method for two communicates to exchange a secret over a public wireless fading channel. Unlike conventional computationally secure public key methods, this technique is information theoretic and unconditionally secure provided that a component of the reciprocal channel fading over time between the two communicates is statistically independent with the channel fading from either communicate to the eavesdropper. This technique may be particularly well suited to secure tactical mobile communications. A simple protocol suitable for a lognormal shadowed fading channel is described and its key exchange rate is derived.
Authigenic Marine Phyllosilicates Near Hawaii

Amorphous to weakly crystalline detrital muds, eroded from tropically weathered basalt, apparently are rapidly forming illite and montmorillonite in the marine environment near the Hawaiian Islands. Seaward changes in alumina-silica ratios, nonexchangeable cations, and mineralogy, as well as young K-Ar ages, support the interpretation that a substantial part of the marine clay near the Islands is authigenic. Other investigators have shown that part of the marine chlorite has replaced gibbsite. The evidence is not sufficient to show what amount of the kaolinite also found in the muds, if any, is authigenic. These results support the theory that reactions between ocean water and silicates are a major factor in alkali ion fixation and p H control of the oceans.
Pathogenesis of Renal Disease Due to Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli in Germ-Free Mice

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) is a food-borne pathogen that causes hemorrhagic colitis and acute renal failure. We used a germ-free mouse model to investigate the role of host factors, Shiga toxin 2 (Stx2), and bacterial strain in disease due to EHEC. Germ-free male and female Swiss-Webster mice that were 3 days to 12 weeks old were orally inoculated with 1 of 10 EHEC strains or derivatives of two of these strains with Stx2 deleted. All inoculated mice became infected regardless of the inoculum dose. All bacterial strains colonized the intestines, reaching levels of 109 to 1012 CFU/g of feces by 4 days after inoculation. Seven of the 10 wild-type strains caused disease. However, the two Stx2 deletion mutants, unlike the Stx2+ parental strains, did not cause disease. The clinical signs of disease in mice included lethargy, dehydration, polyuria, polydypsia, and death. Postmortem examination of affected mice revealed dehydration and luminal cecal fluid accumulation. Histologic examination revealed close adherence of bacteria to the intestinal epithelium in the ileum and cecum but not in the colon. Other lesions included progressive renal tubular necrosis, glomerular fibrin thrombosis, and red blood cell sludging. The severity of disease varied according to the bacterial strain and age, but not sex, of the host. This study demonstrated that EHEC colonizes germ-free mice in large numbers, adheres to the intestinal epithelium, and causes luminal cecal fluid accumulation and progressive renal failure. The disease in mice was Stx2 and bacterial strain dependent. This animal model should be a useful tool for studying the pathogenesis of renal disease secondary to EHEC infection.
On the compressibility of the alkali metals

Abstract A detailed comparison of shock wave and static compression data for alkali metals reveals serious inconsistencies above 40 kbar. The reduction of shock wave results is reviewed, and the Bridgman high-pressure data on the alkali metals are described. It is shown that the most likely cause of this disagreement is inaccuracy in the static high-pressure data.
Early alterations in blood and brain RANTES and MCP-1 expression and the effect of exercise frequency in the 3xTg-AD mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease

Exercise has been shown to protect against cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression, however the dose of exercise required to protect against AD is unknown. Recent studies show that the pathological processes leading to AD cause characteristic alterations in blood and brain inflammatory proteins that are associated with the progression of AD, suggesting that these markers could be used to diagnosis and monitor disease progression. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of exercise frequency on AD blood chemokine profiles, and correlate these findings with chemokine brain expression changes in the triple transgenic AD (3xTg-AD) mouse model. Three month old 3xTg-AD mice were subjected to 12 weeks of moderate intensity wheel running at a frequency of either 1×/week or 3×/week. Blood and cortical tissue were analyzed for expression of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) and regulated and normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES). Alterations in blood RANTES and MCP-1 expression were evident at 3 and 6 month old animals compared to WT animals. Three times per week exercise but not 1×/week exercise was effective at reversing serum and brain RANTES and MCP-1 expression to the levels of WT controls, revealing a dose dependent response to exercise. Analysis of these chemokines showed a strong negative correlation between blood and brain expression of RANTES. The results indicate that alterations in serum and brain inflammatory chemokines are evident as early signs of Alzheimer's disease pathology and that higher frequency exercise was necessary to restore blood and brain inflammatory expression levels in this AD mouse model.
Age-related and disease-related muscle loss: the effect of diabetes, obesity, and other diseases

Summary The term sarcopenia refers to the loss of muscle mass that occurs with ageing. On the basis of study results showing that muscle mass is only moderately related to functional outcomes, international working groups have proposed that loss of muscle strength or physical function should also be included in the definition. Irrespective of how sarcopenia is defined, both low muscle mass and poor muscle strength are clearly highly prevalent and important risk factors for disability and potentially mortality in individuals as they age. Many chronic diseases, in addition to ageing, could also accelerate decrease of muscle mass and strength, and this effect could be a main underlying mechanism by which chronic diseases cause physical disability. In this Review, we address both age-related and disease-related muscle loss, with a focus on diabetes and obesity but including other disease states, and potential common mechanisms and treatments. Development of treatments for age-related and disease-related muscle loss might improve active life expectancy in older people, and lead to substantial health-care savings and improved quality of life.
Effects of the Tropical Freshwater Shrimp Caridina weberi (Atyidae) on Leaf Litter Decomposition1

Abstract Effects of feeding by atyid shrimp, Caridina weberi, on the rate of decomposition of leaf litter were studied in the Opunohu River, Moorea, French Polynesia. In a laboratory feeding experiment shrimp consumed microbially conditioned Hibiscus leaves, but in a field study shrimp did not affect the rate of decomposition of leaf litter. In this system, the rate of decomposition was influenced more by water discharge or by microbial activity than by shrimp.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Low-Income, Predominantly African American Women With PTSD and a History of Intimate Partner Violence

Abstract In this article, we consider the use of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR; Kabat-Zinn, 1991) as a community-based intervention for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among low-income, predominantly African American women with a history of intimate partner violence (IPV). The results of a pilot randomized clinical trial (RCT) of MBSR as an intervention for PTSD with this population are forthcoming. In this article, we present our rationale for using MBSR as an intervention for PTSD with this population, describe MBSR and our adaptation of the curriculum and its implementation, and discuss the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention based on participants’ feedback and our observations.
Fault distinguishing pattern generation

Test Generation for VLSI circuits suffers from two competing goals-to reduce the cost of test by minimizing the number of tests, and to be able to diagnose errors when failures occur. This paper outlines a methodology for generating diagnostic test patterns as they are needed using standard ATPG took. These diagnostic patterns are guaranteed to provide better diagnostic resolution than traditional manufacturing test patterns, and the use of standard ATPG fools enables generation of diagnostic patterns only when these patterns are needed.
Consumer Protection in the United States: An Overview

This chapter, which will appear in a forthcoming international anthology on consumer protection law, is a broad overview of United States consumer protection law and enforcement. It focuses on the utterly decentralized nature of consumer protection law in the U.S. and the combined roles of federal, state, local, and private law in deterring, detecting, and punishing deceptive and unfair conduct that injures consumers. It further summarizes federal, state, local, and private litigation options to obtain damages, restitution, and injunctive relief for consumers on an individual and class action basis. It ends with a partial list of consumer associations and other private non-profit group working in the consumer protection field.
Preservice Teachers' Views of Instructor Presence in Online Courses

AbstractThe researchers conducted this study to investigate undergraduate preservice teacher candidates’ perceptions regarding variables related to instructor presence in online courses. Participants included 52 undergraduate education students enrolled in 100% online technology integration courses at a doctoral research university in the southeastern United States. The researchers used a mixed-methods design and analyzed quantitative data, collected via an online survey, using descriptive statistics and content analysis. The results of each analysis confirmed the other. The main findings were that timely responses, clear instructions, instructor availability, and course design are important concerns of the participants in this study.
Long‐Term Patterns of Protozoan Colonization in Douglas Lake, Michigan

Long-term patterns of noninteractive and interactive protozoan colonization of polyurethane foam (PF) artificial substrates in Douglas Lake, Michigan, were examined for a 14-yr period. Species-time data were fitted to the Mac Arthur-Wilson equilibrium model, S =Seq(1 - eGt), and examined through time from 1969-1982. Comparisons were made to historical water chemistry measurements. No long-term changes in water chemistry were evident. Similarly, equilibrium species number (Seq) and colonization rate (G) oscillated about a mean through time. Protozoan colonization of PF substrates appeared stable for extended periods and showed modest variation from year to year. Examination of 7-yr-old substrates in 1982 revealed little difference from young (< 50 days) substrates. Previous reports of senescence of artificial substrate communities may have been due to habitat loss within the substrates. No evidence existed for chemical or biological degradation of the lake.
Exercise intensity self-regulation using the OMNI scale in children with cystic fibrosis.

Prescribing exercise at intensities that improve fitness is difficult in children with cystic fibrosis (CF) due to ventilatory limitations and fluctuating health status. Our aim was to determine if children with CF could regulate the intensity of cycle ergometer and treadmill exercise using target ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) derived from the Children's OMNI Scale. We examined prescription congruence (similar oxygen consumption [VO₂] and heart rate [HR] for target RPE) and intensity discrimination (different VO₂ and HR for different RPEs), from cycle to cycle and cycle to treadmill. Subjects were 24 children (12 male, 12 female), aged 10-17 years with varying disease severity. Each child participated in one orientation, one estimation trial (graded maximal exercise test), and two production trials (cycle and treadmill, alternating between RPE 4 and 7). At RPE 4, congruence was evident for both VO₂ and HR on the treadmill. On the cycle at RPE 4, VO₂ was significantly higher only in the first production trial, although HRs tended to be higher in the production trials than the estimation trial. Prescription congruence was also supported at RPE 7, with no significant differences in VO₂ or HR between estimation and production trials on cycle or treadmill. Results fully supported intensity discrimination, with significant differences between VO₂ and HR at RPE 4 and 7 (P < 0.0001). Children with CF appear capable of using the OMNI Scale to regulate cycle and treadmill exercise intensity. Training using this methodology has the potential to promote fitness in children with CF of varying severity.
Statistical considerations for stopping systemic lupus erythematosus clinical trials earlier

Group sequential designs are used to potentially shorten randomized clinical trials and thereby reduce subject burden, improve safety, and save time and resources. Clinical trials comparing treatments for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) might adopt such designs if the ordinal outcome scales for SLE, such as the Systemic Lupus Activity Measure and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index, were more like continuous outcome scales with interval properties. After describing the basic features of sequential trials and highlighting some major issues in their design, we propose approaches that mitigate these issues. In particular, high-speed computing has accelerated advances in sequential design, making available a variety of designs that can be implemented with minimal technical support. The challenge now is to understand the concepts behind such flexible designs and then to apply them to improve studies of SLE.
Is Capitalization the Achilles' Heel of School Choice?

Recent legal developments have focused new attention on many of the longstanding questions about school choice: Will parents shop among many schools, selecting only the best schools for their children and rejecting the weak performers? Will schools respond to these pressures by offering higher quality educational services at a lower cost? Will student performance improve as a result? As these questions suggest, the school choice debate so far has focused primarily on the internal dynamics of the market for education. Ultimately, however, the fate of school choice may depend on a question that has received much less attention: what is the likely effect of school choice reforms on local housing values? The answer to this question is of more than academic concern. If William Fischel is right that "concern for home values is the central motivator of local government behavior," then the capitalization effects of school choice plans should be of interest to both those who support school choice and those who oppose it. This essay offers a brief overview of current academic research on the likely effect of school choice on local home values and then discusses two recent articles regarding how these effects may change the political dynamics of school choice.
Production practices and value of artificial insemination and estrus synchronization programs of United States beef producers

ABSTRACT An online survey of AI users was developed to determine how industry segment (commercial, seedstock, or multiple segments) influenced profitability and current management practices used in conjunction with AI and estrus synchronization in the United States beef industry. Survey results came from 42 states and included 425 completed instruments. Value of replacement heifers (80%) and reducing calving difficulty (55%) were the most common ways AI contributed to profitability. Commercial producers ($187 ± 79) assigned a lower ( P P
Abstract 14016: Adenoviral Gene Delivery Reprograms Cardiac Fibroblasts into Cardiomyocyte-like Cells with in vitro Contractile Activity: Implications for Clinical Cardiac Regeneration

Background: A newly demonstrated capability to directly convert fibroblasts into cardiomyocyte-like cells (induced cardiomyocytes [iCMs]) has great potential for the in situ regeneration of functional myocardial tissue from cardiac scar tissue and treatment of cardiovascular disease. Whereas such transdifferentiation has previously been demonstrated using retrovirus and lentivirus vectors, the clinical utility of this cardiac regeneration strategy would be facilitated by the use of a non-integrating, short-term expression viral vector such as adenovirus. In the present study, we sought to determine whether rat cardiac fibroblasts could be converted to iCMs by adenoviral expression of Gata4 (G), Mef2c (M), and Tbx5 (T) and compare the efficiencies of two viral reprogramming strategies. Methods and Results: Human adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5) or lentivirus expressing rat GMT or corresponding null viruses were transduced into cultures of rat primary cardiac fibroblasts. After 48 hours viruses were removed and the cells were allowed to transdifferentiate under normal culture conditions. Transdifferentiation was determined 2 weeks post-transduction by FACS and immunofluorescence (IF) analysis for the activation of endogenous cardiac troponin T (cTnT) and other cardiac markers, as well as detection of in vitro contractile activity. Consistent with IF expression patterns, FACS analysis demonstrated that the Ad encoding for GMT induced 7% of adult cardiac fibroblasts to express cTnT, compared with 6% cells treated with lentivirus encoding GMT, and 0.3% of cells treated with a null virus. Importantly, only AdGMT-treated cells demonstrated in vitro contractile activity, occurring 14 days after GMT administration. Conclusion: Adenoviral vectors encoding GMT effectively reprogram cardiac fibroblasts into cardiomyocyte-like cells possessing in vitro contractile activity. These findings represent an important milestone in the utilization of a clinically relevant, short-term expression (adenovirus) vector to generate induced cardiomyocytes.