cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Model systems in iontophoresis - transport efficacy

Abstract Experimental model systems used to study the transport efficacy of ionic compounds through skin during iontophoresis are reviewed. Emphasis has been placed on the ability of these model systems to predict transport efficacy in vivo. Comparative studies using these model systems show that systems based on excised skin can significantly underestimate drug flux achievable in vivo under identical formulation and electrical conditions and that the isolated perfused porcine skin flap model accurately predicts in vivo drug flux. Using the hypothetical example of the drug Dilaudid™ in an iontophoretic device for the non-invasive management of pain, the differences in transport efficacy determined with an excised skin model and the skin flap model are shown to significantly impact the estimation of the commercial viability of the device.
Hydrometeorological variables predict fecal indicator bacteria densities in freshwater: data-driven methods for variable selection.

Statistical models of microbial water quality inform risk management for water recreation. Current research focuses on resource-intensive, location-specific data collection and water quality modeling, but this approach may be cost-prohibitive for risk managers responsible for numerous recreation sites. As an alternative, we tested the ability of two data-driven models, tree regression and random forests with conditional inference trees, to select readily available hydrometeorological variables for use in linear mixed effects (LME) models predicting bacterial density. The study included the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS) and Lake Michigan beaches and harbors in Chicago, Illinois, at which Escherichia coli and enterococci were measured seasonally in 2007–2009. Tree regression node variables reduced data dimensionality by >50 %. Variable importance ranks from random forests were used in a forward-step selection based on R 2 and root mean squared prediction error (RMSPE). We found two to three variables explained bacteria densities well relative to random forests with all variables. LME models with tree- or forest-selected variables performed reasonably well (0.335 < R 2 < 0.658). LME models for Lake Michigan had good prediction accuracy with respect to the single sample maximum standard (72–77 %), but limited sensitivity (23–62 %). Results suggest that our alternative approach is feasible and performs similarly to more resource-intensive approaches.
Effect Of CaVβ Subunits On Structural Organization Of CaV1.2 Calcium Channels As Revealed By Three-color Fret Microscopy

Voltage-gated Cav1.2 calcium channels play a crucial role in Ca2+ signaling. The poreforming α1C subunit is regulated by accessory Cavβ and α2δ subunits. Cavβ's are cytoplasmic proteins of various size encoded by four different genes (Cavβ1 - β4). Here we investigated the effect of three major Cavβ types, β1b, β2d and β3, on the structure of Cav1.2 by measuring inter and intramolecular distances between α1C and β in the plasma membrane of COS1 cells using three-color FRET microscopy. The results show that Cav1.2 channels are in close proximity in the plasma membrane. The presence of different Cavβ's does not result in significant differences in intramolecular distance between the termini of α1C, but significantly affects intermolecular distance between the termini of neighbor α1C subunits, which varies from 67 A (β1b) to 79 A (β3). Thus, our results show conclusively that plasma-membrane density of Cav1.2 channels depends on the type of Cavβ's present, suggesting a possible mechanism contributing to differences in Ca2+ signaling between various cell types.
Antivenins Available for the Treatment of Snake Bite

Abstract Thirty-one producers of snake antivenins in 23 countries are listed as are the sera that they produce. The venoms used to prepare the antisera are indicated and the treatment of the serum is given when known
Exact solutions of various Boussinesq systems

Abstract It was shown in [1,2] that surface water waves in a water tunnel can be described by systems of the form η t +u x +(uη) x +au xxx −bη xxt =0, u t +η x +uu x +cη xxx −du xxt =0 , where a, b, c, and d are real constants. In this paper, we show that to find an exact traveling-wave solution of the system, it is suffice to find a solution of an ordinary differential equation, and the solution of the ordinary differential equation in a prescribed form can be found by solving a system of nonlinear algebraic equation. The exact solutions for some of the systems are presented at the end of the paper.
Innovative protocol for “ ex vitro rooting” on olive micropropagation

The commercial micropropagation of olive trees is currently limited by the production cost. An ex vitro method for olive microshoot rooting could reduce both the production cost per plant and the propagation time. In this study a successful ex vitro rooting protocol tested on seven olive cultivars is reported. The explants of cv. Maurino were collected from fifth, sixth, and seventh proliferative subcultures carried out on MSM medium, while for the other cultivars the explants were collected from only seventh proliferative subculture. Continuous light during the rooting phase was a prerequisite for the success of the ex vitro protocol. The best source of microshoots for a high rooting percentage was the seventh proliferative subculture. Cvs. Coratina, Maremmano, Maurino, Picholine, and S. Francesco showed high rooting percentages with a range of 62-76%; whereas for cvs. Correggiolo and Frantoio the experimental conditions need to be optimised. Up to 90% of the rooted microplants survived, and continuous growth of shoots was subsequently observed. The proposed protocol can be easily applied to several different olive cultivars to produce microplants by commercial laboratories. The approach makes olive micropropagation in the nursery industry both possible and profitable.
Spin-wave renormalization in exchange- and dipolar-coupled ferromagnets: Bulk spin waves and the Damon-Eshbach surface spin wave

We have calculated the temperature variation of the bulk and the surface spin-wave frequencies in exchange- and dipolar-coupled ferromagnets. We emphasize the long-wavelength limit where dipolar coupling between the spins strongly influences the excitation energies. We find that leading terms in the finite temperature dispersion relation give results equivalent to the zero-temperature relation, with the saturation magnetization and the exchange stiffness constant replaced by the appropriate temperature dependent forms. There is, in addition, a contribution to the spin-wave frequency that varies linearly with temperature. Although, this term is smaller in magnitude than the previous one, under conditions prevailing in conventional resonance experiments, it should be of measureable magnitude. For the Damon-Eshbach surface spin waves, we find that the renormalization is affected by the spatially nonuniform magnetization profile near the surface. Consequently, the leading temperature corrections to the frequency of this mode depends on both the magnitude and the direction of propagation of the wave vector. We calculate this quantitatively, in the limit that exchange contributions to the frequency of the Damon-Eshback wave are small. The results are compared with the data reported by Grunberg and Metawe for the light scattering off EuO surface.
774-6 Assessment of Systolic and Diastolic Myocardial Velocities in Dilated Cardiomyopathy Using Quantitative Doppler Tissue Imaging

Doppler Tissue Imaging (DTI) may be used to quantify myocardial velocity (Vel) throughout the cardiac cycle. Patterns of myocardial Vel during systole (sys) and diastole (dias) may directly correlate with left ventricular (LV) performance. Quantitative DTI was performed in 11 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (CM) with a mean ejection fraction of 19 ± 5% (range, 10–29) and in 21 normal (NL) subjects. Vel was measured in the inferoposterior myocardium continuously at 51 ± 8 msec intervals for a mean of 5 cardiac cycles and plotted as a function of time (Figure I). A single Vel (mm/s) peak was identified during sys for both the CM and NL groups (gp) with a mean of 19 ± 7 (range, 8 to 31) and 38 ± 8 (range, 23 to 58), respectively (p l 0.001). Two distinct Vel peaks were identified in dias including an early (Ea) negative peak, corresponding to the early filling phase of dias, and a late (L) negative peak, corresponding to the atrial filling phase of dias, and a late (L) negative peak, corresponding to the atrial filling phase. The Ea peak Vel (mm/s) was -26 ± 10 (range, -14 to -42) for the CM gp and -55 ± 16 (range, -33 to -87) for the NL gp (p = 0.003). The L peak Vel (mm/s) was -7 ± 3 (range, -4 to -12) for the CM gp and -19 ± 6 (range, -7 to -28) for the NL gp (p = 0.008). Systolic (S), Ea and L Vel for CM and NL gps are compared in Figure II. Download : Download high-res image (73KB) Download : Download full-size image Conclusions 1) DTI can be used to compare sys and dias myocardial velocities in normal and cardiomyopathic states. 2) Myocardial velocities were significantly lower during both sys and dias in dilated CM. 3) Patterns of myocardial velocity during phases of contraction and relaxation reflect LV sys and dias performance.
Compiling for scalable multiprocessors with polaris

Due to the complexity of programming scalable multiprocessors with physically distributed memories, it is onerous to manually generate parallel code for these machines. As a consequense, there has been much research on the development of compiler techniques to simplify programming, to increase reliability, and to reduce development costs. For code generation, a compiler applies a number of transformations in areas such as data privatization, data copying and replication, synchronization, and data and work distribution. In this paper, we discuss our recent work on the development and implementation of a few compiler techniques for some of these transformations. We use Polaris, a parallelizing Fortran restructurer developed at Illinois, as the infrastructure to implement our algorithms. The paper includes experimental results obtained by applying our techniques to several benchmark codes.
The MgO-Al2O3-SiO2 system: free energy of pyrope and Al2O3-enstatite

The model of fictive ideal components is used to determine Gibbs free energies of formation of pyrope and Al2O3-enstatite from the experimental data on coexisting garnet and orthopyroxene and orthopyroxene and spinel in the temperature range 1200-1600 K. It is noted that Al2O3 forms an ideal solution with MgSiO3. These thermochemical data are found to be consistent with the Al2O3 isopleths that could be drawn using most recent experimental data and with the reversed experimental data on the garnet-spinel field boundary.
Hand burns in children under 5 years of age

Abstract In order to evaluate the epidemiology and functional results of hand burns in young children, 92 consecutive patients (126 hand burns) under age 5 years admitted to a Burn Center were reviewed. Scald burns (49 per cent) were most common, followed by flame (34 per cent), contact (14 per cent) and electrical burns (3 per cent). The child was left unattended by an adult in 53 per cent of cases and documented abuse was present in 6 per cent. The mean total body surface area (TBSA) burned was 17 per cent, and 77 patients (85 per cent) had additional burns in other areas (arms 34 per cent, legs 31 per cent, chest 29 per cent and face 27 per cent). Palmar burns occurred in 24 hands (19 per cent), dorsal in 41 (33 per cent), while both surfaces were burned in 61 (48 per cent). Joints involved included the MP in 96 (76 per cent). PIP in 87 (69 per cent) and DIP in 80 (63 per cent). The depth was superficial partial thickness in 53 (47 per cent), deep partial in 55 (44 per cent), and full thickness in 18 hands (14 per cent); a total of 29 hands were grafted (15 deep partial and 14 full thickness). Escharotomies were required in 12 hands (9 per cent) (9 flame and 3 scald) and partial amputation of digits was required in 3 (2 per cent). Follow-up was available in 46 hands from 7 to 120 months (mean 39 months). Partial thickness burns (34) healed with normal (32) or near-normal (2) hand function and developmental delay occurred in one patient. Hand function in 12 full thickness burns was normal in 9, decreased in 3 with developmental delay in 2 patients. The number of reoperations required per hand burned after hospital discharge varied with age (2 years and under 1.2 vs. over 2 years 0.6), depth (deep partial 0.4 vs. full thickness 1·6) and surface involved (palmar 1.3 vs. dorsal 0.1 vs. both 1.5), indicating that children under 2 years with full thickness palmar burns are at increased risk of developing burn scar deformities requiring surgical correction. Although 24 total reoperations were required in 25 deep partial and full thickness hand burns, residual burn scar deformities were present in only 2 hands at follow-up (1 boutonniere and I web space contacture). It is concluded that the overall outcome of hand burns in this age-group is good and developmental delay is rare with proper acute management and prompt surgical correction of burn scar deformities.
Women as marginals.

The concept of marginality is applied to women after reviewing its meaning and applicability to other groups. A discussion of females' Altruistic Other orientation and more open sex-role-identity ensues. Suggestions are made to foster the goal of reducing women's marginal status.
Managing idiopathic short stature: role of somatropin (rDNA origin) for injection.

Idiopathic short stature (ISS) is a term that describes short stature in children who do not have growth hormone (GH) deficiency and in whom the etiology of the short stature is not identified. Between 1985 and 2000, more than 40 studies were published regarding GH therapy for ISS. Only 12 of these had data to adult height, of which only 4 were controlled studies. A subsequent placebo-controlled study that followed subjects to adult height indicated that there was a gain of 3.7–7.5 cm in height with GH treatment. In 2003, the US Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approved GH for treatment of short stature. Even before FDA approval, patients with ISS made up about 20% of patients in GH databases, which is largely unchanged since FDA approval. There remains some controversy as to whether GH should be used to treat ISS. This controversy centers on the fact that there has been no definitive demonstration that short stature results in a disadvantage or problems with psychological adjustment, and thus, no demonstration that GH therapy results in improvement in quality of life.
The oxidation of hydrocarbons and CO over metal oxides: I. NiO crystals

Abstract The catalytic oxidation of CO, C2H4, C2H6, C3H6, C3H8, C4H8-1, trans-C4H8-2 and i-C4H8 at 200–400 °C have been studied using NiO microcrystals exposing predominantly their (111) face as the catalyst. The composition of the gaseous phase was continuously analyzed using an on-line mass spectrometer. The specific reaction rate could be expressed by the empirical power law: rate of CO 2 produced = kp O 2 m p HC n p H 2 O l , with 0 The following aspects of the reactions have also been studied: (1) the adsorption of O2, C3H6, H2O and CO2, together or separately on the catalyst surface, (2) the competitive oxidation between pairs of coexisting hydrocarbons, (3) the kinetic isotopic effect for C 2 D 6 C 2 H 6 , C 2 D 4 C 2 H 4 and CD 3 CHCH 2 C 3 H 6 , (4) the rate of oxidation and the effect on hydrocarbon oxidation of several possible reaction intermediates, CH3CHO, CH3COOH and ethylene oxide and (5) the effect of possible reaction poisons, SO2 and HCl. Based on the results obtained, some information on the reaction mechanism was derived.
Stagnation point flow of a chemically reactive fluid in a catalytic porous bed

The heat transfer and reaction characteristics of a chemically reactive flow near the stagnation point of a catalytic porous bed with finite thickness are investigated theoretically. Due to the catalytic effect, the activation energy is reduced such that chemical reaction in the bed becomes possible even at relatively low flow temperatures. The steady state and initial transient period in the gas phase upstream and in the catalytic porous bed are studied using both the singular perturbation method and the finite difference method. For the perturbation analysis, a single layer model is sufficient when the bed is relatively thin, of the order of the characteristic thermal diffusion length scale. For a thick bed, a multiple layer analysis is necessary. Results from the steady-state analysis show that for a higher chemical reactivity, lower flow velocity gradient, lower activation energy, and lower mass diffusion rate, the conversion rate from reactants to products is higher so that a thinner bed can be used to reach complete reaction. Moreover, due to the high thermal conductivity of the solid porous material, temperature profiles are modified by the heat release through chemical reaction only slightly for a thin bed. The flow temperature is affected by the reaction more significantly for a thicker bed because more heat is released from the reaction, and the increased importance of convection effect. Numerical results for the transient case exhibit the same characteristics as in the steady state.
Mathematical modelling of immune systems by simulated annealing

Cellular kinetics formulate the basis of tumor immune system dynamics which may be synthesized mathematically as cascades of bilinear systems which are connected by nonlinear dynamical terms. In this manner, a foundation for the control of syngeneic tumors is presented. We have analyzed the mechanisms of controlling the infiltration of lymphocytes into tumor tissues. Simulated annealing, a general-purpose method of multivariate optimization, is applied to above combinatorial optimization, which is to find the minimum of a given function depending on many parameters. We compare the results of the different methods including the global optimization algorithm, known as simulated annealing.
Involvement of p53 in X-ray induced intrachromosomal recombination in mice

The tumor suppressor gene Trp53 (also known as p53) is the most frequently mutated gene in human cancers. p53 is induced in response to DNA damage and effects a G(1) cell cycle arrest. It is believed that p53 plays a key role in maintaining genomic integrity following exposure to DNA-damaging agents. We determined the frequency of spontaneous and DNA damage-induced homologous intrachromosomal recombination in p53-deficient mouse embryos. Homologous intrachromosomal recombination events resulting in deletions at the pink eyed unstable (p(un)) locus result in reversion to the p gene. Reversions occurring in embryonic premelanocytes give rise to black spots on the gray fur of the offspring. Pregnant C57BL/6J p(un)/p(un) p53(+/-) mice were exposed to X-rays (1 Gy) or administered benzo?apyrene (B?aP; 30 or 150 mg/kg i.p.) 10 days after conception. Frequencies of spontaneous p(un) reversions in p53(-/-) and p53(+/-) animals were not significantly different compared with their wild-type littermates. X-ray treatment increased the recombination frequency in wild-type and p53(+/-), but surprisingly not in p53(-/-) offspring. In contrast, B?aP treatment caused a dose-dependent increase in p(un) reversion frequencies in all three genotypes. Western blot analysis of embryos indicated that p53 protein levels increased approximately 3-fold following X-ray treatment, while B?aP had no effect on p53 expression. These results are in agreement with the proposal that p53 is involved in the DNA damage response following X-ray exposure and suggest that X-ray-induced double-strand breaks are processed differently in p53(-/-) animals.
Pressure-balance and diffuse-interface models for surficial amorphous films

Abstract Recent observations of nanoscale surficial amorphous films in Bi 2 O 3 -doped ZnO are briefly reviewed. The experimental results are modeled with two approaches. A pressure-balance model with the volumetric free energy being the dominant temperature-dependent interaction extended from Clarke's intergranular films model is proposed and numerically evaluated. This quantitative model predicts thicknesses versus temperature behavior for subeutectic films consistent with experimental results. Alternatively, the sequence of adsorption and wetting events as a function of temperature and composition is interpreted as a case of combined surface prewetting and premelting in a two-component system with a bulk eutectic reaction as a generalization of Cahn's critical point wetting model. In this second approach that better represents the through-thickness gradients, diffuse-interface formulation is proposed and analyzed for assessing surficial film stability as well as associated drying and complete wetting transitions. The observation made for Bi 2 O 3 on ZnO can be represented by one of the possible surface prewetting/premelting phase diagrams.
Two-target-atom model for calculating cross sections of direct recoils

Abstract A new two-target-atom model for calculating the intensity of particles that have been directly recoiled from a surface has been developed to examine the effects of shadowing and blocking on the recoils. This model is similar to one that was recently introduced for calculating the intensity of the primary particles scattered back from a surface. Important surface structure information can be obtained by comparing calculated recoil intensities as a function of incident ion identity and kinetic energy, target orientation, and recoil angle and energy to experimentally measured quantities.
Applying image transformation and classification techniques to airborne hyperspectral imagery for mapping Ashe juniper infestations

Ashe juniper (Juniperus ashei Buchholz) in excessive coverage reduces forage production, interferes with livestock management, and degrades watersheds and wildlife habitat on infested rangelands. The objective of this study was to apply minimum noise fraction (MNF) transformation and different classification techniques to airborne hyperspectral imagery for mapping Ashe juniper infestations. Hyperspectral imagery with 98 usable bands covering a spectral range of 475-845 nm was acquired from two Ashe juniper infested sites in central Texas. MNF transformation was applied to the hyperspectral imagery and the transformed imagery with the first 10 and 20 MNF bands was classified using four hard classifiers: minimum distance, Mahalanobis distance, maximum likelihood and spectral angle mapper (SAM). For comparison, the 10-and 20-band MNF imagery was inversely transformed to noise-reduced 98-band imagery in the original data space, which was also classified using the four classifiers. Accuracy assessment showed that the first 10 MNF bands were sufficient for distinguishing Ashe juniper from associated plant species (mixed woody species and mixed herbaceous species) and other cover types (bare soil and water). Although the 20-band MNF imagery provided better results for some classifications, the increase in overall accuracy was not statistically significant. Overall accuracy on the 10-band MNF imagery varied from 88% for SAM to 93% for minimum distance for site 1 and from 84% for SAM to 94% for maximum likelihood for site 2. The 98-band imagery derived from the 10-band MNF imagery resulted in overall accuracy ranging from 91% for both SAM and Mahalanobis distance to 97% for maximum likelihood for site 1 and from 87% for SAM to 93% for minimum distance for site 2. Although both approaches produced comparable classification results, the MNF imagery required smaller storage space and less computing time. These results indicate that airborne hyperspectral imagery incorporated with image transformation and classification techniques can be a useful tool for mapping Ashe juniper infestations.
Diversification of NRT2 and the Origin of Its Fungal Homolog

We investigated the origin and diversification of the high-affinity nitrate transporter NRT2 in fungi and other eukaryotes using Bayesian and maximum parsimony methods. To assess the higher-level relationships and origins of NRT2 in eukaryotes, we analyzed 200 amino acid sequences from the Nitrate/Nitrite Porter (NNP) Family (to which NRT2 belongs), including 55 fungal, 41 viridiplantae (green plants), 11 heterokonts (stramenopiles), and 87 bacterial sequences. To assess evolution of NRT2 within fungi and other eukaryotes, we analyzed 116 amino acid sequences of NRT2 from 58 fungi, 40 viridiplantae (green plants), 1 rhodophyte, and 5 heterokonts, rooted with 12 bacterial sequences. Our results support a single origin of eukaryotic NRT2 from 1 of several clades of mostly proteobacterial NNP transporters. The phylogeny of bacterial NNP transporters does not directly correspond with bacterial taxonomy, apparently due to ancient duplications and/or horizontal gene transfer events. The distribution of NRT2 in the eukaryotes is patchy, but the NRT2 phylogeny nonetheless supports the monophyly of major groups such as viridiplantae, flowering plants, monocots, and eudicots, as well as fungi, ascomycetes, basidiomycetes, and agaric mushrooms. At least 1 secondary origin of eukaryotic NRT2 via horizontal transfer to the fungi is suggested, possibly from a heterokont donor. Our analyses also suggest that there has been a horizontal transfer of nrt2 from a basidiomycete fungus to an ascomycete fungus and reveal a duplication of nrt2 in the ectomycorrhizal mushroom genus, Hebeloma.
Combined conjugated esterified estrogen plus methyltestosterone supplementation and risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women.

a b s t r a c t Objectives: Testosterone supplementation is being prescribed increasingly to treat symptoms of hor- mone deficiency in pre- and postmenopausal women; however, studies of the association of testosterone therapy, alone or in combination with estrogen, with risk of breast cancer are limited. The current study assessed the association of combination conjugated esterified estrogen and methyltestosterone (CEE + MT) use and breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women in the Women's Health Initiative (WHI). Study design: At Year 3 of follow-up, women in the WHI observational study (N = 71,964) provided infor- mation on CEE + MT use in the past two years, duration of use, and the brand name of the product. In addition, in each of years 4-8, women were asked whether they had used CEE + MT in the previous year. After 10 years of follow-up, 2832 incident breast cancer cases were identified. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for the association of CEE + MT use (irrespective of use of other hormones) and of exclusive CEE + MT use in relation to breast cancer risk. Results: Neither CEE + MT use nor exclusive use of CEE + MT was associated with risk: multivariable- adjusted HR 1.06, 95% CI 0.82-1.36 and HR 1.22, 95% CI 0.78-1.92, respectively. Among women with a natural menopause, the HR for exclusive use was 1.32 (95% CI 0.68-2.55). There was no indication of an association when repeated measures of CEE + MT use were included in a time-dependent covariates analysis. Conclusion: The present study, the largest prospective study to date, did not show a significant association of CEE + MT supplementation and risk of breast cancer.
Territoriality and power in the health professions

Although medicine traditionally has tended to view health care as a one-to-one transaction between physician and patient, the collaboration and support of nursing and other providers has always bee...
Influence of Risk Factors and Cultural Assets on Latino Adolescents’ Trajectories of Self-Esteem and Internalizing Symptoms

In this study, we examined longitudinal, person-centered trajectories of acculturation, internalizing symptoms, and self-esteem in 349 Latino adolescents. We compared acculturation measures (time in the US, culture-of-origin involvement, US cultural involvement, for both parents and adolescents); acculturation stressors (perceived discrimination, acculturation conflicts); and family dynamics (parent–adolescent conflict, familism). Results indicated that, over time, Latino adolescents’ internalizing problems decreased and their self-esteem increased. However, we showed that increased length of time living in the US was significantly related to lower self-esteem among adolescents. Parent–adolescent conflict was a strong risk factor, which not only directly heightened internalizing symptoms and lowered self-esteem, but also mediated the effects of acculturation conflicts and perceived discrimination on these outcomes. Our findings revealed familism as a cultural asset associated with fewer internalizing symptoms and higher self-esteem. Internalizing symptoms were also minimized by the adolescent’s involvement in the US culture whereas bicultural adolescents with high culture-of-origin involvement reported higher self-esteem. We discussed the limitations and implications of this study for future research and practice.
Differences in plasma focusing of short, relativistic electron and positron bunches

Short, relativistic particle bunches propagating in plasmas drive large amplitude wakefields. These wakefields have longitudinal, accelerating and decelerating components, as well as transverse, focusing and defocusing components. When the particle bunch length is comparable to the electron plasma wavelength of the relativistic plasma wake, only plasma electrons respond to the bunch fields, and the plasma ions are immobile. Plasma electrons are expelled from an electron bunch, while they are attracted toward a positron bunch. This asymmetry leads to important differences in the focusing of these bunches in the plasma. In particular, in the case of bunches with densities larger than the plasma density, an electron bunch creates a pure, uniform density ion column with focusing properties free of geometric aberrations. Therefore, the incoming emittance of electron bunch with a narrow energy spread can be preserved upon acceleration by the plasma wake. On the contrary, the plasma exerts a non-uniform focusing force on a positron bunch. The focusing force is dependent on the incoming bunch parameters, and the plasma electron density inside the positron bunch can exceed the bunch density. As a result, the positron bunch develops a charge halo, and its emittance grows along the plasma. These differences are observed in experiments as well as in numerical simulations, and could have important implications for the applications of plasma-based acceleration to a future electron/positron linear collider. Experimental and simulation results will be presented.
The measurement of lithium in biologic samples by atomic absorption spectrophotometry.

The atomic absorption spectrophotometric method for the measurement of lithium in biologic samples is evaluated. The preparation of standards for measurement of serum and urinary lithium concentrations is provided with discussion of some interfering substances.
Further developments in the prediction of oscillatory aerodynamics in mixed transonic flow

This paper presents improvements made to the oscillatory transonic aerodynamic kernel function method given in AIAA Paper No. 74-359. The improved method is fully developed for flows with continuously varying local Mach number and oscillating normal shocks. The boundary conditions developed for oscillating shocks require that a line doublet be added at the foot of the shock which represents the loads induced by shock movement. Numerical results show good agreement with experiment and significant deviation from linear aerodynamic theory. The method is also used to predict wind-tunnel wall interference effects.-
GRIF1 binds Hrs and is a new regulator of endosomal trafficking.

Endosomal sorting of internalized cell surface receptors to the lysosomal pathway plays a crucial role in the control of cell signaling and function. Here we report the identification of GABA A receptor interacting factor-1 (GRIF1), a recently discovered protein of unknown function, as a new regulator of endosome-to-lysosome trafficking. Yeast two-hybrid screen and co-immunoprecipitation analysis reveal that GRIF1 interacts with hepatocyte growth factor-regulated tyrosine kinase substrate (Hrs), an essential component of the endosomal sorting machinery. We have mapped the binding domains of GRIF1 and Hrs that mediate their association and shown the colocalization of GRIF1 with Hrs on early endosomes. Like Hrs, both overexpression and siRNA-mediated depletion of GRIF1 inhibit the degradation of internalized epidermal growth factor receptors and block the trafficking of the receptors from early endosomes to the lysosomal pathway. Our results indicate, for the first time, a functional role for GRIF1 in the regulation of endosomal trafficking. Interestingly, overexpression of full-length GRIF1, but not the Hrs- or kinesin-interacting GRIF1 deletion mutants, causes a perinuclear clustering of early endosomes. Our findings suggest that GRIF1 may also participate in microtubule-based transport of early endosomes by acting as an adaptor linking Hrs-containing endosomes to kinesin.
Double-blind Comparison of Alprazolam, Diazepam, and Placebo for the Treatment of Negative Schizophrenic Symptoms

• Fifty-five schizophrenic outpatients with negative symptoms were treated for up to six weeks by the addition of alprazolam (mean dose, 4.2 mg/d), diazepam (mean dose, 40.4 mg/d), or placebo to their ongoing neuroleptic treatment. A repeated-measures analysis of variance with baseline measurements entered as covariates indicated the presence of a significant time × drug interaction effect for the weekly Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) withdrawal/retardation subfactor scores. During the initial weeks of the study, the alprazolam-treated group had lower scores, while the diazepam-treated group had higher scores than the placebo-treated group. However, an end point analysis performed on the final BPRS withdrawal/retardation subfactor scores showed no significant differences among the three groups, nor were beneficial effects observed on any of the BPRS subfactor scores that assess positive symptoms. Plasma alprazolam levels were maintained throughout the study and ranged from 20 to 100 ng/mL. These results suggest that alprazolam had no sustained significant effect on negative schizophrenic symptoms.
Estradiol Suppresses Glutamatergic Transmission to Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Neurons in a Model of Negative Feedback in Mice

A surge of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) release from the brain triggers the luteinizing hormone (LH) surge that causes ovulation. The GnRH surge is initiated by a switch in estradiol action from negative to positive feedback. Estradiol signals critical for the surge are likely transmitted to GnRH neurons at least in part via estradiol-sensitive afferents. Using an ovariectomized estradiol-treated (OVX+E) mouse model that exhibits daily LH surges, we examined changes in glutamate transmission to GnRH neurons during negative feedback and positive feedback. Spontaneous glutamatergic excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) mediated by alpha-amino-3-hydroxy5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid/kainate receptors (AMPA/ KA Rs) or N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) were recorded in GnRH neurons from OVX+E and OVX mice. There were no diurnal changes in the percentage of GnRH neurons from OVX mice exhibiting EPSCs. In cells from OVX+E mice, the profile of AMPA/KA R-mediated and NMDAR-mediated EPSCs showed changes dependent on time of day. Comparison of AMPA/KA R-mediated EPSC frequency in OVX+E and OVX cells showed that estradiol suppressed transmission during negative feedback but had no effect during positive feedback. Tetrodotoxin treatment to block action potential firing did not affect AMPA/KA R-mediated EPSC frequency in OVX cells during negative feedback or in OVX+E cells during positive feedback, suggesting that estradiol-induced suppression of glutamate transmission may be primarily due to activity-independent changes. The diurnal removal of estradiol-induced suppression of AMPA/KA R-mediated glutamate transmission to GnRH neurons during positive feedback suggests that the primary role for estradiol-induced changes in glutamate transmission may be in mediating negative feedback. AMPA, estradiol, glutamate, gonadotropin-releasing hormone, neuroendocrinology, NMDA
Three Approaches to Task-Based Syllabus Design

Choice of the unit of analysis in syllabus design is crucial for all aspects of a language teaching program. A variety of units, including word, structure, notion, function, topic, and situation, continue to be employed in synthetic, Type A, syllabuses. While each is relevant for analyses of the target language and its use, nativelike linguistic elements find little support as meaningful acquisition units from a language learner's perspective. Task has more recently appeared as the unit of analysis in three analytic, (primarily) Type B, alternatives: procedural, process, and task syllabuses. Each of these has certain limitations, too, but when the task syllabus is combined with a focus on form in task-based language teaching, the task receives more support in second language acquisition (SLA) research as a viable unit around which to organize language teaching and learning opportunities.
Developmental dynamics of Ambystoma tigrinum in a changing landscape

Background Loss of pond habitat is catastrophic to aquatic larval amphibians, but even reduction in the amount of time a breeding site holds water (hydroperiod) can influence amphibian development and limit reproductive success. Using the landscape variation of a glacial valley in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem as the context for a natural experiment, we examined variation in growth pattern and life history of the salamander Ambystoma tigrinum melanostictum and determined how these developmental characteristics varied with hydroperiod over several summers.
Further explanatory remarks concerning the chemical mechanics of cell-division

When oil-droplets are submerged by the addition of chloroform to the oil and sufficiently alkaline threads be brought in contact with a sufficient proportion of an equatorial circumference, division of the droplets into two occurs. In cell-division the cleavage furrow is a region of low superficial tension, the poles of the egg are regions of high superficial tension.Butschli andMcClendon's view to the contrary is shown to involve a contradiction of the laws of molecular attraction in liquids.McClendon's evidence in support of his hypothesis has been shown to be fallacious.
Fault detection in IC engines using nonlinear parity equations

This paper presents a novel nonlinear parity equation residual generation scheme for fault detection and isolation. The scheme is applied to the problem of health monitoring of an automobile internal combustion engine during execution of a standard US Environmental Protection Agency inspection and maintenance test cycle. The fault detection and isolation scheme is shown to be sensitive to actuator and sensor faults and the scheme is robust to the unmeasured load torque acting on the engine.
Effects of N-acetylcysteine on airway inflammation, airway hyperresponsiveness and abnormal lung function in chronic ozone-induced COPD model

Background: Chronic exposure to ozone in mice induces chronic lung inflammation and emphysema, features of COPD. We determined to examine the preventive and therapeutic effects of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on airway inflammation, airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and abnormal lung function. Method: C57/BL6 mice were exposed to air or ozone (3ppm, 3h), twice a week over 6 wk, and then ozone exposure was discontinued for 6 wk. NAC treatment (100mg/Kg, i.p, twice a week, for 6 wk) was carried out during exposure period or cessation period. Pulmonary function and airway responsiveness were measured and total cells and neutrophils cell in BALF were counted. Results: Compared with air exposed mice, lung volume indices TLC, FRC, FVC were increased and expiratory indices FEV25/FVC, FEV50/FVC were decreased in ozone exposed mice and continued after ozone cessation. NAC treatment during exposure period or cessation period did not inhibit or reverse abnormal lung function. AHR was induced in ozone exposed mice and persisted after ozone cessation. NAC inhibited AHR during cessation period. Total cells and neutrophils in BALF were increased in ozone exposed mice and returned to normal after ozone cessation. NAC given during exposure period reduced the total cell counts, but not the neutrophil counts. Conclusions: AHR and abnormal lung function persisted in ozone induced COPD model despite cessation of ozone exposure. Though NAC had no effect on neutrophilic inflammation or abnormal lung function in ozone-exposed mice, it did inhibit AHR during cessation period. NAC interferes with airway smooth muscle dysfunction caused by chronic oxidative stress.
Review of M. Gainsborough (Ed.), On the Borders of State Power: Frontiers in the Greater Mekong Sub-region

Martin Gainsborough (ed.) (London: Routledge, 2009) Borders are often viewed as “dark” and “dangerous” areas populated by “others” who, in the contemporary era, are often involved in human traffick...
Expression of the Kallmann syndrome gene in human fetal brain and in the manipulated chick embryo

Kallmann syndrome is an inherited disorder characterized by an abnormality in olfactory system development. The gene for the X-linked form of this disorder (KAL) maps to Xp22.3 and encodes a protein sharing homologies with molecules involved in neuronal migration and axonal pathfinding. Here we report the expression pattern of the KAL gene in various parts of the human fetal brain. We found KAL transcripts in granule cells of the olfactory bulb and the cerebellum, in the dorsomedial thalamus and in the developing cerebral cortex. To determine whether or not signals from the olfactory nerve are required for KAL expression in the olfactory bulb, we analyzed chick embryos in which the olfactory placode was surgically removed. Those embryos lacking an olfactory nerve had a histologically abnormal bulb which nevertheless expressed the KAL gene at high levels. These findings indicate that, while the development of the proper cytoarchitecture of the olfactory bulb requires the innervation by olfactory axons, the expression of KAL is independent of such developmental processes.
Sparsity Enforcing Edge Detection Method for Blurred and Noisy Fourier data

We present a new method for estimating the edges in a piecewise smooth function from blurred and noisy Fourier data. The proposed method is constructed by combining the so called concentration factor edge detection method, which uses a finite number of Fourier coefficients to approximate the jump function of a piecewise smooth function, with compressed sensing ideas. Due to the global nature of the concentration factor method, Gibbs oscillations feature prominently near the jump discontinuities. This can cause the misidentification of edges when simple thresholding techniques are used. In fact, the true jump function is sparse, i.e. zero almost everywhere with non-zero values only at the edge locations. Hence we adopt an idea from compressed sensing and propose a method that uses a regularized deconvolution to remove the artifacts. Our new method is fast, in the sense that it only needs the solution of a single l 1 minimization. Numerical examples demonstrate the accuracy and robustness of the method in the presence of noise and blur.
Connection between the neutrino seesaw mechanism and properties of the Majorana neutrino mass matrix

If it can be ascertained experimentally that the 3x3 Majorana neutrino mass matrix M{sub {nu}} has vanishing determinants for one or more of its 2x2 submatrices, it may be interpreted as supporting evidence for the theoretically well-known canonical seesaw mechanism. I show how these two things are connected and offer a realistic M{sub {nu}} with two zero subdeterminants as an example.
The spectra of random abelian G-circulant matrices

This paper studies the asymptotic behavior of eigenvalues of random abelian G-circulant matrices, that is, matrices whose structure is related to a finite abelian group G in a way that naturally generalizes the relationship between circu- lant matrices and cyclic groups. It is shown that, under mild conditions, when the size of the group G goes to infinity, the spectral measures of such random matrices approach a deterministic limit. Depending on some aspects of the structure of the groups, whether the matrices are constrained to be Hermitian, and a few details of the distributions of the matrix entries, the limit measure is either a (complex or real) Gaussian distribution or a mixture of two Gaussian distributions. This paper considers the asymptotic behavior of the spectra of random G- circulant matrices, or equivalently random convolution operators on G, when G is a large abelian group. (For the rest of this paper, G will always stand for a fi- nite abelian group.) Such random matrices will be generated by picking the values f(a) independently, with or without imposing a constraint f(a −1 ) = f(a) which is equivalent to insisting that the matrix M is Hermitian. This generalizes the study of random circulant matrices, whose theory has already been developed in Bose and Mitra (2002); Bose and Sen (2008); Bryc and Sethuraman (2009); Meckes
Expanding the Notion of Researcher Distress: The Cumulative Effects of Coding:

Qualitative researchers who explore the individual’s experience of health, illness, death, and dying often experience emotional stress in their work. In this article, we describe the emotional stress we experienced while coding semistructured, after-death interviews conducted with 38 next of kin of deceased veterans. Coding sensitive topic data required an unexpected level of emotional labor, the impact of which has not been addressed in the literature. In writing this discussion article, we stepped back from our roles as interviewers/coders and reflected on how our work affected us individually and as a team, and how a sequence of exposures could exert a cumulative effect for researchers in such a dual role. Through this article, we hope to generate an expanded discourse on how qualitative inquiry impacts the emotional well-being of researchers.