cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interactions of DNA with human DNA primase monitored with photoactivatable cross-linking agents: implications for the role of the p58 subunit.

Regulation of the p49−p58 primase complex during primer synthesis and the interaction of the primase subunits with DNA were examined. After primase synthesizes a primer that DNA polymerase α (pol α) can readily elongate, further primase activity is negatively regulated. This occurs within both the context of the four-subunit pol α−primase complex and in the p49−p58 primase complex, indicating that the newly generated primer−template species need not interact with pol α to regulate further primase activity. Photo-cross-linking of single-stranded DNA−primase complexes revealed that whereas the isolated p49 and p58 subunits both reacted with DNA upon photolysis, only the p58 subunit reacted with the DNA when photolysis was performed using the p49−p58 primase complex. After primer synthesis by the complex, p58 was again the only subunit that reacted with the DNA. These results suggest a model for regulation of primer synthesis in which the newly synthesized primer−template species binds to p58 and regulates f...
The Implementation of Diversity in Predominantly White Colleges and Universities

Across America, colleges and universities have appropriated the language of diversity as a way of signaling their commitment to faculty and students of color. This article argues that language of diversity and efforts to implement diversity are bound to fail in the absence of an institutional commitment to incorporating strategies for diversity into their research, teaching, and service missions. The research for this article relies heavily on interviews with African American, American Indian, Asian, and Latino faculty members, of junior status, in predominantly White colleges and universities.
Invertebrates of the upper chamber, Gatún Locks, Panama Canal, with emphasis on Trochospongilla leidii (Porifera)

Observations were made on the horizontal distribution of certain invertebrates on the walls and floor of the upper chamber of the Gatun Lock system of the Panama Canal. The hydroid Cordylophora caspia (Pallas) and the gastrophod Neritina usnea Roding extended the full length of the chamber; the oligochaete Marionina sp. was confined to the upper half of the chamber (adjacent to Gatun Lake), and the amphipod Gitanopsis tortugae? Shoemaker, the isopod Munna sp. and the bivalve Mytilopsis sallei (Recluz) to the lower half; the sponge Trochospongilla leidii (Bowerbank) was distributed from the upper end to near the lower end of the chamber. A peculiar wedge-shaped distribution of T. leidii is thought to be a response to the influence of slight increases in salinity. Morphological observations on T. leidii are presented.
Enzyme functionality and solvation of Subtilisin Carlsberg: from hours to femtoseconds

We report studies of the enzymatic activity of Subtilisin Carlsberg (SC) in different solvents and pH's using two substrates. From the Michaelis–Menten mechanism, we found the specificity constant (k_(cat)/K_M) of enzymatic activity to be retarded when organic solvents, such as acetonitrile or dioxane, are added to the aqueous medium or when the pH is lowered. In order to address the role of solvation, we also studied the femtosecond dynamics of the enzyme and the solubility of substrates and products. We elucidate the nature of the free energy surface from the knowledge of the free energy change (K_M), catalytic turn over (k_(cat)), solvation, and effect of pH on the enzymatic activity.
Toll-like receptor 2 ligand pretreatment attenuates retinal microglial inflammatory response but enhances phagocytic activity toward Staphylococcus aureus.

ABSTRACT Staphylococcus aureus is a leading cause of severe endophthalmitis, which often results in vision loss in some patients. Previously, we showed that Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) ligand pretreatment prevented the development of staphylococcal endophthalmitis in mice and suggested that microglia might be involved in this protective effect (Kumar A, Singh CN, Glybina IV, Mahmoud TH, Yu FS. J. Infect. Dis. 201:255–263, 2010). The aim of the present study was to understand how microglial innate response is modulated by TLR2 ligand pretreatment. Here, we demonstrate that S. aureus infection increased the CD11b+ CD45+ microglial/macrophage population in the C57BL/6 mouse retina. Using cultured primary retinal microglia and a murine microglial cell line (BV-2), we found that these cells express TLR2 and that its expression is increased upon stimulation with bacteria or an exclusive TLR2 ligand, Pam3Cys. Furthermore, challenge of primary retinal microglia with S. aureus and its cell wall components peptidoglycan (PGN) and lipoteichoic acid (LTA) induced the secretion of proinflammatory mediators (tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNF-α] and MIP-2). This innate response was attenuated by a function-blocking anti-TLR2 antibody or by small interfering RNA (siRNA) knockdown of TLR2. In order to assess the modulation of the innate response, microglia were pretreated with a low dose (0.1 or 1 μg/ml) of Pam3Cys and then challenged with live S. aureus. Our data showed that S. aureus-induced production of proinflammatory mediators is dramatically reduced in pretreated microglia. Importantly, microglia pretreated with the TLR2 agonist phagocytosed significantly more bacteria than unstimulated cells. Together, our data suggest that TLR2 plays an important role in retinal microglial innate response to S. aureus, and its sensitization inhibits inflammatory response while enhancing phagocytic activity.
Are we listening to music or noise? Use of the Lyapunov exponent for comprehensive assessment of heart rate complexity during hemorrhage in sedated conscious miniature swine

Abstract : Objectives: Application of tools from nonlinear dynamics for calculation of changes in heart rate complexity assumes presence of deterministic chaotic trends in the investigated data. Calculation of the largest Lyapunov exponent (LLE) is a standard method for confirmation of whether such trends are present and is used to characterize the level of chaos in complex physiologic systems. We sought to evaluate the utility of LLE for that purpose during severe pump-controlled exponential hemorrhagic shock.
Development of the Great Lakes Ice-circulation Model (GLIM): Application to Lake Erie in 2003–2004

To simulate ice and water circulation in Lake Erie over a yearly cycle, a Great Lakes Ice-circulation Model (GLIM) was developed by applying a Coupled Ice-Ocean Model (CIOM) with a 2-km resolution grid. The hourly surface wind stress and thermodynamic forcings for input into the GLIM are derived from meteorological measurements interpolated onto the 2-km model grids. The seasonal cycles for ice concentration, thickness, velocity, and other variables are well reproduced in the 2003/04 ice season. Satellite measurements of ice cover were used to validate GLIM with a mean bias deviation (MBD) of 7.4%. The seasonal cycle for lake surface temperature is well reproduced in comparison to the satellite measurements with a MBD of 1.5%. Additional sensitivity experiments further confirm the important impacts of ice cover on lake water temperature and water level variations. Furthermore, a period including an extreme cooling (due to a cold air outbreak) and an extreme warming event in February 2004 was examined to test GLIM's response to rapidly-changing synoptic forcing.
Effect of simultaneous helium injection on defect cluster nucleation in irradiated metals

Abstract A time-dependent nucleation model, developed to describe both interstitial loop formation and growth and vacancy clustering during irradiation, has been modified to include mobile helium. Number densities of vacancy and interstitial clusters have been calculated as functions of time for simultaneous production of helium and displacement damage and for helium implantation followed by displacement damage. The results are compared with those obtained when no helium was present.
Nephrotoxicity of metals: effects on plasma membrane function

Heavy metal effects on the kidney have been studied for decades in an effort to understand the underlying mechanisms of action. Despite these efforts, little specific information is available on the cellular or subcellular insults which lead to the development of acute tubular necrosis and subsequent renal failure. Although these metals are very diverse, it is not uncommon for all of them to produce the same sequence of morphological events when given in nephrotoxic doses. Further, the morphological changes seen often vary only slightly from those reported for other, non-metallic nephrotoxicants. A major item of interest would be a mechanistic explanation as to how a large variety of chemicals produce similar nephrotoxic events. The micropuncture and microdissection experiments during acute renal failure in the rat [l] yielded much important information concerning the tubular site of action of mercuric chloride. In nephrotoxic doses, mercuric chloride disrupted the structure and function of the straight part of the proximal tubule. Subsequent ultrastructural and histochemical studies by McDowell et al. [2] and Zalme et al. [3] defined more precisely the morphological sequence of events which occurred after a nephrotoxic dose of mercuric chloride. These studies showed that a loss of the brush border in the proximal tubular areas occurred relatively early followed by vacuolization of the endoplasmic reticulum, rounding and clumping of the mitochondria, and ultimately the onset of necrosis and cell sloughing. It is important to note that, as reported earlier, the primary events occurred in the pars recta of the proximal tubule when the
Helping mothers cope with a critically ill child: A pilot test of the COPE intervention

The purpose of this study was to pilot test the effects of a theoretically driven intervention program (COPE = Creating Opportunities for Parent Empowerment) on the coping outcomes of critically ill children and their mothers. Thirty mothers of 1- to 6-year-old children in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) were randomly assigned to receive COPE or a comparison program. Mothers who received the COPE program: (a) provided more support to their children during intrusive procedures; (b) provided more emotional support to their children; (c) reported less negative mood state and less parental stress related to their children's emotions and behaviors; and (d) reported fewer post-traumatic stress symptoms and less parental role change four weeks following hospitalization. Results indicate the need to educate parents regarding their children's responses as they recover from critical illness and how they can assist their children in coping with the stressful experience.
Genome-wide characterization of gene expression variations and DNA copy number changes in prostate cancer cell lines.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to characterize gene expression and DNA copy number profiles in androgen sensitive (AS) and androgen insensitive (AI) prostate cancer cell lines on a genome-wide scale. METHODS Gene expression profiles and DNA copy number changes were examined using DNA microarrays in eight commonly used prostate cancer cell lines. Chromosomal regions with DNA copy number changes were identified using cluster along chromosome (CLAC). RESULTS There were discrete differences in gene expression patterns between AS and AI cells that were not limited to androgen-responsive genes. AI cells displayed more DNA copy number changes, especially amplifications, than AS cells. The gene expression profiles of cell lines showed limited similarities to prostate tumors harvested at surgery. CONCLUSIONS AS and AI cell lines are different in their transcriptional programs and degree of DNA copy number alterations. This dataset provides a context for the use of prostate cancer cell lines as models for clinical cancers. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The Influence of Plant and Herbivore Characteristics on the Interaction between Induced Resistance and Herbivore Population Dynamics

abstract: Induced plant resistance may contribute to regulating or driving fluctuations in insect herbivore populations. However, experimental demonstrations of induced resistance affecting long‐term herbivore population dynamics are lacking, and few models find that induced resistance drives cycles in herbivore populations. Here a simulation model is used to explore the influence of characteristics of the plant‐herbivore system on the likelihood that induced resistance can regulate or drive cycles in herbivore populations. Results of this model suggest that induced resistance may cause fluctuations in herbivore populations under more conditions than previously thought. The model incorporates parameters for the timing and strength of induced resistance and for herbivore mobility and host‐plant selectivity. Results are presented for two configurations of the model: forest (many herbivore generations per plant generation) and crop (few herbivore generations per plant generation). In simulations of this mode...
Assessing the Stiffness of Spinal Fusion in Animal Models

The clinical goal of spinal fusion is to reduce motion and the associated pain. Therefore, measuring motion under loading is critical. The purpose of this study was to validate four-point bending as a means to mechanically evaluate simulated fusions in dog and rabbit spines. We hypothesized that this method would be more sensitive than manual palpation and would be able to distinguish unilateral vs bilateral fusion. Spines from four mixed breed dogs and four New Zealand white rabbits were used to simulate posterolateral fusion with polymethyl methacrylate as the fusion mass. We performed manual palpation and nondestructive mechanical testing in four-point bending in four planes of motion: flexion, extension, and right and left bending. This testing protocol was used for each specimen in three fusion modes: intact, unilateral, and bilateral fusion. Under manual palpation, all intact spines were rated as not fused, and all unilateral and bilateral simulated fusions were rated as fused. In four-point bending, dog spines were significantly stiffer after unilateral fusion compared with intact in all directions. Additionally, rabbit spines were stiffer in flexion and left bending after unilateral fusion. All specimens exhibited significant differences between intact and bilateral fusion except the rabbit in extension. For unilateral vs bilateral fusion, significant differences were present for right bending in the dog model and for flexion in the rabbit. Unilateral fusion can provide enough stability to constitute a fused grade by manual palpation but may not provide structural stiffness comparable to bilateral fusion.
Corn Stover Fractions and Bioenergy

Information is presented on structure, composition, and response to enzymes of corn stover related to barriers for bioconversion to ethanol. Aromatic compounds occurred in most tissue cell walls. Ferulic acid esterase treatment before cellulase treatment significantly improved dry weight loss and release of phenolic acids and sugars in most fractions over cellulase alone. Leaf fractions were considerably higher in dry weight loss and released sugars with esterase treatment, but stem pith cells gave up the most phenolic acids. Results help identify plant fractions more appropriate for coproducts and bioconversion and those more suitable as residues for soil erosion control.
The association of subjective workload dimensions on quality of care and pharmacist quality of work life.

Background: Workload has been described both objectively (e.g., number of prescriptions dispensed per pharmacist) as well as subjectively (e.g., pharmacist’s perception of busyness). These approaches might be missing important characteristics of pharmacist workload that have not been previously identified and measured. Objectives: To measure the association of community pharmacists’ workload perceptions at three levels (organization, job, and task) with job satisfaction, burnout, and perceived performance of two tasks in the medication dispensing process. Methods: A secondary data analysis was performed using cross-sectional survey data collected from Wisconsin (US) community pharmacists. Organization–related workload was measured as staffing adequacy; job-related workload was measured as general and specific job demands; task-related workload was measured as internal and external mental demands. Pharmacists’ perceived task performance was assessed for patient profile review and patient consultation. The survey was administered to a random sample of 500 pharmacists who were asked to opt in if they were a community pharmacist. Descriptive statistics and correlations of study variables were determined. Two structural equation models were estimated to examine relationships between the study variables and perceived task performance. Results: From the 224 eligible community pharmacists that agreed to participate, 165 (73.7%) usable surveys were completed and returned. Job satisfaction and job-related monitoring demands had direct positive associations with both dispensing tasks. External task demands were negatively related to perceived patient consultation performance. Indirect effects on both tasks were primarily mediated through job satisfaction, which was positively related to staffing adequacy and cognitive job demands and negatively related to volume job demands. External task demands had an additional indirect effect on perceived patient consultation performance, as it was associated with lower levels of job satisfaction and higher levels of burnout. Implications/Conclusions: Allowing community pharmacists to concentrate on tasks and limiting interruptions while performing these tasks are important factors in improving quality of patient care
When information retrieval measures agree about the relative quality of document rankings

The variety of performance measures available for information retrieval systems, search engines, and network filtering agents can be confusing to both practitioners and scholars. Most discussions about these measures address their theoretical foundations and the characteristics of a measure that make it desirable for a particular application. In this work, we consider how measures of performance at a point in a search may be formally compared. Criteria are developed that allow one to determine the percent of time or conditions under which two different performance measures suggest that one document ordering is superior to another ordering, or when the two measures disagree about the relative value of document orderings. As an example, graphs provide illustrations of the relationships between precision and F.
Inverse scattering of H/sub z/ waves using subscatterer T-matrices

The inverse scattering problem for H/sub z/ waves impinging on two-dimensional dielectric objects is solved. An inverse scattering algorithm called local shape function (LSF) imaging that abandons the standard integral equation model for a T-matrix model is described. With this algorithm, larger objects or higher dielectric contrasts can be resolved compared to the Born-type iterative methods. The improvement in the LSF algorithm arises because the model has a better approximation for the internal field. For simulation, three smooth dielectric profiles have been inverted with the distorted Born iterative method and the LSF algorithm. As expected, the LSF algorithm converges for a larger range of contrasts than the Born-type iterative methods, as large as 5:1 contrasts. >
Whole-Blood Platelet Aggregation Predicts In Vitro and In Vivo Primary Hemostatic Function in the Elderly

Abstract Increased platelet aggregation is associated with higher coronary artery disease mortality. Enhanced platelet aggregation in platelet-rich plasma has also been described in the elderly. To define age-related changes in primary hemostasis, we studied 37 elderly and 31 young blood donors. There were no significant age-related differences in whole-blood platelet aggregation, platelet adherence and thrombus formation on human umbilical artery segments, or bleeding time. Plasma fibrinogen was significantly higher in elderly men and women, whereas activated factor VII was elevated only in elderly women. Collagen-induced platelet aggregation was significantly correlated with platelet adherence to the subendothelium in elderly ( r =.488, P =.002) but not in young donors. Accordingly, collagen-induced platelet aggregation showed a significant inverse correlation with bleeding time only in the elderly ( r =−.401, P =.014). Arachidonic acid–induced platelet aggregation was significantly associated with platelet adherence to the subendothelium ( r =.658, P =.003) and bleeding time ( r =−.540, P =.021) only in elderly men. In young donors, ADP-induced platelet aggregation was significantly correlated with platelet adherence to the thrombogenic adventitial surface ( r =.395, P =.031); in the elderly this association only approached significance ( r =.315, P =.058). Whole-blood platelet aggregation in response to collagen and arachidonic acid may be more useful in predicting primary hemostatic function in the elderly than in the young. Furthermore, in the elderly, the correlation between platelet aggregation in whole blood and platelet–arterial wall interactions in vitro and in vivo may contribute to the ability of this test to predict coronary risk.
Motivational Deficiencies When Multiple Examinations Are Allowed

Abstract This study investigated the extent to which students would take advantage of multiple examination opportunities to improve course performance. Two multiple examinations systems, one in which the best test score and one in which the last test score counted toward the final grade, were contrasted with a conventional system in which students had only a single opportunity to demonstrate unit knowledge. The examination system generated no significant group differences on a cumulative final examination. The examination systems demonstrated some differences on initial unit test performance. It appears multiple examinations result in poorer unit test preparation and this was interpreted as due to maladaptive student study strategies.
Role of estradiol in alcohol intake and alcohol-related behaviors

Objective: Gonadal hormone estrogen affects many alcohol-related behaviors, including aggression and depression. Alcohol, on the other hand, alters circulating gonadal hormone levels. The present study investigated whether estrogen influences voluntary alcohol intake in male and female mice. Method: Alcohol-related behaviors of outbred CD-1 mice, which were implanted with pellets that released over a 60-day period either 0.1 or 0.25 mg 17 beta-estradiol (E2) or 1.5 or 5 mg anti-estrogen tamoxifen, were studied. Results: Male mice treated with E2 exhibited significantly higher levels of voluntary alcohol consumption than the tamoxifen-treated males. In contrast, tamoxifen-treated ovariectomized female mice consumed significantly more alcohol than the E2-treated ovariectomized females. Immobility in the swim test model of depressive behavior was not altered by treatment with E2 or tamoxifen. However, E2 reversed the gonadectomy-induced lengthening in immobility in the swim test both in males and females. E2...
The Contested Meaning of the Crosses at Columbine

Spontaneous memorials that emerged at Columbine after the shootings became a focal point of news coverage. Especially visible in this discourse were 15 wooden crosses that symbolized the 13 victims...
Low-temperature electronic properties of Li(NH3)4

Abstract Measurements on polycrystalline samples of lithium tetraamine (Li(NH 3 ) 4 ) at liquid helium temperatures have revealed the following properties: (1) the electrical resistivity shows a strong T 2 dominating a T 5 component from 1·5 to 4·2 K . (2) A minimum is observed in the variation of ( B ) with T at 3·5 K , in a field of 6 kG, for a zone-refined sample. The T 2 dependence of the resistivity is thought to be caused by electron-electron scattering or possibly by scattering from local vibrational modes of lithium ions.
A general approach for token correspondence

Abstract This paper presents a generalization of the correspondence approach of I. K. Sethi and R. Jain ( IEEE Trans. Pattern Anal. Mech. Intell. 9 , 56–73, 1987), by extending the path coherence criterion to high dimensional vector spaces, where tokens are represented as points. Two algorithms for obtaining correspondence of tokens are described. Experimental results for line and region tokens are presented to demonstrate the general purpose nature of the proposed correspondence approach.
Caffeine effects: Interaction of drug and wheelrunning experience

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were tested for wheelrunning following repeated injections of caffeine or distilled water after varying amounts of experience with caffeine and wheelrunning. Rats experienced with caffeine in combination with wheelrunning ran significantly more than rats experienced only with caffeine or wheelrunning alone. Results suggest that caffeine's stimulant effects are greater when subjects are experienced with wheelrunning while under the influence of the drug.
Natural gas price uncertainty and the cost-effectiveness of hedging against low hydropower revenues caused by drought

Prolonged periods of low reservoir inflows (droughts) significantly reduce a hydropower producer's ability to generate both electricity and revenues. Given the capital intensive nature of the electric power industry, this can impact hydropower producers’ ability to pay down outstanding debt, leading to credit rating downgrades, higher interests rates on new debt, and ultimately, greater infrastructure costs. One potential tool for reducing the financial exposure of hydropower producers to drought is hydrologic index insurance, in particular, contracts structured to payout when streamflows drop below a specified level. An ongoing challenge in developing this type of insurance, however, is minimizing contracts’ “basis risk,” that is, the degree to which contract payouts deviate in timing and/or amount from actual damages experienced by policyholders. In this paper, we show that consideration of year-to-year changes in the value of hydropower (i.e., the cost of replacing it with an alternative energy source during droughts) is critical to reducing contract basis risk. In particular, we find that volatility in the price of natural gas, a key driver of peak electricity prices, can significantly degrade the performance of index insurance unless contracts are designed to explicitly consider natural gas prices when determining payouts. Results show that a combined index whose value is derived from both seasonal streamflows and the spot price of natural gas yields contracts that exhibit both lower basis risk and greater effectiveness in terms of reducing financial exposure.
Fast All-Transparent Integrated Circuits Based on Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide Thin-Film Transistors

We describe the fabrication and characterization of visible transparent small-scale indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) integrated circuits. The IGZO channel and indium tin oxide (ITO) contacts and interconnects were pulsed laser deposited at room temperature. Low-temperature (200 °C ) atomic-layer-deposited Al2O3 was used as the gate dielectric in bottom-gated thin-film transistors with field-effect mobility near 15 cm2/V·s. Logic inverters and ring oscillators were fabricated and characterized, with operations at frequencies as high as 2.1 MHz, corresponding to a propagation delay of less than 48 ns/stage with a supply voltage of 25 V. To the best of our knowledge, these are the fastest all-transparent oxide semiconductor circuits reported to date.
Analytical Procedure for the Determination of the Marijuana Metabolite 11-nor-Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic Acid in Oral Fluid Specimens

The determination of the marijuana metabolite 11-nor-Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic acid (THCA) in oral fluid specimens is described for the first time using a Quantisal oral fluid collection device and gas chromatography with single-quadrupole mass spectrometric detection. Oral fluid specimens were confirmed for the presence of THCA using two-dimensional gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in order to achieve the low concentration levels previously reported to be present in oral fluid. The extraction efficiency for THCA from the oral fluid collection pad was determined to be 80% at a concentration of 10 pg/mL with a coefficient of variation of 8.23%. The intraday precision of the assay ranged from 3.4% to 7.9% over four concentrations; the interday precision ranged from 8.3% to 18.5%. The limit of quantitation was 2 pg/mL. The method was applied to oral fluid specimens collected from a frequent user of marijuana. Samples were collected almost immediately after the subject smoked and then at intervals of 15 and 45 min and 1, 2, and 8 h after smoking. THCA was present in all the specimens, even the initial specimen taken almost immediately after smoking. The presence of THCA minimizes the argument for passive exposure to marijuana in drug-testing cases.
Reflections on Hope as a Category of Social and Psychological Analysis

In the few pages of the doctoral dissertation on sin and expiation that he managed to complete before his death in World War I, Emile Durkheim's student Robert Hertz (1988) struggled with the methodological and conceptual problems of his project. Like Durkheim and Marcel Mauss, he wanted to delineate for comparative study a set of categories that were prevalent in European thought and of universal pretension. Were these categories in fact universal? Or were they the product of a particular level of social development? How could the two positions, both of which were more or less held by the Durkheimians, be reconciled? An evolutionary model, or rather orientation, offered a way out: it was, in fact, a cover story for what could not be reconciled on either conceptual or methodological grounds.' How could one study, for example, the nature of expiation in societies so different from 20th-century France that the very category was in question? How could a primordial notion of expiation, or sin, be identified? If it were identified, would this not suggest that there were, as Immanuel Kant had assumed, innate categories of the mind resistant to social, or contingent, determination? Or were there universal features of social organization that were reflected in such categories? What would these features be? The question of definition troubled Hertz. After a long discussion of sin and expiation in Christianity in the introduction to his thesis (Hertz 1988:5-27), he noted how difficult it would be to avoid the deep penetration of these Christian notions in any comparative study of religion. Hertz could offer only a weak methodological exit: To examine the facts without taking a position, a parti-pris, but with method. But can one? Hertz recognized, I believe, the impossibility of the Durkheimian project. His own procedure, though not without contradiction, was rather more complex than that of the Durkheimians: it was more psychological or at least more experiential.
Renal protection strategies in the perioperative period

The development of acute renal failure (ARF) in the perioperative period continues to be a vexing condition associated with high morbidity and mortality rates which have been unchanged for several decades. In this article I briefly review recent research categorizing pathogenesis of ARF and mechanisms of recovery. Once ARF is established, its maintenance phase is dependent on several mechanisms that interact with cellular integrity. The main focus of the article is on assessing clinical and experimental interventions to prevent ARF. Unfortunately, existing pharmacological and other interventions show a rather limited efficacy in preventing ARF.
Thin-film permeation-barrier technology for flexible organic light-emitting devices

One of the advantages of organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) over other display technologies is the ability to fabricate them on flexible substrates. As polymer substrates do not offer the same barrier performance as glass, OLEDs on polymer substrates will require thin-film barriers on both the bottom and top side of the device layers for sufficient lifetimes. This article provides a review of permeation-barrier technologies as well as the current status of thin-film permeation barriers for OLEDs. Topics include the implications of various device structures, permeation rate measurement, background and state-of-the-art of barrier technology, and mechanical and optical considerations for effective barriers.
APPLYING MCSST TO CORAL REEF BLEACHING

In the 1980s and early 1990s, coral reef bleaching events of unprecedented frequency and global extent were observed. Elevated water temperature is suspected as the primary causal stress of mass bleaching events from this period. The relationship between sea surface temperatures (SSTs) and coral bleaching events was investigated using National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Multi-Channel Sea Surface Temperature (MCSST) satellite imagery from 1982-1992. Nighttime MCSST weekly averages were compared with moored-buoy temperatures for sea-truthing the satellite. Average errors from 11 individual buoy comparisons throughout the tropics were found to be approximately 0.5bC. Confirmed satellite SST data were applied to bleaching events at Bermuda (1988, 1991), Tahiti (1984, 1987, 1991), and Jamaica (1987, 1989, 1990), with a non-bleached site off Belize selected as control. MCSST data showed elevated SSTs coincided with bleaching events both in onset and duration. Bleaching thresholds were developed. An MCSST Degree Heating Weeks (DHW) bleaching index was developed for the Belizean and Jamaican reef sites. A cumulative heating stress of 26 DHW is proposed as the threshold for mass reef bleaching at Belize and Jamaica.
Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

The ability to control the size, shape, and material of a surface has reinvigorated the field of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Because excitation of the localized surface plasmon resonance of a nanostructured surface or nanoparticle lies at the heart of SERS, the ability to reliably control the surface characteristics has taken SERS from an interesting surface phenomenon to a rapidly developing analytical tool. This article first explains many fundamental features of SERS and then describes the use of nanosphere lithography for the fabrication of highly reproducible and robust SERS substrates. In particular, we review metal film over nanosphere surfaces as excellent candidates for several experiments that were once impossible with more primitive SERS substrates (e.g., metal island films). The article also describes progress in applying SERS to the detection of chemical warfare agents and several biological molecules.
Reacting Flow Simulation for a Large-Scale Ram Accelerator.

Computational fluid dynamics solutions of the full Navier-Stokes equations have been used to numerically simulate the reacting in-bore flowfield for the ram accelerator projectile propulsion system. In this system a projectile and obturator are injected at supersonic velocity into a stationary tube filled with a pressurized mixture of hydrocarbon, oxidizer, and inert gases. Flow stagnation on the obturator initiates combustion of the mixture, before it is discarded. A system of shock waves on the projectile, in conjunction with viscous heating, sustains combustion. The resulting energy release, which travels with the projectile, also generates high pressures that impart thrust to the projectile. Numerical simulation utilizing finite rate chemical kinetics have been used to investigate this flowfield. Numerical results are used to visualize the flowfield, predict the effects of variation in system parameters, and predict projectile in-bore velocity.
10B-6 A Composite Imaging Technique for High Frame-Rate and Full-View Cardiovascular Ultrasound and Elasticity Imaging

The frame-rate of ultrasound radio-frequency (RF) data acquisition is critical for imaging of the pulse wave and electromechanical wave propagation in cardiovascular tissues as well as improving the strain estimation. Therefore, an automated method had been developed to overcome the frame-rate limitations on standard systems by retrospective multi-sector signal acquisition through an electrocardiogram (ECG) gating technique. The method achieved a frame rate of 481 Hz at a 100% field of view, 64 line densities and an imaging depth of 11 cm. The composite full-view images were reconstructed by retrospectively combining seven small-sector RF frames using the ECG-gating technique. The axial displacements of both long-axis and short-axis views of a human left ventricle and a long-axis view of the abdominal aorta were calculated using an RF based speckle-tracking technique comprising ID cross-correlation methods in a 2D search (window size of 6.9 mm and overlap of 80%). Several sequences of electromechanical waves propagating in a left ventricular long-axis and short-axis view, and long-axis view of abdominal aorta were imaged at high frame rates. Currently, the method was implemented on an Ultrasonix RP system (Ultrasonix Medical Corp. Richmond, Canada) and could be potentially implemented on other clinical systems.
Liver-specific ablation of integrin-linked kinase in mice results in enhanced and prolonged cell proliferation and hepatomegaly after phenobarbital administration.

We have recently demonstrated that disruption of extracellular matrix (ECM)/integrin signaling via elimination of integrin-linked kinase (ILK) in hepatocytes interferes with signals leading to termination of liver regeneration. This study investigates the role of ILK in liver enlargement induced by phenobarbital (PB). Wild-type (WT) and ILK:liver−/− mice were given PB (0.1% in drinking water) for 10 days. Livers were harvested on 2, 5, and 10 days during PB administration. In the hepatocyte-specific ILK/liver−/− mice, the liver:body weight ratio was more than double as compared to 0 h at day 2 (2.5 times), while at days 5 and 10, it was enlarged three times. In the WT mice, the increase was as expected from previous literature (1.8 times) and seems to have leveled off after day 2. There were slightly increased proliferating cell nuclear antigen-positive cells in the ILK/liver−/− animals at day 2 as compared to WT after PB administration. In the WT animals, the proliferative response had come back to normal by days 5 and 10. Hepatocytes of the ILK/liver−/− mice continued to proliferate up until day 10. ILK/liver−/− mice also showed increased expression of key genes involved in hepatocyte proliferation at different time points during PB administration. In summary, ECM proteins communicate with the signaling machinery of dividing cells via ILK to regulate hepatocyte proliferation and termination of the proliferative response. Lack of ILK in the hepatocytes imparts prolonged proliferative response not only to stimuli related to liver regeneration but also to xenobiotic chemical mitogens, such as PB.
Addressing the systems-in-silicon verification challenge: a new approach to logic verification

The purpose of the paper is to highlight emerging electronic design requirements, and their effect an simulation, and then to describe a new simulation architecture which meets many of the needs discussed. The paper examines the effect of new capabilities offered by silicon vendors on modern IC designs, and then breaks down this effect into design challenges. These challenges are then equated with requirements for HDL simulation. A new simulation architecture is then described which provides the answer to many of the suggested simulation issues.
Assessment of Physicians' Perceived Risk of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Medications in Pregnant Patients.

Many female patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are affected during their reproductive years, and the benefits of continuing medical therapy to maintain remission during preg- nancy generally outweigh the risks of therapy cessation. Knowledge of the current guidelines is important to maximize maternal and fetal outcomes. Methods: A total of 116 practitioners (family medi- cine (FM), n=35; internal medicine (IM), n=22; obstetrics/gynecol- ogy (Ob/Gyn), n=23; gastroenterology (GI), n=36) responded to a survey. Respondents were asked about the US Food and Drug Administration classifications of common IBD drugs, the need for caution when administering live vaccines to neonates exposed to biologic agents in utero, and 2 scenarios of patients with IBD who wanted to become pregnant. Results: Compared with GI physicians, FM+IM physicians were less likely to correctly identify infliximab (Remicade, Janssen Biotech) as a pregnancy category B drug (67% vs 30%; P=.0005). Among all respondents, 38% were unaware of the need to delay administration of live vaccines to infants exposed to anti-tumor necrosis factor agents in utero. GI specialists were more likely to advise patients to continue their IBD regimen (biologic agents and thiopurines) during pregnancy than non-GI (IM, FM, and Ob/Gyn) physicians (biologic agents: 86% vs 46%; P<.0001 and thiopurines: 69% vs 15%; P<.0001). Overall, 78% of non-GI physicians said that they would change their practice based on the survey. Conclusion: Practitioners caring for pregnant patients may lack awareness regarding the safety and management of IBD drugs during pregnancy. Bringing awareness through education may increase the number of physicians following best practice guidelines.
Snow Fence Shielding of Precipitation Gages

Wind has long been recognized as a major source of error in the measured catch by precipitation gages. The generally accepted Alter or Nipher shields improve the characteristics of the gage to catch precipitation during the occurrence of wind. However, they do not provide all of the protection desired, especially for snow. A study has been undertaken by the Wyoming Water Resources Research Institute to investigate the possibilities of shielding the entire gage with snow fencing. The study has been conducted on the Pole Mountain Division of the Medicine Bow National Forest near Laramie, Wyoming, at an elevation of 8,200 ft. The configuration of the study plot is described and the data collected from observations during the first winter are presented and analyzed. Basically, the results indicated that an unshielded precipitation gage catches about one-third of the defined standard. A gage which is shielded by either snow fences or an Alter shield catches approximately two-thirds, and gages shielded with both an Alter shield and snow fence catch the equivalent of the standard.
The Interaction of Learning Disability Status and Student Demographic Characteristics on Mathematics Growth

This study examined mathematics achievement growth of students without disabilities (SWoD) and students with learning disabilities (LD) and tested whether growth and LD status interacted with student demographic characteristics. Growth was estimated in a statewide sample of 79,554 students over Grades 3 to 7. The LD group was significantly lower in achievement in each grade and had less growth than the SWoD group. We also found that student demographic characteristics were significantly related to mathematics growth, but only three demographic characteristics were statistically significant as interactions. We found that LD-SWoD differences at Grade 3 were moderated by student sex, while Black race/ethnicity and free or reduced lunch (FRL) status moderated LD-SWoD differences at all grades. These results provide practitioners and policy makers with more specific information about which particular LD students show faster or slower growth in mathematics. Our results show that simply including predictors in a regression equation may produce different results than direct testing of interactions and achievement gaps may be larger for some LD subgroups of students than previously reported.
The Effect of Cold Work, Heat Treatment, and Composition on the Austenite to R-Phase Transformation Temperature of Ni-Ti Shape Memory Alloys

The influence of cold work (CW) and heat treatment (HT) on the austenite to R-Phase (A<R) transformation temperature (TT) of a near equiatomic and three other Ti rich NiTi SMA is examined. For the SMA having a near equiatomic composition, the A<R TT increases with increasing CW at low HT temperatures. For the SMA having the maximum possible Ti content, the A→R TT decreases with increasing CW at low HT temperatures. For all compositions, the A→R TT is not sensitive to CW at high HT temperatures. At a Ti content slightly below the maximum possible, the A<R TT is relatively insensitive to CW and HT temperature. For all of the SMA investigated, the A<R TT increases with increasing Ti content for a specific CW and HT temperature, and this effect is greatest at low CW and at high HT temperatures.
Use of chemical fingerprint data to enhance remedial site investigations at petroleum impacted sites

ABSTRACTAs well known by remediation practitioners, the indispensable “road map” for remedial site investigation is the conceptual site model (CSM), in which contaminant sources and migration pathways are two of the most critical CSM components. The ultimate goal of site investigation is to delineate the extent of contaminants, which is constrained by migration pathways. As contaminant sources are the starting points of the migration pathways, understanding contaminant sources is critically important in developing and refining a CSM. In the world of liability dispute and litigation, identification of sources of petroleum hydrocarbons is one of the, if not the only, objectives. A variety of environmental forensic techniques have been developed over a long history of litigation and the validity of these techniques has been established through publication in peer-reviewed scientific journals and books, as well as the vigorous scrutiny of the litigation process. Among the techniques, chemical fingerprinting i...
A vontade de potência e a política democrática

Neste artigo, desejo explorar o conceito de vontade de potencia [Wille zur Macht] de Nietzsche e suas relacoes com a filosofia politica. Em primeiro lugar, apresento uma visao geral da vontade de potencia e sua centralidade no pensamento do filosofo, onde potencia envolve mais uma estrutura de tensoes reciprocas do que forca destrutiva. Depois de me haver com a ideia de que Nietzsche e um pensador politico ou antipolitico, proporei que a abordagem das estruturas sociais pelo filosofo parte de teorias politicas tradicionais, sobretudo a moderna teoria contratualista de governo, de feitio liberal. Na sequencia, revisitarei um argumento que permeia meu trabalho anterior, qual seja, o de que a adocao por Nietzsche da estrutura agonistica da vida social proporciona uma alternativa robusta para a filosofia politica, em especial no que diz respeito as instituicoes legais e a politica democratica.