cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Coupled Biotic-Abiotic Processes Control Biogeochemical Cycling of Dissolved Organic Matter in the Columbia River Hyporheic Zone

A critical component of assessing the impacts of climate change on watershed ecosystems involves understanding the role that dissolved organic matter (DOM) plays in driving whole ecosystem metabolism. The hyporheic zone –a biogeochemical control point where ground water and river water mix –is characterized by high DOM turnover and microbial activity and is responsible for a large fraction of lotic respiration. Yet, the dynamic nature of this ecotone provides a challenging but important environment to parse out different DOM influences on watershed function and net carbon and nutrient fluxes. We used high-resolution Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry to provide a detailed molecular characterization of DOM and its transformation pathways in the Columbia river watershed. Samples were collected from ground water (adjacent unconfined aquifer underlying the Hanford 300 Area), Columbia river water, and its hyporheic zone. The hyporheic zone was sampled at five locations to capture spatial heterogeneity within the hyporheic zone. Our results revealed that abiotic transformation pathways (e.g., carboxylation), potentially driven by abiotic factors such as sunlight, in both the ground water and river water are likely influencing DOM availability to the hyporheic zone, which could then be coupled with biotic processes for enhanced microbial activity. The ground water profile revealed high rates of N and S transformations via abiotic reactions. The river profile showed enhanced abiotic photodegradation of lignin-like molecules that subsequently entered the hyporheic zone as low molecular weight, more degraded compounds. While the compounds in river water were in part bio-unavailable, some were further shown to increase rates of microbial respiration. Together, river water and ground water enhance microbial activity within the hyporheic zone, regardless of river stage, as shown by elevated putative amino-acid transformations and the abundance of amino-sugar and protein-like compounds. This enhanced microbial activity is further dependent the composition of ground water and river water inputs. Our results further suggest that abiotic controls on DOM should be incorporated into predictive modeling for understanding watershed dynamics, especially as climate variability and land use could affect light exposure and changes to ground water essential elements, both shown to impact the Columbia river hyporheic zone.
Overview of optical signal detection in turbid water using temporally encoded polarimetric integral imaging

We overview temporally encoded single shot polarimetric integral imaging with nonlinear correlation for optical detection in turbid water. The overviewed system enhances the detection capabilities compared to conventional 2D and 3D integral imaging methods.
Integration of oncogenic viruses in mammalian cells.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the integration of oncogenic viruses in mammalian cells. Cells transformed by either RNA- or DNA-containing oncogenic viruses retain the genomes of the transforming viruses and, generally, express antigens, coded by the viral genome. The genomes of oncogenic viruses can integrate in different sites in the same or different chromosomes in different viral-transformed cells. It is not clear, however, whether the viral genomes integrate into specific sites or at random in the mammalian cell genome. Nucleotide sequencing of the cellular DNA sequences flanking the viral integration sites and the use of recombinant plasmid DNAs containing a selectable gene (thymidine kinase) and the tumor virus genome should result in a better understanding of the molecular mechanism of the integration of oncogenic viruses in the cellular genome.
“I Love Being a Mom So I Don’t Mind Doing It All”: The Cost of Maternal Identity

Drawing upon data from in-depth interviews with mothers and fathers as well as field observation, I illustrate how women engage in the practice of maternal gatekeeping due to strongly held notions of maternal identity. The central components of maternal identity can lead to a defense of gender imbalance in the home. These central components include dreams of motherhood as well as conceptions of women’s superior parenting knowledge and women’s sense of primary responsibility for their children. I explore how maternal identity can lead into maternal gatekeeping while exploring what it is about our gendered parenting roles that we cling to so tightly. I conclude with a call for an abandonment of notions of maternal identity which should be replaced by gender neutral parental identities.
Ideals of human excellence and preserving natural environments

A wealthy eccentric bought a house in a neighborhood I know. The house was surrounded by a beautiful display of grass, plants, and flowers, and it was shaded by a huge old avocado tree. But the grass required cutting, the flowers needed tending, and the man wanted more sun. So he cut the whole lot down and covered the yard with asphalt. After all it was his property and he was not fond of plants. It was a small operation, but it reminded me of the strip mining of large sections of the Appalachians. In both cases, of course, there were reasons for the destruction, and property rights could be cited as justification. But I could not help but wonder, “What sort of person would do a thing like that?” Many Californians had a similar reaction when a recent governor defended the leveling of ancient redwood groves, reportedly saying, “If you have seen one redwood, you have seen them all.” Incidents like these arouse the indignation of ardent environmentalists and leave even apolitical observers with some degree of moral discomfort. The reasons for these reactions are mostly obvious. Uprooting the natural environment robs both present and future generations of much potential use and enjoyment. Animals too depend on the environment; and even if one does not value animals for their own sakes, their potential utility for us is incalculable. Plants are needed, of course, to replenish the atmosphere quite aside from their aesthetic value.
Igbo Women and Economic Transformation in Southeastern Nigeria, 1900-1960

Introduction 1. The Igbo Region Before 1900: A Survey 2. Women in the Economy Before 1900 3. "We Hold Our Families' Bowls": Colonialism, Women, Agriculture and Food Processing 4. Double Endowments or Double-Edged Sword? Women, Crafts and Local Industries 5. Trade and the New Economic Order 6. "If Not For Trade, Who Would Have Given Us Wealth?" The Women Traders 7. The Untouchable Vultures: Women in Resistance Movements 8. Conclusion: Igbo Women's Economic Role in Historical and Comparative Perspective
Negative Voting: Why it Destroys Shareholder Value and a Proposal to Prevent it

The expansion of the derivatives and stock loan markets has permitted investors a great deal of flexibility in structuring their voting rights in and economic ownership of corporations. Some investors have used this flexibility to engage in a practice I label "negative voting," which involves establishing negative net economic exposure to a corporation's share price and voting the corporation's shares in the manner that best decreases share price. This practice represents corporate governance at its worst, for it results in the complete misalignment of voting and economic interests.Current U.S. securities laws allow entities to establish large negative voting positions without disclosure. This loophole in regulation permits negative voters to profit by compelling corporations to choose wealth-destructive options. The more wealth-destructive the option, the more appealing that option is to the negative voter.This Note first evaluates three separate proposals that would serve to curtail negative voting. None of these proposals target negative voting alone. Instead, they address the broader phenomenon of misaligned voting and economic interests. If all forms of misalignment were equally problematic, broad approaches such as these might well be appropriate. However, one form of misalignment - negative voting - has more potential for wealth destruction than do its cousins. For that reason, negative voting should be the primary focus of remedial legislation.This Note concludes by offering a proposal that gives negative voting the attention it deserves, while aiming to spare innocent parties the costs of deterrence. The creation of a private right of action - whether by a federal or state body - would have a minimal impact on current derivatives and stock loan markets while providing a direct remedy to those who are harmed by negative voting. Here, the most narrowly-tailored legislative approach is probably the best.
JOB MARKET SIGNALLING WITH TWO DIMENSIONS OF PRIVATE INFORMATION

We study an extension of job market signalling by introducing another dimension of private information. When two dimensions of attribute are intertwined in parameterizing preferences, the single crossing property no longer holds globally. In seeking the equilibrium prediction, the intuitive criterion and then the more stringent perfect sequentiality refinement are applied. The result depends on the extent to which the second characteristic affects the ability of education to signal. If the effect is mild, the equilibrium acquired is comparable to the separating outcome of the unidimensional benchmark. Otherwise, pooling must occur. This demonstrates that the problem of information transmission is more acute in a multidimensional environment.
Efficient Location Privacy for Moving Clients in Database-Driven Dynamic Spectrum Access

Dynamic spectrum access (DSA) is envisioned as a promising framework for addressing the spectrum shortage caused by the rapid growth of connected wireless devices. In contrast to the legacy fixed spectrum allocation policies, DSA allows license-exempt users to access the licensed spectrum bands when not in use by their respective owners. More specifically, in the database-driven DSA model, mobile users issue location-based queries to a white-space database, in order to identify idle channels in their area. To preserve location privacy, existing solutions suggest the use of private information retrieval (PIR) protocols when querying the database. Nevertheless, these methods are not communication efficient and fail to take into account user mobility. In this paper, we address these shortcomings and propose an efficient privacy-preserving protocol based on the Hilbert space filling curve. We provide optimizations for mobile users that require privacy on-the-fly and users that have full a priori knowledge of their trajectory. Through experimentation with two real life datasets, we show that, compared to the current state-of-the-art protocol, our methods reduce the query response time at the mobile clients by a large factor.
No on-off Maps in Supragranular Layers of Ferret Visual Cortex

Primary visual cortex contains functional maps of a number of stimulus properties including ocular dominance, orientation, direction, color, and spatial frequency. These maps must be organized with...
Conservatism, Analyst Ability, and Forecast Error: Evidence on Financial Statement Users' Ability to Account for Conservatism

We posit that, because incorporating the effect of accounting conservatism on earnings forecasts likely requires a higher degree of sophistication, the ability to adjust earnings forecasts for conservatism should vary across security analysts. Consistent with this conjecture, we find that less experienced analysts are less able to account for the effect of conservatism when forecasting earnings. More specifically, we find that the initial optimism in analyst forecasts increases with accounting conservatism and that this relation significantly decreases with analyst experience. This finding has several implications. First, it indicates that the lack of sophistication by some analysts is likely one reason for the apparent bias in the initial forecast documented. Second, it suggests that conservatism could under certain circumstances result in stock mispricing. Third, it calls for a greater emphasis on the cross-sectional determinants of conservatism in accounting and financial statement analysis curriculums.
Biocompatible/Bioabsorbable Silver Nanocomposite Coatings

A novel biomass-mediated method to synthesize cellulose-stabilized silver nanoparticles (SNPs) and incorporate them into biocompatible/bioabsorbable poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) for producing SNP–PLLA nanocomposite thin films was developed and the antimicrobial efficacy and biocompatibility of the SNP–PLLA films were studied. The formation and coating morphology of SNPs were characterized with UV–visible spectrophotometry and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and the release rate of silver ion from the SNP–PLLA films was determined by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry. Antimicrobial testing of the SNP–PLLA films performed with Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli according to ISO 22196 standards demonstrated that the SNP–PLLA nanocomposite films with a SNP concentration of 700 ppm reduced colonies forming unit (CFU) counts by 99.8 and 99.99%, respectively. Despite the significant antimicrobial activity, the nanocomposite films with the same SNP concentration had little effect on the viability of human HeLa cells. This strategy that has been developed for the synthesis of nanoparticles and the formation of composite films demonstrates promise for reducing perioperative surgical site infections associated with indwelling devices. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011
Molecular simulations of water and ion diffusion in nanosized mineral fractures.

Molecular dynamics simulations were carried out to investigate the effects of confinement and of the presence of the mineral surface on the diffusion of water and electrolyte ions in nanosized mineral fractures. Feldspar was used as a representative mineral because recent studies found that it is an important mineral that hosts contaminants within its intragrain fractures at the U.S. Department of Energy Hanford site. Several properties of the mineral−water interface were varied, such as the fracture width, the ionic strength of the contacting solution, and the surface charge, to provide atomic-level insights into the diffusion of ions and contaminants within intragrain regions. In each case, the self-diffusion coefficient of water and that of the electrolyte ions were computed as a function of distance from the mineral surface. Our calculations reveal a 2.0−2.5 nm interfacial region within which the self-diffusion coefficient of water and that of the electrolyte ions decrease as the diffusing species app...
Mammary tumor regression by extracts of histolyzed amphibian skin and gills.

SummaryInjection of neutralized acid extracts of histolyzing tail skin from R. catesbeiana larvae undergoing normal metamorphosis into spontaneous mammary tumors of mice caused regression of tumors, as reported earlier. This oncolytic substance retains some activity after 15 months at 5 ±: 2°C. Extracts made of histolyzing R. clamitans tail muscle from larvae undergoing artificial metamorphosis are not oncolytic. In this respect they correspond to R. catesbeiana tail muscle extracts made from normally metamorphosing larvae. Extracts made from histolyzing gills of artificially metamorphosed R. clamitans larvae produce pronounced regression of mammary tumors. The effect of injecting sterile distilled water is practically nil, although the rate of tumor growth may be slightly retarded in some instances. It is concluded that extracts made from histolyzing larval anuran gills, similar to those made from degenerating larval anuran tail skin, contain some substance or substances which exert an inhibitory and reg...
An improved calibration method for the drift of the conductivity sensor on autonomous CTD profiling floats by θ–S climatology

Abstract An improved method to estimate the time-varying drift of measured conductivity from autonomous CTD profiling floats has been developed. This procedure extends previous methods developed by Wong, Johnson and Owens [2003. Delayed-mode calibration of autonomous CTD profiling float salinity data by θ – S climatology. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, 20, 308–318] and Bohme and Send [2005. Objective analyses of hydrographic data for referencing profiling float salinities in highly variable environments. Deep-Sea Research Part II, 52, 651–664]. It uses climatological salinity interpolated to the float positions and observed θ surfaces and chooses 10 ‘best’ levels that are within well-mixed mode waters or deep homogeneous water masses. A piece-wise linear fit is used to estimate the temporally varying multiplicative adjustment to the float potential conductivities. An objective, statistical method is used to choose the breakpoints in the float time series where there are multiple drift trends. In the previous methods these breakpoints were chosen subjectively by manually splitting the time series into separate segments over which the fits were made. Our statistical procedure reduces the subjectivity by providing an automated way for doing the piece-wise linear fit. Uncertainties in this predicted adjustment are estimated using a Monte-Carlo simulation. Examples of this new procedure as applied to two Argo floats are presented.
Enhancement Of Ground Based Astronomical Photographs By Digital Image Processing

The resolution achieved by a large, ground-based astronomical telescope is limited by both the perfection of the optical components of the instrument and the distorting effects of the earth's atmosphere as the electromagnetic waves propagate toward the telescope.© (1974) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Using a Wetland Bioreactor to Remediate Ground Water Contaminated with Nitrate (mg/L) and Perchlorate (μg/L)

ABSTRACT Wetland plants and their rhizospheric microorganisms were used to remove perchlorate from nitrate-contaminated ground water. A wetland bioreactor was constructed with the wetland plants Typha spp., Scirpus spp., and Cyperus spp. These plants provided a habitat and a food source for the indigenous denitrifying microorganisms presumed responsible for the perchlorate and nitrate removal. Ground water contaminated with nitrate (68 mg/L) was collected from a well and injected with concentrations of potassium perchlorate similar to those found in several local wells (50 and 100 μg/L). The water flowed continuously through the wetland bioreactor with hydraulic retention times (HRT) ranging from 0.5 to 400 h. Because microbial denitrification depends, in part, on the nature and amount of carbon available to the microorganisms, four carbon sources (dried leaf matter, dried algae, milk replacement starter, and sodium acetic acid) were evaluated. Analyses for perchlorate This document was prepared as an acc...
Identification of a novel heterozygous IGF1 splicing mutation in a large kindred with familial short stature.

Background/Aims: Insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I is critical for normal human growth. Extremely rare homozygous mutations of the IGF1 gene s
Data analysis for spectroscopic ellipsometry

Abstract The modeling of spectroscopic ellipsometry data is reviewed, and is divided into three phases. The first phase involves the calculation of the Fresnel reflection coefficients for a given layer structure; it is shown that the Abeles formalism provides the most flexibility, and can be readily related to the Berreman formalism for calculations involving anisotropic layers. The second phase is to parameterize the optical functions of each individual layer; several models are reviewed, including effective media, the Lorentz oscillator and a recent parameterization of amorphous semiconductors. The final phase involves the fitting of the spectroscopic ellipsometry data to the model, where different figures of merit of the fitting function are discussed. A proper numerical analysis technique requires that the reduced ¢ 2 be used as the figure of merit, which will result in the proper weighting of data points, and in obtaining meaningful error limits and a measure of the goodness of fit.
A Laplace Transform Based Inverse Method for Flaw Characterization by Eddy Currents

Eddy current probes have been widely and successfully used to detect surface breaking flaws in metals. It is quite natural to ask if the eddy current signal can be used to characterize the flaw, i.e. determine its type, length or depth? This paper is a “report in progress” on just this question. The basic strategy is to find an eddy-current flaw characterization problem simple enough that an analytic solution is possible. This analytic solution is then used to uncover the elements generic to eddy-current characterization (inversion) methods.
Eliot, Joyce, and Exile

(2001). Eliot, Joyce, and Exile. ANQ: A Quarterly Journal of Short Articles, Notes and Reviews: Vol. 14, No. 4, pp. 38-45.
Detection of nitroaromatics as mutagenic components of used motor oils

Abstract Mutagenic and gas chromatographic analyses of three motor oil samples reacted with nitrogen dioxide indicated the presence of many mutagenic nitroaromatic compounds, none of which predominates. Comparison of motor oils nitrated with nitrogen dioxide with used motor oil from an automobile shows similarities, particularly when the starting oil is the same.
Patterns of metal accumulation in Laminaria longicruris from Long Island Sound (Connecticut).

Laminaria longicruris de la Pyl. samples were harvested from Long Island Sound (Connecticut) from January 1985 to January 1986. Cadmium and copper content was determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry from four tissue types; young blade, old blade, young stipe and old stipe. The results were statistically analyzed for differences in both type and age of tissue. Concentrations of cadmium were consistently lower than copper concentrations for all months and all tissue types. Statistically significant differences (p>0.05) were found between the four tissue types for copper in the months of March, June, July, October and December, and for cadmium in the months of February, March, June, July, October and November. Young blade tissue and young stipe tissue were the tissues which most frequently found to be statistically different from the other tissues. Young stipe tissue had the lowest trace metal concentrations (1.3 mean ppm, dry wt. Cu, 0.22 mean ppm, dry wt. Cd). Young blade tissue had significantly higher metal values in comparison to the other tissues for the months of June and October. Old tissue of L. longicruris is the most suitable for use in biomonitoring of trace metals due to the relatively little variation in metal content that was found throughout the study period.
Prevention of Ischemic Spinal Cord Injury Following Aortic Cross-Clamping: Use of Corticosteroids

Abstract Prior to proximal aortic cross-clamping, baseline measurements of spinal cord blood flow and function were done. Blood flow was evaluated with radioactive microspheres and function determined by assessment of somatosensory evoked potential (SEP). Group 1 (N = 6) animals had aortic cross-clamping for 5 minutes after ischemic spinal cord dysfunction (SEP loss) was documented. Group 2 (N = 9) underwent aortic cross-clamping for 10 minutes after loss of SEP. Group 3 (N = 6) also underwent 10 minutes of cross-clamping after initial SEP loss, but were treated intravenously with methylprednisolone (30 mg per kilogram of body weight) 10 minutes prior to cross-clamping and again 4 hours postoperatively. After release of the cross-clamp, the animals were allowed to recover and serial evaluations of spinal cord blood flow and neurological status were carried out for seven days. Group 1 animals recovered uneventfully without evidence of neurological injury. Group 2 animals sustained a 67% incidence of permanent spastic paraplegia ( p = 0.02 versus Group 1). In contrast, methylprednisolone-treated animals sustained no clinically detectable neurological injury ( p = 0.02 versus Group 2). Measurements of spinal cord blood flow at the time of SEP loss revealed similar degrees of spinal cord ischemia in all groups. No significant differences were observed in the duration of aortic cross-clamping prior to SEP loss among the three groups. The data indicate that short periods of cross-clamping (5 minutes) following SEP loss are well tolerated, whereas longer periods (10 minutes) are associated with a high incidence of paraplegia. This injury can be prevented if an adequate dose of methylprednisolone is given before and after cross-clamping. Beneficial effects of steroid administration do not appear to be related to changes in spinal cord blood flow, but may be related to protective effects on cellular and subcellular components. Clinical investigations employing this regimen of corticosteroid protection during surgical procedures on the thoracoabdominal aorta appear to be indicated.
Experiments on rule induction from incomplete data using three probabilistic approximations

We present results of experiments on rule induction using three probabilistic approximations: lower, middle, and upper. Our results were conducted on four typical series of incomplete data sets with 5% increments of missing attribute values. Two interpretations of missing attribute values were used: lost and “do not care” conditions. We conclude that the best approach (choice of the interpretation of missing attribute values and selection of the best type of approximation) depends on a data set. Probabilistic approximations are constructed from characteristic sets. The number of distinct probabilities associated with characteristic sets is much larger for data sets with “do not care” conditions than with data sets with lost values. Therefore, for data sets with “do not care” conditions the number of probabilistic approximations is also larger.
Analysis of the thermal properties and motion in crystalline trans-1,4-poly(butadiene)

Abstract A new analysis of the disordering transition of semicrystalline trans -1,4-poly(butadiene) is presented, based on an improved calculation of the transition enthalpy from the crystal form I to the mesophase II (condis phase). In the past it had been overlooked that the experimental heat capacity starts to deviate more than one hundred kelvins below the peak temperature of the disordering transition temperature T d from that contributed by the amorphous fraction and the crystal. An assessment of the additional entropy of disordering at lower temperature suggests that by the time the glass transition is reached on cooling, all the mesophase is converted to the fully ordered crystal form I .
Electron exchange-polymers. V. Hydroquinone-formaldehyde polymers†

Hydroquinone-formaldehyde and related polymers were prepared and examined for oxidation-reduction properties in a preliminary way. Instability toward oxidizing agents and alkali was shown by the polymers, and further study of them was suspended. Where this work is related to that of G. Manecke, the two are in general agreement. Instability toward an oxidizing agent (iodine in KI at pH 8) was shown also by the products resulting from the treatment of several commercial sulfonated phenol-formaldehyde ion exchange resins, and a 7:6 phenol-formaldehyde novilac with Fremy's salt, or with diazotized sulfanilic acid, followed by reduction with sodium hydrosulfite, to produce catechol- or hydroquinone-type residues.
Intravenous immunoglobulin infusion therapy in women with recurrent spontaneous abortions of immune etiologies

We have investigated clinical effectiveness of intravenous immunoglobulin G infusion (IVIg) on antiphospholipid antibody titers in five women with evidence of antiphospholipid antibody-associated recurrent spontaneous abortions and one with antinuclear antibody who became refractory to conventional autoimmune treatment during pregnancy and experienced pregnancy complications. Three women developed intrauterine growth retardation and three had complicated twin pregnancies with rising autoantibody titers. Antiphospholipid antibody and antinuclear antibody titers were tested pre and 2 weeks after each IVIg infusion. We report that: (i) IgG antiphospholipid antibody titers were significantly suppressed after each IVIg infusion (P < 0.05); (ii) IgM antiphospholipid antibody titers were also significantly suppressed after each IVIg infusion (P < 0.0001); (iii) decreased titers of autoantibodies paralleled increased levels of maternal IgG which lasted for at least 30 days; the autoantibodies showed a definite rise again prior to the next infusion; (iv) antinuclear antibody titers were effectively suppressed; and (v) rising autoantibody titers combined clinical manifestation of intrauterine growth retardation and women with complicated twin pregnancies. We conclude that IVIg infusion effectively suppresses IgM and IgG autoantibodies to phospholipids and antinuclear antibody in autoimmune women with a history of recurrent spontaneous abortions and refractory to conventional anticoagulation or immunosuppressive treatment.
Lower extremity performance models for landing

The purpose of the study was to develop predictive models for the maximum forefoot (F1) and rearfoot (F2) vertical ground reaction forces and maximum knee joint extensor moment (EM) and eccentric power (EP) values during landing. Electromyography was monitored for five lower extremity muscles and subjects were filmed while performing a series of landings onto a force platform from three heights and distances using each of three landing techniques (n = trials per subject). A Newtonian model was employed to calculate lower extremity joint moments and powers. Individual subject three-way ANOVAs (p<0.05) and five increasingly complex regression models were computed on F1, F2, EM and EP. Results of the ANOVA modeling procedures were subject-specific. Regression results identified the more complex models as superior in explaining performance variance. These results suggest the individual nature of performances and the need to evaluate landings on a single subject basis.
Influence of primer sequences and DNA extraction method on detection of non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in ground beef by real-time PCR targeting the eae, stx, and serogroup-specific genes.

Non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infections, particularly those caused by the "big six" or "top six" non-O157 serogroups (O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145) can result in severe illness and complications. Because of their significant public health impact and the notable prevalence of STEC in cattle, methods for detection of the big six non-O157 STEC in ground beef have been established. Currently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service detection methods for screening beef samples for non-O157 STEC target the stx(1), stx(2), and eae virulence genes, with the 16S rRNA gene as an internal control, in a real-time PCR multiplex assay. Further, the serogroup is determined by PCR targeting genes in the E. coli O-antigen gene clusters of the big six non-O157 serogroups. The method that we previously reported was improved so that additional stx variants, stx(1d), stx(2e), and stx(2g), are detected. Additionally, alignments of the primers targeting the eae gene were used to improve the detection assay so that eae subtypes that could potentially be of clinical significance would also be detected. Therefore, evaluation of alternative real-time PCR assay primers and probes for the stx and eae reactions was carried out in order to increase the stx and eae subtypes detected. Furthermore, a Tris-EDTA DNA extraction method was compared with a previously used procedure that was based on a commercially available reagent. The Tris-EDTA DNA extraction method significantly decreased the cycle threshold values for the stx assay (P < 0.0001) and eae assay (P < 0.0001), thereby increasing the ability to detect the targets. The use of different stx primers and probes increased the subtypes detected to include stx(1d), stx(2e), and stx(2g), and sequence data showed that modification of the eae primer should allow the known eae subtypes to be detected.
Implantable cardioverter defibrillators confer survival benefit in patients with renal insufficiency but not in dialysis-dependent patients

Randomized clinical trials have demonstrated that the implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) reduces mortality in heart failure patients with reduced systolic function but have excluded patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD). We investigated the impact of ICDs on survival in patients with moderate-to-severe CKD, including those requiring dialysis therapy (DT). Patients followed at our institution between 1998 and 2008 with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤35% and CKD, defined as glomerular filtration rate (GFR) <60 mL/min, or who were on DT were identified from the medical record. The primary endpoint of all-cause death was analyzed by ICD status. A total of 78 patients ( $$ {\hbox{age}} = 66\pm 12\;{\hbox{years}} $$ , 73% men, $$ {\hbox{EF}} = 0.24\pm 0.07 $$ , GFR 39 ± 12 mL/min in those not on DT) of whom 32 had an ICD were followed for 2.7 ± 2.3 years. In the DT (n = 45) cohort, the presence of an ICD did not impact survival. In the CKD with no DT cohort (n = 33), survival was significantly better in patients with an ICD (2-year survival 80% vs. 54%, p = 0.027), and this benefit persisted after adjusting for gender, race, GFR, digoxin use, and presence of coronary disease, heart failure, or hypertension in a multivariate Cox regression model (odd ratio = 0.23, adjusted p = 0.028). Defibrillators improve survival in CKD patients with LVEF ≤ 35%, whereas patients requiring DT do not appear to extract such benefit. Further studies with larger number of patients are required to confirm these findings.
Separable Representations of Two-Body Interactions

Consideration is given to the approximation in which an arbitrary potential is replaced by a separable potential. A method is presented which permits the construction of a rank-$N$ separable potential which has the property that the resulting $T$ matrix is exact on the energy shell and half off the energy shell at $N$ selected bound state and/or continuum energies. This construction yields a $T$ matrix that is correct off the energy shell in the vicinity of the $N$ on-shell points.
Hormonal and antihormonal therapy for epistaxis in hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia.

Objectives/Hypothesis Objectives were to assess available information on hormonal therapy for bleeding in hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT), to determine whether there is a role for hormonal therapy as an initial therapeutic option, and to report the second known case of response in HHT to antihormonal therapy. Study Design: Literature review and case report. Methods The literature on hormonal and antihormonal therapy for HHT was reviewed. Medical records for the case reported in the present study were evaluated to confirm the diagnosis and assess responses to surgical and nonsurgical treatments. Results All reports of success using hormonal therapy for HHT-related bleeding were either retrospective or uncontrolled with the exception of two. Anecdotal evidence with high-dose estrogen appeared to show success, but serious side effects have discouraged use. One controlled trial found no benefit for intermediate dose, single-agent estrogen. The other controlled trial appeared to show benefit with low-dose estrogen-progesterone in HHT with gastrointestinal tract bleeding and was supported by an uncontrolled study showing efficacy in epistaxis. The case reported in the present study demonstrated long-term cessation of epistaxis with tamoxifen in a postmenopausal woman. Conclusions Systemic estrogen-progesterone at doses used for oral contraception may eliminate bleeding in symptomatic HHT and is a reasonable initial option in fertile women. There is no information on possible effects of lower-dose estrogen-progesterone used in postmenopausal women for hormone replacement therapy. Tamoxifen has dramatically eliminated HHT-related bleeding in two cases. It is well tolerated in postmenopausal women and should be considered for randomized clinical trials.
The dependence of accommodation coefficient on surface temperature

Abstract The dependence of energy accommodation coefficients of inert gases on clean metal surfaces is analyzed in the framework of classical lattice theory. It is found that a Knudsen layer must exist next to the surface to adjust the gas molecular velocity distrivution to surface conditions. At energies below the well-depth, the accommodation coefficient slope is inversely proportional to the square root of the temperature; at energies above the welldepth, the accommodation coefficient is independent of surface temperature.
A computer simulation study of the temperature dependence of the tracer diffusivity and Haven ratio in a model of a highly defective solid

Abstract Monte Carlo results are presented for the temperature dependence of the tracer diffusion coefficient in the square planar lattice gas with nearest-neighbour interactions at a concentration of 0·5. Below the order/disorder temperature the Arrhenius plot is linear. Above the order/disorder temperature the plot is curved towards lower activation energies. Results are also presented for the temperature dependence of the ratio of the tracer correlation factor to physical correlation factor-the Haven ratio. A remarkable discontinuity is found above the order/disorder temperature.
Genetics of skeletogenesis.

Major advances have been made in the last 10 years in the genetics of skeletogenesis. This has followed the general progress in our understanding of the genetic control of development in chicken and mouse and more recent advances in human genetics. This large field now encompasses three smaller but distinct fields of investigation. Those are skeleton patterning, cell differentiation in the skeleton, and cell function in the skeleton. This review focuses primarily on advances in understanding cell differentiation and cell function in the skeleton at the genetic level. Dev. Genet. 22:301–313, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
On the dynamical buoyancy of vortices

In this paper we consider the effect of dynamical buoyancy (Parker) on the motion of stratified fluid vortex tubes. We find that the dynamical buoyancy force does not necessarily lead to a buoyant rise if there exists a flow field external to a tube. In particular, the vortex tubes presented in our previous work are shown to have a pressure force exactly canceling the buoyancy force so that they do not move vertically (i.e., parallel to gravity) at all. Moreover, we construct a more general class of vortex tubes and find that their vertical motion can be either up or down, depending on the detailed vorticity distribution, regardless of the fact that they are all dynamically buoyant. We find that the vertical motion is intimately related to the horizontal self-motion of stratified fluid vortex tubes. Finally, we note that the presence of dynamical buoyancy implies that steady state compressible flow solutions for isolated fluid regions in a gravitational field do not exist. These results may have relevance to astrophysical convection.
Individual differences in memory-monitoring accuracy

Abstract The reliability of memory-monitoring accuracy was examined in two studies. In Study 1, college students recalled answers to general knowledge questions and rated confidence in the answers. Odd-even reliability of monitoring accuracy was not significantly different from zero; students with at least 20 correct and 20 incorrect answers had higher reliability when the odd and even subsets of questions were matched on recall accuracy. The best reliability was observed when the distribution of confidence ratings was equated across odd and even question subsets, and students had at least 20 confidence judgments at each level. In Study 2, a 100-item mutiple-choice general knowledge test led to odd-even reliability for confidence-recognition accuracy that was fairly high, relative to previous research, but well below desired levels. For FOK-recognition, odd-even reliability was significantly different from zero, but low. These data indicate that current methods allow an individuals' monitoring accuracy to be assessed with low to moderate reliability. Suggestions for further research are offered.
Characterization of Ultrasonic Metal Welding by Correlating Online Sensor Signals With Weld Attributes

Online process monitoring in ultrasonic welding of automotive lithium-ion batteries is essential for robust and reliable battery pack assembly. Effective quality monitoring algorithms have been developed to identify out of control parts by applying purely statistical classification methods. However, such methods do not provide the deep physical understanding of the manufacturing process that is necessary to provide diagnostic capability when the process is out of control. The purpose of this study is to determine the physical correlation between ultrasonic welding signal features and the ultrasonic welding process conditions and ultimately joint performance. A deep understanding in these relationships will enable a significant reduction in production launch time and cost, improve process design for ultrasonic welding, and reduce operational downtime through advanced diagnostic methods. In this study, the fundamental physics behind the ultrasonic welding process is investigated using two process signals, weld power and horn displacement. Several online features are identified by examining those signals and their variations under abnormal process conditions. The joint quality is predicted by correlating such online features to weld attributes such as bond density and post-weld thickness that directly impact the weld performance. This study provides a guideline for feature selection and advanced diagnostics to achieve a reliable online quality monitoring system in ultrasonic metal welding.Copyright © 2014 by ASME and General Motors
Kinetics of high‐intensity electron‐beam copolymerization of a divinyl urethane and 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate

The kinetics of the electron-beam-induced copolymerization of di(2′-methacryloxyethyl)-4-methyl-m-phenylenediurethane (DVU) with 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) were studied. Monomer mixtures containing 1.96–82.8% DVU have been described at dose rates of 1.7–17 Mrad/sec with the use of 270-kV electrons. Based on rates of conversion, gel formation, and intensity-rate data, a kinetic scheme is proposed in accord with a model which undergoes unimolecular termination and for which the copolymerization and gel formation take place in a crosslinked network swollen with monomers. The rate of gel formation is: In[(1 + g)/(1 − M2g)] = A (1 + M2)t, where g is the gel fraction, M2 is the mole fraction of DVU in the monomer charge, and A is kpki/kt. Up to 55% conversion, the rate of disappearance of unsaturation for concentrated DVU solutions (M2 > 0.03) is: In[Mo/M(1 − M2g)] = A (1 + M2t), where M is the total unsaturation. For dilute solutions of DVU, the rate expression for pregel copolymerization simplifies to: In(Mo/M) = A (1 + M2)t. These results show that at a certain optimum concentration of monovinyl monomer—70% in the present system—both rapid reaction rates and complete copolymerization occur. Because of the inability of gel bonds to undergo polymerization, a limiting conversion is reached for copolymerizing mixtures containing insufficient monovinyl monomer.
Compounds affecting Streptococcus agalactiae growth in milk.

Abstract Sulfur-containing compounds were growth stimulators of Streptococcus agalactiae in mixtures of pasteurized and steamed milk in the order L-cystine > L-cysteine > DL-homocystine > reduced glutathione > DL-homocysteine > dithiothreitol > sodium sulfide > sodium thioglycollate based on the concentration required to produce approximately .5 maximum stimulation. DL+ allocystathionine did not stimulate at highest concentration (1 μ M/ml) but did stimulate at lower concentrations. The most active growth inhibitors of S. agalactiae in pasteurized and steamed milk were L-asparagine, L-isoleucine, L-leucine, L-methionine, L-valine, and α -keto- β -methyl-N-valeric acid. Growth inhibition by L-isoleucine, the most active inhibitor, was unaffected by the addition of L-cystine, the most active growth stimulator. Growth inhibition did not involve neutralization of stimulatory substances normally in milk.
Spectroscopic study of nonresonant photon absorption by highly excited hydrogen atoms in a strong microwave field

Hydrogen atoms with principal quantum number $n=10$ have been laser excited to states between $n=44 \mathrm{and} 67$ in the presence of a strong microwave field whose frequency $\ensuremath{\omega}$ was adjustable between 5.9 and 8.0 GHz. The excitation probability has been studied as a function of $n$, $\ensuremath{\omega}$, microwave field strength and the number of microwave photons absorbed.
Grid metadata catalog service-based OGC web registry service

Grid is a promising e-Science infrastructure that promotes and facilitates the sharing and collaboration in the use of distributed heterogeneous resources through Virtual Organization (VO). A critical factor to the overall utility of Grid is a scalable, flexible and robust registry mechanism. Although it provides some mechanisms to store and access metadata for publishing and discovering resources, such as MCS (Metadata Catalog Service), the Grid registry is inadequate for dealing with domain-specific resources. To enhance the earth science Grid systems, this paper presents a geospatial registry approach in which the OGC (Open GIS Consortium) WRS (Web Registry Service), a de facto standard that supports the publishing of and run-time access to geospatial resources, as a wrapper is used to extend the capabilities of the conventional Grid MCS to the processing of geospatial queries against multiple heterogeneous spatial data sources and services. The approach presented not only focuses on the specifics of descriptive information about spatial data, services, and relevant information objects, but also emphasizes using ontology to infer the semantic relationships between vocabularies for integrating different information models. The implementation of presented approach used in NASA Grid Data Service environment is also illustrated in this paper.
Boundary conditions on internal three-body wave functions

For a three-body system, a quantum wave function {Psi}{sub m}{sup {ell}} with definite {ell} and m quantum numbers may be expressed in terms of an internal wave function {chi}{sub k}{sup {ell}} which is a function of three internal coordinates. This article provides necessary and sufficient constraints on {chi}{sub k}{sup {ell}} to ensure that the external wave function {Psi}{sub k}{sup {ell}} is analytic. These constraints effectively amount to boundary conditions on {chi}{sub k}{sup {ell}} and its derivatives at the boundary of the internal space. Such conditions find similarities in the (planar) two-body problem where the wave function (to lowest order) has the form r{sup |m|} at the origin. We expect the boundary conditions to prove useful for constructing singularity free three-body basis sets for the case of nonvanishing angular momentum.