cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Community structure of shoreline nekton in the estuarine portion of the Alafia River, Florida: Differences along a salinity gradient and inflow-related changes

Abstract Determination of baseline biological conditions in Florida's rivers is required prior to increased water withdrawals for the rapidly growing human population. We studied the small-bodied shoreline nekton community of the estuarine portion of the Alafia River (a tributary of Tampa Bay, SW Florida) from 1998 to 2003 using 21.3-m seines of 3.2-mm stretched mesh. Community structure along the estuarine salinity gradient changed from dominance by marine and estuarine transients from river km 0 to 9.3 to greater abundances of resident low-salinity and freshwater forms near the tidal–freshwater interface (river km 9.3–14). There was evidence that the magnitude of the freshwater inflow influenced nekton community patterns along the estuary, with the center of abundance of many species shifting in response to inflow. The community structure of the nekton of river km 0–9.3 showed regular seasonal changes that were of greater importance than was temporal correlation with abiotic variables (temperature, salinity, inflow); these changes can be explained by predictable spawning patterns of transient species. In contrast, changes in the structure of the nekton community in river km 9.3–14 were well correlated with changes in salinity and, to a lesser extent, inflow. The sensitivity of the nekton to relatively small changes in salinity near the tidal–freshwater interface is of importance given that comparatively minor changes in freshwater inflow could markedly affect salinities in this upstream region.
The Solvent Extraction of Heptavalent Technetium by Tributyl Phosphate

Abstract The solvent extraction of heptavalent technetium from aqueous nitric or hydrochloric acid by tributyl phosphate in n-dodecane (TBP-NDD) has been studied over a wide range of TBP and acid concentrations at 25, 50, and 60°C. The extraction was found to proceed according to the reaction 3TBP + H+ + TcO4 − → (HTcO4 · 3TBP). A discussion of possible reaction mechanisms is presented, along with values for ΔG, ΔH, ΔS, and the equilibrium constant for the extraction reaction. Finally, evidence for the coextraction of technetium by uranyl ions is discussed.
Letting Nature Take Its Course

Toby Ord proposes in his article “The Scourge: Moral Implications of Natural Embryo Loss” that granting human embryos full moral status, “the Claim,” naturally leads to spontaneous abortion being o...
The effect of Lasso herbicide on human immune function as measured by in vitro assays.

AbstractUsing in vitro assays, this study was undertaken to determine whether the components of Lasso® herbicide formulation had an effect on the human immune system. Mononuclear cells from human peripheral blood were exposed to analytical alachlor, alachlor conjugated to human serum albumin or Lasso formulation over a concentration range from. 01 uM-1.0 uM. The effects of the test materials on the following immunological functions were determined: lymphocyte proliferation induced by mitogen or antigen; antibody synthesis of IgG and IgM isotypes in pokeweed stimulated monouclear cell cultures; cytotoxic T cell proliferation; lysis of target cells by natural killer cells and lymphokine activated killer cells. The data demonstrated that the test compounds had no significant, dose related effect on the function of immunocompetent cells. Hence, the data suggest that the components of the Lasso formulation have no effect on the human immune system.
Task effectiveness and word learning in a second language: The involvement load hypothesis on trial:

This study tests the claim that word learning and retention in a second language are contingent upon a task's involvement load (i.e. the amount of need, search, and evaluation it imposes), as proposed by Laufer and Hulstijn (2001). Seventy-nine beginning learners of Spanish completed one of three vocabulary learning tasks that varied in the amount of involvement (i.e. mental effort) they induced: reading comprehension (no effort), reading comprehension plus target word suppliance (moderate effort), and sentence writing (strong effort). Passive and active knowledge of the target words was assessed immediately after treatment and two weeks later. In line with the predictions of the Involvement Load Hypothesis, retention was highest in the sentence writing task, lower in the reading plus fill-in task, and lowest in the reading comprehension task. However, when time on task was considered, the benefit associated with more involving tasks faded. The results are discussed in light of form-focused vocabulary ins...
Anomalous axial propagation in helicoidal bianisotropic media

Anomalous axial propagation, characterized by axially propagating Voigt waves, in a general linear helicoidal bianisotropic medium (HBM) is examined. A fourth-order ordinary differential equation is derived, from which the conditions for anomalous axial propagation emerge. The analysis is exemplified by application to supercholesteric media, which include cholesteric liquid crystals. In addition, purely dielectric HBMs are considered in detail, with later specialization to chiral smectic dielectric media, and light is shed on the effects of reciprocity and dissipation.
Chandra Observations of “The Antennae” Galaxies (NGC 4038/4039). IV. The X-Ray Source Luminosity Function and the Nature of Ultraluminous X-Ray Sources

We derive the X-ray luminosity function (XLF) of the X-ray source population detected in the Chandra observation of NGC 4038/4039 (the Antennae). We explicitly include photon-counting and spectral parameter uncertainties in our calculations. The cumulative XLF is well represented by a flat power law (α = -0.47), similar to those describing the XLFs of other star-forming systems (e.g., M82, the disk of M81) but different from those of early-type galaxies. This result associates the X-ray source population in the Antennae with young high-mass X-ray binaries. In comparison with less actively star-forming galaxies, the XLF of the Antennae has a highly significant excess of sources with luminosities above 1039 ergs s-1 (ultraluminous sources; ULXs). We discuss the nature of these sources, based on the XLF and on their general spectral properties, as well as their optical counterparts discussed in Paper III. We conclude that the majority of the ULXs cannot be intermediate-mass black hole (M > 10-1000 M☉) binaries, unless they are linked to the remnants of massive Population III stars (the Madau & Rees model). Instead, their spatial and multiwavelength properties can be well explained by beamed emission as a consequence of supercritical accretion. Binaries with a neutron star or moderate-mass black hole (up to 20 M☉) and B2 to A type star companions would be consistent with our data. In the beaming scenario, the XLF should exhibit characteristic breaks that would be visible in future deeper observations of the Antennae.
Young-stand management options and their implications for wood quality and other values

Abstract This study used the forest vegetation simulator (FVS), empirical wood product recovery information, and expert judgments to examine volume production and potential revenues for different silvicultural prescriptions grown to rotation ages of 70, 110, and 150 years. Our intention was to provide policymakers and managers with some of the information needed to evaluate the merits of extensive (custodial) and intensive (various levels of thinning) management options for young-growth forests in southeast Alaska. At rotation ages of about 70 years, a prescription that included a precommercial thinning (PCT) to 3.7 m × 3.7 m spacing at 20 years (PCT 12) produced more merchantable volume than three other prescriptions: 5.5 m × 5.5 m precommercial thinning at 20 years (PCT 18), commercial thinning to 6.1 m × 6.1 m at 60 years (CT), and a passive management prescription (PAS) with no stand tending. A combination of PCT and CT was also examined for the 110-year rotation. The PCT 18 prescription usually produced lower merchantable volume than the other prescriptions and was never better than next to the last in merchantable volume production. In the longer rotations, the PAS prescription caught up with the PCT 12 prescription on both a high-productivity site (Sitka spruce [ Picea sitchensis ] height of 27.4 m in 50 years [high site class, 90 ft]) and a low-productivity site (Sitka spruce height of 18.3 m in 50 years [low site class, 60 ft]). Wood grown under the PAS, CT, and PCT + CT prescriptions is expected to have a broader product potential than the PCT prescriptions. This should allow manufacture of higher value products from the non-PCT prescriptions. As a result, revenue per m 3 from both the CT and the PAS prescriptions surpassed the PCT 12 prescription at 110 and 150 years, but no economic analysis was conducted to examine returns on investments for the different prescriptions.
Visibility: Science and Regulation

Abstract The 1999 Regional Haze Rule provides a context for this review of visibility, the science that describes it, and the use of that science in regulatory guidance. The scientific basis for the 1999 regulation is adequate. The deciview metric that tracks progress is an imperfect but objective measure of what people see near the prevailing visual range. The definition of natural visibility conditions is adequate for current planning, but it will need to be refined as visibility improves. Emissions from other countries will set achievable levels above those produced by natural sources. Some natural events, notably dust storms and wildfires, are episodic and cannot be represented by annual average background values or emission estimates. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission reductions correspond with lower sulfate (SO4 2−) concentrations and visibility im-provements in the regions where these have occurred. Non-road emissions have been growing more rapidly than emissions from other sources, which have remained...
Schopenhauer's Prolegomenon to Fuzziness

“Prolegomenon” means something said in advance of something else. In this study, we posit that part of the work by Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860) can be thought of as a prolegomenon to the existing concept of “fuzziness.” His epistemic framework offers a comprehensive and surprisingly modern framework to study individual decision making and suggests a bridgeway from the Kantian program into the concept of fuzziness, which may have had its second prolegomenon in the work by Frege, Russell, Wittgenstein, Peirce and Black. In this context, Zadeh's seminal contribution can be regarded as the logical consequence of the Kant-Schopenhauer representation framework.
Intraoperative ultrasound reduces ECMO catheter malposition requiring surgical correction

Abstract Background/Purpose: One hundred ninety-three cannulation procedures for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) have been performed at the authors' institution from 1994 to now. Before 1996, their practice had been to position these catheters exclusively by clinical assessment and chest radiograph. Since then, the authors have utilized intraoperative ultrasound guidance during cannulation procedures to confirm proper tip position. This retrospective analysis was undertaken to establish whether this practice has reduced the rate of surgical repositioning of ECMO catheters in these patients. Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed for all infants who underwent ECMO cannulation procedures at the authors' institution. Numbers of infants requiring surgery to readjust ECMO catheter position were totaled. Cases were categorized according to the presence or absence of intraoperative ultrasound scan. Statistical significance was determined using X 2 analysis, Student's t test, or analysis of variance where appropriate. Results: There were 193 ECMO cannulations performed. Of the 101 procedures done without ultrasound scan, 18 necessitated surgical repositioning. In contrast, only 3 of the 92 catheters placed with ultrasound assistance required reoperation. This represents a reduction the rate of repositioning from 17.8% to 3.3% of cannulations ( P =.003). Conclusions: Based on these findings, the authors advocate the use of intraoperative ultrasound imaging to optimize the position of ECMO catheters. This high rate of initial success helps avoid the potential morbidity of ECMO circuit malfunction, repeat neck dissection, and catheter manipulation in these critically ill, anticoagulated patients. J Pediatr Surg 37:691-694. Copyright 2002, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.
The Dynamics of Agriculture Subject Guide Access at Kansas State University Libraries

ABSTRACT The Internet has profoundly altered the way library users access information. Academic libraries have responded by creating library instruction tools and subject guides as Web pages. Much effort has been invested in the development of Web-based library guides. It has thus become increasingly important to study the level of subject guide access. Library Web site usage, including subject guide access, forms a valuable output measure in contemporary library service evaluation. Accordingly, this study uses server statistics to analyze subject guide access in an academic science library. The potential use of this study is discussed.
A Multi-Zone Finite Element Model for Radiofrequency Ablation of an Infarcted Cardiac Tissue

A large number of modern day medical interventions rely on RF ablation. It has become the treatment of choice for many types of cardiac arrhythmia to prevent the reentrant circuits [1]. However, excessive heating during RF ablation up to 100°C can cause microexplosions and severe bleeding [2]. Optimizing parameters for RF ablation in order to produce small lesions with a minimal amount of damage and bleeding constitutes a major challenge. Utilizing a thermo-electric conduction model, we address this problem for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmia. Our objective is to provide means by which non-invasive cardiac imaging data can be used to determine optimal parameters of RF ablation. A three-dimensional (3-D) finite element (FE) model that includes healthy, infarcted, and slow conducting tissues is developed. The temperature dependent thermal and electrical conductivities are considered for different tissue types.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
The economics of the decision to join a union

This article attempts to bring about a synthesis of the theory of human capital and the disparate and largely empirical literature on the impact of unions on an individual worker’s terms and conditions of employment. This is done by modeling the decision of a worker to join a unionized firm or vote for a union in an NLRB election. From this model both the theoretically correct valuation and some empirical estimates of the value of the major wage and nonwage (seniority, discipline and discharge, strikes, dues) impacts of unions are presented. Extensions to risk averse workers, free rider problems, union elections and contract ratification votes are also briefly considered.
SU-E-J-18: A Thermal Simulation Model and Validation for Percutaneous Cancer Ablation

Purpose: Image-guided percutaneous ablation is an effective, inexpensive, and accessible treatment for liver, lung, and kidney cancers. However, because of its relatively high recurrence rate, percutaneous ablation is usually considered to be palliative only. We hypothesize that the high recurrence rate is due in part to poor margin control resulting from inaccurate treatment models in procedure planning. To address this shortcoming, we are developing a thermal simulation model for percutaneous cancer ablation from first principles. Methods: Our model uses finite element methods to solve Penne's Heat Equation and Maxwell's equations for electromagnetic energy transfer in matter over time. The simulation accounts for applicator geometry and materials as taken from actual clinical devices, and incorporates appropriate density, thermal conductivity properties, dielectric properties, power dissipation, and the relative water content for a homogeneous liver tissue domain. Results: The solution generated is a continuous 3D thermal profile over time. The simulated 60 degree Celsius isotherm at 60 watts for 10 minutes in homogenous liver tissue is accurate to within approximately 5% (i.e., an average 2mm variance from a 36mm expected width) of the vendor specification and within 12% (5mm) of our own ex vivo ablation procedures as measured by 4D CT and visual inspection of the coagulation zone. Simulations at other input settings give similar results within 5%–15% of expected and empirically observed results. Conclusion: This promising initial model forms the basis of ongoing work in principled thermal simulation for ablation planning. Our next goals are to incorporate heterogeneous tissue types and heat sinks in the solution domain and validate the resulting simulation against our ongoing clinical data collection.
Molecular-state treatment of excitation and charge-transfer processes in H++He

The molecular-state expansion method within the impact-parameter formalism is applied to the processes ${\mathrm{H}}^{+}$+He(1${s}^{2}$) \ensuremath{\rightarrow}H(nl)+${\mathrm{He}}^{+}$(1s) and ${\mathrm{H}}^{+}$+He(1${s}^{2}$) \ensuremath{\rightarrow}${\mathrm{H}}^{+}$+He(1s,2l). Electron translation factors are incorporated into the scattering wave function, so that the cross sections obtained are free from the origin dependency. It is shown that stepwise flux promotion is the primary mechanism for excitation and electron capture into excited states at lower energies, and hence it is necessary to include all these channels in the close-coupling method to achieve reliable results.
Data dependent tetrahedrization

Scattered data is defined as a collection of data that have little specified connectivity between data points. Scattered data interpolation from $\IR\sp3 \to \IR$ consists of constructing a function f = f(x, y, z) such that $f(x\sb{i},y\sb{i},z\sb{i})$ = $F\sb{i}$, i = 1, ..., N where V = $\{v\sb{i}$ = $(x\sb{i},y\sb{i},z\sb{i}) \in \IR\sp3$, i = 1, ..., $N\}$ is a set of distinct and non-coplanar data points and F = $(F\sb{1},\..., F\sb{N})$ is a real data vector. One possible way of interpolating volumetric scattered data is with a piecewise linear interpolation. The quality of a piecewise linear interpolation over tetrahedra depends on the specific tetrahedrization of the data points. Therefore, one main task is to provide the best 3-D domain consisting of tetrahedra. This dissertation is restricted to interpolation from the space of piecewise linear functions defined by its values at the four vertices of a tetrahedron. The quality of a piecewise linear interpolation in 4-D space depends not only on the distribution of the data points in $\IR\sp3$, but also on the data values. One can improve the quality of an approximation by using data dependent criteria. This paper discusses the Delaunay tetrahedrization method (sphere criterion) and one of the data dependent tetrahedrization methods (least squares fitting criterion). It also discusses new data dependent criteria: (1) gradient difference, and (2) jump in normal direction derivatives. A simulated annealing algorithm is used to achieve the global optimum for a wide class of optimization criteria. A tetrahedral domain visualization is useful in discriminating the characteristics of a tetrahedrization. One can visualize the quality of an iso-surface and a function space, as well as represent the quality of approximation with a Root Mean Square (RMS) error. This paper establishes a graphical and numerical validity study to prove that data dependent tetrahedrization provides a better domain for 4-D space approximation than does Delaunay tetrahedrization. Delaunay tetrahedrization does not have an affine invariant transformation property. An affine invariant tetrahedrization is discussed as a means of affine invariant 2-D triangulation extended to three-dimensional tetrahedrization.
The Common Causality Structure of Multilinear Maps and Their Multipower Forms

functions. In order to present the counterexample it is necessary to prove that certain causality properties of a multipower operator hold if and only if the symmetric multilinear generator of the multipower operator also has these properties in each linear argument. These results are important in their own right. Because this study is motivated by and supportive of [l], we shall adopt the notation, definitions, and conventions of this reference. In brief,
Disintegration of Selenium-73

The radiations from the 7.1-hour selenium-73 activity have been investigated using magnetic lens, scintillation pulse-height, and coincidence counting techniques. Two gamma rays of 65.8- and 359-kev energy and of nearly equal intensity are observed to be in prompt coincidence with each other and in delayed coincidence with annihilation radiation resulting from the positron decay of the selenium-73 parent. Energy and intensity measurements indicate that a main group (${E}_{max}=1.29$ Mev, $logft=5.3$) excites the gamma-ray cascade, while a weaker group (${E}_{max}=1.65$ Mev, $log\mathrm{ft}\ensuremath{\le}8.0$) excites the 65.8-kev transition only. These data coupled with internal conversion information lead to a level scheme in ${\mathrm{As}}^{73}$ as follows: ground level, ${p}_{\frac{3}{2}}$; 65.8-kev level, ${f}_{\frac{5}{2}}$; and 425-kev level, ${g}_{\frac{9}{2}}$, ${\ensuremath{\tau}}_{\frac{1}{2}}=6$ \ensuremath{\mu}sec. The 7.1-hour level in ${\mathrm{Se}}^{73}$ is in a ${g}_{\frac{9}{2}}$ state.
Factors that affect the fatigue strength of power transmission shafting and their impact on design

A long standing objective in the design of power transmission shafting is to eliminate excess shaft material without compromising operational reliability. A shaft design method is presented which accounts for variable amplitude loading histories and their influence on limited life designs. The effects of combined bending and torsional loading are considered along with a number of application factors known to influence the fatigue strength of shafting materials. Among the factors examined are surface condition, size, stress concentration, residual stress and corrosion fatigue.
The relationship between therapist characteristics and outcome of in vivo exposure treatment for agoraphobia

The relationship between six therapist characteristics and outcome of in vivo exposure treatment for 33 agoraphobic clients was examined in a prospective study. Clients who rated their therapists as more self-confident and those who perceived their therapists to be more caring and involved were significantly more likely to improve on a behavioral avoidance test. Contrary to prior retrospective research, therapists' being perceived as explicit or challening was not a significant predictor of outcome.
Sexual Dimorphism in the Pelvis of Microcebus

Pelvic sexual dimorphism occurs in many anthropoid species and is often attributed to obstetric selection on female pelvic morphology. Few studies of pelvic dimorphism have included strepsirrhine taxa, which typically have relatively smaller infants than those of anthropoids. Because smaller female primates give birth to relatively larger infants, it is possible that the pelves of Microcebus, the smallest extant primate genus, will show some evidence of selection on obstetric adequacy. A comparison of adult female and neonatal body masses indicates that individual neonatal Microcebus are relatively large compared to adult female body mass, even though members of the taxon frequently produce twins. I examined variation in the bony pelvis within a sample of Microcebus. I measured specimens from a single locality, which probably represent 1 population. I measured 8 pelvic and 3 femoral variables to investigate skeletal size and pelvic size and shape dimorphism. Females significantly exceed males in absolute values of sacral width, pelvic height, pubic length, and distances from the pubic symphysis to the ischial tuberosity and points on the sacrum. Measurements of the femur are not significantly greater in females, suggesting that the pelvic differences are not due to skeletal size dimorphism. Significant pelvic shape or ratio differences, calculated via the geometric mean of 5 variables as the denominator, included greater relative pubic length and sacral width in females. Hence selection for obstetric adequacy may occur in the extremely small-bodied Microcebus.
Resource divisibility, predation and group formation

Abstract A model for foraging groups as a function of physiological state and ecological conditions is developed. The model is motivated by experiments on avian flocks, but applies to other situations as well. The model is based on a dynamic, state variable approach in which a measure of Darwinian fitness is used to relate predation and starvation risks. The experiments concerned the changes of flock sizes when food is added or predators are present, and the observations of Elgar (1986, Anim Behav. , 34 , 169–174) that the divisibility of the resource affects whether birds call for conspecifics upon finding food. The dynamics of flock formation are briefly discussed.
Efficient and consistent vision-aided inertial navigation using line observations

This paper addresses the problem of estimating the state of a vehicle moving in 3D based on inertial measurements and visual observations of lines. In particular, we investigate the observability properties of the corresponding vision-aided inertial navigation system (VINS) and prove that it has five (four) unobservable degrees of freedom when one (two or more) line(s) is (are) detected. Additionally, we leverage this result to improve the consistency of the extended Kalman filter (EKF) estimator introduced for efficiently processing line observations over a sliding time-window at cost only linear in the number of line features. Finally, we validate the proposed algorithm experimentally using a miniature-size camera and a micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS)-quality inertial measurement unit (IMU).
Arylacetamide kappa-selective opioid ligands

Abstract A family of arylacetamide opioid ligands was prepared. Competition binding studies indicate that in each case the (S)-(+) series was two orders of magnitude more potent than the corresponding (R)-(−) series and that the amine (S)-(+)- 3 and the acetamide (S)-(+)- 4 were selective for the κ opioid binding site. Binding and flow cytometry experiments demonstrated that (S)-(+)-FITC-AA 5 was the enantiomer that bound to the κ opioid receptor.
An integrated computational proteomics method to extract protein targets for Fanconi Anemia studies

Fanconi Anemia (FA) is a rare autosomal genetic disease with multiple birth defects and severe childhood complications for its patients. The lack of sequence homology of the entire FA Complementation Group proteins in such as FANCC, FANCG, FANCA makes them extremely difficult to characterize using conventional bioinformatics methods. In this work, we describe how to use computational methods to extract protein targets for FA, using protein interaction data set collected for FANC group C protein (FANCC). We first generated an initial set of 130 FA-interacting proteins as "FANCC seed proteins" by merging an in-house experimental set of FANCC Tandem Affinity Purification (TAP) Pulldown Proteomics data identified from Mass Spectrometry methods with publicly available human FANCC-interacting proteins. Next, we expanded the FANCC seed proteins using a nearest-neighbor method to generate a FANCC protein interaction subnetwork of 948 proteins in 903 protein interactions. We show that this network is statistically significant, with high indices of aggregation and separations. We also show a visualization of the network, support the evidence that many well-connected proteins exists in the network. Further, we developed and applied an interaction network protein scoring algorithm, which allows us to calculate a ranked list of significant FA proteins. Our result has been supporting further biological investigations of disease biologists on our team. We believe our method can be generalized to other disease biology studies with similar problems.
Chronic Persistent Cough and Clearance of Esophageal Acid

Unexplained chronic persistent cough has been shown to be associated with increased episodes of otherwise asymptomatic gastroesophageal reflux; however, normal subjects without cough also exhibit some reflux. We postulate that the prompt clearance of refluxed acid from the esophagus may play an important role in the prevention of cough, and we sought to determine if patients with chronic cough have impaired clearance. Thirty patients with unexplained chronic cough underwent 24-h ambulatory esophageal pH monitoring. Compared to 12 matched control subjects, patients experienced significantly more episodes (all values expressed as median [range]) of reflux per 24 h (88.3 [5.0 to 338.0] vs 5.7 [0 to 13.0]; p
Role of undergraduate research in an excellent and rigorous undergraduate chemistry curriculum

In 2008, the American Chemical Society’s (ACS) Committee on Professional Training (CPT) issued new guidelines for the approval of undergraduate chemistry programs. Undergraduate research continues to meet the requirements for a portion of laboratory hours necessary for a certified degree, and can also contribute to the in-depth course requirements. The CPT supplements on undergraduate research, excellent and rigorous undergraduate programs, and student skills expand on the pedagogical advantages of undergraduate research. The ACS Guidelines and CPT supplements are supportive of the important role that a research-supportive curriculum can play in the development and training of chemistry students. Departments interested in establishing or strengthening research-rich environments can find support from the ACS Guidelines and from the resources available through the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR).
Robowell: An Automated Process for Monitoring Ground Water Quality Using Established Sampling Protocols

Robowell is an automated process for monitoring selected ground water quality properties and constituents by pumping a well or multilevel sampler. Robowell was developed and tested to provide a cost-effective monitoring system that meets protocols expected for manual sampling. The process uses commercially available electronics, instrumentation, and hardware, so it can be configured to monitor ground water quality using the equipment, purge protocol, and monitoring well design most appropriate for the monitoring site and the contaminants of interest. A Robowell prototype was installed on a sewage-treatment plant infiltration bed that overlies a well-studied unconfined sand and gravel aquifer at the Massachusetts Military Reservation, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, during a time when two distinct plumes of constituents were released. The prototype was operated from May 10 to November 13, 1996, and quality-assurance quality-control measurements demonstrated that the data obtained by the automated method was equivalent to data obtained by manual sampling methods using the same sampling protocols. Water level, specific conductance, pH, water temperature, dissolved oxygen, and dissolved ammonium were monitored by the prototype as the wells were purged according to US Geological Survey (USGS) ground water sampling protocols. Remote access to the data record, via phone modem communications, indicated the arrivalmore » of each plume over a few days and the subsequent geochemical reactions over the following weeks. Real-time availability of the monitoring record provided the information needed to initiate manual sampling efforts in response to changes in measured ground water quality, which proved the method and characterized the screened portion of the plume in detail through time. The methods and the case study described are presented to document the process for future use.« less
Localized soft modes and ultrasonic effects in first order displacive transformations

Abstract Based on a previously published theory of localized soft modes as precursors of first order displacive transformations, explicit formulae for the ultrasonic attenuation and velocity change near the transition are derived and compared satisfactorily with experiments in TiNi, InTl and FeNi.
Public Health, Communicable Diseases, and Managed Care:: Will Managed Care Improve or Weaken Communicable Disease Control?

Abstract Background: Several changes can be anticipated in the practice of communicable disease control as a result of the health care delivery system’s transition from a predominantly fee-for-service system to a predominantly managed care system. These changes will clearly involve clinical services provided by public health agencies, such as immunizations and diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis and sexually transmitted diseases, as well as those that do not involve direct patient care, such as public health surveillance, disease investigation, outbreak control, contact tracing, public health laboratory services, and health education. Methods: In this paper I review the potential impact of managed care on each of these areas of communicable disease control and suggest strategies for minimizing adverse effects and maximizing potential areas of cooperation. Results: Examples of successful strategies include California’s Medi-Cal managed care expansion, which allows local public health agencies to bill managed care organizations for the sexually transmitted disease, immunization, and confidential HIV services they provide to managed care beneficiaries. A different strategy is illustrated by the Pacific Business Group on Health, an employer-based purchasing group, that uses purchasing power to standardize the clinical preventive services benefit across all plans with which it contracts and to promote immunization goals. Conclusion: This analysis and these examples suggest that the emergence of managed care as the predominant form of health care financing and delivery in the United States offers an important opportunity for public health.
Intensity and duration of Borrelia burgdorferi and Babesia microti infectivity in rodent hosts

Abstract Hamsters were simultaneously infected with Borrelia burgdorferi and Babesia microti and subsequently exposed to xenodiagnostic larval Ixodes dammini at 1,4 and 7 months post-infection. The proportion of ticks acquiring Borrelia infection (1 month = 85%; 4 month = 44%; 7 month = 50%) was significantly greater than the proportion acquiring Babesia infection (1 month = 73%; 4 month = 3%; 7 month = 16%). Hamsters maintained infectivity for Bo. burgdorferi and Ba. microti for at least 7 months.
New heat shock puffs and β=galactosidase activity resulting from transformation of Drosophila with an hsp70-lacZ hybrid gene

A hybrid gene that consists of the Drosophila heat shock gene, hsp70, fused to the E. coli beta-galactosidase gene has been introduced into the Drosophila germline by the P element microinjection method. This hybrid includes 194 bp of sequence upstream of the start of the hsp70 transcript. Three strains of transformed flies were isolated and characterized by DNA blotting experiments and by in situ hybridization to polytene chromosomes. Strain Bg61 has a single insert of the hybrid gene at the tip of chromosome 3L, site 61A, and the insert consists of a structure that is consistent with P-element-mediated transposition. Strain Bg9,61 has inserts at both 61A and 9E, while Bg64 has a single insert at 64D. Heat shock induces the formation of a large chromosomal puff at all three sites. These puffs appear and regress with kinetics indistinguishable from the puffing of the heat shock locus, 87C, from which the hsp70 gene, used in these studies, was isolated. The beta-galactosidase activity in the transformants is inducible by heat shock and shows a widespread distribution throughout the tissues of larvae and adults.
Interagency Communication Networks During Emergencies: Boundary Spanners in Multiagency Coordination

This article examines the problem of effective interagency communication among organizations and the role of information technologies to achieve effective communication and decision-making goals in emergencies. It explores what factors contribute to effective interorganizational communication and decision making and what factors inhibit their development. The theoretical framework draws on the literature of emergency communication and social capital, with a particular focus on communication and decision making under conditions of uncertainty. The study applies this framework to study the relationships that emerged among public, private, and non-profit organizations following the World Trade Center disaster on September 11, 2001, in New York City. The article indicates the importance of developing a strong communication system with other organizations before a disaster occurs to establish appropriate communication in which effective interagency coordination will take place at the time of a disaster.
Robust Alternatives and Responsibility

The Principle of Robust Alternatives (PRA) states that an agent is responsible for doing something only if he/she could have performed a ‘robust’ alternative: another action having a different moral or practical value. Defenders of PRA maintain that it is not refuted by a ‘Frankfurt case’, given that its agent can be seen as having had such an alternative provided that we properly qualify that for which she is responsible . I argue here against two versions of this defense. First, I show that those who maintain that a ‘Frankfurt agent’ is responsible for voluntarily performing his/her action must attach moral significance to his/her luck. I proceed to discuss Carl Ginet's strategy of temporally qualifying ascriptions of responsibility, arguing that his counterexample to the principle that ‘If an agent is responsible for doing A @ t, then he/she is responsible for doing A simpliciter ’ is disanalogous to a Frankfurt case.
Kinetic analysis of human homogentisate 1,2-dioxygenase

Homogentisate 1,2-dioxygenase (HGD) is a mononuclear Fe(II)-dependent oxygenase that catalyzes the third step in the pathway for the catabolism of tyrosine, the conversion of homogentisate (HG) to maleylacetoacetate (MAA). We have heterologously expressed and purified native human HGD in the apo form. Steady-state analysis varying the concentration of both HG and molecular oxygen shows that the purified enzyme has a turnover number of 16 s(-1). Our data suggest that HG binds to the apo-enzyme and that the apo-HGD.HG complex does not bind Fe(II) and dissociates slowly at approximately 0.028 s(-1). The rate constant for the dissociation of Fe(II) from the holo-enzyme as measured under anaerobic conditions is 0.00004 s(-1) and indicates that this process is not relevant in steady-state turnover. The addition of HG and molecular oxygen to the holo-enzyme is formally random as the holo-enzyme reduces molecular oxygen at a rate of 1.35x10(3) M(-1) s(-1) at 4 degrees C. The term ordered with respect to the addition of substrates is most descriptive as the rate of reduction of molecular oxygen must increase in the presence of HG to sustain the observed turnover number.
Characterization of soft tissue masses: can quantitative diffusion weighted imaging reliably distinguish cysts from solid masses?

Objective To investigate the accuracy of quantitative diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) with apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) mapping for characterizing soft tissue masses (STMs) as cysts or solid masses.
Treatment of spontaneously arising retinoblastoma tumors in transgenic mice with an attenuated herpes simplex virus mutant

The use of viruses to treat tumors has received renewed interest with the availability of genetically defined attenuated mutants. Herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1 in particular has been shown to be effective for tumors of neuronal origin. However, the model systems used for these studies rely on the use of explanted tumor cells in immunodeficient animals. We have used a recently developed transgenic mouse model, wherein mice spontaneously develop retinoblastomas, to determine if a mutant HSV has a therapeutic effect against an endogenously arising tumor in an immunocompetent host. The injection of 1 x 10(6) PFU of the neuroattenuated HSV-1/HSV-2 recombinant RE6 into the vitreous of transgenic mice resulted in a significant inhibition of tumor growth compared to injection of medium alone (P = 0.0063). Immunohistochemical analysis of viral antigen showed that viral replication was restricted to focal areas of the tumors and the retinal pigment epithelium. Viral growth was not significantly different in the eyes of transgene-positive and transgene-negative mice, suggesting that enhanced replication in tumor cells may not explain the effects. Tumor cells in the treated eyes were significantly less differentiated than those in the untreated eyes (P = 0.04), suggesting that the virus may replicate better in certain cell types in the tumors. Although the injection of RE6 resulted in a difference in tumor size, the treatment did not result in the elimination of tumors in any of the mice improvements in the efficacy of tumor control are needed if this therapy is to be of use.
Aquatic phototrophs: efficient alternatives to land-based crops for biofuels

To mitigate some of the potentially deleterious environmental and agricultural consequences associated with current land-based-biofuel feedstocks, we propose the use of biofuels derived from aquatic microbial oxygenic photoautotrophs (AMOPs), more commonly known as cyanobacteria, algae, and diatoms. Herein we review their demonstrated productivity in mass culturing and aspects of their physiology that are particularly attractive for integration into renewable biofuel applications. Compared with terrestrial crops, AMOPs are inherently more efficient solar collectors, use less or no land, can be converted to liquid fuels using simpler technologies than cellulose, and offer secondary uses that fossil fuels do not provide. AMOPs pose a new set of technological challenges if they are to contribute as biofuel feedstocks.
Increasing QoS and Security in 4G Networks Using Cognitive Intelligence

Mobile networks have become an essential part of our day to day lives. The information shared requires secure communications with high reliability and quality-of-service (QoS). Hence, designing a 4G network to provide secure IP-based service by trading off constraints such as battery life, bandwidth and size to mobile users is a challenging task. In this paper, a cognitive framework using an evolutionary algorithm, Swarm Intelligence, is proposed. This framework uses a novel approach that utilizes a cost function that chooses the optimal parameters to provide an adaptive quality of service (QoS) based on the user's needs. This approach ensures interoperability and scalability between different modulation techniques in the physical layer and enhances security against denial of service attacks such as jamming attacks and signaling attack.
High resolution structure of the HDGF PWWP domain: a potential DNA binding domain.

Hepatoma Derived Growth Factor (HDGF) is an endogenous nuclear-targeted mitogen that is linked with human disease. HDGF is a member of the weakly conserved PWWP domain family. This 70–amino acid motif, originally identified from the WHSC1 gene, has been found in more than 60 eukaryotic proteins. In addition to the PWWP domain, many proteins in this class contain known chromatin remodeling domains, suggesting a role for HDGF in chromatin remodeling. We have determined the NMR structure of the HDGF PWWP domain to high resolution using a combination of NOEs, J-couplings, and dipolar couplings. Comparison of this structure to a previously determined structure of the HDGF PWWP domain shows a significant difference in the C-terminal region. Comparison to structures of other PWWP domains shows a high degree of similarity to the PWWP domain structures from Dnmt3b and mHRP. The results of selected and amplified binding assay and NMR titrations with DNA suggest that the HDGF PWWP domain may function as a nonspecific DNA-binding domain. Based on the NMR titrations, we propose a model of the interaction of the PWWP domain with DNA.
Application of the theory of optimal experiments to adaptive electromagnetic-induction sensing of buried targets

A mobile electromagnetic-induction (EM I) sensor is considered for detection and characterization of buried conducting and/or ferrous targets. The sensor maybe placed on a robot and, here, we consider design of an optimal adaptive-search strategy. A frequency-dependent magnetic-dipole model is used to characterize the target at EMI frequencies. The goal of the search is accurate characterization of the dipole-model parameters, denoted by the vector /spl Theta/; the target position and orientation are a subset of /spl Theta/. The sensor position and operating frequency are denoted by the parameter vector p and a measurement is represented by the pair (p, O), where O denotes the observed data. The parameters p are fixed for a given measurement, but, in the context of a sequence of measurements p may be changed adaptively. In a locally optimal sequence of measurements, we desire the optimal sensor parameters, p/sub N+1/ for estimation of /spl Theta/, based on the previous measurements (p/sub n/, O/sub n/)/sub n=1,N/. The search strategy is based on the theory of optimal experiments, as discussed in detail and demonstrated via several numerical examples.
Electrodynamic Tethers for Spacecraft Propulsion

Electrodynamic (Drag) Tether Thrust Principles: a) Uses both solar energy and consumes no propellant. b) Tether's orbital velocity v (approx. 7500 m/s) through North-pointing geomagnetic field B(sub north) (0.18 - 0.32 Gauss) induces voltage (35 - 160 V/km) in tether. c) Return current is through surrounding plasma. d) Current I produces a drag thrust force F on the tether. e) Magnetic force F from current I through insulated tether of length l: F = lI x B(sub north).
Implementation of stiff virtual walls in force-reflecting interfaces

The performance of a haptic interface is often reported in terms of the dynamic range of impedances it may represent. At the low end, the range is typically limited by inherent dynamics of the interface device, such as inertia and friction. At the high end, the range is typically limited by system stability. In a number of the applications, the principal limitation has proven to be the achievable upper limit on impedance. Therefore, a benchmark problem of considerable importance is the implementation of a stiff "wall". Contacting a wall may be described as the reversible transition from a region of very low impedance to one of very high impedance. A theoretical analysis (supplemented with discussion of experimental and simulation results) of stiff wall implementation is presented. The main result is a criterion for the passivity of a virtual wall in terms of two nondimensional parameters. >