cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Development of an empirical model for determining G*/sin δ in crumb rubber modified binders

Abstract This paper describes the development of an empirical model which may be used for predicting the G */sin δ for neat and crumb rubber modified (CRM) binders. The model was developed using 36 unique CRM binder combinations, crumb rubber concentrations were varied at 5% intervals between 5% and 20%. The effects of crumb rubber particle size on model accuracy were also studied, ultimately a model was produced with the capability of predicting G */sin δ values over a range of temperatures and crumb rubber concentrations. By definition, the upper limit of the performance grade is dependent on the G */sin δ value; therefore, the relationship was also considered in terms of high end failure temperature. The rubber coefficient for G */sin δ ( R cg ) was identified as an important parameter in the estimation of G */sin δ in addition to the CRM. This term is a quantitative representation of the increase typically witnessed in G */sin δ values with the addition of CRM. Ambient ground CRM exhibited higher R cg values than cryogenically ground particles. Additionally, 95% confidence intervals were generated for the predictive model, thus providing a range of accuracy for the model. The resulting confidence intervals were approximately ±1300 Pa, these confidence intervals were seen to capture 92.6% of the 462 data points used. Findings from this research suggest that the differences between cryogenic and ambient CRM binder are accurately described using the R cg , furthermore binder properties may be predicted using an empirical equation.
The Birth of Tragedy and The Trauma of Birth

This article examines the early writings of Friedrich Nietzsche and Otto Rank in terms of Harold Bloom's notion of an "anxiety of influence." Like the "strong poets" in Bloom's theory, each of these innovators needed to resolve his ambivalence toward precursors to create new theories and approaches. Nietzsche and Rank are seen as "premature births," thinkers before their time; both went beyond their own early works and attempted self-creation. Through an emphasis on affirmation of life despite death's inevitability, both were able to free themselves creatively. Rank drew from Nietzsche's philosophy and his example in developing an early existential psychotherapy.
Pulmonary Metabolism of Reactive Oxygen Species

Preexposure of rats to sublethal levels of hyperoxia or ozone reduces morbidity and mortality when the animals are subsequently exposed to lethal levels of either oxidant stress. Lung homogenates and isolated type II pneumocytes from rats exposed to these oxidant stresses demonstrate enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities. Antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase are responsible for the detoxification of partially reduced oxygen species, superoxide and hydrogen peroxide, to less reactive states. Potential pulmonary cellular loci of partially reduced oxygen include mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase, endoplasmic reticulum-derived NADPH cytochrome c reductase, and cytosolic xanthine oxido reductase. Thus partially reduced oxygen species are hypothesized to mediate hyperoxia and ozone-induced pulmonary damage. This damage may be attenuated by enhanced intracellular antioxidant enzyme activities. Pharmacologic augmentation of pulmonary antioxidant enzymes may be accomplish...
Dietary Aroclor 1254 in the Milk Fat of Lactating Beef Cattle

Excretion in milk fat of Aroclor 1254 (a mixture of polychlorinated biphenyl) by mature beef cows (Hereford and Hereford cross) was studied. Three groups of 6 cows each were fed primarily a corn silage diet characterized by 1) clean silage (stored in an uncontaminated silo), 2) silage stored in a silo coated with a sealant containing Aroclor 1254, and 3) clean silage to which 200 mg Aroclor 1254 per head daily was added (approximately 2 to 3 mg/kg body weight per day). Treatments were started approximately 3 mo prior to parturition and extended 1 mo after parturition, at which time treatments were discontinued, and cows and nursing calves were placed on pasture. Milk was sampled in the period between parturition and 132 days after discontinuance of treatments. Fat from the milk of cows fed silage from the silo which had not been sealed with the Aroclor 1254 product contained .69 to 1.59 ppm Aroclor 1254 throughout the 164-day lactation. Fat from cows fed silage from the silo treated with the Aroclor 1254 sealant contained more than ten times as much Aroclor 1254 (15.7 to 18.4 ppm) for 32 days as compared with the controls and then dropped to one-half that figure through the 164th day. Fat from the milk of cows fed 200 mg Aroclor 1254 per day contained from 119 to 150 ppm through the first 32 days and then dropped to 39 to 51 ppm through day 164.
The quasi-static approximation for moving and finite temperature plasmas

A stationary plasma in the presence of a magnetic field may be represented by an equivalent dielectric tensor. The equivalent dielectric tensor of a moving plasma, valid within the quasi-static approximation, is found by a Lorentz transformation of the dielectric tensor from a reference frame in which the plasma is at rest to one in which the laboratory is at rest. The range of validity of the dielectric tensor is investigated, and the relation between this tensor and the equivalent dielectric tensor found from Maxwell's curl equation is determined. An infinite number of moving plasma streams with a Maxwellian velocity distribution are summed to obtain the dielectric tensor of a finite temperature plasma. The dielectric tensor leads directly to the dispersion relation for waves on a bounded plasma.
An appraisal of chemical aversion (emetic therapy) approaches to alcoholism treatment

More than 35,000 alcoholics have received chemical aversion (emetic therapy) in at least 75 settings worldwide since the 1930s. This consummatory aversion (CA) treatment, which pairs ethanol ingestion with emetically induced nausea, incorporates the highly efficient variety of learning known as taste aversion (TA) conditioning. The CA literature indicates that emetic therapy should induce conditioned alcohol aversions in many alcoholics. Such aversions have been widely reported by clinicians and have been confirmed by recent psychophysiological evidence. Long standing evidence of treatment effectiveness is found in the results of private hospitals which have consistently produced 1-yr abstinence rates approximating 60%. Diminished alcohol craving is a frequently reported benefit. Few experimental evaluations have been completed, as is generally the case for all alcoholism treatments, but those which used methodologically sound temporal parameters during conditioning have supported the clinical efficacy of emetic therapy. The clear need for more definitive research notwithstanding, there are compelling indications that emetic therapy is a useful component of multimodal treatment within certain alcoholic populations. However, its availability is severely limited. Many alcoholics could probably benefit from expanded treatment availability. The time is ripe for a reevaluation of resistances to the clinical use of emetic therapy alcoholism treatment.
Patient-specific risk factors are predictive for postoperative adverse events in colorectal surgery: an American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program-based analysis.

Abstract Background Pay-for-performance measures incorporate surgical site infection rates into reimbursement algorithms without accounting for patient-specific risk factors predictive for surgical site infections and other adverse postoperative outcomes. Methods Using American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program data of 67,445 colorectal patients, multivariable logistic regression was performed to determine independent risk factors associated with various measures of adverse postoperative outcomes. Results Notable patient-specific factors included (number of models containing predictor variable; range of odds ratios [ORs] from all models): American Society of Anesthesiologists class 3, 4, or 5 (7 of 7 models; OR 1.25 to 1.74), open procedures (7 of 7 models; OR .51 to 4.37), increased body mass index (6 of 7 models; OR 1.15 to 2.19), history of COPD (6 of 7 models; OR 1.19 to 1.64), smoking (6 of 7 models; OR 1.15 to 1.61), wound class 3 or 4 (6 of 7 models; OR 1.22 to 1.56), sepsis (6 of 7 models; OR 1.14 to 1.89), corticosteroid administration (5 of 7 models; OR 1.11 to 2.24), and operation duration more than 3 hours (5 of 7 models; OR 1.41 to 1.76). Conclusions These findings may be used to pre-emptively identify colorectal surgery patients at increased risk of experiencing adverse outcomes.
Relationship between Surface Scattering and Microtopographic Features

In the smooth-surface limit, the angular distribution of the light scattered from a surface maps the power spectral density of its residual surface roughness. This result is essentially independent of the scattering theory used and the statistical properties of the surface roughness. The power spectral densities of engineering surfaces are generally broad and increase with increasing spatial wavelength. As a result, practical surface finish parameters are not intrinsic properties of the surface, but depend, with varying degrees of sensitivity, on the bandwidth limits inherent in their measurement or dictated by their application. These issues are discussed with reference to two classes of finish parameters: those related to the central moments of the scattering spectrum, and those related to the coefficients in the expansion of the shape of the spectrum in inverse powers of the scattering angle. The significance of "1/02" scattering in this context is emphasized. A shot model of surface roughness is then introduced to gain further insight into the relationship between scattering and surface features. In this model inverse power terms are related to "edge" scattering effects from critical points in various types of elemental microdefects. The relationship between this view and electronic noise is pointed out; in particular, the correspondence between "1/02" scattering and "1/f" or flicker-noise phenomena.
Tailoring visible photonic bandgaps through microstructural order and coupled material effects in SiO 2 colloidal crystals

Photonic bandgap effects were observed in particulate arrays of solution-derived SiO2 particles prepared by the forced and unforced sedimentation of colloidal suspensions. The spectral shape of the bandgap is shown experimentally to correlate directly to the degree of microstructural order and is discussed by analogy to the x-ray diffraction of crystals, glasses, and glass–ceramics. An optical temperature sensor was made by use of the thermoptic differences between SiO2 and an organic liquid infiltrated into the particle interstices. This provides the proof-of-concept that easily fabricated disordered structures, i.e., photonic glasses, can permit simple, even disposable, optical devices based on photonic band engineering.
Ideologies of Aid, Practices of Power: Lessons for Medicaid Managed Care

The articles in this special issue teach valuable lessons based on what happened in New Mexico with the shift to Medicaid managed care. By reframing these lessons in broader historical and cultural terms with reference to aid programs, we have the opportunity to learn a great deal more about the relationship between poverty, public policy, and ideology. Medicaid as a state and federal aid program in the United States and economic development programs as foreign aid provide useful analogies specifically because they exhibit a variety of parallel patterns. The increasing concatenation of corporate interests with state and nongovernmental interests in aid programs is ultimately producing a less centralized system of power and responsibility. This process of decentralization, however, is not undermining the sources of power behind aid efforts, although it does make the connections between intent, planning, and outcome less direct. Ultimately, the devolution of power produces many unintended consequences for aid policy. But it also reinforces the perspective that aid and the need for it are nonpolitical issues.
Employee Alcohol Use: Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the General Work-Stress Paradigm

This study examines the validity of the general work-stress paradigm as put forth by Frone (1999) for use in studies on alcohol and the workplace. Frone proposed that work alienation be subsumed along with work stress under a general work-stress paradigm to study relationships between work environment and employee alcohol use. Second-order confirmatory factor analysis was applied to test the hypothesis that a general work-stress model would capture several factors of work stress including work alienation. Evidence of the validity of the general work-stress paradigm was provided by a final model in which scale items with low factor loadings were removed.
Where Do New Medicines Come From

Ask your students where they think new medicines come from. For that matter, how about old medicines? Aspirin, perhaps the most famous medicine, has a very interesting history that entails folk medicine, chemistry, clinical research, and molecular biology. Bayer has a website called Wonderdrug (www.wonderdrug.com/pain/asp_history.htm), where you can see a timeline of aspirin's history, which reaches back to before ancient Greece. On the subject of painkillers, I was musing over the yin and yang of basic and applied research the other day while in the endodontist's chair for a root canal. My “endo” was telling me about all the different “medicines” he was using. To keep myself occupied, I tried ticking off what was primarily the fruit of basic versus applied research. The procaine injections were a result of mostly applied research, but using basic chemistry to improve cocaine. Sodium hypochlorite as well as the drill and tiny canal files were definitely the products of applied research. The microscope has its origins in basic research but has matured into applied technology. EDTA and osteoclast-osteoblast modulating factors are the fruits of basic research. But none of my determinations were really tidy or definitive.
Simple energy landscape model for the kinetics of functional transitions in proteins.

It is evident that protein conformational transitions play important roles in biological machinery; however, detailed pictures of these transition processes capable of making kinetic prediction are not yet available. For a full description of these transitions, we first need to describe kinematically movements between stable states. Then, more importantly, a free energy profile associated with the conformational change needs to be obtained. Recently, a new model to describe the energy landscape of protein conformational changes was applied to the conformational transition of adenylate kinase [Miyashita, O.; Onuchic, J. N.; Wolynes, P. G. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2003, 100, 12570−12575]. In this model, the conformational change coupled to the ligand binding is described as a switching between two energy surfaces that correspond to ligand bound and unbound states. The nonlinearity of the protein conformational changes is described through an iterative usage of normal mode calculations. In addition, ano...
SOME OBSERVATIONS ON THE CHEMISTRY AND MORPHOLOGY OF THE MEMBRANES RELEASED FROM YEAST PROTOPLASTS BY OSMOTIC SHOCK.

Abstract In an attempt to isolate various cytoplasmic membranes from yeast, protoplasts were lysed under different conditions of temperature, pH, calcium and magnesium ion content. The fraction of the total protein and RNA, respectively, recovered during centrifugation at various speeds was then examined and found to vary appreciably with the above conditions. The materials which, somewhat arbitrarily, were chosen for a more detailed chemical and enzymic analysis were those isolated by centrifugation at 1,500 × g for 5 min (1.5 p 5 fraction) and 20,000 × g for 1 2 hr (20 p 30 fraction) after lysis at 0 ° in 0.025 M Tris buffer solution at pH 7.2 containing 1 mM magnesium chloride. Lipid material comprised almost half of the weight of either fraction and a roughly similar weight of protein was present. The respective RNA, DNA, phosphorus, nitrogen, carbohydrate, sterol and inositol contents of these two fractions were determined as was their enzyme composition with respect to the following: hexokinase, aldolase, pyruvate kinase, phosphoglycerate kinase, triosephosphate dehydrogenase, alcohol dehydrogenase, glutamic dehydrogenase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, NADH2 oxidase, NADH2 diaphorase, NADH2 cytochrome c reductase and ATPase. Study of the 1.5 p 5 fraction in the electron microscope showed that it was made up principally of membranes in the form of vesicles which in certain instances appeared as clusters lying within the external cytoplasmic membrane.
Transmission resonances and zeros in multiband models

We report on an efficient numerical technique for directly locating transmission resonances and zeros in semiconductor heterostructures using tight-binding multiband models. The quantum transmitting boundary method is employed to generate the inverse of the retarded Green's function ${\mathit{G}}^{\mathit{R}}$(E) in the tight-binding representation. The poles of ${\mathit{G}}^{\mathit{R}}$(E) are located by solving a nonlinear non-Hermitian eigenvalue problem. The eigenvalues are calculated using a shift and invert nonsymmetric Lanczos algorithm followed by Newton refinement. We demonstrate that resonance line shapes are accurately characterized by the location of the poles and zeros of ${\mathit{G}}^{\mathit{R}}$(E) in the complex energy plane. The real part of the pole energy corresponds to the resonance peak and the imaginary part corresponds to the resonance width. A Fano resonance is characterized by a zero-pole pair in the complex energy plane. In the case of an isolated Fano resonance, the zero always occurs on the real energy axis. However, we demonstrate that for overlapping Fano resonances the zeros can move off of the real axis in complex conjugate pairs. This behavior is examined using a simple analytic model for multichannel scattering.
Rationale for intralesional valrubicin in chemoradiation of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

Objectives/Hypothesis With some advanced squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) of the head and neck, chemoradiation therapy may obviate the need for surgical intervention. However, both modalities are known to produce organ to-icities, and tumor insensitivity remains problematic. Thus there is a clear need for the development of new treatment strategies. Accordingly, preclinical studies to evaluate the use of valrubicin, a contact-safe, mechanistically novel antitumor agent, combined with low-dose radiation for the therapy of SCC have been conducted. Methods The comparative in vitro antitumor activities of valrubicin with or without irradiation versus cisplatin were evaluated using human-derived sensitive and cisplatin-resistant SCC cell lines. A hamster cheek pouch model of SCC was used to assess the efficacy of weekly intratumoral valrubicin injections with and without concurrent low-dose irradiation. Results Valrubicin cytoto-icity was found to be comparable in both sensitive and platinum-resistant cell lines and superior to cisplatin. The addition of minimally cytoto-ic cell irradiation (300–450 cGy) resulted in prolonged G2/M cell cycle arrest and a supra-additive increase in apoptotic cell death. In hamsters, once a week × 3 intratumoral drug injections (3, 6, or 9 mg) were growth inhibitory; however, when valrubicin (6 mg) was combined with minimally cytotoxic irradiation (150, 250, or 350 cGy) significant tumor shrinkage was observed. Conclusions Valrubicin produces supra-additive effects against SCC when combined with low-dose irradiation. This effect appears to correlate with the ability of valrubicin, a cytoplasmic-localizing drug, to inhibit protein kinase C. Therapeutic use of valrubicin against SCC could provide for reduced radiation doses with consequent improved efficacy and reduction in host to-icity.
Partial Characterization of Guinea Pig Cholinephosphotransferase cDNA

An alternative molecular biology strategy is needed to characterize cholinephosphotransferase (CPT) gene because of the complexity of the problem associated with the solubilization of the membrane-bound enzyme without denaturation. We have synthesized five heterologous oligonucleotide probes based on the published yeast CPT gene sequence. Each probe (24 to 30 mers) was used as either forward or reverse flanking primers in combination with lambda gt11 primers to amplify a segment of DNA from a guinea pig liver 5'cDNA library by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). We detected several clones of varied size (0.1 kb to 2.2 kb) by subjecting the PCR products to 1.2% agarose gel electrophoresis. Southern blot of a 0.7 kb PCR product did hybridize with a 32P-labeled internal probe. Slot blot hybridization of guinea pig liver total RNA with the 32P-labeled 0.7 kb PCR product yielded positive transcripts with intensities proportional to the concentration of RNA. Furthermore, a 0.1 kb clone was sequenced and the observed sequence shared 96% homology with the yeast CPT gene sequence.
Focus on Molecules: Collagens V and XI

The collagens are a family of 28 extracellular matrix glycoproteins. Collagens are composed of 3 polypeptides, called alpha chains. Each α chain contains at least one stiff, rod-like domain of varying length with a glycine at every third residue that can form a triple helix, i.e., collagenous domain. Collagens V and XI are members of the fibril-forming class of collagens, along with collagens I, II, III, XXIV and XXVII. Collagens V and XI comprise a subclass of regulatory fibrillar collagens that co-assemble with collagens I, II and III. All collagens are trimers composed of 3 α chains with at least one triple helical or collagen (COL) domain. Alpha chains of collagens V (P20908 and P25940) and XI (P12107 and P13942) are encoded by genes with different phylogenetic origins, belonging to different clades or `ancestral groups' (clade 2) from collagens I, II and III (clade 1) or XXIV and XXVII (clade 3). Clade 1 also contains the α2(V) gene (P05997; i.e., the α2 chain of collagen V) and the α1(II) gene, termed α3(XI) when part of a collagen XI trimer (P02458). These genes code for multi-domain polypeptide chains with features common to all fibrillar collagens: a signal peptide; an N-terminal non-collagenous region (NC3); a short N-terminal triple helical domain of interrupted Gly-X–Y repeats (COL2), where X and Y can be any amino acid, but are often proline and hydroxyproline, respectively; a short non-collagenous domain (NC2 or `hinge'); the main triple helical or collagenous domain of continuous (GlyX–Y)n repeats (COL1); and a non-collagenous C-propeptide (NC1) (Fig.1).
A nonradioactive assay for type IV collagen degradation

A sensitive assay for type IV collagen degradation using an avidin-biotin sandwich technique is described. Biotinylated type IV collagen is allowed to bind to an avidin-coated microtiter plate. The solution to be assayed is incubated with the biotinylated collagen bound to the avidin plate. Collagen degraded by the solution is released into the supernatant and transferred to a second plate coated with avidin. By addition of biotinylated horseradish peroxidase to this second plate, the amount of collagen degraded is determined. Our assay requires only 0.5 microgram of type IV collagen per microtiter plate and detects nanogram quantities of bacterial collagenase activity.
A Scholastic Problem in Thomas More's Controversy with John Frith

In June of 1533, Thomas Cranmer wrote to Nicholas Hawkins, Archdeacon of Ely, and reported to him that a certain John Frith had been ordered by Henry VIII to undergo an examination for suspicion of heresy before a tribunal which included Cranmer himself and Stephen Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester. The interrogators discovered that Frith “thought it not necessary to be believed as an article of our faith, that there is the very corporal presence of Christ within the host and sacrament of the altar.” Frith must have defended his own position in a winning manner, for both Cranmer and Gardiner were reluctant to see him persist in his heretical opinion. Cranmer, in this same letter, owns to having “sent for him three or four times to persuade him to leave… his imagination;” and we have it on Frith's testimony that, after his arrest, he visited Gardiner's residence in what was probably an effort on the Bishop of Winchester's part to win the young reformer back to Catholic belief.
What caused the rise of atmospheric O2

Abstract Oxygenic photosynthesis appears to have evolved well before O 2 levels increased in the atmosphere, at around 2.4 Ga. This has led to numerous suggestions as to what may have kept O 2 suppressed and then eventually allowed it to rise. These suggestions include changes in the recycling of carbon and sulfur relative to water (or hydrogen), a switch from dominantly submarine to dominantly subaerial volcanism, gradual oxidation of the continents and a concomitant decrease in reduced metamorphic gases, a decline in deposition of banded iron-formations, a decline in nickel availability, and various proposals to increase the efficiency of photosynthesis. Several of these different mechanisms could have contributed to the rise of O 2 , although not all of them are equally effective. To be considered successful, any proposed mechanism must make predictions that are consistent with the carbon isotope record in marine carbonates, which shows relatively little change with time, apart from transient (but occasionally spectacular) excursions. The reasons for this constancy are explored here, but are not fully resolved. In the process of making these comparisons, a self-consistent redox balance framework is developed which will hopefully prove useful to others who may work on this problem and to astronomers who may one day try to decipher spectral signatures of oxygen on Earth-like exoplanets.
Correlation effects of third-order perturbation in the periodic Anderson lattice

Abstract The series expansion of the local approach to investigate electron correlation has been extended to the periodic Anderson lattice. The results show that corrections of the correlation energy | E c |, local moment, ground state energy and the charge fluctuation of the third-order perturbation results are significant over the second-order perturbation.
Altered Substrate Selectivity in a Mutant of an Intrahelical Salt Bridge in UhpT, the Sugar Phosphate Carrier of Escherichia coli

Abstract Site-directed and second site suppressor mutagenesis identify an intrahelical salt bridge in the eleventh transmembrane segment of UhpT, the sugar phosphate carrier ofEscherichia coli. Glucose 6-phosphate (G6P) transport by UhpT is inactivated if cysteine replaces either Asp388 or Lys391 but not if both are replaced. This suggests that Asp388 and Lys391 are involved in an intrahelical salt bridge and that neither is required for normal UhpT function. This interpretation is strengthened by the finding that mutations at Lys391 (K391N, K391Q, and K391T) are recovered as revertants of the inactive D388C variant. Further work shows that although the D388C variant is null for G6P transport, movement of32Pi by homologous Pi/Pi exchange is unaffected. This raises the possibility that this derivative may have latent function, a possibility confirmed by showing that D388C is a gain-of-function mutation in which phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) is the preferred substrate. Added study of the Pi/Pi exchange shows that in wild type UhpT this partial reaction is readily blocked by G6P but not PEP. By contrast, in the D388C variant, Pi/Piexchange is unaffected by G6P but is inhibited by both PEP and 3-phosphoglycerate. These latter substrates are used by PgtP, a related Pi-linked antiporter, which lacks the Asp388-Lys391 salt bridge but has instead an uncompensated arginine at position 391. For this reason, we conclude that in both UhpT and PgtP position 391 can serve as a determinant of substrate selectivity by acting as a receptor for the anionic carboxyl brought into the translocation pathway by PEP.
A Quantitative Comparison Theorem for Nonlinear Equations

Abstract In the present paper we establish a quantitative comparison theorem for positive solutions of the following initial value problems: [formula]and[formula]withr > 0 andm > 1, and show some applications of the theorem to the nonexistence problem of positive solutions of quasilinear equations. Basic models leading to such nonlinear equations are the degenerate Laplace equation and the steady-state porous medium equation.
Parsimony and predictive equivalence

If a parsimony criterion may be used to choose between theories that make different predictions, may the same criterion be used to choose between theories that are predictively equivalent? The work of the statistician H. Akaike (1973) is discussed in connection with this question. The results are applied to two examples in which parsimony has been invoked to choose between philosophical theories-Shoemaker's (1969) discussion of the possibility of time without change and the discussion by Smart (1959) and Brandt and Kim (1967) of mind/body dualism and the identity theory.
An aquifer storage and recovery system with reclaimed wastewater to preserve native groundwater resources in El Paso, Texas

The traditional concept of Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) has been emphasized and extensively applied for water resources conservation in arid and semi-arid regions using groundwater systems as introduced in Pyne's book titled Groundwater Recharge and Wells. This paper extends the ASR concept to an integrated level in which either treated or untreated surface water or reclaimed wastewater is stored in a suitable aquifer through a system of spreading basins, infiltration galleries and recharge wells; and part or all of the stored water is recovered through production wells, dual function recharge wells, or by streams receiving increased discharge from the surrounding recharged aquifer as needed. In this paper, the author uses the El Paso Water Utilities (EPWU) ASR system for injection of reclaimed wastewater into the Hueco Bolson aquifer as an example to address challenges and resolutions faced during the design and operation of an ASR system under a new ASR system definition. This new ASR system concept consists of four subsystems: source water, storage space-aquifer, recharge facilities and recovery facilities. Even though facing challenges, this system has successfully recharged approximately 74.7 million cubic meters (19.7 billion gallons) of reclaimed wastewater into the Hueco Bolson aquifer through 10 recharge wells in the last 18 years. This ASR system has served dual purposes: reuse of reclaimed wastewater to preserve native groundwater, and restoration of groundwater by artificial recharge of reclaimed wastewater into the Hueco Bolson aquifer.
The Role of Panels in Enhancing Legal Predictability

Abstract This article considers the justification for using panels of judges to make decisions in common law systems. The usual argument is that panels are more likely than lone judges to make correct judgments. This article suggests an additional justification: panels increase the law's predictability, so potential litigants can anticipate correctly which legal rules will apply in their cases. Three models, each with a different conception of the legal process, are employed to demonstrate the predictability-enhancing effect of panels. Comparison of the models suggests the effect is strongest when precedent has a substantial impact on how judges make decisions.
Sub-Doppler linewidth with electromagnetically induced transparency in rubidium atoms.

We report the experimental observation of steady-state electromagnetically induced transparency and sub-Doppler linewidth in a Doppler-broadened \ensuremath{\Lambda}-type Rb atomic system formed on the $^{87}\mathrm{Rb}$ ${\mathit{D}}_{2}$ transitions. The \ensuremath{\Lambda} system is coupled on one transition by a strong laser and probed on the other transition by a weak laser. The observed sub-Doppler linewidth decreases with the increasing detuning of the strong-coupling laser from the atomic transition frequency and is in good agreement with the theoretical calculations of G. Vemuri, G. S. Agarwal, and B. D. N. Rao [Phys. Rev. A 53, 2842 (1996)]. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Bed rest, physiotherapy, and continuation of activities of daily living were equally effective for sciatica

Source Citation Hofstee DJ, Gijtenbeek JM, Hoogland PH, et al. Westeinde Sciatica Trial: randomized controlled study of bed rest and physiotherapy for acute sciatica. J Neurosurg (Spine). 2002 Jan;...
Synthesis of nanoparticles with frog foam nest proteins

Microemulsions provide an efficient means of synthesizing monodispersed nanoparticles. Recent studies have demonstrated potential problems of surfactant due to the interaction with nanoparticles/precursors. To solve the problems, various types of chemical surfactants have been tested, but natural biosurfactants have not received a great deal of attention in engineering application. Here, we report the formation of microemulsions using frog foam nest protein, ranaspumin-2 (RSN-2), based on the hypothesis that RSN-2 assembles at the water–oil interface as a result of conformational change into an extended form. Fluorescence spectroscopic studies showed that RSN-2 undergoes a reversible transition between extended and globular conformation in foams/microemulsions and aqueous solution, respectively. Microemulsions were formulated with RSN-2 to synthesize 8–10 nm superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles by mixing precursor-containing microemulsions with base-containing microemulsions. RSN-2 proteins were recovered from microemulsions and found to be recycled to make foams and microemulsions. Fluorescence spectroscopic analyses showed that RSN-2 maintained its mechanical agitation-induced amphiphilicity throughout multiple foaming/defoaming processes. These results suggest that conformational flexibility and structural stability of RSN-2 in aggressive environments enable the recycled use of RSN-2, elucidating the cost-effective advantage.
On Saint-Venant's principle in plane anisotropic elasticity

Methods involving energy-decay inequalities are applied in investigating Saint-Venant's principle for the planproblem of linear elastostatics for a wide class of anisotropic media. A lower bound (in terms of the elastic constants) is obtained for the rate of exponential decay of stresses and this is compared with the known result for the isotropic case.
Density profiles in sputtered molybdenum thin films and their effects on sodium diffusion in Cu(In x Ga 1−x )Se 2 photovoltaics

Molybdenum (Mo) thin films were sputtered onto soda lime glass (SLG) substrates. The main variable in the deposition parameters, the argon (Ar) pressure p Ar , was varied in the range of 6–20 mTorr. Ex situ spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) was performed to find out that the dielectric functions e of the Mo films were strongly dependent on p Ar , indicating a consistent and significant decrease in the Mo film density ρ Mo with increasing p Ar . This trend was confirmed by high-angle-annular-dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy. e of Mo was then found to be correlated with secondary ion mass spectroscopy profiles of Sodium (Na) in the Cu(In x Ga 1−x )Se 2 (CIGS) layer grown on top of Mo/SLG. Therefore, in situ optical diagnostics can be applied for process monitoring and optimization in the deposition of Mo for CIGS solar cells. Such capability is demonstrated with simulated optical transmission and reflectance of variously polarized incident light, using e deduced from SE.
The Swinging Pendulum of Correctional Reform

Criminal justice professionals as well as the generalpublic are urging a return to fixed prison sentences, thereby undoing the efforts of twentieth century reformers to rely on the indeterminate se...
Responsiveness of parasite Cys His proteases to iron redox

Plasmodium falciparum growth can be opposed in erythrocyte culture or in vivo by nonselective inhibitors of CysHis proteases or pro-oxidative drugs, which elevate erythrocyte Fe3+. However, no relationship between Fe redox and CysHis protease inhibition has been suggested. Here, mature falcipain-2 was found to be inhibited by relevant concentrations of Fe3+ but not Fe2+ in the presence of excess GSH or DTT. Initial inhibition of falcipain-2 by Fe3+ (1–50 μM) was reversed in temporal correlation with the 12–14 min half-time of Fe3+ reduction to Fe2+ caused by GSH or DTT (6 mM). The metal–redox responses of cathepsin B from mammal, cruzain from Trypanosoma cruzi, and falcipain-2 from P. falciparum were similar. Fe3+/Fe2+ speciation has features consistent with a natural redox switch modifying the reaction rate of mature CysHis proteases in virtually all cell types. Pro-oxidative antimalarial therapy might intervene in a natural mechanism normally modifying CysHis protease reaction rates via redox state of Fe pools.
Excitation by High Velocity Electrons

Much attention has been focused on the excitation of atomic spectra by electrons whose velocities do not greatly exceed the critical value, and it is now possible to form a rough idea of the behaviour of the “excitation function,” or probability that an electron of given velocity shall excite on impact, when the energy of the electron is only slightly greater than that required for excitation. But the form of this excitation function for much higher velocities is still in considerable doubt.
Interdecadal Variations in Northern Hemisphere Winter Storm Track Intensity

Abstract In this paper, the interannual variations in the Northern Hemisphere winter storm tracks have been examined based on 51 winters (December–January–February) of NCEP–NCAR reanalysis data. The leading empirical orthogonal function (EOF) corresponds to the simultaneous strengthening/weakening of both the Pacific and Atlantic storm tracks. Interannual and month-to-month variations in the Pacific and Atlantic storm tracks are found to be significantly correlated. The principal component associated with the leading hemispheric EOF exhibits pronounced interdecadal variability. There appears to be a transition during the early 1970s from a weak storm track state prior to 1972/73 to a strong storm track state subsequently. Decadal mean storm track intensity during the 1990s is about 30% stronger than that during the late 1960s and early 1970s. The relationship between variations in storm track intensity and low-frequency (seasonal mean) flow anomalies has also been examined. It is shown that storm track va...
Regulation of Human Affective Responses by Anterior Cingulate and Limbic µ-Opioid Neurotransmission

Background Human affective responses appear to be regulated by limbic and paralimbic circuits. However, much less is known about the neurochemical systems engaged in this regulation. The µ-opioid neurotransmitter system is distributed in, and thought to regulate the function of, brain regions centrally implicated in affective processing. Objective To examine the involvement of µ-opioid neurotransmission in the regulation of affective states in healthy human volunteers. Design Measures of µ-opioid receptor availability in vivo were obtained with positron emission tomography and the µ-opioid receptor selective radiotracer [ 11 C]carfentanil during a neutral state and during a sustained sadness state. Subtraction analyses of the binding potential maps were then performed within subjects, between conditions, on a voxel-by-voxel basis. Setting Imaging center at a university medical center. Participants Fourteen healthy female volunteers. Intervention Sustained neutral and sadness states, randomized and counterbalanced in order, elicited by the cued recall of an autobiographical event associated with that emotion. Main Outcome Measures Changes in µ-opioid receptor availability and negative and positive affect ratings between conditions. Increases or reductions in the in vivo receptor measure reflect deactivation or activation of neurotransmitter release, respectively. Results The sustained sadness condition was associated with a statistically significant deactivation in µ-opioid neurotransmission in the rostral anterior cingulate, ventral pallidum, amygdala, and inferior temporal cortex. This deactivation was reflected by increases in µ-opioid receptor availability in vivo. The deactivation of µ-opioid neurotransmission in the rostral anterior cingulate, ventral pallidum, and amygdala was correlated with the increases in negative affect ratings and the reductions in positive affect ratings during the sustained sadness state. Conclusions These data demonstrate dynamic changes in µ-opioid neurotransmission in response to an experimentally induced negative affective state. The direction and localization of these responses confirms the role of the µ-opioid receptor system in the physiological regulation of affective experiences in humans.
The power dissipation method and kinematic reducibility of multiple-model robotic systems

This paper develops a formal connection between the power dissipation method (PDM) and Lagrangian mechanics, with specific application to robotic systems. Such a connection is necessary for understanding how some of the successes in motion planning and stabilization for smooth kinematic robotic systems can be extended to systems with frictional interactions and overconstrained systems. We establish this connection using the idea of a multiple-model system, and then show that multiple-model systems arise naturally in a number of instances, including those arising in cases traditionally addressed using the PDM. We then give necessary and sufficient conditions for a dynamic multiple-model system to be reducible to a kinematic multiple-model system. We use this result to show that solutions to the PDM are actually kinematic reductions of solutions to the Euler-Lagrange equations. We are particularly motivated by mechanical systems undergoing multiple intermittent frictional contacts, such as distributed manipulators, overconstrained wheeled vehicles, and objects that are manipulated by grasping or pushing. Examples illustrate how these results can provide insight into the analysis and control of physical systems
Kinematic optimization of upgrade to the Hobby-Eberly Telescope through novel use of commercially available three-dimensional CAD package

The University of Texas, Center for Electromechanics (UT-CEM) is making a major upgrade to the robotic tracking system on the Hobby Eberly Telescope (HET) as part of theWide Field Upgrade (WFU). The upgrade focuses on a seven-fold increase in payload and necessitated a complete redesign of all tracker supporting structure and motion control systems, including the tracker bridge, ten drive systems, carriage frames, a hexapod, and many other subsystems. The cost and sensitivity of the scientific payload, coupled with the tracker system mass increase, necessitated major upgrades to personnel and hardware safety systems. To optimize kinematic design of the entire tracker, UT-CEM developed novel uses of constraints and drivers to interface with a commercially available CAD package (SolidWorks). For example, to optimize volume usage and minimize obscuration, the CAD software was exercised to accurately determine tracker/hexapod operational space needed to meet science requirements. To verify hexapod controller models, actuator travel requirements were graphically measured and compared to well defined equations of motion for Stewart platforms. To ensure critical hardware safety during various failure modes, UT-CEM engineers developed Visual Basic drivers to interface with the CAD software and quickly tabulate distance measurements between critical pieces of optical hardware and adjacent components for thousands of possible hexapod configurations. These advances and techniques, applicable to any challenging robotic system design, are documented and describe new ways to use commercially available software tools to more clearly define hardware requirements and help insure safe operation.
Framework Comparison Between a Multifingered Hand and a Parallel Manipulator

In this paper we apply the kineto-static mathematical models commonly used for robotic hands and for parallel manipulators to an example of hand-plus-object (parallel manipulator) with three fingers (legs), each with two phalanges (links). The obtained analytical matrix expressions that define the velocity and static equations in both frameworks are shown to be equivalent. This equivalence clarifies the role of the grasp matrix versus the parallel manipulator Jacobian. Potential knowledge transfer between both fields is discussed in the last section.
An ultra-fast shared path protection scheme - distributed partial information management, part II

For pt.I see Chunming Qiao and Dahai Xu, INFOCOM'02, p.302-11, (2002). This paper describes a novel, ultra-fast heuristic algorithm to address an NP-hard optimization problem. One of its significances is that, for the first time, it is shown that a heuristic algorithm can also have better overall performance than its time-consuming, integer linear programming (ILP) based counterparts in the online case, which is non-intuitive. The proposed heuristic algorithm is useful for developing effective shared path (mesh) protection schemes that establish survivable connections in modern networks. The advantage of our heuristic algorithm over existing algorithms for finding a pair of link (or node) disjoint paths, active path (AP) and backup path (BP), comes from the following salient feature. It uses a so-called potential backup cost (PBC) function when selecting an AP in the first phase, in order to take into consideration the backup bandwidth needed by the corresponding BP yet to be chosen in the second phase. The PBC function is derived mathematically based on a rigorous statistical analysis of experimental data. While the use of PBC only requires partial aggregate information on existing connections and distributed control, it can also be applied even more effectively when complete information is available.
Two-dimensional echocardiographic phase analysis. Its potential for noninvasive localization of accessory pathways in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.

BACKGROUNDIn patients with the preexcitation syndrome who are undergoing transcatheter or surgical ablation, accurate localization of accessory pathways is critical. Because preexcitation is known to alter ventricular activation sequence and result in focal areas with presystolic contraction, we investigated whether phase analysis applied to two-dimensional echocardiographic cine loops objectively identifies these focal areas and can be used to localize ventricular insertion sites of accessory pathways.METHODS AND RESULTSWe prospectively obtained phase images in 17 patients (11 males; age range, 11-35 years) during minimal preexcitation in normal sinus rhythm and during maximal preexcitation induced by right atrial pacing. A group of 11 normal subjects (six men; age range, 26-37 years) served as controls. Pathway locations predicted from phase imaging were compared with those predicted from routine 12-lead ECGs, from visual inspection of cine loop images, and from catheter-mounted electrode endocardial ma...