cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transfusion rates in emergency general surgery: high but modifiable.

Background Transfusion of red blood cells (RBC) increases morbidity and mortality, and emergency general surgery (EGS) cases have increased risk for transfusion and complication given case complexity and patient acuity. Transfusion reduction strategies and blood-conservation technology have been developed to decrease transfusions. This study explores whether transfusion rates in EGS have decreased as these new strategies have been implemented. Methods This is a retrospective review of the American College of Surgeons’ National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) data from three academic medical centers. Operations performed by general surgeons on adults (aged ≥18 years) were selected. Data were analyzed from two periods: 2011–2013 and 2014–2016. Cases were grouped by the first four digits of the primary procedure Current Procedural Terminology code. Transfusion was defined as any RBC transfusion during or within 72 hours following the operation. Composite morbidity was defined as any NSQIP complication within 30 days following the operation. Results Overall general surgery transfusion rates decreased from 6.4% to 4.8% from period 1 to period 2 (emergent: 16.6%–11.5%; non-emergent 4.9%–3.7%; Fisher’s exact p values Discussion Rates of RBC transfusion decreased in both emergent and non-emergent cases. Efforts to reduce transfusion may have been successful in the EGS population. Morbidity improved over the time periods while mortality was unchanged. Level of Evidence Level III.
Micropatterned Hydrogels for Stem Cell Culture

Stem cells represent a new frontier in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, due, in large part, to their ability to proliferate and differentiate along multiple lineages for use in a myriad of clinical applications. Efforts are currently underway to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the decision of stem cells to enter mitotic dormancy, undergo self-renewal, or terminally differentiate. Recent advances in the field of micropatterned biomaterials, specifically hydrogels, have generated new approaches that may allow scientists to more easily address the complex questions commonly encountered in stem cell biology. Given the potential power of the combination of hydrogel biomaterials and micropatterning techniques applied to areas of stem cell biology, this chapter begins with a brief overview of important characteristics of stem cells that could be further understood using micropattered hydrogels, as well as a review of basics of hydrogels and micropatterning technologies. The second half of the chapter provides a summary of particular micropatterned gels that have been applied to in vitro cell-based work, with specific attention paid to how these techniques could be applied toward stem cell research.
Asthma and COPD

Asthma, a reversible bronchial reactive airway disease process, is heterogeneous clinical condition involving bronchoconstriction, airway wall thickening, and mucus production. Obstructive expiratory airflow limitations cause symptoms of wheezing, cough, and chest tightness. Triggers and symptoms vary over time, with diagnosis confirmed by history and response in spirometry testing. Treatment remains inhaled beta-agonists (short and long acting), steroids (inhaled and oral/intravenous), inhaled muscarinics, and inhaled anticholinergics. Additional therapies can be used for severe, frequent exacerbations refractory to first-line preventative and emergency treatments. Overlap of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with asthma can occur, with treatment geared toward improving airflow, ventilator work support (NIV), and mechanical ventilation, if necessary. Ventilatory support of the severe asthmatic can be quite challenging with air-trapping and ventilator synchrony.
The future of internationalization of higher education in challenging global contexts

Internationalization has been over the past three decades one of the key focus points of (inter)national and institutional policies for higher education, with two related components: internationalization abroad, and internationalization at home. The 'abroad' component: mobility of students, faculty and programs, has been more predominant than the 'at home' component: internationalization of the curriculum and learning outcomes, perceived as a neoliberal and western paradigm. What will be the future of internationalization? Do we see a return from competition to cooperation? What will the impact of the changing global economic, ecological and political contextbe? These questions will be addressed in a critical analytical way in this paper, taking into account the impact of Covid-19 on the internationalization of higher education
Circulating Fibroblast Growth Factor-21 and Risk of Metachronous Colorectal Adenoma.

Prior work has shown that higher circulating concentrations of fibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF-21) are associated with an increased likelihood of developing colorectal cancer. We conducted a prospective study to assess the relationship between circulating FGF-21 and odds of developing early neoplastic lesions in the colorectum. A total of 94 study participants were included from the ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) trial, a phase III, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of the effect of 8–10 mg/kg of body weight UDCA vs. placebo. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to evaluate the association between baseline FGF-21 concentrations and odds of developing a metachronous adenoma. Of the characteristics compared across tertiles of FGF-21 concentrations, including age, race, sex, BMI, and other variables, only a previous personal history of colorectal polyps prior to entry into the UDCA trial was statistically significantly related to FGF-21 levels, with a proportion of 26.7%, 56.7%, and 50.0% across the first, second, and third tertiles, respectively (p < 0.05). Higher circulating concentrations of FGF-21 were statistically significantly associated with greater odds of developing a metachronous colorectal adenoma. After adjusting for potential confounders and when compared with the lowest tertile of FGF-21, the adjusted ORs (95% CIs) for metachronous colorectal adenoma in the second and third tertiles were 4.72 (95% CI, 1.42–15.72) and 3.82 (95% CI, 1.15–12.68), respectively (p trend < 0.05). Our results reveal for the first time that, in addition to a recently discovered association with colorectal cancer, circulating FGF-21 concentrations are significantly and directly associated with odds of developing metachronous colorectal adenoma.
Cardiac transplantation in adult congenital heart disease with prior sternotomy

Background Adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) patients who require orthotopic heart transplantation are surgically complex due to anatomical abnormalities and multiple prior surgeries. In this study, we investigated these patients outcomes using our institutional database. Methods ACHD patients who had prior intracardiac repair and subsequent heart transplant were included (2008-2018). Adult patients without ACHD were extracted as a control. A comparison of patients with functional single ventricular (SV) and biventricular (BV) hearts was performed. Results There were 9 SV and 24 BV patients. The SV group had higher central venous pressure/pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (p=0.028), hemoglobin concentration (p=0.010), alkaline phosphatase (p=0.022), and were more likely to have liver congestion (p= 0.006). Major complications included infection in 16 (48.5%), temporary dialysis in 12 (36.4%), and graft dysfunction requiring perioperative mechanical support in 7 (21.2%). Overall in-hospital mortality was 15.2%. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed a higher, but not statistically significant, survival after 10 years between the ACHD and control groups (ACHD 84.9% vs. control 67.5%, p=0.429). There was no significant difference in 10-year survival between SV and BV groups (78% vs. 88%, p=0.467). Conclusions Complex ACHD cardiac transplant recipients have a high incidence of early morbidities after transplantation. However, long-term outcomes were acceptable.
Implementing an inpatient integrative medicine consult service for children with pain: A qualitative analysis.

Abstract Objectives Complementary and integrative medicine (CIM) therapies show clinical benefits with minimal side effects, yet challenges to effective integration in hospital settings remain. The current study aimed to better understand the process of integration of CIM therapies at a large urban pediatric hospital from the perspectives of providers, parents, and administrators. Design The study employed an applied medical ethnography. Setting The ethnography was conducted before, during, and after an Integrative Medicine Pain Consult Service (IM Pilot) was implemented at a large urban pediatric hospital during the spring of 2017. Main outcome measures Fieldwork interviews, participant observations, and document review captured aspects of the integration of CIM over a 6-month study period. Ethnographic analysis included thematic content analysis. Participants included providers (n = 10), administrators (n = 5), and parents of patients (n = 11). Results Emergent themes from analysis of the interviews and field notes were organized according to the socio-ecological model. Themes included facilitating factors for CIM pain management at the intrapersonal and community levels (Alignment with Parental Perceptions of Child Needs and Provider Desire to Offer Care, Alignment of CIM with Spiritual Beliefs and Community Norms) and barriers at the interpersonal, organizational, and political levels (Inter-professional Challenges, Lack of Logistics in Place for Referrals and Triaging Patients with Pain, Lack of Remuneration/Insurance Reimbursement for Care). Conclusions To address barriers, future efforts to implement integrative pain management programs in pediatric hospital settings may consider testing implementation strategies, including engaging program champions and family advocates, providing education on CIM professions and therapies to hospital staff, and billing for provider time rather than individual CIM therapies.
Practical Experience of Installing Slurry Walls

Although the Horncastle project was a new build embankment, the cut-off, in the form of a slurry wall, was installed once the embankment construction was complete. As such the installation process ...
Revering Individual Autonomy During Goals of Care Family Meetings.

Koutsouras, Eastwood, and Krishnamurthy (2021) describe an extraordinarily challenging case involving an incapacitated critically ill patient, and a surrogate family member with both speech, and la...
Systematic patterning in phonologically‐motivated orthographic variation

Social media features a wide range of non-standard spellings, many of which appear inspired by phonological variation. However, the nature of the connection between variation across the spoken and written modalities remains poorly understood. Are phonological variables transferred to writing on the level of graphemes, or is the larger system of contextual patterning also transferred? This paper considers orthographic coda deletions corresponding to the phonological variables of (ing) and (t,d). In both cases, orthography mirrors speech: reduction of the -ing suffix depends on the word's syntactic category, and reduction of the -t,-d suffix depends on the succeeding phonological context. These spellings are more frequently used in informal conversational contexts, and in areas with high proportions of African Americans, again mirroring the patterning of the associated phonological variables. This suggests a deep connection between variation in the two modalities, necessitating a new account of the production of cross-modal variation.
1α,25-Dihydroxycholecalciferol Receptors in Intestine II. TEMPERATURE-DEPENDENT TRANSFER OF THE HORMONE TO CHROMATIN VIA A SPECIFIC CYTOSOL RECEPTOR

Abstract Specific binding of 1α,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol in the cytosol and purified chromatin fractions of chick small intestinal mucosa was studied to investigate the mechanism by which this hormone arrives at its chromatin binding site. The cytosol fraction of the mucosa contains a macromolecule with a high affinity (Kd = 2.2 x 10-9 m) for 1α,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol and has a limited number of binding sites which are saturated at low hormone concentrations (≃ 10-8 m). The association of the sterol with the cytoplasmic component is thermolabile, and is destroyed by treatment with pronase, but not by nucleases, and the receptor component is therefore presumed to be a protein. The protein-sterol complex was isolated and characterized by sucrose gradient centrifugation and sediments at 3 to 3.5 S in the presence of 0.15 m KCl. The interaction of 1α,25-dihydroxy[3H] cholecalciferol with the cytosol protein is reversed by unlabeled 1α,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol g 25-hydroxycholecalciferol g 1α,25-hydroxycholecalciferol g cholecalciferol ≃ estradiol-17β. The subcellular localization of 1α,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol is temperature-dependent. The hormone remains bound to the cytosol fraction at 0° in whole intestines in vitro, and a dramatic movement of 1α,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol to the nuclear chromatin occurs at 37°. The temperature dependence of the hormone localization is also evident in intestinal mucosa homogenates and reconstituted cytosol-chromatin systems. This observation suggests that the cell membrane and nuclear membrane are not involved in the temperature-dependent process. It is postulated that the specific cytosol receptor for 1α,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol functions to transport the hormone to its ultimate site of action in the nuclear chromatin.
Eleventh Annual Grotius Lecture Response: Commentary on Achim Steiner's 2009 Grotius Lecture

This commentary discusses the impact of the 2009 Grotius Lecture delivered by Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the United Nations Environmental Program (“UNEP”). The commentary elaborates on a fundamental lesson of the lecture: law can be a conduit for transformative economic change. The commentary emphasizes the need for international entities such as UNEP to address global environmental crises that result from pollution largely generated by industrial countries. The commentary encourages leaders to consider these environmental challenges as possible threats to human rights.
Possible Approaches, Actual Approaches

Given the current problems of our society—crumbling family structure, ethnic discrimination, violence on the streets, fraud in academia, harassment in the workplace—what could be more timely than a review and integration of research on psychological aspects of morality? PS presents three complementary assessments of a new Handbook of Moral Behavior and Development and the state of the field it represents.
Racial differences in the relationship between tobacco dependence and nicotine and carcinogen exposure.

Author(s): St Helen, Gideon; Dempsey, Delia; Wilson, Margaret; Jacob, Peyton; Benowitz, Neal L | Abstract: AimsTo investigate the relationships between tobacco dependence, biomarkers of nicotine and carcinogen exposure and biomarkers of nicotine and carcinogen exposure per cigarette in back and white smokers.Design, setting and participantsA total of 204 healthy black (n = 69) and white (n = 135) smokers were enrolled into two clinical studies.MeasurementNicotine equivalents (nicotine and its metabolites), 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3)pyridyl-1-butanol (NNAL) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) metabolites were measured in urine. The Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) and time to first cigarette (TFC) measured tobacco dependence.FindingsAverage TFC and FTND for blacks and whites were not significantly different. Urine NNAL and nicotine equivalents increased with increasing FTND in whites but did not increase in blacks (race × FTND interaction, both P l 0.031). The interaction term was not significant for PAHs. An inverse relationship was seen between FTND and nicotine equivalents, NNAL and PAH metabolites per cigarette in blacks but remained flat in whites (race × FTND interaction, all P ≤ 0.039). Regardless of dependence (low dependence, TFC g15 minutes; high dependence, TFC ≤15 minutes), FTND and TFC were not correlated significantly with urine nicotine equivalents and carcinogen exposure in blacks. We found moderate correlations between FTND and TFC and nicotine equivalents and carcinogen exposure among whites of low dependence and non-significant correlations among whites of high dependence.ConclusionIn the United States, tobacco dependence measures were related linearly to nicotine intake and carcinogen exposure in white but not in black smokers. The relationship between dependence measures and tobacco biomarkers in black smokers regardless of level of dependence resembled highly dependent white smokers.
Acceptance and commitment therapy for psychosis

Although various pharmacological treatments are available for persons suffering with positive psychotic symptoms, these symptoms often continue to occur even when medications are taken. Traditional psychosocial methods such as family therapy and cognitive-behavioral alleviate symptoms in this population, but interventions are often lengthy and difficult. The present paper argues that directly targeting the reduction of psychotic symptoms could produce paradoxical effects, and instead argues for the importance of acceptance, cognitive defusion, and valued action as coping methods. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is described as such a method, and its outcomes with this population are briefly summarized. A short case on ACT with a psychotic retarded person is presented as an example of the applicability of these methods to persons who are cognitively challenged.
An easy-to-use, host-independent data acquisition system

The design of a host-independent data-acquisition system is described. Host independence is achieved by using an RS-232 communication link between the host and data-acquisition system. The capability for system expansion, both in size and functionality, is achieved through the use of a system bus and an accompanying 8-bit microprocessor for communication and control. The motivation for the system's development was to reduce the cumbersome interface problems frequently encountered when an acquisition system is moved from one host computer to another. >
The development of animal models for the study of necrotizing enterocolitis

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is the leading cause of death and long-term disability from gastrointestinal disease in preterm infants, and is characterized by acute and chronic intestinal inflammation that may lead to systemic sepsis and multi-system organ failure. NEC typically develops in the preterm infant after the administration of tube feeds, although it may occasionally be seen in full-term babies. Despite extensive clinical experience in the management of patients with NEC, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms leading to its development remain incompletely understood. Several animal models have therefore been developed in a variety of species in order to study the pathogenesis of NEC and to develop more effective treatment strategies. This review seeks to examine the pros and cons of animal models that have been developed in the study of NEC over the past 30 years. It will highlight the various strengths and weaknesses of experimental approaches that have been used, and discuss potential directions for the development of such models for the future.
Severe Rh isoimmunization—Current methods of in utero diagnosis and treatment

The diagnosis and treatment of isoimmunization has improved markedly with the introduction of high-resolution real-time ultrasound, cordocentesis, selective intravascular fetal blood transfusion, and meticulous fetal surveillance. There is reason to believe that with appropriate and timely management in severely isoimmunized patients, there may be a 90% or greater chance of a successful pregnancy.
Turn Exchange Characteristics of SLI Children's Simultaneous and Nonsimultaneous Speech

The specifically language impaired (SLI) child's turn exchange behaviors were examined in adult-child interaction and compared to those of children of similar chronological ages or language structural levels. Videotaped language samples were analyzed for verbal and nonverbal behaviors associated with the children's production of simultaneous and nonsimultaneous speech. The results indicated qualitative differences from those of the normal language children in terms of turn errors, interruptions, interactive attention, responsiveness, and turn switch times, as well as variability related to SLI subtype.
Heat-induced gelation of chicken Pectoralis major myosin and beta-lactoglobulin.

The denaturation, aggregation, and rheological properties of chicken breast muscle myosin, beta-lactoglobulin (beta-LG), and mixed myosin/beta-LG solutions were studied in 0.6 M NaCl, 0.05 mM sodium phosphate buffer, pH 7.0, during heating. The endotherm of a mixture of myosin and beta-LG was identical to that expected if the endotherm of each protein was overlaid on the same axis. The maximum aggregation rate (AR(max)) increased, and the temperature at the AR(max) (T(max)) and initial aggregation temperature (T(o)) decreased as the concentration of both proteins was increased. The aggregation profile of <0.5% myosin was altered by the presence of 0.25% beta-LG. Addition of 0.5-3.0% beta-LG decreased storage moduli of 1% myosin between 55 and 75 degrees C, but increased storage moduli (G') when heated to 90 degrees C and after cooling. beta-LG had no effect on the gel point of greater than or equal to 1.0% myosin, but enhanced gel strength when heated to 90 degrees C and after cooling. After cooling, the G' of 1% myosin/2%beta-LG gels was about 1.7 times greater than that of gels prepared from 2% myosin/1% beta-LG.
Injury-induced alterations in N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunit composition contribute to prolonged 45calcium accumulation following lateral fluid percussion.

Abstract Cells that survive traumatic brain injury are exposed to changes in their neurochemical environment. One of these changes is a prolonged (48 h) uptake of calcium which, by itself, is not lethal. The N -methyl- d -aspartate receptor (NMDAR) is responsible for the acute membrane flux of calcium following trauma; however, it is unclear if it is involved in a flux lasting 2 days. We proposed that traumatic brain injury induced a molecular change in the NMDAR by modifying the concentrations of its corresponding subunits (NR1 and NR2). Changing these subunits could result in a receptor being more sensitive to glutamate and prolong its opening, thereby exposing cells to a sustained flux of calcium. To test this hypothesis, adult rats were subjected to a lateral fluid percussion brain injury and the NR1, NR2A and NR2B subunits measured within different regions. Although little change was seen in NR1, both NR2 subunits decreased nearly 50% compared with controls, particularly within the ipsilateral cerebral cortex. This decrease was sustained for 4 days with levels retuning to control values by 2 weeks. However, this decrease was not the same for both subunits, resulting in a decrease (over 30%) in the NR2A:NR2B ratio indicating that the NMDAR had temporarily become more sensitive to glutamate and would remain open longer once activated. Combining these regional and temporal findings with 45 calcium autoradiographic studies revealed that the degree of change in the subunit ratio corresponded to the extent of calcium accumulation. Finally, utilizing a combination of NMDAR and NR2B-specific antagonists it was determined that as much at 85% of the long term NMDAR-mediated calcium flux occurs through receptors whose subunits favor the NR2B subunit. These data indicate that TBI induces molecular changes within the NMDAR, contributing to the cells' post-injury vulnerability to glutamatergic stimulation.
An improved hands-on approach to teaching systems programming and the impact of structured programming

The use of the hands-on approach for teaching systems programming presented at the 1974 SIGCSE Conference has proved to be even more successful in the past two years. The reasons for the increased success are given. An approach of using structured assembler language concepts as an integral part of the systems programming course is introduced and discussed. Specific examples of the use of several structured programming macros are presented.
DOGMATISM AND LEARNING: A FIVE-YEAR FOLLOW-UP

This paper represents a further attempt at assessing the functional significance of non-intellectual factors in learning in a college classroom sirnation. Specifically, the intent of this paper is to assess the relative differences in the long-term effects of dogmatism and academic aptitude on the retention of materials in a single college course in particular, and on all college performance in general. The construct of dogmatism, introduced and defined by Rokeach (1954, 1960), provides the general framework for this research. Our concern is with the closed cognitive suucrure of dogmatic persons, and the concomitant of such closedness-resistance to change of systems of beliefs. In the first attempt to demonstrate the relationship between dogmatism and learning, Ehrlich ( 1961 ) tested and confirmed two interrelated hypotheses: (a ) dogmatism was found to be inversely related to the degree of learning in an introductory sociology course; and (b) the relationship between dogmatism and learning was independent of academic aptitude. As was expected, low dogmatic Ss entered the sociology classroom with a higher level of learning, learned more as a result of classroom exposure, and retained this information to a significantly greater degree than the more dogmatic Ss. The data presented here represent a re-study of the same population after a time lapse of five years, in contrast to the first study in which the time lapse was 5 to 6 months. Such a time span permits not only a re-examination of the original findings, but also an examination of Ss' overaU college grades, i.e., their cumulative point-hour ratio (CPH). METHOD Subjects.-The original sample consisted of 100 students enrolled in four introductory sociology sections, who were present for both the first and second administration of the test battery, and for whom Ohio State Psychological Examination (OSPE) scores were available from the university. For the final administration, by mail, only 90 of the original 100 respondents could be contacted; and from these 65 completed returns (72%) were received? P~ocedwe.-During the first week of the academic quarter Ss were given Rokeach's dogmatism scale and a 40 item true-false test of sociological knowl'The overlap in returns bemeern this follow-up and the earlier one (~hrlich, 1961) was minimal and did not allow fo: a simultaneous analysis of all four time periods. For only 41% of the original sample were questionnaires available for all rime periods, and these Ss were biased sinnificantlv in the direction of being lowest on doemacism and
A comparative study of the effects of benzene, toluene and xylenes on their in vitro metabolism and drug metabolizing enzymes in rat liver

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were injected ip with benzene, toluene, or a mixture of xylene isomers at 20 mmol hydrocarbon/kg daily for 3 days. The effects of administration of these hydrocarbons upon their own in vitro metabolism, as well as upon cytochrome P-450, NADPH-cytochrome c reductase, aminopyrine N-demethylase, aniline hydroxylase, glutathione, glutathione S-transferase, and UDPglucuronyltransferase in liver were studied. Each hydrocarbon studied increased its own in vitro metabolism. Benzene had no effect on the metabolism of toluene or xylenes. Toluene and xylenes increased the metabolism of benzene, toluene, and xylenes. Cytochrome P-450 was elevated by toluene and xylenes, but was not affected by benzene. NADPH-cytochrome c reductase was induced by all three hydrocarbons. Aminopyrine N-demethylase and aniline hydroxylase were induced by toluene and xylenes and were not affected by benzene. Glutathione was elevated by benzene, decreased by xylenes, and not affected by toluene. Glutathione S-transferase was induced differentially by these hydrocarbons toward various substrates: toward 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene by benzene and toluene, toward 1,2-dichloro-4-nitrobenzene by benzene and xylenes, and no effect toward 1,2-epoxy-3-(p-nitrophenoxy)propane by any hydrocarbons. UDPglucuronyltransferase was induced by benzene and toluene when o-aminophenol and phenol were used as the substrate. Xylenes had no effect. Benzene was more effective at inducing conjugation enzymes. Xylenes were more effective at inducing cytochrome P-450 dependent enzymes. Toluene was equipotent at inducing both types of enzymes. The results indicate that the addition of methyl groups to the aromatic ring affects the inductive pattern of these monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
Ultrastable substrates for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy: Al2O3 overlayers fabricated by atomic layer deposition yield improved anthrax biomarker detection.

A new method to stabilize and functionalize surfaces for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is demonstrated. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is used to deposit a sub-1-nm alumina layer on silver film-over-nanosphere (AgFON) substrates. The resulting overlayer maintains and stabilizes the SERS activity of the underlying silver while presenting the surface chemistry of the alumina overlayer, a commonly used polar adsorbent in chromatographic separations. The relative affinity of analytes for alumina-modified AgFON substrates can be determined by their polarity. On the basis of SERS measurements, dipicolinic acid displays the strongest binding to the ALD alumina-modified AgFON among a set of pyridine derivatives with varying polarity. This strong affinity for carboxylate groups makes the SERS substrate an ideal candidate for bacillus spores detection using the dipicolinate biomarker. The SERS signal from extracted dipicolinate was measured over the spore concentration range 10-14−10-12 M to determine t...
A Pedestrian Approach to Covariant String Theory

On montre comment obtenir les theories de champ totalement covariantes et invariantes de jauge pour les cordes bosoniques ouvertes libres a 26 dimensions
Barkhausen noise in a relaxor ferroelectric

Barkhausen noise, including both periodic and aperiodic components, is found in and near the relaxor regime of a familiar relaxor ferroelectric, ${\mathrm{PbMg}}_{1/3}{\mathrm{Nb}}_{2/3}{O}_{3}$, driven by a periodic electric field. The temperature dependences of both the amplitude and spectral form show that the size of the coherent changes in the dipole moment shrink as the relaxor regime is entered, contrary to expectations based on some simple models.
Control of pulse-train uniformity with passive polarizers in mode-locked optical fiber lasers

The pulse dynamics in a birefringent optical fiber mode-locked laser with a polarizer shows that pulse-train uniformity depends on the birefringence and alignment of the polarizer with the principle axes of the fiber.
Managing in a federal system without an 'Ultimate Arbiter': Kompetenz-Kompetenz in the EU and the Ante-bellum United States

Although an ‘ultimate arbiter’ is generally accepted as a necessary element of a federation, emerging federal systems are often unable to agree on who should play the role. Legally, the debate surrounds the right to monitor the limits of federal and state competences – or the right to Kompetenz-Kompetenz. This article looks at how the early United States and the European Union managed without an ultimate arbiter and assesses the differing priorities of the two systems. It then examines how the Constitutional Treaty might change the delicate balance wrought by the European Court of Justice in Europe, and what lessons, if any, the early American experience might offer.
Next-Generation Nonparticulate Dry Nonwoven Pad for Chemical Warfare Agent Decontamination

New, nonparticulate decontamination materials promise to reduce both military and civilian casualties by enabling individuals to decontaminate themselves and their equipment within minutes of exposure to chemical warfare agents or other toxic materials. One of the most promising decontaminating materials has been developed using a needle-punching nonwoven process to construct a nonparticulate composite fabric of multiple layers, including an inner layer of activated carbon fabric, which is well-suited for the decontamination of both personnel and equipment. This paper describes the development of a composite nonwoven pad and compares efficacy test results for this pad with results from testing other decontamination systems. The efficacy of the dry nonwoven fabric pad was demonstrated specifically for decontamination of the chemical warfare blister agent bis(2-chloroethyl)sulfide (HD or sulfur mustard). Gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC/ MS) results indicate that the composite fabric was capable of significantly reducing the vapor hazard from mustard liquid absorbed into the nonwoven dry fabric pad. The mustard adsorption efficiency of the nonwoven pad was significantly higher than that of particulate activated carbon and was similar to the currently fielded U.S. military M291 kit. The nonwoven pad has several advantages over other materials, especially its nonparticulate, yet flexible, construction. This composite fabric was also shown to be chemically compatible with potential toxic and hazardous liquids, which span a range of hydrophilic and hydrophobic chemicals, including a concentrated acid, an organic solvent, and a mild oxidant (bleach).
Representation of random processes using the finite Karhunen-Loève expansion

The finite Karhunen-Loeve expansion has found application recently in pattern recognition and communication theory. Basically, the finite expansion can be considered as a two-step process. First, we take a finite number of samples from a waveform and form a wave vector. Secondly, we expand this vector in the eigenvectors of the autocorrelation matrix. In this paper, we treat two questions. 1. How many samples should the wave vector contain? 2. How can we accurately estimate the eigenvectors of the autocorrelation matrix? We also present a fast algorithm for calculating the eigenvectors of an autocorrelation matrix.
Mossy fiber sprouting in the fascia dentata after unilateral entorhinal lesions: quantitative analysis using computer-assisted image processing

Abstract Axon sprouting typically occurs in a brain region that has been partially denervated. The present study demonstrates, quantitatively, evidence for sprouting outside the region of deafferentation. A modification of the Timm sulfide silver histochemical method was used to monitor an increase in the mossy fiber terminal field in the fascia dentata of adult rats following severe deafferentation of the outer three-fourths of stratum moleculare by unilateral entorhinal lesions. Computer-assisted image processing techniques were used to quantify mossy fiber sprouting. In stratum granulosum, and to a lesser extent in the deep (supragranular) portion of stratum moleculare (areas separated from the zone of deafferentation), there was a three-fold increase in the area of mossy fiber staining on the side of the lesion compared to the non-operated side (and unoperated animals). Much of the increased staining was located near the tip of the infrapyramidal (ventral) blade of the fascia dentata. Since mossy fiber sprouting apparently occurs in the absence of degeneration-produced synaptic dilution in that region, it may represent an example of post-lesion growth initiated by conditions fundamentally different from those normally believed to induce sprouting.
Schizophrenia and the Question of Genetic Heterogeneity

Despite major advances in psychiatric diagnosis during the past 20 years, boundaries of the schizophrenic syndrome remain elusive. Moreover, in pedigrees containing cases of schizophrenia there are marked between-pedigree differences with respect to prognosis, familial patterns of psychiatric illness, drug response, and especially association of affected status with a specific chromosomal locus. Such between-pedigree differences suggest the syndrome may be made up of several different diseases. Linkage of affected status to specific loci may aid in resolving genetic heterogeneity. Large multigenerational informative pedigrees may permit the separation into those that do and do not link to a genomic locus of interest. Admixture analysis of smaller informative pedigrees may permit separation of linked and unlinked pedigrees on the basis of differences in the recombination fraction. Finally, biological "markers" can be used before the genetic analysis to separate putative linked and unlinked pedigrees. The combined study of genetic linkage and clinical heterogeneity will aid in the resolution of etiological heterogeneity of schizophrenia and the delineation of meaningful diagnostic boundaries.
Near-optimum steady state regulators for stochastic linear weakly coupled systems

Abstract This paper presents an approach to the decomposition and approximation of the linear quadratic Gaussian estimation and control problems for weakly coupled systems. The global Kalman filter is decomposed into separate reduced-order local filters via the use of a decoupling transformation. A near-optimal control law is derived by approximating the coefficients of the truly optimal control law. The order of approximation of the optimal performance is O(eN), where N is the order of approximation of the coefficients. A real world power system example demonstrates the failure of O(e2) and O(e4) approximations and the necessity for the existence of the O(eN) theory. The proposed method produces the reduction in both off-line and on-line computational requirements and leads to convergence under mild assumptions. In addition, only low-order systems are involved in algebraic calculations and no analyticity requirement (a standard assumption for the power series method) is imposed on system coefficients.
Moon: Possible Nature of the Body That Produced the Imbrian Basin, from the Composition of Apollo 14 Samples

Soils from the Apollo 14 site contain nearly three times as much meteoritic material as soils from the Apollo 11, Apollo 12, and Luna 16 sites. Part of this material consists of the ubiquitous micrometeorite component, of primitive (carbonaceous-chondrite-like) composition. The remainder, seen most conspicuously in coarse glass and norite fragments, has a decidedly fractionated composition, with volatile elements less than one-tenth as abundant as siderophiles. This material seems to be debris of the Cyprus-sized planetesimal that produced the Imbrian basin. Compositionally this planetesimal has no exact counterpart among known meteorite classes, though group IVA irons come close. It also resembles the initial composition of the earth as postulated by the two-component model. Apparently the Imbrian planetesimal was an Earth satellite swept up by the moon during tidal recession or capture, or an asteroid deflected by Mars into terrestrial space.
An Affirmative Defense to Sexual Harassment by Managers and Supervisors: Analyzing Employer Liability and Protecting Employee Rights in the United States

Sexual harassment in the workplace is a serious worldwide employment problem. In the United States, courts have taken an increasingly expansive view of both employers' obligations and employees' rights in dealing with the issue. Landmark decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court addressing harassment by supervisors have sought to provide further guidance to employers in order to prevent harassment and refine their obligations. Yet despite the Court's efforts, harassment claims brought on by supervisor conduct continue to be a matter of great concern. This article offers a brief overview of U.S. sexual harassment law including its affirmative defense and provides a decision protocol for employers operating in the U.S. to follow in determining whether or not an affirmative defense can be confidently asserted. Finally management practices that respond to legal principles of an affirmative defense to prevent liability and protect employee rights are presented and discussed.
Wall pressure spectra scaling downstream of stenoses in steady tube flow

Abstract Wall pressure spectra were obtained at various x D positions downstream of axisymmetric cylindrical obstructions (stenoses) positioned within a latex rubber tube containing a steady water flow. Stenoses of different degrees (which reduced the cross sectional area presented to the flow by different amounts) were used over a range of Reynolds numbers (based on flow within the tube). Good universal correlations between spectrum frequency and pressure amplitude with degree of stenosis, and a universal power spectral density function at the position of maximum wall pressure fluctuation are achieved by introducing a new set of nondimensional variables. Comparison of our universal spectral density function with that of fully developed turbulent pipe flow shows that, at the position of maximum r.m.s. wall pressure, these spectra are similar but not identical.
Effect of Nell-1 delivery on chondrocyte proliferation and cartilaginous extracellular matrix deposition.

Cartilage tissue engineering using chondrogenic growth factors is an attractive strategy to promote cartilage repair. Bone morphogenetic proteins have been widely studied for their application in c...
Macromolecular Crowding Modulates Cross-Bridge Performance

Cross-bridge kinetics is usually studied in diluted solution that does not reflect in vivo conditions of cell cytoplasm. In cells, myosin and actin work in dense environment of small and large macromolecules, affecting cross-bridge kinetics. We used high molecular weight sucrose polymer Ficoll70 to examine the effect of crowding on kinetics of acto-myosin interaction and cross-bridge cycle. Dictyostelium discoideum myosin II S1 and rabbit skeletal actin were used in the study. We observed two-fold increase of the rate of acto-myosin cycle in the presence of 25% w/v Ficoll70 in the reaction solution. Transient kinetics studies showed that virtually every kinetic step of the cross-bridge cycle was affected by Ficoll70. Ficoll70 decreases ADP affinity to acto-myosin, and therefore increases the overall rate of the cycle, because ADP release is the rate limiting step in D.discoideum myosin II actin activated ATPase activity. We conclude that macromolecular crowding modulates cross-bridge performance in cells.
Composite ion exchangers of redox type for cesium separation. Sorption-desorption-regeneration cycle with cupric ferrocyanide impregnated macroporous anion-exchange resins of strongly basic type

Cupric ferrocyanide impregnated Bio-Rad AGMP-1 or Amberlite IRA-904 exhibited an excellent performance and could be repeatedly used for cesium sorption from 3M nitric acid in the presence of trace hydrazine and subsequent cesium desorption with 3–5M nitric acid containing a slight amount of nitrous acid when regeneration of the composite ion exchanger after the desorption was conducted with an acidic hydrazine solution containing cupric ion above 200–250 ppm.
Sequence Programmable Peptoid Polymers for Diverse Materials Applications

Polymer sequence programmability is required for the diverse structures and complex properties that are achieved by native biological polymers, but efforts towards controlling the sequence of synthetic polymers are, by comparison, still in their infancy. Traditional polymers provide robust and chemically diverse materials, but synthetic control over their monomer sequences is limited. The modular and step-wise synthesis of peptoid polymers, on the other hand, allows for precise control over the monomer sequences, affording opportunities for these chains to fold into well-defined nanostructures. Hundreds of different side chains have been incorporated into peptoid polymers using efficient reaction chemistry, allowing for a seemingly infinite variety of possible synthetically accessible polymer sequences. Combinatorial discovery techniques have allowed the identification of functional polymers within large libraries of peptoids, and newly developed theoretical modeling tools specifically adapted for peptoids enable the future design of polymers with desired functions. Work towards controlling the three-dimensional structure of peptoids, from the conformation of the amide bond to the formation of protein-like tertiary structure, has and will continue to enable the construction of tunable and innovative nanomaterials that bridge the gap between natural and synthetic polymers.
Conformational Isomerization of 1,2-Difluoroethane in Solid Argon: Cage-Modified Reaction Barriers

Thermally induced rotational isomerization of trans-1,2-difluoroethane into the more stable gauche conformer in Ar matrices was studied over the temperature range 30−36 K by infrared spectroscopy. Photochemical generation of 1,2-difluoroethane in the matrix by two different mechanisms forms the product in singly and doubly substitutional argon lattice sites. Only the more stable doubly substitutional site is populated by the ordinary vapor deposition technique. At 33 K, the first-order rate constant for isomerization in the single site is 1.0 × 10-5 s-1 whereas the corresponding value for the double site is 5 × 10-3 s-1. Measurements of the temperature-dependent isomerization rates show that the activation energies for molecules in single and double sites are 15.0 ± 1.5 and 9.7 ± 0.8 kJ/mol, respectively. The latter value is close to a recent estimate of the gas phase reaction barrier (8.86 kJ/mol). This study provides an important example of how a reaction barrier is significantly modified by a solid-sta...
Sexual dimorphism and aromatase in the rat retina

The present study: (a) determined the effects of both pre- and early postnatal androgen hormonal manipulation on retinal thickness, (b) examined the presence of the aromatase enzyme by immunocytochemistry in retinal tissue and (c) quantified aromatase activity in the rat retina. The results suggest that retinal thickness is influenced by perinatal hormone manipulation via aromatizable androgens that have implications for the sex differences seen in visual information processing and performance.
Concepts of Finance Capital for a Capital-Using Agriculture

IN 1959, 1.2 million farms in the North Central Region, using $21.6 billion in non-land capital and $62.7 billion in land and buildings, produced $10.0 billion of output [5]. Had farms been organized in the region to produce at a minimum cost, 741,000 farms could have doubled this output with the same investment in land and buildings and with $28.6 billion in capital. The results would have been disastrous. The market failed to clear all of the actual 1959 output. Had the output been constrained to a "market-clearing" level, 306,000 cost-minimizing farms in the region would have used $12.2 billion of capital and produced $9.1 billion of output. This summary of results is instructive in that it indicates the puzzle one confronts in projecting capital use in agriculture. Changes in technology have clearly increased the capital required per successful farm. But to project increases in total capital on the basis of technological change alone seriously overestimates total capital requirements. In fact, estimates of 1980 capital requirements that take market clearing into account show a reduction in non-land capital of about 46 percent, relative to 1959. The value of land and buildings declines by about 3 percent. But per farm, non-land capital increases by 96 percent; land and buildings, by 253 percent.