cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterizing ultrafine particles and other air pollutants at five schools in South Texas.

UNLABELLED This study examined five schools with different ventilation systems in both urban and rural areas in South Texas. Total particle number concentration, ultrafine particle (UFP, diameter < 100 nm) size distribution, PM(2.5) , and CO(2) were measured simultaneously inside and outside of various school microenvironments. Human activities, ventilation settings, and occupancy were recorded. The study found a greater variation of indoor particle number concentration (0.6 × 10(3) -29.3 × 10(3) #/cm(3) ) than of outdoor (1.6 × 10(3) -16.0 × 10(3) #/cm(3) ). The most important factors affecting indoor UFP levels were related to various indoor sources. Gas fan heaters increased the indoor-to-outdoor ratio (I/O ratio) of total particle number concentrations to 30.0. Food-related activities, cleaning, and painting also contributed to the increased indoor particle number concentration with I/O ratios larger than 1.0. Without indoor sources, the I/O ratios for total particles varied from 0.12 to 0.66 for the five ventilation systems studied. The I/O ratio decreased when the outdoor total particle number concentration increased. Particles with diameters <60 nm were less likely to penetrate and stay airborne in indoor environments than larger particles and were measured with smaller I/O ratios. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS From an exposure assessment perspective, schools are important and little-studied microenvironments where students congregate and spend a large proportion of their active time. This study provides information for indoor and outdoor ultrafine particle concentrations at different types of school microenvironments. These data may allow future epidemiological studies to better estimate exposure and assess ultrafine particles health effects among students.
Cyclic GMP-mediated memory enhancement in the object recognition test by inhibitors of phosphodiesterase-2 in mice.

Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase-2 (PDE2) is a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of cognitive dysfunction. Using the object recognition test (ORT), this study assessed the effects of two PDE2 inhibitors, Bay 60-7550 and ND7001, on learning and memory, and examined underlying mechanisms. To assess the role of PDE2 inhibition on phases of memory, Bay 60-7550 (3 mg/kg) was administered: 30 min prior to training; 0, 1, or 3 h after training; or 30 min prior to recall testing. To assess cyclic nucleotide involvement in PDE2 inhibitor–enhanced memory consolidation, either the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME; 20 mg/kg; intraperitoneal (IP)), soluble guanylyl cyclase inhibitor 1H-[−1,2,4]oxadiazolo-[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ; 20 mg/kg; IP), protein kinase G inhibitor KT5823 (2.5 μg; intracerebroventricular (ICV)), or protein kinase A inhibitor H89 (1 μg; ICV) was administered 30 min prior to the PDE2 inhibitor Bay 60-7550 (3 mg/kg) or ND7001 (3 mg/kg). Changes in the phosphorylation of 3’5’-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) response element binding protein (CREB) at Ser-133 and vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) at Ser-239 were determined to confirm activation of cAMP and 3’5’-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) signaling. Bay 60-7550 (3 mg/kg) enhanced memory of mice in the ORT when given 30 min prior to training, immediately after training, or 30 min prior to recall. Inhibitors of the cGMP pathway blocked the memory-enhancing effects of both Bay 60-7550 (3 mg/kg) and ND7001 (3 mg/kg) on early consolidation processes. Bay 60-7550 (3 mg/kg) enhanced phosphorylation of CREB and VASP, both targets of cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG). These results confirm a potential of PDE2, or components of its signaling pathway, as a therapeutic target for drug discovery focused on restoring memory function.
On normal crossings in a Banach space

Abstract We show that if A is a closed complex analytic subset of a Banach space X with an unconditional basis (e.g., X = l 2 ) that has only normal crossings for singularities, then the structure and ideal sheaves of A are cohesive sheaves over X, and consequently, they are acyclic over any pseudoconvex open subset of X.
Cellular Differentiation Regulated by Gibberellin in the Arabidopsis thaliana pickle Mutant

The plant growth regulator gibberellin (GA) has a profound effect on shoot development and promotes developmental transitions such as flowering. Little is known about any analogous effect GA might have on root development. In a screen for mutants, Arabidopsis plants carrying a mutation designated pickle (pkl) were isolated in which the primary root meristem retained characteristics of embryonic tissue. Expression of this aberrant differentiation state was suppressed by GA. Root tissue from plants carrying the pkl mutation spontaneously regenerated new embryos and plants.
Emerging Minimally Invasive Technologies for the Management of Scoliosis

Surgery for scoliosis has evolved dramatically over the past century—from posterior surgery and casting that resulted in poor deformity correction and high pseudarthrosis rates and that required prolonged bed rest to anterior thoracoscopic and miniopen approaches that result in reproducible curve correction ranging from 55% to 70% with high fusion rates. The future of scoliosis surgery lies in the application of growth-modulation approaches by way of minimally invasive techniques, which will result in curve correction while maintaining spinal motion and disc and motion segment integrity. The optimal approach will use genetic testing to predict curve progression, thereby providing the clinical data required for determining the appropriate candidate for the use of this strategy.
High-resolution optical lithography with a near-field scanning subwavelength aperture

We report on a novel method for generating sub-micron lithographic patterns in photoresist through the use of a scanned sub-wavelength optical aperture. The aperture consists of the tip of a single-mode optical fiber that is drawn down to a diameter of 80 nm and coated with aluminum. The fiber tip is manipulated with a modified scanning tunneling microscope (STM) that brings the tip into proximity of a photoresist-coated substrate. The resolution is primarily a function of the aperture diameter and tip-to-sample separation. A linewidth of 200 nm has been achieved in preliminary experiments.
The evolution of abdominal reduction and the recent origin of distinct Abdominal-B transcript classes in Diptera.

SUMMARY In insects, the Hox gene Abdominal-B (Abd-B) governs the development of the posterior-most segments, the number and fate of which differ within and between orders. A striking feature of insect evolution is a trend toward the reduction of posterior abdominal segments which is most pronounced in higher Diptera. In Drosophila melanogaster, two distinct Abd-B transcript classes and protein isoforms are expressed in non-overlapping domains and have discrete functions in patterning the posterior abdomen. It has been proposed that evolutionary changes in Abd-B structure and expression are responsible for the reduction of the dipteran abdomen. We have investigated the relationship between the evolution of the Abd-B gene and abdominal reduction by analyzing the structure and expression of homologs from four additional dipterans representing distinct clades within the order. The lower dipteran mosquito Anopheles gambiae expresses a single Abd-B transcript class, as do two species phylogenetically intermediate to mosquitoes and drosophilids. These results delimit the evolution of distinct functional Abd-B isoforms to within the dipteran radiation after the origin of the reduced abdominal morphology. Furthermore, we found that the spatial distribution of Abd-B transcripts in non-drosophilid Diptera is identical to the combined domains of the two D. melanogaster Abd-B transcripts. Therefore, neither the structural evolution nor changes in the spatial regulation of Abd-B account for the derived abdomen of higher Diptera. The recent subfunctionalization of this Hox gene has occurred without any apparent morphological correlate. We conclude that regulatory modifications to developmental programs downstream of or parallel to Abd-B are responsible for the evolutionary reduction of the higher dipteran postabdomen.
Indirect effects of soil and water on animal health

Some variations in animal health among geographic areas are associated with variations in soils, water supplies or soil parent materials. Geochemical bases for health problems arising from essential nutrient element deficiencies or from toxic levels or imbalances of several elements are widely recognized. Less attention has been directed to the possibilities of geochemical influences upon regional differences in health resulting from pathogens, parasites, mycotoxins and poisonous plants. This review is an effort to collect and interpret such evidence as has been published on the subject since Louis Pasteur's original observation associating soil character and probability of anthrax.
Test-Taking Performance of High School Students With ADHD:

Objective: The authors examined the test-taking performance of high school students with (n = 38) and without (n = 746) ADHD. Method: Students were assessed via an online battery of tests (TestTrac...
On eddy convection velocity in the atmospheric boundary layer

Lumley's model is extended to predict the effect of convection velocity fluctuations on eddy convection velocity for the high-frequency region of the longitudinal, transverse and scalar phase spectra in the atmospheric boundary layer. The resulting model predicts that the eddy convection velocity will be higher than the mean wind speed. The increase over the mean wind speed is largest for the longitudinal spectrum.
Statistical mechanics of chemical disorder: application to alkali borate glasses

Abstract An improvement on the formalism suggested by Araujo for studying chemical disorder is discussed. The formalism is used to calculate the fraction of boron atoms which are in tetrahedral coordination in alkali-borate glasses as a function of composition and temperature.
Positioning Strategy for Credit Unions: Know Thy Niche

The purpose of this paper is to examine the environment in which credit unions function and how they may position themselves in the tumultuous financial world of the 1990s. Credit unions should not try to be faithful to the old “full service" theme. Instead, they should offer specialized services to a narrow market.
Attitudes Toward Intimate Partner Violence and Associations With Condom Use Among Men in Haiti: An Analysis of the Nationally Representative Demographic Health Survey

Although men have substantial decision-making power regarding condom use, the majority of HIV knowledge and prevention studies in the general Haitian population have been conducted among youth and women. We investigated attitudes toward intimate partner violence, knowledge of, and use of condoms among 9493 men in Haiti using data from the 2012 nationally representative Demographic and Health Survey. Only 36% of HIV-negative and 44% of HIV-positive men reported using a condom the last time they had had sex. Logistic regression revealed that believing it was justified for a man to hit or beat his wife if she refuses to have sex with him was associated with a lower odds of condom use. The odds of using a condom during last sex was higher among men who reported knowing condoms can prevent HIV and who had been tested for HIV. Given the low rate of condom use among men in Haiti, these findings suggest that interventions promoting HIV knowledge, HIV testing, and gender-violence prevention among men may also increase condom use.
Transient pollution events: acute risks to the aquatic environment

For the most part investments in restricting the propagation of pollutants have focused on managing a steady, invariant, average condition of the aquatic environment. In this there has been success. But the activities of society, in all its forms of land use (urban, agricultural, and silvicultural), have presumably still the capacity to generate as much potential contamination of the environment as previously. It is simply that we have now placed effective barriers – our wastewater control infrastructures – between these activities of society and the surrounding environment. And just as there would be a concern for the long-term reliability of a dam structure for a water reservoir, so there must now be an increasing concern for the reliability of our wastewater control infrastructures. Such concern is generic: transient perturbations about an equilibrium are as relevant to agricultural and silvicultural control infrastructures as they are to our systems of urban sewerage and wastewater treatment. The paper assembles the diverse features of transient pollution events, their monitoring, modelling and criteria for management, in order to make a start on providing a more coherent framework for their analysis. The notion of the frequency spectrum of system perturbations is used for this purpose. In this, succinctness is achieved, so that a better appreciation of the relationships between long-term trends and high-frequency disturbances can be obtained. In particular, the problems of managing transient pollution events can be seen loosely against the backdrop of a project9s life cycle, in a manner that illuminates a tension in our attitudes towards the passive and active paradigms of operating the control structures that protect the environment from pollution.
The Electroacoustic Music of Iannis Xenakis

Computer Music Journal, 26:1, pp. 33–57, Spring 2002 2002 Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Of the close to 150 compositions that Iannis Xenakis created, only a handful involve electroacoustics (sounds directly produced by electronic, digital, or other studio means). Those works, however, are influential beyond their number. Any history of electronic music must place Xenakis as a central figure, both for his innovations and for the impact his music has had on successive generations. His involvement in the creation of multimedia ‘‘spectacles’’ brought him wide exposure, although his uncompromising aesthetic vision precluded fame and fortune on a popular scale. Nonetheless, through his work, Xenakis (see Figure 1) presented a bold, charismatic persona: he was a revolutionary, both in politics and in art. The restive students of the 1960s, in particular, were drawn to him, to his peculiar mixture of forward-reaching modernism and noisy, pounding primitivism. There are many parallels between Xenakis’s work and experimental elements of popular music, particularly in the embracing of technology and high-density/ high-amplitude sound set off by disorienting, hallucinatory light-shows. The electroacoustic music of Xenakis, Concret PH in particular, provided a link between the ‘‘academic’’ components of the 2000 International Computer Music Conference in Berlin and the club-oriented ‘‘off-ICMC’’ celebration, held concurrently. Additionally, a new Asphodel release of his massive electroacoustic work, Persepolis, is accompanied by ‘‘re-mixes’’ by, among others, Japanese techno artists. It is my aim to present here a brief overview of Xenakis’s electroacoustic music in the manner of a tutorial. Certain aspects or selected works from this area of his compositional output have been examined in some detail (Di Scipio 1998, 2001; Hoffmann 2000a; Solomos 1993), and a more detailed study of these works within the context of the rest of his output is found in Harley (forthcoming). While there is a strong unity of aesthetic and compositional technique running through his entire oeuvre, five stages in the trajectory of his studio output can be distinguished (see Table 1). In each, the technical means change somewhat, as do the aesthetic concerns. There are connections to the instrumental music he was writing around the same time, and there are also connections to the electroacoustic music being written by others (though surprisingly few). Throughout his life, as clearly exemplified in his electroacoustic works, Xenakis sought to ‘‘extend the limits of musical thought’’ (Robindore 1996).
Advanced diagnostic concepts for emerging rf-FEL designs

Abstract Adaptations and developments of diagnostic and experimental techniques for emerging Los Alamos designs for rf-linac-driven free-electron lasers (FELs) are described. Our next FELs are to lase at shorter wavelengths and / or to be more compact than our present infrared FELs. Adjustments to the techniques included spatial compactness, lower emittance regimes, and submicropulse measurement capability. The spatial compactness of the profile monitor reduces shadowing of the injected drive laser and is also applicable to smaller-gap wigglers. The submicropulse measurements include potential slice emittance measurements and recently demonstrated phase effects in drive lasers and e-beams during the macropulse.
Functional programming in C

This paper describes FC++: a rich library supporting functional programming in C++. Prior approaches to encoding higher order functions in C++ have suffered with respect to polymorphic functions from either lack of expressiveness or high complexity. In contrast, FC++ offers full and concise support for higher-order polymorphic functions through a novel use of C++ type inference.Another new element in FC++ is that it implements a subtype polymorphism policy for functions, in addition to the more common parametric polymorphism facilities. Subtype polymorphism is common in object oriented languages and ensures that functions in FC++ fit well within the C++ object model.Apart from these conceptual differences, FC++ is also an improvement in technical terms over previous efforts in the literature. Our function objects are reference-counted and can be aliased without needing to be copied, resulting in an efficient implementation. The reference-counting mechanism is also exported to the user as a general-purpose replacement of native C++ pointers. Finally, we supply a number of useful functional operators (a large part of the Haskell Standard Prelude) to facilitate programming with FC++. The end result is a library that is usable and efficient, while requiring no extensions to the base C++ language.
Observations of local wind effects on longshore currents

Abstract Two sets of nearshore current data are available from measurements made at the Coastal Engineering Research Center's (CERC) Field Research Facility (FRF). These data are examined to characterize the nearshore currents at the FRF site and to identify the processes which contribute to the total current vector. The data indicate that local winds and atmospheric pressure fields can be important factors contributing to nearshore currents. Quantitative evidence is presented which shows a direct relationship between the mean longshore current and mean longshore wind speed. For coastal engineering studies which require estimates of nearshore currents, it is recommended that meteorological factors be included in the estimation techniques.
Computer worm ecology in encounter-based networks

Encounter-based network is a frequently-disconnected wireless ad-hoc network requiring immediate neighbors to store and forward aggregated data for information disseminations. Using traditional approaches such as gateways or firewalls for deterring worm propagation in encounter-based networks is inappropriate. Because this type of network is highly dynamic and has no specific boundary, we need a fully distributed security response mechanism. We propose the worm interaction approach that relies upon automated beneficial worm generation aiming to alleviate problems of worm propagations in such networks. This work is motivated by the ‘War of the Worms’ of the Internet worms between competing worms such as NetSky, Bagle and MyDoom. To understand the dynamic of worm interactions and its performance, we mathematically model several classes of worms and interactions using ordinary differential equations and analyze their behaviors.
Insulin-like growth factor-I peptides act centrally to decrease depression-like behavior of mice treated intraperitoneally with lipopolysaccharide

Centrally administered insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I has anti-depressant activity in several rodent models, including lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced depression. In this study we tested the ability of IGF-I and GPE (the N-terminal tri-peptide derived from IGF-I) to alter depression-like behavior induced by intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of LPS in a preventive and curative manner. In the first case, IGF-I (1 μg) or GPE (5 μg) was administered i.c.v. to CD-1 mice followed 30 min later by 330 μg/kg body weight i.p. LPS. In the second case, 830 μg/kg body weight LPS was given 24 h prior to either IGF-I or GPE. When administered i.p., LPS induced full-blown sickness assessed as a loss of body weight, decrease in food intake and sickness behavior. None of these indices were affected by IGF-I or GPE. LPS also induced depression-like behavior; assessed as an increased duration of immobility in the tail suspension and forced swim tests. When administered before or after LPS, IGF-I and GPE abrogated the LPS response; attenuating induction of depression-like behaviors and blocking preexistent depression-like behaviors. Similar to previous work with IGF-I, GPE decreased brain expression of cytokines in response to LPS although unlike IGF-I, GPE did not induce the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). LPS induced expression of tryptophan dioxygenases, IDO1, IDO2 and TDO2, but expression of these enzymes was not altered by GPE. Thus, both IGF-I and GPE elicit specific improvement in depression-like behavior independent of sickness, an action that could be due to their anti-inflammatory properties.
Remarks on the Distribution and Natural History of Pagophilic Pinnipeds in the Bering and Chukchi Seas

Five species of pagophilic (ice-loving) pinnipeds live in the Bering and Chukchi seas: Odobenus rosmarus, Phoca (Pusa) hispida, Phoca (Histriophoca) fasciata, an ice-breeding population of Phoca (Phoca) vitulina, and Erignathus barbatus. Breeding adults of these species are mostly separated from each other during late winter and early spring, when, throughout the pupping and subsequent mating periods, P. vitulina and P. fasciata occupy the edge-zone of the seasonal pack ice, E. barbatus and O. rosmarus are mainly farther north within the heavier pack ice, and P. hispida occupies areas of extensive land-fast ice. This paper discusses differences in body structure, ecological adaptation, and behavior in relation to distribution of the five species.
Novel Ge-profile design for high-speed SiGe HBTs: modelling and analysis

The authors investigate the optimisation of the Ge profile in SiGe HBTs, with the aim of enhancing current gain without degrading the base transit time at different ambient temperatures and points of film stability. Using a new box-triangular Ge profile, they show that a current gain enhancement of ~3 is achievable at T = 300 K for ytot = 14% Ge without degrading the base transit time corresponding to that of a triangular Ge profile. The effect of an electric field on the base transit time is also studied. It is shown that for WB = 50 nm, the limiting base electric field is ~40 kV/cm, beyond which any reduction in the base transit time is offset by the electron mobility degradation.
Co-transport of Na+ and methyl-β-D-thiogalactopyranoside mediated by the melibiose transport system of Escherichia coli

Abstract Na+-dependent transport of methyl-β-D-thiogalactopyranoside (TMG) mediated by the melibiose transport system was investigated in Escherichia coli mutants lacking the lactose transport system. When an inwardly-directed electro-chemical potential difference of Na+ was imposed across the membrane of energy depleted cells, transient uptake of TMG was observed. Addition of TMG to cell suspensions under anaerobic conditions caused a transient acidification of the medium. This acidification was observed only in the presence of Na+ or Li+. These results support the idea that TMG is taken up by a mechanism of Na+-TMG co-transport via the melibiose transport system in Escherichia coli .
Temporal Stability of Spatially Measured Soil Matric Potential Probability Density Function

Estimation of mean water status in a field is crudal to effective irrigation water management. Problems encountered with the estimation of mean field soil water status may be attributed to spatial variability of soil physical properties. Several investigators have shown temporal stability of spatial patterns of field measured soil water content, but temporal stability of field measured soil matric potential (ψ m ), a measure of soil water status more appropriate for irrigation scheduling, has not previously been reported to last for more than a few days within one irrigation cycle. This study investigated the temporal stability of spatial patterns of ψ m both within and between sequential irrigation cycles. Sixty locations in a 1-ha field were outfitted with a 1-m neutron probe access tube and three tensiometers placed at 0.15-, 0.3-, and 0.5-m depths. The observations obtained from 14 d of soil water content measurements and 46 d of ψ m measurements within eight irrigation cycles were analyzed with Spearman's rank correlation coefficients and a relative differencing technique. The results showed temporally stable soil water content spatial patterns and also indicated temporally stable ψ m spatial patterns if assumptions of full soil wetting at the beginning of the cycle and uniform evapotranspiration among locations were satisfied. Several locations in the field estimated the field mean ψ m to within 10% within a given range of potentials, and a few estimated the field mean to within 20% across the entire range of potentials tested. Other locations estimated the lower and higher percentiles of ψ m with similar accuracy.
Challenging the assumption of habitat limitation: An example from centrarchid fishes over an intermediate spatial scale

Habitat rehabilitation efforts are predicated on the frequently untested assumption that habitat is limiting to populations. These efforts are typically costly and will be ineffective if habitat is not limiting. Therefore it is important to assess, rather than assume, habitat limitation wherever habitat rehabilitation projects are considered. Catch-count data from a standardized probability-based stratified-random monitoring programme were examined for indirect evidence of backwater habitat limitation by centrarchid fishes in the Upper Mississippi River System. The monitoring design enabled fitting statistical models of the association between mean catch at the spatial scale of tens of river kilometres and the percentage of contiguous aquatic area in backwater at least 1 m deep by maximizing a stratum-area weighted negative binomial log-likelihood function. Statistical models containing effects for backwater limitation failed to account for substantial variation in the data. However, 95% confidence intervals on the backwater parameter estimates excluded zero, indicating that population abundance may be limited by backwater prevalence where backwaters are extremely scarce. The combined results indicate, at most, a weak signal of backwater limitation where backwaters are extremely scarce in the lower reaches, but not elsewhere in the Upper Mississippi River System. This suggests that habitat restoration projects designed to increase the area of backwaters suitable for winter survival of centrarchids are unlikely to produce measurable benefits over intermediate spatial scales in much of the Upper Mississippi River System, and indicates the importance of correct identification of limiting processes. Published in 2004 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Transmutation of Wax: A Lesson in Experimental Design and Controls

The need for controls in experimental science is a difficult concept for many science students to grasp. To illustrate its importance, we developed an activity in which students, acting in the role of alchemists, perform an uncontrolled transmutation experiment. When their experiment yields a surprising result, the students are forced to recognize the critical role that a control plays in experimental design. The activity is constructivist in nature and engaging for students. Additionally, it offers the opportunity to introduce multicultural issues and topics from the history of science.
Classification systems for adolescent and adult scoliosis.

Objective To review current classification systems for adolescent and adult scoliosis. Methods The literature was reviewed in reference to scoliosis classification systems for adolescent and adult scoliosis. Results There are multiple classification systems for scoliosis. Classification of scoliosis is dependent on patient age, spinal abnormality, scoliotic curve, and global spinal alignment. To date, classification systems have focused predominantly on adolescent idiopathic scoliosis or adult/degenerative scoliosis; a single classification system evaluating scoliotic deformities of different ages and spinal abnormalities has not been identified. Conclusion The importance of scoliosis classification schemes lies in their ability to standardize communication among health care providers. With regard to the classification of adolescent scoliosis, the Lenke system has addressed many of the significant limitations of the King system and is now the standard classification scheme. Classification schemes for adult scoliosis have been reported only recently, and each offers specific advantages (the simple pathogenesis-based system of Aebi, the strong clinical relevance of the Schwab system, and the richly descriptive Scoliosis Research Society system). This article highlights the salient features of currently used scoliosis classification systems.
Human brain serotonin synthesis capacity measured in vivo with α‐[C‐11]methyl‐L‐tryptophan

Local cerebral serotonin synthesis capacity was measured with alpha-[C-11]methyl-L-tryptophan ([C-11]AMT) in normal adult human brain (n = 10; five males, five females; age range, 18-38 years, mean 28.3 years) by using positron emission tomography (PET). [C-11]AMT is an analog of tryptophan, the precursor for serotonin synthesis, and is converted to alpha-[C-11]methyl-serotonin ([C-11]AM-5HT), which is trapped in serotonergic neurons because [C-11]AM-5HT is not degraded by monoamine oxidase. Kinetic analysis of [C-11] activity in brain after injection of [C-11]AMT confirmed the presence of a compartment with unidirectional uptake that represented approximately 40% of the activity in the brain at 50 min after tracer administration. The undirectional rate constant K, which represents the uptake of [C-11]AMT from the plasma to brain tissue followed by the synthesis and physiologic trapping of [C-11]AM-5HT, was calculated using the Patlak graphic approach on a pixel-by-pixel basis, thus creating parametric images. The rank order of K values for different brain regions corresponded well to the regional concentrations of serotonin in human brain (P < .0001). High serotonin synthesis capacity values were measured in putamen, caudate, thalamus, and hippocampus. Among cortical regions, the highest values were measured in the rectal gyrus of the inferior frontal lobe, followed by transverse temporal gyrus; anterior and posterior cingulate gyrus; middle, superior, and inferior temporal gyri; parietal cortex; occipital cortex, in descending order. Values in women were 10-20% higher (P < .05, MANOVA) throughout the brain than those measured in men. Differences in the serotonin synthesis capacity between men and women measured in this study may reflect gender differences of importance to both normal and pathologic behavior. This study demonstrates the suitability of [C-11]AMT as a tracer for PET scanning of serotonin synthesis capacity in human brain and provides normal adult values for future comparison with patient groups.
Modeling Cutting: Plastic Deformation of Polymer Samples Indented With a Wedge

An experiment was designed to relate force to plastic deformation caused by a wedge indenting the edge surface of a polymer sample. The experiment reveals the primary phenomena observed in industrial converting processes of cutting and slitting of thin polymer films. The thin film was modeled using a polycarbonate rectangular block, which was indented with a metallic half-round wedge that represents the industrial cutter blades. The wedge radius and sample size were selected to scale to the ratio of slitting blade radius and industrial film thickness. A compression test frame impressed wedges into polymer samples with measurements of both force and displacement recorded. These experiments clearly revealed the shape of the plastic deformation zone ahead of and around the wedges. Data from the experiments showed increasing cutting force with wedge displacement until the sample fractured. Plastic deformation of the samples was examined: the out-of-plane plastic volume was shown to equal the volume displaced by the wedge. Cracks that developed from the side of the wedge tip during indention propagated with near steady-state loads under edge surface indention.
Abbreviated Care-Process Quality Indicator Sets Linked with Survival and Functional Status Benefit in Older Adults Under Ambulatory Care

Objectives: To identify subsets of ambulatory care (outpatient only) quality indicators (QIs) associated with better survival and physical function outcomes. Design: Observational cohort study. Setting: Pooled data from the Assessing Care of Vulnerable Elders (ACOVE)-1 study, which measured quality of care using 140 care-process QIs, and the subsequent ACOVE-2 study, which reduced the QIs to 69 ambulatory care QIs. Participants: Older adults receiving ambulatory care (N = 1,015). Measurements: To prioritize and reduce the QIs into subsets, an expert panel rated each of 69 ambulatory care QIs for the strength of the link between process and benefit, defined as direct trial evidence on older adults or high expectation of benefit if a trial were conducted in older adults. This resulted in three reduced QI sets, reflecting their intended benefit: 17 QIs for survival (ACOVE Quality for Survival (AQS)-17), five QIs to preserve function (AQF-5), and 16 QIs to improve quality-of-life related to physical health and symptoms (AQQ-16). Whether AQS-17 would predict 3-year survival was first tested in 1,015 pooled ACOVE-1 and ACOVE-2 participants. Second, whether AQF-5 (n = 74) and AQQ-16 (n = 359) would predict change in the Physical Component Summary (PCS) score of the Medical Outcomes Study 12-item Short-Form Survey at 1 year was tested in the ACOVE-2 cohort. Control variables were age, function-based vulnerability, and comorbidity. Results: Each 20-percentage-point increment in AQS-17 was associated with survival (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.83, P = .01) up to 500 days but not thereafter. AQF-5, but not AQQ-16, predicted 1-year improvement in PCS score (1.13-points per 20%-point increment in AQF-5, P = .02). Conclusion: Subsets of care processes can be linked with outcomes important to older adults. The AQS-17 and AQF-5 are potential tools for improving ambulatory care of older adults.
Evaluation of A Modified Gradient Feed Culturing System for Growth of Lactobacillus plantarum Sausage Starter Organism

An internally controlled gradient feed culturing technique, where a nutrient gradient was initiated and subsequently controlled by the lactic acid synthesis, was compared to conventional batch culturing for growth of a sausage starter organism, Lactobacillus plantarum. Significantly higher cell densities (p < 0.01) were observed with twice the culturing time for gradient feed culturing compared to batch culturing. Cell yields within batch or gradient feed culturing system were not affected by pH control at 5.8 or 6.0. Significantly higher (p < 0.05) cell yields, however, were obtained for gradient feed cultures (pH 6.0) with NH4OH addition at 50% theoretical lactic acid (TLA) level than were obtained at 10% TLA or without NH4OH addition.
The Principal as Chief Learning Officer: Developing Teacher Leaders:

Today's teachers live in a society and work in a profession where demands are continually changing and expanding. To prepare their stu dents to be successful in this society, teachers must be willi...
Power distribution from insertion device x-ray sources

Insertion device (ID) synchrotron x-ray sources on present day and next-generation synchrotron facilities have very attractive spectral properties. In addition however they are capable of producing x-ray beams with large powers and in some cases unprecedented power densities. An overview of the spatial and frequency distributions of these sources including the effects of synchrotron particle beam emittance is presented. 1.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Popular sovereignty and popular participation: Mixed constitutional democracy in the Third World

In the contemporary era, constitutional legitimacy is based solely on the notion of popular sovereignty. The extraordinary movement for democratisation in Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, the Far East and Africa has been energised by popular participation. But neither by definition, nor by causal relation, does popular participation necessarily produce popular sovereignty. In recent times, popular involvement has frequently been a direct response to tyrannical regimes that persistently refused to submit to popular accountability. In many countries, at least for a brief moment, members of all classes and groups found themselves sufficiently empowered to undermine authoritarian rulers. The astonishing discovery that mass participation could actually help topple governments hitherto impervious to the demands of their own people has made popular involvement in government the starting point for reconstructing political order in many countries. These events have enabled the idea that participation transcending class, ethnic, regional and even religious cleavages could become a basis for constitutional government in the third world today. But these outbursts of mass political energy, though brave and commendable, will not in themselves reform the underlying structural conditions that led to authoritarian rule in the first place. The prospect for reasonably equal empowerment for all social classes in situations of extreme inequality is also highly contingent. To assume these obstacles are insuperable would falsely betray the unprecedented openings that democratisation is providing in scores of Third World countries. To ignore them would leave the new constitutions less responsive to inevitable future challenges. The important issue is to consider whether a blend of constitutional approaches-differing in particulars from one country to another-could receive sufficient political support from government officials and social groups making up a populace already aware of its appreciable impact in changing the political regime. Popular participation-boycotts, strikes, mass assemblies-has been a factor in the abandonment in some countries of one-party rule, the introduction of competitive elections and, to the surprise of observers, even peaceful change in heads of government in, among other states, South Korea, Czechoslovakia, Benin, Zambia and the Cape Verde Islands. In many other states, however, the original 'popular
Founder management and the market for corporate control for IPO firms: The moderating effect of the power structure of the firm

Abstract This study draws on agency and stewardship theory to evaluate the relationship between alternative governance regimes (founder versus non-founder CEO) adopted at the time of going public on post-IPO economic outcomes in the market for corporate control. We find that the presence of founder CEOs reduces the likelihood of post-IPO change of control but enhances target IPO firm wealth by increasing acquisition premiums. Additionally, we examine whether measures of CEO power over the board moderate the relationship between founder management and target IPO firm wealth. Our results suggest that CEO duality is the most effective instrument of CEO power available to founder CEOs to positively influence target firm wealth. Further, we find that while founder CEOs utilize power derived from CEO duality to increase acquisition premiums, non-founder CEOs use board leadership power to expropriate shareholder wealth.
Writers and their maps: The construction of a GAO report on sexual harassment

This article examines a 1994 General Accounting Office (GAO) report on sexual harassment at U.S. service academies to determine how power structures affected the report writers' rhetorical choices. Employing postmodern mapping theories, the article identifies what is valued and devalued in the report's contents. Then it describes Congress's reaction to the report and speculates on the report's impact on public discourse and subsequent social action. It offers postmapping theory as a way of understanding the relationship between discourse and power in policy reports.
Tug-of-War in Nanoparticles: Competitive Growth of Au on Au−Fe3O4 Nanoparticles

Mechanical property of dumbbell-like Au−Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) is investigated from a synthetic point of view by overgrowing Au2 on the Au1−Fe3O4 NPs. The competitive growth of Au2 on the preformed Au1−Fe3O4 NPs induced an interesting “tug-of-war” between Au2 and Fe3O4 in the formed Au2−Au1−Fe3O4 ternary nanostructure. An interpretation of the observed phenomena is proposed based on a mechanical analysis of the stress and strain distribution across the nanoparticle, which is further verified by control experiments with particle size tuned.
Robinson Crusoe's ‘Tent upon the Earth’

The first bourgeois interior in English fiction is located in a cave or ‘Tent upon the Earth’ (Figs 1, 2). Every reader remembers Robinson Crusoe's carefully constructed domestic enclosure, with it...
Oligothiophene semiconductors: synthesis, characterization, and applications for organic devices.

Oligothiophenes provide a highly controlled and adaptable platform to explore various synthetic, morphologic, and electronic relationships in organic semiconductor systems. These short-chain systems serve as models for establishing valuable structure–property relationships to their polymer analogs. In contrast to their polymer counterparts, oligothiophenes afford high-purity and well-defined materials that can be easily modified with a variety of functional groups. Recent work by a number of research groups has revealed functionalized oligothiophenes to be the up-and-coming generation of advanced materials for organic electronic devices. In this review, we discuss the synthesis and characterization of linear oligothiophenes with a focus on applications in organic field effect transistors and organic photovoltaics. We will highlight key structural parameters, such as crystal packing, intermolecular interactions, polymorphism, and energy levels, which in turn define the device performance.
Anti-Tau Antibodies that Block Tau Aggregate Seeding In Vitro Markedly Decrease Pathology and Improve Cognition In Vivo

Tau aggregation occurs in neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease and many other disorders collectively termed tauopathies. trans-cellular propagation of tau pathology, mediated by extracellular tau aggregates, may underlie pathogenesis of these conditions. P301S tau transgenic mice express mutant human tau protein and develop progressive tau pathology. Using a cell-based biosensor assay, we screened anti-tau monoclonal antibodies for their ability to block seeding activity present in P301S brain lysates. We infused three effective antibodies or controls into the lateral ventricle of P301S mice for 3 months. The antibodies markedly reduced hyperphosphorylated, aggregated, and insoluble tau. They also blocked development of tau seeding activity detected in brain lysates using the biosensor assay, reduced microglial activation, and improved cognitive deficits. These data imply a central role for extracellular tau aggregates in the development of pathology. They also suggest that immunotherapy specifically designed to block trans-cellular aggregate propagation will be a productive treatment strategy.
Investigating different approaches to develop informative priors in hierarchical Bayesian safety performance functions.

The Bayesian inference method has been frequently adopted to develop safety performance functions. One advantage of the Bayesian inference is that prior information for the independent variables can be included in the inference procedures. However, there are few studies that discussed how to formulate informative priors for the independent variables and evaluated the effects of incorporating informative priors in developing safety performance functions. This paper addresses this deficiency by introducing four approaches of developing informative priors for the independent variables based on historical data and expert experience. Merits of these informative priors have been tested along with two types of Bayesian hierarchical models (Poisson-gamma and Poisson-lognormal models). Deviance information criterion (DIC), R-square values, and coefficients of variance for the estimations were utilized as evaluation measures to select the best model(s). Comparison across the models indicated that the Poisson-gamma model is superior with a better model fit and it is much more robust with the informative priors. Moreover, the two-stage Bayesian updating informative priors provided the best goodness-of-fit and coefficient estimation accuracies. Furthermore, informative priors for the inverse dispersion parameter have also been introduced and tested. Different types of informative priors’ effects on the model estimations and goodness-of-fit have been compared and concluded. Finally, based on the results, recommendations for future research topics and study applications have been made.
Arsenic mobilization and attenuation by mineral–water interactions: implications for managed aquifer recharge

Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) has potential for addressing deficits in water supplies worldwide. It is also widely used for preventing saltwater intrusion, maintaining the groundwater table, and augmenting ecological stream flows, among many other beneficial environmental applications. However, field MAR sites have experienced arsenic mobilization from aquifer formation minerals due to induced changes in groundwater chemistry. To address this environmental concern, it is crucial to understand the potential sources and sinks impacting arsenic mobilization. This paper outlines important mineral–water interactions that can occur at MAR sites. Detailed information on minerals of concern, physiochemical processes for arsenic mobilization or attenuation, and the potential impact of microbial activity and hydrology on these processes is provided. Based on these mineral–water interactions, guidelines for predicting arsenic mobility are presented, and recommendations are made concerning MAR site monitoring. The review emphasizes important aspects in correlating interfacial reactions to reactive transport modeling and elucidating future challenges, a first step toward developing safer and more sustainable MAR operations.
Microwave Spectrum and Molecular Structure of trans‐Acrolein

The rs structure of trans‐acrolein has been determined from the microwave spectra of eleven isotopic species: CH2=CH–CHO, 13CH2=CH–CHO, CH2=13CH–CHO, CH2=CH–13CHO, CH2=CH–CH18O, CHD=CH–CHO, CDH=CH–CHO, CH2=CD=CHO, CH2=CH–CDO, CHD=CD‐CHO, and CDH‐CD‐CHO. In the structural parameters listed below the subscripts t and c on the H atoms of the CH2 group designate the trans and cis positions, respectively, with respect to the aldehyde group. rs(CHt) = 1.086±0.005, rs(CHc) = 1.086±0.005, rs(CH) = 1.084±0.003, rs(CHald) = 1.108±0.003, rs(C=C) = 1.345±0.003, rs(C–C) = 1.470±0.003, rs(C=O) = 1.219±0.005 A, ≰CCHt = 121°27′±10′, ≰CCHc = 119°58′±10′, ≰C=CH = 122°50′±10′, ≰CCC = 119°50′±10′, ≰CCHald = 115°6′±10′, ≰CCO = 123°16′±20′. For the normal species, transitions were observed in torsional vibrational levels up to v = 9, but no spectrum was observed for the cis (or gauche) conformer.