cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mechanism for Self-Diffusion in Metallic Copper

The problem of the mechanism of diffusion in metallic copper is discussed from the standpoint of the modern theory of metals. Three competing processes are considered in detail, namely the mechanism of direct interchange of atoms, the mechanism of interstitial diffusion, and the mechanism of vacancy diffusion. The energies of the equilibrium and saddle-point configurations for the processes are determined first in an approximation in which the electronic charge distribution is assumed to be uniform throughout the lattice, and second in a further approximation in which polarization is taken into account by a simple variational method based on the one-electron scheme. The results indicate that the vacancy mechanism is strongly preferred and yield a value of the activation energy for diffusion in reasonable agreement with the observed one. The vacancy process is considered in greater accuracy in a paper by Huntington following this.
Efficient Production of Biodiesel Using Radio Frequency Heating

Fast transesterification of canola oil and methanol for biodiesel production was achieved using radio frequency (RF) heating. The conversion rate of oil to biodiesel reached 97.3% with RF heating for 3 min, a NaOH concentration (based on oil) of 1.0%, and a methanol/oil molar ratio of 9:1. A central composite design (CCD) and response surface methodology (RSM) were employed to evaluate the impact of RF heating time, NaOH concentration, and molar ratio of methanol to oil on conversion efficiency. Experimental results showed that the three factors all significantly affected the conversion rate. NaOH concentration had the largest influence, with the effect being more pronounced at lower (0.2−0.6%, based on weight of oil) concentration. No evident interaction among the three factors was observed. RF heating efficiency was primarily related to the amount of NaOH and methanol. The scale of the experiment was increased by five times (from 20 to 100 g oil per batch) without decrease of the conversion rate, indica...
Neural substrates of faulty decision-making in abstinent marijuana users.

Abstract Persistent dose-related cognitive decrements have been reported in 28-day abstinent heavy marijuana (MJ) users. However, the neural substrates of these decrements in cognitive performance are not known. This study aimed to determine if 25-day abstinent MJ users show persistent dose-related alterations in performance and brain activity using PET H 2 15 O during the Iowa Gambling Task-IGT (a decision-making task). Eleven heavy MJ users and 11 non-drug users participated. The MJ group resided in an inpatient research unit at the NIH/NIDA-IRP for 25 days prior to testing to ensure abstinence. A dose-related association was found between increased MJ use and lower IGT performance and alterations in brain activity. The MJ group showed greater activation in the left cerebellum and less activation in the right lateral orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) than the Control group. When the MJ group was divided into Moderate (8–35 joints/week) and Heavy users (53–84 joints/week), the Heavy MJ group showed less activation in the left medial OFC and greater activation in the left cerebellum than the Moderate group. However, brain activity and task performance were similar between the Moderate MJ users and the Control group, suggesting a “threshold effect”. These preliminary findings indicate that very heavy users of MJ have persistent decision-making deficits and alterations in brain activity. Specifically, the Heavy MJ users may focus on only the immediate reinforcing aspects of a situation (i.e., getting high) while ignoring the negative consequences. Thus, faulty decision-making could make an individual more prone to addictive behavior and more resistant to treatment. Finally, it is unclear if these neurologic findings will become progressively worse with continued heavy MJ use or if they will resolve with abstinence from MJ use.
Transform sensing of phased array radar

Transform sensing is proposed for the phased array radar to form certain beam patterns for sensing the space more efficiently. Using the transform sensing, the received signals will be the result of transformation of individual echo signals instead of the original raw data. Therefore signal processing can perform in an online fashion to render attractive advantages. First, the volume of the raw data can be compressed before downloading since the transform will generate many null coefficients. Secondly, adaptive sensing will be possible since multi-resolution analysis enables selective sampling for better efficiency while obtaining higher resolution. The proposed new scheme is supported by an innovative phase and amplitude modulation mechanism, and is verified by theory and simulation.
Preterm infant weight gain is increased by massage therapy and exercise via different underlying mechanisms.

Abstract Objective To compare the effects of massage therapy (moderate pressure stroking) and exercise (flexion and extension of limbs) on preterm infants' weight gain and to explore potential underlying mechanisms for those effects. Methods Weight gain and parasympathetic nervous system activity were assessed in 30 preterm infants randomly assigned to a massage therapy group or to an exercise group. Infants received 10 min of moderate pressure massage or passive flexion and extension of the limbs 3 times per day for 5 days, and EKGs were collected during the first session to assess vagal activity. Results Both massage and exercise led to increased weight gain. However, while exercise was associated with increased calorie consumption, massage was related to increased vagal activity. Conclusion Taken together, these findings suggest that massage and exercise lead to increased preterm infant weight gain via different underlying mechanisms.
Immunohistochemical application of a highly sensitive and specific murine monoclonal antibody recognising the extracellular domain of the human hepatocyte growth factor receptor (MET).

Aims Development of novel targeted therapies directed against hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) or its receptor (MET) necessitates the availability of quality diagnostics to facilitate their safe and effective use. Limitations of some commercially available anti-MET antibodies have prompted development of the highly sensitive and specific clone A2H2-3. Here we report its analytical properties when applied by an automated immunohistochemistry method. Methods and results Excellent antibody specificity was demonstrated by immunoblot, ELISA, and IHC evaluation of characterised cell lines including NIH3T3 overexpressing the related kinase MST1R (RON). Sensitivity was confirmed by measurements of MET in cell lines or characterised tissues. IHC correlated well with FISH and quantitative RT-PCR assessments of MET (P 0.9). Prevalence of MET positivity by IHC was higher in non-squamous cell NSCLC, MET or EGFR amplified cases, and in tumours harbouring abnormalities in EGFR exon 19 or 21. Conclusions The anti-MET antibody clone A2H2-3 displays excellent specificity and sensitivity. These properties make it suitable for clinical trial investigations and development as a potential companion diagnostic.
Mechanism of interferon action Sequence of the human interferon-inducible RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR) deduced from genomic clones

The pkr gene encoding the interferon-inducible, RNA-dependent protein kinase was isolated as lambda phage and P1 phage clones from human genomic DNA and characterized by restriction mapping, Southern blot analysis, and nucleotide sequencing. The genomic nucleotide sequence, when compared to that of previously determined cDNA sequences, revealed 17 exons encoding the 551-amino-acid PKR protein. We report herein the sequence of the human PKR protein kinase deduced from genomic clones.
Asymmetry in structural adaptation: The differential impact of centralizing versus decentralizing team decision-making structures

This study tested predictions derived from Structural Adaptation Theory (SAT) on the longitudinal effects of centralizing and decentralizing decision-making structures in teams. Results from 93 four-person teams working on a command and control simulation generally supported SAT, documenting that it was more difficult for teams to adapt to a centralized decision-making structure after formerly working within a decentralized structure, than it was to adapt in the alternative direction. The negative effects of centralized shifts were mediated by efficiency and adaptability, in the sense that former decentralized teams experienced the negative aspects of centralization (lack of adaptability), but not the positive aspects (efficiency). The dangers of employing structural reconfiguration to solve certain problems in teams are discussed, especially if these changes are based upon expectations generalized from cross-sectional research that did not directly observe teams that experienced true structural change.
Centering Race in a Framework for Leadership Preparation.

This article argues that a framework of educational leadership must be so designed as to specifically speak to the transitioning demographics in schools in the United States. Particularly salient is a framework that addresses the issue of race within a broader context of social justice. The article outlines five ingredients of such a framework, including self-reflection, a grounding in a critical theoretical construction, a prophetic and pragmatic edge, praxis, and the inclusion of race language. Furthermore, the article outlines pragmatic ways in which educational leadership preparation programs can address the failures of the dominant system to embrace and struggle with the American issue of race in education. The impact of racism and the efficacy of the blending of self-reflection, introspection, as well as intellectual work are discussed as viable vehicles to deal with the matters of race in preparing prospective school leaders. The article concludes with the presentation of a proposed curriculum modu...
Soil enzyme activities and organic matter composition in a turfgrass chronosequence

Highly managed turfgrass systems accumulate considerable soil organic C, which supports a diverse and robust soil microbial community. Degradation of this soil organic C is mediated by a suite of soil enzymes. The relationship between these enzyme activities and the quality of soil organic C is central to understanding the dynamics of soil organic matter. We examined the activities of several soil enzymes involved in microbial C acquisition, including β-glucosidase, N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase, cellulase, chitinase, and phenol oxidase, and characterized the chemical composition of soil organic matter using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) in a turfgrass chronosequence (1–95 years old) and adjacent native pines. Non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis showed that the chemical composition of soil organic matter varied with turf age and land use (turf versus pines). Using the polysaccharide peak (1,060 cm−1) as a reference, both aliphatic (2,930 cm−1) and carboxylic (1,650 and 1,380 cm−1) compounds increased with turf age, indicating that soil organic matter became more recalcitrant. Soil enzyme activities per unit soil mass increased with turf age and were correlated to soil C content. Most soil enzyme activities in native pines were similar to those in young turf, but the cellulase activity was similar to or greater than the activity in old turfgrass systems. On a soil C basis, however, the activities of N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase and cellulase decreased with turf age; this reduction was correlated to the relative changes in the chemical composition of soil organic matter. We observed that the chemical composition of soil organic matter was significantly correlated with the enzyme activity profile when expressed per unit microbial biomass C, but not per unit soil organic C. Our results suggest that chemical composition of soil organic matter changes with turf age and this change partially determines the relative abundance of C-degrading soil enzymes, likely through the influence on microbial community composition.
Growth and metabolic parameters in pups of undernourished lactating rats.

Abstract Effects of reduced nutrition during postnatal development were studied by measuring body weight, plasma corticosterone, corticosterone-binding globulin (CBP), and metabolic parameters (plasma glucose and body composition) in preweanling Long Evans rat pups. Control litters consisted of dams that were fed chow ad lib while restricted dams were provided 1 3 the amount of chow given controls (25–30 g/day). At I 1 days, body weight of the restricted pups dropped below that of controls. Percent body lipid, plasma corticosterone and glucose of restricted pups were lower than controls. Binding capacity of CBP in controls increased without a change in binding affinity (Kd). By contrast, binding capacity of CBP of restricted pups never matched that of controls but the Kd increased. Nutritional deprivation during lactation affected production of CBP that effectively reduced the biological activity of corticosterone in circulation. Deprived of an effective cellular response to an impoverished supply of food, pups were left with little capacity to manage endogenous fuels during the growth spurt that normally occurs during the suckling period.
Broadband low-drive voltage polymer electro-optic modulator

An all-polymer high-frequency Mach-Zehnder modulator that can be fabricated using standard UV lithography is proposed. The optical waveguide structure consists of three polymer layers, two low-index, outer cladding layers and an organic-electro-optic material in a polymer host as the core. Lateral confinement is provided by a trench that is defined in the lower cladding layer, resulting in an inverted electro-optic polymer ridge waveguide. The inverted nature of this trench structure allows for a fabrication process in which the cladding layer is patterned, and the highly sensitive electrooptic material is simply spun on and cured. Microstrip transmission line electrodes patterned on the outer cladding, over the optical waveguides provide the modulation field. Similar devices using CLD1 or AJL8, as the electro-optic material have been numerically analyzed at up to 260GHz, and characterized at frequencies up to 40 GHz, but to date no electrooptic polymer device has been characterized at such high frequencies. A recently developed material, IKD-1-50, with electro-optic coefficients up to five times larger than CLD1 and AJL8 will be utilized as the core layer for the optical waveguide. The greater nonlinearity of these materials will yield a device with a lower Vπ. Additionally, high frequency characterization up to 300GHz will demonstrate the high bandwidth application possibilities of these new materials.
Affect and Personality as Predictors of Conflict and Closeness in Young Adults' Friendships

Abstract We examined the relations of affect and personality to qualitative aspects of young adults' friendships. Members of 131 friendship dyads evaluated the quality of their relationships and kept diaries of the conflicts they experienced during a 4-week period. Positive and negative affect (PA and NA) emerged as independent predictors of the extent to which people felt close to their friends, of how much irritation they felt toward one another, and of the amount of conflict reported during the recording period. Extraversion, neuroticism, agreeableness, and openness also predicted measures of friendship quality. The data suggest that variations in affectivity are robust predictors of qualitative aspects of people's social relationships.
Life history variation within populations of an asexual plant, Erigeron annuus (Asteraceae)

Genetic variation was measured for several morphological and life history characters in Erigeron annuus, a triploid and obligately apomictic species. There was significant genetic variation for nearly all characters measured, including plant size, growth rate, time of flowering, biomass allocation to roots and shoots, seed weight, and germination response to temperature. Variance among genotypes accounted for up to 55% of the total phenotypic variance, well within the range of heritabilities observed for sexual species. These estimates of broad-sense heritability predict substantial short-term response to selection on life history characters in this asexual species. In obligately asexual species it is often assumed that lack of genetic variation is the primary limiting factor for evolution. Apomicts have been classically regarded as unable to adapt to a changing environment (Williams, 1975) and hence considered evolutionary "blind alleys" (Darlington, 1939). Selection quickly erodes genetic variation in asexual populations as superior genotypes are rapidly fixed (Crow and Kimura, 1965). Because the genome is effectively a single linkage group, genetic variation at unselected loci will also decline at the same rate. However, this same efficiency of selection may allow rapid and precise matching of genotypes to particular microsites, provided that sufficient standing genetic variation exists within the population. It has recently become clear that most populations of apomictic (= agamospermous) plants are polymorphic with respect to variation at enzyme loci (reviewed by Ellstrand and Roose, 1987). In Erigeron annuus, Hancock and Wilson (1976) found a total of 17 genotypes in three populations using three electrophoretic loci. Taraxacum species (which are also triploid and apomictic) have been well studied and have similarly high numbers of coexisting genotypes within populations (Lyman and Ellstrand, 1984; Ford and Richards,
More on the appeal of minimum wage laws

A recent exchange between Professors Frank G. Steindl (1973, 1974) and E. G. West (1974) centered on the stubborn political appeal of minimum wage laws. Steindl emphasized that economists are naive in thinking that ignorance of the unemployment effects of minimum wage laws on the part of the general public is the reason we have such policies: "What is important is that those who benefit from the law be numerous relative to those hurt so that the former can "lobby" more effectively for minimum wage law..." (1973, p. 134). West argued that economic education of the public might well have a beneficient influence since the crucial median voter is not a member of the low-income groups most directly affected. There is much to be learned from a study of these contributions, but the crucial role and significance of voter ignorance was, I think, insufficiently emphasized. In this brief note I will explain why it is very difficult to account for the existence of this policy without assuming ignorance on the part of voters, and argue further that the implications of prevalent voter ignorance are far more significant than either Steindl or West have indicated. There are at least two reasons why a political model based on the assumption that voters fully understand the economic consequences of minimum wage law does not explain its appeal. First, it is almost certain that the people who are harmed by the law greatly outnumber those who are benefited, contrary to the position taken by Steindl. Steindl errs in stating that the only people harmed by minimum wage laws are employers and those who become unemployed. (Even if we accepted this, once we recognize that businesses are owned by millions of stockholders it becomes unlikely that employers will be outnumbered by those who benefit.) Economic analysis suggests that the costs are borne much more widely in the form of higher prices of goods produced with a high concentration of unskilled labor and in the lower prices received by competing factors of production. Furthermore, it is important to recall that minimum wage laws
Feasibility of flap reconstruction in conjunction with intraoperative radiation therapy for advanced and recurrent head and neck cancer.

Background: Radiation is a known risk factor for poor wound healing. Patients undergoing intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) typically receive higher cumulative doses to their wound beds than patients treated with conventional radiation therapy. We review our experience with IORT in patients undergoing resection of head and neck cancer and flap reconstruction. Logistics of delivery and outcomes are discussed. Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed on all patients at Beth Israel Medical Center who underwent IORT for head and neck cancer between 2000 and 2007. Twenty-one patients receiving 22 treatments involving flap reconstruction were identified. The results of these reconstructions were evaluated for complications and functional outcome. Results: All patients had complex surgical wounds of the face, upper aerodigestive tract, or neck who received IORT in conjunction with pedicled or free flap closure. Twenty-five flaps in 21 patients were performed in the setting of IORT. All patients received between 10 and 15 Gy of IORT administered directly to the wound bed. There were no perioperative mortalities. Wound breakdown occurred in three cases, all of which were treated successfully by operative revision. Functionally, most patients did well and performed similarly to historic controls for their type of reconstruction. Conclusions: Reconstruction using flaps in the context of IORT can be achieved with expectation of good wound healing in the majority of cases despite heavy cumulative doses of radiation to recipient wound beds.
A Multilinear (Tensor) Framework for HRTF Analysis and Synthesis

This paper introduces a multilinear (tensor) framework for the analysis and synthesis of the head-related transfer function (HRTF). The HRTF is the result of the confluence of two factors, sound location and person (anatomy). Our multilinear modeling technique employs a tensor extension of the conventional matrix singular value decomposition (SVD), known as the TV-mode SVD which explicitly represents the HRTF in terms of its constituent factors. Anatomical data is mapped to our multilinear HRTF model using regression. This mapping defines a data-driven model capable of producing different personalized HRTFs from easily obtained anatomical measurements. We show that our approach yields objectively superior results to those of a mapping based on principle components analysis (PCA).
Ca2+-dependent Phosphorylation of Syntaxin-1A by the Death-associated Protein (DAP) Kinase Regulates Its Interaction with Munc18

Syntaxin-1 is a key component of the synaptic vesicle docking/fusion machinery that binds with VAMP/synaptobrevin and SNAP-25 to form the SNARE complex. Modulation of syntaxin binding properties by protein kinases could be critical to control of neurotransmitter release. Using yeast two-hybrid selection with syntaxin-1A as bait, we have isolated a cDNA encoding the C-terminal domain of death-associated protein (DAP) kinase, a calcium/calmodulin-dependent serine/threonine protein kinase. Expression of DAP kinase in adult rat brain is restricted to particular neuronal subpopulations, including the hippocampus and cerebral cortex. Biochemical studies demonstrate that DAP kinase binds to and phosphorylates syntaxin-1 at serine 188. This phosphorylation event occurs both in vitro and in vivo in a Ca2+-dependent manner. Syntaxin-1A phosphorylation by DAP kinase or its S188D mutant, which mimics a state of complete phosphorylation, significantly decreases syntaxin binding to Munc18-1, a syntaxin-binding protein that regulates SNARE complex formation and is required for synaptic vesicle docking. Our results suggest that syntaxin is a DAP kinase substrate and provide a novel signal transduction pathway by which syntaxin function could be regulated in response to intracellular [Ca2+] and synaptic activity.
Stability of financing deviations from expected deficits by money creation as opposed to bond creation

Abstract Inflationary finance and bond finance of budget deficits can be viewed as alternative endogenous policy rules that can affect macroeconomic aggregates under rational expectations. For greater stability, Friedman (1948) proposes that deviations in the deficit should be accommodated by changing only the money stock and not the bond stock. In a simple model, we find Friedman's proposal is valid under rational expectations.
A Model of Cross-Bridge Attachment to Actin in the A·M·ATP State Based on X-Ray Diffraction from Permeabilized Rabbit Psoas Muscle

Abstract A model of cross-bridges binding to actin in the weak binding A·M·ATP state is presented. The modeling was based on the x-ray diffraction patterns from the relaxed skinned rabbit psoas muscle fibers where ATP hydrolysis was inhibited by N-phenylmaleimide treatment (S. Xu, J. Gu, G. Melvin, L. C. Yu. 2002. Biophys. J. 82:2111–2122). Calculations included both the myosin filaments and the actin filaments of the muscle cells, and the binding to actin was assumed to be single headed. To achieve a good fit, considerable flexibility in the orientation of the myosin head and the position of the S1-S2 junction is necessary, such that the myosin head can bind to a nearby actin whereas the tail end was kept in the proximity of the helical track of the myosin filament. Hence, the best-fit model shows that the head binds to actin in a wide range of orientations, and the tail end deviates substantially from its lattice position in the radial direction (∼60A). Surprisingly, the best fit model reveals that the detached head, whose location thus far has remained undetected, seems to be located close to the surface of the myosin filament. Another significant requirement of the best-fit model is that the binding site on actin is near the N terminus of the actin subunit, a position distinct from the putative rigor-binding site. The results support the idea that the essential role played by the weak binding states M·ATP ↔ A·M·ATP for force generation lies in its flexibility, because the probability of attachment is greatly increased, compared with the weak binding M·ADP·P i ↔ A·M·ADP·P i states.
Thermodynamics of aqueous and water-organic solutions of electrolytes from very dilute to saturated concentrations

The solutions of electrolytes in water such as NaCl in H2O are treated as a binary system of NaClH2O. Only at very low concentrations does dissociation into Na+ and Cl− becomes significant. This is similar to copper, where only a small fraction of the electrons participate in electronic conduction. The Hoch-Arpshofen model is applied to calculate the activity coefficient Tin Y of NaCl and other electrolyes in water. At high concentrations the interaction parameter is W 2, (NaCl), W is the interaction energy, 2 is the size of the complex, and (NaCl) is the molecule with the mole fraction x in our model. A solution with a complex size of 2 is a regular solution. At very low concentrations, x, NaCl (mole fraction) < 0.01, another term W m, (H2O) is required, with m = 200 or higher. In this case we have a complex made up of 199 molecules of water and one molecule of NaCl, indicating dissociation of NaCl into Na+ and Cl−. The application of this approach is supported by the fact that the activity coefficient of HCl in organic-water solutions deviates at lower and lower concentrations from the regular solution approach, as the organic concentration increases. This approach also calculates the activity coefficient of water. Because the salts are not completely miscible with water, a constant is added, to set the activity to one, when the solubility limit is reached. In treating ternary and larger solutions, such as CaCl2KClNaClH2O the interaction between CaCl2 and NaCl etc is calculated from the binary CaCl2NaCl phase diagram.
DESIGNING A FUSION-DRIVEN SENSOR NETWORK TO SELECTIVELY TRACK MOBILE TARGETS

Sensor networks that can support time-critical operations pose challenging problems for tracking events of interest. We propose an architecture for a sensor network that autonomously adapts in real-time to data fusion requirements so as not to miss events of interest and provides accurate real-time mobile target tracking. In the proposed architecture, the sensed data is processed in an abstract space called Information Space and the communication between nodes is modeled as an abstract space called Network Design Space. The two abstract spaces are connected through an interaction interface called InfoNet, that seamlessly translates the messages between the two. The proposed architecture is validated experimentally on a laboratory testbed for multiple scenarios.
Clinical Pharmacokinetics of the Antituberculosis Drugs

The quantitative aspects of the disposition in man of 12 antituberculosis drugs [isoniazid, rifampicin, (rifampin), ethambutol, para-aminosalicylic acid, pyrazinamide, streptomycin, kanamycin, ethionamide, cycloserine, capreomycin, viomycin and thiacetazone] are reviewed. Isoniazid appears to be the only agent for which plasma concentrations and clearance are related to hereditary differences in acetylator status and for which there is an appreciable ‘first-pass’ effect. Recent data cast doubt on the suggestion that isoniazid may be more hepatotoxic for rapid as opposed to slow acetylators. Continuous administration of rifampicin leads to induction of enzymes in the liver with a concomitant decrease in maximum plasma concentrations, the time required to achieve this level, elimination half-life, and area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC). Coadministration of para-aminosalicylic acid leads to increases in the serum concentrations and elimination half-life of isoniazid.
Myocardial infarction and ischemia

On behalf of my colleagues in the Scientific Program Committee, it is my honor and pleasure to present a few of the highlights among the scientific presentations at the annual Scientific Sessions of the American College of Cardiology, held in March to April 2003, in the category of Myocardial
A comparison of 90Sr and 137Cs uptake in plants via three pathways at two Chernobyl-contaminated sites.

Abstract Foliar absorption of resuspended 90 Sr, root uptake and contamination adhering to leaf surfaces (i.e. soil loading) were compared at two Chernobyl-contaminated sites, Chistogalovka and Polesskoye. Although foliar absorption of resuspended 90 Sr was quantifiable, its contribution amounted to less than 10% of the plants’ total, above-ground contamination. Root uptake was 200 times greater than foliar absorption at the near-field site of Chistogalovka and eight times greater at Polesskoye, where the fallout consisted of the more soluble condensation-type, rather than fuel particles. Strontium's bioavailability exceeded that of 137 Cs (analyzed in the same plants) by orders of magnitude when compared using concentration ratios. Simplistic, cumulative effective dose calculations for humans ingesting 90 Sr- and 137 Cs-contaminated plants revealed that the dose at Chistogalovka was greater from 90 Sr (185 mSv vs. 3 mSv from 137 Cs), while at Polesskoye the dose from 137 Cs (66 mSv) was 30 times greater than from 90 Sr (2 mSv).
An easily made, low-cost, tissue-like ultrasound phantom material

Ultrasound phantoms are generally of two types. One mimics the acoustic properties of tissue (with regard to the speed of sound, average attenuation, etc.). The main purpose of the other is to approximate the sonographic appearance of tissue. The latter is often used as a biopsy training aid. Those which mimic the acoustic properties of tissue have been constructed of agar with suspended graphite,’ polyurethane foam,2 and magnesium silicate gels,3 and are used chiefly as test phantoms for assessing diagnostic ultrasound imaging equipment or for studying the interaction of sound with tissue. They are generally not used for biopsy phantoms as they are either expensive or time-consuming to produce. Biopsy phantoms are simpler in construction, contain simulated cysts or masses, and are either echogenic or sonolucent. Echogenic media have consisted of a flour4 or cornstarch5 in gelatin suspension, a silicium carbide powder in agar suspension,6 or agar.7 When properly made, their echogenicity simulates parenchymal tissue (except agar, which is only weakly echogenic and does not simulate parenchymal echo texture well); however, they can be laborious to produce, requiring stirring or rotation during cooling to insure that the scatterers or biopsy targets remain suspended and may require materials that are not widely available (agar, silicium carbide). Sonolucent media, on the other hand, consist of gelatin’ without suspended scatterers and are very easy and inexpensive to prepare. Unfortunately, they are also transparent (unless deeply colored), which allows the biopsy needle and biopsy target to be seen from the exterior. This does not mimic the in vivo situation, and makes the procedure artificially easy to perform. Additionally, the biopsy needle is artifi
A membrane-moderated, conductimetric sensor for the detection and measurement of specific organic solutes in aqueous solutions

Abstract A novel conductimetric sensor, capable of detecting and continuously monitoring the concentration of a specific nonionic microsolute (glucose) in a multicomponent aqueous solution (e.g., whole blood or plasma) is described, and preliminary experimental evidence supporting the validity of the sensor concept is presented. Detection is based upon the use of a glucose-selective complexing agent (a boronic acid immobilized in a hydrogel) which liberates a mobile microion (hydrogen ion) when it binds a glucose molecule. The change in ionic conductivity of the hydrogel resulting from the increase in ion concentration is thus directly related to the ambient glucose concentration. Confinement of the liberated ions within the hydrogel, and prevention of entry of extraneous electrolytes present in the test solution, is necessary to make the conductimetric measurement meaningful. This is achieved by encapsulating the hydrogel within a bipolar ion exchange membrane impermeable to ions but freely permeable to glucose (and other nonionic microsolutes). A physicochemical model of the complexation equilibrium, kinetics of solute transport through the membrane and hydrogel phase, and their impact upon the ionic conductivity of the hydrogel is presented, which supports the utility of this sensor concept as a potentially reliable and sensitive glucose monitor. Its generic utility for monitoring nonionic microsolutes in multicomponent aqueous solutions is suggested.
Crystallization of a-Si:H with cw and pulsed lasers

Results of crystallization of a-Si:H with a cw argon-ion laser (ħθ = 2.41 eV) and a pulsed Nd:YAG laser (ħθ = 1.17 eV, 100-ps pulses, 103 to 104 pulses) are presented. The properties of the films suggest that the mechanisms are different and in particular that pulsed crystallization is a nonthermal process.
A narrative review of public health policies for childhood obesity prevention in the United States

Background: Childhood obesity rates in the United States have skyrocketed thus making it a major public health concern. The impact of childhood obesity is also reflected on the economic status of the country and is leading to increased health care spending. Public health policies, laws and other intervention policies can have a substantial impact on preventing and reducing childhood obesity rates. Public health policies play a crucial role in changing the physical and social environment to promote healthy behavior. The purpose of this article was to conduct a narrative review of childhood obesity as a public health issue of prime importance and address some of the public health policies implemented at the federal and the state level which can assist in the development and implementation of future policies related to childhood obesity prevention. Methods: In order to collect materials for this review a detailed open search of various databases was carried out and relevant articles were narratively summarized. Results: Lobbying and advocacy efforts to prevent and reduce childhood obesity can encourage policymakers and public healthcare practitioners to devise effective public health policy interventions to address this very important public health issue. Conclusions: A multidimensional approach to childhood obesity has increased the importance of comprehensive and coordinated public health policies targeted to address this issue. Future policy recommendations are also mentioned in conclusion of this review.
Rapid oscillations in plasma insulin, glucagon, and glucose in obese and normal weight humans

We have previously identified in fasting monkeys large amplitude, rapid oscillations in plasma levels of insulin, glucagon, and glucose. To determine whether such spontaneous oscillations also occur in man, we studied 9 healthy normal weight subjects and 11 obese volunteers (145-316% ideal body weight). During the morning hours after a 16-h fast, peripheral venous blood was withdrawn at precise 1- or 2-min intervals over 40-120 min. Spectral analysis of the assay results showed significant oscillations in plasma levels of insulin and glucose, with periods ranging from 8-16 min (P less than 0.05). In this range, the means of the oscillatory periods in normal weight subjects were 12.1 +/- 1.0 min for insulin and 11.2 +/- 0.8 min for glucose. The oscillatory periods on obese subjects were not different from those in normal weight subjects (12.4 +/- 0.7 min for insulin and 12.1 +/- 0.9 min for glucose). Periodicity in plasma levels of glucagon was observed in the range of 12-23 min. Based on cross-correlation analysis, the periodic fluctuations in insulin, glucose, and glucagon showed no consistent relationships; the patterns observed did not support the presence of feedback loops among these parameters as the mechanism of these spontaneous fluctuations. Our data indicate that basal plasma levels of insulin, glucagon, and glucose fluctuate rapidly in man. The physiological function of these oscillations is yet to be identified; they may play a role in the regulation of responsiveness of the respective target tissues or of their own release into the circulation.
Presence, Completeness, and Accuracy of Main Concepts in the Connected Speech of Non-Brain-Damaged Adults and Adults With Aphasia

A standard rule-based system was used to evaluate the presence, accuracy, and completeness of main concepts in the connected speech of 20 non-brain-damaged adults and 20 adults with aphasia. Main c...
Solubilization of fatty soils by a radiotracer technique

A technique for measurement of solubilized radiotagged triolein and tristearin fatty soils is described. By using surfactant solutions under standardized conditions of temperature and agitation, the solubilized soils are removed from emulsified materials by filtration through 0.1 and 0.01 micron-pore size of filters. The radiotagged fat is recovered by solvent extraction from the clear filtrate by salting-out under centrifugal force and is measured by conventional counting technique. The nonionic alkanol- and alkylphenol-ethylene oxide (EO) adducts solubilized up to 0.058% triolein (weight percentage at 75°C.) while anionic surfactant and sodium tripolyphosphate solubilization was negligible. These findings suggest for these nonionics that solubilization is one of the main, if not the controlling factor in the mechanism of soil removal. Nonionic solubilization was at a maximum for 10 molar EO adducts and at near cloud-point temperatures. For the same surfactant more triolein than tristearin was solubilized, possibly on account of spatial considerations. For tridecanol-10 EO at 0.25% the heat of solubilization of triolein, ΔHs, was 15 kcal/mole while the heat of micellization of the adduct was 1.3 kcal/mole of adduct. Differences in the colloidal ion lengths of the micelles and their aggregation numbers may explain the differences in solubilization between the anionic and nonionic surfactants tested.
Incompleteness, Mechanism, and Optimism

?1. Overview. Philosophers and mathematicians have drawn lots of conclusions from G6del's incompleteness theorems, and related results from mathematical logic. Languages, minds, and machines figure prominently in the discussion. Godel's theorems surely tell us something about these important matters. But what? A descriptive title for this paper would be "G6del, Lucas, Penrose, Turing, Feferman, Dummett, mechanism, optimism, reflection, and indefinite extensibility". Adding "God and the Devil" would probably be redundant. Despite the breath-taking, whirlwind tour, I have the modest aim of forging connections between different parts of this literature and clearing up some confusions, together with the less modest aim of not introducing any more confusions.
Partial differential equations for hypergeometric functions of two argument matrices

Abstract In multivariate analysis many of the noncentral latent root distributions can be expressed in terms of hypergeometric functions vFq of two-argument matrices. This paper is concerned with showing that the function 2F1(a, b; c; R, S) satisfies the partial differential equation ∑ i=1 m R i ∂ 2 F ∂R i 2 + ∑ i=1 m ∑ j=1 j≠1 m R i R i −R j ∂F ∂R i +[c− 1 2 (m−1)] ∑ i=1 m ∂F ∂R i −(a+b+2−m) ∑ i=1 m s i 2 ∂F ∂s i − ∑ i=1 m s i 3 ∂F ∂s i 2 − ∑ i=1 m ∑ j=1 j≠1 m s i 3 s i −s j ∂F ∂s i = ab Tr (S)F where R1, R2,…, Rm and s1, s2,…, sm are the latent roots of the m × m symmetric matrices R and S, respectively. Differential equations for the 1F1, 0F1, 1F0 and 0F0 hypergeometric functions are also obtained. Useful applications of these differential equations will be considered in a later paper.
Relative FFA formation and lipid oxidation of commercially milled unseparated, head, and broken rice

This study was conducted to determine the relative rate of FFA formation and lipid oxidation of unseparated (head and broken), head, and broken rice and the effect of water washing on the lipid quality of broken rice. A regression model was developed with surface FFA or conjugated diene (CD) content vs. incubation time to determine the rates of FFA formation and lipid oxidation. The surface lipid contents of unseparated, head, and broken rice were 0.40, 0.38, and 0.50% of rice, respectively. FFA formation during storage showed three phases: an initial rapid formation, followed by a period of very little or no formation, and finally a phase of gradual formation. In contrast, CD formation initially showed a slow increase but later increased gradually with storage time. The relative rates of FFA and CD formation of unseparated, head, and broken rice were 0.0028, 0.0027, and 0.0036 and 0.192, 0.188, and 0.377, respectively. Water washing reduced the rates of FFA formation and lipid oxidation of broken rice to 0.0015 and 0.2192 from initial values of 0.0031 and 0.369, respectively. Water washing appears to be a simple and practical means of lowering the rates of FFA formation and lipid oxidation in broken rice.
Synchronous Rectal and Hepatic Resection of Rectal Metastatic Disease

Background The objectives were to determine the feasibility of combined rectal and hepatic resections and analyze the disease-free survival and overall survival.
Rapid Activation of Apoptosis in Human Promyelocytic Leukemic Cells by (±)-anti-Benzo[a]pyrene Diol Epoxide-Induced DNA Damage

Genotoxic damage in responsive mammalian cells is implicated as a critical event in the induction of apoptosis. We have evaluated the time course of activation of apoptosis in HL-60 cells following treatment with (±)-anti-BPDE metabolite, a well established DNA damaging carcinogen. Programmed cell death, determined by typical cellular and molecular markers of apoptosis, was apparent within 1 .5 h following treatment with varying concentrations of (±)-anti-BPDE. The fraction of apoptotic cell population and corresponding DNA fragmentation indicated a minimum threshold damage (∼ 1-2×10−5 adduct/base or about 1 putative lesion/human gene) necessary to elicit apoptosis. Suppression of apoptosis (60-90% inhibition of DNA fragmentation) by 3-aminobenzamide and lack of an effect by aphidicolin indicated the role of poly(ADP-ribosylation) but not of blocked DNA replication. Our data suggest that DNA damage triggers an acute response that sets the responsive cells on path of an "immediate apoptotic" mode of cell death.
Comparison of mutagenicity results for nine compounds evaluated at the hgprt locus in the standard and suspension CHO assays

The Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) assay, which measures newly induced mutations at the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (hgprt) locus, has been widely used for mutagenesis testing. The insensitivity of the standard assay to some genotoxic agents has been speculated to be due to the relatively small number of cells used in the assay. In the present study, we have compared the standard monolayer assay with a suspension adapted CHO assay that uses cell numbers comparable to that of the L5178Y mouse lymphoma assay. Nine compounds, ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS), methyl methanesulfonate (MMS), 2-methoxy-6-chloro-9-[3-(ethyl-2-chloroethyl)-aminopropylamino]-acridine 2HCl (ICR 170), methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, tetraethylene glycol diacrylate, trimethylolpropane triacrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate and dicyclopentenyloxyethyl methacrylate were evaluated in the monolayer and suspension assays. Both assays gave the same overall qualitative results for the test compounds. There were some quantitative differences in the mutant frequency for the three compounds found to be mutagenic (EMS, MMS and ICR 170). The acrylates (many of which appear to exert their genotoxic effect through a clastogenic mechanism) were negative in both test systems. The use of the suspension assay did not improve the ability of the hgprt locus to detect the genotoxicity of the acrylates. Thus, increasing the number of cells does not improve the ability of the CHO/HGPRT assay to detect compounds that act primarily by a clastogenic mechanism.
Anxiety, depression, and irritability in children with autism relative to other neuropsychiatric disorders and typical development

Abstract Maternal ratings of anxiety, depression, and irritability were analyzed in 1390 children (6–16 years of age), including 233 children with high functioning autism (HFA, IQ ≥ 80), 117 children with low functioning autism (LFA, IQ
Team structure: establishment and evolution within technical services at the University of Kentucky libraries

In order to meet its present and future needs, the University of Kentucky Libraries initiated a team-based process with the intent of redesigning the Libraries’ organizational structure. Toward this end, library faculty and staff who were involved in the project received training related to the purposes and functionality of various types of teams, quality management tools, and analytical and decision making processes. Process teams were established to study the three major organizational components -technical services, public services, and management. A team-based management model was ultimately adopted system-wide by the University Libraries, with self-directed management and work teams replacing the traditional divisions and departments. Ad hoc project teams were established as needed. The processes that the technical services component followed during both the study and the implementation phases can be applied to management and work units in any library setting.