cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Attitudes of Socially Marginalized Men toward Physician-Assisted Suicide

Bioethics and public policy literature suggests that socially marginalized populations may be at increased risk for overuse of physician-assisted suicide (PAS) were it to become more accepted. Yet the attitudes of socially marginalized populations toward PAS have not been widely studied. The present study surveyed a sample of men in a substance abuse recovery program. Participants completed a PAS attitude questionnaire and a religiosity measure. Support for PAS was fairly evenly split, with 52.2% indicating general opposition to PAS and 46.9% indicating general support. Greater religiosity was associated with more negative attitudes toward PAS. Higher educational level was associated with more acceptance. Overall attitudes toward PAS were considerably more negative than those of Dr. George Domino's (2003) general population sample.
Cafeïne en urine-incontinentie

Vraagstelling Bij de behandeling van urine-incontinentie (UI) horen leefstijladviezen zoals verminderde vochtintake, afvallen, verminderde cafeine- en alcohol-intake. Cafeine bevordert de diurese en geeft een verhoogde detrusordruk. Er is echter weinig bekend over de invloed van cafeine-intake op de mate van urine-incontinentie (UI).
Seawater Pb isotopes extracted from Cenozoic marine sediments

Abstract Nd and Pb isotopic compositions extracted from bulk deep sea sediments have been shown to be robust proxies for deep water circulation as well as weathering provenance and intensity over geologically young time scales. In this study we evaluated ten deep sea samples from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) site 1090 ranging in age from mid Eocene to early-Miocene to test whether Pb isotopic compositions extracted from geologically older sediments record reliable seawater isotopic ratios and to evaluate the source of the extracted Pb. The sequential extraction protocol used in this study is similar to protocols reported for previous studies and produces acetic acid, hydroxylamine hydrochloride (HH) and residue fractions. Each extracted fraction was analyzed for Pb isotopes, rare earth elements (REEs), and a suite of major elements. Similar 206Pb/204Pb, 207Pb/204Pb, and 208Pb/204Pb ratios are recorded from the acetic acid and HH fractions for ~ 70–80% of the samples, suggesting that either the acetic acid dissolves Fe–Mn oxides or multiple phases are recording the same seawater isotopic value. Several indirect tests, such as Al mass balance, comparison of Sr isotopes in HH extracts to contemporaneous seawater Sr isotopes, and comparison of Nd isotopic compositions in HH extracts to published fossil fish teeth values, provide evidence that Pb isotopic compositions measured in our bulk HH extracts record bottom water values. The relationship between Pb, Mn and Ca concentrations in HH fractions indicates that Fe–Mn oxides and a Mn-bearing carbonate are the dominant phases contributing seawater Pb. Comparison of REE patterns derived from the HH fraction and total digestions of Fe–Mn nodule standards reveals that the trivalent REEs exhibit patterns consistent with the parent archive, but Ce can be fractionated during extraction. Ratios of REEs also produce unique fields for each fraction and can be used to test the purity of the seawater signal of the extraction protocol. Finally, an initial evaluation of Pb isotopic compositions in fossil fish indicates that this archive is not suitable for bottom water Pb isotope studies.
Philosophy of Science and Science Studies in the West: An Unrecognized Convergence

During the 1990s the dominant research programs from the 1970s and 1980s in both philosophy of science and interdisciplinary science studies seemed to reach dead ends. During the same period, new and interestingly convergent research programs emerged in both philosophy of science and science studies, but their mutual relevance was not widely recognized. In earlier work, I called attention to important developments in anthropology, history, and feminist scholarship as "cultural studies of science" that rejected epistemological assumptions widely shared among both philosophers and sociologists of scientific knowledge. Here I highlight four sub- sequent developments in philosophy that constructively engage this new work in science studies: (1) a resurrection of interest in causality, (2) work on theoretical models and their relations to model laboratory systems, (3) finer-grained accounts of conceptual articulation in the sciences, and (4) broader philosophical work on the relation between conceptual understanding and perceptual and practical skill.
The Analyst's Theoretical Persuasion and the Construction of a Conscientious Analysis: Commentary on Paper by Meira Likierman

Likierman's paper is an exemplary demonstration of the exquisite attention to the patient's unconscious that is typical of many of the finest analysts, and of British object relationalists in particular. This attention facilitates the analyst's containment and eventually, interpretation, of the disturbing psychic elements, in the classic Kleinian sequence. Likierman's use of the term intersubjectivity in relation to this process is contrasted with its use in relational theory, where the analyst's active participation is affirmatively stressed along with her more absorbent receptivity. Likierman's own use of Kleinian clinical theory is regarded ambivalently: On one hand, it supports the rigorous pursuit of reflection that is featured in her account; on the other, it carries a tone of severity and unacknowledged self-reproach.
Air‐movement control of radon in a retail store

Mitigation of radon gas and radon progeny in buildings is based largely on reducing the pressure difference between the point of the radiation source and the point of entry to indoor air. The method is adopted in the mitigation of excess radon concentrations with the installation of a sump arrangement, relieving the pressure emanating from the sub‐soil. However, this proved ineffective in reducing radon levels in a large retail store, whereas the utilisation of the existing air‐conditioning/ventilation system was wholly effective in meeting legal norms for the workplace. The initial study found that the reduction in radon levels brought about by the operation of the system was in absolute terms, and the rate of reduction was a constant which allowed an accurate estimate of the levels at a point in time from the start‐up of the system. Importantly, the operation of the air‐movement system reduced the progeny level substantially, relative to the radon gas.
Electric dipole moments of nuclei

Abstract Recent calculations by Sushkov, Flambaum and Khriplovich have suggested that the existence of the possibility of kaon exchange within nuclei allows nuclear electric dipole moments within the standard model to be enhanced substantially over those of nucleons . This suggestion is analysed carefully and it is found that the constraints of chiral symmetry, which were not correctly included in the earlier calculation, reduce this prediction substantially.
Modulating thrombotic potential in catheter-based percutaneous coronary and peripheral vascular interventions.

Thrombosis is an obligatory consequence of all percutaneous vascular interventions. Balloon angioplasty, intravascular stents and other devices routinely used to facilitate dilatation of critical vascular stenoses result in fracture of the intima and exposure of the thrombogenic subendothelium with initiation and perpetuation of platelet activation and aggregation [1,2]. This not uncommonly results in thrombus formation that may lead to abrupt vessel closure, distal ischemia and tissue infarction, and target organ dysfunction. Fortunately, advances in our understanding of the mechanisms that underlie vascular thrombosis have led to advances in the use of adjunctive pharmacological agents that modulate this pathophysiological response and have led to important reductions in the incidence and severity of thrombotic complications of percutaneous transluminal interventions.
The fine structure of lamprey epidermis II. Club cells

The club cells are large binucleate epidermal cells which have two distinct cytological compartments, filamentous and cytoplasmic. By far the larger of the two, the filamentous compartment is composed of helically arranged filament bundles which spiral away from the cell periphery toward the cell center in a clockwise direction. The individual club cell filament has a diameter of 70 A and may be composed of a number of smaller protofilaments. Many of the filaments are anchored in hemidesmosomes along the basal lamina. The cytoplasmic compartment is confined to the apex of the cell and a central core region in the neck of the cell. It is filled with numerous mitochondria, ribosomes, and microtubules. A discussion of the possible function(s) of the cell is provided along with an attempt to explain how the filament bundles become so regularly arranged.
Effect of microfissures on fatigue properties of austenitic stainless steel weld metals

Abstract High-cycle tension–tension fatigue testing with a 0.1 stress ratio at a frequency of 20 Hz (load control at ambient temperature) was conducted on 316L stainless steel weld metals with and without microfissures. The test results show that microfissures (hot cracking) significantly decrease the fatigue properties in austenitic stainless steel weld metals. The initiation of failure for microfissure-containing samples is linked to the microfissures which show hot cracking characteristics; a smooth flowed pattern on the fissure surface.
Membrane depolarization of human B cells follows stimulation by either anti-μ or B-cell growth factor, but only anti-μ causes cell volume changes

Human peripheral blood B cells were separated from monocytes and T cells, depleted of null cells by an anti-Leu 9 rosetting technique, and fractionated on discontinuous Percoll gradients to yield a highly purified, small, dense B-cell population. These cells responded to F(ab')2 goat anti-mu at 10 and 100 micrograms/ml with membrane depolarization (measured by immunofluorescence with 3,3'-dipentyloxacarbocyanine dye) at 1 h, cell volume enlargement by 48 h, and modest thymidine incorporation by 72 h. They also responded to the 12-kd human B-cell growth factor of Maizel with membrane depolarization, but not with cell volume increase. F(ab')2 anti-mu and B-cell growth factor together induced greater depolarization than was seen with either alone, but there was no synergy. The cell volume increase seen with F(ab')2 anti-mu was not increased by B-cell growth factor. Comparison of data analysis methods showed that mean fluorescence intensity most readily detected significant depolarization. We conclude that in human B cells: (1) depolarization may be a "general response" to a variety of membrane stimuli, because F(ab')2 anti-mu and B-cell growth factor acting through different receptors both induce it, and (2) depolarization does not inevitably lead to cell volume increase.
Decreased activity of (Ca2+ + Mg2+)-adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) and a hormone-specific defect in insulin regulation of ATPase in kidney basolateral membranes from obese fa/fa rats.

Abstract The plasma membrane enzyme (Ca 2+ + Mg 2+ )-adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) is hormonally regulated and may participate in Ca 2+ signaling by removing excess Ca 2+ from the cell. Therefore, observations of a hormone-specific loss of insulin stimulation of ATPase in kidney membranes from non-insulin-dependent diabetic (NIDDM) rats may reflect their insulin-resistant state. Consequently, to evaluate whether additional insulin-resistant conditions are associated with impaired function of ATPase and with loss of regulation of the enzyme by insulin, studies were extended to investigate (Ca 2+ + Mg 2+ )-ATPase activities and hormonal regulation of the enzyme in kidney basolateral membranes from obese and lean Zucker rats. (Ca 2+ + Mg 2+ )-ATPase activity was lower in membranes from obese rats compared with lean rats. Maximal velocity (Vmax) of the enzyme activity was 29.2 ± 2.6 nmol P i /mg/min in obese rats versus 57.2 ± 6.5 in lean rats ( P 2+ was similar in obese and lean rats ( K m Ca 2+ , 0.23 ± 0.025 v 0.23 ± 0.032 μmol/L Ca 2+ ). Also, the K m for ATP of the enzyme was similar in membranes from obese and lean rats. Insulin, parathyroid hormone (PTH), and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) stimulated the ATPase activity in membranes from lean rats in a dose-dependent manner (15% to 28%). Also, the protein kinase C (PKC) stimulator 12- O -tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) increased the ATPase activity in membranes from lean rats. However, whereas PTH and cAMP maintained their stimulation of the enzyme also in membranes from obese rats, insulin and TPA lost their stimulatory effects on the enzyme in membranes from obese animals. Thus, a hormone-specific defect in insulin regulation of ATPase also occurs in obesity and may be related to abnormal metabolism of PKC in obesity.
Studies on molybdena-alumina catalysts: VIII. Effect of cobalt on catalyst sulfiding☆

Sulfiding studies were carried out on a series of cobalt-promoted molybdena catalyts made up in three different ways: (1) Co added to Mo/Al2O3 catalysts; (2) Mo added to Co/Al2O3 catalysts; and (3) Co and Mo coimpregnated on Al2O3. Also, cobalt was added either all at once (batch) or in 1% Co increments (step) with calcination between steps. Sulfiding was accomplished at 400 °C for 2 hr in a 9% H2S/H2 flow. An increase in sulfur content was obtained with increasing amounts of Mo or Co present in the catalysts. Sulfiding was incomplete in all cases. For the Mo/Al2O3 catalysts, the ratio of S/Mo remained constant (∼1.8) between 2 to 8% Mo. The Co/Al2O3 step catalysts gave S/Co ∼ 0.4, whereas the Co/Al2O3 batch catalysts gave S/Co ∼ 0.7. For the composite catalysts, sulfur levels were higher due to partial sulfiding of both Mo and Co present. Based on these results and previous studies, three separate Co phases are proposed to be present in Co/Al2O3 catalyst, viz. (1) Co located in the Al2O3 matrix—nonsulfidable; (2) Co on the surface of the Al2O3—sulfidable to a CoS surface phase; and (3) bulk Co3O4—sulfidable to Co9S8. When Mo is added to the Co/Al2O3 catalyst, the Co phases remain unchanged. However, when Co is added to the Mo/Al2O3 catalyst, an interaction phase between Co and Mo appears, which is sulfidable. Coimpregnated catalysts showed different properties because of the presence of some CoMoO4.
A D Serotype of Satellite Virus specifically associated with a D Serotype of Tobacco Necrosis Virus

Kassanis and Nixon1 and Kassanis2 reported that the Rothamsted strain of tobacco necrosis virus (RTNV) contains two serologically unrelated viruses with different sized particles; one with smaller particles (17 mµ) called “satellite virus” caused no lesions on beans and multiplied detectably only when present in mixed infections with the large particle (27 mµ) TNV. Tobacco mosaic, lucerne mosaic, carnation ringspot, and tomato bushy stunt viruses failed to make the small particles multiply1. All strains of TNV, except strain D, were reported to induce multiplication of satellite although some strains apparently were more effective than others3. Several strains of TNV were classified into two serotypes, A and D3. Strains A, B, C, F and S which supported multiplication of satellite are in serotype A. Strain E, which was also reported to support multiplication feebly, and strain D, which did not, are in serotype D. Babos and Kassanis3 concluded that the ability of these strains to induce the multiplication of satellite was not related to their antigenic composition. We have found, however, that the satellites associated with different serotypes of TNV are serologically distinct, as are the virus strains with which they are associated.
Multidisciplinary optimization and design variable sensitivity of helicopter rotor blades using a composite box beam model

Abstract The paper addresses a fully integrated optimization procedure, for helicopter rotor blades, with the coupling of blade dynamics, aerodynamics, aeroelasticity and structures. The goal is to reduce vibratory shear forces at the blade root with constraints imposed on critical dynamic, aerodynamic, aeroelastic and structural design requirements. The blade is modeled with a composite box beam as the principal load carrying member. Nonlinear chord and twist variation are assumed. A wide range of both structural and aerodynamic design variables are used along with several subsets to determine the sensitivity of the design variables on the optimum design. The optimization problem is formulated with two objective functions and the Kreisselmeier-Steinhauser (K-S) function approach for multiple design objectives is used. A nonlinear programming technique and an approximate analysis procedure are used for optimization. The procedure yields substantial reductions in the vibratory root forces and moments along with significant improvements in the remaining design requirements. Comparisons with previous work where isotropic beam elements were used indicate that the use of a composite box beam yields significant improvements in the blade design. Results are presented for several different cases of design variable vectors and are compared with a baseline, or reference blade.
The relation between the Valanis–Landel and classical strain-energy functions

Abstract Necessary and sufficient conditions are derived for the strain-energy function of an isotropic elastic solid, regarded as a function of the strain invariants, to be expressible in the Valanis–Landel form, both when the material is compressible and when it is incompressible. In the case when the Valanis–Landel strain-energy function is a polynomial in squares of the principal extension ratios, explicit representations as polynomials in the basic isotropic strain invariants are obtained.
Treatment of the Sexually/Physically Abused Female Inmate: Evaluation of an Intensive Short-Term Intervention Program.

A treatment model for female inmates who had been physically or sexually abused was described, implemented and evaluated. The hypotheses that during the 16-week program inmates would show: (a) incr...
Modeling mass transfer and interfacial reactions in three liquid phase transfer catalysis

In this work, we present a mass transfer model for three liquid phase transfer catalysis. The general model assumes that all chemical reactions are localized at phase interfaces. Despite this simplification, the predicted trends in conversion versus time and for variations of the model's dimensionless parameters are in accord with experimental observations. An analytical solution for conversion versus time is reported for the limiting case of a thin film of the third liquid phase separating an organic drop from the surrounding aqueous continuum. The analytical solution can be used to rationalize the observed jump in conversion upon formation of the third liquid phase and may assist in extracting kinetic information from experimental conversion data.
Preconditioners for high degree elements

Abstract The present investigation considers element block preconditioners for discretizations employing elements of high degree. Several different element block preconditioners are constructed and compared in numerical studies for a model elliptic problem. For regular grids a 2-level preconditioning scheme is found to work quite well. This consists of a local element preconditioner based on transformation of polynomial basis functions, combined with a simple global preconditioner such as Jacobi diagonal type preconditioning. For grids with non-constant coefficients or highly skewed grids, the block preconditioners described here can be applied instead of Jacobi preconditioning.
Clonal stability and heterogeneity of hybridomas: analysis by multiparameter flow cytometry.

Flow cytometry of cellular DNA and RNA content was employed to determine DNA ploidy, proliferation, and RNA content of hybridoma cultures shortly after cell fusion and sequentially thereafter. The parental mouse myeloma cell line P3UI was characterized by tetraploid DNA content, S-phase 50%, and high RNA, the parental mouse spleen cells by diploid DNA content, low proliferation, and low RNA content. Hybridoma cultures studied as early as 21 days after fusion were found to contain the sum of the parental cells' DNA content (hexaploid), or if less, more than that of the myeloma parental cells. Only one clone of 35 tested was shown to be hexaploid and the rest hypertetraploid or hyperpentaploid. Hybrid cell cultures were frequently found to contain a variable mixture of unfused parental cells. The high proliferation of hybridoma cells determined by flow cytometry indicates that these cells would eventually overgrow the parental cells. Flow cytometry also enabled an accurate estimation of the effect of variou...
Influence of Silica Nanoparticles on the Crystallization Behavior of and Proton Relaxation in Cesium Hydrogen Sulfate

The influence of nanoparticulate SiO_2 on the crystallization behavior of CsHSO_4 from aqueous solution has been quantitatively evaluated using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and ^1H magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. It is shown that SiO_2 induces amorphization of a portion of CsHSO_4 and crystallization of the otherwise metastable phase II form of CsHSO_4. The fraction of amorphized CsHSO_4 (as determined from an evaluation of the XRD peak intensity) was found to increase from 0% in the absence of SiO_2 to fully amorphized in the presence of 90 mol % (~70 wt %) SiO_2. Within the crystalline portion of the composites, the weight fraction of CsHSO_4 phase III was observed to fall almost monotonically from 100% in the absence of SiO_2 to about 40% in the presence of 70 mol % SiO_2 (from both XRD and NMR analysis). These results suggest a crystallization pathway in which SiO_2 particles incorporate an amorphous coating of CsHSO_(4-)like material and are covered by nanoparticulate CsHSO_(4-II), which coexists with independently nucleated particles of CsHSO_(4-III). In composites with small molar fractions of CsHSO_4, the entirety of the acid salt is consumed in the amorphous region. At high CsHSO_4 content, the extent of amorphization becomes negligible, as does the extent of crystallization in metastable phase II. The phase distribution was found to be stable for over 1 year, indicating the strength of the stabilization effect that SiO_2 has on phase II of CsHSO_4.
Utility of thiopurine methyltransferase genotyping and phenotyping, and measurement of azathioprine metabolites in the management of patients with autoimmune hepatitis

Background/Aims Azathioprine is a key drug in the management of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), with effects mediated via conversion to 6-thioguanine (6-TG) and 6-methylmercaptopurine (6-MMP), the latter controlled by thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT). Our aims were to evaluate the role of TPMT genotyping and phenotyping and to examine 6-TG and 6-MMP metabolite levels in patients with AIH. Methods TPMT genotyping and phenotyping was performed on 86 patients with AIH, and metabolites evaluated in assessable patients. Results Eighty-six patients with AIH received azathioprine; 22 developed toxicity and 4/22 were heterozygous for TPMT alleles. Cirrhosis was more common amongst patients who developed toxicity (12/22 (54.5%) versus 19/64 (29.6%), P =0.043). Patients who required persistent prednisone at equivalent azathioprine doses had a higher mean fibrosis stage ( P =0.044). TPMT activity, but not metabolites, was lower in patients with stage III/IV fibrosis versus stage I/II fibrosis (30±1.92 versus 35.2±1.93, P =0.044). Azathioprine dose significantly correlated with measured 6-TG levels ( r =0.409, P r =0.387, P Conclusions Advanced fibrosis but not TPMT genotype or activity predicts azathioprine toxicity in AIH. Overlap in 6-TG and 6-MMP metabolite levels is noted whether or not steroid therapy is used to maintain remission.
Segregation at Special Boundaries in MgO

Segregation of Ca to three high-angle boundaries in MgO was analyzed using scanning transmission electron microscopy. Two boundaries were special [001] twist boundaries (Σ=5 (Σ=36.9°), Σ=17 (Σ=28.5°)) and one was nonspecial. The concentration of Ca at the special boundaries was approximately half that at the nonspecial boundary.
Danger stereotypes predict racially biased attentional allocation

The current research investigates whether threat-relevant associations have specific implications for attentional allocation, over and above the effects of other category-based associations. Using a modified dot-probe task [Koster, Crombez, Verscheuere, & DeHouwer (2004)], we separately measured attentional capture and attentional holding by Black compared to White faces. Black-danger associations significantly predicted the extent to which Black faces captured attention faster than White faces. Black-danger stereotypes also marginally predicted the extent to which Black faces held attention longer than White faces. These effects remained significant when controlling for the effects of other (danger-irrelevant) stereotypes and prejudice, and neither danger-irrelevant stereotypes nor prejudice predicted racially biased attentional allocation. We posit that societal stereotypes linking Blacks with danger lead Black faces to function as fear-conditioned stimuli, biasing attention.
Dielectric Aging and Microstructure in the System BaTiO3‐CaTiO3

The effect of precipitation of a dispersed CaTiO3–rich phase on the shape, organization, and thickness of ferroelectric domains in BaTiO3 was studied. No morphologically related precipitate could be produced despite the close structural similarity of the phases involved. These effects, when correlated with changes in dielectric aging behavior, show that dielectric aging is not a simple thermally activated process.
The desire to date and remarry among older widows and widowers

This study explores gender differences in older widowed persons' interest in dating and remarriage, and the implications of these desires for psychological adjustment to loss. Analyses are based on the Changing Lives of Older Couples study (N = 210). Men's interest in dating and remarriage is conditional upon the amount of social support received from friends. Six months after spousal loss, only those men with low or average levels of social support from friends are more likely than women to report interest in remarrying someday. Similar patterns emerge for interest in dating 18 months after loss. Persons who both want and have a romantic relationship report significantly fewer depressive symptoms 18 months after loss, yet this relationship is attributable to their greater socioeconomic resources.
Thermally-induced structural and chemical alteration of organic-walled microfossils: an experimental approach to understanding fossil preservation in metasediments.

The identification and confirmation of bona fide Archean–Paleoproterozoic microfossils can prove to be a challenging task, further compounded by diagenetic and metamorphic histories. While structures of likely biological origin are not uncommon in Precambrian rocks, the search for early fossil life has been disproportionately focused on lesser thermally altered rocks, typically greenschist or lower-grade metamorphism. Recently, however, an increasing number of inferred micro- and macrofossils have been reported from higher-grade metasediments, prompting us to experimentally test and quantify the preservability of organic-walled microfossils over varying durations of controlled heating and under two differing redox conditions. Because of their relatively low-intensity natural thermal alteration, acritarchs from the Mesoproterozoic Ruyang Group were chosen as subjects for experimental heating at approximately 500°C, with durations ranging from 1 to 250 days and in both oxic (normal present day conditions) and anoxic conditions. Upon extraction, the opacity, reflectivity, color, microchemistry, and microstructures of the heated acritarchs were characterized using optic microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results differ for acritarchs prepared under oxic vs. anoxic conditions, with the anoxic replicates surviving experimental heating longer and retaining biological morphologies better, despite an increasing degree of carbonization with continuous heating. Conversely, the oxic replicates show aggressive degradation. In conjunction with fossils from high-grade metasediments, our data illustrate the preservational potential of organic-walled microfossils subjected to metamorphism in reducing conditions, offer insights into the search for microfossils in metasediments, and help to elucidate the influence of time on the carbonization/graphitization processes during thermal alteration.
Anti-D immune globulin: protecting platelets at a cost

Comment on Gaines, page [1532][1] Six cases of disseminated intravascular coagulation after intravenous administration of anti-D immune globulin raise additional concern about intravascular hemolysis and demonstrate the importance of postmarketing drug surveillance. Dr Frank Oski, a giant in the
Thermophoretic properties of nonspherical particles and large molecules

The Knp ≫ 1 gas-kinetic approach of Waldmann (1959, 1961) is extended to predict the thermophoretic properties of nonspherical aerosol particles, and massive nonspherical gas molecules. Calculations are presented for sphero-cylindrical particles (molecules) of arbitrary aspect ratio, L/R, predicting that in a local temperature gradient grad T they will thermophoretically drift: (i) more rapidly when their major axis is aligned with −grad T; (ii) at a velocity different from that of a sphere of radius R equal to the cylinder radius; (iii) at an angle with respect to −grad T when their major axis is not parallel to, nor perpendicular to, −grad T; and (iv) without a net torque tending to orient the particle with respect to −grad T. Important corollaries are that nonspherical particles in a temperature gradient should also experience new thermophoretically-induced coagulation mechanisms. We predict that the orientation-averaged thermal diffusion factor αT should increase approximately linearly with particle (molecule) length.
Current status of monoclonal antibody therapy for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.

Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are complex diseases that have required the use of multiple modalities to aid in treatment. With an increasing understanding of the underlying pathogenetic mechanisms and identification of specific therapeutic targets, monoclonal antibody treatment has been an ideal strategy for inducing and maintaining remission in these patients. This article addresses approved agents and the supporting data justifying their use in Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, the safety of and immunologic reactions to these agents, as well as newer agents for treatment.
Testing Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium using mother-child case-control samples.

Genetic association studies of obstetric complications may genotype case and control mothers, or their respective newborns, or both case-control mothers and their children. The relatively high prevalence of many obstetric complications and the availability of both maternal and offspring's genotype data have provided motivation to study new methods for testing for deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE). We propose four novel test statistics, each of which uses a different type of data as follows: (1) a test using maternal case-control genotype data, (2) a test using offspring genotype data, (3) a combination of the first and second tests, and (4) a test based on the joint classification of case-control maternal-child genotype data. The selection of case and control mothers (and thus their children) is accounted for by weighting both maternal and child contributions to the test statistics with sampling probabilities. Our tests thus do not require that the phenotype be rare as is the case for HWE tests using only controls, and are particularly suitable for genetic association studies of relatively common complications such as premature birth. The third and fourth tests described above utilize both maternal and child genotype data and appropriately account for the correlation between maternal and child genotypes. On the basis of extensive simulation studies to compare the type-I error and power for proposed tests, we recommend the third combined test statistic for routine use in the analysis of case-control studies of mother-child pairs. Genet. Epidemiol. 33:539–548, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Gemcitabine and trastuzumab in metastatic breast cancer.

The background, rationale, and preliminary results of a phase II trial of gemcitabine plus trastuzumab in heavily pretreated metastatic breast cancer patients are presented. Gemcitabine and trastuzumab both exhibit single-agent activity in previously treated metastatic breast cancer. Preclinical studies of gemcitabine and trastuzumab in combination showed additive or synergistic antitumor effects in human breast cancer cell lines that overexpress HER2. A multicenter phase II trial was thus conducted to define the safety and efficacy of gemcitabine/trastuzumab in patients previously treated for metastatic breast cancer. Women with measurable metastatic breast cancer whose primary or secondary tumor overexpressed HER2 were eligible for inclusion. Gemcitabine 1,200 mg/m(2) was administered on days 1 and 8 of a 21-day cycle. Trastuzumab was administered at a loading dose of 4 mg/kg initially, then at 2 mg/kg weekly thereafter. Preliminary analysis of 38 evaluable patients showed that gemcitabine/trastuzumab was well tolerated and had significant antitumor activity in this patient population. The study is now concluded, and final analysis of the data is nearing completion. Publication of the results is anticipated in 2003.
Common variations in ALG9 are not associated with bipolar I disorder: a family-based study.

Background A mannosyltransferase gene (ALG9, DIBD1) at chromosome band 11q23 was previously identified to be disrupted by a balanced chromosomal translocation t(9;11)(p24;q23) co-segregating with bipolar affective disorder in a small family. Inborn ALG9 deficiency (congenital disorders of glycosylation type IL) is associated with progressive microcephaly, seizures, developmental delay, and hepatomegaly. It is unknown whether common variations of ALG9 predispose to bipolar affective disorder.
p38 MAPK-mediated regulation of Xbp1s is crucial for glucose homeostasis

Here we show that p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) phosphorylates the spliced form of X-box binding protein 1 (Xbp1s) on its Thr48 and Ser61 residues and greatly enhances its nuclear migration in mice, whereas mutation of either residue to alanine substantially reduces its nuclear translocation and activity. We also show that p38 MAPK activity is markedly reduced in the livers of obese mice compared with lean mice. Further, we show that activation of p38 MAPK by expression of constitutively active MAP kinase kinase 6 (MKK6Glu) greatly enhances nuclear translocation of Xbp1s, reduces endoplasmic reticulum stress and establishes euglycemia in severely obese and diabetic mice. Hence, our results define a crucial role for phosphorylation on Thr48 and Ser61 of Xbp1s in the maintenance of glucose homeostasis in obesity, and they suggest that p38 MAPK activation in the livers of obese mice could lead to a new therapeutic approach to the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
Development, Acceptance, and Use of Immunologic Correlates of Protection in Monitoring the Effectiveness of Combination Vaccines

The establishment of immunologic correlates of protection for all vaccine antigens is a worthwhile goal. It allows new vaccines to be licensed on the basis of attainment of defined immunologic benchmarks, without the need for large-scale efficacy trials for each new product. This is particularly important for the evaluation of new combination products. Efficacy trials of each new mixture would be unethical because routinely recommended vaccines would be denied children in the control group. The establishment of immunologic correlates of protection should be a defined goal of every efficacy trial. Additional ways to evaluate the immune responses-such as cell-mediated immunity, mucosal immunity, memory responses, and antibody avidity-should also be studied. Finally, ongoing surveillance efforts are also needed, to monitor the impact of new and combined vaccines on disease rates.
Performance engineering of a Java-based e-commerce system

The development of enterprise Web applications has evolved from writing servlets using JDBC calls for database access to a component-based paradigm where database access is replaced by calling enterprise JavaBeans (EJB), a Java representation of business objects. Using this component-based paradigm, business logics are encapsulated in coarse-grain session beans, leaving servlets the role of a request dispatcher which converts HTTP requests for servlets into RMI/IIOP requests for session beans and invokes JSP for result presentation. The performance of such a multitier enterprise Web application is dominated by the performance of the EJB. We investigate a model-based approach for performance engineering of multitier enterprise Java applications. A layer queueing model comprising the layers of client applications, session beans, entity beans, and data sources is proposed. By taking into account network latency and RMI overhead, the model can be used to predict the delay-throughput performance of the system and to study issues related to deployment topology. As an example, a layered queueing model is created for an application framework for B2B e-commerce, a real world EJB application. A case study is presented to show the effect of database access delay to the tuning of the connection pool size of data sources.
Technology for Physics Instruction

Although technological innovations have the capability to significantly change how scientific investigations are done and greatly enhance the teaching and learning of science, its use is no more effective than any other resource or innovation when researched-based effective teaching practices are not followed. This paper reviews established guidelines for the effective use of technology in science and mathematics education, and presents several examples of technology products available for physics instruction and research related to their effectiveness.
Study of Transport Phenomena in Chromatographic Columns by Pulsed Field Gradient NMR

Pulsed field gradient NMR has been applied to study mass transfer, flow, and dispersion in packed chromatographic columns. A single measurement allows the determination of the full displacement probability distribution of all fluid particles located in the measurement volume. Depending on the orientation of the pulsed magnetic field gradient with respect to the net flow direction, the so-called averaged propagator is obtained independently and quantitatively for either the axial or the transverse fluid particle displacements, over an experimentally adjustable observation time. Thus, this technique can act on a dynamic time scale ranging from a few to several hundred milliseconds. This enabled us to detect the stagnant mobile phase in packed chromatographic columns and to follow the mass transfer between the stagnant solvent and the stream of mobile phase percolating through the column bed. With field gradients in the direction of net flow velocity, mean fluid particle displacements ranging between 0.07 an...
Candidate gene polymorphisms associated with salt tolerance in wild sunflower hybrids: implications for the origin of Helianthus paradoxus, a diploid hybrid species

Summary • We have studied the origin of salt adaptation in wild sunflower hybrids (Helianthus annuus × H. petiolaris), the precursors of the diploid hybrid species H. paradoxus, at the level of phenotypic traits and quantitative trait loci (QTLs). Here, we review this work and present new results on candidate gene polymorphisms. • Salt tolerance candidate genes were identified in expressed sequence tag (EST) libraries of sunflower, based on homology to genes with known function, and on previous QTL results. EST polymorphisms were assayed by denaturing HPLC and genetically mapped in an interspecific BC2 for which fitness estimates in the wild were available. • Out of 11 genes studied, one mapped to a salt tolerance QTL. This EST codes for a Ca-dependent protein kinase (CDPK) and stems from stress-induced root tissue of Helianthus annuus. Two additional stress-induced genes exhibited a significant fitness effect in the wild: an ER-type calcium ATPase, and a transcriptional regulator. • Our results suggest a possible adaptive role for Ca-dependent salt tolerance genes in wild sunflower hybrids. Also, transgressive segregation appears to be sufficient to explain the origin of adaptive genetic variation in hybrids.
Rates and Mechanisms of Water Mass Transformation in the Labrador Sea as Inferred from Tracer Observations

Time series of hydrographic and transient tracer (3H and 3He) observations from the central Labrador Sea collected between 1991 and 1996 are presented to document the complex changes in the tracer fields as a result of variations in convective activity during the 1990s. Between 1991 and 1993, as atmospheric forcing intensified, convection penetrated to progressively increasing depths, reaching 2300 m in the winter of 1993. Over that period the potential temperature (θ)/salinity (S) properties of Labrador Sea Water stayed nearly constant as surface cooling and downward mixing of freshwater was balanced by excavating and upward mixing of the warmer and saltier Northeast Atlantic Deep Water. It is shown that the net change in heat content of the water column (150–2500 m) between 1991 and 1993 was negligible compared to the estimated mean heat loss over that period (110 W m−2), implying that the lateral convergence of heat into the central Labrador Sea nearly balances the atmospheric cooling on a surprisingly short timescale. Interestingly, the 3H–3He age of Labrador Sea Water increased during this period of intensifying convection. Starting in 1995, winters were milder and convection was restricted to the upper 800 m. Between 1994 and 1996, the evolution of 3H–3He age is similar to that of a stagnant water body. In contrast, the increase in θ and S over that period implies exchange of tracers with the boundaries via both an eddy-induced overturning circulation and along-isopycnal stirring by eddies [with an exchange coefficient of O(500 m2 s−1)]. The authors construct a freshwater budget for the Labrador Sea and quantitatively demonstrate that sea ice meltwater is the dominant cause of the large annual cycle of salinity in the Labrador Sea, both on the shelf and the interior. It is shown that the transport of freshwater by eddies into the central Labrador Sea (140 cm between March and September) can readily account for the observed seasonal freshening. Finally, the authors discuss the role of the eddy-induced overturning circulation with regard to transport and dispersal of the newly ventilated Labrador Sea Water to the boundary current system and compare its strength (2–3 Sv) to the diagnosed buoyancy-forced formation rate of Labrador Sea Water.
Toppling the Tripod: Sustainable Development, Constructive Ambiguity and the Environmental Challenge

Discussions of global environmental governance seem to have gotten nowhere in the last thirty years despite environmental problems that continue to grow in scope and magnitude. Here, the role of sustainable development in that failure is examined, particularly the constructively ambiguous nature of the paradigm. It is suggested that an emphasis on the shifting, contextualized and relative term ―needs‖ in the definition of sustainable development has led to paralysis at the international level in addressing environmental problems, particularly climate change. Contradictions that emerge when sustainable development is formalized in economic models as weak and strong sustainability are discussed. Finally, promising future pathways for environmental actions are explored.
A Seasonal Potato Market: Area of Competitive Behavior

POTATOES are not a homogeneous product. On the production side, grower groups tend to select products with characteristics that give consumers an acceptable range of choices. On the demand side, discriminating housewives interested in getting better foods select types of potatoes best suited for various purposes and food likes. It is postulated that consumers regard different types of potatoes as differentiated products, and regard each as possible substitutes.' If product differentiation in potatoes satisfies consumers' range of tastes and preferences and encourages premium prices for preferred products, the industry gains by supplying the choices that consumers like best. Various aspects of competitive behavior and substitution in demand can be analyzed by considering a seasonal potato market that involves merchandising of two or more different types of potatoes. What is the competitive behavior and substitutability between early seasonal potatoes and fall (storage) potatoes? Do competitive relationships between early seasonal and storage potatoes support an assumption of product differentiation? This study discusses these questions and analyzes statistically a relevant measure of substitution in demand.
Bloch Constants of Order N

A variant of the classical Bloch's constant s studied: bounds are determined for the larger schlicht disc that must be present in the image of a holomorphic function on the unit disc, with the normalization ƒ (n) (0) = n ! Mathematics Subject Classification (1991): 30E99 Keywords: holomorphic function Quaestiones Mathematicae 24(2) 2001, 247-259
Petaluma Takes a Bizarre Turn

Petaluma FX v. Commissioner, a case involving some complex tax procedure issues, has gone on for nearly a decade and has made three trips to the D.C. Circuit. The strangest twist seemingly occurred in 2012 when, in a case involving similar issues, the Tax Court performed a “reverse benchslap” on the D.C. Circuit, allegedly flouting the court’s first opinion in Petaluma. However, things have managed to get even stranger. In its most recent opinion, the D.C. Circuit rejected the views of both parties and decided the case through a strange reading of a regulation's effective-date provision. This short article discusses the problems with the court's analysis and its potential implications for some broader administrative law questions.
Exploring Local Electrostatic Effects with Scanning Probe Microscopy: Implications for Piezoresponse Force Microscopy and Triboelectricity

The implementation of contact mode Kelvin probe force microscopy (cKPFM) utilizes the electrostatic interactions between tip and sample when the tip and sample are in contact with each other. Surprisingly, the electrostatic forces in contact are large enough to be measured even with tips as stiff as 4.5 N/m. As for traditional noncontact KPFM, the signal depends strongly on electrical properties of the sample, such as the dielectric constant, and the tip properties, such as the stiffness. Since the tip is in contact with the sample, bias-induced changes in the junction potential between tip and sample can be measured with higher lateral and temporal resolution compared to traditional noncontact KPFM. Significant and reproducible variations of tip-surface capacitance are observed and attributed to surface electrochemical phenomena. Observations of significant surface charge states at zero bias and strong hysteretic electromechanical responses at a nonferroelectric surface have significant implications for fields such as triboelectricity and piezoresponse force microscopy.