cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Influence of electron donor on the minimum sulfate concentration required for sulfate reduction in a petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated aquifer

Fluctuations in the availability of electron donor (petroleum hydrocarbons) affected the competition between sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) and methanogenic bacteria (MB) for control of electron flow in a petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated aquifer. The data suggest that abundant electron donor availability allowed MB to sequester a portion of the electron flow even when sulfate was present in sufficient concentrations to support sulfate reduction. For example, in an area of abundant electron-donor availability, SRB appeared to be unable to sequester the electron flow from MB in the presence of 1.4 mg/L sulfate. The data also suggest that when electron-donor availability was limited, SRB outcompeted MB for available substrate at a lower concentration of sulfate than when electron donor was plentiful. For example, in an area of limited electron-donor availability, SRB appeared to maintain dominance of electron flow at sulfate concentrations less than 1 mg/L. The presence of abundant electron donor and a limited amount of sulfate reduced competition for available substrate, allowing both SRB and MB to metabolize available substrates concurrently. 34 refs., 5 figs.
In-vivo Tissue Uptake and Retention of Sn-117m(4+)DTPA in a Human Subject with Metastatic Bone Pain and in Normal Mice

Organ and tissue uptake and retention of Sn-117m(4+)DTPA were studied in a human subject treated for metastatic bone pain, and the results were compared with the biodistribution studies in five normal mice. The explanted organs from a patient who received a therapy dose of 18.6 mCi (688.2 MBq) Sn-117m(4+)DTPA and who died 47 days later were imaged with a γ-camera, and tissue samples were counted and also autoradiographed. Bone, muscle, liver, fat, lungs, kidneys, spleen, heart and pancreas tissue samples were assayed in a well counter for radioactivity. Regions of interest were drawn over bone and major organs to calculate and quantify clearance times using three in vivo Sn-117m(4+)DTPA whole-body scintigrams acquired at 1, 24 and 168 h after injection. Five normal mice injected with the same batch of Sn-117m(4+)DTPA as used for the human subject were sacrificed at 24 h, and tissue samples were collected and assayed for radioactivity for comparison with the human data. For the human subject, whole-body retention at 47 days postinjection was 81% of the injected dose, and the rest (19%) was excreted in urine. Of the whole-body retained activity at 47 days, 82.4% was in bone, 7.8% in the muscle and 1.5% in the liver, and the rest was distributed among other tissues. γ-Ray scintigrams and electron autoradiographs of coronal slices of the thoracolumbar vertebral body showed heterogenous metastatic involvement with normal bone between metastatic lesions. There was nonuniform distribution of radioactivity even within a single vertebral body, indicating normal bone between metastatic lesions. Lesion-to-nonlesion ratios ranged from 3 to 5. However, the osteoid-to-marrow cavity deposition ratio, from the microautoradiographs, was 11:1. The peak uptake in the human bone was seen at 137 h with no biological clearance. Soft tissues showed peak uptake at 1 h and exhibited three compartmental clearance components. Whole-body retention in normal mice was 38.7% of the injected dose at 24 h and the rest was excreted. At 24 h postinjection, bone in mice showed 84.2% of the whole-body retention, muscle 1.7% and liver 1.4%, and the rest was distributed in other soft tissues. Percent distribution of the retained dose among bone, muscle, liver and other soft tissues is very similar between mice and a human subject. To calculate precise radiation absorbed doses from bone pain palliation radionuclides, it is necessary to take into account soft-tissue uptake and retention that may not be readily evident from routine external γ-scintigraphy.
Propranolol affects stress-induced leukocytosis and cellular adhesion molecule expression

In this study, the impact of the beta-adrenergic antagonist propranolol on resting and acute psychological- and physical-stress-induced circulating leukocyte numbers and the density of cellular adhesion molecules was investigated. In a randomized double-blind crossover design, 45 healthy volunteers performed a 15-min public speaking task and 21 subjects performed a 16-min bicycle exercise after 5 days of ingesting a placebo and after 5 days of ingesting 100 mg/day propranolol. One week of ingesting propranolol modestly elevated the numbers of CD62L+ (P<0.019) but not CD62L- T-lymphocytes. Moreover, propranolol preferentially blunted-psychological stress-induced increases in naive T-helper (CD4+CD62L+; P<0.049) and naive T-cytotoxic lymphocytes (CD8+CD62L+; P<0.003), as well as activated T-cytotoxic lymphocytes (CD8+CD29+; P<0.005). However, exercise-induced increases in leukocyte numbers were enhanced following propranolol treatment (P<0.04). In contrast to the effect on the numbers of adhesion-molecule-bearing cells, there was only a modest effect of propranolol on stress-induced alterations of the density of CD62L, CD54 and CD11a. In this study, propranolol treatment interfered with the adrenergic regulation of circulating leukocyte numbers by blunting psychological stress effects but enhancing exercise effects. Propranolol affected the cell activation status to a lesser extent, as reflected by the density of adhesion molecules.
S-R and R-S acquisition as a function of meaningfulness

The acquisition of the components of paired-associate learning was examined in relation to the two-stage model of Underwood and Schulz and the symmetry model of Asch and Ebenholtz. Paired-associate learning was considered to include four components: forward association, backward association, stimulus learning, and response learning. Learning of paired-associate material was hypothesized to be a function of the meaningfulness of the material. Components should be learned differently with high and low meaningful material. It was concluded that the Underwood and Schulz two-stage model of paired-associate learning is appropriate primarily for the learning of low meaningful material, whereas the symmetry model of Asch and Ebenholtz more accurately describes the learning of high meaningful material.
The existence of extremal self-dual [50,25,10] codes and quasi-symmetric 2-(49,9,6) designs

All extremal binary self-dual [50,25,10] codes with an automorphism of order 7 are enumerated. Up to equivalence, there are four such codes, three with full automorphism group of order 21, and one code with full group of order 7. The minimum weight codewords yield quasi-symmetric 2-(49,9,6) designs.
ANTIBODY MEDIATED ENHANCEMENT (AME) OF RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS (RSV) INFECTION IN A MACROPHAGE-LIKE CELL LINE (P388D1)

RSV bronchiolitis occurs in infants <6mos of age in the presence of maternally acquired antibody (Ab). A killed-RSV vaccine also produced serum Ab responses but recipients developed severe disease with subsequent natural RSV infection. To determine if anti-RSV Ab might contribute to the disease's pathogenesis, P388D1 cells were infected in vitro with RSV at a MOI of 0.025 in the presence of serial 4-fold dilutions of monoclonal (me) Ab to the fusion (F), glycoprotein (G), or nucleocapsid (NC) proteins of RSV. Cells were washed after 2hr of viral adsorption and every 24h for 48h. At 48h cells were stained with a fluorescent Ab to RSV and the percent of RSV-positive cells was determined using a FACS-analyzer with Consort 30 software. Supernatants were tested for infectious virus production by plaque assay on HEp-2 monolayers. Data were analyzed by comparing Ab-treated cells with cells infected with no anti-RSV Ab present. AME was demonstrated at dilutions of 1:800 to 1:25,600 for anti-F and anti-G Ab treated cells by FACS analysis. (Anti-F:8.3-9.8% (+) vs 3.1% (+) in RSV-only, p<0.01; anti-G:26.0-40.6% (+) vs 11.8% (+) in RSV-only, p<0.01.) Maximal infectious virus production at 48h was increased by ≥ 1 log. (Anti-F at 1:6400=2.4×104 PFU/ml vs 1.9×103 for RSV only; anti-G at 1:400=2.2×103 PFU/ml vs 2.1×102 for RSV only) Cells treated with anti-NC Ab or an irrelevant me Ab at the same dilutions showed no significant AME. This model suggests a possible role for AME in the pathogenesis of in vivo disease.
Photoinduced free-carrier absorption in microcrystalline silicon

Abstract Photoinduced absorption was observed in microcrystalline Si:H. The wavelength dependence was fit well by λγ with γ between 1.5 and 1.8 indicating absorption by free carriers. The induced absorption was much stronger than in single crystal Si; it decreased exponentially with temperature; and increased sublinearly with excitation intensity. These observations are interpreted in terms of a model in which the observed free-carrier absorption occurs in the grains but the recombination process is governed by the amorphous matrix.
Coherence of the contents and the transmission of probabilistic support

This paper examines how coherence of the contents of evidence affects the transmission of probabilistic support from the evidence to the hypothesis. It is argued that coherence of the contents in the sense of the ratio of the positive intersection reduces the transmission of probabilistic support, though this negative impact of coherence may be offset by other aspects of the relations among the contents. It is argued further that there is no broader conception of coherence whose impact on the transmission of probabilistic support is never offset by other aspects of the relations among the contents. The paper also examines reasons for the contrary impression that coherence of the contents increases the transmission of probabilistic support, especially in the special case where the hypothesis to evaluate is the conjunction of the contents of evidence.
High frequency microwave on-chip inductors using increased ferromagnetic resonance frequency of magnetic films

The fabrication and characterization of high frequency on-chip inductors using sputtered magnetic films with an improved frequency range is presented. Reducing the sputtering power in the deposition process was found to result in smoother film surfaces and stronger uniaxial magnetic anisotropy and increased the FMR of CoZrTaB from 1.48 GHz to 2.13 GHz. A magnetic-core, on-chip inductor was fabricated using the CoZrTaB films. Results have shown 150% higher inductance and a larger Q-factor up to 1.2 GHz as compared to an air-core inductor.
Calculation of reactor accident safety goals

Abstract The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission is in the process of developing safety goals for the operation of nuclear power plants. At present, two safety goals (individual early fatality risk and individual latent cancer fatality risk) and three quantitative risk goals (severe accident frequency, conditional probability of containment failure and large release frequency) are emerging from this development. Each of these goals requires that the expected value for a quantity be less than a specified value, where the expectation is calculated over imprecisely known parameters required in the analysis. This presentation provides a description of the calculations involved in the determination of these goals, including uncertainty analysis, sensitivity analysis and estimation of expected values. Results obtained in a probabilistic risk assessment performed for internally initiated accidents at the Surry Nuclear Power Station as part of the NUREG-1150 analyses are used for illustration.
Commutator of gauge generators in non-abelian chiral theory☆

Abstract Commutators among non-abelian fermion currents are calculated using the BJL limit. The relation between the covariant seagull and the gauge dependence of the fermion current is derived for a canonical non-abelian theory using the path integral formulation. We observe that in a non-abelian theory with coupling to chiral fermions this relation is violated and this produces a non-trivial commutator of gauge group generators.
Evidence-linked, clinical practice guidelines—getting serious; getting professional

Evidence based medicine (EBM) clinical practice guidelines are rapidly evolving into very important tools for improving patient care quality, improving patient clinical outcomes, smoothing out unexplained variation in care between providers, institutions, and geographic regions, as well as reducing cost of health care delivery. This special issue of the Journal of Neuro-Oncology presents the results of the first effort by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) and the Joint Tumor Section (AANS/ CNS) to contract with an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)—funded Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) to produce multidisciplinary evidence-linked clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of a condition that neurosurgery shares in common with many other medical specialties. This collaboration resulted in the methodologically highest quality EBM guidelines for the treatment of patients with metastatic brain yet produced, completed within 12 months of initiation, and published within 16 months of initiation. Why guidelines? Given the seemingly exponential increase in the annual volume of peer review literature, coupled with the significant time pressure associated with clinical practice, it is becoming increasingly unlikely that any one practitioner can keep current regarding all published evidence related to their specialty, no matter how much they sub-specialize. EBM clinical practice guidelines can help by providing a starting point where a systematic evidence review up to one point in time leads to practice recommendations supported by best-evidence-to-date formulated by a multidisciplinary panel of relevant specialty experts.
Matrices in Engineering

IT IS THE purpose of this paper to develop in a concise and simple manner the theory of matrix algebra from the foundations, and to emphasize the use of this powerful method in engineering problems. It appears not to be a well-known fact among engineers that the matrix is not only a convenient notation that summarizes in a natural and convenient form whole groups of operations but that it is actually possible to solve the sets of differential or algebraic equations written in matrix form in a most convenient manner. The method by which this is done is one of the utmost simplicity but makes use of some fundamental theorems on matrices not usually found in texts. The theory is scattered throughout the mathematical literature. It has, therefore, been considered worth while in the interest of unity and simplicity to build the subject from the foundations. It thus requires no previous knowledge of matrix algebra for the understanding of this paper. The recent work of Kron, Sah, and others using the notation of tensors and dyadics in studying the behavior of circuits and machinery suggests the power and flexibility of more advanced mathematical methods in expressing the behavior of physical systems. A perusal of this paper will illustrate that the matrix appears to be a natural tool to employ in the solution of certain classes of problems.
Solution of State Equations in Terms of Separated Modes with Applications to Synchronous Machines

Using a special linear transformation, a linear time invariant state model can be changed into a new form defined as the separated mode model. As this transformation is repeated, the state model tends to be separated into two decoupled or independent parts. Each of them is a lower dimensional state model. The solutions of the two are the fast and slow components of the original state model respectively. Applying this approach to induction and synchronous machines, new linearized reduced order models are obtained. Computation results have shown that the new models have lower dimension and higher accuracy than the common one which neglects stator transients (p? terms).
Directional accuracy tests of long-term interest rate forecasts

Abstract The one-year forecasts for long-term interest rates issued by The Wall Street Journal ’s panel of economic forecasters are tested for directional accuracy. A binomial test reveals that few of the forecasters correctly predicted the direction of change in long-term interest rates so well that pure chance could be rejected, at a five percent significance level, as the source of their success. However, the pooled directional accuracy outcome for the panel as a whole was significant at five percent. The Henriksson–Merton and Pesaran–Timmermann tests for forecast value show that the pooled forecasts would be of value to a user. A chi-square goodness-of-fit test reveals no statistically significant difference between the abilities of business economists and academic economists to predict correctly the direction of change in long-term interest rates.
Plant response to Los Angeles Aqueduct construction in the Mojave Desert.

Construction of the 1913 Los Angeles aqueduct system had a different effect on vegetation productivity, diversity, and stability in the Mojave Desert than did construction of the 1970 aqueduct. Drastic disturbance was found to impede vegetation recovery, whereas slight disturbance sometimes enhanced vegetation. Comparisons of productivity, diversity, and stability measures for both aqueducts show apparent similarities of vegetation cover, biomass, and density. However, these similarities often vanish when one considers qualitative factors, such as proportion of long-lived species and typical cominants of undisturbed communities. Percentage composition of common long-lived perennials represents a good qualitative measure to supplement quantitative comparisons. Enhancement of vegetation along the right-of-way transects of the 1913 aqueduct shows considerable recovery, owing to the more than 65 years that have passed since construction.
Rate-distortion optimization for compressive video sampling

The recently introduced compressed sensing (CS) framework enables low complexity video acquisition via sub- Nyquist rate sampling. In practice, the resulting CS samples are quantized and indexed by finitely many bits (bit-depth) for transmission. In applications where the bit-budget for video transmission is constrained, rate- distortion optimization (RDO) is essential for quality video reconstruction. In this work, we develop a double-level RDO scheme for compressive video sampling, where frame-level RDO is performed by adaptively allocating the fixed bit-budget per frame to each video block based on block-sparsity, and block-level RDO is performed by modelling the block reconstruction peak-signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) as a quadratic function of quantization bit-depth. The optimal bit-depth and the number of CS samples are then obtained by setting the first derivative of the function to zero. In the experimental studies the model parameters are initialized with a small set of training data, which are then updated with local information in the model testing stage. Simulation results presented herein show that the proposed double-level RDO significantly enhances the reconstruction quality for a bit-budget constrained CS video transmission system.
Dynamic studies of crystal growth using the AFM

Recent advances in AFM technology allow direct observation of solution growth and dissolution (etching) processes important in industry and nature, and direct tests of crystal growth models. We present results of studies of calcite and quartz, including real-time, in situ observations. While both crystals experience layer growth/dissolution, calcite grows by direct addition of material to growth steps without an important contribution from surface diffusion; quartz surfaces are consistent with more traditional, BCF-type growth models. Dynamic AFM observations of growth processes may allow optimization of industrial systems.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Pretreatment of lacerations with lidocaine, epinephrine, and tetracaine at triage: a randomized double-blind trial.

Objective: Pretreatment of lacerations with topical anesthetics reduces the pain of subse- quent anesthetic injection yet requires time. This study was conducted to determine the ability of triage nurses to identify lacerations necessitating closure and pretreat them with a topical anesthetic and to compare the pain levels of lidocaine injection in lac- erations pretreated with LET (lidocaine 2%, epineph- rine 1:1,000, tetracaine 2%) vs a placebo. Methods: This was a double-blind, randomized clinical trial that included consecutive emergency department pa- tients aged $ 1 year with clean, non-bite lacerations # 6 hours old. At triage the lacerations were random- ized to LET solution or a placebo containing epineph- rine 1:1,000. At examination an emergency practi- tioner assessed the laceration edges for the presence of blanching and adequacy of anesthesia to a 27- gauge needlestick. At the practitioner's discretion, supplemental lidocaine was infiltrated through the wound and the patient (or guardian) recorded the pain of infiltration on a 100-mm visual analog scale marked ''most pain'' at the high end. The mean levels of pain of lidocaine infiltration were compared be- tween groups with a t-test and the proportions of ad- equately anesthetized wounds were compared with a x 2 test. A sample of 40 patients had 80% power to detect a 20-mm between-group difference in the pain of injection (a = 0.05). Results: Of 43 patients en- rolled (mostly children and males), 22 received LET and 21 placebo. The groups were similar for baseline characteristics. Lacerations in the LET group were more frequently adequately anesthetized (46% vs 14%, p = 0.03), and LET patients experienced less pain from injection than controls (22 mm vs 42 mm, p = 0.02). Conclusions: Application of LET by triage nurses is more effective than placebo in adequately anesthetizing simple lacerations in normal hosts and decreases the pain of local anesthetic infiltration. Key words: lacerations; local anesthesia; lidocaine, tetra- caine, and epinephrine. ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2000; 7:751-756
Catalysis of hydrolysis of a phosphate diester by mono- and dinuclear macrocyclic zinc(II) complexes

Abstract The macrocyclic ligand 3,6,9,17,20,23-hexaazatricyclo[23.3.1.1 11,15 ]-triaconta-1, 11, 13, 15, 25, 27-hexaene (BMXD) forms a variety of mononuclear and dinuclear zinc complexes in 75% ethanol. Monohydroxo complexes of both the mononuclear and dinuclear species form in solution. The ability of these monohydroxo complexes to catalyze the hydrolysis of bis(4-nitrophenyl) phosphate (BNP) was studied. The L–Zn–OH complex forms at a higher pH than does the dinuclear analog, and is more effective at hydrolyzing BNP than L–Zn 2 –OH. Mechanisms for the hydrolysis of BNP are proposed, exploring the coordination mode of the substrate and the nucleophilicity of the attacking hydroxide.
Design issues in the visual era

In art, "Design is composition. A design consists of parts arranged into a coherent whole." In computer science, "The design lays out the classes and objects needed in a program and defines how they interact." Are we not saying that software design is parts (classes and objects) arranged into a coherent whole? The paper looks at design principles as expressed in beginning courses in these two seemingly disparate disciplines. The majority of the paper is concerned with the presentation of a minimal working vocabulary for visual design issues. It concludes with some observations about the worldviews from computer science and from art, and the importance of making students aware of the worldview of the typical user of their products.
Resonant nonlinear susceptibility near the GaAs band gap.

We report new results on subpicosecond optical rectification near the semiconductor GaAs band gap at room temperature. We discriminate between radiation produced by real carriers and that produced by optical rectification by using normal and off-normal incident optical illumination. Under normal incident optial illumination of the 〈111〉 GaAs surface, the amplitude of the nonlinear susceptibility varies dramatically (2 orders of magnitude) and the sign of the susceptibility reverses when the photon energy is tuned above the band gap. This resonance enhancement and the sign reversal are explained by the dispersion of the second-order nonlinear susceptibility at the band gap.
Courage Under Siege: Starvation, disease, and death in the Warsaw Ghetto

(1994). Courage Under Siege: Starvation, disease, and death in the Warsaw Ghetto. History of European Ideas: Vol. 18, No. 6, pp. 949-950.
Photo-crosslinked alginate hydrogels support enhanced matrix accumulation by nucleus pulposus cells in vivo.

Summary Objective Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration is a major health concern in the United States. Replacement of the nucleus pulposus (NP) with injectable biomaterials represents a potential treatment strategy for IVD degeneration. The objective of this study was to characterize the extracellular matrix (ECM) assembly and functional properties of NP cell-encapsulated, photo-crosslinked alginate hydrogels in comparison to ionically crosslinked alginate constructs. Methods Methacrylated alginate was synthesized by esterification of hydroxyl groups with methacrylic anhydride. Bovine NP cells were encapsulated in alginate hydrogels by ionic crosslinking using CaCl 2 or through photo-crosslinking upon exposure to long-wave UV light in the presence of a photoinitiator. The hydrogels were evaluated in vitro by gross and histological analysis and in vivo using a murine subcutaneous pouch model. In vivo samples were analyzed for gene expression, ECM localization and accumulation, and equilibrium mechanical properties. Results Ionically crosslinked hydrogels exhibited inferior proteoglycan accumulation in vitro and were unable to maintain structural integrity in vivo . In further studies, photo-crosslinked alginate hydrogels were implanted for up to 8 weeks to examine NP tissue formation. Photo-crosslinked hydrogels displayed temporal increases in gene expression and assembly of type II collagen and proteoglycans. Additionally, hydrogels remained intact over the duration of the study and the equilibrium Young's modulus increased from 1.24±0.09kPa to 4.31±1.39kPa, indicating the formation of functional matrix with properties comparable to those of the native NP. Conclusions These findings support the use of photo-crosslinked alginate hydrogels as biomaterial scaffolds for NP replacement.
Correlations of dietary patterns with prostate health

Both genetic and environmental influences may be involved in etiology of prostate health and prostate cancer. These include ethnic origin, family history, smoking, and diet. Adiposity and excess energy intake are potentially distinct risk factors and positive associations with prostate cancer risk for both were observed among case-control and cohort studies. Some epidemiological studies support an association between dietary fat, particularly saturated or animal fats, and prostate cancer risk. Of these, several suggest reduced risk with low-fat diets high in n-3 fatty acids and increased risk with high-fat diets rich in n-6 fatty acids. Others suggested association with higher meat intake, possibly due to heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, produced during grilling or frying. Positive association of prostate cancer risk with dairy intake could involve α-methylacyl-CoA racemase activity (required for β-oxidation of phytanic acid present in dairy products and red meat) or the suppression of vitamin D activity by calcium. Inverse associations were observed with dietary intake of plant foods. These include cereals, soy products, and fruit and vegetable sources of carotenoids. Numerous plant constituents may act synergistically in the prevention and inhibition of prostate disorders. These diet-risk associations may lead to future individualized diet recommendations based upon genetic polymorphisms.
Ureteroscopy for the management of stone disease.

Ureteroscopy is the first-line treatment for urinary stone disease at many institutions. Techniques and indications continue to evolve. This Review covers the most current trends, controversies, and issues in ureteroscopic stone management. It summarizes the most recent evidence regarding ureteroscopic treatment of ureteral and renal stones, current standard indications, adjunct devices and instruments used during ureteroscopy, and future directions. Ureteroscopy is the first-line treatment for urinary stone disease at many institutions. Techniques and indications continue to evolve. This Review covers the most current trends, controversies, and issues in ureteroscopic stone management. We present a summary of the most recent evidence regarding ureteroscopic treatment of ureteral and renal stones, current standard indications, adjunct devices and instruments used during ureteroscopy, and future directions.
Neutron Activation Studies of the Roanoke River System

A study of an unusually compact and well defined river system containing many environmental factors leading to water pollution has been carried out by neutron activation analysis. Detailed baseline measurements of the levels of sodium, chlorine, magnesium, manganese, calcium, strontium, and aluminum were made and tests made above and below major effluent sources.
Using Facebook as an Informal Learning Environment

Objective. To create, implement, and assess the effectiveness of an optional Facebook activity intended to expose students to contemporary business issues not covered in the core content of a pharmacy management and leadership course and to perspectives of experts and thought leaders external to their university. Design. An informal learning strategy was used to create a Facebook group page and guest experts were identified and invited to submit posts pertaining to business-related topics. Students were given instructions for joining the Facebook group but informed that participation was optional. Assessment. A mixed-methods approach using a student questionnaire, results on examination questions, and a student focus group was used to assess this activity. The informal design with no posting guidelines and no participation requirement was well received by students, who appreciated the unique learning environment and exposure to external experts. Conclusions. Facebook provides an informal learning environment for presenting contemporary topics and the thoughts of guest experts not affiliated with a college or school, thereby exposing students to relevant “real world” issues.
Using GFP to image peptide hormone and neuropeptide release in vitro and in vivo.

Traditionally, peptide secretion by endocrine cells and neurons was studied by measuring changes in release in response to experimental perturbations. Now it is possible to directly view dense core vesicles (DCVs), secretory apparatus proteins and individual exocytotic events by imaging fluorescent proteins in living cells. Fundmental insights into peptide release by cultured cells have been made with wide field, confocal and total internal reflection (also called evanescent wave) microscopes. Researchers have also used a variety of fluorescent protein constructs that vary in spectra, pH sensitivity, inducibility, and age dependence. Most recently, these approaches have been applied to transgenic animals so that hormone and neuropeptide release can be studied in vivo.
Development of the switched capacitor bank controller for independent phase switching on the electric distribution system

Alabama Power Company has an ongoing program to improve the voltage profile of the 115 kV transmission system. This program includes the installation of a large number of distribution line capacitors. Initially, the distribution line capacitors were installed in the traditional fashion as fixed installations. However, with the wide spread deployment of Distribution Automation, consideration was given to switch the distribution capacitor installations to dynamically meet the electric distribution system's reactive load requirements, while supporting the 115 kV transmission system. Since the beginning of the Distribution Automation project, the distribution line has been monitored on a per phase basis with the deployment of each Distribution Automation device. This deployment strategy clearly demonstrated the dynamics and independent operation of the individual phases in the distribution line. This paper describes the development of the switched capacitor controller for application on the electric distribution system at Alabama Power Company. The development and operation of the switching algorithm will be reviewed. The packaging solution includes running the switching algorithm in the polemounted Remote Terminal Unit to facilitate one enclosure on the pole. The switching of the capacitors on a per phase basis is reviewed with closing being performed on zero voltage crossing and opening being performed on zero current crossing to minimize the impact and disturbance on the electric distribution system. The switched capacitor banks are monitored and controlled by the distribution system operator using the Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) technology that has been installed for Distribution Automation. The effect and impact on power quality is briefly discussed.
Syntheses and Structures of Two New Cu/Nb/pyrazine Complexes: Three dimensional CuNb(pyz)2OF5 · (pyz)(H2O) and two dimensional [Cu(pyz)2.5]+ [NbF6]− · (pyz)†

Crystals of CuNb(pyz)2OF5 · (pyz)(H2O) (1) and [Cu(pyz)2.5]+ [NbF6]− · (pyz) (2) were grown (150°C and autogeneous pressures) from CuO, 1/2(Nb2O5), (HF)x · pyridine, and H2O in excess pyrazine. Light blue single crystals of (1) are orthorhombic, crystallizing in space group Cccm (No. 66), with a = 14.547(1) A, b = 16.135(2) A, c = 13.803(2) A, and Z = 8. The structure of (1) contains corner shared [Cu(pyz)4/2F2/2]+, [Cu(pyz)4/2O2/2], and [NbF4O1/2F1/2]−0.5 octahedra. Orange crystals of (2) are monoclinic, crystallizing in space group C2/c (No. 15), with a = 11.792(8) A, b = 17.123(3) A, c = 17.051(5) A, β = 90.04(4)°, and Z = 8. The structure of (2) contains puckered rings of corner shared [Cu(pyz)(pyz)3/2]+ tetrahedra and isolated [NbF6]− anions within the rings. Synthesen und Strukturen von zwei neuen Kupfer-Niob-Pyrazin-Komplexen: Dreidimensionales CuNb(pyz)2OF5 · (pyz)(H2O) und zweidimensionales [Cu(pyz)2,5]+ [NbF6]− · (pyz) Kristalle von CuNb(pyz)2OF5 · (pyz)(H2O) (1) und [Cu(pyz)2,5]+ [NbF6]− · (pyz) (2) wurden aus CuO, 1/2(Nb2O5), (HF)x · Pyridin und H2O in einem Uberschus von Pyrazin gezuchtet (150°C und autogener Druck). Die hellblauen Kristalle von (1) sind orthorhombisch, Raumgruppe Cccm (Nr. 66), with a = 14,547(1) A, b = 16,135(2) A, c = 13,803(2) A, und Z = 8. Die Struktur von (1) besteht aus eckenverknupften [Cu(pyz)4/2F2/2]+-, [Cu(pyz)4/2O2/2]- und [NbF4O1/2F1/2]−0,5-Octaedern. Die orangen Kristalle von (2) sind monoklin, Raumgruppe C2/c (Nr. 15), a = 11,792(8) A, b = 17,123(3) A, c = 17,051(5) A, β = 90,04(4)°, Z = 8. Die Struktur von (2) besteht aus gefalteten Ringen von eckenverknupften [Cu(pyz)(pyz)3/2]+-Tetraedern und isolierten [NbF6]−-Anionen in den Ringen.
Laminar premixed flame response to equivalence ratio oscillations

Self-excited oscillations in low emission, premixed combustion systems are often caused by feedback between unsteady heat release rates and reactive mixture equivalence ratio perturbations. This paper presents an analysis of the flame response to equivalence ratio perturbations, showing that the heat release response is controlled by the superposition of three disturbances: heat of reaction, flame speed, and flame area. The first two disturbances are directly generated by equivalence ratio oscillations. The third is indirect, as it is generated by the flame speed fluctuations. Heat of reaction disturbances dominate the flame response at low Strouhal numbers, roughly defined as (frequency × flame length)/(axial flow velocity). All three disturbances play equal roles at Strouhal numbers of O(1). In addition, the mean equivalence ratio exerts little effect upon this transfer function at low Strouhal numbers. At O(1) Strouhal numbers, the flame response increases with decreasing values of the mean equivalence ratio. Thus, this result is in partial agreement with heuristic arguments made in prior studies that the flame response to equivalence ratio oscillations increases as the mixture becomes leaner. In addition, results are derived for the sensitivities of this transfer function to uncertainties in mean flame position; i.e., a sensitivity of 2 implies that a 5% uncertainty in flame position translates into a 10% uncertainty in transfer function. It is shown that this sensitivity is generally of O(1) at low Strouhal numbers, grows with increasing Strouhal numbers, and reaches a maximum value of O(10) for high Strouhal numbers.
Molecular Diagnosis of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Colonization

Trouillet-Assant et al. (1) described the difficulties in developing a molecular methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) screening assay. Cocolonization with methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococcus (MRCoNS) led to false-positive results in thefirst-generation assays (multiplex assays targeting the mecA gene and a S. aureusspecific gene). Likewise, drop-out mutants contributed to falsepositive results in the second-generation assays (multiplex assays that target orfX-staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec element [SCCmec] junction sequences). For this reason, third-generation assays were developed (multiplex assays that target mecA/mecC genes, orfX-SCCmec junction sequences, and a S. aureus-specific gene). A false-positive reaction can still occur in the presence of a MRCoNS strain but only if the MSSA strain is a drop-out mutant. The frequencyofdrop-outmutantsisvariable,reportedfrom4.5%(2)toas high as 12.5% (3). Recognizing that the prevalence of drop-out mutants can be influenced by clonal spread, it would still be useful for Trouillet-Assantetal.toreportthefrequencyofdrop-outmutantsin their patient populations, as well as the frequency of false-positive molecular assays caused by the presence of MRCoNS.
Urea utilization by lactating cows.

Abstract Efficiency of urea nitrogen utilization was determined in 6-day total collection digestibility and nitrogen retention trials conducted at three stages of lactation with four cows per diet in two trials. The cows had been fed their respective diets for an average of 1 yr (Trial 1) or 2 yr (Trial 2) prior to the study. Diets contained three percents urea of dietary nitrogen: 0 (control), 28 to 30 (low urea), and 40 to 45 (high urea). Corn silage was the only roughage offered. In Trial 1, the average daily absorbed nitrogen was greater for cows fed the high urea diet (203g) than for cows offered the low urea (172g) or the control (145g) diets; this was attributed to greater nitrogen intake. Average daily urinary nitrogen excretion of cows increased as quantity of urea in the diet increased: control, 76g; low urea, 113g; and high urea, 152g. Higher urinary excretion of nitrogen by cows fed urea diets was associated with lower productive nitrogen in midlactation (38g) and dry period (19g) but not in early lactation (107g). Apparent and true digestibility of protein was greater for the high urea diet (66.3%, 84.85%) than for the control (58.9%, 81.6%) or low urea (61.4%, 82.1%) diets. In Trial 2, absorbed nitrogen and productive nitrogen were not significantly affected by source of dietary nitrogen, but average daily urinary nitrogen excretion was greater for cows fed the high urea diet (121g) than for cows fed the control diet (97g). Differences among diets were not significant for apparent or true digestibility of protein. Dry matter, organic matter, and nitrogen-free extract digestibility of the control diet was greater than for other diets. Urea was effective as a partial substitute for dietary nitrogen protein in lactating cows fed urea daily for 2 to 3 yr. However, urea nitrogen was utilized less efficiently than nitrogen from soybean meal.
Airborne emissions of mercury from municipal solid waste. I: new measurements from six operating landfills in Florida.

Mercury-bearing material enters municipal landfills from a wide array of sources, including fluorescent lights, batteries, electrical switches, thermometers, and general waste; however, the fate of mercury (Hg) in landfills has not been widely studied. Using automated flux chambers and downwind atmospheric sampling, we quantified the primary pathways of Hg vapor releases to the atmosphere at six municipal landfill operations in Florida. These pathways included landfill gas (LFG) releases from active vent systems, passive emissions from landfill surface covers, and emissions from daily activities at each working face (WF). We spiked the WF at two sites with known Hg sources; these were readily detected downwind, and were used to test our emission modeling approaches. Gaseous elemental mercury (Hg 0 ) was released to the atmosphere at readily detectable rates from all sources measured; rates ranged from 1‐10 ng m 2 hr 1 over aged landfill cover, from 8‐20 mg/hr from LFG flares (LFG included Hg 0 at g/m 3 concentrations), and from 200‐400 mg/hr at the WF. These fluxes exceed our earlier published estimates. Attempts to identify specific Hg sources in excavated and sorted waste indicated few readily identifiable sources; because of effective mixing and diffusion of Hg 0 , the entire waste mass acts as a source. We estimate that atmospheric Hg releases from municipal landfill operations in the state of Florida are on the order of 10‐50 kg/yr, substantially larger than our original estimates, but still a small fraction of current overall anthropogenic losses.
Arthroscopic Treatment of Multidirectional Shoulder Instability With Minimum 270° Labral Repair: Minimum 2-Year Follow-up

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze results of arthroscopic stabilization with labral repair in a subset of patients with multidirectional shoulder instability and frank labral tear. Methods: A review of 13 patients (10 male and 3 female; mean age, 27.2 years) with multidirectional instability involving a labral tear of 270° or greater requiring arthroscopic labral repair was performed at a mean follow-up of 56 months (range, 29 to 72 months). All patients were evaluated by use of the Short Form 12, Western Ontario Shoulder Instability Index, Simple Shoulder Test, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score, and visual analog pain scale. Physical examination included range of motion, strength testing, and stability testing. Results: Of the 13 patients, 2 (15%) had recurrent instability after repair (subluxation or dislocation). Of the patients, 9 (69%) were completely satisfied, 2 (15%) were mostly satisfied, and 2 (15%) were completely unsatisfied. At final follow-up, the median scores were as follows: Western Ontario Shoulder Instability Index, 471; American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score, 96.7; Simple Shoulder Test score, 12; visual analog pain scale, 0; and Short Form 12 mental component/physical component, 57/44. There were no differences in range of motion compared with the opposite extremity. Cybex strength testing (Lumex, Ronkonkoma, NY) did show a statistically different difference in forward elevation (P .005). There were no complications, and no patient has undergone reoperation. Conclusions: Arthroscopic stabilization with labral repair in patients with multidirectional instability and a minimum 270° labral pathology provided good results (85%) in terms of pain relief and clinical stability at a minimum 2-year follow-up. Level of Evidence: Level IV, retrospective case series.
Region-of-interest based rate control for low-bit-rate video conferencing

We present a region of interest (ROI) based rate control for H.263 compatible video conferencing. A face detection and tracking scheme with very low complexity is proposed for segmentation. By analyzing quadratic rate models in frame layer, video object plane (VOP) layer, and macroblock (MB) layer extracted from the test data, a quadratic rate model at the MB layer with a modified physical meaning is proposed to improve the model accuracy. The basic idea is to use a group of uncoded MBs in the current VOP instead of individual MBs to update model parameters. A joint VOP layer and MB layer rate control algorithm is proposed. The VOP layer rate control assigns target bit rate for each VOP based on the coding complexity and visual importance, and determines an average quantization parameter (QP) for each VOP. Some new features of MB layer rate control are designed to utilize both average statistics of a VOP and individual statistics of MB together. The performance is compared with conventional TMN8 and object-based VM8 rate control, better peak SNR (PSNR) for ROI, and more accurate rate control can be achieved for various video sequences. The proposed rate control algorithm can be extended for H.264 ROI-based scalable video coding.
Soil minerals and humic acids alter enzyme stability: implications for ecosystem processes

In most ecosystems, the degradation of complex organic material depends on extracellu- lar enzymes produced by microbes. These en- zymes can exist in bound or free form within the soil, but the dynamics of these different enzyme pools remain uncertain. To address this uncer- tainty, I determined rates of enzyme turnover in a volcanic soil with and without added enzymes. I also tested whether or not soil minerals and hu- mic acids would alter enzyme activity. In soils that were gamma-irradiated to stop enzyme produc- tion, 35-70% of the enzyme activity was stable throughout the 21-day incubation. The remaining enzyme fraction decayed at rates ranging from - 0.032 to - 0.628 day -1 . In both the irradiated soils and in soils with added enzymes, addition of the mineral allophane had a strong positive effect on most enzyme activities. Another added mineral, ferrihydrite, had a weak positive effect on some enzymes. Added humic acids strongly inhibited enzyme activity. These findings suggest that minerals, especially allophane, enhance potential enzyme activities in young volcanic soils. How- ever, the actual activity and function of these enzymes may be low under field conditions if stabilization results in less efficient enzyme-sub- strate interactions. If this is the case, then much of the measured enzyme activity in bulk soil may be stabilized but unlikely to contribute greatly to ecosystem processes.
Thermal Ablation of Perfused Porcine Left Ventricle In Vitro with the Neodymium-YAG Laser Hot Tip Catheter System

Catheter ablation in the treatment of arrhythmias has been limited by the small lesion size achievable with a radiofrequency energy source. The feasibility of catheter ablation with a neodymium-yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd-YAG) laser hot tip catheter was tested because of the capability of achieving a high catheter-tissue contact temperature, which should result in a larger lesion. In a model of isolated perfused pig hearts, 77 endocardial lesions were produced with powers of 1 to 10 watts and peak measured temperatures of 40 degrees to 318 degrees C. Lesion size correlated with power and temperature, but the correlations were poor. High temperature lesions resulted in significant intramyocardial catheter penetration and only marginal increased lesion width. Catheter ablation with a Nd-YAG laser hot tip catheter is feasible, but carries a risk of perforation at high powers. High temperatures result in tissue dessication with a resultant fall in thermal conductivity that limits the radius of thermal injury and overall lesion size.
Interaction of an air plasma layer covering a conducting surface with microwaves

Summary form only given, as follows. Due to their extremely high collision frequency (THz), atmospheric pressure plasmas interact with electromagnetic waves, in a quite different fashion than low pressure plasmas. In this paper, we study the attenuation, reflection, total scattering, and backscattering of microwaves, by a uniform, steady-state sheet of air plasma, covering a conducting surface. The effect of parameters such as the plasma number density, sheet thickness, wave frequency and polarization, will investigated.