cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
How alginate monomers contribute to organic fouling on polyamide membrane surfaces

Abstract Organic fouling of polyamide membrane surfaces with alginate molecules in an aqueous solution is studied through computer molecular simulations. Here, we focus on the molecular binding properties of β- d -mannuronic acid (M) and α- l -guluronic acid (G) alginate monomers on a polyamide membrane surface. Free energy calculations show that M alginate monomers exhibit significant hydrophobic attractions with certain types of benzene ring units in a polyamide chain, though such hydrophobic interactions are not as strong as the ionic bridge binding between the M monomer and the carboxylate group on a polyamide membrane surface. This is in contrast to the fouling behavior of G alginate monomers to which such hydrophobic interactions with a membrane surface do not exist, and the organic fouling is largely attributed to the ionic bridge binding between the G monomer and polyamide carboxylate groups mediated by divalent metal ions. Molecular dynamics simulations of different alginate oligomers near a polyamide surface show that hydrophobic interactions between the M-containing oligomers and polyamide membrane surface result in a much shorter pathway of fouling than that of pure G-oligomers. These hydrophobic interactions, together with the mobility of M monomers on a polyamide chain surface, further reduce the docking time of M-containing oligomers compared to pure G-oligomers, and thus enhance the surface fouling.
Introduction to ““Slave-Like Conditions”: Abuse of Foreign Workers in Canada”

A defining characteristic of precarious employment is its temporary nature which includes seasonal workers, day laborers, temporary workers, freelancers, independent contractors, selfemployed workers and interns. In order to describe the growing number of people who engage in such unstable employment which often pays insufficient wages and exposes workers to extremely harsh working conditions, the French scholar Pierre Bourdieu in 1998 coined the term, the precariat, a combination of Bprecarious^ and Bproletariat.^ More recently, the precariat has been popularized by Dr. Guy Standing, a Professor of Development Studies at the University of London,in two books, The Precariat: The Dangerous New Class (2011) and A Precariat Charter: From Denizens to Citizens (2014). According to Standing, the precariat emerged in the 1980s with the occurrence of economic liberalization in many of the rich, industrialized nations. During this decade, these advanced economies became open to competition from other market economies that were undergoing significant development. This led to an additional 1.5 billion workers from low-income countries becoming part of the global work force who were willing to work for a small portion of the wages commanded by U.S. and European workers at the time. In this well-written and timely article, Dr. Jeffrey Shantz, who teaches criminology at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Vancouver, Canada, examines one segment of the Canadian precariat, specifically migrant foreign workers. The author focuses much of his discussion on the mistreatment of two groups of workers: those who were employed at the Khaira tree planting camp in British Columbia as well as those who worked for McDonald’s in Edmonton. Although Shantz acknowledges that migrant foreign workers can obtain a degree of justice from human rights tribunals and Bmass media investigations,^ Shantz concludes that a better solution for remediating these workers’ problems would be unionization. To date, however, as Shantz points out, the Canadian unions and union federations have shown little interest in organizing such workers. Employ Respons Rights J (2015) 27:231–232 DOI 10.1007/s10672-015-9263-8
Intensity Dependent Absorption and Laser Induced Catastrophic Damage in Diamond Turned and Mechanically Polished Cu Mirrors at 1.06 μm

Intensity dependent absorption and multiple pulse induced failure of mechanically polished and diamond turned Cu mirrors were investigated at 1.06 μm. A Q-switched single longitudinal and single transverse mode Nd:YAG laser operating at 10 Hz was the irradiation source in the experiments. Repetitively pulsed calorimetry was used to measure the absorption and to record the onset of the multiple pulse-induced failure at high intensities. The absorptance was found to increase with increasing intensity. The change was compared to that predicted by the Drude model where the increase in absorptance is related to temperature. A spot size dependence of the laser damage intensities was observed which is suggestive of the role of laser induced stresses in the failure process.
Clinical pharmacy services in hospitals educating pharmacy students

In 1995 we conducted a national survey of 1102 acute care hospitals in the United States to determine types of clinical pharmacy services, patient-focused care, and pharmaceutical care used to educate and train pharmacy students, and compared outcomes with surveys in 1989 and 1992. Clinical pharmacy services offered in 50% or more of Pharm.D.-affiliated hospitals (core services) were drug-use evaluation, in-service education, pharmacokinetic consultations, adverse drug reaction management, drug therapy monitoring, protocol management (most common for aminoglycosides, nutrition, antibiotics, heparin, warfarin, theophylline), nutrition team, and drug counseling. Comprehensive pharmaceutical care programs were established in 64%, 42%, and 33% of Pharm.D., B.S., and nonteaching hospitals, respectively. Patient-focused care programs were beginning or established in 77%, 71%, and 60%, respectively. Pharmacists served as care team leaders in 23% of hospitals affiliated with a college of pharmacy. Most common ambulatory care clinics were oncology, anticoagulation, diabetes, geriatrics, refill, and infectious diseases/HIV. For-profit hospitals rarely provided education for pharmacy students. Thus patient-focused and comprehensive pharmaceutical care programs exist according to a hospital's academic program affiliation with Pharm.D. or B.S. degree program.
Adaptive CPU Scheduling to Conserve Energy in Real-Time Mobile Graphics Applications

Graphics rendering on mobile devices is severely restricted by available battery energy. The frame rate of real-time graphics applications fluctuates due to continual changes in the LoD, visibility and distance of scene objects, user interactivity, complexity of lighting and animation, and many other factors. Such frame rate spikes waste precious battery energy. We introduce an adaptive CPU scheduler that predicts the applications workload from frame to frame and allocates just enough CPU cycles to render the scene at a target rate of 25 FPS. Since the applications workload needs to be re-estimated whenever the scenes LoD changes, we integrate our CPU scheduler with LoD management. To further save energy, we try to render scenes at the lowest LoD at which the user does not see visual artifacts on a given screen. Our integrated Energy-efficient Adaptive Real-time Rendering (EARR) heuristic reduces energy consumption by up to 60% while maintaining acceptable image quality at interactive frame rates.
Behavior and Design of Shingle Joints

THE BEHAVIOR OF SHINGLE-TYPE JOINTS IN THE WORKING LOAD RANGE AND IN THE NON-LINEAR RANGE WAS EXAMINED, AND EXISTING METHODS FOR DETERMINING THE APPROXIMATE DISTRIBUTION OF LOAD WERE COMPARED WITH THE EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM. THE CONCLUSIONS ARE AS FOLLOWS: (1) A325 BOLTS WERE CAPABLE OF SATISFACTORY BEHAVIOR AT ALLOWABLE SHEAR STRESSES UP TO 40% HIGHER THAN THOSE USED IN CURRENT PRACTICE. (2) AT HIGH A SUB N/A SUB S RATIOS, ONE-REGION BUTT JOINTS WERE PREDICTED TO BE MORE EFFICIENT THAN SHINGLE JOINTS WITH TWO AND THREE REGIONS. (3) THE TEST RESULTS CONFIRMED THE INDICATIONS OF PREVIOUS STUDIES THAT SLIP IN SHINGLE JOINTS TENDS TO BE LESS THAN THE HOLE CLEARANCE. (4) TWO DISTINCT TYPES OF BEHAVIOR IN THE NON-LINEAR RANGE WERE ENCOUNTERED. (5) IN THE 3-REGION JOINTS, THE TESTS SHOWED THAT A CONDITION CLOSE TO DOUBLE SHEAR OCCURRED IN THE FIRST REGION BUT THAT SINGLE SHEAR WAS MORE EVIDENT IN THE INTERIOR REGIONS. (6) THE LOAD DISTRIBUTED TO THE SPLICE PLATES AT THE POSITION OF A MAIN PLATE TERMINATION WAS MORE PROPORTIONAL TO THE AREA OF THE SPLICE PLATES AT THAT POINT THAN TO THE AREA OF THE MAIN PLATE BEING TERMINATED. (7) THE DISTRIBUTION OF LOAD 1 CAN BE MISLEADING FOR DESIGN, SINCE THE METHOD SUBSTANTIALLY UNDERESTIMATES THE LOAD CARRIED BY THE SPLICE PLATES FURTHEST FROM THE PLATE DISCONTINUITIES. (8) A REASONABLE APPROXIMATION OF THE LOAD PARTITION IN SHINGLE JOINTS CAN BE MADE BY ASSUMING THE FORCE IN ALL CONTINUOUS MEMBERS AT THE POSITION OF A MAIN PLATE TERMINATION TO BE PROPORTIONAL TO THEIR AREAS. (9) A MORE EXACT APPROXIMATION CAN BE MADE USING THE TWO-STAGE DISTRIBUTION, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE SUDDEN PICK-UP OF LOAD IN PLATES DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO A PLATE TERMINATION. /AUTHOR/
Biosynthesis of the Peptidoglycan of Bacterial Cell Walls II. PHOSPHOLIPID CARRIERS IN THE REACTION SEQUENCE

Evidence has been obtained that the biosynthesis of a peptidoglycan with particulate enzyme from Staphylococcus aureus or Micrococcus lysodeikticus proceeds by a cyclic mechanism involving two lipid intermediates, as follows (the abbreviation Mur stands for muramyl). UDP-MurNAc-pentapeptide + P-phospholipid ⇄ UMP + MurNAc(-pentapeptide)-P-P-phospholipid (1) UDP-GIc-NAc + MurNAc(-pentapeptide)-P-P-phospholipid ⇄ GlcNAc-MurNAc(-pentapeptide)-P-P-phospholipid + UDP (2) GlcNac-MurNAc(-pentapeptide)-P-P-phospholipid + acceptor → GlcNAc-MurNAc(-pentapeptide)-acceptor + P-phospholipid + Pi (3) P-P-phospholipid is assumed to be an intermediate in Reaction 3. Both MurNAc(-pentapeptide)-P-P-phospholipid and Glc-NAc-MurNAc(-pentapeptide)-P-P-phospholipid have been obtained bound to the enzymes, and shown to be intermediates in the reaction cycle. Both of these intermediates have also been isolated from reaction mixtures with particulate enzyme from either organism by n-butyl alcohol extraction followed by purification on diethylaminoethyl cellulose and silicic acid columns. Analyses of GlcNAc-Mur-NAc(-pentapeptide)-P-P-phospholipid from both organisms are presented. Both MurNAc(-pentapeptide)-P-P-phospholipid and Glc-NAc-MurNAc(-pentapeptide)-P-P-phospholipid, isolated with the use of enzyme from M. lysodeikticus, were utilized for peptidoglycan synthesis by the particulate enzyme from this organism. Ristocetin and vancomycin at low concentrations inhibited utilization of GlcNAc-MurNAc(-pentapeptide)-P-P-phospholipid for peptidoglycan synthesis, thus confirming that this reaction is the step in peptidoglycan synthesis which is most sensitive to these antibiotics.
A National Assessment of Propoxyphene in Postmortem Medicolegal Investigation, 1972–1975

Eighteen medical examiners, coroners, and forensic science laboratories and offices, representing a total jurisdictional population of 52.6 million, were visited during November 1975, and more than 1200 cases occurring in the four years from 1972 through 31 July 1975 were evaluated for inclusion in the study. The sites were distributed across the United States and Ontario, Canada, and included urban and rural, states, city, and county jurisdictions. Scientific data and circumstantial information was gathered consistently for each case and site by means of five questionnaires. Finally, 1022 cases were compiled and examined, and the data were analyzed to form the body of data from which this report is written. The following conclusions may be drawn. 1. The number of deaths involving propoxyphene is increasing each year, and at a faster rate than total drug deaths. The absolute numbers and rate are different in urban and rural areas, but the frequency reached 6.0 deaths per million population in 1974. Deaths attributed to suicide as well as those determined to be accidental deaths and undetermined have increased. 2. Approximately 66% of all the cases studied had the word propoxyphene included in the cause of death statement on the death certificate. Approximately 46% of the cases were classified as suicide (64% of them female and 36% male), 26% as accidents, and 21% as undetermined. 3. The deceased were mainly middle-class, Caucasian, urban dwellers, with male and female evenly distributed. Their ages were from 20 to 50 years, with few outside this range. Female ages were uniformly distributed, but males in their early twenties were very prominent. This is different from the U.S. population age distribution, which is currently dominated by teenagers. Propoxyphene does not appear to be a pediatric problem, as seen in the study. 4. The deceased were not part of the illegal drug abuse population and had no particular propensity for the use of heroin or narcotics, but rather they were a particular medical population of those who misuse prescription drugs and alcohol. 5. The deceased did have a marked tendency to hypochondria, chronic minor illnesses and emotional problems. Some 43% had recent medical histories, and 82% had a documented psychiatric history which often included (51%) self-destructuve behavior such as suicide attempts. Almost all received a wide range of prescription drugs, particularly tranquilizers, which they often misused in the sense of self-medicating, multiple drug ingestion, and combining alcohol with their medication. Approximately 34% had a history of misusing some drug, and 20% could be defined as abusers in that they were prone to excessive use of their medications; 44% had diazepam available to them, and 17% were either problem drinkers or alcoholics. Language: en
A sonar-based mapping and navigation system

This paper describes a sonar-based mapping and navigation system for autonomous mobile robots operating in unknown and unstructured surroundings. The system uses sonar range data to build a multileveled description of the robot's environment. Sonar maps are represented in the system along several dimensions: the Abstraction axis, the Geographical axis, and the Resolution axis. Various kinds of problem-solving activities can be performed and different levels of performance can be achieved by operating with these multiple representations of maps. The major modules of the Dolphin system are described and related to the various mapping representations used. Results from actual runs are presented and further research is mentioned. The system is also situated within the wider context of developing an advanced software architecture for autonomous mobile robots.
Trim Extensions of Mixed Groups

If G is an extension of an Abelian group H with G/H torsion, call H ⊆ G a trim extension if, for each relevant prime p of G/H, the p-primary component of the torsion subgroup of G is torsion complete. In this article we give necessary and sufficient conditions for two trim extensions of a group H to be equivalent. We also characterize equivalent extension types (as defined by Baer). The class of trim extensions is more general than the class of slim extensions recently introduced by Hill and Megibben.
A comparison of the absorption changes near 325 nm and chlorophyll a fluorescence characteristics of the Photosystem II acceptors Qa and Q400

Abstract The stoichiometry of chlorophyll/Photosystem II was determined in pea thylakoids. The concentration of Photosystem II was determined by the absorption change at 325 nm. When the 325 nm measurement was made on the first flash in the presence of ferricyanide, the Photosystem II absorption change was found to increase by up to 100% of the same measurement made in the absence of ferricyanide. The increase in absorption change in the presence of various amounts of ferricyanide was found to correlate well with the increase in area above the Chl a fluorescence induction curve. Also, the dark recovery of both the 325 nm absorption change and the area above the Chl a fluorescence curve are similar and in the order of several minutes. Absorption changes made under repetitive flash excitation showed no increase in signal with the addition of ferricyanide. We conclude that there are two acceptors, Q a and Q 400 , for each active oxygen-evolving complex and only Q a is involved in active electron transport to Photosystem I.
Alkylthiolation. Evidence for involvement in cell division

Several malignant hematopoietic cells from mice, previously shown to require sulfhydryl compounds and serum for proliferation in vitro, are shown to grow well in medium lacking both of these components if methylthio compounds are provided at appropriate concentrations. The methylthio groups can be provided as the mixed disulfides of methyl mercaptan and various thiols. The optimal concentration of the various disulfides is between 1×10−5 and 1×10−4 M. The cells can be maintained indefinitely in serum-free medium containing cysteine-methyl disulfide and one of several purified proteins. The evidence is consistent with the theory that these cells require an exogenous source of alkylthio groups for division, that serum is a source of these groups, and that sulfhydryl compounds act as carriers to transport the groups into the cells. A new diffusion analysis is described for quantitative measurement of disulfides of volatile mercaptans.
Contingency, Irony, and Solidarity

In this 1989 book Rorty argues that thinkers such as Nietzsche, Freud, and Wittgenstein have enabled societies to see themselves as historical contingencies, rather than as expressions of underlying, ahistorical human nature or as realizations of suprahistorical goals. This ironic perspective on the human condition is valuable on a private level, although it cannot advance the social or political goals of liberalism. In fact Rorty believes that it is literature not philosophy that can do this, by promoting a genuine sense of human solidarity. A truly liberal culture, acutely aware of its own historical contingency, would fuse the private, individual freedom of the ironic, philosophical perspective with the public project of human solidarity as it is engendered through the insights and sensibilities of great writers. The book has a characteristically wide range of reference from philosophy through social theory to literary criticism. It confirms Rorty's status as a uniquely subtle theorist, whose writing will prove absorbing to academic and nonacademic readers alike.
Probing the kinetics of beta-amyloid self-association.

Spontaneous conversion of beta-amyloid peptide (Abeta) from soluble monomer to insoluble fibrillar precipitate may underlie the neurodegeneration associated with Alzheimer's disease. A complete description of Abeta self-association kinetics requires identification of the oligomeric species present and the pathway of association, as well as quantitation of rate constants and reaction order. Previously published work delineating progress in developing quantitative kinetic models is reviewed briefly. The use of light scattering to probe Abeta fibril size and shape as a function of time and concentration is described. Data describing Abeta self-association at physiological pH starting from the urea-denatured state are presented. High-molecular-weight species formed rapidly, within minutes of dilution. At 70 microM, the size of the major fibrillar species was virtually constant with time, whereas at 280 microM two populations were detected, each of which increased in size with time. Incipient precipitation, prior to the appearance of a visible solid phase, was detected reliably by dynamic light scattering. Surprisingly, precipitates appeared earliest at the lowest concentration, and the physical state of the precipitate changed markedly with concentration. A gel diffusion assay showed that monomer Abeta dissociates from preformed fibrils, indicating that reversible heterogeneous association must be incorporated into any realistic model of Abeta association.
Demodulation of fiber bragg grating sensors based on dynamic tuning of a multimode laser diode.

Dither demodulation of fiber Bragg grating sensors illuminated with multimode light from laser diodes is theoretically and experimentally investigated. Quasi-static temperature and strain sensitivities of 0.09 °C/√Hz and 0.6 µe/√Hz are obtained. We show that it is possible to measure small ac signals that lie outside the feedback loop bandwidth by using a synchronous detection referenced to twice the dither frequency. In this situation, dynamic strain sensitivity of 3.3 ne/√Hz is achieved.
The Tax Implications of Teaching Overseas

Teaching in another country can have tax advantages both for U.S. professors teaching overseas and for our foreign professors teaching in the United States. This paper examines relevant tax law and treaty provisions that can exempt teaching income from taxation or permit certain living expenses to be deducted. With careful planning, professors may be able to shield up to two years of income from taxation.
Affect and Memory: A Review

This article provides a critical review of the empirical literature on the role of depression and elation in biasing mnemonic processing. Two classes of effects—state dependence and mood congruence—are examined. The latter, which involves the enhanced encoding and/or retrieval of material the affect
The POU homeodomain protein Oct-1 binds cis-regulatory element essential for the human GnRH upstream promoter activity in JEG-3 cells

In previous studies, we have localized four specific nuclear protein-binding elements in the human GnRH upstream promoter. To test whether these four elements are reproductive tissue specific, we placed the four elements upstream to a thymidine kinase (TK) promoter/luciferase reporter gene, and transfected the constructs into human placental choriocarcinoma (JEG-3) cells. The 272-bp fragment (-994 to -723) containing the four elements can drive heterologous TK promoter expression in JEG-3 cells about 15 times more than that of basal TK promoter activity. Deletion of element 4 (E4, -987/-968) significantly decreased (4-fold) the luciferase activity. Further deletion of the other elements (E3 individual, -960/-940 or E3 and E2 in combination, -919/-896) only slightly decreased the luciferase activity. In contrast, deletion of element 1 (E1, -876/-851) caused a 2-fold loss of luciferase activity and elimination of E2 and E3 only lost less than 2-fold of the luciferase activity. Study performed with 5' end deletion of this region confirmed these observations. Furthermore, E4 DNA-protein complex can be supershifted by Oct-1 antibody, indicating that Oct-1 binds to E4. These results clearly demonstrated that all four elements are required to confer tissue-specific expression of the hGnRH gene in JEG-3 cells. However, the E4 is the most important for the tissue-specific expression of the hGnRH gene in JEG-3 cells. Oct-1 factor binds with E4 element and may be involved in the mediation of the human GnRH upstream promoter activity.
Communication with repertoires of song themes in tufted titmice

Abstract This study examined the possibility that song themes of tufted titmice (Parus bicolor) might communicate information about the singer to territorial neighbours. The 8–12 themes sung by each individual in our population were divided into three classes based on acoustic structure and frequency of use. Class-I themes (the most frequently used) occurred disproportionately often early in the day, early in the breeding season, and in the central portion of the singer's territory, while class-III themes (the least frequent) showed the opposite trends. Playbacks revealed differences in responses of territorial neighbours to the three classes of themes. When the subject failed to match the playback, it sang class-III themes disproportionately. Also, class-II themes were sung in response to playbacks of class-I mates. These results, together with observations of the use of themes in natural encounters at boundaries, suggest that class-I themes serve primarily for long-range advertisement, class-II themes of males indicate a tendency to escalate an encounter, and class-III themes indicate a low probability of aggression or a tendency to terminate an encounter.
WISC-III Factor Invariance Across Samples of Children Exhibiting Appropriate and Inappropriate Test-Session Behaviors

Test-taking behaviors, such as a lack of attention, poor cooperation, and avoidance, can have an adverse impact on intelligence test scores. The Guide to the Assessment of Test Session Behavior for the WISC-III and WIAT(GATSB) provides a standardized measure of test-taking behavior. Whether the measurement of intelligence when using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISC-I1) actually differs for children who exhibit inappropriate test-session behavior was evaluated empirically. To test the invariance of factor structures, a multi sample confirmatory factor analysis, using LISREL 8, was conducted on samples of children displaying appropriate versus inappropriate behaviors, as measured by their total GATSB scores. Factor coefficients and error variances were generally invariant. However, some factor variances and covariances were not invariant, suggesting that factor index and Full Scale IQs may have different meanings across groups of children who display appropriate versus inappr...
Identification of age-dependent changes in expression of senescence-accelerated mouse (SAMP8) hippocampal proteins by expression array analysis.

Aging is associated with extensive cognitive impairments, although the biochemical and physiological basis of these deficits are unknown. As the hippocampus plays a vital role in cognitive functions, we have selected this tissue to analyze changes in gene expression at two different ages. Array technology is utilized to explore how gene expression in hippocampus is affected by accelerated cognitive impairment in Senescence-Accelerated Mouse (SAM P8) strain. We show that the expression of genes associated with stress response and xenobiotic metabolism are strongly affected at a time when cognitive impairment occurs. Affected genes include those involved both in signaling and chaperone function. The effector and regulator family of chaperones, which play an important role in protein folding, and also the xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes that play crucial role in antioxidant systems, show significant changes in gene expression between 4 and 12 months.
In situ Raman probe for chemical agents using ultraporous substrates

As part of an effort to develop a portable probe for real-time detection of chemical agents using Raman spectroscopy, the kinetics of adsorption of selected volatile organic molecules on high surface area silica supports was studied using Raman spectroscopy with 785-nm excitation. Two aspects of this work are described. First, the affinity of organic molecules in a flowing gas stream to ultraporous mineralized wood substrates was shown to be very high under a variety of representative conditions, suggesting that a sensor based on in-situ Raman measurement of adsorption rates may be feasible. Moreover, the mechanism of adsorption was found to vary for different molecules thereby promoting a high degree of chemical specificity. Second, the possibility of using Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) to enhance Raman signals and thereby improve the sensitivity of an in-situ Raman probe even further was demonstrated. Detection limits were estimated based on the current state of development of the approach.
Generalized Richards' equation to simulate water transport in unsaturated soils

Simulations of water transport in soil are ubiquitous, and the Richards’ equation introduced in 1931 is the main tool for that purpose. For experiments on water transport in soil horizontal columns, Richards’ equation predicts that volumetric water contents should depend solely on the ratio (distance)/(time) q where q ¼ 0:5: Substantial experimental evidence shows that value of q is significantly less than 0.5 in some cases. Donald Nielsen and colleagues in 1962 related values of q , 0.5 to ‘jerky movements’ of the wetting front, i.e. occurrences of rare large movements. The physical model of such transport is the transport of particles being randomly trapped and having a power law distribution of waiting periods. The corresponding mathematical model is a generalized Richards’ equation in which the derivative of water content on time is a fractional one with the order equal or less than one. We solved this equation numerically and fitted the solution to data on horizontal water transport. The classical Richards’ equation predicted a decrease of the soil water diffusivity for the same water content as infiltration progressed whereas the generalized Richards’ equation described all observations well with a single diffusivity function. Validity of the generalized Richards’ equation indicates presence of memory effects in soil water transport phenomena and may help to explain scale-dependence and variability in soil hydraulic conductivity encountered by researchers who applied classical Richards’ equation. Published by Elsevier Science B.V.
Longitudinal shear properties of human compact bone and its constituents, and the associated failure mechanisms

Human compact bone specimens were tested in longitudinal shear at two different strain rates. The maximum stress and energy absorption capacities were 50.40±14.08 MN m−2 and 20720±9310J m−2 respectively for 14 embalmed specimens tested at a cross head speed of 2.1×10−6 m sec−1. The maximum stress was found to be 75% of the transverse shearing strength. Bone specimens were also tested after selectively dissolving the organic and mineral components. The results showed that the composite strength of bone was much higher than the summation of strengths of its organic and mineral phases. Fractographic examination of the fracture surfaces showed that debonding of the interfaces between the osteons and the surrounding bone matrix and between the osteonal lamellae were the main mechanisms of longitudinal shear failure.
A class of inhomogeneous shear models for seismic response of dams and embankments

Results of linear and nonlinear static analyses of gravity-induced stresses in several typical dam cross-sections, in conjunction with published experimental correlations of shear modulus versus confining pressure for a large variety of soils, reveal that the average shear modulus across the width of earth/rockfill dams may be expressed as a power m of depth, with m ranging from 0.35 to 0.90 and depending on material and geometric parameters. A general inhomogeneous shear beam model is developed to account for any possible such variation of modulus with depth. Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, closed-form analytical expressions are derived for natural frequencies, modal displacements, participation factors, and steady-state response functions for all values of the inhomogeneity factor m. Parametric results are presented in tabular and graphical form and conclusions are drawn of practical significance. Finally, a comprehensive comparative study is undertaken to investigate the validity of the inhomogeneous shear beam (SB) models. For five different dam cross-sections, each excited by four recorded accelerograms, it is shown that plane-strain finiteelement analyses yield fundamental periods and peak displacements within the dam which are in very good accord with the predictions of a 'consistent' inhomogeneous SB model. A companion paper 1 extends the present work and focuses on seismic shear strains and seismic coefficients within dams and embankments.
Application of support vector machines to metabolomics experiments with limited replicates

Identifying biomarkers that are indicative of a phenotypic state is difficult because of the amount of natural variability which exists in any population. While there are many different algorithms to select biomarkers, previous investigation shows the sensitivity and flexibility of support vector machines (SVM) make them an attractive candidate. Here we evaluate the ability of support vector machine recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE) to identify potential metabolic biomarkers in liquid chromatography mass spectrometry untargeted metabolite datasets. Two separate experiments are considered, a low variance (low biological noise) prokaryotic stress experiment, and a high variance (high biological noise) mammalian stress experiment. For each experiment, the phenotypic response to stress is metabolically characterized. SVM-based classification and metabolite ranking is undertaken using a systematically reduced number of biological replicates to evaluate the impact of sample size on biomarker reproducibility and robustness. Our results indicate the highest ranked 1 % of metabolites, the most predictive of the physiological state, were identified by SVM-RFE even when the number of training examples was small (≥3) and the coefficient of variation was high (>0.5). An accuracy analysis shows filtering with recursive feature elimination measurably improves SVM classification accuracy, an effect that is pronounced when the number of training examples is small. These results indicate that SVM-RFE can be successful at biomarker identification even in challenging scenarios where the training examples are noisy and the number of biological replicates is low.
Components of a smoke-free hospital program

• Hospitals have the responsibility to provide leadership in the area of cigarette-smoking cessation and indoor-smoking elimination. A multidisciplinary committee of the Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland, planned and initiated a smoke-free hospital and clinic facility in 1987. The key planning steps for the patient and visitor ban included involvement of many representatives of the hospital staff, 2 months lead time for the ban, personal interviews with all inpatient smokers on the eve of the ban, and distribution of survival kits. Employees were offered free smoking cessation classes, gum with instructions in use, and a protected outdoor smoking area. The ban has been well accepted by patients and visitors. A questionnaire survey of employees at 6 months has indicated a modest reduction in personal cigarette smoking. ( Arch Intern Med. 1989;149:1357-1359)
Reply to the correspondence letter by Park et al. “Renal Doppler ultrasonography in the diagnosis of nutcracker syndrome”

We appreciate the interest of and comments by Park et al. Nutcracker syndrome is certainly an under-recognized cause of hematuria in children. It was noted that left renal venography is the most accurate modality to identify nutcracker syndrome, and it was concluded that renal Doppler ultrasonography should be considered as an initial screening tool in children with hematuria. We agree with this opinion; however, we would like to make additional comments. We described nutcracker syndrome as an uncommon but under-recognized cause of hematuria in children. Yang et al. also consider nutcracker syndrome as a rare clinical condition [3]. Our case report is an attempt for physicians to consider this diagnosis, especially in the emergency department, when evaluating children with hematuria, especially hematuria associated with abdominal pain. We agree with the opinion of ultrasonography being the initial investigation in children with isolated hematuria. However, in the emergency department when patients present with undifferentiated abdominal pain, other alternative diagnoses should be considered. Computed tomography (CT) scans are helpful in identifying and excluding other causes of acute abdominal pain. Reports from emergency departments indicate the use of CT scan for the diagnosis of nutcracker syndrome [2]. The diagnostic value of CT scan is well established in the evaluation of nutcracker syndrome and is well correlated with renal venography and renocaval pressure gradient [1]. An important limitation of the use of ultrasound is that it is operator-dependent and may not be feasible in the emergency departments at all times.
A freeze-fracture study of the skate electro receptor

The sensory epithelium lining the ampulla of Lorenzini in the skate was examined by the freeze-fracture technique. Anastomosing tight junctions (zonula occludens) completely encircle the apex of each receptor cell joining it to neighbouring support cells. The tight junctions separate two distinctly different regions of the receptor-cell surface. The apical P-face has numerous large particles while just below the tight junctions of the lateral surface have many smaller particles. On its basal surface each receptor cell makes several evaginating ribbon synapses with an afferent nerve. Three regions of the synaptic evagination can be distinguished on the basis of membrane specializations: 1. At the tip of the evagination a regular array of large particles is found on the P-face of the receptor cell directly opposite a similar regular array of large particles on the P-face of the afferent nerve; 2. just above the tip at a narrow constriction, below which vesicles are not found, a population of large particles on the P-face of the receptor cell opposes a well-defined strip of large particles that cleaves with the E-face of the nerve fibre; 3. at the arch of the synaptic evagination randomly occurring dimples are found on the P-face and protrusions on the E-face of the receptor cell. The density of these protrusions increased in skates that were electrically stimulated. We suggest that the co-extensive arrays of particles at the tip of the ribbon synapse is an intercellular junction; that the active zone of the synapse is at or above the constriction; and that membrane retrieval occurs in the synaptic arch region.
Wave functions in 1p shell nuclei

Abstract Static magnetic moments, M1 transition rates, spectroscopic factors for (d, p), (p, 3 He) and (p, 3 H) reactions and Gamow-Teller transitions are calculated for 1p shell nuclei using wave functions derived by Goldhammer, Hill and Nachamkin. Results are compared with experiment and with the shell-model calculations of Cohen and Kurath. The general trend of agreement is found to be consistent with a gradual increase in configuration mixing throughout the shell. It is found that this mixing implies a channel coupling of 3 S 1 and 3 D 1 partial waves beyond the 1p shell, whose magnitude is approximately 9% in 6 Li and 20% in 14 N.
Hormonal regulation of glycogen synthase phosphorylation in perfused rat skeletal muscle.

There is much in vitro evidence that skeletal muscle glycogen synthase is regulated through phosphorylation-dephosphorylation mechanisms [l-3]. The number of phospho~lation sites as indicated by the amount of phosphate per mole of subunit has been reported to be between l-6 [4131. However, all these studies have correlated the phosphate content and the activity of the purified enzyme after in vitro modification by protein kinases, and there have been only two brief reports on the phospho~lation state of the enzyme in vivo j3 ,141. Using the rat hindlimb perfusion technique we have presented kinetic evidence that glycogen synthase is substantially phosphorylated in control skeletal muscle and that epinephrine causes further phosphorylation [ 151. Here, we have measured the chemical phosphate of the enzyme purified from control and hormonetreated muscle and have found a good correlation between the phosphorylation state of the enzyme and its activity.
Troublesome Relationships: A Part of Human Experience:

In a study of troublesome relationships, 343 university students and employees were surveyed. Issues addressed were the frequency, nature and precursors of negative relationship experiences. Over half of the respondents (55.7%) reported a very troublesome relationship within the previous 5 years. These were most often close relationships that deteriorated markedly as a result of the experience. Negative relationship involvement was related to insecure styles of attachment. Those with an insecure-avoidant attachment style were also more prone to use alcohol or drugs to cope with the troubled relationship and they were more likely to end the relationship. The results support the view that a history of poor attachment relations may compromise later relationships. However, the attachment effects were modest and the pervasiveness of troublesome relationship encounters suggests that these are an ubiquitous part of the human experience.
New drugs of 2002.

Objective To provide information regarding the most important properties of the new therapeutic agents marketed in 2002. Data Sources Published studies, drug information reference sources, and product labeling. Data Synthesis In 2002, 26 new therapeutic agents were marketed. The indications and information on dosage and administration for the new agents are reviewed, as are the most important pharmacokinetic properties, adverse events, drug interactions, and other precautions. Practical considerations for the use of the new agents are also discussed. Where possible, the properties of the new drugs are compared with those of other drugs marketed for the same indications. Conclusion A number of the new therapeutic agents marketed in 2002 have important advantages over older medications. An understanding of the properties of these agents is important for the pharmacist to effectively counsel patients about their use and to serve as a valuable source of information for other health professionals regarding these drugs.
Humoral Recognition Factors in the Arthropoda. The Specificity of Chelicerata Serum Lectins

Arthropods have the capacity of recognizing self from non-self in various defense phenomena including hemolymph clotting, phagocytosis, encapsulation, melanization and clearance of the foreign matter which must be initiated by a first step of molecular recognition. “Natural” and experimentally induced humoral factors have been described which act as hemagglutinins, bacterial agglutinins, precipitins, bactericidal factors, bacteriolysins, hemolysins, opsonins, clotting factors, and lysozymes. Their exact role in recognition functions has not been fully explored and their function remains unclear. Among these factors, the carbohydrate-binding molecules (lectins) are the best characterized in their specificity, physicochemical properties and molecular structure. Arthropod lectins are multimeric, high molecular weight protein (glycoprotein) molecules with a certain degree of heterogeneity in their specificity and structure. In particular, serum lectins from chelicerates (horseshoe crabs, scorpions and spiders) share a common property: the specificity for sialic acids. Arachnids and merostomes diverged in the earliest Cambrian. Since they occupy markedly different habitats, the sialic acid specific lectins most probably are a relict rather than an adaptative character. In addition to this common feature of specificity, lectins from chelicerates and other arthropods represent heterogeneous populations which can bind a wide variety of carbohydrates, many of them present on bacteria as D-galactose, 2-keto-3-deoxyoctonate, glucuronic acid, N-acetylmuramic acid, and colominic acid. Multiplicity in specificity suggests that serum lectins might contribute as a carbohydrate-based recognition system for the non-self. The requirement for avoiding self recognition would be that carbohydrate structures potentially recognized by the system would be absent, masked or out of reach of this humoral factor or cell associated recognition factors.
Alignment of Liquid Crystals with Patterned Isotropic Surfaces

The molecules of a nematic liquid crystal exposed to an isotropic surface adopt a mean tilt relative to the normal but have no in-plane alignment-that is, they are free to have any azimuthal orientation in the surface plane. Pursuing the theoretical suggestion by Meyer that, in spite of this azimuthal degeneracy, spatially inhomogeneous isotropic surfaces combine with liquid crystal elastic anisotropy to produce alignment, we show that a boundary line between two isotropic regions that differ in mean tilt does indeed align the liquid crystal. The boundaries on a patterned surface of distinct isotropic regions thus act as a system of lines that the molecular orientation locally follows. This enables the development of liquid crystal alignment surfaces based on printing or lithographic patterning.
Estimating Default Frequencies and Macrofinancial Linkages in the Mexican Banking Sector

The credit risk measures we develop in this paper are used to investigate macrofinancial linkages in the Mexican banking system. Domestic and external macro-financial variables are found to be closely associated with banking soundness. At the aggregate level, high external volatility and domestic interest rates are associated with higher expected default probability. Though results vary substantially across individual banks, domestic activity and U.S. growth, and higher asset prices, are generally associated with lower credit risks, while increased volatility worsens credit risks. The expected default probability is also found to be a leading indicator of traditional financial stability indicators.
A reaffirmation of stereoelectronic control in the alkaline hydrolysis of methyl and ethyl ethylene phosphate

Abstract A reinvestigation of the product distribution in the hydrolysis of ethyl and methyl ethylene phosphates has confirmed our earlier suggestion (Taira , J. Org. Chem., 1984, 4531) that the stereoelectronic effect is an important factor in these reactions. In contrast to the claims of Kluger and Thatcher (J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1985, 107, 6006; J. Org. Chem., 1986, 51, 207), the increase in exocyclic cleavage product, methanol, with increasing strong base is shown to arise from an artifactual side-reaction in the base catalyzed hydrolysis of methyl ethylene phosphate. The initial product of endocyclic cleavage, methyl hydroxyethyl phosphate, reacts with a second molecule of methyl ethylene phosphate to yield a “triester” dimer which subsequently releases methanol to yield a “diester” dimer. Although a small amount of exocyclic cleavage product is observed in strong alkali (2 – 4% ± 1.5% for methyl ethylene phosphate and
Petroleum hydrocarbon toxicity studies. VII. Animal and human response to vapors of "70 Solvent".

Abstract The suggested hygienic standard for human inhalation of “70 Solvent”, based upon the results of inhalation studies with rats and dogs and the sensory response of human subjects, is 0.32 mg/liter (59 ppm). Inhalation of 4.4 mg/liter (810 ppm) for 8 hr caused lacrimation, loss of coordination, and fine tremors but no deaths among 10 rats. During the 4-hr inhalation of 5 mg/liter (930 ppm), a beagle had convulsions in 2 hr and died 1.5 hr subsequent to the exposure. Four cats that inhaled 2.0 mg/liter (370 ppm) for 6 hr had signs indicative of central nervous system effect. At a concentration of 2.2 mg/liter (410 ppm) body weights of rats and dogs were slightly depressed only after the 13 th week of inhalation. The adjacent level, 1.1 mg/liter (200 ppm), was considered the no-ill-effect level for both species. The odor threshold, as determined by a sniff test involving six human subjects, is approximately 0.004 mg/liter (0.7 ppm). Only minimal responses were elicited by the six subjects during a 15-min period in 0.32 mg/liter (59 ppm) while, at 0.95 mg/liter (180 ppm), ocular and nasal irritation was reported by five and three subjects, respectively. Therefore, a concentration of 0.32 mg/liter (59 ppm) should be tolerated by most individuals.
Endoscopic reconstruction of surgically created skull base defects: a systematic review.

ObjectivesTo systematically review the literature concerning techniques of closure of endoscopically created skull base defects based on site of skull base defect and flow rate of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).Data SourcesPubMed, SCOPUS, and Cochrane databases.Review MethodsA comprehensive systematic literature review.ResultsThe literature search produced a total of 1708 studies. Of these, 1585 studies were excluded based on title and/or abstract review. A total of 123 articles remained for full-text review, 101 of which were subsequently excluded primarily because of lack of detailed information as to the reconstructive techniques used or clinical outcomes. Of the 22 studies remaining for final analysis, all were case series. A total of 673 patients were included in the analysis, with an overall postoperative CSF leak rate of 8.5%. Subgroup analysis was performed based on location of the skull base defect and presence and quality of intraoperative CSF leak.ConclusionsBased on level 4 evidence, in cases of lo...