cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Long‐term declines in an intertidal foundation species parallel shifts in community composition

The earth is in the midst of a biodiversity crisis, and projections indicate continuing and accelerating rates of global changes. Future alterations in communities and ecosystems may be precipitated by changes in the abundance of strongly interacting species, whose disappearance can lead to profound changes in abundance of other species, including an increase in extinction rate for some. Nearshore coastal communities are often dependent on the habitat and food resources provided by foundational plant (e.g., kelp) and animal (e.g., shellfish) species. We quantified changes in the abundance of the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis), a foundation species known to influence diversity and productivity of intertidal habitats, over the past 40 years in the Gulf of Maine, USA, one of the fastest warming regions in the global ocean. Using consistent survey methods, we compared contemporary population sizes to historical data from sites spanning >400 km. The results of these comparisons showed that blue mussels have declined in the Gulf of Maine by >60% (range: 29-100%) at the site level since the earliest benchmarks in the 1970s. At the same time as mussels declined, community composition shifted: at the four sites with historical community data, the sessile community became increasingly algal dominated. Contemporary (2013-2014) surveys across 20 sites showed that sessile species richness was positively correlated to mussel abundance in mid to high intertidal zones. These results suggest that declines in a critical foundation species may have already impacted the intertidal community. To inform future conservation efforts, we provide a database of historical and contemporary baselines of mussel population abundance and dynamics in the Gulf of Maine. Our results underscore the importance of anticipating not only changes in diversity but also changes in the abundance and identity of component species, as strong interactors like foundation species have the potential to drive cascading community shifts.
Documentary desegregation: A rhetorical analysis of crisis: Behind a presidential commitment

On October 28, 1963, the ABC television network broadcast Crisis: Behind a Presidential Commitment, Robert Drew Associates’ direct cinema documentary about the decision‐making behind the desegregation of the University of Alabama at Tusca‐loosa. Crisis pursues two central lines of action: The first half of the film centers on setting the stage for the attempt to register the students, while the remainder shows Katzenbach attempting to enroll the students, Wallace's stand, and Robert Kennedy's response to the encounter as he watches it on a television set in the Justice Department offices. The essay attempts to describe the position of the viewer and the range of responses invited by the various formal features of the film. Rather than attempting to reduce Crisis to a single semiotic “meaning,” the essay explores how Crisis invites the audience to co‐create meaning and what ways of thinking about the university desegregation the documentary suggests to its audience.
Impaired mammary development in tamoxifen-treated prepubertal heifers is associated with altered development and morphology of myoepithelial cells1

Prepubertal mammary development involves elongation and branching of ducts and stromal tissue remodeling. This process is closely linked with ovarian and pituitary hormones, growth factors, and local regulators. Accumulating evidence suggests that the myoepithelial cells also play a role in ductal development in addition to their well-recognized importance in the milk ejection reflex. Following reports that myoepithelial cells changed in correspondence with decreased mammary growth after ovariectomy of prepubertal heifers, we evaluated myoepithelial cells in mammary tissue collected from prepubertal heifers treated with the antiestrogen tamoxifen. Briefly, heifers were given placebo (n=7) or tamoxifen (n=8; 0.3mg/kg per day) beginning on d 28 of life until the animals were euthanized on d 120. Tissues were collected from each of 3 zones (near the gland cistern, midway between the gland cistern and mammary fat pad, and at the interface of the parenchyma and mammary fat pad). Samples were processed to measure expression of transformation-related protein 63 (p63), smooth muscle actin, and common acute lymphoblastic leukemia antigen. We found that smooth muscle actin and common acute lymphoblastic leukemia antigen were expressed in the cytoplasm and p63 in the nuclei of myoepithelial cells. In concert with a 50% impairment in mammary growth after tamoxifen, we found that the number of myoepithelial cells around developing mammary ducts was reduced. But the average intensity of p63 expression per nucleus was not affected. We used the very distinct and exclusive staining of p63 in myoepithelial cell nuclei to capture hundreds of nuclear images for subsequent analysis using CellProfiler software. From this image analysis, we found that the area of myoepithelial cell nuclei and perimeter distances were reduced by tamoxifen. When nuclei were classified based on nuclear shape (eccentricity), we found differences in area, perimeter, and patterns of p63 expression based on Zernike number evaluations as well as treatment differences within each shape classification. These data provide support to the concept that myoepithelial cells are also the involved in mammary development in the prepubertal bovine mammary gland and that use of multispectral imaging combined with image analysis software can provide quantitative data to better understand the complex cellular interactions that ultimately regulate mammary morphogenesis in the bovine.
Wings as impellers: Honey bees co-opt flight system to induce nest ventilation and disperse pheromones

Honey bees (Apis mellifera) are remarkable fliers that regularly carry heavy loads of nectar and pollen, supported by a flight system - the wings, thorax and flight muscles - that one might assume is optimized for aerial locomotion. However, honey bees also use this system to perform other crucial tasks that are unrelated to flight. When ventilating the nest, bees grip the surface of the comb or nest entrance and fan their wings to drive airflow through the nest, and a similar wing-fanning behavior is used to disperse volatile pheromones from the Nasonov gland. In order to understand how the physical demands of these impeller-like behaviors differ from those of flight, we quantified the flapping kinematics and compared the frequency, amplitude and stroke plane angle during these non-flight behaviors with values reported for hovering honey bees. We also used a particle-based flow visualization technique to determine the direction and speed of airflow generated by a bee performing Nasonov scenting behavior. We found that ventilatory fanning behavior is kinematically distinct from both flight and scenting behavior. Both impeller-like behaviors drive flow parallel to the surface to which the bees are clinging, at typical speeds of just under 1 m s-1 We observed that the wings of fanning and scenting bees frequently contact the ground during the ventral stroke reversal, which may lead to wing wear. Finally, we observed that bees performing Nasonov scenting behavior sometimes display 'clap-and-fling' motions, in which the wings contact each other during the dorsal stroke reversal and fling apart at the start of the downstroke. We conclude that the wings and flight motor of honey bees comprise a multifunctional system, which may be subject to competing selective pressures because of its frequent use as both a propeller and an impeller.
Color vision in the twilight zone: an unsolved problem

Mesopic vision (-2 to 1 log cd/m2 ), where rods and cones are responsive simultaneously, lies between rod-driven scotopic and cone-driven photopic vision. Due to the technical and psychophysiological challenges of assessing mesopic vision, the visual system is not well quantified over the mesopic luminance range. Mesopic vision combined with hypoxia is of particular interest in applications where Army aviators must rely on color-coded visual information displayed under mesopic conditions at altitude. Results are presented from three vision tests (the Lanthony Desaturated-15, the Cone Contrast Test, and the Color Assessment and Diagnosis system) demonstrating that normobaric hypoxia (12% oxygen, approximating 14,000 feet) disrupts mesopic color vision; but not all tests were equally sensitive to this phenomena. Additionally, respiratory data showed that Army aviators increased their tidal volume under normobaric hypoxia, thus respiratory rate assessments alone are insufficient for assessing physiologic adaptation to hypoxia. Under mesopic hypoxia conditions, the known high oxygen demand of rods may reduce the retinal oxygen available for cones thereby diminishing color sensitivity as well as other cone functions. Color vision under mesopic conditions warrants further examination, with particular attention to hypoxia as an important confound in high-terrain, aviation, and aerospace applications.
An evaluation of the relationship between minimum wage and unemployment: does the local cost-of-living matter?

This article examines the relationship between federal, state and municipal minimum wage laws, local cost-of-living (COL) and the unemployment rate. It finds a strong statistically significant posi...
Qualitative characterization of SRM 1597a coal tar for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and methyl-substituted derivatives via normal-phase liquid chromatography and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

A normal-phase liquid chromatography (NPLC) fractionation procedure was developed for the characterization of a complex mixture of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from a coal tar sample (Standard Reference Material (SRM) 1597a). Using a semi-preparative aminopropyl (NH2) LC column, the coal tar sample was separated using NPLC based on the number of aromatic carbons; a total of 14 NPLC fractions were collected. SRM 1597a was analyzed before and after NPLC fractionation by using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) with a 50% phenyl stationary phase. The NPLC-GC/MS method presented in this study allowed for the identification of 72 PAHs and 56 MePAHs. These identifications were based on the NPLC retention times for authentic reference standards, GC retention times for authentic reference standards, and the predominant molecular ion peak in the mass spectrum. Most noteworthy was the determination of dibenzo[a,l]pyrene, which could not be measured directly by GC/MS because of low concentration and co-elution with dibenzo[j,l]fluoranthene. The NPLC-GC/MS procedure also allowed for the tentative identification of 74 PAHs and 117 MePAHs based on the molecular ion peak only. This study represents the most comprehensive qualitative characterization of SRM 1597a to date. Graphical abstract NPLC-GC/MS analysis for the six-ring MM 302 Da PAH isomers in SRM 1597a.
Acoustical Emission Analysis by Unsupervised Graph Mining: A Novel Biomarker of Knee Health Status.

Objective: To study knee acoustical emission patterns in subjects with acute knee injury immediately following injury and several months after surgery and rehabilitation. Methods: We employed an unsupervised graph mining algorithm to visualize heterogeneity of the high-dimensional acoustical emission data, and to then derive a quantitative metric capturing this heterogeneity - the graph community factor (GCF). A total of 42 subjects participated in the studies. Measurements were taken once each from 33 healthy subjects with no known previous knee injury, and twice each from 9 subjects with unilateral knee injury: first, within seven days of the injury, and second, 4-6 months after surgery when the subjects were determined ready to start functional activities. Acoustical signals were processed to extract time and frequency domain features from multiple time windows of the recordings from both knees, and k-Nearest Neighbor graphs were then constructed based on these features. Results: The GCF calculated from these graphs was found to be 18.5 ± 3.5 for healthy subjects, 24.8 ± 4.4 (p=0.01) for recently injured and 16.5 ± 4.7 (p=0.01) at 4-6 months recovery from surgery. Conclusion: The objective GCF scores changes were consistent with a medical professional's subjective evaluations and subjective functional scores of knee recovery. Significance: Unsupervised graph mining to extract GCF from knee acoustical emissions provides a novel objective and quantitative biomarker of knee injury and recovery that can be incorporated with a wearable joint health system for use outside of clinical settings, and austere / under resourced conditions, to aid treatment / therapy.
Liquid Phase Multicomponent Adsorption and Separation of Xylene Mixtures by Flexible MIL-53 Adsorbents

The MIL-53 class of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) has recently generated interest as potential adsorbents for xylene mixture separations. Cost-effective separation of xylene isomers is challenging owing to the similarity in their molecular structures, kinetic diameters and boiling points. Here we report a systematic experimental and computational study of xylene isomer adsorption in MIL-53 adsorbents, focusing particularly on the effects of different metal centers, determination of separation properties with industrially relevant quaternary liquid-phase C8 aromatic feeds, and a predictive molecular simulation methodology that accounts for all relevant modes of MIL-53 framework flexibility. Significant scale-up of MIL-53 synthesis was carried out to produce high-quality materials in sufficient quantities (300-500 g each) for detailed measurements. Single-component adsorption simulations incorporating the MIL-53 ‘breathing’ and linker flexibility effects showed good agreement with experimental isotherms. ...
Staphylococcus aureus produces pain through pore-forming toxins and neuronal TRPV1 that is silenced by QX-314

The hallmark of many bacterial infections is pain. The underlying mechanisms of pain during live pathogen invasion are not well understood. Here, we elucidate key molecular mechanisms of pain produced during live methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection. We show that spontaneous pain is dependent on the virulence determinant agr and bacterial pore-forming toxins (PFTs). The cation channel, TRPV1, mediated heat hyperalgesia as a distinct pain modality. Three classes of PFTs-alpha-hemolysin (Hla), phenol-soluble modulins (PSMs), and the leukocidin HlgAB-directly induced neuronal firing and produced spontaneous pain. From these mechanisms, we hypothesized that pores formed in neurons would allow entry of the membrane-impermeable sodium channel blocker QX-314 into nociceptors to silence pain during infection. QX-314 induced immediate and long-lasting blockade of pain caused by MRSA infection, significantly more than lidocaine or ibuprofen, two widely used clinical analgesic treatments.
Black bean peptides inhibit glucose uptake in Caco-2 adenocarcinoma cells by blocking the expression and translocation pathway of glucose transporters.

Abstract The objective was to evaluate the effect of black bean protein fraction (PFRA), and its derived peptides on glucose uptake, SGLT1 and GLUT2 expression and translocation on Caco-2 cells. The effect of treatments was evaluated on glucose uptake, protein expression and localization and gene expression on Caco-2 cells. PFRA (10 mg/mL) lowered glucose uptake from 27.4% after 30 min to 33.9% after 180 min of treatment compared to untreated control (p
Introduction to Concrete Admixtures

This chapter explores that concrete admixtures are materials other than hydraulic cement, water, or aggregates that are added immediately before or during mixing. Additives or additions such as grinding aids are added to cement during manufacture. An addition is a material that is interground or blended during the manufacture of cement. Most concrete used in North America contains at least one admixture. The admixtures are added to improve the quality of concrete in the fresh and hardened state. Publications and patents on admixtures are voluminous. Interest in the development of admixtures is evident from the number of patents taken every year. Categorization of admixtures into distinct groups is not easy as one material may belong to more than one category. Broadly, however, they could be divided into some categories: chemical admixtures, air-entraining agents, mineral admixtures, and miscellaneous admixtures. The aim of the chapter is to introduce the role of different types of admixtures on cement and concrete properties.
LIGHT SCATTERING FROM INCOMMENSURATE INSULATORS; MAINLY BaMnF4

The light scattering work on pyroelectric BaMnF4 is reassessed here in view of new structural information on the incommensurate phase. The dispersions in the acoustic phonon velocities Vcb and Vcc are ascribed to coupling to the phason and amplitudon, respectively; the failure to observe a true soft mode in the Raman spectrum for T < Ti ≃ 247 K is attributed to the overdamped nature of the amplitudon even for T ≃ 85 K; the static central peak is associated with symmetry breaking frozen defects; and the dynamic central peak previously thought to be due to the phason is now assigned to LA-phonon — amplitudon coupling. Thus the light scattering experiments have provided no direct evidence for phasons or amplitudons. It is suggested that Brillouin scattering experiments should be performed on incommensurate ThBr4, which is a very simple system with small phason and amplitudon damping, to search for the overdamped phason and predicted amplitudon — acoustic-phonon coupling. Finally, it is demonstrated that quasiperiodic superlattices provide exciting possibilities for detailed comparisons between theory and experiment.
SWOT Analysis: A Management Tool for Initiating New Programs in Vocational Schools

The SWOT ( S trengths, W eaknesses, O pportunities, and T hreats) analysis has been a useful tool for industry. This article proposes the application of the SWOT tool for use as a decision-making aid as new vocational programs are planned. The process of utilizing the SWOT approach requires an internal survey of strengths and weaknesses of the program and an external survey of threats and opportunities. Structured internal and external examinations are unique in the world of curriculum planning and development. Educational examples using the SWOT analysis are provided by the authors. It is a useful way of examining current environmnetal conditions around program offerings. An insight into the wide range of the potential applications of SWOT is also an intended outcome of this paper.
Integrative Perspectives on Human Flourishing: The Imago Dei and Positive Psychology:

The field of psychology in general, and clinical psychology in particular, has historically focused on the things that go wrong in human behavior and functioning. Similarly, evangelical theology ha...
Chaucerotics and the Cloak of Language in the Fabliaux

In this chapter, Gust builds on the Introduction of his book to address the risque narrative tradition known as the fabliaux. Many of Chaucer’s most suggestive sexual scenarios are found in his fabliaux—The Miller’s Tale, The Reeve’s Tale, The Merchant’s Tale, and The Shipman’s Tale—and these stories frequently contain distinct pornographic elements. These texts are therefore offered as excellent test cases for Gust’s theory of Chaucerotics and for understanding the diverse vision of medieval eroticism found in The Canterbury Tales. The chapter presents a fresh historical and theoretical account of these bawdy fabliaux and introduces the idea of the “cloak of language” to analyze with subtlety the evocative, titillating sexual language used by Chaucer in his fabliaux and Troilus and Criseyde.
Diet and the epigenome.

Over the past decade, remarkable breakthroughs in our understanding of epigenetic biology have coincided with an increased public interest in the impact of diet and lifestyle choices on health. It is well established that a balanced diet enhances life expectancy and helps to prevent or treat certain diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, and mental disorders. However, the biological mechanisms underlying these effects are not yet well understood. In this commentary, we highlight several recent studies that report on a potential link between dietary factors and alterations in epigenetic pathways, providing compelling insight into the possible effects of environmental factors on fundamental biological processes.
Hintikka and the Functions of Logic

Jaakko Hintikka (1929–2015) points out the power of Skolem functions to affect both what there is and what we know. There is a tension in his presupposition that these functions actually extend the realm of logic. He claims to have resolved the tension by “reconstructing constructivism” along epistemological lines, instead of by a typical ontological construction; however, after the collapse of the distinction between first and second order, that resolution is not entirely satisfactory. Still, it does throw light on the conceptual analysis Hintikka proposes.
Developing a Transformative Drug Policy Research Agenda in the United States

Despite its strengths, drug policy scholarship in the United States has deficiencies and systemic biases that contribute to misinformation about drugs and people who use drugs. Factors ranging from...
UPREGULATION OF CD38 AND DOWNREGULATION OF NAD IN MITOCHONDRIA OF LEFT VENTRICULAR MYOCARDIUM OF DOGS WITH HEART FAILURE: A CELLULAR ENERGY-LIMITING MALADAPTATION

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) is a crucial regulator of signaling pathways important in the generation cyclic-ADP-ribose and the regulator of the NAD-dependent deacetylases sirtuins. NAD itself is regulated by CD38, a 45-kD transmembrane glycoprotein ubiquitously distributed and has
Economic cost analysis in higher education: The university of mid-America and traditional institutions compared

Economic cost analysis is a method of looking at resources and measuring the efficiency with which those resources are used to attain goals. The author first discusses some methodology for and problems inherent in analyzing economic costs of educational institutions and then presents findings from cost studies of higher education institutions of two types—(1) the University of Mid-America, a regional open university with central management offices in Lincoln, Nebraska, and state organizations in Kansas, Iowa, and Nebraska through which students can enroll in televised credit courses, and (2) a sample of traditional institutions of higher education in Indiana.
A Scoring Algorithm for the Automated Analysis of Glycosaminoglycan MS/MS Data

The role of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in major biological functions is numerous and diverse, yet structural characterization of them by mass spectrometric techniques proves to be challenging. Characterization of GAG structure from tandem mass spectrometry is a tedious and time-consuming process but one that can be automated in a database-independent, high-throughput fashion through the assistance of software implementing a genetic algorithm (J. Am. Soc. Mass Spectrom. 29, 1802–1911, 2018). This work presents the manner in which this data is interpreted by the software, specifically addressing the development of a scoring algorithm. The significance of glycosidic and cross-ring fragment ions and the implications that specific fragments provide for assigning the positions of modifications are discussed. The scoring algorithm is tested for statistical merit using the widely accepted expectation value as the criterion for quality. Using MS/MS data for well-characterized standards, this scoring approach is shown to assign the correct structure, with a low likelihood (1 in 1012 chances) that the assigned structure matches the data due to random chance. The integrated software that automates the structure assignment is called Glycosaminoglycan-Unambiguous Identification Technology (G-UNIT).
The effect observation of low molecular weight heparin combined with isoproterenol aerosol inhalation in the treatment of children with severe bronchopneumonia

Objective To analyze the clinical effect of low molecular weight heparin combined with isoproterenol aerosol inhalation in the treatment of children with severe bronchopneumonia. Methods 110 children with severe bronchopneumonia in our hospital were randomly divided into two groups. Control group was treated with isoproterenol aerosol inhalation, and observation group was treated with low molecular weight heparin combined with isoproterenol aerosol inhalation. Compared clinical symptoms disappeared time and inflammatory indexes of two groups. Results After treatment, fever disappeared time in observation group was (2.2±0.9)d, cough disappeared time was (4.7±1.5)d, wheezing disappeared time was (2.8±1.0)d, pulmonary rales disappeared time was (6.2±1.7)d, lower than those in control group (P<0.05). 72 h after treatment, the levels of CRP, IL-8, IL-6, and TNF-α of observation group were (12.14±4.89) mg/L, (3.03±0.99)μg/L, (34.43±10.1) ng/L, (19.88±3.53) ng/L respectively, lower than those of control group (P<0.05). Conclusion Low molecular weight heparin combined with isoproterenol aerosol inhalation can effectively improve the clinical treatment effect of severe bronchopneumonia, shorten the disappeared time of clinical symptoms, reduce airway inflammation, promote the recovery of pulmonary function. Key words: Low molecular weight heparin; Isoproterenol; Bronchopneumonia; Clinical curative effect
Going It Alone: The Single, Unmarried, Unpartnered, Childless Woman Physician

The single, unmarried, unpartnered, childless, woman physician whether single by choice or by circumstance is a phenomenon to which the culture and workplace are still adapting. She has defied cultural traditions and norms in the pursuit of dedicating herself to her calling as a healer. She manages her work and all of life outside of work, and she does it all alone. She can experience vulnerability, isolation, and loneliness. She strives to cultivate for herself a positive self-image, an attitude of positivity, and a network of social capital that may include family or a “family of friends.” She avoids becoming “married to work,” by taking herself by the hand, knowing that her independence, health, and success are best supported by her interdependence within her greater workplace and social community. She is a catalyst for change, an example of what is possible, and a flourishing queen for such a time as this.
Influence of Socioeconomic Factors on Transit Demand During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of Bogotá’s BRT System

The COVID-19 pandemic restricted most economic and social activities, impacting travel demand for all transportation modes and especially for transit. We hypothesize that the shifts in travel demand varied by socioeconomic status, and we assess the differential impact of COVID-19 in the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) patronage across various socioeconomic groups in Bogota. We built a database of frequent transit users with data collected by smartcards in Bogota’s BRT system between January and October 2020. For each user in the database, we labeled their home and work stations. Transactions at other stations are classified as “other.” The stratum (a government socioeconomic classification of residential units in Colombia) of a BRT station’s service area was assigned using an estimated probability vector for each user belonging to a specific stratum;this data is validated with aggregate strata distributions in the 2019 household travel survey. Our study found that the reduction in transactions for lower-strata users is significantly less than that of the middle and high strata. The magnitude of this difference varies over time but stabilizes after the end of the lockdown. The growth rate of “other” transactions per thousand people is greater than the growth for home and work locations, especially for the lowest strata. Other studies have shown that the radius of gyration (Rg) (a measure of how far individuals travel away from home) has decreased about 50% after the lockdowns. Our study shows that when measuring Rg only for users who continued using BRT, the Rg slightly decreased for lower and medium strata but increased for high strata. The contribution of this study is a method to classify BRT transactions of frequent users by strata, as well as a description of trends in BRT use by strata to expand our understanding of the COVID-19 lockdowns impacts in the Global South context. These results are a starting point to inform policy and decision-makers to guide the recovery efforts to improve transit accessibility and level of service for captive users such as low-stratum users. © Copyright © 2021 Caicedo, Walker and Gonzalez.
Legal Enforcement, Short Maturity Debt, and the Incentive to Manage Earnings

Prior research contends that weak legal regimes discourage lender enforcement of contracts by making it either costly or ineffective. However, Diamond (2004) observes that this lender passivity can be overcome by structuring debt as a short term loan. His argument is that an arrival of bad news in the presence of short term debt can result in externalities that will trigger a run on the firm and this in turn serves to create ex-ante incentives for lenders to enforce their contracts. Given this role of short term debt, we examine whether short term debt creates an incentive for borrowers to delay the recognition of bad news through earnings management. Using a sample of firm level data from 33 countries over a ten year period covering 1995-2004, we find short-term debt induces greater earnings management. This impact of short term debt is especially greater in countries with weak legal regimes. This evidence is consistent with the hypothesis that borrowers will manage earnings to circumvent lender enforcement. Our results are robust using alternative specifications, including the endogeneity of debt maturity.
Ion heating in the polar cap under northwards IMF Bz

Joule heating deposits a significant amount of energy into the high-latitude ionosphere and is an important factor in many magnetosphere-ionosphere-thermosphere coupling processes. Although the int...
Inelastic Buckling of Non-Uniform Columns

Numerical procedure for calculating critical loads of nonuniform pin-ended columns in elastic or inelastic range; procedure is based upon transformation of differential equation to integral equation which is solved numerically for trial values of critical load.
The European Union Monetary Integration

The date is 1 January 1999, and for the first time in history the nations of Europe will combine their economic might to form a monetary union of unparalleled size, diversity, and power. Starting in 1952 with the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) and then progressing towards the recently signed Treaty of Amsterdam, the process of European economic unity has produced two stunning results: constant economic growth and lasting European peace. With the introduction of the euro as legal tender in 2002, the final piece of the EU puzzle is in place. The new era of the EU is set to begin characterized by increased economic development and cooperation within the continent.
Production, Cost, and Welfare: A Review

Economics is concerned with the efficient use of resources. By convention this has come to mean the allocation of resources by prices and markets, thus the term allocative-market-(in) efficiency, and the question as to how the market allocates resources among their competing uses. Allocative- market-efficiency can be affected by the firm in that the market’s ability to allocate resources efficiently—to allocate the proper amount of resources for the production of each good and service—is affected by the market power possessed by the firm or group of firms comprising the industry.
Dual-beam holographic deflection measurement

Deflection is recorded at different sensilivities over a limited portion of the holographic range by introducing equal but opposite phase changes into the holograms created by a dual-beam illumination. The technique does not require a partially reflecting mirror, patterns can be optically filtered for better fringe contrast and in-plane displacement can be recorded without making any modifications in the experimental setup. Results obtained from two-and three-dimensional surfaces agree well with theory and verify analytical arguments presented throughout the paper.
Risk factors for prescription opioid-related death, Utah, 2008-2009.

Objective Utah prescription opioid death rates increased nearly fivefold during 2000–2009. Inadequate understanding of risk factors hinders prevention. The goal of this study was to determine risk factors for prescription opioid death in Utah. Design Case-control study. Cases were 254 Utah decedents with ≥1 prescription opioid causing death during 2008–2009 with nonintentional manner of death (information obtained via next-of-kin interviews). Controls were 1,308 Utah 2008 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System respondents who reported prescription opioid use during the previous year. Outcome Measures Exposure prevalence ratios (EPRs) for selected characteristics and confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Results Decedents were more likely than the comparison group to have used prescription pain medication more than prescribed (52.9% vs 3.2%; EPR, 16.5; 95% CI, 9.3–23.7), obtained prescription pain medication from nonprescription sources (39.6% vs 8.3%; EPR, 4.8; 95% CI, 3.6–6.0), smoked daily (54.5% vs 9.7%; EPR, 5.6; 95% CI, 4.4–6.9), not graduated high school (18.5% vs 6.2%; EPR, 3.0; 95% CI, 2.0–3.9), and been divorced or separated (34.6% vs 9.4%; EPR, 3.7; 95% CI, 3.0–4.4). Decedents were more likely to have had chronic pain than the comparison group (94.2% vs 31.6%; EPR, 3.0; 95% CI, 2.7–3.3). Conclusions Use of pain medication outside prescription bounds was a risk factor for death. However, decedents were more likely to have had chronic pain, and the majority of both groups had obtained pain medication by prescription. Other factors (e.g., smoking status) might also play important roles in prescription opioid-related death. Prescribers should screen chronic pain patients for risk factors.
Ion-enhanced adhesion of Ni films on glassy carbon: III. Si intermediate layer and 84Kr+ implantation☆

Abstract The adhesion of 30 nm Ni films on glassy carbon (GC) was examined as a function of 84Kr+ implantation through a 7 nm Si intermediate layer. The Ni/Si/GC specimens were held at 100°C and implanted with 170 keV 84Kr+ at doses of 5 × 1015, 1 times; 1016 and 5 times; 1016 Kr/cm2. The implantation had only a small influence on the surface topography, but had a tremendous influence on the depth distribution of the elements. Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) depth profiling showed that the as-deposited Ni/Si/GC specimens consisted of a rather sharp Ni/GC interface with the Si dispersed into both the Ni and GC. 84Kr+ implantation caused the Si intermediate layer to be mixed extensively into both the Ni film and the GC substrate. Ni from the film was mixed into the substrate to approximately the same depth that the Si was intermixed. The C from the substrate was mixed into the Ni layer, and segregated at the surface. In this way, the interface between the Ni and the GC was graded (up to 2.5 times its original width) by the implantation. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) revealed that the Si in the as-deposited specimens was composed primarily of Ni-Si bonding in the Ni-rich region of the interface, Si-O bonding in the middle of the interface, and Si-C bonding in the C-rich region of the interface. After 84Kr+ implantation, the types of Si chemical bonding were very similar (Ni-Si, Si-C, and Si-O), but they were no longer segregated to the interfaces. Instead, the types of chemical bonding were more extensively intermixed. The interfacial chemistry of the implanted specimens showed a gentle gradient from Ni-Si-rich regions near the Ni film to Si-C-rich regions near the GC substrate. The XPS results showed no indication of any Ni-C bonding in the interfacial region. The adhesion of the Ni/Si/GC specimens was examined using a scratch test in conjunction with SEM and AES analysis. The as-deposited films were removed at forces less than 1 N. In contrast, after the 5 times; 1015 and 1 times; 1016 Kr/cm2 implants the critical force for film removal was increased to approximately 23 N. When the implant dose was increased to 5 times; 1016 Kr/cm2, the films could only be removed at forces (approximately 45 N) sufficient for catastrophic substrate failure. This adhesion increase was primarily attributed to the graded interfacial bonding produced by the ion implantation.
Microstructures and Physical Properties of Composites

A question that has often been raised is: “How accurate is the effective medium approximation?” The question is significant in view of the fact that different effective medium theories, derived with the same goal of describing a “random” composite, can produce drastically different predictions. In the first part of this paper I illustrate with several examples that different versions of effective medium theories are actually associated with different underlying microstructures. This fact explains a major part of the discrepancies in the predictions of various effective medium theories. The recognition of the role of microstructure naturally raises to the forefront the need for a general and precise method for incorporating structural information in the calculation of electric and elastic properties of composites. The second half of the paper addresses part of this problem by presenting a first-principle approach to the calculation of effective elastic moduli for arbitrary periodic composites. By using Fourier coefficients of the periodic system as structural inputs, the new method offers the advantage of circumventing the need for explicit boundary-conditions matching across material interfaces. As a result, it can handle complex unit cell geometries just as easily as simple cell geometries.
Expression of aerobactin genes by Shigella flexneri during extracellular and intracellular growth

The expression of the Shigella flexneri chromosomal aerobactin genes during growth of the bacterium within tissue culture cells was assayed. During intracellular growth, aerobactin promoter activity was repressed relative to the level observed in bacteria grown extracellularly, even when the bacteria had been starved for iron prior to infection. Similarly, the level of one of the proteins encoded by this operon, the aerobactin outer membrane receptor, Iut, was reduced in the intracellular environment. These studies indicate that the aerobactin system is not highly expressed by bacteria within host cells, suggesting that siderophore-independent iron acquisition systems can provide essential iron during intracellular multiplication.
Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: An Evolving Role for the Epstein-Barr Virus.

The Epstein–Barr herpesvirus (EBV) is an important human pathogen that is closely linked to several major malignancies including the major epithelial tumor, undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). This important tumor occurs with elevated incidence in specific areas, particularly in southern China but also in Mediterranean Africa and some regions of the Middle East. Regardless of tumor prevalence, undifferentiated NPC is consistently associated with EBV. The consistent detection of EBV in all cases of NPC, the maintenance of the viral genome in every cell, and the continued expression of viral gene products suggest that EBV is a necessary factor for the malignant growth in vivo. However, the molecular characterization of the infection and identification of critical events have been hampered by the difficulty in developing in vitro models of NPC. Epithelial cell infection is difficult in vitro and in contrast to B-cell infection does not result in immortalization and transformation. Cell lines established from NPC usually do not retain the genome, and the successful establishment of tumor xenografts is difficult. However, critical genetic changes that contribute to the onset and progression of NPC and key molecular properties of the viral genes expressed in NPC have been identified. In some cases, viral expression becomes increasingly restricted during tumor progression and tumor cells may express only the viral nuclear antigen EBNA1 and viral noncoding RNAs. As NPC develops in the immunocompetent, the continued progression of deregulated growth likely reflects the combination of expression of viral oncogenes in some cells and viral noncoding RNAs that likely function synergistically with changes in cellular RNA and miRNA expression.
Effects of a startle stimulus on response speed and inhibition in a go/no-go task.

Two studies examined the interaction of an acoustic startle stimulus and visual go/no-go task stimuli on startle reactivity and task performance. In the first study, an acoustic stimulus (50 ms, 100 dB noise) was presented alone or with a green (go) or red (no-go) circle; in the second study, a prepulse (50 ms, 75 dB noise) was presented alone or 120 ms before the startle stimulus or circle. The startle stimulus speeded responses to the go stimuli and increased the covert false alarm rate in the no-go condition (measured by EMG activity in the hand), although very few overt errors were made in the no-go condition. Startle response magnitude was increased by a circle but decreased by a prepulse. The speeding of go responses caused by a startle stimulus was attenuated by the occurrence of a startle response, suggesting that an intense accessory stimulus can facilitate responding to an imperative stimulus, and that the startle response to that intense stimulus can interfere with that facilitation.
Trends, seasonal variations, and analysis of high-elevation surface nitric acid, ozone, and hydrogen peroxide

Abstract Atmospheric photochemical oxidants nitric acid, ozone, and hydrogen peroxide were monitored in ambient air at Mt Mitchell State Park, North Carolina. Ozone measurements made from May to September during 1986–1990 are reported for two high-elevation sites (Site I on Mt Gibbs, approximately 2006 m; and Site 2 on Commissary Ridge, approximately 1760 m). These measurements are also compared to those from a nearby, low-elevation site (Fairview, approximately 830 m). Average ozone concentrations increased from lower to higher elevations. Meteorological analysis shows an association between periods of high ozone concentrations and synoptic-scale patterns. No discernible diurnal cycle in the ozone concentrations was observed at Site 2; however, a reversed diurnal cycle (nighttime maximum) was evident at Site 1. Gas-phase hydrogen peroxide and nitric acid concentration were measured at Site I during 1988 and 1989, and typically range from 0 to 4 ppbv, and 0–2 ppbv, respectively. Seasonal analysis shows that the ozone maximum occurs during spring coincident with the spring maximum at Whiteface Mountain, NY, Mauna Loa in Hawaii, and at Alpine stations in Europe, suggesting that ozone production is a hemispheric rather than local phenomenon and that the underlying phenomenon affects perhaps the entire Northern Hemisphere. The diurnal cycle of gaseous hydrogen peroxide was similar to the high-elevation ozone signal, while gaseous nitric acid concentration peaked during the day. This apparent discrepancy in the diurnal cycle between the three atmospheric photochemical oxidants at high elevation may be due to a difference in the behavior of the altitudinal gradients of those oxidants resulting from a combination of photochemistry, meteorology and dynamic processes.
Towards integration of hybrid models for optimized machining performance in intelligent manufacturing systems

Abstract This paper discusses integration issues involved in comprehensive evaluation of optimized machining performance for intelligent manufacturing systems . Machining performance is evaluated by major measures such as cutting forces/power/torque, tool-wear/tool-life, chip-form/chip breakability, surface roughness/surface integrity and part accuracy. The machining performance is discussed from a systems framework comprising three primary elements that constitute a machining system; the machine tool , cutting tool and work material . Hybrid methodologies, comprising suitable blends of different modeling techniques are emphasized in this paper. These models can be supplemented by sensory data which defines the unique characteristics of a specific machining system. The modeling of machining performance using traditional techniques, hybrid methodologies and sensor-based information is followed by optimization methods to obtain the optimized machining performance for the specific machining system. The presented methodology provides an effective means for developing intelligent , integrated models and optimization modules within modern machine tools to enable instantaneous assessment of machining performance with suitable on-line process and control strategies.
Nuclear Sata Sheets for A = 221

Abstract The available nuclear structure information for all nuclei with mass number A = 221 is presented. Various decay and reaction data are evaluated and compared. Adopted data; levels; and spin, parity, and configuration assignments are given.
Dynamics of Confined Polymer Melts: Topology and Entanglement

Computer simulations of a special bond-fluctuation model are used to investigate the effects of chain topology on the dynamics of confined polymer melts. Short polymer chains with and without topological constraints exhibit nearly identical increases in relaxation times upon confinement. In longer chains, the effects of confinement are actually more pronounced for chains without topological constraints. These results suggest that entanglements are neither induced nor enhanced by confinement between impenetrable adsorbing surfaces. Implications of these results for rheological theories of confined polymer melts are discussed.
Smoke inhalation injuries

Up to a third of all victims of major burns suffer smoke-related injury and may die as a result of inhalation injury. The management of the upper airway depends on a thorough understanding of the mechanisms of injury, including carbon monoxide toxicity, thermal injury, and smoke inhalation. Establishing and maintaining an airway for resuscitation requires a high index of suspicion, as early and severe upper airway swelling may preclude safe intubation under direct vision. Nasotracheal intubation is preferred in burn patients but is only indicated for patients in acute respiratory distress and a select group at high risk for developing progressive upper airway compromise and pulmonary injury, The use of the flexible bronchoscope and nasopharyngoscope is a safe and effective means of evaluating the respiratory tract and assisting in pulmonary therapy. Early tracheotomy is indicated only in rare cases because of increased morbidity and mortality in burn patients. The use of steroids is still controversial and is probably indicated only for refractory bronchospasm or secretions. Aggressive evaluation and management of inhalation burns will reduce the mortality rate of a frequently fatal injury.
NIRS-Specific Adaptation of the General Linear Model for Statistical Mapping of Brain Activity

Analysis methods such as Statistical Parametric Mapping were developed for functional MRI and require subtle but important modifications for proper application to optical NIRS data. We describe the NIRS formulation of the general linear model.