cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Utilization of Human Samples for Assessment of Mitochondrial Bioenergetics: Gold Standards, Limitations, and Future Perspectives

Mitochondrial bioenergetic function is a central component of cellular metabolism in health and disease. Mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation is critical for maintaining energetic homeostasis, and impairment of mitochondrial function underlies the development and progression of metabolic diseases and aging. However, measurement of mitochondrial bioenergetic function can be challenging in human samples due to limitations in the size of the collected sample. Furthermore, the collection of samples from human cohorts is often spread over multiple days and locations, which makes immediate sample processing and bioenergetics analysis challenging. Therefore, sample selection and choice of tests should be carefully considered. Basic research, clinical trials, and mitochondrial disease diagnosis rely primarily on skeletal muscle samples. However, obtaining skeletal muscle biopsies requires an appropriate clinical setting and specialized personnel, making skeletal muscle a less suitable tissue for certain research studies. Circulating white blood cells and platelets offer a promising primary tissue alternative to biopsies for the study of mitochondrial bioenergetics. Recent advances in frozen respirometry protocols combined with the utilization of minimally invasive and non-invasive samples may provide promise for future mitochondrial research studies in humans. Here we review the human samples commonly used for the measurement of mitochondrial bioenergetics with a focus on the advantages and limitations of each sample.
Maternal secure base scripts predict child attachment security in an at-risk sample.

Abstract Accumulating evidence indicates that individuals possess attachment, or secure base, scripts based on experiences with attachment figures, and these attachment scripts predict important outcomes such as caregiving behaviors and offspring social-emotional adjustment. However, less is known about the association between parents’ secure base scripts and child attachment security within at-risk samples, i.e., those known to be at greater risk for insecurity. The current study examined the relation between maternal secure base script representations and child attachment security by extending the use of the Attachment Script Assessment (ASA; Waters & Rodrigues-Doolabh, 2004 ) to an at-risk sample. One-hundred mother-child pairs from a larger longitudinal study participated; the larger study focused on psychosocial risks related to parenting in a primarily low-income sample. In the present study, overall ASA script scores were first compared with two independent middle-class samples, one from a U.S. study, the other an international study. Scores and statistical patterns were comparable across all samples, indicating that the ASA was successful in tapping into maternal secure base script knowledge in our at-risk sample. The relation between maternal script scores and children’s Attachment Q-Set (AQS; Waters, 1995) security scores were examined at ages 1 and 2 years. Dependency scores from the AQS were also included to establish discriminant validity for the script scores. Results indicated that maternal script knowledge predicted child security, while showing no relation to dependency scores. Findings indicate that the ASA can be an important and viable measure for assessing attachment representations in at-risk samples of caregivers.
Rivers, Canals and Estuaries

Environmentally important flows in rivers, canals and estuaries are characterized by turbulence generated at their sides and bottoms, and are capped by free surfaces that deform in response to the underlying flow, giving rise to a rich range of behavior including multiple flow depths for a given flow and a variety of wave propagation phenomena. They also have erodible and moveable beds that respond to the flow, leading to meandering channels as well as to significant transport of sediments from the land to the sea. Estuaries, where fresh river water mixes with salty ocean water, often have significant tidal motions that play an important role in sediment dynamics, mixing of pollutants, and salinity intrusion, an increase in river salinity that can render fresh water non-potable or even unusable for irrigation. A significant aspect of the mixing in estuaries is the difference in density between salt and fresh water, a difference that leads to buoyancy forces that significantly influence flows found in estuaries.
What Is Data Assimilation Really Solving, and How Is the Calculation Actually Done?

Data assimilation is reviewed in the context of an inverse problem. The mathematical nature of the problem is examined and some of its common solutions are described, clarifying some of the implicit assumptions that underlie both problem and solution. For instance, Kalman filtering and Rauch-Tung-Striebel smoothing can be identified as recursive least-squares inversions of the assimilation problem but of different parts of the problem. The temporal evolution of a filtered solution is not physically consistent, but that of a smoothed solution is. Understanding these characteristics is essential in effectively assimilating observations as well as in utilizing and further improving the assimilated solution. Practical steps in implementing a filtering and smoothing algorithm are illustrated by examples from the Consortium for “Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean” (ECCO).
Are There Differences in Treatment and Survival Between Poor, Older Black and White Women with Breast Cancer?

Objectives To explore differences in treatment and survival outcome between poor, older black and white women with breast cancer. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Public safety net hospital. Participants Women aged 65 and older diagnosed with breast cancer from 1999 to 2008 (n = 1,000). Measurements Breast cancer treatments that black and white women sought were compared using the Pearson chi-square test. All-cause mortality of black and white women was compared using hazard ratios derived from a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model. Results There was no significant difference between older black and white women in surgical treatment, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or hormone therapy over the study period. Race was not a significant predictor of survival in the Cox proportional hazards model that controlled for stage of cancer, age at diagnosis, dual-eligibility status, comorbid conditions, body mass index, smoking history, mammogram screening, and treatment for breast cancer. Conclusion Race did not appear to affect treatment or mortality in a cohort of older women with low socioeconomic status. This may be associated with similar healthcare delivery and equivalent access to health care for the older black and white women in this study.
Polymer encapsulants characterized by fluorescence analysis before and after degradation

Structural changes of the luminescent chromophores in various polymer encapsulants for photovoltaic modules due to processing, weathering and artificial degradation are characterized by the nondestructive, noninvasive fluorescence analysis. Undegraded, simulation-degraded, and weathering-degraded EVA films have been studied. The results show that curing the EVA films can generate new chromophores of /spl alpha/,/spl beta/-unsaturated carbonyls that can be excited by UV light up to /spl sim/400 nm. Their concentration in the EVA films made by a typical slow-curing process for EVA A9918 formulation is greater than those made by a fast-curing process for EVA 15295 formulation. Photothermal degradation of the EVA begins with an increase and lengthening of these chromophores. The UV-exposed EVA A9918 in solar cells turns brown and exhibits two types (one short and one long) of chromophores, and the thermally treated EVA shows yellow and only the short chromophores. The extent of discoloration from yellow to dark brown is a direct measure of the extent of degradation and an indication of an increase in the length of the polyconjugated carbon-carbon double bonds (polyenes). Similar results are observed for the weathering-degraded, yellow and brown PVB encapsulants in roof-top modules. >
Effect of Plating Medium on Heat Activation Requirement of Clostridium botulinum Spores

Clostridium botulinum 62A and ATCC 25763 spores required heat activation for maximum colony formation when plated on reinforced clostridial agar (BBL Microbiology Systems) but not when plated on botulinum assay medium. Spores from strains B-aphis and 53B did not exhibit heat activation when plated on either medium.
ON THE HAHN–JORDAN DECOMPOSITION FOR SIGNED MEASURE VALUED STOCHASTIC PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS

Let N-point particles be distributed over ℝd, d ∈ ℕ. The position of the ith particle at time t will be denoted r(t, qi) where qi is the position at t = 0. mi ∈ ℝ\{0} is the "weight" of the ith particle. Let δr be the point measure concentrated in r and the initial mass distribution of the N-point particles. The empirical mass distribution (also called the "empirical process") at time t is then given by i.e. by the N-particle flow. In Kotelenez (2008) the weights are positive and the motion of the positions of the point particles is described by a stochastic ordinary differential equation (SODE). Further, the resulting empirical process is the solution of a stochastic partial differential equation (SPDE) which, by a continuum limit, can be extended to an SPDE in smooth positive measures. Some generalizations to the case of signed measures with applications in 2D fluid mechanics have been made. Kotelenez (2010) shows that the signed measure valued solutions of the SPDEs preserve the Hahn–Jordan decomposition of the initial distributions under the assumption that the coefficients of the SODEs are Lipschitz and that the flows of SODEs are smooth. Employing a certain metric on the signed measures, we prove the preservation of the Hahn–Jordan decomposition assuming only Lipschitz conditions on the coefficients of the SODEs.
An observational study of the response of the upper atmosphere of Mars to lower atmospheric dust storms

Abstract The effects of dust storms on densities, temperatures, and winds in the lower atmosphere of Mars are substantial. Here we use upper atmospheric observations to investigate how dust storms affect the upper atmosphere of Mars. We use aerobraking accelerometer, ultraviolet stellar occultation, and radio occultation datasets to examine the magnitudes and timescales associated with upper atmospheric density changes during dust storms. We find that: (1) Upper atmospheric conditions can be perturbed by dust storms outside the classical “dust storm season” of Ls = 180–360°. (2) The upper atmospheric regions affected by even a small dust event can include nearly all latitudes. (3) Atmospheric temperatures can be affected by dust storms at altitudes as high as 160 km. (4) The onset of the upper atmospheric response to a distant dust event can be a few days or less. (5) The characteristic timescale for the decay of the upper atmospheric response to a dust event can be 20–120° of Ls, and it may differ from the corresponding timescale for the lower atmosphere. (6) Average upper atmospheric densities can change by factors of a few during mere regional dust storms and an order of magnitude change is possible for the largest storms: these are general trends and individual density measurements may be greater than suggested by a general trend by a factor of two due to the intrinsic variability of the upper atmosphere. The decay timescale and magnitude of the upper atmospheric response depend on altitude, and larger events have shorter decay timescales. The substantial effects seen in the upper atmosphere illuminate the vertical extent of modified atmospheric circulation patterns and associated adiabatic heating/cooling during extreme dust loading, timescales for the onset and decay of the upper atmospheric response, and highlight potential dangers to spacecraft operations.
RECOVERY OF ADRENAL FUNCTION AFTER TREATMENT OF ADRENOCORTICAL CARCINOMA WITH o,p’‐DDD

SUMMARY The adrenolytic agent, 2,2-bis [2-chlorophenyl-4-chlorophenyl] 1,1 dichloroethane (o.p'-DDD), was used over a 20-month period following surgery in a 2 3/12-year-old girl for treatment of adrenocortical carcinoma. The child remained free of disease and was maintained on glucocorticoid and mineralo-corticoid supplements for 7 years. Hormonal evaluation was undertaken at 9 9/12 years of age to determine remaining adrenal steroidogenic capacity. Following discontinuation of both hydrocortisone and 9α-fludrocortisone, she remained stable and asymptomatic. Immediately after discontinuing 9α-fludrocortisone, the adrenal glomerulosa was able to respond to stimulation by the renin-angiotensin system as shown by the ability to achieve renal sodium conservation on a restricted sodium intake (< 10 mEq/d for 5 d). The response of the adrenal fasciculata to ACTH stimulation showed a slower recovery. Baseline levels of cortisol were in the low normal range, but there was no increase in plasma cortisol or urinary 17-hydroxysteroids following stimulation with ACTH. The responses of cortisol, deoxycorticosterone, and corticosterone to ACTH stimulation gradually improved to achieve normal stimulated levels 18 months after stopping medications. Serum testosterone and δ4-androstenedione were initially increased for level of puberty, while levels of dehydroepian-drosterone were prepubertal. Testosterone and δ4-androstenedione did not suppress with dexamethasone (2 mg/d for 2 d; 4 mg/d for 2 d), and dehydroepiandrosterone decreased only slightly. However, administration of norethindrone (Norlutin) (10 mg orally, three times a day for 3 d) resulted in suppression while human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG; 5000 U i.m. daily for 3 d) produced stimulation of testosterone, δ4-androstenedione and dehydroepiandrosterone. Thus the androgens were felt be predominantly of ovarian origin. Dehydroepiandrosterone rose to low normal levels by 18 months after discontiution of hydrocotesone. We thus demonstrate for the first time that both the adrenal glomerulosa and fasiculata have the capacity to recover normal function following treatment with o,p'-DDD. Further, we suggest that early exposure to excess adrenal androgens may result in mild alteration of gonadal function.
Computer image analysis of ultrasound biomicroscopy of primate accommodation

To assess and correct images of the eye for movements that can confound the evaluation of the presence, direction, and magnitude of intraocular movement of the crystalline lens equator during centrally induced ciliary muscle contraction (accommodation). Ultrasound biomicroscopic (UBM) video images of a cynomologus monkey crystalline lens were obtained from an independent source. The images, prior to, during, and following electrical stimulation of the Edinger-Westphal (EW) nucleus were compared for evidence of movement of the crystalline lens equator. Extraocular eye movements were assessed by use of objective computer imaging analysis techniques. Extraocular eye movements were identified and reduced by using objective computer imaging analysis techniques to register and realign the corneal images. Highly significant corrections are required to effect corneal realignment. Analysis of paired and registered images from this data source indicates that any movements of the primate lens equator are not detectable when maximum accommodation was induced by EW stimulation. The displacement of the edge of the primate crystalline lens equator during electrically induced contraction of the ciliary muscle is a small displacement phenomenon, only analysable after confounding extraocular movements are removed from the compared images.
Physiological correlates of age-related decline in vibrotactile sensitivity.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to describe age-related changes in vibrotactile sensitivity in participants of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging and to identify factors that are associated with impairment in vibrotactile sensitivity independent of age. Participants ( n = 523, age: 26–95 years) underwent measurements of vibration perception threshold (VPT, 100 Hz) under the 2nd metatarsal head, glucose tolerance, serum inflammatory markers, nerve conduction parameters, movement time and cognition. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed to identify factors that predicted VPT independent of age. Structural equation modeling was used to describe relationships between these variables. VPT was progressively higher with older age. Adjusting for age and height, VPT was similar in men and women and the slope of age-related decline was similar in the two genders. Age, height, peroneal nerve conduction velocity and peroneal nerve amplitude were independent predictors of VPT. Structural equation model demonstrated a direct relationship between peripheral nerve function and VPT. Height and circulating inflammatory markers may influence age-related decline in vibrotactile sensitivity through their negative impacts on peripheral nerve function.
Gradual DNA demethylation of the Oct4 promoter in cloned mouse embryos

During differentiation, somatic cell nuclei acquire unique patterns of epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation, which affect the transcriptional activity of specific genes. Upon transfer into oocytes, however, the somatic nucleus undergoes reprogramming of these epigenetic modifications to achieve pluripotency. Oct4 is one of the critical pluripotency regulators, and is expressed in the germ line, including the pluripotent early embryonic cells. Previous studies showed that the upstream regulatory sequences of the Oct4 gene are distinctly methylated in somatic cells, and the DNA methylation of the regulatory sequences suppresses the transcriptional activity. Thus, successful reprogramming of the somatic cell nucleus to gain pluripotency must be accompanied by the demethylation of the Oct4 regulatory sequences. Here, we investigated the methylation pattern of the Oct4 promoter during early development of cloned mouse embryos. We found that the Oct4 promoter was only gradually demethylated during the early cleavage stages and that the ineffective demethylation of the promoter was associated with developmental retardation. We also found that the upstream sequences of the other pluripotency regulators, namely Nanog, Sox2, and Foxd3, were considerably under-methylated in cumulus cells. These results suggest that the Oct4 gene, as compared to the other pluripotency regulators, needs to undergo extensive demethylation during nuclear reprogramming, and that the failure of such demethylation is associated with inefficient development of cloned somatic cell embryos.
Aristotelean Virtue and the Interpersonal Aspect of Ethical Character

I examine the Aristotelean conception of virtuous character as firm and unchangeable, a normative ideal endorsed in the currently influential, broadly Aristotelean school of thought known as 'virtue ethics'. Drawing on central concepts of Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics , I offer an account of how this ideal is supposed to be realized psychologically. I then consider present-day empirical findings about relevant psychological processes, with special attention to interpersonal processes. The empirical evidence suggests that over time, the same interpersonal processes that sometimes help to sustain character may also disrupt it, even among agents who have the right values in principle. Fortunately, the evidence also suggests some remedial measures. An important philosophical measure, I conclude, is for advocates of virtue ethics to address agents' psychological need for a systematic decision procedure that will focus attention primarily on substantive ethical considerations, rather than characterological assessment.
Fiber optic strain, temperature and shape sensing via OFDR for ground, air and space applications

Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry (OFDR) is used to interrogate fiber sensors adhered to various structures. Temperatures in excess of 1000°C are observed on a thermal-barrier coated stainless steel test plate as it is exposed to a high-temperature torch. The surface temperature distribution is mapped with 5 mm spatial resolution at 100 Hz, revealing large spatial and temporal thermal gradients at coating defect locations. Results and response times are compared with conventional K type thermocouples. Also presented in this work, are real-time position, shape and twist measurements of a simple structure as it is subjected to various loads.
A comparison of the radiation vulnerabilities of ring resonator and interferometric fiber optic gyroscopes

A comparison is made between passive ring-resonator and interferometric fiber-optic gyroscope sensitivity to the radiation darkening of optical fibers. The radiation degradation factor for each type of gyroscope is developed, and figures of merit are given for comparing gyroscopes independently of the specific mechanization or modulation scheme used. It is shown that for most practical situations, interferometric gyros offer superior performance in radiation environments. >
Aquifer properties determined from two analytical solutions

In the analysis of pumping test data, the quality of the determined aquifer parameters can be greatly improved by using a proper model of the aquifer system. Moench (1995) provided an analytical solution for flow to a well partially penetrating an unconfined aquifer. His solution, in contrast to the Neuman solution (1974), accounts for the noninstantaneous decline of the water table (delayed yield). Consequently, the calculated drawdown in these two solutions is different under certain circumstances, and this difference may therefore affect the computation of aquifer properties from pumping test data. This paper uses an inverse computational method to calculate four aquifer parameters as well as a delayed yield parameter, α1 from pumping test data using both the Neuman (1974) and Moench (1995) solutions. Time-drawdown data sets from a pumping test in an unconfined alluvial aquifer near Grand Island, Nebraska, were analyzed. In single-well analyses, horizontal hydraulic conductivity values derived from the Moench solution are lower, but vertical hydraulic conductivity values are higher than those calculated from the Neuman solution. However, the hydraulic conductivity values in composite-well analyses from both solutions become very close. Furthermore, the Neuman solution produces similar hydraulic conductivity values in the single-well and composite-well analyses, but the Moench solution does not. While variable α1, seems to play a role in affecting the computation of aquifer parameters in the single-well analysis, a much smaller effect was observed in the composite-well analysis. In general, specific yield determined using the Moench solution could be slightly higher than the values from the Neuman solution; however, they are still lower than the realistic values for sand and gravel aquifers.
Monte Carlo and Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Uranyl Adsorption on Montmorillonite Clay

We performed Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the interlayer structure of a uranyl-substituted smectite clay. Our clay model is a dioctahedral montmorillonite with negative charge sites in the octahedral sheet only. We simulated a wide range of interlayer water content (0 mg H2O/g clay — 260 mg H2O/g clay), but we were particularly interested in the two-layer hydrate that has been the focus of recent X-ray absorption experiments. Our simulation results for the two-layer hydrate of uranyl-montmorillonite yield a water content of 160 mg H2O/g clay and a layer spacing of 14.66 A. Except at extremely low water content, uranyl cations are oriented nearly parallel to the surface normal in an outer-sphere complex. The first coordination shell consists of five water molecules with an average U-O distance of 2.45 A, in good agreement with experimental data. At low water content, the cations can assume a perpendicular orientation to include surface oxygen atoms in the first coordination shell. Our molecular dynamics results show that \({\rm{U}}{{\rm{O}}_2}\left( {{{\rm{H}}_2}{\rm{O}}} \right)_5^{2 + }\) complexes translate within the clay pore through a jump diffusion process, and that first-shell water molecules are exchangeable and interchangeable.
ZAKI: a windows-based ko standardization code for in-core INAA

Abstract A new computer code ZAKI, for k o -based INAA standardization, written in Visual Basic for the WINDOWS environment is described. The parameter α measuring the deviation of the epithermal neutron spectrum shape from the ideal 1/ E shape, and the thermal-to-epithermal flux ratio f , are monitored at each irradiation position for each irradiation using the “triple bare monitor with k o ” technique. Stability of the irradiation position with respect to α and f is therefore assumed only for the duration of the irradiation. This now makes it possible to use k o standardization even for in-core reactor irradiation channels without an a priori knowledge of α and f values as required by existing commercial software. ZAKI is considerably versatile and contains features which allow for use of several detectors at different counting geometries, direct inputing of peak search output from GeniePc, and automatic nuclide identification of all gamma lines using an in-built library. Sample results for two certified reference materials are presented.
Exercise: Effects on Hexokinase Activity in Red and White Skeletal Muscle

Single bouts of exercise increase hexokinase activity in red and white skeletal muscle of guinea pigs. Multiple bouts of exercise cause two-fold increases. In contrast to other enzymes associated with glycolysis, hexokinase activity is higher in red than in white skeletal muscle.
Deconstructing proficiency in motivational interviewing: mechanics of skilful practitioner delivery during brief simulated encounters.

Background: Proficient delivery of motivational interviewing (MI) is often determined by global rating of relational elements or cumulative tallies of technical elements. Yet limited empirical evidence exists to clarify how relational and technical elements are associated, or if rates of skill indices and their constituent technical elements vary within a clinical encounter. Aims: This study sought to document temporal variance in rates of MI skill indices and their constituent technical elements during brief clinical encounters with a standardized patient wherein delivery was "MI-proficient", and to distinguish those temporal patterns from those observed in encounters with "MI-inconsistent" delivery. Method: Data were accessed from a large MI training trial wherein relational and technical elements of MI delivery were scored for 503 recordings of a simulated 20-minute clinical encounter. Notably, independent raters tallied technical elements in 5-minute segments, allowing evaluation of potential variance among the encounter's quartile intervals. Global ratings of MI spirit identified subsets of recordings with MI-proficient (n = 49) and MI-inconsistent (n = 43) delivery for stratified analyses. Results: Analyses contrast temporal trajectories of technical aspects of MI-proficient and MI- inconsistent delivery, with the former characterized by: 1) elicitation and reflective listening as primary opening strategies; 2) increased depth of reflective listening as a predominant strategy in subsequent, focused therapeutic discussion; and 3) increased use of elicitation and information provision in change planning as the encounter approached conclusion. Conclusions: Findings are generally consistent with seminal descriptions of MI (Miller and Rollnick, 1991, 2002), and document temporal aspects of skilful MI delivery in brief encounters.
Circle the Wagons & Bust Out the Big Guns! Tame the “Wild West” of Distance Librarianship Using Quality MattersTM Benchmarks

The Quality MattersTM (QM) Program is utilized by over 700 colleges and universities to ensure that online course design meets standards imperative to student success in a Web-based classroom. Although a faculty-driven peer-review process, QM provides assessment from a student perspective, thereby identifying opportunities for improvement that may otherwise go undetected. While the benefit to academic librarians who also teach for-credit online or hybrid classes may be obvious, familiarity with QM also benefits academic librarians who create Web resources, act as embedded librarians for online classes, or who seek additional opportunities to collaborate with distance education faculty. This paper will provide academic librarians with an overview of the QM Standards and Rubric and will demonstrate how they can be used to facilitate stronger relationships with distance education departments, faculty, and students.
EventGuard: A System Architecture for Securing Publish-Subscribe Networks

Publish-subscribe (pub-sub) is an emerging paradigm for building a large number of distributed systems. A wide area pub-sub system is usually implemented on an overlay network infrastructure to enable information dissemination from publishers to subscribers. Using an open overlay network raises several security concerns such as: confidentiality and integrity, authentication, authorization and Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks. In this article we present EventGuard, a framework for building secure wide-area pub-sub systems. The EventGuard architecture is comprised of three key components: (1) a suite of security guards that can be seamlessly plugged-into a content-based pub-sub system, (2) a scalable key management algorithm to enforce access control on subscribers, and (3) a resilient pub-sub network design that is capable of scalable routing, handling message dropping-based DoS attacks, and node failures. The design of EventGuard mechanisms aims at providing security guarantees while maintaining the system’s overall simplicity, scalability, and performance metrics. We describe an implementation of the EventGuard pub-sub system to show that EventGuard is easily stackable on any content-based pub-sub core. We present detailed experimental results that quantify the overhead of the EventGuard pub-sub system and demonstrate its resilience against various attacks.
On Communications and Networks

Data communications has come of age. In this paper, we highlight some of the principal events that led up to the revolution in communications among information processing systems. Perhaps the most important event was the technological development of packet switching in the form of the ARPANET. We devote most of this presentation to a brief summary of the ARPANET experience, emphasizing the description, functions, analysis, design and performance measurement of packet-switching networks. We also discuss some recent advances in radio packet switching for long-haul (i.e., satellite) and terminal-access communications.
Aqueous Dye Aggregates as Liquid Crystals

Abstract Aqueous solutions of cyanine dyes can be made to aggregate by the addition of a salt, such as NaCl; the most unusual state observed in the range of transformations from true solution to precipitated crystals is an intermediate phase consisting of microscopic, thread-like aggregates of the dye molecules.(1,2) We have found that this phase may show large optical activities at the position of the absorption bands of the dye, which appear immediately upon mixing salt into the aqueous dye solution and which can be altered in magnitude and sign by rotating or shaking an optical cell containing aggregated dye solution.
Status and Trends in the Area of Elastomers and Rubberlike Elasticity

General topics covered in this overview are(i)some new elastomeric polymers,(ii)unusual network structures,(iii)elastomeric composites,(iv)new characterization techniques,(v)theoretical developments,(v)unusual applications, and(vi)societal aspects.
Treatment of Malignant Pleural Effusions with Tunneled Long-term Drainage Catheters

PURPOSE To assess the effectiveness of tunneled pleural catheters (TPCs) in the treatment of malignant pleural effusions (MPEs). MATERIALS AND METHODS Twenty-eight patients with symptomatic MPEs had 31 hemithoraces treated with TPCs placed under image guidance. Chemical sclerotherapy had failed in two patients and two had symptomatic locules. Drainage was accomplished by intermittent connection to vacuum bottles. Pleurodesis was considered achieved when three consecutive outputs were scant and imaging showed no residual fluid. RESULTS All catheters were successfully placed. Dyspnea improved in 94% (29 of 31 hemithoraces) at 48 hours and 91% (20 of 22 patients) at 30 days. Control of the MPE was achieved in 90% of hemithoraces (28/31), although five required ancillary procedures. Pleurodesis occurred in 42% (13 of 31) of hemithoraces, including both that underwent an earlier attempt at chemical sclerotherapy and one treated locule. Continued drainage without pleurodesis controlled the effusion in 48% (15 of 31). In only 7% was hospital time necessary for care related to the TPC. Early, transient catheter-related pain was common, but only three complications (in two patients) occurred. Neither of these altered patient care. CONCLUSIONS Regardless of whether pleurodesis is achieved, TPCs provide effective long-term outpatient palliation of MPEs.
A systematic review of head and neck cancer quality of life assessment instruments

Although quality of life (QOL) is an important treatment outcome in head and neck cancer (HNC), cross-study comparisons have been hampered by the heterogeneity of measures used and the fact that reviews of HNC QOL instruments have not been comprehensive to date. We performed a systematic review of the published literature on HNC QOL instruments from 1990 to 2010, categorized, and reviewed the properties of the instruments using international guidelines as reference. Of the 2766 articles retrieved, 710 met the inclusion criteria and used 57 different head and neck-specific instruments to assess QOL. A review of the properties of these utilized measures and identification of areas in need of further research is presented. Given the volume and heterogeneity of QOL measures, there is no gold standard questionnaire. Therefore, when selecting instruments, researchers should consider not only psychometric properties but also research objectives, study design, and the pitfalls and benefits of combining different measures. Although great strides have been made in the assessment of QOL in HNC and researchers now have a plethora of quality instruments to choose from, more work is needed to improve the clinical utility of these measures in order to link QOL research to clinical practice. This review provides a platform for head and neck-specific instrument comparisons, with suggestions of important factors to consider in the systematic selection of QOL instruments, and is a first step towards translation of QOL assessment into the clinical scene.
Application of constrained polarization filtering for surface-wave mitigation: Three case studies

ABSTRACTWe applied constrained polarization filtering (CPF) to surface-wave mitigation on data sets from different geologic settings. The method derives from the application of polarization filtering in the time-frequency (t-f) domain and introduces new constraints to effectively detect and mitigate surface waves while protecting the signal. We use these constraints that we derive from velocity, amplitude, time, and frequency information to delineate the t-f region dominated by surface-wave noises. Then, we restrict the application of polarization filtering to this region to avoid damaging the signal. Straightforward application of polarization filtering without these constraints results in ineffective filtering or damage to the signal, due to the complexity of surface-wave wavetrains. The performance of CPF with these various data sets is demonstrably superior compared to the unconstrained approach. There are some of the issues that may affect performance of the CPF, but they can be overcome.
The household food insecurity and health outcomes of U.S. -Mexico border migrant and seasonal farmworkers

Emerging evidence suggests chronic household food insecurity has an adverse effect on health. This study examined the prevalence, predictors and health outcomes associated with food insecurity in 100 migrant and seasonal farmworker (MSFW) households living on the U.S.–Mexico border. Data were collected using the U.S. Food Security Scale, California Agricultural Worker’s Health Survey, and objective anthropometric, clinical and biochemical indicators. Food insecurity affected 82% of households; 49% also had hunger. Household food insecurity was predicted by the presence of minor children in the home and low maternal education. Food insecure households were more likely to have at least one member affected by symptoms of depression (deprimido), nervios (an ethnospecific condition), learning disorders, and symptoms suggestive of gastrointestinal infection. Although not directly associated with food insecurity, adult obesity, central body adiposity, elevated blood pressure, and blood lipid and glucose disturbances were common. These findings highlight the significant food security and health challenges faced by border area MSFW families.
Change in photospheric magnetic flux during coronal mass ejections

We report on the variations of photospheric magnetic flux during coronal mass ejections (CMEs). Using magneograms from the SOHO/MDI instrument, we have computed the magnetic flux of 7 active regions and one disappearing filament region associated with CMEs. When we plotted the flux versus time over a period of few days before, during and after the CME event, we found changes in the mean magnetic flux per pixel (∼ 4 arcsec 2 ), ranging from ∼ 0.4 to ∼ 3.1 × 10 17 Mx in structures of size smaller than the active region. Flare onsets and the filament disappearance clearly occurred during periods of significant variations in the measured magnetic flux.
Carbon-13 NMR studies on the interaction of manganese ion with the tRNA derived modified nucleoside, t6A

Abstract Manganese ion (Mn(II)) has been found to interact preferentially with the side chain of the transer RNA anticodon adjacent modified nucleoside, t 6 A, as monitored by carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance. Evidence for Mn(II) binding to the adenine ring is also presented. These findings lend credence to the postulate that this unusual nucleoside may be a binding site for magnesium ion in transfer RNA.
The electrochemical reduction of aqueous carbon dioxide to methanol at molybdenum electrodes with low overpotentials

Abstract Electrolysis using molybdenum electrodes in a pH 4.2, 0.2 M Na 2 SO 4 carbon dioxide saturated solution produces methanol as the major carbon-containing product. The reduction proceeds at room temperature and −0.7 to −0.8 V vs. SCE with faradaic efficiencies of ⩾ 50% (efficiencies of near 100% have been measured in some cases). These potentials represent electrolysis at only 160 mV negative of the standard potential corrected for pH. Methanol can also be obtained with good efficiency in 0.05 M H 2 SO 4 at −0.57 to −0.67 V vs. SCE. Electrolysis also produces small amounts of carbon monoxide and traces of methane. No more than a trace of methane was produced even at 52°C. Extended electrolysis of molybdenum electrodes indicates that even over several days the production of methanol does not cease but the faradaic efficiency does increase. Molybdenum will reduce carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide at open circuit. Cyclic voltammetry implicates corrosion of molybdenum metal to molybdenum dioxide as the source of electrons for open circuit reduction of carbon dioxide. Analysis of the solution after electrolysis shows no molybdenum and cyclic voltammetry indicates no detectable molybdenum dioxide on the surface indicating that the electrodes are cathodically protected during electrolysis. If the electrode are cycled between −1.2 and +0.2 V vs. SCE before electrolysis, greater than 100% faradaic efficiencies are observed. The extent of cyclic is critical with yields reaching a maximum with cycling time and extended cycling leading to total passivation of the electrode. These efficiencies involve, at least in part, corrosion of the molybdenum metal. Cycled electrodes will also produce methanol at a low rate at open circuit.
Heat and Mass Transfer in the Vicinity of a Devolatilizing Coal Particle

Abstract A computer model has been developed to describe heat and mass transfer in the vicinity of a single reacting coal particle entrained in a laminar gas stream. The model describes the various processes that occur during devolatilization and combustion in the boundary layer between the particle surface and the bulk gas stream. Global reaction rates are used in the gas phase, with light and heavy volatiles represented by methane and benzene. Although the model was developed for a two-dimensional treatment. one-dimensional simulations are shown to yield meaningful results at low particle Reynolds numbers. Simulations indicate that the region of homogeneous volatiles combustion may extend for several particle diameters, implying that flame sheet approximations are not applicable during devolatilization. Parametric studies indicate that particle heating is dominated by homogeneous volatiles combustion for large particles and by heterogeneous reaction for small particles.
Visualizing single molecules interacting with nuclear pore complexes by narrow-field epifluorescence microscopy

The utility of single molecule fluorescence (SMF) for understanding biological reactions has been amply demonstrated by a diverse series of studies over the last decade. In large part, the molecules of interest have been limited to those within a small focal volume or near a surface to achieve the high sensitivity required for detecting the inherently weak signals arising from individual molecules. Consequently, the investigation of molecular behavior with high time and spatial resolution deep within cells using SMF has remained challenging. Recently, we demonstrated that narrow-field epifluorescence microscopy allows visualization of nucleocytoplasmic transport at the single cargo level. We describe here the methodological approach that yields 2 ms and ∼15 nm resolution for a stationary particle. The spatial resolution for a mobile particle is inherently worse, and depends on how fast the particle is moving. The signal-to-noise ratio is sufficiently high to directly measure the time a single cargo molecule spends interacting with the nuclear pore complex. Particle tracking analysis revealed that cargo molecules randomly diffuse within the nuclear pore complex, exiting as a result of a single rate-limiting step. We expect that narrow-field epifluorescence microscopy will be useful for elucidating other binding and trafficking events within cells.
Accuracy and conservation properties of a three-dimensional unstructured staggered mesh scheme for fluid dynamics

A three-dimensional unstructured mesh discretization of the rotational from of the incompressible Navier-Stokes is presented. The method uses novel and highly efficient algorithms for interpolating the velocity vector and constructing the convention term. The resulting discretization is shown to conserve mass, kinetic energy, and vorticity to machine precision both locally and globally. The spatial accuracy of the method is analyzed and found to be second order on regular meshes and first order on irregular meshes. The numerical efficiency, accuracy, and conservation properties of the method are tested on three-dimensional meshes and found to be in agreement with theory.
Irritability and dysuria in infants with idiopathic hypercalciuria

Idiopathic hypercalciuria (IH) is being diagnosed with increasing frequency in the pediatric population and occurs in approximately 2.9-6.2% of normal children. The majority of children with IH are asymptomatic; however, the most common clinical presentation is that of isolated hematuria (gross or microscopic). The prevalence, presentation and clinical course of IH is less well established in infants. We have recently seen two young infants with IH who had dysuria on presentation. Their hypercalciuria was difficult to manage and required frequent manipulations of drug therapy and diet restrictions. These cases emphasize the importance of evaluating infants with dysuria and irritability for IH, even in the absence of hematuria. Further studies are needed to establish the prevalence and classical presentation of IH in this population, and to determine the necessary duration of therapy.
Electronic energy distributions in energetic materials: NTO and the biguanidinium dinitramides

The kinetic, potential, and electronic energy distributions were calculated from the experimental electron density using the DFT functionals for the energetic β-form of 5-nitro-2,4-dihydro-3H-1,2,4-triazol-3-one (NTO), biguanidinium dinitramide, (BIGH)(DN), and biguanidinium bis-dinitramide, (BIGH2)(DN)2. The spatial distribution of the electronic energy density is shown to be a useful descriptor of the chemical bonding and intermolecular interactions, in addition to the electron density and Laplacian distributions. Also, the kinetic energies and atomic charges have been integrated over the atomic basins. The examination of these spatial and integrated values allowed us to more completely describe the nature of atomic and molecular interactions.
The Number, Identity, Meaning, and Salience of Ascriptive Attributes in Adult Person Perception:

The multidimensional scaling of similarities data was employed in a study of person perception in five adult-aged groups of both male and female respondents. Stimulus persons were males and females of the same five ages. Regardless of the age or gender of the respondent group studied, an identical set of three basic attributes was identified: perceived age, perceived gender, and perceived autonomy. However, respondents also assigned different saliencies to these attributes and used them in quite different ways to categorize the stimulus persons. While the amount of between-group variability observed in these data is large enough to suggest that adult person perception is somewhat idiosyncratic in nature, it was still possible to discern several generalizable trends for the attributes of perceived age and perceived autonomy. These trends and several methodological issues are presented and discussed within the text of this article.
MAFALDA: An Argentina Comic Strip

Mafalda, the acutely sensitive little girl well-known to both Argentinian and other Latin American readers, has been used by Quino, her creator, as the vehicle to comment on national foibles and pretentions. David Foster analyzes several strips to show how Mafalda's cleverness is based on literary strategems of what he calls “judicious inuerosimilitude.” While he asserts that Quino's work is a remarkably accurate representation of the details of Argentine bourgeois daily life, the dominant Buenos Aires sociodialect, and patterns of behavior that underlie social and ethic values, the strip is also singularly inverosimilar in its handling of sociological types. The object o f the strip thus is artful verbal and visual representation. Readers familiar with literary criticism will be interested in Foster's employment o f some general semiological principles to highlight the complex ironies which pervade Quino's work and to show how much of the strip's worth derives from contrasting Mafalda's unique perceptions and the stereotypic behavior of those around her.