cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of Aflatoxin B1 on Dry-Grind Ethanol Process

ABSTRACT Aflatoxins, like all mycotoxins, are toxic fungal metabolites that can have adverse health effects on animals and human beings. Aflatoxins are a major concern for the dry-grind corn processing industry as it is believed that aflatoxins affect yeast and reduce its efficacy in producing ethanol. In the present study, aflatoxin B1 (100, 200, 350, or 775 ppb) was added to mycotoxin-free corn and laboratory-scale fermentations were conducted. No effect of aflatoxin B1 was observed on the fermentation rates or final ethanol concentrations. Mean ethanol concentration in the fermenter was 14.01–14.51% (v/v) at 60 hr for all the treatments. In the dry-grind ethanol process, 55% of aflatoxin B1 was detected in wet grains and 45% in thin stillage.
Genetic polymorphism in a temporally varying environment: effects of delayed germination or diapause

Temporal variation in the environment is generally thought to be less efficient in maintaining genetic polymorphism than spatial variation. However, if there is delayed germination or diapause, in some situations the conditions for genetic polymorphism are greatly broadened in a temporally variable environment. For a model with absolute dominance which means that there can be no type of heterozygous advantage, the upper bound is no longer the geometric mean and the lower bound may not be the arithmetic mean of the fitnesses over environments. In some situations, there is an unstable equilibrium present as well as the stable equilibrium.
Diazepam versus midazolam (versed) in outpatient colonoscopy: a double-blind randomized study

Midazolam is a new parenteral benzodiazepine premedication lor endoscopy. Consecutive patients were randomized to receive either intravenous midazolam or diazepam as premedication for outpatient total colonoscopy by one endoscopist. Fifty-five patients received diazepam (0.15 mg/kg) and 50 received midazolam (0.07 mg/kg). Both patient and endoscopist were blind to the study drug used. The two groups were similar with respect to age, sex, and indication for colonoscopy. Patients were rated by the endoscopist for degree of cooperation, sedation, and pain during examination. There was significantly more oversedation in the midazolam group than in the diazepam group
Computational synthesis of single-layer GaN on refractory materials

The synthesis of single-layer materials relies on suitable substrates. In this paper, we identify suitable substrates for the stabilization and growth of single-layer GaN and characterize the effect of the substrate on the electronic structure of single-layer GaN. We identify two classes of epitaxial substrates, refractory metal diborides and transition-metal dichalcogenides. We find that the refractory diborides provide epitaxial stabilization for the growth and functionalization of single layer GaN. We show that chemical interactions of single layer GaN with the diboride substrates result in n-type doping of the single-layer GaN. Transition-metal dichalcogenides, on the other hand, although epitaxially matched, cannot provide sufficient thermodynamic stabilization for the growth of single layer GaN. Nonetheless, energy band alignments of GaN/metal chalcogenides show that they make good candidates for heterostructures.
Rare De Novo Variants Associated with Autism Implicate a Large Functional Network of Genes Involved in Formation and Function of Synapses

Identification of complex molecular networks underlying common human phenotypes is a major challenge of modern genetics. In this study, we develop a method for network-based analysis of genetic associations (NETBAG). We use NETBAG to identify a large biological network of genes affected by rare de novo CNVs in autism. The genes forming the network are primarily related to synapse development, axon targeting, and neuron motility. The identified network is strongly related to genes previously implicated in autism and intellectual disability phenotypes. Our results are also consistent with the hypothesis that significantly stronger functional perturbations are required to trigger the autistic phenotype in females compared to males. Overall, the presented analysis of de novo variants supports the hypothesis that perturbed synaptogenesis is at the heart of autism. More generally, our study provides proof of the principle that networks underlying complex human phenotypes can be identified by a network-based functional analysis of rare genetic variants.
TWO HERBIVORES AND CONSTRAINTS ON SELECTION FOR RESISTANCE IN BRASSICA RAPA.

Although most plants experience herbivory by several insect species, there has been little empirical work directed toward understanding plant responses to these simultaneous selection pressures. In an experiment in which herbivory by flea beetles (Phyllotreta cruciferae) and diamondback moths (Plutella xylostella) was manipulated in a factorial design, I found that selection for resistance to these herbivores is not independent in Brassica rapa. Specifically, the effect of flea beetle damage on B. rapa fitness depends on the amount of diamondback moth damage a plant experiences: damage by these herbivores has a nonadditive effect on plant fitness. When diamondbacks are abundant, plants that sustain high levels of damage by flea beetles are favored by natural selection, but when diamondbacks are rare, a low level of damage by flea beetles is favored. However, resistance to the later-feeding diamondback moth is not affected by the presence or absence of damage by early-feeding flea beetles. Thus, there are no plant-mediated ecological interactions between these herbivores that affect the outcome of selection for resistance. Because these herbivores do not independently affect plant fitness, neither is likely to develop a pairwise coevolutionary relationship with its host. Instead, coevolution is diffuse.
Functional auditory development in preterm and full term infants

Abstract Bilateral ABRs were recorded from 452 infants 32–45 weeks conceptional age. Differences in laterality, gender and appropriateness for gestational age were investigated in order to increase our understanding of developmental processes in early life. Rate effects were also studied in a subsample of infants (145 ears). All subjects were free of conditions known to affect ABR parameters. Left/right differences were evident for all ABR measures except the amplitude of wave I. Shorter interwave intervals and larger amplitudes were consistently observed on the right. Females exhibited shorter absolute latencies for waves III and V and larger wave I amplitudes than males. Small for gestational age (SGA) infants displayed shorter wave V latencies and interwave intervals relative to AGA infants. These differences, however, disappeared by term age whereas the contrasts in laterality persisted. Increasing the rate of stimulation reduced wave I amplitude irrespective of conceptional age and increased wave V amplitude prior to term. An increase in wave V latency was more pronounced at the higher rate on the left than the right. There was no interaction between rate and appropriateness for gestational age, although SGA infants had shorter wave V and interwave latencies. Our data indicate a slight but significant right ear advantage in the processing of auditory signals. Gender differences were apparent as well. While research on adults and older children have reported similar findings, no other studies to date have observed these results in neonates. The present work also lends support to the view that accelerated neurological development occurs in growth-retarded infants.
LATERAL DIFFERENCES IN HABITUATION OF IPSILATERAL HEAD-TURNING TO REPEATED TACTILE STIMULATION IN THE HUMAN NEWBORN

Lateral differences in habituation of ipsilateral head-turning to repeated tactile perioral stimulation following midline head restriction was studied in 44 full-term neonates. Left-sided stimulation had a significantly greater and faster decremental effect than right-sided stimulation. Even in the absence of tactile stimulation (Control Group), head-turning to the left decreased systematically whereas head-turning to the right did not. The transient efficacy of prior midline head restriction for the elimination of lateral differences in both spontaneous head movements and responsiveness to tactile input suggests that behavioral asymmetry is already well-established in the newborn.
Sub-wavelength nano-fluidics on suspended photonic crystal sensors

We introduce a novel sensor scheme that combines nano-photonics and nano-fluidics on a single platform using free-standing photonic crystals. The sensor with 510 nm/RIU sensitivity can lead to enhanced analyte delivery to the sensor surface.
Color fluctuations in hadrons and proton coherent diffractive dissociation on helium

The differential cross section of inelastic coherent diffractive dissociation off nuclei p${+}^{4}$He \ensuremath{\rightarrow}X${+}^{4}$He is expressed in terms of the relative cumulants of the cross-section distribution ${\mathit{P}}_{\mathit{N}}$(\ensuremath{\sigma}). The theoretical result for the ratio r=(d${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\sigma}}}_{\mathrm{diff}}$/dt${)}_{\mathit{t}=0}^{\mathit{p}\mathrm{He}}$/(d${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\sigma}}}_{\mathrm{diff}}$/dt $_{\mathit{t}=0}^{\mathit{pp}}$=6.8--7.6 is close to the value r=7.1\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.7 which we extracted from the FNAL data. These are the only A\ensuremath{\gtrsim}2 data of this kind. The comparison provides the first confirmation of the color/cross-section fluctuation approach to the description of the absolute value of the inelastic diffraction cross section off nuclei. It provides also a new constraint on the first four cumulants of the cross-section distribution.
Web 2.0 for Ground Resource Allocation

A set of analysis tools has been created in a community-based team environment to support NASA ground resource allocation and planning. This new tool, called GRAPE (Ground Resource Allocation and Planning Environment), combines analysis, monitoring, and search capabilities into an existing community environment where wikis, blogs, document libraries, calendars, discussion forums, lists, progress management, and email repositories are available in a web site which assists users with their communication, operation, analysis, and collaboration needs.
Mining and western world sources of vanadium

Production and consumption of vanadium continues to rise both in the United States and abroad. World reserves are so vast as to prevent appraisal, while unneeded vanadium continues to be dissipated in tailings or stockpiled due to the high cost of mining and extractive metallurgy. Meanwhile, research and development forges ahead in search of new recovery techniques and additional uses of vanadium and its derivatives. Vanadium is the eighth most abundant metal in the earth’s crust; however, its natural occurrence does not favor high concentration. It is more often found in such complex mineral associations as vanadinite, descloizite, patronite, carnotite, and roscoelite. It is produced in conjunction with uranium, iron, titanium, aluminum, and lead. Future sources of vanadium may be the vanadium-bearing green micas and various base metal vanadates, asphaltite, petroleum, coal, and bauxite deposits.
Gradient SHAKE: An improved method for constrained energy minimization in macromolecular simulations

Current macromolecular energy minimization algorithms become inefficient and prone to failure when bond length constraints are imposed. They are required to relieve steric stresses in biomolecules prior to a molecular dynamics simulation. Unfortunately, the latter often require constraints, leading to difficulties in initiating trajectories from unconstrained energy minima. This difficulty was overcome by requiring that the components of the energy gradient vanish along the constrained bonds. The modified energy minimization algorithm converges to a lower energy in a fewer number of iterations and is more robust than current implementations. The method has been successfully applied to the Dickerson DNA dodecamer, CGCGAATTCGCG. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Catchability and Organoleptic Evaluation of Grass Carp in East Tennessee Ponds

Abstract One hundred seventy-eight grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) were stocked in seven ponds and evaluated as game fish based on catchability and organoleptic properties. In over 427 hours fishing with four types of baits, only nine fish were hooked and two landed. Organoleptic properties of grass carp were generally acceptable to a 28-member taste panel; the species was significantly less preferred (5% level) to channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), but not to bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) or largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). Indications are the grass carp has limited potential as a game fish in East Tennessee ponds.
THE ROLE OF URBAN SQUATTER SETTLEMENTS

ABSTRACT Peripheral squatter settlements may play a negative or a positive role in the urbanization of developing countries. Squatter settlements in Cagayan de Oro, an intermediate-sized city in the southern Philippines, reveal that the role such settlements play depends largely on their age and location relative to urban jobs and amenities. Other significant socioeconomic variables are related to the age of the settlement. Older squatter settlements have the best locations, they are more productive, and they have closer ties to the city. Although most squatter inmigrants are from rural origins, assimilation into smaller cities, such as Cagayan de Oro, apparently is not as difficult as assimilation into primate cities. Most peripheral urban squatter settlements have the potential to play a positive and productive role in cities. Factors such as age of settlement and location should be evaluated carefully before governments decide to evict or relocate squatter populations.
Ca2+ channel actions of the non-dihydropyridine Ca2+ channel antagonist Ro 40-5967 in vascular muscle cells cultured from dog coronary and saphenous arteries.

We studied the membrane effects of (1S,2S)-2-(2-[[3-2(benzimidazolyl) propyllmethylamino]ethyl)-6-fluoro-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-l-isopropyl-2-naphthyl-methoxy-acetate dihydrochloride, Ro 40-5967, a new non-dihydropyridine (DHP) Ca2+ channel antagonist, on dog coronary and saphenous arterial vascular muscle cells using the whole-cell patch-clamp method. Long-lasting (L-type) inward currents in 20 mM Ba2+ were measured over a range of test potentials (300 ms) from −50 mV to + 90 mV from a holding potential of −80 mV in the presence of 1 μM Bay k8644 (a DHP Ca2+ agonist). Ro 40-5967 caused a concentration-dependent suppression of Ca2+ channel currents in muscle cells from both arteries, with greater potency on coronary than saphenous arterial cells. The concentration of Ro 40-5967 which inhibited the magnitude of peak inward currents by 50% (IC50) was estimated to be 1 μM (n = 5) in muscle cells from coronary artery and 10 μM (n = 4) in saphenous artery. Ro 40-5967 (1 μM) decreased the amplitude of the activation current-voltage relationship for coronary L-type Ca2+ channel currents over a wider range of membrane potentials than verapamil, diltiazem, or nifedipine. In contrast, block of Ca2+ channel currents in saphenous artery cells by 1 μM Ro 40-5967 was only observed at command potentials positive to 0 mV. Ro 40-5967 (1 μM) significantly shifted the voltage-inactivation curve downward by 40% in coronary (n = 4), but only by 18% in saphenous arterial muscle cells (n = 3). The non-parallel shift of the coronary artery inactivation curve suggests that pronounced resting channel block is a notable feature of Ro 40-5967. The marked inhibition of Ba2+ current by 1 μM Ro 40-5967 in the inactivation protocol in coronary arterial muscle cells was found over the entire range of membrane holding potentials tested, while inhibition in the saphenous artery inactivation curve occurred only from holding potentials more positive than −40 mV. Therefore, Ro 40-5967 is unique: 1) in acting over a wider range of voltages, on both instantaneous and resting Ca2+ currents, than other Ca2+ antagonists; 2) in producing more significant resting state block; and 3) in acting with selectivity for coronary over saphenous arteries.
"BreastfeedingBasics": web-based education that meets current knowledge competencies.

Background:The United States has not met the majority of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention goals for breastfeeding duration. Studies have shown a lack of knowledge about breastfeeding ...
Immunreconstitution and Infectious Complications After Rituximab Treatment in Children and Adolescents: What Do We Know and What Can We Learn from Adults?

Rituximab, an anti CD20 monoclonal antibody, is widely used in the treatment of B-cell malignancies in adults and increasingly in pediatric patients. By depleting B-cells, rituximab interferes with humoral immunity. This review provides a comprehensive overview of immune reconstitution and infectious complications after rituximab treatment in children and adolescents. Immune reconstitution starts usually after six months with recovery to normal between nine to twelve months. Extended rituximab treatment results in a prolonged recovery of B-cells without an increase of clinically relevant infections. The kinetic of B-cell recovery is influenced by the concomitant chemotherapy and the underlying disease. Intensive B-NHL treatment such as high-dose chemotherapy followed by rituximab bears a risk for prolonged hypogammaglobulinemia. Overall transient alteration of immune reconstitution and infections after rituximab treatment are acceptable for children and adolescent without significant differences compared to adults. However, age related disparities in the kinetic of immune reconstitution and the definitive role of rituximab in the treatment for children and adolescents with B-cell malignancies need to be evaluated in prospective controlled clinical trials.
Detection of Kaposi's sarcoma associated herpesvirus nucleic acids using a smartphone accessory

Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is an infectious cancer occurring in immune-compromised patients, caused by Kaposi's sarcoma associated herpesvirus (KSHV). Our vision is to simplify the process of KS diagnosis through the creation of a smartphone based point-of-care system capable of yielding an actionable diagnostic readout starting from a raw biopsy sample. In this work we develop the sensing mechanism for the overall system, a smartphone accessory capable of detecting KSHV nucleic acids. The accessory reads out microfluidic chips filled with a colorimetric nanoparticle assay targeted at KSHV. We calculate that our final device can read out gold nanoparticle solutions with an accuracy of 0.05 OD, and we demonstrate that it can detect DNA sequences from KSHV down to 1 nM. We believe that through integration with our previously developed components, a smartphone based system like the one studied here can provide accurate detection information, as well as a simple platform for field based clinical diagnosis and research.
Studies on basic charged molecules and cell membranes in cystic fibrosis.

SummaryA recent hypothesis is that unknown positively charged molecules are involved in the pathophysiology of cystic fibrosis. 131I-albumin uptake by sarcoma 180 cells in culture, 1-4-14C-succinate oxidation by isolated mitochondria and 35S-thiamine released by cultured fibroblasts are affected by poly-L-lysine, a positively charged polypeptide. CF saliva does not have this effect. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and acrylamide isoelectric focusing suggests that basic secretory proteins are normal in CF saliva. Conventional pancreatic replacement therapy does not affect basic charged secretory proteins as it does in experimental animals.
Horizontal gene transfer in eukaryotic algal evolution

Although seemingly innocuous, the power of something as simple as a drop of water, given a few millions of years over which to act continually, is immediately and awe-inspiringly obvious to someone peering over the edge of the Grand Canyon. Acting over a similarly immense time period but on vastly different scales, this massive effect from a weak, but constant, force embodies how natural selection has been able to direct the evolution of once primitive, mal-adapted biological structures to the remarkable and almost inconceivably diverse molecular machines found within extant organisms. This idea of natural selection as a slow-and-steady workhorse was central to Charles Darwin's evolutionary synthesis, as epitomized in his oft-repeated precis ``Natura non facit saltum,'' Nature does not make leaps. Darwin would not live to see the discovery of genes as the vessel of inheritance and random mutation as the propagator of change, although these breakthroughs would serve to reinforce his prescient ideas. To the contrary, the discovery of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) as a significant evolutionary driver may require an addendum to the Darwinian synthesis. A growing body of evidence indicates that many organisms, particularly prokaryotes, can and do make evolutionary leaps by sharing genes with one another, thereby opening a back door to an adaptation or ability that was already fine-tuned within another organism. Once thought to be an explanation of last resort when the data were not robust enough to give unambiguous results, with the recent availability of a wealth of whole-genome data, HGT has not only become respectable but has emerged as a central force in the evolution of many different prokaryotes (1–3). Of course, this idea came as no major surprise to many bacterial geneticists, who for decades have been selecting prokaryotes for their ability to take up and express exogenous …
Digital image processing at the Aerospace Corporation

Research in digital image processing at The Aerospace Corporation has been concerned primarily with the exploration of techniques for use in both civilian and military areas. In particular the research has centered on applications in law enforcement, earth resource assessment, and military systems design. Recent interests have also been extended to restoration of photography of space objects. While the central theme of the research has been dedicated to solving engineering problems, much effort has been expended in the development of general techniques and software to complement the applications studies.
Operationalizing Diversity Issues in Lead Safety Education

Immigrant children, especially those in large urban areas and those living in lower-income housing built before 1978 can be affected by lead paint and lead dust (HAFA, 2003). Additionally, some children may have been exposed in their home countries, especially when those countries do not have the same types of lead use restriction policies (Haslam, 2003). Because of the high risk for lead paint poisoning in the growing immigrant population in Guilford County, North Carolina, the Center for New North Carolinians (CNNC) participated in the Greensboro Lead Safe Housing Program in 2002 to provide education about lead poisoning prevention to immigrant groups (cnnc.uncg.edu).
Axisymmetric thermomechanical constitutive and damage modeling for airfield concrete pavement under transient high temperature

An axisymmetric thermomechanical damage model is proposed for airfield concrete pavement under very rapid heating and cooling processes due to high-temperature exhaust gas from vectored thrust engines. This is typical of advanced aircraft during their short vertical take-off and landing routines. The temperature and pore pressure distributions are investigated inside the airfield concrete pavement along the radial and vertical directions. In addition, we derive the three-dimensional thermoelastic stress-strain laws accounting for spherical void effects. Since the temperature range in this study is very large, thermal properties of concrete pavement are treated as functions of temperature. The spatial-temporal temperature field of the airfield concrete pavement is calculated numerically by the explicit finite difference method. Subsequently, the pore pressure distribution is predicted based on the ASME Steam Tables and the foregoing temperature distribution. Within the framework of linear thermoelasticity, the stress distributions are computed as functions of locations and time by the finite element method. Further, Newman's crack growth model is applied to estimate the delamination (thermal spalling) time of the airfield concrete pavement at various locations due to the internal pore pressure.
Topography detection using innovations mismatch method for high speed and high density dynamic mode AFM

The atomic force microscope (AFM) is one of the major advances in recent science that has enabled imaging of samples at the nanometer scale. Over the years, different techniques have been developed to improve the speed, resolution and accuracy of imaging using AFM. As AFMs can scan and deform material with extremely high resolution, it has also been used as a data read-write system where the high or low topography of the sample surface are interpreted as a one or a zero bit. Data storage using this method can produce extremely high data storage density. In this paper a new method called the innovations mismatch method (IM) is developed that can be used for both imaging and data storage applications. The IM scheme utilizes the dynamic mode of operation and therefore is applicable to soft matter interrogation. In this work, IM method is shown to outperform previously developed techniques.
Reconstitution of TGF-β Sensitivity in the VACO-411 Human Colon Carcinoma Line by Somatic Cell Fusion with MCF-7

We characterized the mechanism of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) resistance in the VACO-411 human colon carcinoma line. VACO-411 is unique for several reasons, including having a novel mutator phenotype and wild-type p53. Like many colon tumors, VACO-411 is not growth inhibited by TGF-β. However, VACO-411 represents a subset of colon tumors that are resistant to TGF-β-mediated growth inhibition, despite the expression of functional TGF-β receptors. VACO-411 expresses cell surface TGF-β receptor types I and II, and the coding regions of these receptors are wild type. To further characterize the nature of the VACO-411 defect, we fused VACO-411 with the human breast carcinoma line MCF-7. MCF-7 is also resistant to TGF-β-mediated growth inhibition. However, unlike VACO-411, MCF-7 lacks cell surface expression of TGF-β receptor type II, but does contain an intact postreceptor signaling pathway, as shown by regeneration of TGF-β sensitivity following wild-type TGF-β receptor type II transfection. In contrast to parental VACO-411 and MCF-7, the morphologically distinct cell hybrids were growth inhibited by TGF-β. Therefore, the TGF-β defect in VACO-411 is a postreceptor, loss-of-function mutation which can be genetically complemented. The data suggest that the VACO-411 defect in TGF-β signaling will be able to be further complemented by microcell-mediated chromosome transfer.
Intelligent interfaces: user models and planners

To meet the challenge of constructing interfaces for increasingly complex multifunctional products, designers will be attracted by the promise offered by “intelligent” systems. However, the value of such sophisticated systems must be measured in terms of the quality of their user's models. One such intelligent interface — an Expert Help System — has been designed, implemented, and evaluated. We argue that the operability problems noted in users' interactions with this system are attributable to lack of a strong user model in the system interface. Such a model plays a critical role in determining the effectiveness of the system's ability to monitor the user's planning activities. We discuss the requirements of a strong user model and provide an example of how such a model might be integrated into a planner-based intelligent interface.
Automated dynamic fracture procedure for modelling mixed‐mode crack propagation using explicit time integration brick finite elements

Several fracture codes have been developed in recent years to perform analyses of dynamic crack propagation in arbitrary directions. However, general-purpose, commercial finite-element software which have capabilities to do fracture analyses are still limited in their use to stationary cracks and crack propagation along trajectories known a priori. In this paper, we present an automated fracture procedure implemented in the large-scale, nonlinear, explicit, finite-element code DYNA3D which can be used to simulate dynamic crack propagation in arbitrary directions. The model can be used to perform both generation- and application-phase simulations of self-similar as well as non-self-similar dynamic crack propagation in linear elastic structures without user intervention. It is developed based on dynamic fracture mechanics concepts and implemented for three-dimensional solid elements. Energy approach is used in the model to check for crack initiation/propagation. Dynamic energy release rate and stress intensity factors are determined from far-field finite-element field solutions using finite-domain integrals. Fracture toughness is input as a function of crack-tip velocity, and when the criterion for crack growth is satisfied, an element deletion-and-replacement re-meshing procedure is used along with a gradual nodal release technique to update the crack geometry and model the crack propagation. Direction of crack propagation is determined using the maximum circumferential stress criterion. Numerical simulations of experiments involving non-self-similar crack propagation are performed, and results are presented as verification examples.
Formal and informal material aid following the 2010 Haiti earthquake as reported by camp dwellers

Following the 2010 Haiti earthquake, more than two million people moved to temporary camps, most of which arose spontaneously in the days after the earthquake. This study focuses on the material assistance people in five Port-au-Prince camps reported receiving, noting the differences between assistance from formal aid agencies and from 'informal' sources such as family. Seven weeks after the earthquake, 32% of camp dwellers reported receiving no assistance whatsoever; 55% had received formal aid, typically a tent or tarpaulins; and 40% had received informal aid, usually in the form of cash transfers from family living abroad. While people were grateful for any material aid, cash was more frequently considered timely and more effective than aid-in-kind. Should this study be indicative of the greater displaced population, aid agencies should consider how they might make better use of cash transfers as an aid modality.
Thick filament movement and isometric tension in activated skeletal muscle.

Thick filaments can move from the center of the sarcomere to the Z-disc while the isometric tension remains stable in skinned rabbit psoas fibers activated for several minutes (Horowits and Podolsky, 1987). Using the active and resting tension-length relations and the force-velocity relation, we calculated the time course and mechanical consequences of thick filament movement in the presence and absence of the elastic titin filaments, which link the ends of the thick filaments to the Z-discs and give rise to the resting tension. The calculated time course of thick filament movement exhibits a lag phase, during which the velocity and extent of movement are extremely small. This lag phase is dependent only on the properties of the cross-bridges and the initial position of the thick filament. The time course of thick filament movement in skinned rabbit psoas fibers at 7 degrees C is well fit assuming a small initial thick filament displacement away from the center of the sarcomere; this leads to a lag of approximately 80 s before any significant thick filament movement occurs. In the model incorporating titin filaments, this lag is followed by a phase of slow, steady motion during which isometric tension is stable. The model excluding titin filaments predicts a phase of acceleration accompanied by a 50% decrease in tension. The observed time course of movement and tension are consistent with the model incorporating titin filaments. The long lag phase suggests that in vivo, significant movement of thick filaments is unlikely to occur during a single contraction.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Clinical pharmacokinetics and practical applications of simvastatin

Since simvastatin is metabolised by the cytochrome P450 system, a potential for drug interactions exists. Elevated HMG-CoA reductase inhibitory activity has been observed when simvastatin was administered concurrently with cyclosporin, possibly increasing the risk of myopathy and subsequent rhabdomyolysis which are associated with simvastatin use. Simvastatin has also been shown to potentiate the effects of warfarin.
Characterization of cadmium manganese telluride (Cd1-xMnxTe) crystals grown by floating zone method

Recently, Cadmium Manganese Telluride (CMT) emerged as a promising material for roomtemperature X- and gamma-ray detectors. However, our studies revealed several material defects primarily related to growth processes that are impeding the production of large single crystals with high resistivity and high mobility-lifetime product. In this work, we characterized various defects in materials grown by the floating zone method, including twins, Te inclusions, and dislocations, using our unique facilities. We also fabricated detectors from selected CMT crystals and tested their performance. This paper discusses our detailed findings on the material’s properties and the performance of fabricated CMT detectors.
Regional changes in monoamine metabolism in the aging constant estrous rat

Abstract Studies were undertaken to determine levels of monoamines and their metabolites in brain regions in young (3–4 months) normally cycling and old (25–26 month) constant estrous female rats. Dopamine (DA) concentrations were reduced in old rats in the median eminence (ME), medial basal hypothalamus (MBH), preoptic area-anterior hypothalamus (POA-AH) and the striatum. Similarly, concentrations of dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), the major acid metabolite of DA, were reduced significantly in all 4 regions. In the ME, a strong positive correlation was observed between DA and DOPAC concentrations in both young and old rats. Concentrations of norepinephrine (NE) were reduced in old rats in the MBH and POA-AH but not in the ME or striatum. Concentrations of serotonin (5HT) and its major metabolite, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5HIAA) were generally unchanged with age in all of the regions examined. These studies indicate the age-related regional alterations in DA and 5HT metabolism can be monitored by methods which quantitate monoamines and their metabolites.
Human Factor VIII: Morphometric Analysis of Purified Material in Solution

Study of purified human factor VIII in buffer by freeze-etch electron microscopy reveals rounded, rod-shaped particles measuring 22 by 42 nanometers. When thrombin was added to purified normal factor VIII, there was a rapid loss of rod-shaped particles during the first 15 minutes of incubation at 37 degrees C. Purified plasma from two patients with severe hemophilia contained spherical particles measuring 10 to 50 nanometers in diameter, with no evidence of significant numbers of rod-shaped forms. Negatively stained and unstained air-dried samples of factor VIII corroborate the relative shape and size differences between normal and hemophiliac material.
Out-of-plane chain interactions in dichlorobis(pyridine)copper(II) and dibromobis(pyridine)copper(II)

Abstract The magnetic susceptibilities of powdered samples of Cu(pyridine)2Cl2 and Cu(pyridine)2Br2 have been measured in the temperature range 8–297°K. The data reflect an antiferromagnetic interaction with Tmax near 18° for the chlorocomplex and near 36°K for the bromocomplex. The data are discussed in terms of the Heisenberg and Ising models of antiferromagnetic interactions in chains.
Melt Rheology of Poly( lactic acid): Consequences of Blending Chain Architectures

The rheology of blends of linear and branched poly(lactic acid) (PLA) architectures is comprehensively investigated. Measurement of the melt rheological properties of PLA is complicated by degradation effects but the addition of 0.35 wt% tris(nonylphenyl) phosphite (TNPP) provides excellent stabilization over a range of temperatures. Master curves of dynamic viscosity constructed using time-temperature superposition show significant dispersion for unstabilized samples; this behavior is accompanied by a loss of molecular weight. TNPP stabilized samples show excellent superposition throughout the entire frequency range and minimal loss in molecular weight. For the linear architecture, the Cox-Merz rule is valid for a large range of shear rates and frequencies. The branched architecture deviates from the Cox-Merz equality and blends show intermediate behavior. Both the zero shear viscosity and the elasticity (as measured by the recoverable shear compliance) increase with increasing branched content. The viscosities of both the unstabilized samples and the TNPP stabilized samples roughly obey a log additivity mixing rule. The recoverable shear compliance is monotonic in blend composition and a mixing rule for this property is also presented. For the linear chain, the compliance is independent of temperature but this behavior is apparently lost for the branched and blended materials. Tensile and thermal properties of the blends are also measured and found to be roughly equal within the statistical error of the experiments. The results suggest that excellent control over rheological behavior of PLA is possible through blending chain architectures without compromising mechanical properties.
Phylogenetic Diversity of Archaea and Bacteria in a Deep Subsurface Paleosol

A low-biomass paleosol 188 m below the ground surface at the Department of Energy's Hanford Site in south-central Washington State was recovered and maintained at the in situ temperature (17°C) as an intact core or homogenized sediment for 0, 1, 3, 10, and 21 weeks post-sampling. Bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA genes were amplified by PCR and cloned. Of 746 bacterial and 190 archaeal clones that were categorized by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), 242 bacterial and 16 archaeal clones were partially sequenced and compared against the small subunit ribosomal RNA database (RDP) and GenBank. Six bacterial and 16 archaeal clones sequences, with little similarity to those in public databases, were sequenced in their entirety, and subjected to more detained phylogenetic analysis. The most frequently occurring clones types were related to Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Micrococcus, Clavibacter, Nocardioides, Burkholderia, Comamonas, and Erythromicrobium. Clone sequences whose RDP similarity value was ≥0.6 consistently grouped with their nearest RDP neighbor during phylogenetic analysis. Six truly novel eubacterial sequences were identified; they consistently cluster with or near the Chloroflexaceae and sequences recovered from the Sargasso Sea. Sixteen unique archaeal RFLP groups were identified from 190 randomly-sampled clones. The novel archaeal rDNA clones formed a coherent clade along the major Crenarchaea branch containing all previously described mesophilic crenarchae clones, but remained firmly associated with 16S rDNA clones previously obtained from a thermal Fe/S spring in Yellowstone National Park. The wealth of group-specific genetic information identified during this study will now allow us to address specific hypotheses related to in situ stimulation of these deep subsurface microorganisms and changes in microbial community composition resulting from subsurface contamination or remediation processes at the Hanford Site.
The unpaid debt

Fundamental research can yield unforeseen benefits of great value for society, but often this happens only many years after the initial breakthroughs have been made. Can society find a way to pay back this debt?
A comparison of mechanical properties and scaling law relationships for silica aerogels and their organic counterparts

Aerogels are a unique type of ultrafine cell size, low density foam. Traditional aerogels are inorganic, but the synthesis of organic aerogels has also been reported. In all cases, solution chemistry can be used to tailor the structure and properties of the resultant aerogels. This study examines the microstructural dependence of the compressive mechanical properties of silica, resorcinol-formaldehyde, carbon, and melamine-formaldehyde aerogels.
A solution for solid state detector and preamplifier protection, during HV application and removal transition periods

Abstract Surface barrier detectors may be damaged, because of microplasma breakdown, in rapid application of bias voltage. The high performance FETs of very low noise preamplifiers may also be damaged by rapid changes of the bias voltage. The electronic device described below permits the gradual application and removal of the bias voltage, without any influence on the power supply specifications.
Nippostrongylus brasiliensis: phospholipase in nonsensitized and sensitized rats after challenge.

Abstract Rats given an initial infection with Nippostrongylus brasiliensis showed greatly elevated phospholipase B levels in the small intestines and lungs from 8 through 22 days after challenge. The rise in enzyme concentration occurred earlier (Days 8–11) in the proximal half of the intestine, but at Days 22, 29, and 36 the levels were much higher in the distal segments. This shift in activity correlates with the known elimination of worms and a diminishing inflammatory response in the proximal areas. The increase in enzyme activity in the intestine and lungs was associated with an increased production of eosinophils in the bone marrow 11–22 days after challenge. Rats sensitized with one stimulating infection before challenge showed an anamnestic type of response, as measured by enzyme levels in the small intestines and lungs and by the numbers of eosinophils in the bone marrow. The results are discussed in light of our similar data reported earlier from animals infected with Trichinella spiralis .
Massive Online Geo-social Networking Platforms and Urban Human Mobility Patterns: A Process Map for Data Collection

Human mobility is central to our understanding of design, planning and development of civil infrastructure, particularly in urban areas where large scale mobility flow problems can critically depend on the interface between human mobility and infrastructure. Therefore, researchers have spent considerable effort to understand and predict human mobility patterns. Several recent studies have used geo-social networking platforms to examine human mobility, but the focus of these studies has been on small scale social networking media. In this study, we examined the possibility of using Twitter, a massive online social networking platform with over 400 million users, to collect human mobility data. We developed a process map to collect data from Twitter, and designed two Python modules for its implementation. A case study was conducted and its results confirmed that Twitter can provide a larger quantity of useful human mobility data. In future research, we plan to analyze the data and validate that it can accurately capture mobility patterns. This will provide insight into whether Twitter is a viable resource to study city-scale human mobility. It can also potentially deepen our understanding about the interaction between urban dwellers and civil infrastructure.
Identification of immunogenic outer membrane proteins of Pasteurella multocida 3:A in rabbits.

Four groups of protective rabbit immune sera were used to identify Pasteurella multocida outer membrane immunogens by a radioimmunoprecipitation procedure and Western blot (immunoblot) analysis. These are rabbit hyperimmune sera against KSCN extract of P. multocida (group 1) and rabbit immune sera against the KSCN extract of P. multocida (group 2), the outer membrane of P. multocida (group 3), and live P. multocida cells (group 4). Rabbits mounted an antibody response to 18 proteins found in the outer membrane of P. multocida, and the major antibody activities were directed to the 27,000-molecular-weight outer membrane protein (27K protein), as well as the 37.5K, 49.5K, 58.7K, and 64.4K outer membrane proteins. These outer membrane immunogens appear to be exposed on the cell surface and accessible to antibodies, since adsorption of these immune sera with intact P. multocida cells resulted in a significant reduction of antibody activities directed against these proteins, especially the 37.5K protein. Antibodies eluted from immune serum-P. multocida cell complexes were reactive to the 37.5K immunogen, confirming that this protein is exposed on cell surface and accessible to antibodies. Western blot analyses with group 1, 3, and 4 immune sera confirmed that the 27K, 37.5K, 49.5K, 58.7K, and 64.4K proteins are the major outer membrane immunogens of P. multocida in rabbits. Lung lavages of immunized rabbits also contained similar antibody activities directed against several outer membrane proteins, with major activities against the 37.5K and 64.4K proteins. Images
A cytological study of plasma membrane modifications, intercellular junctions, and endocytic activity of amniotic epithelium.

The purpose of this study was to examine some cytological features of guinea pig amniotic epithelium which may be related to epithelial permeability. In addition to fine structural studies, the amnion was stained with ruthenium red to demonstrate the glycocyalyx and exposed to an exogenous protein (peroxidase) to ascertain some of the permeability characteristics of the intercellular junctions. The apical microvillous border had a distinct glycocalyx of filaments 3-5 nm in diameter and up to 0.3 μm in length. These filaments stained with ruthenium red as did a narrower zone of glycocalyx adjacent to the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane. Epithelial cells were joined laterally by numerous desmosomes and by tight junctions; no evidence of a classical junctional complex was observed. When cells were exposed to ruthenium red or peroxidase, the tracer was impeded in its penetration between cells, probably by tight junctions. The presence of tight junctions indicates that the intercellular space is not continuous from the amniotic cavity to the underlying connective tissue, and undoubtedly the junctions play a role in controlling transepithelial permeability. The experiments with peroxidase also demonstrated the capacity of the cells to endocytose protein, especially at their lateral and basal surfaces. Late in gestation, increasing numbers of cells underwent cytological changes similar to cells undergoing keratinization. These changes included the disappearance of most of the cell organelles and the thickening of the plasma membrane by the addition of an electron-dense layer to the inner (cytoplasmic) leaflet. The apparent keratinization of cells may result from increased abrasive trauma caused by the fetus or may be related to accumulation of various waste products in the amniotic fluid. In any event, the cytological modifications, especially of the plasma membrane, may indicate a change in cell permeability properties late in gestation.