cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Salty Ground Water and Meteoric Flushing of Contaminated Aquifers in West Virginiaa

Salty ground water is commonly encountered at relatively shallow depths of 100 to 300 feet beneath the major stream channels in the western half of West Virginia. Because of the wide distribution of salty ground water and connate brine at various depths, it is difficult to distinguish natural contamination from that caused by subsurface industrial activities. Natural changes in quality apparently are minor. The available historical data indicate no large-scale natural variations in salt content during the period of record. Histories of some water well developments show unnatural large-scale increases in salt content from various industrial activities that affect the fresh water zones. Some records also reveal decreases in salt content after the source of the salt was eliminated or after the subsurface activity responsible for artificial migration of the salt water was stopped. Artesian brine contaminated a fresh water aquifer in Fayette County. Chloride content changed from 53 mg/l to more than 1,900 mg/l in a period of 5½ years. When pumping was stopped, chloride content decreased to 55 mg/l in 10 years. Heavy pumping of well fields in Charleston during 1930 to 1956 accelerated migration upward of salt water. Chloride content increased from less than 100 mg/l to more than 300 mg/l in some wells and to more than 1,000 mg/l at individual wells. Pumpage has declined greatly since 1956 and chloride content has decreased below 200 mg/l at some of the contaminated wells. In an oil field of Kanawha County, a water well was contaminated by salt water accelerated by subsurface activities. Chloride content increased from less than 100 mg/l to more than 2,900 mg/l within 2 months. After the oil-field activity was curtailed, chloride content decreased to 190 mg/l in about 2½ years. Road salt piles contaminated a carbonate aquifer in Monroe County. Chloride concentrations in wells located 1,500 feet from the piles increased from 185 mg/l to 1,000 mg/l in 5 years. The greatest change was 1,000 mg/l in 1969 to 7,200 mg/l in 1970 when the salt storage area was enlarged. All salt piles were removed in late 1970 and within 2 months chloride content decreased to 188 mg/l.
Genome walking by single-specific-primer polymerase chain reaction: SSP-PCR

We have devised a strategy to extend the use of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify double-stranded DNA when sequence information is available only at one extremity. The only information required is a short stretch of sequence used to design a gene-specific primer, which is then used in combination with a second generic vector primer at the unknown end. The primers are used in a PCR reaction after ligating the unknown end to a generic vector. Restriction, ligation, amplification and sequencing of the products can be achieved within three days. This method eliminates the laborious steps of shotgun cloning, colony screening and culturing of cells. We have used this method to take two contiguous steps beyond the histidine transport operon in Salmonella typhimurium. We also demonstrate the usefulness of this technique to do chromosome walking in the absence of any restriction data.
Associations between positive body image and indicators of men's and women's mental and physical health.

Abstract Positive body image has been found to be associated with various beneficial health-related indicators among women. Yet, less is known about its health-related correlates among men. The goal of the current study was to examine associations between positive body image and various mental and physical health-related indicators in both men and women. Undergraduate students (N = 284) from a non-residential college in the northeastern United States participated. Individuals with greater positive body image reported less depression, higher self-esteem, fewer unhealthy dieting behaviors, lower drive for muscularity, and greater intentions to protect their skin from UV exposure and damage. Gender did not moderate these associations; thus, connections between positive body image and health-related indicators were similar for women and men. Results suggest that positive body image has significant implications for health and well-being beyond objective body size. Health care providers should encourage positive body image because of its potential health benefits.
Variations in phytoplankton pigments, size structure and community composition related to wind forcing and water mass properties on the North Carolina inner shelf

Abstract Variations in phytoplankton pigments, size structure and community composition were examined in inner shelf waters off North Carolina in relationship to water mass properties subject to the influence of low salinity outflow from the Chesapeake Bay, alternations in wind forcing and interactions with shelf water masses. Observations were made aboard the R/V Edwin Link during May 1997. Episodes of upwelling-favorable conditions were accompanied by detachment of the low salinity outflow plume from the coast, and enhanced dispersion and mixing with shelf waters. Distinct water masses were identified using cluster analysis of temperature–salinity ( T–S ) properties. Two major clusters, distinguished on the basis of relatively high and low salinities, were identified as ambient coastal water (A) and modified bay water (B). Each of these could be further separated into two water mass types characterized by relatively high and low temperatures. The pigment and taxonomic composition of these water masses were examined. The carotenoid fucoxanthin was generally the most abundant accessory pigment. Zeaxanthin and chlorophyll b were also relatively abundant at most stations. Ratios to chlorophyll a of 19′-hexanoyloxyfucoxanthin and peridinin were higher for the high salinity clusters. A shift to downwelling-favorable conditions toward the latter part of the cruise gave rise to a narrow, southward flowing jet of low salinity Chesapeake Bay water corresponding to the low salinity, relatively high temperature water mass identified by cluster analysis. Fucoxanthin dominated the accessory pigments in this low salinity feature. Proportions of chlorophyll a associated with different phytoplankton classes, as estimated using CHEMTAX software (Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 144 (1996) 265), varied among groups in a manner consistent with pigment composition. A diverse assemblage of diatoms, cyanobacteria, cryptophytes and prasinophytes accounted for the majority of chlorophyll a at most stations. Haptophytes and dinoflagellates were relatively more abundant in warmer, higher salinity stations. The low salinity jet exhibited high biomass and low diversity compared to other water masses. Its phytoplankton population was dominated by diatoms larger than 8 μm in diameter. The results demonstrate that phytoplankton community composition varies substantially among the different water masses in this coastal region and is subject to event scale (i.e., days to weeks) changes in relation to wind forcing and shelf circulation processes.
Free and Bound Water in Crude Drugs: Effect of Extraction Method on Subsequent Analysis by GLC

The effect of the extraction procedure on the recovery of water from crude drugs was related with its quantitative analysis by GLC. Some crude drugs seem to retain part of their water in a bound form, which is not available for extraction with methanol by disintegration in a blender but can be readily removed by boiling the product with the solvent under reflux for 1 hr. A number of crude drugs, representing a variety of plant parts and products, were extracted with methanol by the two procedures; the extracts were subsequently analyzed for their total water by GLC. Reflux extraction is the method of choice for the preparation of extracts of crude drugs that contain bound water prior to their analysis by this technique.
Photorefractive two-beam coupling with light of partial spatiotemporal coherence

The effect of partial spatiotemporal coherence in photorefractive two-beam coupling is studied theoretically and experimentally. Coupled-wave equations and a beam-propagation method are used to study the influence of coupling on the statistical properties of the beams. The spatial coherence is found to improve for amplified and to deteriorate for deamplified beams. A two-beam coupling experiment with light of reduced spatial coherence was performed with photorefractive barium titanate. Qualitative agreement between theory and experiment was obtained.
Medication Discrepancies upon Hospital to Skilled Nursing Facility Transitions

BACKGROUND Failure to reconcile medications across transitions in care is an important source of harm to patients. Little is known about medication discrepancies upon admission to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs).
Multimodal unbiased image matching via mutual information

In the past decade, information theory has been studied extensively in computational imaging. In particular, image matching by maximizing mutual information has been shown to yield good results in multimodal image registration. However, there have been few rigorous studies to date that investigate the statistical aspect of the resulting deformation fields. Different regularization techniques have been proposed, sometimes generating deformations very different from one another. In this paper, we present a novel model for multimodal image registration. The proposed method minimizes a purely information-theoretic functional consisting of mutual information matching and unbiased regularization. The unbiased regularization term measures the magnitude of deformations using either asymmetric Kullback-Leibler divergence or its symmetric version. The new multimodal unbiased matching method, which allows for large topology preserving deformations, was tested using pairs of two and three dimensional serial MRI images. We compared the results obtained using the proposed model to those computed with a well-known mutual information based viscous fluid registration. A thorough statistical analysis demonstrated the advantages of the proposed model over the multimodal fluid registration method when recovering deformation fields and corresponding Jacobian maps.
Bibliography of the Psychometric Properties of the Bender Visual-Motor Gestalt Test: 1970–1991:

To provide a compilation of the literature on the psychometric characteristics of the Bender Visual-motor Gestalt Test since 1970, 192 suitable items found in Psychological Abstracts and Social Science Citation Index are presented in five categories: reliability, validity, factor analysis, scoring systems, and norms.
Analysis of false negative results in the immunoassay for anti-acetylcholine receptor antibodies in myasthenia gravis.

Abstract Possible causes for the failure of immunoassays to detect anti-acetylcholine receptor activity in serum from confirmed myasthenia gravis (MG) patients were investigated. A more sensitive assay, using Protein A to trap immune complexes (ARIA), was applied to 65 MG sera which were negative in the usual assay and to 42 normal human sera. Normal and negative MG sera had antibody (Ab) activity in the same range (50–70 pM). Titers present in 70% of normal sera appeared to the specific antireceptor antibodies as defined by tests for antigen specificity. Thus, higher sensitivity assays did not improve discrimination of MG from normals. In a second group of 108 MG sera studied, 48 were negative by the usual assay criteria in a rat acetylcholine receptor immunoassay. Further detailed analysis of this negative group showed that 3 48 had IgG3 antibody not detectable in the test, 14 48 had Ab's recognizing human receptor determinants exclusively, 29 48 had toxin blocking Ab's not determined by immunoassays, and 6 48 were negative in all tests. The results indicate that the exclusive occurrence of toxin-blocking antibodies in MG subjects is a major factor contributing to false negatives in the ARIA test. Estimates of the amount of Ab's with this functionality indicated that they are present in very much smaller amounts than other classes of anti-receptor Ab's. Degree of blocking activity in patient serum showed a fair correlation with severity of disease. Thus, blocking antibodies appear capable of causing all degrees of disease severity in the absence of other types of antireceptor Ab's. The development of a sensitive and quantitative in vitro assay for blocking antibodies combined with the usual immunoassay would be a major improvement for a MG diagnostic test, with >94% positivity predicted.
Short Term Memory, Working Memory, and Syntactic Comprehension in Aphasia

Sixty-one people with aphasia were tested on 10 tests of short-term memory (STM) and for the ability to use syntactic structure to determine the meanings of 11 types of sentences in three tasks-object manipulation, picture matching, and picture matching with self-paced listening. Multilevel models showed relationships between measures of the ability to retain and manipulate item and order information in STM and accuracy and reaction time (RT), and a greater relationship between these STM measures and accuracy and RT for several more complex sentence types in individual tasks. There were no effects of measures of STM that reflect the use of phonological codes or rehearsal on comprehension. There was only one effect of STM measures on self-paced listening times. There were double dissociations between performance on STM and individual comprehension tasks, indicating that normal STM is not necessary to perform normally on these tasks. The results are most easily related to the view that STM plays a facilitatory role in supporting the use of the products of the comprehension process to accomplish operations related to tasks.
Multimodal, adaptive landmine detection using EMI and GPR

Landmine data for electromagnetic induction (EMI) and ground penetrating radar (GPR) sensors has been collected in two background environments. The first environment is clay and the second is gravel. A multi-modal detection algorithm that utilizes a Maximum A Posteriori (MAP) approach is applied to the clay background data and compared to a pair of similar MAP detectors that utilize only the single sensors. It is shown that the multi-modal detector is more powerful than both single mode detectors regardless of landmine type. The detectors are then applied to the data from the gravel background. It is shown that a more powerful performance is achieved if the MAP detector adapts to the statistics of the new background rather than training it a priori with broader statistics that encompass both environmental conditions.
Spouse similarity in American and Swedish couples.

A very similar pattern of homogamy was found in samples of American and Swedish couples for physical, social, and behavioral variables. In the Swedish sample, there were only minor differences in assortment, i.e., in similarity to spouses, between MZ and DZ twins. Although our data are not conclusive on this point, there was an indication that the observed similarity of spouses for most variables is due to initial assortment rather than to convergence of phenotypes after initial contact. Exceptions are that spouses do appear to converge for highly plastic variables such as alcohol consumption and amount of social activity.
Systematic design of spoken prompts

Designers of system prompts for interactive spokenlanguage systems typically seek 1) to constrain users so that they say things that the system can understand accurately and 2) to produce "natural" interaction that maximizes users' satisfaction. Unfortunately, these goals are often at odds. We present a set of heuristics for choosing appropriate prompt styles and show that a set of dimensions can be formulated from these heuristics. A point (or region) in the space formed by these dimensions is a "style" for prompts. We develop and apply metrics for empirically testing different prompt styles. Finally, we describe a toolkit that automatically generates prompts in a variety of styles for spoken-language dialogues.
Diagnosing chaos in the space circle

Abstract The Space Circle is a toy whose motion is chaotic. A modified version of the device with a tunable stress parameter exhibits a variety of periodic and chaotic states. We have derived and numerically solved the equations of motion for the system and find excellent agreement with experimental results. The problems with some widely used algorithms for diagnosing experimental chaos are discussed. For the Space Circle we find that estimates of the dominant Lyapunov exponent are more robust than estimates of the fractal dimension.
The Effect of Similarity Between Donor and Recipient on Recipient's Reactions to Aid1

This study explored the effect of similarity-dissimilarity between the donor and the recipient on the recipient's self-perception and his perception of the donor. A 2 x 2 between-subjects design was employed in which aid versus no aid and similarity versus dissimilarity were the experimental factors. The results indicate that receiving aid from a similar other had a negative effect on the recipient's situational self-esteem and self-confidence, while aid from a dissimilar other had a positive effect on situational self-esteem and self-confidence. Social comparison theory (Festinger, 1954) was suggested as a means of explaining this finding. In addition, it was found that a donor of aid was more favorably rated than a nondonor.
How sick is the Spring AGU Meeting

I confess—I missed Spring AGU this year. But who can be surprised? After all, I am in the Tectonophysics Section, and almost none of us showed up. Recently skimming the Spring 2000 AGU abstract volume, I was stunned to see that the Tectonophysics abstracts constituted only a bit more than twelve pages—slightly less than Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism, and a touch more than Geodesy. What has become of us?
Management importance of common treatments: contribution of top 20 procedures to surgical workload and cost.

OBJECTIVE--To assess the contribution of the most frequently performed procedures to surgical workload and to evaluate the financial implications. DESIGN--Analysis of data held on the department's computerised clinical information system. SETTING--Department of surgery in a district general hospital. PATIENTS--4845 patients were treated by surgeons in three consultant firms over an 18 month period and 5346 patients by surgeons in a single firm over a five year period. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Percentage and cumulative percentage contribution to workload in order of frequency by procedure. Costs of the commonest and costliest treatments. RESULTS--Half of the workload of the department was encompassed by eight procedures. Twenty procedures accounted for 70% of the work. For a single firm 20 procedures represented over 80% of all the surgical work. Transurethral prostatectomy was the treatment that consumed most resources (pounds 240,900 for 198 patients in 18 months). The costliest patients were those who had undergone complicated large bowel surgery, vascular reconstructions, or amputation. CONCLUSIONS--Clinicians and managers need to appreciate the importance of the most common surgical procedures. It is vital that performance and costing of these procedures are optimum as they contribute disproportionately to overall results and finance.
Progress Toward an Integration of Process–Structure–Property–Performance Models for “Three-Dimensional (3-D) Printing” of Titanium Alloys

Electron beam direct manufacturing, synonymously known as electron beam additive manufacturing, along with other additive “3-D printing” manufacturing processes, are receiving widespread attention as a means of producing net-shape (or near-net-shape) components, owing to potential manufacturing benefits. Yet, materials scientists know that differences in manufacturing processes often significantly influence the microstructure of even widely accepted materials and, thus, impact the properties and performance of a material in service. It is important to accelerate the understanding of the processing–structure–property relationship of materials being produced via these novel approaches in a framework that considers the performance in a statistically rigorous way. This article describes the development of a process model, the assessment of key microstructural features to be incorporated into a microstructure simulation model, a novel approach to extract a constitutive equation to predict tensile properties in Ti-6Al-4V (Ti-64), and a probabilistic approach to measure the fidelity of the property model against real data. This integrated approach will provide designers a tool to vary process parameters and understand the influence on performance, enabling design and optimization for these highly visible manufacturing approaches.
Detection of Crustal Motion Using a Spaceborne Lasering System

Abstract The spaceborne laser ranging (or lasering) system provides a method of precise positioning of a large number of points on the earth's surface in a short period of time. That is, a measure of the relative location of geodetic markers from a space platform can maintain horizontal and vertical control to 2–5 cm. At this level of control, small earth surface crustal motions should be detectable. Development of a model for the strain field can be constructed. Furthermore, the spaceborne lasering system can survey an area in a very short period of time (1–2 weeks) and resurvey the area as required. System design parameters are now being established by NASA for a possible test flight aboard the Shuttle in 1982. These include design specifications of economical corner cubes for ground retroreflectors, coupled with the evolution of engineering model to flight model development. If the experiment of the Shuttle proves successful, it is hoped to put the laser in a free flight satellite. This paper presents the results of a simulated analysis for this contingency. The system is conceived as an orbiting ranging device with a ground base grid of reflectors or transponders (spacing 1.0–30 km), which are projected to be of low cost (maintenance-free and unattended) and which will permit the saturation of a local area to obtain data useful in monitoring crustal movements. The test network includes 75 stations with roughly half of them situated on either side of the San Andreas fault. Critical study comparatively evaluates various observational schemes and statistically analyzes crustal motion recovery. The study considers laser radar as the main ranging system, pending final selection from many possible candidates. The satellite orbit is inclined at 110° and slightly eccentric (e = 0.04) with orbital altitudes varying from 370 to 930 km.
Polarized neutrons from the 3H(p, n)3He reaction

Abstract The polarization of neutrons from the 3 H(p, n) 3 He reaction at 31.6 ° in the lab (approximately 45 ° in the center of mass) was measured, using 4 He in the form of a pressurized gas as a polarimeter in conjunction with a time-of-flight spectrometer. Polarization has been attributed to the interference of the 3 P 0 and 3 P 2 waves, forming the T = 0; J π = 0 − , 2 − states in 4 He at 21.4 and 22.2 MeV, respectively. Observed polarizations are larger than those predicted by theory and indicate a needed adjustment of the spacing and position of the above T = 0 levels.
The Use of OsO4 Fixative for Feulgen-Stained Preparations

OsO(4) has many advantages over Carnoy's fixative mixture for the Feulgen nuclear staining in the protozoan Tokophrya infusionum. While Carnoy's fluid used prior to the Feulgen reaction produces shrinkage of the macronucleus and coarse clumping of its chromatin bodies, OsO(4) preserves faithfully the size and shape of the macronucleus and its chromatin material. This finding seems to be of special importance in view of the fact that electron microscopy relies on OsO(4) fixation. The satisfactory preservation of structured detail in Feulgen-stained preparations is of importance for the correlation of histochemical and morphological information.
Growth and characterization of indium phosphide single-crystal nanoneedles on microcrystalline silicon surfaces

The epitaxial growth of nanometer-scale structures on non-single crystalline surfaces is proposed and demonstrated. Hydrogenated amorphous silicon was deposited onto an SiO2 surface by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. Indium phosphide was deposited on the amorphous silicon by low-pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition in the presence of colloidal gold particles as catalysts. Under specific growth conditions, the indium phosphide formed nanoneedles connected to a microcrystalline silicon film nucleated within the amorphous silicon during the growth of the nanoneedles. Transmission electron microscopy revealed the presence of two different crystallographic structures: zinc-blende and wurtzite. Micro-photoluminescence measurements at room temperature showed two peaks with substantial blue-shifts with respect to that of bulk zinc-blende indium phosphide.
Rapid 1H[13C]-resolved diffusion and spin-relaxation measurements by NMR spectroscopy.

Hadamard-encoded heteronuclear-resolved NMR diffusion and relaxation measurements allow overlapping signal decays to be resolved with substantially shorter measuring times than are generally associated with 2D heteronuclear cross-correlation experiments. Overall measuring time requirements can be reduced by approximately an order of magnitude, compared to typical 2D heteronuclear single-quantum correlation-resolved diffusion or relaxation measurements. Specifically, in cases where chemical shift correlation information provides enhanced spectral resolution, the use of Hadamard encoding can be used to overcome uniqueness challenges that are associated with the analysis of concurrent dynamic processes and the extraction of time constants from overlapping exponential signal decays. This leads to substantially improved resolution of similar time constants than can be achieved solely through the use of postacquisition processing techniques. In the ideal case of complete spectral separation of the signal decays...
On-chip evaluation of platelet adhesion and aggregation upon exposure to mesoporous silica nanoparticles

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles are promising drug delivery agents; however, their interaction with various in vivo biological components is still under investigation. In this work, the impact of sub-50 nm diameter mesoporous silica nanoparticles on platelet function is investigated using a microfluidic platform to model blood vessel characteristics. Platelet adhesion and aggregation in the presence of mesoporous silica nanoparticles is investigated, controlling whether or not platelets are activated ahead of nanoparticle exposure. The results indicate that nanoparticles slightly compromise platelet adhesion to endothelial cells at low nanoparticle doses, but that high nanoparticle doses significantly increase the number of platelet adhesion events, leading to higher probability for uncontrolled platelet actions (e.g. clot formation in vivo). High nanoparticle doses also induced platelet aggregation. While platelet activation and aggregation occurred, in no case did nanoparticle exposure result in significant loss of platelet viability; as such, this work clearly demonstrates that aspects besides viability, such as cellular adhesion and interaction with other cell types, have to be considered in the context of nanotoxicology. This simple and highly adaptable analytical platform will be useful for further nanotoxicity studies involving other nanoparticle and cell types.
Split-operator spectral method for solving the time-dependent Schrödinger equation in spherical coordinates.

A spectral method previously developed for solving the time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation in Cartesian coordinates is generalized to spherical polar coordinates. The solution is implemented by repeated application of a unitary evolution operator in symmetrically split form. The wave function is expanded as a Fourier series in the radial coordinate and in terms of Legendre functions in the polar angle. The use of appropriate quadrature sets makes the expansion exact for band-limited functions. The method is appropriate for solving explicitly time-dependent problems, or for determining stationary states by a spectral method. The accuracy of the method is established by computing the Stark shift and lifetime of the 1s state in hydrogen, the low-lying energy levels for hydrogen in a uniform magnetic field, and the 2p-nd dipole transition spectrum for hydrogen.
An Ion Implant Induced Instability Mechanism in CMOS/SOS Device

A complex charge trapping instability was identified in CMOS/SOS circuits which had failed during extended life tests. The cause of this instability was shown to be latent oxide damage from forced oxide currents during ion implantation. A conducting wafer coating during ion implant was found to eliminate the forced oxide current and to prevent the instability.
Splenda alters gut microflora and increases intestinal p-glycoprotein and cytochrome p-450 in male rats.

Splenda is comprised of the high-potency artificial sweetener sucralose (1.1%) and the fillers maltodextrin and glucose. Splenda was administered by oral gavage at 100, 300, 500, or 1000 mg/kg to male Sprague-Dawley rats for 12-wk, during which fecal samples were collected weekly for bacterial analysis and measurement of fecal pH. After 12-wk, half of the animals from each treatment group were sacrificed to determine the intestinal expression of the membrane efflux transporter P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and the cytochrome P-450 (CYP) metabolism system by Western blot. The remaining animals were allowed to recover for an additional 12-wk, and further assessments of fecal microflora, fecal pH, and expression of P-gp and CYP were determined. At the end of the 12-wk treatment period, the numbers of total anaerobes, bifidobacteria, lactobacilli, Bacteroides, clostridia, and total aerobic bacteria were significantly decreased; however, there was no significant treatment effect on enterobacteria. Splenda also increased fecal pH and enhanced the expression of P-gp by 2.43fold, CYP3A4 by 2.51-fold, and CYP2D1 by 3.49-fold. Following the 12-wk recovery period, only the total anaerobes and bifidobacteria remained significantly depressed, whereas pH values, P-gp, and CYP3A4 and CYP2D1 remained elevated. These changes occurred at Splenda dosages that contained sucralose at 1.1–11 mg/kg (the US FDA Acceptable Daily Intake for sucralose is 5 mg/kg). Evidence indicates that a 12-wk administration of Splenda exerted numerous adverse effects, including (1) reduction in beneficial fecal microflora, (2) increased fecal pH, and (3) enhanced expression levels of P-gp, CYP3A4, and CYP2D1, which are known to limit the bioavailability of orally administered drugs.
Biosurfactant Production Using Mixed Cultures Under Non-Aseptic Conditions

Surfactants increase the accessibility of adsorbed hydrocarbons and mobilize immiscible petroleum hydrocarbons for treatment. Biosurfactants have the advantage of biodegradability and non-toxicity over their synthetic counterparts, and can be produced from renewable sources. In this study the production of biosurfactant from molasses was investigated in continuously stirred batch reactors. The effects of substrate concentration, yeast extract and peptone on biomass accumulation and biosurfactant production were investigated. Biosurfactant production was quantified by surface tension reduction and critical micelle dilution (CMD). Biosurfactant production was directly correlated with biomass production, and was improved with the addition of yeast extract. Centrifugation of the whole broth reduced surface tension. The performance of the biosurfactant produced from molasses under non-aseptic condition is comparable to other published results.
Hydrographic Patterns in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica and Their Relationship to Local Benthic Communities

Measurements of hydrographic parameters (temperature, salinity, nitrate, nitrite, phosphate, chlorophyll a, phaeophytin, and oxygen) in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica during spring, 1984, before the regional phytoplankton bloom, and summer, 1984, after the peak of the bloom, indicate the several processes contribute to changes in the vertical and horizontal structure of the water column. Regional variation in the source of water masses within the Sound, ice cover patterns, and meltwater from the Ross Ice Shelf and nearby continental glaciers result in east-west and north-south gradients in the thermohaline, nutrient, and productivity characteristics of the Sound. These patterns are also related to the extremely variable structure and productivity of shallow water benthic macrofaunal communities in McMurdo Sound. Hydrographic patterns during Spring (November) were indicative of conditions at the end of winter prior to the spring phytoplankton bloom. The water column was nearly isothermal with temperatures near or below the surface freezing point of seawater with only a slight salinity increase with depth. Salinity was lower in the west Sound than in the east, probably in response to glacial meltwater input from the Ross Ice Shelf and/or terrestrial sources. Nutrient levels were high and nearly homogenous throughout the Sound. Chlorophyll a was low (<1.0 μg/l) throughout most of the Sound, but was lowest in the western sound, as expected from the circulation pattern (Barry and Dayton 1988). Oxygen was uniformly low during spring. The summer hydrographic distributions, estimated from samples collected during the decline of the regional plankton bloom, were dramatically different than in during spring. Both the salinity and temperature were vertically stratified at all sites, particularly in the west Sound. Temperatures near the surface were well above the freezing point and occasionally near or above 0°C. Near surface salinity in the western Sound was nearly fresh (0.4 ppt) at some locations in the southwestern Sound. Chlorophyll a was high throughout the Sound relative to spring concentrations, and nutrient levels (NO3, PO4) were strongly depressed near the surface, due mainly to phytoplankton uptake rather than by dilution. Primary productivity estimates based on the summer nitrate and phosphate deficits over 90 days were 1.96–2.02 and 0.39–1.02 gCm-2d-1 for the east and west sound, respectively. Nutrient ratios indicated that glacial meltwater from the Ross Ice Shelf and/or nearby terrestrial sources may be an important component of the summer meltwater input to the western Sound. Enhanced water column stability due to this input may prolong the maintenance of high water column stability as this water mass flows northward and result in particularly high productivity in northern McMurdo Sound.
Antigen Is Required for Maturation and Activation of Pathogenic Anti-DNA Antibodies and Systemic Inflammation

Systemic lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune disease characterized by autoantibodies and systemic inflammation that results in part from dendritic cell activation by nucleic acid containing immune complexes. There are many mouse models of lupus, some spontaneous and some induced. We have been interested in an induced model in which estrogen is the trigger for development of a lupus-like serology. The R4A transgenic mouse expresses a transgene-encoded H chain of an anti-DNA Ab. This mouse maintains normal B cell tolerance with deletion of high-affinity DNA-reactive B cells and maturation to immunocompetence of B cells making nonglomerulotropic, low-affinity DNA-reactive Abs. When this mouse is given estradiol, normal tolerance mechanisms are altered; high-affinity DNA-reactive B cells mature to a marginal zone phenotype, and the mice are induced to make high titers of anti-DNA Abs. We now show that estradiol administration also leads to systemic inflammation with increased B cell-activating factor and IFN levels and induction of an IFN signature. DNA must be accessible to B cells for both the production of high-affinity anti-DNA Abs and the generation of the proinflammatory milieu. When DNase is delivered to the mice at the same time as estradiol, there is no evidence for an abrogation of tolerance, no increased B cell-activating factor and IFN, and no IFN signature. Thus, the presence of autoantigen is required for positive selection of autoreactive B cells and for the subsequent positive feedback loop that occurs secondary to dendritic cell activation by DNA-containing immune complexes.
Hough transform for long chirp detection

The online detection of a very long and weak chirp signal is studied. The signal has an extremely slowly decreasing frequency, and is corrupted by white Gaussian noise and possibly also by powerful tones. By exploring and comparing candidate methods, it is found that the Hough transform (HT) detector appears to be most suitable given constraints on computational load and detectability. The analytical and the simulational performance of the HT detector are obtained and compared with the analytical performance of the generalized likelihood ratio test (GLRT), which is assumed to be optimal. Applying a suitable threshold for the HT can increase speed dramatically while preserving performance. We have found that both dithering (taking varied frequency shifts for fast Fourier transforms (FFTs)) and increasing the FFT length can reduce the minimum detectable frequency slope with nearly no additional computation.
tRNA Isoacceptor Preference prior to Retrovirus Gag-Pol Junction Links Primer Selection and Viral Translation

An essential step in the replication of all retroviruses is the capture of a cellular tRNA that is used as the primer for reverse transcription. The 3'-terminal 18 nucleotides of the tRNA are complementary to the primer binding site (PBS). Moloney murine leukemia virus (MuLV) preferentially captures tRNA(Pro). To investigate the specificity of primer selection, the PBS of MuLV was altered to be complementary to different tRNAs. Analysis of the infectivity of the virus and stability of the PBS following in vitro replication revealed that MuLV prefers to select tRNA(Pro), tRNA(Gly), or tRNA(Arg). Previous studies from our laboratory have suggested that tRNA primer capture is coordinated with translation. Coincidentally, a cluster of proline, arginine, and glycine precedes the Gag-Pol junction of MuLV. Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), which prefers tRNA(3)(Lys) as the primer, can be forced to utilize tRNA(Met), tRNA(1,2)(Lys), tRNA(His), or tRNA(Glu), although these viruses replicate poorly. Codons for methionine, lysine, histidine, or glutamic acid are found prior to the Gag-Pol frameshift site. HIV-1 was mutated so that the 5 lysine codons prior to the Gag-Pol frameshift region were specific for tRNA(1,2)(Lys). HIV-1 forced to use tRNA(1,2)(Lys) as the primer, with the mutation of codons specific for tRNA(1,2)(Lys) prior to the Gag-Pol junction, had enhanced infectivity and replicated similarly to the wild-type virus. The results demonstrate that codon preference prior to the Gag-Pol junction influences primer selection and suggest a coordination of Gag-Pol synthesis and acquisition of the tRNA primer required for retrovirus replication.
Foot force direction control during a pedaling task in individuals post-stroke.

Background Appropriate magnitude and directional control of foot-forces is required for successful execution of locomotor tasks. Earlier evidence suggested, following stroke, there is a potential impairment in foot-force control capabilities both during stationary force generation and locomotion. The purpose of this study was to investigate the foot-pedal surface interaction force components, in non-neurologically-impaired and stroke-impaired individuals, in order to determine how fore/aft shear-directed foot/pedal forces are controlled.
Design and performance evaluation of new massively parallel VLSI mask verification algorithms in JIGSAW

The massively parallel mask checking system JIGSAW is described. It has evolved from the authors' earlier feasibility study on large-scale, fine-grain parallelism in simple mask checking tasks (Proc. 24th DAC, 1988). Unlike previous systems, JIGSAW parallelizes all phases of the checking process. Described are new techniques to handle all-angle geometry, the first massively parallel mask flattening and multilayer netlist extraction algorithms, and measurements made comparing JIGSAW, running on a Connection Machine, against industry-standard tools. End-to-end speedups (i.e., from CIF to errors) range from 19 to 58 over DRACULA with larger masks producing larger speedups. >
Microstructures in the Organ of Corti Help Outer Hair Cells Form Traveling Waves along the Cochlear Coil

According to the generally accepted theory of mammalian cochlear mechanics, the fluid in the cochlear scalae interacts with the elastic cochlear partition to generate transversely oscillating displacement waves that propagate along the cochlear coil. Using a computational model of cochlear segments, a different type of propagating wave is reported, an elastic propagating wave that is independent of the fluid-structure interaction. The characteristics of the propagating wave observed in the model, such as the wavelength, speed, and phase lag, are similar to those observed in the living cochlea. Three conditions are required for the existence of the elastic propagating wave in the cochlear partition without fluid-interaction: 1), the stiffness gradient of the cochlear partition; 2), the elastic longitudinal coupling; and 3), the Y-shaped structure in the organ of Corti formed by the outer hair cell, the Deiters cell, and the Deiters cell phalangeal process. The elastic propagating waves in the cochlear partition disappeared without the push-pull action provided by the outer hair cell and Deiters cell phalangeal process. The results suggest that the mechanical feedback of outer hair cells, facilitated by the organ of Corti microstructure, can control the tuning and amplification by modulating the cochlear traveling wave.
The Perpetuation of Subtle Prejudice: Race and Gender Imagery in 1990s Television Advertising.

Scholars have long argued that popular consumer culture is both producer and product of social inequality, but few detailed empirical studies have explored the ways that advertising imagery simultaneously constructs stereotypes of race and gender. This article reports on a content analysis of television commercials (n = 1699) aired on programs with high ratings for specific target audiences from 1992 to 1994. Characters in the television commercials enjoy more prominence and exercise more authority if they are White or men. Logistic regression analyses indicate that images of romantic and domestic fulfillment also differ by race and gender, with women and Whites disproportionately shown in family settings and in cross-sex interactions. In general, 1990s television commercials tend to portray White men as powerful, white women as sex objects, African American men as aggressive, and African American women as inconsequential. The authors suggest that these commercial images contribute to the perpetuation of subtle prejudice against African Americans by exaggerating cultural differences and denying positive emotions. Results are discussed in relation to the segmentation of media markets and possibilities for social change.
Generalized Convulsions as the Presenting Sign of Amoxapine Intoxication

Two infants presented for medical evaluation with sudden onset of seizures or coma, without obvious cause. Suspicious circumstances led to toxicological screening analysis. Amoxapine, a recently released antidepressant, was found in the gastric contents of both children an undetermined time after the putative ingestion, but elevated serum concentrations were noted only in one. The pharmacokinetics are described. There were no obvious cardiotoxic or anticholinergic effects in these infants. Thus, they, like older children and adults, manifest mainly central nervous system toxicity rather than the cardiotoxicity and anticholinergic effects of overdose seen with tricyclic antidepressants.
In vivo three-photon microscopy of subcortical structures within an intact mouse brain

Two-photon fluorescence microscopy (2PM)1 enables scientists in various fields including neuroscience2,3, embryology4, and oncology5 to visualize in vivo and ex vivo tissue morphology and physiology at a cellular level deep within scattering tissue. However, tissue scattering limits the maximum imaging depth of 2PM within the mouse brain to the cortical layer, and imaging subcortical structures currently requires the removal of overlying brain tissue3 or the insertion of optical probes6,7. Here we demonstrate non-invasive, high resolution, in vivo imaging of subcortical structures within an intact mouse brain using three-photon fluorescence microscopy (3PM) at a spectral excitation window of 1,700 nm. Vascular structures as well as red fluorescent protein (RFP)-labeled neurons within the mouse hippocampus are imaged. The combination of the long excitation wavelength and the higher order nonlinear excitation overcomes the limitations of 2PM, enabling biological investigations to take place at greater depth within tissue.
Partner enhancement versus verification and emotional responses to daily conflict

This study investigated the moderating role of partner enhancement and verification on couples’ emotional responses to daily conflicts. Each evening for 5 weeks, 264 couples in which one partner was under stress reported whether a conflict occurred and both positive and negative relationship feelings. Partners rated each other on relationship-central and relationship-peripheral traits before the diary period, allowing us to examine the consequences of derogation (partner views more negative than self-views) and enhancement (partner views more positive than self-views) relative to verification. Derogation on both relationship-central and relationship-peripheral traits was associated with more negative conflict responses. Enhancement on relationship-peripheral traits was associated with more negative conflict responses than verification. Although not as consistent a pattern, results suggest that enhancement on relationship-central traits was beneficial.
Hedonic capacity and schizotypy: Evidence for the criterion validity of the ACIPS

The association between trait hedonic capacity and schizotypal personality traits was examined in a two studies of independent nonclinical samples. In both investigations, hedonic capacity was measured using the 17-item Anticipatory and Consummatory Interpersonal Pleasure Scale (ACIPS). In Study One, the young adults' (n=1345) ACIPS scores were inversely associated with their scores on the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ). In Study Two, two groups of individuals identified on the basis of their scores on the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire Brief-Revised (SPQ-BR) were compared in terms of their ACIPS responses and response patterns. Our results indicate that the high schizotypal subjects (n =38) and the low schizotypal subjects (n=37) differed significantly in terms of their mean ACIPS scores, but not in terms of their mean reaction times. Despite differences in study design, both investigations indicated an association between the No Close Friends subscale of the SPQ and the ACIPS total score. These findings are considered in the context of other extant studies of schizotypal traits and the role of anhedonia in schizotypy. Overall, the findings provide further evidence for the criterion validity of the ACIPS.