cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Zinc uptake by isolated rat liver parenchymal cells

Abstract Primary cultures of rat liver parenchymal cells maintained as a monolayer in serum-free culture medium were used to investigate the characteristics of zinc accumulation in vitro. Liver parenchymal cells accumulated zinc by a temperature-dependent, saturable process that was inhibited by cyanide, azide, oligomycin, N -ethylmaleimide and iodoacetamide. Cadmium reversibly inhibited zinc accumulation in both serum-free and serum-containing media. Gel filtration chromatographic studies showed that recently accumulated intracellular zinc was present as a low molecular weight complex smaller than metallothionein, the zinc storage protein, but larger than individual amino acids. The quantity of zinc accumulated was affected by preincubation of the cells with various hormones. Dexamethasone, prednisone and prednisolone each increased zinc uptake by 40–50% when either insulin or glucagon was also present. Hydrocortisone, cortisone and sex steroids did not influence zinc accumulation. Removal of the polypeptide hormones from the medium abolished the stimulatory effect of the synthetic glucocorticoid steroid hormones on zinc accumulation.
A Mathematical Model Quantifying the Impact of Antibiotic Exposure and Other Interventions on the Endemic Prevalence of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci

Background. Mathematical modeling can be used to describe the interdependent and dynamic interactions that contribute to the transmission dynamics of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). A model was developed to quantify the contribution of antibiotic exposure and of other modifiable factors to the dissemination of VRE in the hospital setting. Methods. The model consists of 4 compartments: patients colonized with VRE receiving and not receiving antibiotics and uncolonized patients receiving and not receiving antibiotics. A series of differential equations describe the movement between these compartments. Baseline parameter estimates were obtained from pharmacy, infection-control, and clinical databases. Results. The main predictions of this model are that (1) preventing the initiation or enhancing the discontinuation of unnecessary antimicrobial therapy will have a greater impact if it is targeted to patients who are not colonized with VRE; (2) increasing the number of patients harboring VRE at the time of hospital admission substantially increases the endemic prevalence of VRE; and (3) eliminating the influx of VRE results in the eradication of this pathogen from the hospital. A decrease in the endemic prevalence of VRE also occurs with a decrease in the length of hospital stay of colonized patients, increased hand hygiene compliance, and a lower ratio of healthcare workers:patients. Conclusion. This mathematical model provides a framework to assist in targeting necessary interventions aimed at limiting the spread of VRE.
From Gettysburg to a general hospital service.

During a faculty development session, I heard that ‘‘Good leaders read, and they read outside their fields’’ [1]. As an academic pediatrician, I’ve found that reading outside the field of medicine, especially when supplemented by varied life experiences and reflection, can indeed improve the care I provide to patients. In conjunction with a faculty development program-related course on leadership [2], I visited the Civil War battlefield in Gettysburg, PA, read a relevant historical novel [3], and watched a movie depicting a re-creation of the famed Gettysburg battle [4]. Climbing hills on which the unity of America hinged, I learned lessons of history and gained insights into leadership from a tour guide and from faculty members. I learned, and I reflected. Then, thinking my Gettysburg-based learning was complete, I went home. At home, though, I realized that the Gettysburg experience was not over. During the following week, I saw the lessons of Gettysburg lived out in patient rooms. I saw how my clinical practice could be improved by applying four specific lessons from Gettysburg.
Increased synthesis of an Escherichia coli membrane protein suppresses F exclusion of bacteriophage T7.

Increased synthesis of the protein FxsA alleviates the exclusion of T7 in cells harboring the F plasmid. In contrast to wild-type or cells defective in fxsA, overexpression of fxsA+ allows T7 to form plaques at normal efficiency even though the burst size is reduced to about half that obtained on the isogenic F- strain. No defect in DNA synthesis was observed but late protein synthesis remains partially inhibited and a reduced level of cell leakiness, a prominent feature of F+ cells abortively infected by T7, persists. The FxsA protein is shown to be a cytoplasmic membrane protein. How T7 avoids exclusion by F in cells that exhibit increased levels of FxsA is discussed in terms of its membrane localization.
Paradoxical vocal cord motion in the recovery room: a masquerader of pulmonary dysfunction

Purpose We report a case of paradoxical vocal cord motion as an unusual cause of postoperative stridor and wheezing. A means of diagnosis and management is discussed.
Structural Characterization of Biphenyl Ester-Based LC Molecules: Peculiarities of Cyclic Siloxane-Based Materials

The X-ray meridional profiles of series of liquid crystalline molecules possessing the same mesogen but different siloxane-based backbones and spacer lengths are compared. Siloxane cores investigated include rings of different sizes, linear polysiloxanes, and short linear segments. The presence of diffuse, periodic reflections for ring-based compounds is attributed in part to translational association of the mesogenic units along the director (strings). The absence of these reflections in smaller, more flexible cores indicates that the localization of strong scattering units induced by the cyclic and linear cores also contributes to the strength of this molecular association. Correlations between measured correlation lengths, orientation parameters, and string lengths are discussed in detail. Preliminary molecular modeling is used to investigate the origins of these peculiar scattering phenomena as a function of the molecular architecture.
Wet Oxidation of Epitaxial Ge.36Si.64 on (100)Si

The thermal oxidation of epitaxial Ge.36Si.64 on (100)Si is investigated experimentally for a wet ambient at 700°C and 1000°C. A pure silicon dioxide layer with pile-up of Ge behind the oxide is formed at 1000°C. At 700°C, however, both Ge and Si are oxidized. The Ge is included uniformly into the oxide layer without changing the initial Ge/Si ratio. The result at 1000°C follows the thermodynamical picture which predicts the same result at 700°C also, contrary to observation. The different result at 700°C is due to kinetic constraints which can be explained by different activation energies for the rate of the oxidation reaction and for the Ge or Si diffusivities in GeSi.
Radiometry and coherence

The basic laws of photometry are derived from the theory of partial coherence by considering a generalized form of the Van Cittert–Zernike theorem.
Let's Get Certified: Best Practices for Nurse Leaders to Create a Culture of Certification

Certification benefits nurses, patients and their families, and hospitals. Nurses become certified for various reasons: personal challenge; self-improvement; advancement of knowledge and education; demonstration of mastery of skills, knowledge, and abilities; and commitment to lifelong learning and career growth. However, there are also barriers to certification. Fear of test taking or failure and lack of resources or organization recognition are reasons many nurses cite for not becoming certified. Nurse leaders play a pivotal role in supporting nurses to obtain and maintain specialty nursing certification. Nurse leaders may promote certification, support nurses who are on their certification journey, and reward and recognize those staff that become certified. This article will share practices to increase the number of specialty certified nurses in your unit or organization.
Charge ordering in magnetite at low temperatures.

The ordering of the ${\mathrm{Fe}}^{2+}$ and ${\mathrm{Fe}}^{3+}$ ions on the octahedral sites of magnetite (${\mathrm{Fe}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{4}$) at temperatures below the Verwey metal-insulator transition has been studied by quantitative high-energy transmission electron diffraction. We find that there are ten independent charge-ordering models (including the Verwey model) for the low-temperature structure that satisfy the Anderson condition if the symmetry is Cc (monoclinic). Dynamical electron diffraction patterns are simulated and compared with experiment for these charge-ordering models, using atomic coordinates obtained from neutron diffraction work. We find that one of these ten charge-ordering models agrees best with experiment and that the electrons in this model form a characteristic wave. Our calculations of electron correlation energy show that this model has the second lowest energy, while the Verwey model has the lowest. This indicates the importance of electron-phonon interactions in stabilizing the structure.
Infrared Spectra from Fine Particulate Surfaces

Characteristic spectral information can be obtained from a surface composed of fine particles either if the spectrum is observed at sufficiently high signal-to-noise ratio or if the particles are well compacted.
Development of fiber Bragg-grating-based soil pressure transducer for measuring pavement response

A soil pressure transducer by using fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors associated with a circular diaphragm is developed. The FBG based transducers can be used for pavement performance study and weigh-in-motion measurement. We consider three methods of bonding the FBG to the diaphragm: (1) radially, (2) radially, inside a glass capillary, and (3) circumferentially. The investigation of strain-gradient induced spectral broadening in FBG-based transducers is conducted since spectral broadening can have adverse effects on the sensor interrogations. We derive analytical closed form results for describing measurand-induced strain gradients in circular geometry transducers, which allow us to experimentally demonstrate novel FBG bonding approaches that eliminate spectral broadening. In addition, Bragg spectral broadening analysis using T-matrix calculation is also conducted to validate some of the experimental results. Two prototypes of soil pressure transducers are field tested at the Cold Region Research Engineering Laboratory (CRREL). The buried pressure transducers are impact-tested by use of a Falling-Weight- Deflectometer (FWD), and detected by NRL-developed FBG interrogation device. Lastly, we use the Boussinesq equation to verify the soil stress measured by the buried transducers.
Biochemical genetics of rat esterases: polymorphism, tissue expression and linkage of four loci

Two alleles at each of four esterase loci in Rattus norvegicus are described with regard to tissue expression, electrophoretic characterization, and genetic linkage. A previously described dominant gene for prealbumin serum esterase is demonstrated to exist as two codominant alleles in the genetically determined absence of the characteristic albumin esterase. The allelic composition of 16 inbred strains for four esterase genes is provided, and the heretofore ambiguous nomenclature of rat esterase genetics is standardized. Linkage of Es-1, Es-2, and Es-3 is demonstrated. Es-2 and Es-3 are tightly linked in that no recombination has been observed in 55 offspring. The same offspring demonstrated 9% recombination between Es-1 and the other two loci.
Advances in Chinese research on Azolla

The aquatic fern Azolla has a symbiotic relationship with an N 2 -fixing cyanobacterium. Fanners in China and Vietnam have used Azolla for centuries as a green manure for rice and as fodder for pigs, ducks and fish. Chinese researchers have been studying Azolla since the early 1950's but many of their achievements are unknown outside China because of language and other communication problems. This article reviews current Chinese Azolla research and focuses on the impact of newly introduced Azolla species in the areas of field application, use of spores, and isolation of the N 2 -fixing symbiont.
Necessary Sacrifices: From Romanticism to Naturalism in Galdós Marianela

Over seventy years ago Casalduero demonstrated that Galdos had based the main characters and basic plot features of Marianela on key ideas from Positivism, but he did not grasp Galdos’ nuanced and ambiguous position as regards progress at a time when the Industrial Revolution was impacting on Spain. A careful analysis shows that mining/geology and ophthalmology, as depicted in the novel, bring with them a complex series of benefits and disadvantages. Under threat are nature, the countryside, agriculture, and a traditional, rural way of life, elements with which Marianela herself is closely associated. Alongside this allegorical drama of the problematical onset of modernity, parts of the novel present a Romantic vision and tone, while other parts a Naturalistic perspective and style. I propose that there are various parallels here: between the attack on nature, the demise of Marianela, and the move away from Romanticism, between the spread of science and industry, the (relative) success of Carlos and Teodo...
The powder trust, 1872-1912

Introduction, 444. — Period I. Organization of the first combination in the explosives trade, 445. — The Council, 446. — Compacts with the California Powder Works, 447. — Amendment of the Articles of Association, 448. — The Agreement of 1886, 450. — Fundamental Agreement of 1889, 452. — Period II. Competition between 1890 and 1894, 454. — Revision of the Fundamental Agreement, 456. — The "Understanding" of 1896, 456. — Advance in the prices of powder subsequent to 1896, 457. — Contests against new competitors, 459. — Miscellaneous agreements looking to more complete control, 460. — Early combination in the Dynamite Trade, 462. — Acquisitions of the Eastern Dynamite Company, 465. — Origin of the European Agreement, 465. — Its terms, 466. — The Mexican Agreement, 467. — Period III. The organization of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Delaware Corporation of 1902, 470. — Relation of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company and Laflin and Rand to subsidiaries, 471. — Option upon Laflin and Rand, 472. — The Delaware Securities Company, 472. — The Delaware Investment Company, 473. — Relations of the Companies outside of the combination, 474. — E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company of Pennsylvania, 475. — The California Investment Company, 476. — International Smokeless Powder and Chemical Company, 477. — Percentage of control exercised, 478. — Prices, 478. — Dissolution of subsidiaries, 479. — Decision of the Circuit Court, 480.
Aerosol deposition on a flat plate

Abstract Theoretical relationships are presented for predicting aerosol deposition on a flat plate under turbulent flow conditions. Aerosol deposition measurements are also reported. The predicted values for aerosol deposition were found to agree well with the measured values.
Comment on "reciprocal relations for nonlinear coupled transport".

A Comment on the Letter by R. Dean Astumian, [Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 046802 (2008)]. The author of the Letter offers a Reply.
Should lawyers advertise? A study of consumer attitudes

The issue of whether professionals should advertise has generated quite a controversy over the past several years. Since the historic decision of the Supreme Court in theBates vs. State Bar of Arizona which ruled the State Bar's proscription against advertising fees for legal services was unconstitutional, much has been written about the ethical ramifications of the decision and the attitudes of various professional groups toward the use of advertising. This paper focuses on the attitudes of “consumers” toward the advertising of legal services. The results of the study suggest that advertising does have an impact on the professional's image although not necessarily the negative impact many professionals believe.
Does gay marriage improve health

It’s not only about justice Two recent events in the United States have brought the issue of same sex marriage back to the top of the news. Firstly, on election day, 6 November, three states legalized same sex marriage and a fourth voted down a ban on same sex marriage. This brought the number of states that have approved gay marriage to nine. Secondly, the US Supreme Court announced on 7 December that it would take up two cases relating to same sex marriage. They will hear arguments on the cases in the spring of 2013 and rule on them before adjourning in the summer. The first case will decide whether California voters acted legally when they passed so called Proposition 8 in 2009, which overruled a decision by the California Supreme Court that had permitted gay marriage. The second case, from New York, challenges a federal law called the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), passed in 1996. DOMA, among other things, defined marriage as between only a man and a woman for the purpose of enforcing hundreds of federal laws and …
A NEW TECHNIQUE FOR THE EARLY DETECTION OF STIFFNESS IN COUPLED DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS AND APPLICATION TO STANDARD RUNGE-KUTTA ALGORITHMS

Higher-order Runge-Kutta (RK) algorithms employing local truncation error (LTE) estimates have had very limited success in solving stiff differential equations. These LTEs do not recognize stiffness until the region of instability has been crossed after which no correction is possible. A new technique has been designed, using the local stiffness function (LSF), which can detect stiffness very early before instability occurs. The LSF is a normalized dimensionless ratio which is essentially based on the product of the step size and the geometric mean of all the slopes. It is exceedingly sensitive to the onset of stiffness. Together, the LSF and the LTE form a complementary pair which can cooperate to help solve some mildly stiff equations which were previously intractable to RK algorithms alone. Examples are given of implementation and LSF performance.
Religion, Social Incorporation, and Civic Engagement: Second-Generation Indian American Christians

Recent studies have shown that participation in religious institutions facilitates the civic incorporation of contemporary immigrants. These studies have focused on either the immigrant generation or on the second generation. This paper contributes to the literature by showing how negotiations and disagreements between generations shape the civic engagement of multigenerational Christian congregations. The research is based on a study of congregations consisting of first- and second-generation immigrants belonging to the ancient Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Christian church based in Kerala, a state in south India. It shows how first- and second-generation Mar Thoma American conceptions regarding ethnic and religious identity and the social obligations mandated by religion were based on very different understandings about Christian worship, evangelism, social outreach, and their interrelationship. The immigrant generation’s ideas were shaped by the doctrines and practices of the Mar Thoma denomination in India, whereas those of the second generation were influenced by nondenominational American evangelicalism. This paper focuses on the second generation and shows how they developed ideas of American identity and Christian obligation in interaction with and often in opposition to those of their parents’ generation, with the result that contradictory forces affected the civic engagement of these multigenerational congregations.
Visualization of Sub-Cooled Flow Film Boiling in Horizontal Channel on Flat Heat Exchangers

The observation of sub-cooled flow film boiling was performed on a single-side-heated flat heat exchanger by using refrigerant R134a as the testing fluid. A stable vapor film was observed with the co-existence of sub-cooled bulk liquid. Vapor bubbles might release from the film, with the number and frequency changing under different conditions. The purpose of this paper is to describe these observations, and to provide a quantitative analysis of the phenomena. Results are compared with Berenson’s model on horizontal heating surface, with discussion and suggestion made.© 2006 ASME
Arrestin mobilizes signaling proteins to the cytoskeleton and redirects their activity

Arrestins regulate the activity and subcellular localization of G protein-coupled receptors and other signaling molecules. Here, we demonstrate that arrestins bind microtubules (MTs) in vitro and in vivo. The MT-binding site on arrestins overlaps significantly with the receptor-binding site, but the conformations of MT-bound and receptor-bound arrestin are different. Arrestins recruit ERK1/2 and the E3 ubiquitin ligase Mdm2 to MTs in cells, similar to the arrestin-dependent mobilization of these proteins to the receptor. Arrestin-mediated sequestration of ERK to MTs reduces the level of ERK activation. In contrast, recruitment of Mdm2 to MTs by arrestin channels Mdm2 activity toward cytoskeleton-associated proteins, increasing their ubiquitination dramatically. The mobilization of signaling molecules to MTs is a novel biological function of arrestin proteins.
Modelling assimilation and intercellular CO2 from measured conductance: a synthesis of approaches

A spectrum of models that estimate assimilation rate A from intercellular carbon dioxide concentration (Ci) and measured stomatal conductance to CO2 (gc) were investigated using leaf-level gas exchange measurements. The gas exchange measurements were performed in a uniform loblolly pine stand (Pinus taeda L.) using the Free Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE) facility under ambient and elevated atmospheric CO2 for 3 years. These measurements were also used to test a newly proposed framework that combines basic properties of the A‐Ci curve with a Fickian diffusion transport model to predict the relationship between Ci /Ca and gc, where Ca is atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration. The widely used Ball‐Berry model and five other models as well as the biochemical model proposed by Farquhar et al. (1980) were also reformulated to express variations in Ci /Ca as a function of their corresponding driving mechanisms. To assess the predictive capabilities of these approaches, their respective parameters were estimated from independent measurements of long-term stable carbon isotope determinations (d 13 C), meteorological variables, and ensemble A‐Ci curves. All eight approaches reproduced the measured A reasonably well, in an ensemble sense, from measured water vapour conductance and modeled Ci/Ca. However, the scatter in the instantaneous A estimates was sufficiently large for both ambient and elevated Ca to suggest that other transient processes were not explicitly resolved by all eight parameterizations. An important finding from our analysis is that added physiological complexity in modeling Ci/Ca (when gc is known) need not always translate to increased accuracy in predicting A. Finally, the broader utility of these approaches to estimate assimilation and net ecosystem exchange is discussed in relation to elevated atmospheric CO2.
Role of Hydrodynamically Active Biopolymeric Ingredients in Texture Modification and Physical Stabilization of Gel‐based Composite Foods

Unlike synthetic polymer composites, a large amount of water is required for composite foods and needs to be managed by the use of water-binding (hydrodynamically active) biopolymeric ingredients for texture and physical stabilization. Hydrodynamic properties encompass the dynamics of water binding/retention and the distribution between particulates and the matrix, and are responsible for the composite effect. The extent of reinforcement depends on their hydrodynamic and surface properties, volume fraction, size, and shape. Moisture management and the control of texture and physical stability in gel-based composites can be achieved by understanding the interrelationships among the physical parameters governing matrix and dispersed particulates, Such understanding will facilitate the introduction of new composite products with improved texture and storability, as well as improve the functional properties of biopolymeric ingredients through appropriate modification of hydrodynamic properties. Les aliments composites necessitent des teneurs en eau importantes qui peuvent etre obtenues par l'utilisation d'ingredients ayant des proprietes hydrodynamiques. Ces proprietes interviennent dans la fixation/retention et la distribution de l'eau entre les particules et la matrice et sont responsables de l'effet composite. La comprehension des interrelations dans les parametres physiques gouvernant la matrice et les particules dispersees peut faciliter l'introduction de nouveaux produits composites et l'amelioration des proprietes des ingredients actifs.
Relationships between benthic cover, current strength, herbivory, and a fisheries closure in Glovers Reef Atoll, Belize

Benthic cover, current strengths, and fish abundance and diversity were examined on 150 lagoonal patch reefs and mapped to determine their distribution, inter-relationships, and relationship to the fisheries closure in Glovers Reef Atoll. Current strength was highest at both the northern and southern ends of the atoll and largely controlled by local wind and weakly by tidal forcing. Benthic functional group distributions varied throughout the atoll and had distinct areas of dominance. In contrast, dominance of coral species was weaker, reflecting the lost cover and zonation of Acropora, Porites, and Montastraea that were reported in the 1970s. Hard and soft corals dominated the windward rim, while the central and leeward lagoon had lower current strengths and sea grass and fleshy green algae were relatively more abundant. Brown erect algae were relatively more common in the north and calcifying green and red algae the southern ends of the atoll. Only Montastraea-Agaricia agaricites distributions were similar to reports from the 1970s with high relative dominance in the southern and northeast atoll. The central-northern zone, which was described as an Acropora zone in the 1970s, was not recognizable, and Porites porites, P. astreoides, Millepora alcicornis, and Favia fragum were the most abundant species during this survey. Hard and soft coral cover abundance declined away from the reef rim and tidal channels and was associated with fast seawater turnover and high surgeonfish abundance. Consequently, the windward rim area has retained the most original and persistent hard-soft coral and surgeonfish community and is considered a priority for future management, if the goal is to protect coral from fishing impacts.
Oligosaccharide degradation by anaerobic marine bacteria: Characterization of an experimental system to study polymer degradation in sediments

Enrichment of bacteria from anoxic marine sediments on specific carbohydrates yielded a reproducible model system with which to compare the degradation of a set of structurally related substrates. The goal was to approximate the diversity of natural mixed microbial populations while reducing the complexity of studying the degradation of specific substrates in sediments. Structurally related substrates were used to compare the influence of substrate size, chemical linkage, and stereochemistry on carbohydrate degradation. Headspace gases (CO,, Hz, CH,, H,S) were monitored by gas chromatography, and carbohydrate substrates were separated and quantified with high-pressure liquid chromatography. The sequence of transformations observed in the cultures is consistent with the sequential substrate degradation expected in a consortium of anaerobic bacteria, and the transfer of carbon from substrates through to end products was followed quantitatively. A series of experiments showed that mixed cultures of marine bacteria distinguish between even small, closely related substrates that do not require extracellular hydrolysis prior to uptake. A galactose-P( 1,3)-arabinose disaccharide (GLA) was degraded at half the rate of seven other similar disaccharides and three larger oligosaccharides. Results from transfer cultures indicate that the ability to degrade GLA probably is not widespread among bacteria. Although neither the component monomers of GLA nor its /3( 1,3) linkage is uncommon in marine environments, its specific combination of a hexose and a pentose may not fit standard carbohydrate transport systems in bacteria. Substrate structural features clearly can have a significant effect on degradation rates, even at molecular weights below the direct transport size limit.
Mechanism of Surfactant Removal from Ordered Nanocomposite Silica Thin Films by Deep-UV Light Exposure

In recent years, methods have been developed for the generation of complex ordered nanocomposite materials through organic templating of inorganic structures. One approach involves preparation of composite materials by an evaporation induced self-assembly process involving organization of organic surfactants and formation of inorganic silica from soluble precursors. Recently, we have shown that deep-UV light (185–254nm) is efficient at removing the surfactant microphase for a routine production of well-ordered mesoporous silica thin films. Here we probe the evolution of surfactant removal from nanocomposite thin film silica mesophases as a function of deep-UV exposure using a combined application of FTIR and single wavelength ellipsometry. Taken together, these data indicate that surfactant removal occurs in a step-wise fashion with the formation of oxidized intermediates prior to complete removal of the surfactant from the thin film.
Solving the state assignment problem for signal transition graphs

The authors propose a novel framework to solve the state assignment problem arising from the signal transition graph (STG) representation of an asynchronous circuit. They first solve the STG state assignment problem by minimizing the number of states in the corresponding finite-state machine (FSM) and by using a critical race-free state assignment technique. State signal transitions may be added to the original STG. A lower bound on the number of signals necessary to implement the STG is given. The technique significantly increases the applicability of STGs for specifying asynchronous circuits. >
Thrust Vector Control of Solar Sail Spacecraft

This paper presents a comprehensive mathematical formulation of the thrust vector control (TVC) design problem of solar sail spacecraft. A TVC system is part of an attitude and orbit control system (AOCS) of a sailcraft, and it maintains the proper orientation of its solar sail to provide the desired thrust vector pointing. The solar pressure thrust vector direction of a sailcraft is often described by its cone and clock angles with respect to a particular orbital reference frame. This paper describes various forms of orbital trajectory equations, which employ two different sets of the cone and clock angles, for the design and simulation of solar sail TVC system. In particular, a quaternion-based TVC/AOCS architecture is proposed for solar sailing missions because of its simple interface with the TVC steering commands of the desired cone and clock angles. In practice, any sailcraft TVC system will require frequent updates of both orbital parameters and TVC steering commands for frequent trajectory corrections because of the inherent difficulty to precisely model the solar radiation pressure and to accurately point the true thrust vector direction. The frequency of orbit determination update and TVC command update is mission-dependent; it is determined by many factors such as the trajectory dispersions, the target-body ephemeris uncertainty, and the operational constraints.
Analog IC design for real-time simulation of power electronic circuits

This paper presents a feasibility study of real-time simulation of power electronic circuits using analog IC technologies. Unlike conventional analog simulation where a mathematical model is developed first and then implemented by using op-amps, the proposed approach simulates a power electronic circuit directly by analog devices and components. Capacitors and switches are shown to be amenable to direct IC implementation after proper scaling; inductors and diodes are emulated by active circuits to facilitate IC implementation. Such analog simulation avoids the limitations of digital simulation in terms of simulation time and convergence problems when applied to power electronic circuits. The overall concept has been tested by numerical simulation. Possible applications of the proposed method include simulation of large power electronic systems, rapid control prototyping and hardware-in-loop simulation, model-referenced adaptive control, and online diagnosis and prognosis.
Infectious causes of embryonic and fetal mortality

The purpose of this review is to summarize bacterial, fungal, protozoan, and viral causes of reproductive dysgenesis in cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, horses, dogs, and cats. The clinical presentations of disease due to reproductive pathogens are emphasized, with a focus on assisting development of complete lists of causes that result in abortion and infertility in these species. Clinicians are encouraged to assess clinical presentation, create complete lists of differential diagnoses, obtain appropriate diagnostic samples, maximize diagnostic laboratory support, and avoid zoonotic infections resulting from reproductive pathogens of animals. The foundation of an accurate diagnosis of reproductive loss due to infectious pathogens facilitates the prudent use of immunization and biosecurity to minimize reproductive losses.
Lawful but Corrupt: Gaming and the Problem of Institutional Corruption in the Private Sector

This paper describes how the gaming of society’s rules by corporations contributes to the problem of institutional corruption in the world of business. “Gaming” in its various forms involves the use of technically legal means to subvert the intent of society’s rules in order to gain advantage over rivals, maximize reported earnings, maintain high credit ratings, preserve access to capital on favorable terms, and reap personal rewards - just mention several possible motives. It is one of the most corrosive forms of institutional corruption in business. “Institutional corruption” refers to company-sanctioned behavior and relationships that may be lawful but either harm the public interest or weaken the capacity of the institution to achieve its primary purposes. The most salient consequence of institutional corruption is diminished public trust in the governance of the institution. In this paper, I describe the twin phenomena of gaming and institutional corruption - and how the former contributes to the latter, often with the support of professional advisors at law and auditing firms. I illustrate these phenomena with examples from Enron, which (apart from outright fraud) pursued one of the greatest gaming strategies of all time. I also point to the implementation of the Dodd-Frank Act as an excellent source of clinical data pertaining to gaming in a more contemporary setting. I then discuss how gaming and other trust-destroying behavior have been encouraged by the short-term decision-making horizons of both corporate executives and managers of large investment funds, how those time horizons are largely driven by ways in which the performance of operating executives and investment fund managers is measured and rewarded, and how the directors of these entities become complicit in the gaming of society’s rules and the spreading of institutional corruption. I end by suggesting possible remedies for curbing the ill effects of continued gaming of society’s rules and restoring much needed public trust in the offending institutions.
Growth and Nutrient Uptake by Barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv Herta): Studies Using an N-(2-Hydroxyethyl)ethylenedinitrilotriacetic Acid-Buffered Nutrient Solution Technique (II. Role of Zinc in the Uptake and Root Leakage of Mineral Nutrients)

Barley seedlings (Hordeum vulgare L. cv Herta) were grown in N-(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenedinitrilotriacetic acid-buffered nutrient solutions with or without adequate Zn supplies. Fifteen-d-old Zn-deficient seedlings contained higher concentrations of Mn, Ca, Mg, and P in their shoots and more Fe, Mn, Cu, K, Ca, and P in their roots than did similar Zn-adequate seedlings, confirming results reported in our companion study (W.A. Norvell and R.M. Welch [1993] Plant Physiol 101: 619–)625). Zn-deficient roots leaked greater quantities of K, Mn, Cu, and Cl than did roots supplied adequately with Zn; they also leaked significant amounts of Zn even though the seedlings were not supplied Zn during growth. Calculated uptake rates of P, Mn, and Na were sharply reduced, but uptake rates of K and Mg were stimulated by increasing the Zn2+ activity in nutrient solutions. Intact roots of Zn-deficient seedlings contained lower concentrations of 5,5[prime] -dithio-bis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) reactive sulfhydryl groups in comparison to Zn-adequate roots. Apparently, Zn is required for the uptake and retention of several mineral nutrients by roots, possibly by playing a protective role in preventing the oxidation of sulfhydryl groups to disulfides in root-cell plasma membrane proteins involved in ion channel-gating phenomena.
Base isolation for torsion reduction in asymmetric structures under earthquake loading

This paper examines the effectiveness of a bilinear hysteretic base isolation system in lowering the shear forces and torques generated in a structure by two-way, translatory ground motions. The study is restricted to single-storey, three-dimensional structures having asymmetries in both horizontal directions and being excited by the El Centro (May 1940) earthquake motions. It is shown that with base isolation the structural torques are drastically reduced, even if the structural eccentricity is large. This reduction in structural torque is greatest when the isolation system's centre of stiffness coincides with the structure's centre of mass. The highly dissipative action of the isolation system provides strong modal decoupling which prevents the translational motions from resonantly driving the torsional motions. The maximum base displacements, due to both translation and rotation combined are less than 11 cm, which is well within the limits of currently available isolation system components. The dynamic action of the base isolation system is outlined and currently available isolation system components described.
Bilateral Hyperplastic Nephromegaly, Nephroblastomatosis, and Renal Dysplasia in a Newborn: A Variety of Universal Nephroblastomatosis

A preterm boy was born at 34 weeks. Prenatal ultrasonography showed oligohydramnios, fetal ascites, large kidneys, and small thorax. He died 21 h after birth of respiratory insufficiency. Autopsy revealed Potter's-like facies, hypoplastic lungs, ascites, and bilateral nephromegaly (renal weight almost 10 times normal). The kidneys were finely nodular externally, solid, and cerebriform on cut section. Histologically, they showed a diffusely distorted architecture of jumbled lobules, hyperplasia of cortical-type tissue with inconspicuous proximal tubules, relative hypoplasia of medullary tissue, tubulointerstitial dysplasia, and perilobar nephrogenic rests. The renal features represent a variety of the universal or panlobar (also called pancortical or infantile) type of nephroblastomatosis. To our knowledge, this is only the third such case reported. In the brain, each lateral ventricle contained a yellow gelatinous mass. Histologically, the masses consisted of a pseudomyxoid matrix with delicate fibers and focal adipocyte clusters, all confined within choroid plexus. We consider these lesions fibrolipomatous hamartomas.
Economic Models and Policy Analysis in Higher Education: A Diagrammatic Exposition

Policy analysis is a term that is used very often in education circles and seems to have multiple meanings depending on the background of the person using the phrase and the context in which it is used. Generally speaking, a policy is “a definite course or method of action selected from among alternatives and in light of given conditions to guide and determine present and future decisions” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2007), and an educational policy is “a specification of principles and actions, related to educational issues, which are followed or which should be followed and which are designed to bring about desired goals” (Trowler, 2003, p. 95). Who are the policy makers in higher education? For the postsecondary setting, policy makers would include entities and individuals who enact these laws and rules, including academic departments, colleges, institutions, and local, state, and national governments. The goal of educational policies is to lead to desired changes in behavior for participants within the education system. For example, a state-level educational policy may be implemented to help increase the percentage of high school students who go on to pursue a postsecondary education. The goal of this policy is to change the behavior of some high school students who may not be likely to attend college following graduation. As another example, an academic department may design policies to increase the quality of instruction given to undergraduate students. Here, the policy maker (academic department administration) is seeking to alter the actions of faculty in such a way that will lead to gains in instructional quality. Educational policy analysis focuses on how one should evaluate the effectiveness of alternative educational policies when choosing between them. The analysis of policy in higher education—an interdisciplinary field of study—is richly
Spin Immunoassay for Drug Determination

Immunoassay for various drugs and foreign chemicals in biological fluids has become a routine, sensitive and reliable technique. Its principal drawback in routine clinical and forensic laboratories is the requirement for multiple sample manipulation and ultimate separation of the labelled from the unlabelled chemical. The use of electron spin resonance (ESR) as the detection system allows a greatly simplified procedure. 1. An antibody-labelled antigen complex is prepared (the ‘label’ is an unpaired electron). 2. This complex is mixed with the sample (the only mixing step). 3. The ESR absorption of the displaced label is determined. The main advantage is achieced in step (3): no separation of antibody-labelled antigen complex from displaced labelled antigen is required (nor radioactivity measurement); only the unbound form resonates and is easily quatitated from a standard curve. In another application, binding to endogenous protein in blood or a tissue homogenate may be quantitated directly, by first measuring the resonance absorption of the free, labelled chemical and then the decrease on adding the test material.
Pt monolayer shell on hollow Pd core electrocatalysts: Scale up synthesis, structure, and activity for the oxygen reduction reaction

We report on synthesis, characterization and the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) kinetics of Pt monolayer shell on Pd(hollow), or Pd-Au(hollow) core electrocatalysts. Comparison between the ORR catalytic activity of the electrocatalysts with hollow cores and those of Pt solid and Pt hollow nanoparticles has been obtained using the rotating disk electrode technique. Hollow nanoparticles were made using Ni or Cu nanoparticles as sacrificial templates. The Pt ORR specific and mass activities of the electrocatalysts with hollow cores were found considerably higher than those of the electrocatalysts with the solid cores. We attribute this enhanced Pt activity to the smooth surface morphology and hollow-induced lattice contraction, in addition to the mass-saving geometry of hollow particles.
Without Sober Judgement: Politics of Excess

Paper examines the emergence of liberalism and the broader politics of drink in the early modern English context. I focus on the writings of John Locke, and in particular, his comments on drunkenness and sobriety in The Two Treatises and the Tracts on Government. For modern critics, Locke's writings support a form of common sense reasoning seen as necessary for political judgment. Jurgen Habermas, most notably, cites Locke in his description of the public sphere and the “rational-critical arguments which were facilitated in the coffeehouses and press of late 17th century London. To challenge Habermas, I look to alternate forms of political practice-more specifically, the alehouses, taverns, and other forms of public gathering in which political judgment was shaped by a drink culture that more strongly emphasized values of community, entertainment, excess, loyalty, and bonding. I argue that alehouse culture focuses attention on bodily needs that are easily bypassed in discussions of the public sphere; i.e., elements of camaraderie, belonging, and ritual for populations vulnerable to economic dispossession and legal and religious surveillance. Also, drink culture calls attention to how heightened passions and emotions - such as hedonism, fraternity, enthusiasm - are incorporated into political engagement and judgment.
Edge-induced active sites enhance the reactivity of large aluminum cluster anions with alcohols.

Understanding the emergence of properties from the size-selective cluster regime to larger nanoparticles is one of the principal goals of nanoscience. We have measured the size-selective reactivity...
The growing feather as a dermal test site: Comparison of leukocyte profiles during the response to Mycobacterium butyricum in growing feathers, wattles, and wing webs

Using the response to Mycobacterium butyricum as the test-immune response, the main goal of this study was to demonstrate the suitability of the growing feather (GF) as a dermal test site and window into in vivo cellular/tissue responses (US-Patent 8,216,551). Using M. butyricum immunized chickens, the specific objectives were to: 1) compare the leukocyte infiltration response to intra-dermally injected M. butyricum in GF, wattles, and wing webs; 2) use GF as the test site to monitor leukocyte response profiles to recall antigen in the same individuals; and 3) gain new knowledge regarding the local response to M. butyricum in chickens. For objective 1, chickens were euthanized for tissue collection at 4 to 6, 24, 48, and 72 h after intra-dermal antigen injection. Leukocyte infiltration profiles were determined using immunochemical and conventional histology. Data from this study established the similarities between the cellular response in GF, wattles, and wing webs and uncovered many advantages of working with GF. For objective 2, antigen was injected into multiple GF per individual. GF were collected before and at 0.25, 1, 2, 3, and 7 d post injection and processed for cell population analysis by flow cytometry. Advantages of the approach used in objective 2 included a technically easier, more comprehensive, and more objective leukocyte profile analysis; same-day data acquisition; and, most importantly, easy, minimally invasive sample collection from the same individual throughout the study. Both studies contributed new knowledge regarding the local cutaneous response to M. butyricum in M. butyricum immunized chickens and confirmed the cell-mediated nature of the immune response to M. butyricum (e.g., elevated levels [P < 0.05] of T cells [CD4+ and CD8+], macrophages and MHC class II+-cells on days one to 3 post injection in M. butyricum- compared to PBS-injected tissues). The use of GF as an "in vivo test tube" to monitor local innate and adaptive immune activities will find direct application in vaccine development, as well as in the assessment and optimization of immune system development and function in poultry.