cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Portable X-ray Fluorescence (PXRF) Analysis of Total Metal(loid)s and Sequential Extraction of Bioavailable Arsenic in Agricultural Soils of Animas Watershed

The Animas River provides irrigation water in northwestern New Mexico and the Navajo Nation. Concerns regarding the river water quality arose on August 5, 2015, when approximately 11.35 million liters of heavy metal contaminated water was accidentally released from the Gold King Mine into the Animas River. This study sought to determine the total concentrations of 7 heavy metal(loid)s (As, Pb, and Zn as metals of concern and Fe, Mn, Ca, and Cu as metals of interest) using portable X-ray fluorescence (PXRF) in two agricultural fields and compare these values to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regional screening levels (RSL). Total concentrations of 6 out of 7 metals were below the RSL; only As exceeded the soil screening value of 7.07 mg kg−1 at some locations in the agricultural fields. We also determined water-soluble (WS) and exchangeable fractions (Ex) of As that might be available for agricultural crop uptake using sequential extractions. The WS-As ranged from 0.014 to 0.074 mg kg−1 and Ex-As ranged from 0.135 to 0.248 mg kg−1 and thus were less than 1 and 3% of the total As concentration respectively (ranging from 5.62 to 14.79 mg kg−1) and not considered a threat for plant tissue accumulation. While the concentrations of As observed in the agricultural fields may have exceeded screening levels, the As was not apparently plant available and its risk to crops was determined to be low.
Challenges of Overcoming Structural Barriers for African American Engineers in the United States and in the African Diaspora

This chapter outlines the academic literature that addresses the persistent underrepresentation of African Americans in engineering education in the United States and throughout the African diaspora. While the numbers of African Americans has grown over the past few decades in other professions, the numbers of African Americans in engineering have stagnated and declined since the beginning of the twenty-first century. Early pioneers of scholars in African American studies thought that they could easily construct a reverse mirror image of the curricula they encountered in other academic disciplines, such as history, political science, or anthropology. A glaring omission of the early pioneers is the work that would be needed in engineering education. Many of the early pioneers failed to take into account that work needs to also be done directly within engineering education to foster “sociotechnical” engineering undergraduates and professionals. The depoliticization and meritocratization of engineering education has often allowed structural barriers to remain in place that hinder the success of African Americans in engineering. After summarizing some of the major explanations that attempt to explain underrepresentation of African Americans in engineering, the article concludes with suggestions for further research, highlighting the continued pivotal role of historically black colleges and universities and the need to encourage more investments to promote research and development in African universities.
Parallel Implicit PDE Computations: Algorithms and Software

This chapter contributes some architecturally-oriented software advances. The main focus is to integrate collective algorithmic progress and to reconcile trade-offs between interrelated algorithmic components so as to promote robustness, rapid convergence, and parallel scalability in the context of an important family of applications. The most important capabilities of ΨNKS algorithms have been brought together in freely available, widely portable parallel software for the first time in the “Portable, Extensible Toolkit for Scientific Computing” (PETSc) package, through which the illustrative results of this chapter have been obtained. The parallelization paradigm recommended in approaching a legacy code is a compromise between the “compiler does all” and the “hand-coded by expert” approaches. The PETSc, a library that attempts to handle in a highly efficient way is employed, through a uniform interface, the low-level details of the distributed memory hierarchy. It has been shown that the pseudo–transient matrix-free Newton–Krylov–Schwarz (ΨNKS) methodology can be effective for the parallel solution of large-scale computational fluid dynamics (CFD) problems, as exemplified by the 3D Euler equations. Implicit solution methods are increasingly important in applications modeled by PDEs with disparate time and spatial scales. Meanwhile, the demand for high resolution with reasonable turnaround requires “routine” parallelization for such applications. The pseudo-transient matrix-free Newton–Krylov–Schwarz (ΨNKS) algorithmic framework is presented as an answer to these demands. Two disadvantages of ΨNKS methods are their sensitivity to the coding of the underlying PDE discretization and the large number of parameters that must be selected to govern convergence behavior.
Classification of wideband transient signals using spectral-based techniques

Spectral-based classification schemes designed to separate various wideband transient signals are considered and their performances compared to those obtained using a back-propagation neural network implementation. Spectral-based measures considered include the Bhattacharyya distance, the divergence, the normalized cross-correlation coefficient, and the modified normalized cross-correlation coefficient. Results show that accurate classification may be obtained using spectral-based measures and that the performances compare, or are sometimes better, to those obtained using neural networks when the training data used to train the neural network is small. In addition, the spectral-based measures are simple and computationally inexpensive. >
Copper Repletion Restores the Number and Function of CD4 Cells in Copper-Deficient Rats

Dietary copper deficiency decreases the number of splenic CD4 cells and mitogen-induced generation of interleukin-2 activity and DNA synthesis in cultures of splenic mononuclear cells. To determine the reversibility of these defects, Cu-deficient rats were fed a Cu-adequate diet for either 4, 7 or 11 d before preparation of cell cultures. Serum and hepatic concentrations of Cu attained 87 and 75%, respectively, of the control level after 4 d of dietary repletion. In contrast, interleukin-2 activity and [3H]thymidine incorporation in splenic cell cultures treated with T-cell mitogens were significantly greater than in cultures from Cu-deficient rats after 7, but not 4, d of dietary Cu repletion. The number of splenic CD4 cells was also greater after 7 d of dietary supplementation with Cu. Changes in the relative percentage and function of T-helper cells were highly correlated with one another and with hepatic Cu concentration. These observations indicate that an inadequate supply of dietary Cu reversibly suppresses the maturation and function of splenic T-helper cells.
The Effect of Hypermedia Knowledge and Learning Style on Student-Centered Concept Maps about Hypermedia

AbstractThis study focuses on 21 graduate students enrolled in a graduate hypermedia in education class who constructed concept maps on the term hypermedia. The purpose of the study was to determine whether students created concept maps differently based on their Kolb learning styles and levels of hypermedia knowledge. The dependent measures included the number of concepts, number of nodes, number of links, number of bidirectional links, number of multiple concept nodes, number of nodes with multiple links, levels of depth, preserved concepts, omitted concepts, and added concepts on each student’s map. Findings indicated that Assimilators and Divergers were the most productive on their concept maps. In addition, students with higher levels of hypermedia knowledge had deeper levels of processing on their concept maps. Overall, the students focused on the applied aspects of hypermedia. This was attributed to the fact that, for many of the students, this class was their first exposure to hypermedia.
An efficient probabilistic public key encryption scheme which hides all partial information

This paper introduces the first probabilistic public-key encryption scheme which combines the following two properties: (1) Perfect secrecy with respect to polynomial time eavesdroppers: For all message spaces, no polynomial time bounded passive adversary who is tapping the lines, can compute any partial information about messages from their encodings, unless factoring composite integers is in probabilisic polynomial time. (2) Efficiecy: It compares favorably with the deterministic RSA public-key cryptosystem in both encoding and decoding time and bandwidth expansion.The security of the system we propose can also be based on the assumption that the RSA function is intractable, maintaining the same cost for encoding and decoding and the Same data expansion. This implementation may have advantages in practice.
An Integrative Analysis of microRNA and mRNA Expression - A Case Study

Background MicroRNAs are believed to play an important role in gene expression regulation. They have been shown to be involved in cell cycle regulation and cancer. MicroRNA expression profiling became available owing to recent technology advancement. In some studies, both microRNA expression and mRNA expression are measured, which allows an integrated analysis of microRNA and mRNA expression.
Foreign Law and American Constitutional Interpretation: A Long and Venerable Tradition

This article offers a correction to the arguments of Justices Scalia and Thomas that the Supreme Court should not use foreign law (except perhaps in interpreting treaties), because it would violate the original intent of the Framers.
Terrestrial habitat quality impacts macroinvertebrate diversity in temporary wetlands.

Although hydroperiod and water chemistry are thought to control temporary wetland macroinvertebrate diversity, their effects are often only detected at the ends of hydrological and water quality gradients. However, canopy cover and other biotic factors dictate solar energy available for producer communities and limit food and shelter for consumers. We surveyed 15 northwest Ohio temporary wetland macroinvertebrate communities and measured pond area, depth, canopy cover, hydroperiod, temperature, water chemistry, leaf litter inputs, algal productivity, vegetation, and land use to evaluate which factors were associated with macroinvertebrate taxon richness, Shannon diversity, and total abundance. Principal components analysis identified four PCA axes explaining 65 % of the variation in our dataset, and subsequent multiple regressions indicated PC2 (canopy-mediated productivity) was associated with 57, 41, and 63 % of the variation in total family richness, Shannon diversity, and predator family richness, respectively. Decreased canopy cover was associated with increased aquatic plant abundance, algal diversity, water temperature, and diurnal dissolved oxygen. These data emphasize the importance of canopy cover as a regulator of diversity and community composition, corroborating other studies finding few associations between invertebrate diversity, hydroperiod, and water chemistry.
Comparative probiotic strain efficacy in the prevention of eczema in infants and children: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT Background: Eczema affects 3.5% of the global population, with peak prevalence during infancy. Eczema has no cure, but probiotics have been suggested as a preventative measure. Objective: To comprehensively analyze the impact of prenatal and postnatal probiotic supplementation on the prevention of infantile and childhood eczema. Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and PubMed were searched for randomized controlled trials regarding probiotic usage and eczema development from 1945 to 2013. Participants included were 7 years old or younger with probiotic exposure in utero or below 6 months of age and who was not diagnosed previously. Results: 27 publications describing 16 studies assessing 10 probiotics in 2,797 participants met our criterion. The pooled relative risk of all the studies, 0.74 (95% confidence interval 0.67, 0.82), indicated that probiotic supplementation in the first several years of life did have a significant impact on development of eczema. Du...
Programming languages matters

What, I asked the panelists, should an undergraduate Programming Languages course at a mid-level institution consist of? ABET and CC-2005 are not much help. They leave an enormous range of options; all they say on the matter is: ABET: IV-6. The core materials must provide basic coverage of ..., concepts of programming languages... [2008--2009 Criteria for Accrediting Computing Programs, p. 3] ACM/IEEE: Theory of Programming Languages Principles and design of programming languages including grammars (syntax), semantics, type systems, and various language models (e.g., declarative, functional, procedural, and object-oriented). [ACM and IEEE Computing Curricula 2005, p. 56]
Central nervous system-specific expression of C-reactive protein exacerbates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. (BA3P.202)

Long considered merely a marker of inflammation, new evidence indicates that C-reactive protein (CRP) may also affect the maintenance of health and propagation of disease. Our lab previously showed that human CRP, hepatically synthesized by human CRP transgenic mice (CRPtg), delays onset and reduces severity of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis (EAE; a model of Multiple Sclerosis). Though no causal data are available for humans, research suggests that unlike CRPtg, expression/deposition of CRP in the CNS associates with disease, rather than protection. Though human CRP expression in both man and CRPtg mouse is largely hepatic, studies have shown that it is also expressed by multiple cells of the CNS, particularly during neuroinflammation. To test CNS-expressed CRP’s impact on EAE, we made transgenic mice wherein the neuron-specific Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IIα (CaMKIIα) promoter drives human CRP expression. We confirmed that human CRP expression is restricted to the CNS in these neuronal CRPtg (nCRPtg) mice. In contrast to CRPtg, CNS-specific expression of CRP neither delays EAE onset nor improves its symptoms. As in humans, CNS-expressed CRP associates with more severe disease. In summary, observations made with CRPtg vs. nCRPtg reveal a previously unappreciated site-specificity to the impact of CRP on the CNS. The possibility that CRP mediates beneficial vs. detrimental actions depending on the local cellular environment will be investigated.
Bioanalysis: Heri, hodie, cras

This review, compiled for celebrating the decennial of the series of issues of Electrophoresis on bioanalysis, does not cover much heri (yesterday in Latin), since this was extensively described by my previous review Electrophoresis 2004, 25, 2111-2127, nor, for that matter cras (tomorrow in Latin) since making predictions on future scenarios is decidedly a nonscientific endeavor, but is concentrated onto hodie (today in Latin). Recent progress in the following fields is covered: SDS electrophoresis; IEF and the unraveling of the chemistry and composition of soluble carrier ampholytes; 2D maps; CE with microchip technology and some coatings of unique performance; chemistry and function of combinatorial peptide ligand libraries. This latter technique is becoming fundamental in the detection and identification of low-abundance proteins in proteome analysis.
Selective modulation of nucleotide levels in rat liver and hepatomas by high-orotate or arginine-deficient diets and by carbamoylating agents.

Abstract Transplanted Morris hepatomas in Buffalo-strain rats were found to be resistant to the changes in ribonucleotide levels in rat liver caused by a high-orotate diet or an arginine-deficient diet. The increase in UTP levels and decrease in ATP levels seen in the livers of rats on a 1%-orotate diet were less marked in the livers of BUB- and DBA-strain mice on this diet. Although the changes were less than in rat liver, there was a 2–3-fold increase in UTP concentration in the livers of mice on the high-orotate diet. However, there was a similar response in nucleotide levels in the two species when the animals were maintained on an arginine-deficient diet, and there was a greater than 10-fold increase in the UTP level in the livers of both rats and mice. These diets had much less effect on the levels of deoxyribonucleotides than of ribonucleotides. In contrast to the insensitivity of hepatomas to dietary modulation of nucleotide levels, treatment of hepatoma-bearing rats with carbamoylating agents (sodium cyanate and 2-chloroethyl isocyanate) caused decreases in the levels of nucleotides in the tumors which were generally greater than in host livers. For example, 2-chloroethyl isocyanate depressed ATP levels in the Morris hepatomas 5123C and 20 under conditions in which there was no significant effect on host liver ATP. The data revealed selective modulation of nucleotide levels in normal and neoplastic liver which may be achieved by either dietary modification or drug treatment.
A polarized light scattering approach for dispersed phase morphology characterization in simulated polymer blends

A light scattering technique using a normal-incidence polarized light beam for the characterization of skin/core simulated polymer blend samples is described. The patterns of reflected, polarized scattered light from an inhomogeneous blend were captured using a video camera. The blend was illuminated from a focused laser source. The simulated samples were constructed by incorporating glass fibers (skin) and glass microspheres (core) in a polymer matrix. Asymmetrical patterns were obtained. They reflect the anisotropic nature of the near-surface morphology. Moreover, the change of the anisotropy ratio of the iso-intensity curves plotted, as a function of distance from the position of the incident laser beam on the sample, gives information about the skin and the core content as well as the skin thickness.
Research perspectives on the Arab-Israeli conflict: introduction to a symposium:

Arab-Israeli relations have not figured prominently in The Journal of Conflict Resolution. Only a few contributions have focused directly on the conflict, including one review article (Ben-Dak, 1970) and scattered empirical studies (Blechman, 1966; Harary, 1961; Graber, 1969). A few articles elucidating research methodologies have demonstrated some interesting applications to the Middle East (e.g. Brecher, Steinberg, and Stein, 1969), but the dearth of articles in JCR reflects the general intellectual drought affecting the growth of a "polemology" in the Arab-Israeli context-it mirrors the almost complete lack of empirical investigations relating conflict diagnosis and management to different levels and different areas of life in Israel and the Arab world (for comparison see Boulding, 1968). The present collection is a modest attempt to rectify this situation. It was conceived when the editors were directing mutually responsive projects at the University of Michigan's Center for Research on Conflict Resolution and at Michigan State University in 1968-69. For several reasons the climate in 1970-71 had become moderately encouraging to the dissemination of research different from the customary disappointments (see Ben-Dak, 1970). First, materials produced more recently in the Arab world indicate a relatively fresh and growing systematization with respect to study of the confrontation. Collections of data from Israeli, Arab, and Western sources and summaries of trends have become an important item in Middle East research products in the Arabic language. These started most ambitiously with the Palestinian Movement Yearbooks and recently added the Journal of Palestine Studies (in English). Such endeavors (e.g. at the Institute for Palestine Studies and Kuwait University) are far from impartial and certainly serve a political purpose. However they approximate in direction, though not yet in quality, the veteran Middle East Record (produced by the Shiloah Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies) and the New East chronologies (in Hebrew at Jerusalem). This represents an important change from our viewpoint, because it paves the way for the use of a more rigorous data base and for agreement about the definition of series of events. These two factors heighten the probability for similar interpretations of
Catalytic Reactions of Guaiacol: Reaction Network and Evidence of Oxygen Removal in Reactions with Hydrogen

The conversion of guaiacol, a prototypical compound representative of lignin-derived pyrolysis bio-oils, was catalyzed by Pt/Al2O3 in the presence of H2 at 573 K. The conversion took place with a high selectivity for aromatic carbon–oxygen bond cleavage relative to the accompanying methyl group transfer reactions. This oxygen removal was not observed in the absence of H2 as a co-reactant. Products that were formed by methyl-group transfer match those produced in the conversion catalyzed by zeolite HY, which was not active for oxygen removal reactions. .
Dynamic Modeling and Control of Hysteresis in a Shape Memory Alloy Actuator

In this paper, we develop a complete mathematical model of a shape memory alloy (SMA) wire actuated by electric power and a bias spring. The operation of the SMA actuator involves different physical phenomena, such as heat transfer, phase transformation with temperature hysteresis, stress–strain variations and electrical resistance variation accompanying the phase transformation. We model each of these phenomena in a modular fashion. A key feature of the proposed model is that one or more of its modules can be extended to fit other SMA applications. At the heart of the proposed model is a dynamic hysteresis model capable of representing minor hysteresis loops. We generate the temperature profile for the hysteresis model using lumped parameter analysis. We extend the variable sublayer model to represent actuator strain and electrical resistance. The dynamic properties of the hysteresis model are developed and are exploited in developing control system strategies. Control simulation case studies are presented.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
The Role of ESL in Bilingual Education: Objectives and Implementation*

This paper focuses on the long-range (at the completion of grade 12) objectives of ESL in bilingual/bicultural programs. These objectives include: (1) the writing of acceptable prose, (2) reading English at an acceptable level, (3) competence in the analysis of grammatical structures, (4) competence in the art of verbal persuasion, (5) competence in the skills of a coordinate bilingual, (6) functional comprehension of both cultures, and (7) appreciation and use of language variety. Suggestions for implementation accompany discussion of each objective.
The influence of 18-C-6 and its analogs on ion transport and ionic glass formation

Abstract Amorphous complexes with high ionic conductivity were formed by the interaction of 18-C-6 and analogs of the 18-C-6 macrocycle with the lithium salt, Li[CF 3 SO 2 N(CH 2 ) 3 OCH 3 ]. The relationship between the structures and solid state ionic conductivities are discussed.
Environmentally benign bio-inspired synthesis of Au nanoparticles, their self-assembly and agglomeration

The synthesis and characterization of stable gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) from gold chloride in soluble protein extracts of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) leaves is demonstrated. This approach is a completely “green” synthetic method, which is simple, environmentally benign, and efficient, in contrast to conventional approaches that use toxic or hazardous chemicals, high temperature, pressure, and pH. As observed by transmission electron microscopy, the as synthesized nanoparticles were spherical and 13–15 nm in diameter. The agglomeration and electro-kinetic properties of the biologically reduced Au NPs were also studied. Au NPs with thiol and amino groups was successfully functionalized which was confirmed by investigation of Au NP self-assembly in the presence of L-cysteine.
Cholinergic stimulation of skeletal muscle cells induces rapid immediate early gene expression: role of intracellular calcium.

Abstract Many properties of skeletal muscle are closely regulated by motor nerves. We have shown that nerve stimulation in vivo induced a rapid rise in mRNA for the immediate early gene (IEG) zif268 in stimulated muscle. However, the mechanisms leading to neural regulation of zif268 gene expression in muscle are not yet known. In this study, we used a mammalian skeletal muscle cell line (C 2 C 12 ) to analyze the role of cholinergic transmission, and calcium flux, in the neural regulation of zif268. Treatment of the C 2 C 12 muscle cells with carbachol, a cholinergic agonist, induced zif268 gene expression rapidly and transiently. This effect was blocked by α-bungarotoxin (α-BuTx), which specifically blocks nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Treatment with ryanodine or dantrolene, which block the calcium release channel of the sarcoplasmic reticulum, inhibited the carbachol-induced zif268 response essentially completely. Calcium influx produced by A23187, a calcium ionophore, induced an increase of zif268 gene expression equivalent to the effect of carbachol stimulation. These results suggest that the effect of neural stimulation on zif268 may be attributable to cholinergic transmission, and the subsequent release of calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum.
Early discharge of transurethral prostatectomy patients with an indwelling Foley catheter.

Abstract Objective. To assess feasibility of early discharge of patients after transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) with an indwelling Foley catheter. Methods. A retrospective study comparing a planned early discharge group and a standard post-TURP group. Comprising the study group were 47 consecutive TURP patients treated with the intent to be discharged early with an indwelling Foley catheter. The comparative group included 50 consecutive patients with the standard post-TURP hospital course. Results. Twenty-seven of 47 patients (579'x) in the study group were discharged on postoperative day 1 and a total of 43 (91 %) were released within two days. Mean length of stay was 1.7 days. Four patients (8.5%) had medical problems prolonging stay. There were eight emergency room visits secondary to catheter problems or failed voiding trials. In the comparative group of 50 consecutive patients the mean length of stay was 3.9 days. Five of 50 patients (10%) had medical problems prolonging stay. Conclusions. Complications were similar in each group. No readmissions or serious morbidities were noted in the patients with shortened hospital stay. Early discharge of post-TURP patients is a safe, feasible, and cost-effective alternative.
An Evaluation of Reading Comprehension of Expository Text in Adults With Traumatic Brain Injury

Purpose This project was conducted to obtain information about reading problems of adults with traumatic brain injury (TBI) with mild-to-moderate cognitive impairments and to investigate how these ...
High Resolution Flow Cytometry As An Analytical Tool For Characterizing Aquatic Bacteria

Flow cytometry offers an ideal new tool for evaluating aquatic bacteria because of the many analyses that can be made on each cell, sensitivity exceeding that of the light microscope, speed, simplicity of sample preparation, ability to sort, and the ideal density of bacterial populations in natural systems for direct analysis. Capabilities are demonstrated here by resolving the comparatively small bacteria in seawater samples as well as filter-fractionated subpopulations of them. Histograms from under-ice lakewater indicated even smaller and more difficult to resolve organisms; these are shown as well. Several suggestions are made for improving the effectiveness of flow cytometry for bacterial analyses. Resulting enhanced sensitivity should increase the precision with which flow cytometric measurements of aquatic bacteria can be made and improve the already substantial utility of this instrumentation as a diagnostic tool for the larger and better-known terrestrial symbiotic and pathogenic types.
Efficient simulation of QoS in ATM switches using connection traffic descriptors

Abstract High speed networks using asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) will be able to carry a broad range of traffic classes and will be required to provide QoS measures, such as the cell loss and cell delay probabilities, to many of these traffic classes. The design and testing of ATM networks and the algorithms that perform connection admission control is difficult due to the rare event nature associated with QoS measures, and the unwieldiness of matching statistical models of the broad range of traffic classes entering the network to the connection traffic descriptors used by the connection admission control algorithms. In this paper, as an alternative to using statistical traffic models, we describe the traffic entering the network by the connection traffic descriptors standardized by the ATM Forum and used by the connection admission control algorithms. We present a Monte Carlo simulation model for estimating the cell loss and cell delay probabilities using a multinomial formulation to remove the correlation associated with estimating bursty events. We develop importance sampling techniques to increase the efficiency of the simulation for ATM networks with heterogeneous input traffic classes, namely constant bit rate and variable bit rate traffic. For the experimental examples considered here, the improvement in simulation efficiency compared to conventional Monte Carlo simulation is inversely proportional to the probability estimate. The efficient simulation methods developed here are suitable for the design and testing of the switches and connection admission control algorithms planned for use in ATM networks.
Photoabsorption in formaldehyde

Theoretical studies of the vertical electronic dipole excitation and ionization spectra in molecular formaldehyde are reported. The investigations relied on configuration-interaction calculations and moment-theory techniques. A double-zeta basis of contracted Gaussian-lobe functions supplemented with appropriate polarization and bond functions was used to construct Fock spectra in C(2 nu) symmetry for certain states near the ground state equilibrium geometry. The ionization energies, discrete vertical transition frequencies, and oscillator strengths for occupied and vertical Fock orbitals are in general accord with experimental determinations and other theoretical calculations. Stieltjes and Chebyshev vertical electronic photoionization profiles were calculated and found to be in good agreement with appropriately averaged photoionization-mass spectrometric measurements of the cross section for parent H2CO(+) ion production.
Etiology of thrombocytopenia in all patients treated with heparin products.

Purpose To characterize the cause of thrombocytopenia in all patients treated with heparin products, to determine the incidence of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) in unselected hospitalized patients, and to have modern data of the magnitude of this problem. Methods Retrospective hospital-based cohort study. During a random 2-month period, we reviewed the medical records of all patients treated with heparin agents, screened them for thrombocytopenia, and determined the cause of it. Results Out of 674 patients who received heparin products, 110 (16%) had thrombocytopenia. The most common causes included cancer chemotherapy, surgery, sepsis, and medications. Three patients met the clinical criteria for HIT. One had antibodies for heparin-platelet factor-4, and received a direct thrombin inhibitor. The other two individuals had a clinical syndrome that resembled immune HIT, but were not tested for HIT antibodies. One suffered a thrombotic episode that led to the death of her fetus. The other died of a possible thromboembolism. Conclusions This study provides evidence-based data for the differential diagnosis of thrombocytopenia after treatment with heparin products. Our findings suggest that increased awareness of the HIT syndrome might reduce morbidity and mortality. Patients exposed to heparin products, who develop thrombocytopenia, should not be overlooked.
GENETIC VARIATION AMONG WESTERN SPRUCE BUDWORM (CHORISTONEURA OCCIDENTALIS) (LEPIDOPTERA: TORTRICIDAE) OUTBREAKS IN IDAHO AND MONTANA

Genetic variation among western spruce budworms from 14 sites of high-density infestation in central Idaho and western Montana was examined using electrophoresis. Relationships were assessed through cluster analysis of genetic distance values and by study of shared rare alleles. Three genetically similar groupings appeared among budworms over the 14 sites. The genetic data and analysis of historical records of outbreaks over the area indicate that dispersal may play a significant role in the spread of some infestations.
Utilization of the simpler optimization algorithm for the determination of amino acid absolute racemization rate constants

Abstract Six absolute rate constants ( k 1 – k 6 ) for the acid- and base-catalyzed racemization of the three ionic species (AA +0 , AA +− , (AA 0− of alanine, leucine, phenylalanine, and valine were determined by simplex optimization computer analysis of kinetic data obtained from a racemization study conducted from pH −0.53 to 10.45. The rate constants determined were used to generate Taft σ* plots. Results from these calculations were found to be consistent with Neuberger's proposed carbanion mechanism for amino acid racemization and illustrate the successful use of computational analysis for the treatment of a complex system in which direct analysis is not practical.
Vitamin B12 and Redox Homeostasis: Cob(II)alamin Reacts with Superoxide at Rates Approaching Superoxide Dismutase (SOD)

We report a kinetic study of the reaction between superoxide and an important intracellular form of vitamin B12, cob(II)alamin. Superoxide is implicated in the pathophysiology of many inflammatory diseases, whereas vitamin B12 derivatives are often beneficial in their treatment. We found that cob(II)alamin reacts with superoxide at rates approaching those of superoxide dismutase itself, suggesting a probable mechanism by which vitamin B12 protects against chronic inflammation and modulates redox homeostasis.
The use of methotrexate and arterial embolization to avoid surgery in a case of cervical pregnancy

Abstract Objective: To describe the management of a case of cervical ectopic pregnancy (EP). Design: Case report. Setting: University-affiliated teaching hospital. Patient(s): A 26-year-old woman, gravida 4, para 0-1-2-0, with the diagnosis of a cervical EP. Intervention(s): Systemic methotrexate (MTX) and arterial embolization. Result(s): A cervical EP was diagnosed by ultrasonography. The patient was treated with systemic MTX. Vaginal bleeding began 4 days later and was treated with arterial embolization, thus eliminating the need for surgical intervention. The pregnancy resolved and the patient has resumed normal menstruation and again is attempting pregnancy. Conclusion(s): Arterial embolization can be used to avoid surgical intervention in cases of cervical EP in which hemorrhage occurs after treatment with chemotherapy.
30,000 hits may be better than 300: precision anomalies in internet searches

Results of searches using a variety of query formulations with several Internet search engines show that strategies intended to give narrower and more precise results may not give improvements in precision even though they result in fewer hits. Searches were performed by students in graduate information retrieval courses using different formulations for the same topic.
Metal concentrations in Helix pomatia, Helix aspersa and Arion rufus: a comparative study

In this study we evaluated the differences between concentrations of copper, iron, zinc, manganese, lead and cadmium in three terrestrial gastropods: Helix pomatia, Helix aspersa and Arion rufus, collected in a semi-rural location in Northern Italy. Metal concentrations in the foot and in the digestive gland were measured. In the hepatopancreas, copper and zinc did not differ significantly in the three species; the levels of copper were also similar in the foot. In comparison to Helix sps., A. rufus demonstrated lower concentrations of manganese and cadmium in the hepatopancreas and higher concentrations in the foot. In the slug the mucus produced in the foot could represent an efficient elimination mechanism of some elements. We also investigated correlations between the trace element content in the soft tissues and the mollusk size (weight of the body and height of the shell).
Activated Protein C Mutant with Minimal Anticoagulant Activity, Normal Cytoprotective Activity, and Preservation of Thrombin Activable Fibrinolysis Inhibitor-dependent Cytoprotective Functions

Activated protein C (APC) reduces mortality in severe sepsis patients and exhibits beneficial effects in multiple animal injury models. APC anticoagulant activity involves inactivation of factors Va and VIIIa, whereas APC cytoprotective activities involve the endothelial protein C receptor and protease-activated receptor-1 (PAR-1). The relative importance of the anticoagulant activity of APC versus the direct cytoprotective effects of APC on cells for the in vivo benefits is unclear. To distinguish cytoprotective from the anticoagulant activities of APC, a protease domain mutant, 5A-APC (RR229/230AA and KKK191-193AAA), was made and compared with recombinant wild-type (rwt)-APC. This mutant had minimal anticoagulant activity but normal cytoprotective activities that were dependent on endothelial protein C receptor and protease-activated receptor-1. Whereas anticoagulantly active rwt-APC inhibited secondary-extended thrombin generation and concomitant thrombin-dependent activation of thrombin activable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) in plasma, secondary-extended thrombin generation and the activation of TAFI were essentially unopposed by 5A-APC due to its low anticoagulant activity. Compared with rwt-APC, 5A-APC had minimal profibrinolytic activity and preserved TAFI-mediated anti-inflammatory carboxypeptidase activities toward bradykinin and presumably toward the anaphlatoxins, C3a and C5a, which are well known pathological mediators in sepsis. Thus, genetic engineering can selectively alter the multiple activities of APC and provide APC mutants that retain the beneficial cytoprotective effects of APC while diminishing bleeding risk due to reduction in APC's anticoagulant and APC-dependent profibrinolytic activities.
The Minnesota Child Development Inventory in the psychiatric-developmental evaluation of the preschool-age child

Psychiatric evaluation of the preschool-age child necessarily includes consideration of the child's developmental status beyond the definition of symptoms and clarification of child and family dynamics. The Minnesota Child Development Inventory provides a means for the developmental evaluation of the preschool-age child that conserves professional time by using an inventory format to obtain the mother's observations of her child. The Inventory consists of 320 statements describing the behaviors of preschool-age children and provides eight scales for measuring the child's development: General Development, Gross Motor, Fine Motor, Expressive Language, Comprehension-Conceptual, Situation Comprehension, Self Help, and Personal-Social. Norms by age and sex were established for 796 white children aged 6 months to 61/2 years. The Inventory is intended for the preliminary identification of the child whose development is below expectations for his age and sex.
Cyclic nucleotide permeability through unopposed connexin hemichannels

Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) is a well-known intracellular and intercellular second messenger. The membrane permeability of such molecules has potential importance for autocrine-like or paracrine-like delivery. Here experiments have been designed to demonstrate whether gap junction hemichannels, composed of connexins, are a possible entrance pathway for cyclic nucleotides into the interior of cells. HeLa cells stably expressing connexin43 (Cx43) and connexin26 (Cx26) were used to study the cyclic nucleotide permeability of gap junction hemichannels. For the detection of cAMP uptake, the cells were transfected using the cyclic nucleotide-modulated channel from sea urchin sperm (SpIH) as the cAMP sensor. SpIH derived currents (Im) were recorded in whole-cell/perforated patch clamp configuration. Perfusion of the cells in an external K+ aspartate- (KAsp) solution containing 500 μM cAMP and no extracellular Ca2+, yielded a five to sevenfold increase in the Im current level. The SpIH current increase was associated with detectable hemichannel current activity. Depolarization of cells in Ca2+-free NaCl perfusate with 500 μM cAMP also induced a SpIH current increase. Elevating extracellular Ca2+ to mM levels inhibited hemichannel activity. Perfusion with a depolarizing KAsp solution containing 500 μM cAMP and 2 mM Ca2+ did not increase SpIH currents. The addition of the gap junction blocker carbenoxolone to the external solution inhibited cAMP uptake. Both cell depolarization and lowered extracellular Ca2+ increase the open probability of non-junctional hemichannels. Accordingly, the SpIH current augmentation was induced by the uptake of extracellular cAMP via open membrane hemichannels in Cx43 and Cx26 expressing cells. The data presented here show that hemichannels of Cx43 and Cx26 are permeable to cAMP, and further the data suggest that hemichannels are, in fact, a potential pathway for cAMP mediated cell-to-cell signaling.
A note on the SSOR and USSOR iterative methods applied top-cyclic matrices

The purpose of this note is threefold:i) to derive the new functional equation, $$\begin{gathered} \left[ {\lambda - \left( {1 - \omega } \right)\left( {1 - \hat \omega } \right)} \right]^p = \lambda ^k \left[ {\lambda \omega + \hat \omega - \omega \hat \omega } \right]^{\left| {\zeta _L } \right| - k} \left[ {\lambda \hat \omega + \omega - \omega \hat \omega } \right]^{\left| {\zeta _U } \right| - k} \hfill \\ \cdot \left( {\omega + \hat \omega - \omega \hat \omega } \right)^{2k} \mu ^p , \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$ which couples the nonzero eigenvalues of the USSOR iteration matrix $$T_{\omega ,\hat \omega } $$ with the eigenvalues μ of the associated block Jacobi matrixB in thep-cyclic case,ii) to interpret the exponentk in this equation by means of graph theory, andiii) to connect the above equation with known results in the literature.
Production of glycine betaine and dimethylsulfoniopropionate in marine phytoplankton. II. N-limited chemostat cultures

The nitrogenous organic osmolyte glycine betaine (GBT) and its sulfur analog dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) are quantitatively significant solutes in many marine algae. Although an inverse relationship has been suggested between these two compounds in marine phytoplankton that may be regulated by nitrogen availability, our results in Part I of this work (same issue) showed no such relationship in batch cultures of six species. In experiments conducted in August 1994, we reexamined this relationship in three axenic strains of phytoplankton [Thalassiosira pseudonana (Hustedt) Hasle et Heimdal, Emiliania huxleyi Hay et Mohler, and Amphidinium carterae Hulbert] in chemostat cultures at three N-limited growth rates. Levels of DMSP, GBT, and homarine, another nitrogenous osmolyte, were inversely related in T. pseudonana, with GBT and homarine preferentially produced at the highest growth rate when cells were N-replete. DMSP concentrations did not change in E. huxleyi, although GBT and homarine levels did increase at the highest growth rate. In A. carterae, neither DMSP nor GBT varied in any systematic way. In all three algae, additions of nitrogen to N-limited cultures resulted in short-term increases in GBT production. Levels of cellular DMSP remained fairly constant in E. huxleyi and A. carterae and were much greater than levels of comparable nitrogenous osmolytes like GBT and homarine. The dominance of DMSP makes a reciprocal relationship with the nitrogenous osmolytes unlikely in most species. Phytoplankton appear to be capable of directly assimilating extracellular GBT, although it is not known if they eliminate equivalent amounts of DMSP in the process.
A Catalog of Bright Filamentary Structures in the Interstellar Medium

We present a listing of prominent filamentary structures in the interstellar cirrus, selected with an eye toward current and planned far-infrared and submillimeter polarimetry facilities. The filaments were identified on the 100 μm plates of the IRAS Sky Survey Atlas (ISSA), using a computer vision algorithm that is unbiased with respect to source intensity. Our catalog is two-tiered: the selection criteria in the Galactic plane are based on the sensitivity limits of airborne polarimeters such as the proposed HALE instrument for SOFIA, and away from the plane the limits are dictated by the sensitivities of balloon-borne cosmic microwave background experiments, such as BOOMERanG and MAXIMA. Infrared detector technology is currently at the point where detecting the polarization of the interstellar cirrus is feasible, and we hope this catalog will assist any experimenter undertaking this task.
An experimental investigation of concentrated suspension flows in a rectangular channel

An experimental adaptation of the well-known laser-Doppler anemometry technique is developed for measuring the velocity and concentration profiles in concentrated suspension flows. To circumvent the problem of optical turbidity, the refractive indices of the solid and liquid phases are closely matched. The residual turbidity, owing to small mismatches of the refractive indices, as well as impurities in the particles, allows a Doppler signal to be detected when a particle passes through the scattering volume. By counting the number of Doppler signals in a period of time, the local volume fraction is also measured. This new technique is utilized to study concentrated suspension flows in a rectangular channel. The general behaviour of the suspension is that the velocity profile is blunted while the concentration profile has a maximum near the centre. Comparisons are made with theoretical predictions based on the shear-induced particle migration theory.
American Reform Efforts: German Professional Education after World War II.

Im Vergleich zu den Bestrebungen der US‐Besatzer Deutschlands, das Schulwesen nach Kriegsende nicht nur zu entnazifizieren, sondern auch grundlegend zu reformieren, sind ahnliche Initiativen auf dem Niveau der akademischen Berufsausbildung an Universitaten und Technischen Hochschulen kaum erforscht worden. Diese Untersuchung weist weder bei verantwortlichen US‐Besatzungsgremien noch bei tonangebenden US‐Berufsverbanden oder ihrer Fachpresse irgendeinen starken Druck (Motivation?) nach, eine vermeintliche “illiberal education” an den Fakultaten zu bekampfen. Trotz Organisationsverbotes und Nichtheranziehung der gleichgeschalteten deutschen akademischen Berufsverbande “versaumten” die US‐Behorden auch deswegen die Chance, das Hochschulwesen grundlegend zu reformieren, weil akademische Ratgeber und professionelle Verbande der USA den Kern der akademischen Berufsausbildung, nachdem er einmal personell entnazifiziert worden war — weitgehend als solide (und zuverlassig) angesehen haben.