cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Physiologic, microbiologic, and seasonal effects of handwashing on the skin of health care personnel.

Abstract The handwashing practices of 22 personnel on an oncology unit in an urban medical center were studied for 2 months. During 891 person-hours of observation, 986 handwashes were observed. Subjects washed a mean of 1.1 times an hour for a mean of 13.2 seconds. Reported and observed handwashing behavior was only moderately correlated (p = 0.05 for frequency, 0.30 for duration of handwashing). Physicians washed significantly less often (p
The effects of chronic ethanol treatment on endothelium-dependent responses in rat thoracic aorta

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of chronic ethanol consumption on blood pressure and vascular responses, specifically, the possible alterations in endothelium-dependent relaxation which are associated with ethanol-induced hypertension in the rat model. Male rats received ethanol in drinking water for 13 weeks. Systolic pressure was recorded weekly. Following treatment, segments of thoracic aorta with and without intact endothelium were used to generate relaxation-response curves to the endothelium-dependent agents, acetylcholine, ATP and bradykinin, as well as the endothelium-independent agents, adenosine and sodium nitroprusside. Mean systolic pressures at the end of the treatment period were: 127.8 ± 1.2 and 151.1 ± 1.3mmHg for controls and ethanol-treated rats, respectively. Ethanol treatment did not affect the relaxation produced by either acetylcholine, ATP or sodium nitroprusside in aorta with or without endothelium. In contrast, ring segments with intact endothelium from ethanol-treated rats exhibited augmented relaxation in response to both adenosine and bradykinin compared to controls. Removal of the endothelium abolished the relaxation produced by bradykinin in both groups. Although removal of the endothelium had no effect on the relaxation produced by adenosine in the control group, it attenuated the adenosine-induced relaxation in the ethanol-treated group back to control levels. These data suggest that chronic ingestion of ethanol causes elevated blood pressure and augments the endothelium-dependent relaxation to bradykinin. These findings also suggest that chronic ethanol treatment can cause the appearance of an endothelium-dependent component in the relaxation produced by adenosine. These augmented endothelium-dependent relaxations observed with chronic ethanol consumption would seem to oppose rather than contribute to hypertension that develops with chronic ethanol consumption and may serve in a protective capacity.
Total external X-ray reflection: A novel method of surface chemical analysis

Abstract Reflected X-ray intensity as a function of angle near the critical angle for total external reflection is used to determine the surface composition of amorphous Se-Te thin films. With the choice of appropriate wavelengths, the method is applicable to a wide variety of amorphous or crystalline films.
Process-dependent band structure changes of transition-metal (Ti,Zr,Hf) oxides on Si (100)

In this study, we have deposited Ti, Zr, and Hf oxides on ultrathin (∼0.5 nm) SiO2 buffer layers and have identified metastable states which give rise to large changes in their band alignments with respect to the Si substrate. This results in a potential across the interfacial SiO2 layer, significant band bending, and large shifts of the high-k valence band. The magnitude of the shift differs for the three materials and is dependant on both the SiO2 buffer layer thickness and annealing temperature. We propose a model where excess oxygen accumulates near the high-k-SiO2 interface providing electronic states, which are available to electrons that tunnel from the substrate.
Effect of panoramic focal trough topography on radiographic imaging of supernumerary teeth in the anterior region.

Abstract A case is presented demonstrating limitations of thin focal trough design of panoramic imaging in the anterior dental region.
High-resolution surveys of internal tidal waves in Monterey Bay, California, using an autonomous underwater vehicle

The article of record as published may be located at http://dx.doi.org/10.4319/lom.2011.9.571
Standards for cellulose insulation

New standards for cellulose-type thermal insulation for buildings to ensure its effectiveness and safety are briefly reviewed. (LCL)
Comparison of Engagement with Ethics Between an Engineering and a Business Program

Increasing university students’ engagement with ethics is becoming a prominent call to action for higher education institutions, particularly professional schools like business and engineering. This paper provides an examination of student attitudes regarding ethics and their perceptions of ethics coverage in the curriculum at one institution. A particular focus is the comparison between results in the business college, which has incorporated ethics in the curriculum and has been involved in ethics education for a longer period, with the engineering college, which is in the nascent stages of developing ethics education in its courses. Results show that student attitudes and perceptions are related to the curriculum. In addition, results indicate that it might be useful for engineering faculty to use business faculty as resources in the development of their ethics curricula.
Stability of plane poiseuille and couette flow of a Maxwell fluid

Abstract The classical Orr-Sommerfeld analysis is extended to a Maxwell fluid in fully developed Poiseuille flow between two flat plates and Couette flow between two flat plates. For the Poiseuille flow problem eigenmodes that are anti-symmetric in position are considered to augment the literature results for the symmetric eigenmodes. A shooting method with a stiff integrator, orthonormalization, and Newton-Raphson iterations on the eigenvalue are used to find the eigenvalues. The most dangerous mode is the anti-symmetric one, and both symmetric and anti-symmetric modes are more dangerous when the wave number and the Weissenberg number are large. No unstable eigenvalues are found.
Electroacupuncture combined with MK-801 prolongs anti-hyperalgesia in rats with peripheral inflammation.

Abstract Our previous study showed that electroacupuncture (EA), an adjuvant to conventional medicine, significantly attenuated hyperalgesia in a rat model of inflammatory pain. In the present study, we evaluated the potential additive and/or synergism of EA and a sub-effective dose of dizocilpine maleate (MK-801), a non-competitive N -methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, on hyperalgesia in the same rat model of inflammatory pain. Hyperalgesia, manifesting as decreased paw withdrawal latency (PWL) to a noxious stimulus, was induced by injecting complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) into the plantar surface of one hind paw of each rat. EA treatments were given at acupoint GB30 immediately after and 2 h after CFA. MK-801 at 0.001 mg/rat was given (i.t.) 10 min before each of the two EA treatments. PWL was measured prior to and 2.5 and 5 h post-CFA. Ten and 100 Hz EA significantly inhibited CFA-induced hind paw hyperalgesia. Both 10 and 100 Hz EA combined with the sub-effective dose of 0.001 mg/rat MK-801 showed prolonged anti-hyperalgesia with no side effects. These results demonstrate that EA combined with a sub-effective dose of this NMDA receptor antagonist enhances anti-hyperalgesia, and this combination may provide an effective strategy for pain management.
Effect of storage temperatures, injury and exposure on weight loss and surface discoloration of new potatoes

1. Potatoes stored constantly at 70° F. for 2 weeks showed less surface browning than those stored initially (first week after treatment) at 40° or 50° and then shifted to 70°. 2. Potatoes stored at 70°F. after an initial storage period at 50° showed less weight loss and less surface browning than those stored initially at 40°. 3. Tubers stored initially at 40°F. lost weight more rapidly after they were shifted to 70° than tubers stored constantly at 70°. 4. Initial storage at 40°F. was decidedly detrimental to the general appearance of new potatoes.
The application of magnetization transfer to MR angiography with reduced total power

Magnetization transfer (MT) techniques have been shown to significantly reduce background soft-tissue signal in time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography. To achieve sufficient suppression, radio frequency (RF) pulses with tip angles on the order of 1000 degrees are typically used, resulting in significant RF power deposition in the patient. Although these power deposition levels do not exceed the FDA guidelines, they are significantly higher than those used in typical imaging techniques. The use of these same magnetization transfer pulses in applications at field strengths higher than 1.5 T will require MT power levels which exceed FDA safety standards. This report demonstrates that the total power deposition required to achieve background tissue suppression can be significantly reduced by the application of the saturation pulses only during the phase-encoding steps corresponding to the central portion of "k space." This technique allows equivalent soft tissue suppression with approximately 10% of the energy deposition of conventional magnetization transfer techniques.
On the Thermoelectric Properties of Zintl Compounds Mg3Bi2−xPnx (Pn = P and Sb)

A series of Zintl compounds Mg3Bi2-xPnx (Pn = P and Sb) have been synthesized by the solid-state reaction method. While Sb can be substituted to a level as high as x = 1.0, P can be substituted only up to x = 0.5. The thermoelectric potential of these compounds has been evaluated by measuring resistivity (ρ), Seebeck (α) and Hall coefficients, and thermal conductivity between 80 K and 850 K. The measured resistivity and Seebeck coefficient values are consistent with those expected for small-bandgap semiconductors. Hall measurements suggest that the carriers are p type with concentration (p) increasing from ~1019 cm−3 to ~1020 cm−3 as the Bi content is increased. The Hall mobility decreases with increasing temperature (T) and reaches a more or less similar value (~45 cm2/V s) for all substituted compositions at room temperature. Due to mass defect scattering, the lattice thermal conductivity (κL) is decreased to a minimum of ~1.2 W/m K in Mg3BiSb. The power factor (α2/ρ) is found to be rather low and falls in the range 0.38 mW/m K2 to 0.66 mW/m K2. As expected, at a high temperature of 825 K, the total thermal conductivity (κ) of Mg3BiSb reaches an impressive value of ~1.0 W/m K. The highest dimensionless figure of merit (ZT) is realized for Mg3BiSb and is ~0.4 at 825 K.
Palaeosols in the upper Narrabeen group of New South Wales as evidence of Early Triassic palaeoenvironments without exact modern analogues

Early Triassic palaeosols in the sea cliffs north of Sydney are evidence of a cool‐temperate, seasonal, humid palaeoclimate. As is typical in such climates, the palaeosols include Ultisols, Inceptisols and Entisols. These ancient soils supported a variety of broadleaf, deciduous and needle‐leaf forests, as well as oligotrophic heaths, coastal marshes and vegetation early in ecological succession to colonise disturbed ground. Their fauna of earthworms, crayfish, insects, amphibians and reptiles is now known from a variety of trace fossils. Although many of these palaeosols show evidence of waterlogging and include ganisters, sphaerosiderite and siderite nodules typical of coal measures palaeosols, no coal has been found in this sequence. Other palaeosols are strongly oxidised and were well‐drained, and yet were copiously rooted and presumably densely forested. Thus, upland environments were well vegetated by Early Triassic time, if not earlier. The parent material of these ancient soils included fertile vo...
Automatic feedback, control-based, stress and load testing

Stress and load testing are of special interest to many segments of the software industry. However, existing approaches present limitations with respect to automation and applicability. While some approaches present an automated solution, they lack in terms of applicability. A fully automated approach with high applicability is proposed here. The approach is based on the use of a PID controller to automatically drive the inputs and to achieve a pre-specified level of stress/load for resources of interest. The approach also allows for automatic identification of inputs impacting the resources. An experiment along with multiple simulation runs are presented as an indication of the applicability and accuracy of the proposed approach.
Illness episodes, illness severity and treatment options in a pluralistic setting.

Abstract Understandings of disease causation, its dynamics, and treatment are elements of the culture of an individual. A study of how culture affects patient behavior was conducted in a provincial city of southern Mexico. The population of the city is composed of people of Maya Indian ethnic background and those non-Indians known as “ladinos”. Ethnicity comprises a principal independent variable the effects of which are analyzed with respect to dimensions of illness episodes and behavior associated with those episodes. Women of ladino ethnicity report more illnesses which are less severe and of shorter duration than others in the sample. Ladinos of both sexes suffer more from biologically-based disease processes than Indians, and become more behaviorally impaired when sick, despite their greater utilization of physicians.
Partial purification and properties of collagen lysine hydroxylase from chick embryos.

Abstract The enzyme collagen lysine hydroxylase, which converts some of the lysine residues in a newly synthesized collagen chain to 5-hydroxylysine residues, has been partially purified from extracts of chick embryo tissues by ammonium sulfate fractionation, calcium phosphate gel treatment, and stepwise elution from DEAE-cellulose. The enzyme so prepared resembles collagen proline hydroxylase in that its activity is increased by bovine serum albumin and it is protected from inactivation by glycine. It differs from the latter enzyme in that it has a higher pH optimum. The most purified preparations are completely devoid of proline hydroxylating activity, which confirms previous assumptions that two separate enzymes are responsible for hydroxylating the two amino acids in collagen.
The Role of Longwave Radiation and Boundary Layer Thermodynamics in Forcing Tropical Surface Winds

This paper reveals major deficiencies of the existing intermediate climate models for tropical surface winds and elaborates the important roles of cloud-longwave radiational forcing and boundary layer thermodynamics in driving the tropical surface winds. The heat sink associated with the cloud-longwave radiation is demonstrated as an important driving force for boreal summer northeast trades and Indian Ocean southwest monsoons. Over the western North Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, low cloudiness and high sea surface temperature enhance longwave radiation cooling, strengthening subtropical high and associated trades. On the other hand, in the regions of heavy rainfall over South Asia, reduced cloud-longwave radiation cooling enhances monsoon trough and associated southwest monsoons. The boundary layer thermodynamic processes, primarily both the surface heat fluxes and the vertical temperature advection, are shown to be critical for a realistic simulation of the intertropical convergence zone, the equatorial surface winds, and associated divergence field. To successfully simulate the tropical surface winds, it is essential for intermediate models to adequately describe the feedback of the boundary layer frictional convergence to convective heat source, cloud-longwave radiation forcing, boundary layer temperature gradient forcing, and their interactions. The capability and limitations of the intermediate tropical climate model in reproducing both climatology and interannual variations are discussed.
Seasonal dimorphism of foliage in Californian coastal sage scrub

A pattern of seasonal variation in leaf size and position relative to the stem is reported for twelve mesophyllous shrubs in the coastal sage scrub of Mediterranean-climate areas of southern California. Leaves of reduced size, produced on axillary short shoots late in the growing season, persist through the dry season while many of the larger leaves on main stems are abscissed. The short-shoot leaves of Salivia mellifera have the same density thickness as those of the main stem, leaving open the question of whether the smaller summer leaves have physiological mechanisms for drought tolerance beyond a reduction in total transpiring surface. In Californian coastal shrublands seasonal dimorphism of leaves appears limited to mesophyllous shrubs. It is also found in analogues in comparable climatic regions of the Mediterranean, Chile and South Africa.
Epitaxial growth of C60 on Ag(110) studied by scanning tunneling microscopy and tunneling spectroscopy.

Using a scanning tunneling microscope, the growth of ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ on Ag(110) is explored. The substrate influences the natural tendency of the fullerene molecules to pack closely and an overlayer system with twofold rotational symmetry is formed: Ag(110)c(4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}4)${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$. This represents a distorted close-packed configuration for the ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ molecules, where the nearest-neighbor distance observed in bulk ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ is maintained. Initial island growth occurs on terrace sites away from substrate step edges, which bunch with increasing fullerene coverage. Above monolayer coverage, ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ grows epitaxially, maintaining twofold rotational symmetry. Tunneling spectroscopy is used to explore differences between the electronic structure in the monolayer and multilayer regimes.
Smoking and risk of acute myeloid leukemia in adults.

In recently published results from a Canadian case–control study on lifestyle factors and risk of adult leukemia, Kasim et al. reported a significantly increased risk of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) associated with cigarette smoking, based on 307 AML cases [1]. Specifically, they observed an odds ratio (OR) of 1.4 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.1, 1.8] for current smokers compared to neversmokers and positive trends relating smoking status (never, ex, current) and total pack-years of smoking with AML risk. Smoking was not associated with other forms of adult leukemia (acute lymphoid, chronic myeloid, chronic lymphoid, hairy cell). In a case–control study of AML conducted in Los Angeles, California, we observed increased risks associated with smoking that were particularly strong for French–American–British (FAB) subtype M2; OR for ‘ever smoked’ was 1.2 (CI = 0.9, 1.6) among all cases and 2.3 (CI = 1.1, 4.4) among M2 cases [2]. Among all cases, we observed weak evidence of dose-response. However, among M2 cases we observed significant doseresponse for total number of years smoked, average cigarettes/day, and type of product smoked (filtered versus non-filtered). In general, results were stronger for older cases (‡60 years). We hypothesized that the age effect may be due to decreased ability to repair DNA damage in older subjects, higher exposure levels among older subjects due to smoking habits that differed from those of younger subjects, and long latency for the smoking effect
COMPARISON OF EXACT AND APPROXIMATE SOLUTIONS OF TRANSIENT RESPONSE FOR LEACHING BY SCF IN CSTR

Abstract Leaching or extraction by supercritical fluids (SCF) is a relatively new technology which offers several key advantages over traditional methods, especially enhanced solubility and rapid diffusion. Because the molecular properties are somewhere in between those of either liquid or gas, the design of SCF systems does not fit the classical mold based on intuitive or well-known rules of thumb. In the present work, transient transport for dissolution of solutes filling granulated porous media is studied for SCF leaching in spinning basket or slurry reactors. We present an approximate model based on taking the intraparticle composition profile to be always parabolic. This leads to a simple one-term expression (transportable on the back of a postage stamp) which is shown to compare very favorably with the more tedious exact solution. The approximate solution thus allows designers to quickly delineate those conditions, such as sampling times, which are realizable in the experimental sense. Moreover, it ...
Antisense inhibition of human miRNAs and indications for an involvement of miRNA in cell growth and apoptosis.

Of the over 200 identified mammalian microRNAs (miRNAs), only a few have known biological activity. To gain a better understanding of the role that miRNAs play in specific cellular pathways, we utilized antisense molecules to inhibit miRNA activity. We used miRNA inhibitors targeting miR-23, 21, 15a, 16 and 19a to test efficacy of antisense molecules in reducing miRNA activity on reporter genes bearing miRNAbinding sites. The miRNA inhibitors de-repressed reporter gene activity when a miRNA-binding site was cloned into its 3 0 -untranslated region. We employed a library of miRNA inhibitors to screen for miRNA involved in cell growth and apoptosis. In HeLa cells, we found that inhibition of miR-95, 124, 125, 133, 134, 144, 150, 152, 187, 190, 191, 192, 193, 204, 211, 218, 220, 296 and 299 caused a decrease in cell growth and that inhibition of miR-21 and miR-24 had a profound increase in cell growth. On the other hand, inhibition of miR-7, 19a, 23, 24, 134, 140, 150, 192 and 193 downregulated cell growth, and miR-107, 132, 155, 181, 191, 194, 203, 215 and 301 increased cell growth in lung carcinoma cells, A549. We also identified miRNA that when inhibited increased the level of apoptosis (miR1d, 7, 148, 204, 210, 216 and 296) and one miRNA that decreased apoptosis (miR-214) in HeLa cells. From these screens, we conclude that miRNA-mediated regulation has a complexity of cellular outcomes and that miRNAs can be mediators of regulation of cell growth and apoptosis pathways.
UNSTEADY AERODYNAMICS OF HELICOPTER ROTOR HOVERING IN DYNAMIC GROUND EFFECT

When a helicopter is hovering above a heaving, rolling and pitching ship deck, the lifting rotor is subjected to a dynamic ground effect. Existing models for helicopter rotor in ground effect use image rotor method based on vortex wake theory, which can not capture the unsteady aerodynamics due to such dynamic ground effect. In this paper, a finite state inflow model for hovering in ground effect is developed by treating both the rotor and the ground surface as pressure perturbations in the flow field. The ground perturbation potential coefficients are determined by imposing the non-penetration boundary condition at the ground surface. Analytical expressions for the [Af] and [L] matrices as well as mass flow parameter are modified to be functions of rotor height above the ground. It is seen that the effect of ground velocity and acceleration can be represented as additional forcing terms in the model. Numerical results are presented to illustrate dynamic ground effect."
Acoustic localization by interaural level difference

Interaural level difference (ILD) is an important cue for acoustic localization. Although its behavior has been studied extensively in natural systems, it remains an untapped resource for computer-based systems. We investigate the possibility of using ILD for acoustic localization, deriving constraints on the location of a sound source given the relative energy level of the signals received by two microphones. We then present an algorithm for computing the sound source location by combining likelihood functions, one for each microphone pair. Experimental results show that accurate acoustic localization can be achieved using ILD alone.
Statistics in Human Genetics and Molecular Biology by REILLY, C.

Statistics in Human Genetics and Molecular Biology (C. Reilly) Xiang-Yang Lou and David B. Allison Meta-Analysis and Combining Information in Genetics and Genomics (R. Guerra and D. R. Goldstein) Peter H. Westfall Multivariate Nonparametric Methods with R. An Approach Based on Spatial Signs and Ranks (H. Oja) Mia Hubert Bayesian Analysis for Population Ecology (R. King, B. J. T. Morgan, O. Gimenez, and S. Brooks) Simon Bonner The Oxford Handbook of Functional Data Analysis (F. Ferraty and Y. Romain, Editors) Paul H. C. Eilers Design and Analysis of Experiments with SAS (J. Lawson) Francis Giesbrecht Spatial Statistics and Modeling (C. Gaetan and X. Guyon) Paulo J. Ribeiro Jr. Applied Statistical Genetics with R: For Population-Based Association Studies (A. S. Foulkes) Kui Zhang
THE CITY AS BARRACKS: Freetown, Monrovia, and the Organization of Violence in Postcolonial African Cities

Responding to characterizations of the postcolonial African city as a negative space, theorists of African urban processes have begun to focus on the city's unique modes of production. But what does this emphasis on productive capacity mean if “the city” is not Johannesburg or Nairobi but the West African urban warscape of Freetown or Monrovia? I explore that question by examining how the labor of male urban youth is organized according to the logic of the barracks. I suggest that these West African capitals make labor simultaneously available for use on regional battlefields or mines, logging camps, or rubber plantations. Focusing on the Brookfields Hotel in central Freetown and Monrovia's Duala neighborhood underscores how urban spaces are increasingly configured by the structure and function of the barracks: as spaces for the organization and deployment of violent labor.
Eating Disorder Training and Attitudes Among Primary Care Residents

Background:The ability to diagnose eating disorders (ED) is important and difficult for primary care physicians (PCPs). Previous reports suggest that PCPs feel their training is inadequate.Objective:To explore residents’ interest and comfort diagnosing and treating ED. Methods: An internet survey was sent to primary care residencies. Logistic regression models were fitted to identify factors correlated with residents’ interest and comfort in diagnosing and treating ED.Results:Family Medicine and Internal Medicine residents had higher interest in ED than Pediatric residents, as did female residents and residents exposed to teenagers with unexplained weight loss. Residents in programs with an ED program and faculty interested in ED were more comfortable diagnosing ED. Conclusions: Interest in, and comfort diagnosing and treating ED are associated with specialty type, presence of an ED program, presence of faculty interested in ED, and resident exposure to ED outpatients and teenagers with unexplained weight...
Phylogenetic analysis of anthropoid relationships.

Abstract The relationships of anthropoids to other primates are currently debated, as are the relationships among early fossil anthropoids and crown anthropoids. To resolve these issues, data on 291 morphological characters were collected for 57 taxa of living and fossil primates and analyzed using PAUP and MacClade. The dental evidence provides weak support for the notion of an adapid origin for anthropoids, the cranial evidence supports the tarsier–anthropoid hypothesis, and the postcranial evidence supports a monophyletic Prosimii and a monophyletic Anthropoidea. Combining these data into a single data set produces almost universal support for a tarsier–anthropoid clade nested within omomyids. Eosimias and Afrotarsius are certainly members of this clade, and probably basal anthropoids, although the Shanghuang petrosal may not belong to Eosimias . The tree derived from the combined data set resembles the tree derived from the cranial data set rather than the larger dental data set. This may be attributable to relatively slower evolution in the cranial characters. The combined data set shows Anthropoidea to be monophyletic but the features traditionally held to be anthropoid synapomorphies are found to have evolved mosaically. Parapithecines are the sister taxon to crown anthropoids; qatraniines and oligo-pithecids are more distantly related sister taxa. There is support for a relationship of a Tarsius +Anthropoidea clade with either washakiines or Uintanius . These elements of tree topology remain fairly stable under different assumptions sets, but overall, tree topology is not robust. Previously divergent hypotheses regarding anthropoid relationships are attributable to the use of restricted data sets. This large data set enables the adapid–anthropoid hypothesis to be rejected, and unites Tarsius , Anthropoidea and Omomyiformes within a clade, Haplorhini. However, relationships among these three taxa cannot be convincingly resolved at present.
Intensive use of an intertidal mudflat by foraging adult American horseshoe crabs Limulus polyphemus in the Great Bay estuary, New Hampshire

Although concerns about harvesting levels of the American Horseshoe Crab, Limulus polyphemus have prompted in- creased research into its ecology, current understanding of the species' foraging ecology is mostly limited to mid-Atlantic popula- tions. This study elucidates the spatial and temporal pattern of Limulus foraging on an intertidal mudflat of a northern New Eng- land estuary. A novel survey method was used to monitor Limulus foraging activity without disturbing the sediment. A fixed 50 m×2 m transect was monitored with monthly surveys of the number of Limulus feeding pits from June to October 2009, May and June 2010. Snorkelling surveys were also carried out to observe individual behavior and examine the spatial scale of activity of individual animals. Results showed frequent and intensive use of the mudflat by foraging Limulus. Limulus were actively for- aging within the survey area during all months surveyed. Foraging patterns exhibited a seasonal pattern with activity levels peak- ing in August 2009 and increased significantly towards the end of the study in June 2010. It was also shown that Limulus inter- tidal foraging persisted and peaked after the spring breeding season. Observations of foraging Limulus revealed that individual predators dig multiple pits within a single high tide, with little disturbance to the sediment in between. In addition to altering the perception of Limulus as a subtidal predator outside of the breeding season, findings from this study suggests a segregation of spawning and feeding habitats, thus underscoring the need to consider a wider range of critical habitats in the management of Limulus populations (Current Zoology 56 (5): 611-617, 2010).
Variation of photoluminescence with carrier concentration in GaN

Abstract Photoluminescence measurements are reported on undoped and on Ge doped single crystal epitaxial layers of GaN, having room temperature carrier concentrations (electrons) in the ranges 1.8 × 1019 to 6.3 × 1019cm−3 and 2.8 × 1018 to 1.5 × 1019cm−3 respectively. Both the previously reported donor-acceptor pair emission and a higher energy emission were observed in all samples. The intensity of the former greatly exceeded that of the latter in the undoped crystals of lower carrier concentration as it did in the Ge-doped crystals. The high energy luminescence peak was found to shift from 3.45 eV to 3.53 eV (77°K) according to increasing carrier concentration. This was found to be consistent with a model of band to band recombination across a band gap of 3.50 eV (1.6°K) for crystals with carrier concentrations in the range n > ∼ 5 × 1018cm-3, a Burstein shift mechanism being responsible for the observed shift of the luminescence peak.
Tourism Demand and Output in the U.S. Tourism Satellite Accounts: 1998-2003

The Bureau of Economic Analysis’s (BEA) latest estimates of the U.S. travel and tourism satellite accounts for 1998-2003 do not account for changes in the prices of travel goods and services. This brief article estimates real travel and tourism output and demand by using a travel price index computed by the Travel Industry Association of America. The article shows that after accounting for price changes, U.S. tourism output and demand in 2003 did not surpass their pre-2001 peaks, as was suggested by the BEA.
Expression of Biologically Active Human Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in Yeast

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a glycoprotein consisting of two identical polypeptide chains linked by a disulfide bond. The unique biological activities of VEGF include its potent mitogenic and permeability inducing properties specific for the vascular endothelium. VEGF is implicated in tumor angiogenesis, wound healing, and the stimulation of collateral vessel formation at the site of arterial occlusion. Therefore, in order to produce large quantities of biologically active VEGF, a splice variant (VEGF165) was cloned and expressed in a yeast expression system. The coding region of VEGF165 was isolated from U937 cells by RT-PCR, sequenced and then cloned into the yeast expression vector pHILS1. VEGF165 was secreted into the medium as a dimer. Recombinant VEGF reacted to antibodies raised against the N-terminal and C-terminal synthetic polypeptides of human VEGF. As much as 35-40 mg/L of purified VEGF could be obtained from the yeast expression system. The recombinant protein was biologically active in inducing vascular endothelial cell proliferation in vitro and permeability changes in vivo.
High-precision QCD at hadron colliders: Electroweak gauge boson rapidity distributions at next-to-next-to leading order

We compute the rapidity distributions of W and Z bosons produced at the Tevatron and the LHC through next-to-next-to leading order in QCD. Our results demonstrate remarkable stability with respect to variations of the factorization and renormalization scales for all values of rapidity accessible in current and future experiments. These processes are therefore ''gold-plated'': current theoretical knowledge yields QCD predictions accurate to better than one percent. These results strengthen the proposal to use $W$ and $Z$ production to determine parton-parton luminosities and constrain parton distribution functions at the LHC. For example, LHC data should easily be able to distinguish the central parton distribution fit obtained by MRST from that obtained by Alekhin.
Tracking source locations

Many programming tools require information to be associated with source locations. Current tools do this in different ways with different degrees of effectiveness. This paper is an investigation into the various approaches to maintaining source locations. It is based on an experiment that attempts to track a variety of locations over the evolution of a source file. The results demonstrate that relatively simple techniques can be very effective.
Method for Simultaneous Oxygen and Hydrogen Isotope Analysis of Water of Crystallization in Hydrated Minerals

The isotopic composition of water in hydrated minerals, such as gypsum and jarosite, has numerous applications in studies of recent climate change, ore formation, and soil development. However, oxygen and hydrogen isotope analysis of water of crystallization is currently a complex procedure. Commonly used techniques involve offline extraction of water from hydrated minerals and subsequent isotope analysis. Such methods are time-consuming, require relatively large sample sizes, and the stepwise procedure has to be carried out with extreme caution to avoid erroneous results. We present a novel online method for the oxygen and hydrogen isotope analysis of water of crystallization in hydrous minerals. Gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O) samples, 2 mg in size, are reacted in a simply modified carbon reducing furnace connected to a continuous-flow mass spectrometer system. Analysis time is less than 10 min/sample. The precision (2 std dev mean) of our method for 2-mg gypsum (30 μmol of H2O) samples is 0.3‰ for oxygen and less ...
Abrupt Transition to Strong Superrotation Driven by Equatorial Wave Resonance in an Idealized GCM

Persistent superrotation is seen in the atmospheres of other terrestrial bodies (Venus, Titan) but not in that of present Earth, which is distinguished by equatorial easterlies. Nevertheless, superrotation has appeared in numerical simulations of Earth’s atmosphere, from two-layer models to multilevel comprehensive GCMs. Simulations of warm climates that generate enhanced tropical convective variability seem particularly prone to superrotation, which has led to hypotheses that the warmer atmospheres of the early Pliocene and Eocene may have been superrotating, and that the phenomenon may be relevant to future climate projections. This paper considers a positive feedback leading to superrotation based on an equatorial wave resonance that occurs in a westerly backgroundflow. The authors present simulations with an idealized multilevel GCM forced with a zonally varying equatorial heating, which show abrupt transitions to strongly superrotating states.Linearshallowwatertheoryisusedtoshow thatthesetransitions occur asthesuperrotating jetvelocity approaches the phase speed of free equatorial Rossby wave modes, leading to a resonant amplification of the response to eddy heating and its associated equatorward momentum flux. The resonance and transition are most prominent in simulations where the meridional temperature gradient has been reduced, and hysteresis behavior is seen when the gradient is eliminated completely. No evidence is found in these simulations for the midlatitude wave feedback believed to drive abrupt transitions in two-layer models, and there is only a minor role for the axisymmetric feedback based on vertical advection by the Hadley circulation.
Dissipation effects in percolating quantum Ising magnets

We study the effects of dissipation on a randomly dilute transverse-field Ising magnet at and close to the percolation threshold. For weak transverse fields, a novel percolation quantum phase transition separates a super-paramagnetic cluster phase from an inhomogeneously ordered ferromagnetic phase. The properties of this transition are dominated by large frozen and slowly fluctuating percolation clusters. Implementing numerically a strong-disorder real space renormalization group technique, we compute the low-energy density of states which is found to be in good agreement with the analytical prediction.
Analysis and measurements of permanent magnet 'bifilar' helical wigglers

Analysis and measurements of the permanent magnet 'bifilar' helical wiggler, composed of a cylindrical array of staggered bar magnets are presented. The discreteness of the magnets is taken into account, thus enabling a calculation of the field strengths of the fundamental and higher spatial harmonics. Calculations show that the performance of this wiggler is expected to be comparable or to better than that of a planar wiggler similar parameters. In addition, samarium-cobalt-iron hybrids in which soft iron tubes were used to enhance and/or taper the wiggler field amplitude were studied experimentally and analytically. >
A PRECAUTION NEEDED IN USING THE PHASE-SPACE FORMULATION OF QUANTUM MECHANICS

Abstract We explain the origin of the apparent discrepancy recently reported between results obtained by the phase-space formulation of quantum mechanics and conventional (Schrodinger) quantum mechanics. We show how to arrive at a complete agreement.
RETINAL THICKNESS CHANGE AFTER FOCAL LASER TREATMENT OF DIABETIC MACULAR OEDEMA

Laser photocoagulation has been used successfully for the treatment of clinically significant macular oedema to reduce the risk of loss of vision in diabetic patients. A quantitative method for measuring retinal thickness was applied to 20 patients with diabetic macular oedema before and 4 months after focal laser treatment to assess the reduction in retinal thickening and its relation to visual acuity. The degree of thickening at each location, defined by thickness index, was determined relative to the corresponding average value in normal subjects. Comparison of quantitative retinal thickness measurements before and after treatment demonstrated that treatment at thickness indices of approximately 1.6 (60% thickening) has nearly 50% probability for reversal of thickening to within the normal range (< or = 1.3), whereas at thickness indices greater than 2.8 (180% thickening) there is less than 2.5% probability that reversal will occur. The level of foveal thickening before treatment strongly correlated with the degree of thickening after treatment. Most of the eyes with an improvement in visual acuity had a foveal thickness within the normal range at 4 months' follow up. These findings suggest that quantitative retinal thickness measurement provides an objective assessment of the degree of macular oedema and can be useful for monitoring the efficacy of focal laser treatment in reducing the thickening and relating the latter to visual outcome.
Towards understanding KOH conditioning of amidoxime-based polymer adsorbents for sequestering uranium from seawater

Conditioning of polymer fiber adsorbents grafted with amidoxime and carboxylic acid groups is necessary to make the materials hydrophilic for sequestering uranium from seawater. Spectroscopic techniques were employed to study the effectiveness of the traditional KOH conditioning method (2.5% KOH at 80 °C) on recently developed high-surface-area amidoxime-based polymer fiber adsorbents developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. FTIR spectra reveal that the KOH conditioning process removes the proton from the carboxylic acids and also converts the amidoxime groups to carboxylate groups in the adsorbent. With prolonged KOH treatment (>1 h) at 80 °C, physical damage to the adsorbent material occurs which can lead to a significant reduction in the adsorbent's uranium adsorption capability in real seawater during extended exposure times (>21 days). The physical damage to the adsorbent can be minimized by lowering the KOH conditioning temperature. For high-surface-area amidoxime-based adsorbents, 20 min of conditioning in 2.5% KOH at 80 °C or 1 h of conditioning in 2.5% KOH at 60 °C appears sufficient to achieve de-protonation of the carboxylic acid with minimal harmful effects to the adsorbent material. The use of NaOH instead of KOH can also reduce the cost of the base treatment process required for conditioning the amidoxime-based sorbents with minimal loss of adsorption capacity (≤7%).
Firm Size, Idiosyncratic Risk, and Shareholder Gains in Corporate Acquisitions

Acquisitions announced by small acquirers (other things equal) are associated with greater abnormal returns than those announced by large acquirers. The evidence presented in this paper is consistent with the hypothesis that the differential market response stems from greater overreaction in the presence of short selling constraints. I find a difference in abnormal announcement returns only in acquisitions of private and subsidiary targets. Using idiosyncratic volatility of acquirers’ shares as a proxy for the cost of short selling reveals that differential abnormal returns are associated with greater temporary price pressure and costlier short sales. I document that greater short-term market overreaction is followed by larger price reversals. The coefficient on acquirer size is subsumed by the coefficient on idiosyncratic volatility in the event study regressions, further supporting the hypothesis that the effect of acquirer size on abnormal returns reflects temporary mispricing arising from limits to arbitrage. The evidence is inconsistent with the hypothesis that large acquirers’ overpayment for the target and/or greater operating synergies by small acquirers explain the size effect in shareholder gains. * University of Utah. Email: krisztina.buti@eccles.utah.edu. I am grateful to my advisor, Avner Kalay for guiding me throughout my research with valuable suggestions and encouragement. I would also like to thank Jeff Coles, Mike Cooper, Yihui Pan, Shagun Pant, and Jim Schallheim for helpful comments. All remaining errors are mine.
Reproduction of Large Virulent Bacteriophages

By far the best-known representative of the large virulent bacteriophages is coliphage T4, which has been an object of intense biochemical, genetic, and morphological investigation since its original description some three decades ago (Demerec and Fano, 1945). A major reason for the popularity of T4, particularly when compared with its cousins T2 and T6, is the early availability of a relatively complete genetic map (Epstein et al., 1963). Thus, at a time when biochemists were becoming aware of the value of phages as tools for study of many biological problems, a large catalogue of mutants defective in essential viral functions became available. Analysis of the molecular functions controlled by each gene product led to a productive relationship between those of primarily biochemical orientation and those of genetic persuasion. Biochemical analysis of the defect associated with a particular mutant would often suggest the existence of new types of mutants, which could then be isolated and analyzed in turn. Thus, although T4 is a large and complex virus, the ultimate goal of mapping each gene and determining the function of its product is within range. The large number of active laboratories working on T4 and the great extent to which they cooperate and communicate with one another have combined to make this a satisfying branch of science in which to work.
Temporal analysis of reflected optical signals for short pulse laser interaction with nonhomogeneous tissue phantoms

Abstract The use of short pulse laser for minimally invasive detection scheme has become an indispensable tool in the technological arsenal of modern medicine and biomedical engineering. In this work, a time-resolved technique has been used to detect tumors/inhomogeneities in tissues by measuring transmitted and reflected scattered temporal optical signals when a short pulse laser source is incident on tissue phantoms. A parametric study involving different scattering and absorption coefficients of tissue phantoms and inhomogeneities, size of inhomogeneity as well as the detector position is performed. The experimental measurements are validated with a numerical solution of the transient radiative transport equation obtained by using discrete ordinates method. Thus, both simultaneous experimental and numerical studies are critical for predicting the optical properties of tissues and inhomogeneities from temporal scattered optical signal measurements.
Another advance for globin gene therapy

In this issue, Persons and colleagues (page [506][1]) report another advance in the now rapidly moving field of gene therapy for the β-chain hemoglobinopathies, β-thalassemia (β-thal), and sickle cell disease (SCD). The hemoglobinopathies are the most common human inherited diseases, and while
Copper Efflux from Murine Microvascular Cells Requires Expression of the Menkes Disease Cu-ATPase

Previously, we showed that the transport of Cu by PC12 pheochromocytoma cells and C6 glioma cells correlated with the expression of a Cu-transporting ATPase (Atp7a) that has been linked to Menkes disease. Here, we show that cerebrovascular endothelial (CVE) cells that comprise the blood-brain barrier (BBB) also express the gene for the Cu-ATPase. By using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and primers designed from mouse Atp7a cDNA, we amplified a 925-bp and a 760-bp cDNA fragment from two extreme regions of Atp7a mRNA from murine CVE cells; 777 bp of the 925-bp fragment and 677 bp of the 760-bp fragment had a 99.7 and 100% sequence homology, respectively, with mouse Atp7a cDNA. The 777-bp sequences covered the heavy metal binding (Hmb) domain and the 677-bp fragment coded for residues at the -COOH terminus of Atp7a. A functional analysis showed that Cu efflux was blocked by the sulfhydryl reagent p-chloromercuribenzoate (p-CMB), a potential inhibitor of Atp7a function. This study provides strong evidence that a Cu-ATPase in the BBB controls the penetration of Cu into the brain and that lesions to the Cu-ATPase in CVE cells are a primary cause of low brain Cu levels in Menkes disease.