cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Discourse Features of the Student-Produced Academic Research Paper: Variations across Disciplinary Courses.

Abstract The research paper has been identified as a genre that is commonly produced in both graduate and undergraduate courses. However, researchers have noted that this label tends to be used loosely and that texts referred to as research papers are not characterized by a fixed set of discoursal features [such as Johns A.M. (1997). Text, role and context . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press]. In addition, there appears to be no linguistic study of how the discourse structure of texts referred to as research papers may vary across courses in undergraduate or graduate programs. Using genre analysis, this study explores the nature of research papers from two disciplinary graduate courses, in order to increase our understanding of this heterogeneous genre and the dimensions along which it can vary across sub-disciplines. Evaluated research papers from two courses in environmental science were analyzed along a number of dimensions: the overall organization of the papers, the claims made, the intertextual links established, and the epistemic or phenomenal focus of the paper. The results of these analyses indicate that research papers can have multiply layered communicative purposes, which may vary in different disciplinary courses, resulting in texts characterized by different discoursal features.
Particulate aluminum and iron in sea water off the southeastern coast of the United States

Abstract Concentrations of particulate iron and aluminum in river and shelf waters of the eastern United States are indirectly related to salinity, but show a loss greater than that expected from simple mixing. East coast concentrations of particulate iron are less than comparable west coast concentrations.
CAST: Context-Aware Security and Trust framework for Mobile Ad-hoc Networks using policies

Due to lack of pre-deployed infrastructure, nodes in Mobile Ad-hoc Networks (MANETs) are required to relay data packets for other nodes to enable multi-hop communication between nodes that are not in the radio range with each other. However, whether for selfish or malicious purposes, a node may refuse to cooperate during the network operations or even attempt to interrupt them, both of which have been recognized as misbehaviors. Significant research efforts have been made to address the problem of detecting misbehaviors. However, little research work has been done to distinguish truly malicious behaviors from the faulty behaviors. Both the malicious behaviors and the faulty behaviors are generally equally treated as misbehaviors without any further investigation by most of the traditional misbehavior detection mechanisms. In this paper, we propose and study a Context-Aware Security and Trust framework (CAST) for MANETs, in which various contextual information, such as communication channel status, battery status, and weather condition, are collected and then used to determine whether the misbehavior is likely a result of malicious activity or not. Simulation results illustrate that the CAST framework is able to accurately distinguish malicious nodes from faulty nodes with a limited overhead.
A jump to default extended CEV model: an application of Bessel processes

We develop a flexible and analytically tractable framework which unifies the valuation of corporate liabilities, credit derivatives, and equity derivatives. We assume that the stock price follows a diffusion, punctuated by a possible jump to zero (default). To capture the positive link between default and equity volatility, we assume that the hazard rate of default is an increasing affine function of the instantaneous variance of returns on the underlying stock. To capture the negative link between volatility and stock price, we assume a constant elasticity of variance (CEV) specification for the instantaneous stock volatility prior to default. We show that deterministic changes of time and scale reduce our stock price process to a standard Bessel process with killing. This reduction permits the development of completely explicit closed form solutions for risk-neutral survival probabilities, CDS spreads, corporate bond values, and European-style equity options. Furthermore, our valuation model is sufficiently flexible so that it can be calibrated to exactly match arbitrarily given term structures of CDS spreads, interest rates, dividend yields, and at-the-money implied volatilities.
FACILITATING DISSERTATION COMPLETION AND SUCCESS AMONG DOCTORAL STUDENTS IN SOCIAL WORK

Social work doctoral education is essential to the continuation of the profession through its production of educators and researchers. Predicted shortages of educators give urgency to the problems of dissertation delays, lengthy time to completion, and attrition. Using Vygotsky's sociocultural theory of learning, in this article we review the literature on barriers and facilitating factors to dissertation completion. Findings support the relevance of postulated mechanisms of learning such as scaffolding and interaction with more knowledgeable others. Findings also suggest that interventions are necessary at individual, relational, and institutional/ departmental levels, and that individual success is contingent upon relational and systemic factors as well as aptitude.
Risk factors for rapid-onset cervical cancer.

Abstract Objectives: The current study was designed to elucidate risk factors associated with the development of cervical cancer during the course of routine Papanicolaou smear screening (rapid-onset cervical cancer). Study Design: Four hundred eighty-three women diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer, representing 73% of all such tumors diagnosed in Connecticut between 1985 and 1990, were studied. Papanicolaou smear screening and risk factor information was obtained by questionnaire and physician record review. Results from human papillomavirus deoxyribonucleic acid testing by polymerase chain reaction of tumor samples were available for 278 study participants. Prediagnostic Papanicolaou smear slides were reviewed for 67% of cases with a screening history. Screening history information, slide review, and questionnaire data were used to classify women as having rapid-onset cervical cancer (n = 43), possible rapid-onset cervical cancer (n = 111), or normal-onset cervical cancer (n = 329). Results: Compared with normal-onset cases, rapid-onset cases tended to be younger (P = .001) and were more likely to be white (P = .002), diagnosed with adenocarcinomas or adenosquamous carcinomas (P = .001), and diagnosed with early-stage disease (P = .001). Cases diagnosed as possible rapid-onset disease tended to have a profile that was intermediate to that observed for rapid-onset and normal-onset cases. Human papillomavirus deoxyribonucleic acid was detected in 75.2% of cases tested. Compared with women who tested positive for human papillomavirus type 16 or other, those positive for human papillomavirus type 18 had a relative risk for rapid-onset disease of 1.6 (95% confidence interval 0.52-4.9). No significant association was observed between type 18 and possible rapid-onset disease when possible rapid-onset cases were compared with women diagnosed with normal-onset cervical cancer (relative risk 0.67, 95% confidence interval 0.29-1.6). Oral contraceptive use, cigarette smoking, number of pregnancies, and a maternal history of cervical cancer were not significantly associated with rapid-onset disease. Conclusions: Results from this study suggest that the risk factors associated with the development of rapid-onset cervical cancer are similar to those for normal-onset disease. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 1999;180:571-7.)
Primary extracranial meningioma of the mandible: A report of 2 cases and a review of the literature*

Three cases of primary extracranial meningioma arising in the jaws have been reported in the English-language literature. The purpose of this report is to document 2 additional cases that arose in the mandible. Both cases occurred in women and appeared as radiolucent lesions. Microscopic examination revealed an unencapsulated tumor composed of uniform spindle-shaped cells arranged in whorls and interconnecting fascicles. Occasional nuclear pseudoinclusions and psammoma bodies were identified. The tumor cells demonstrated immunohistochemical reactivity for epithelial membrane antigen and vimentin. Both cases were treated by surgical excision. Based on previously published examples in the jaws, these neoplasms do not appear to be aggressive.
Diffusion tensor imaging comparison of progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal syndromes

Abstract Background Corticobasal syndrome (CBS) and progressive supranuclear palsy syndrome (PSPS) are atypical parkinsonian syndromes that are both associated with white matter tract degeneration. However, little is known about how patterns of degeneration compare across these two syndromes. Methods Twenty-seven subjects, nine with CBS and eighteen with probable or definite PSPS (9 pathologically confirmed) were prospectively recruited and underwent 3.0 T diffusion tensor imaging. A whole-brain voxel-based analysis was performed on fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) images to compare both groups to each other and to 50 healthy controls. Results The two syndromes showed overlapping regions of reduced FA and increased MD in the body of the corpus callosum, middle cingulum bundle, and premotor and prefrontal white matter, with reduced FA also observed in the superior cerebellar peduncles in both syndromes. However, CBS showed a more supratentorial and posterior pattern of degeneration with greater involvement of the splenium of the corpus callosum, premotor, motor and parietal lobes than PSPS. Findings in CBS were also highly asymmetric. Conversely, PSPS showed a more symmetric and infratentorial pattern of degeneration, with greater involvement of the superior cerebellar peduncles and midbrain than CBS. Conclusions CBS and PSPS are both associated with striking white matter tract degeneration. Despite differences in the supratentorial and infratentorial distribution of degeneration, and in asymmetry, both tend to target a common structural network. Measurements of white matter tract diffusion could therefore be useful disease biomarkers in both of these syndromes.
Antisense to the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-encoded latent membrane protein 1 (LMP-1) sensitizes EBV-immortalized B cells to transforming growth factor-beta and chemotherapeutic agents.

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-encoded latent membrane protein 1 (LMP-1) is absolutely required for EBV transformation of B cells. LMP-1 mimics a constitutively activated receptor of the tumor necrosis factor receptor family, mediating diverse oncogenic functions that influence growth, differentiation and susceptibility to apoptosis. Given the critical functions of LMP-1 in EBV-associated transformation, it represents a rational therapeutic target for modulation. We used antisense oligodeoxynucleotides targeted to LMP-1 as a strategy to suppress LMP-1 expression and thereby inhibit its functions. In previous studies, we have shown that short-term treatment of EBV-positive lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) with LMP-1 antisense oligodeoxynucleotides can dramatically reduce levels of LMP-1 protein in association with inhibition of proliferation, stimulation of apoptosis, down-regulation of Bcl-2 and Mcl-1 and enhanced sensitivity to the chemotherapeutic agent, etoposide. Here, we provide further evidence of the profound effects of reducing LMP-1 levels using antisense oligodeoxynucleotides in EBV-transformed B cells. We have shown that LMP-1 antisense treatment of LCLs partially restores sensitivity to the anti-proliferative and apoptotic effects of transforming growth factor-beta, a potent negative regulator of normal human B-cell growth, in association with a reduction in cyclin D2 levels. In addition, LMP-1 antisense sensitizes LCLs to chemotherapeutic drugs from diverse classes, including etoposide, vincristine and dexamethasone, by enhancing apoptotic cell death. Finally, the anti-proliferative and apoptotic effects of LMP-1 antisense treatment were observed not only in laboratory-derived LCLs, but also in an EBV-positive cell line derived from an AIDS-related lymphoma. These studies demonstrate that antisense targeting of LMP-1 represents a rational therapeutic strategy for EBV-positive lymphoproliferative disorders. Int. J. Cancer 91:89–98, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Using geometric models and vector arithmetic to teach high‐school students basic notions in linear algebra

In [1] we discussed the difficulties students at the university level and the high‐school level have with the existing approaches of teaching linear algebra (for a review of these approaches see [2]) and offered an alternative approach. A summary of these difficulties and some of the elements of this approach are presented in this paper. In addition, we will (a) discuss the scientific and pedagogical importance of linear algebra; (b) show how vector arithmetic in solving geometric problems was used to introduce basic notions of linear algebra; (c) outline how the necessity principle was implemented in this approach.
Ageostrophic transport in the upper layers of the tropical Atlantic Ocean

A test of the theoretical Ekman relation in the tropical Atlantic Ocean is performed by comparing estimated Ekman transport with observations collected along two transects symmetric about equator (6°N and 6°S). Ekman transport is calculated theoretically using ship winds and climatological data. Total ageostrophic transport is obtained by subtracting the observed geostrophic transports from the measured total transports using the data collected along the two transects. Along 6°S, both the zonal mean ageostrophic transport and it's variability with longitude can be accounted for by the theoretical Ekman transport. Along 6°N, the total ageostrophic and Ekman transports agree, but significant differences are found in the cumulative transport curves between the African coast and about 40°W. These departures from theory may be related to the effect of advective terms in the Ekman relation and/or other ageostrophic motion at the reference depth for the comparisons. Begin typing abstract here.
Load forecasting via low rank plus sparse matrix factorization

Accurate imputation and prediction of load data are important prerequisites for many tasks of power systems, especially as renewables and plug-in electric vehicles penetrate the grid. A low-rank and sparse matrix factorization model is considered for load inference tasks to capture spatial as well as temporal structures in multi-site load data. The low-rank structure captures periodic patterns, and sparse matrix factors explain localized and clustered signatures. In order to predict load values for future time instants (and possibly for unforeseen sites), prior knowledge on correlations is necessarily incorporated in a nonparametric kernel-based learning framework. An efficient learning algorithm is also derived. Tests with real load data verify the efficacy of the proposed approach.
Defects in the Medial Entorhinal Cortex and Dentate Gyrus in the Mouse Model of Sanfilippo Syndrome Type B

Sanfilippo syndrome type B (MPS IIIB) is characterized by profound mental retardation in childhood, dementia and death in late adolescence; it is caused by deficiency of α-N-acetylglucosaminidase and resulting lysosomal storage of heparan sulfate. A mouse model, generated by homologous recombination of the Naglu gene, was used to study pathological changes in the brain. We found earlier that neurons in the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) and the dentate gyrus showed a number of secondary defects, including the presence of hyperphosphorylated tau (Ptau) detected with antibodies raised against Ptau in Alzheimer disease brain. By further use of immunohistochemistry, we now show staining in neurons of the same area for beta amyloid, extending the resemblance to Alzheimer disease. Ptau inclusions in the dentate gyrus of MPS IIIB mice were reduced in number when the mice were administered LiCl, a specific inhibitor of Gsk3β. Additional proteins found elevated in MEC include proteins involved in autophagy and the heparan sulfate proteoglycans, glypicans 1 and 5, the latter closely related to the primary defect. The level of secondary accumulations was associated with elevation of glypican, as seen by comparing brains of mice at different ages or with different mucopolysaccharide storage diseases. The MEC of an MPS IIIA mouse had the same intense immunostaining for glypican 1 and other markers as MPS IIIB, while MEC of MPS I and MPS II mice had weak staining, and MEC of an MPS VI mouse had no staining at all for the same proteins. A considerable amount of glypican was found in MEC of MPS IIIB mice outside of lysosomes. We propose that it is the extralysosomal glypican that would be harmful to neurons, because its heparan sulfate branches could potentiate the formation of Ptau and beta amyloid aggregates, which would be toxic as well as difficult to degrade.
A Composting Study of Membrane-Like Polyvinyl Alcohol Based Resins and Nanocomposites

This study presents the effect of biodegradation, in a composting medium, on properties of membrane-like crosslinked and noncrosslinked polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and nanocomposites. The composting was carried out for 120 days and the biodegradation of these materials was characterized using various techniques. The changes in the PVA resin and nanocomposite surface topography and microstructure during composting were also characterized. The results from the analyses suggest biodegradation of PVA based materials in compost medium was mainly by enzymes secreted by fungi. The results also indicate that the enzymes degraded the amorphous regions of the specimens first and that the PVA crystallinity played an important role in its biodegradation. The surface roughness of the specimens was seen to increase with composting time as the microbial colonies grew which in turn facilitated further microorganism growth. All specimens broke into small pieces between 90 and 120 days of composting as a result of deep biodegradation. Glyoxal and malonic acid crosslinking decreased the PVA biodegradation rate slightly. Addition of highly crystalline microfibrillated cellulose and naturally occurring halloysite nanotubes in PVA based nanocomposites also decreased the biodegradation rate. The three factors: PVA crystallinity, crosslinking and additives, may be utilized effectively to extend the life of these materials in real life applications.
Being there is important, but getting there matters too: the role of path in the valuation process.

Purpose. Traditional decision-analytic models presume that utilities are invariant to context. The influence of 2 types of context on patients' utility assessments was examined here the path by which one reaches a health state and personal experience with a health state. Methods. Three groups of patients were interviewed: men older than age 49 years with prostate cancer but no diabetes (CaP), diabetes but no prostate cancer (DM), and neither disease (ND). The utility of erectile dysfunction (ED) was assessed using a standard gamble (SG). Each subject completed 2 SGs: 1) a no-context version that gave no explanation for the cause of ED and 2) a contextualized version in which prostate cancer treatment, the failure to manage diabetes, or the natural course of aging was said to be the cause. Results. Patients with disease assigned higher utilities to ED in a matching context than in discrepant contexts. Regression models found that the valuation process was also sensitive to the match between disease path in the utility assessment and patients' personal experiences. Conclusions. These findings lend insight into why acontextual utility assessments typically used in decision analyses have not been able to predict patient behavior as well as expected. The valuation process appears to change systematically when context is specified, suggesting that unspecified contexts rather than random error may lead to fluctuations in the values assigned to identical health states.
Fighting their own battles: mexican americans, african americans, and the struggle for civil rights in texas

Brian D. Behnken, FIGHTING THEIR OWN BATTLES: MEXICAN AMERICANS, AFRICAN AMERICANS, AND THE STRUGGLE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS IN TEXAS, Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 2011, xix + 347 ...
Fertility of Western Corn Rootworm Reared as Larvae on Alternate Hosts

In laboratory, greenhouse, and field tests, viable eggs were laid by adult western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera LcContc, that had been reared as larvae on green foxtail, yellow foxtail, Minter and Selkirk wheats, Omugi barley, Oahe intermediate wheatgrass, and corn. Fertility of the beetles did not appear to be reduced by any of these alternate larval hosts.
Neurokinin receptor mRNA localization in human midbrain dopamine neurons

The structurally related neurokinin peptides, substance P and neurokinin A, are found in abundance within the substantia nigra of a variety of mammalian species. Although it has been established recently that the neurokinin-3 (NK3) receptor is the predominant neurokinin receptor found in rat substantia nigra and adjacent midbrain nuclei, the nature of the neurokinin receptor expressed in human midbrain has not been elucidated. In the present study, neurokinin receptor messenger RNA (mRNA) content within rat and human midbrain were directly compared by using quantitative in situ hybridization histochemistry. In contrast to the high abundance of NK3 receptor mRNA within dopamine (DA) cells of the rat midbrain, neurokinin-1 (NK1), but not NK3, receptor mRNA was localized to human midbrain DA cells. Within the human midbrain, the abundance of NK1 receptor mRNA differed significantly among the distinct DA cell-containing nuclei, with the highest level of expression seen in several subdivisions of the substantia nigra. Thus different neurokinin receptor subtypes apparently mediate the effects of substance P and neurokinin A on human versus rat DA neurons.
Outcomes in patients tested for Clostridium difficile toxins.

Abstract Clostridium difficile testing is shifting from toxin detection to C. difficile detection. Yet, up to 60% of patients with C. difficile by culture test negative for toxins and it is unclear whether they are infected or carriers. We reviewed medical records for 7046 inpatients with a C. difficile toxin test from 2005 to 2009 to determine the duration of diarrhea and rate of complications and mortality among toxin-positive (toxin+) and toxin− patients. Overall, toxin− patients had less severe diarrhea, fewer diarrhea days, and lower mortality ( P n = 1/6121; 0.02%) was diagnosed with pseudomembranous colitis, but there were no complications such as megacolon or colectomy for fulminant CDI among toxin− patients. These data suggest that C. difficile –attributable complications are rare among patients testing negative for C. difficile toxins. More studies are needed to evaluate the clinical significance of C. difficile detection in toxin− patients.
The versatile molecular complex component LC8 promotes several distinct steps of flagellar assembly

LC8 is present in various molecular complexes. However, its role in these complexes remains unclear. We discovered that although LC8 is a subunit of the radial spoke (RS) complex in Chlamydomonas flagella, it was undetectable in the RS precursor that is converted into the mature RS at the tip of elongating axonemes. Interestingly, LC8 dimers bound in tandem to the N-terminal region of a spoke phosphoprotein, RS protein 3 (RSP3), that docks RSs to axonemes. LC8 enhanced the binding of RSP3 N-terminal fragments to purified axonemes. Likewise, the N-terminal fragments extracted from axonemes contained LC8 and putative spoke-docking proteins. Lastly, perturbations of RSP3’s LC8-binding sites resulted in asynchronous flagella with hypophosphorylated RSP3 and defective associations between LC8, RSs, and axonemes. We propose that at the tip of flagella, an array of LC8 dimers binds to RSP3 in RS precursors, triggering phosphorylation, stalk base formation, and axoneme targeting. These multiple effects shed new light on fundamental questions about LC8-containing complexes and axoneme assembly.
Simulations of damage and fracture in ULK under pad structures during Cu wirebond process

Mechanical integrity of the dielectric stack is challenged by the trend towards porous, lower dielectric constant interlayer dielectric (ILD) materials. As a result, fracture in the ILD stacks caused either by assembly process or by the dicing process is an important reliability consideration. In general, there is a need to either assess the propensity of the structure to fracture under assembly conditions, or to design crack-arrest features that prevent propagation of cracks into active areas. In the case of wire bonded packages, the reliability concern associated with the fracture of Ultra Low-k (ULK) dielectrics while bonding over the active circuits (BOAC) is a significant challenge due to the impact load and the high ultrasonic energy transmitted to the ILD stack. In this paper, a multi-level modeling procedure is presented to assess the risk of fracture in ILD stacks during wire bonding process. First, a nonlinear, dynamic finite element model is developed to simulate the process steps - impact stage and last cycle of ultrasonic vibration and study the mechanical response of the ball, pad, and the underlying ULK under pad during copper wire bonding. Further, a simulation framework based on enriched isogeometric approximations is presented to compute damage accumulation in the ULK stacks using a cohesive damage description. The simulation framework is employed to develop insights on the potential crack initiation sites within the ILD stack and to evaluate the risk of fracture during each process step.
A lattice‐fluid, group‐contribution treatment of the glass transition of homopolymers, copolymers, and polymer solutions

The glass transition temperature of polymers and polymer solutions was approached through a combination of the group-contribution, lattice-fluid equation of state and the Gibbs–DiMarzio criterion. The model assumes zero entropy at the glass transition temperature and treats molecules as semiflexible chains. This stiffness is associated with a flex energy obtained from the glass transition temperature at atmospheric pressure. Whereas the application of the model is straightforward for homopolymers and polymer solutions, a new formalism using the dyad concept was developed for copolymers. It takes into account the copolymer composition as well as the sequencing of the monomers. The results obtained are consistent with experimental data. For polymer solutions, the model predictions are semiquantitative depending on the system. The interaction parameter required for binary systems was found to have little effect on the glass transition temperature predictions. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 697–705, 2003
Polymorphism of delta-aminolevulinate dehydratase in the upper Silesian population, Poland.

The δ-aminolevulinate dehydratase (ALADH) polymorphism was studied in the Upper Silesian population, Poland. The frequency of ALADH*1 was 0.9417, and ALADH*2 was 0.0583. No rare or anomalous phenotype was found. The distribution of phenotypes in 148 mother-child pairs was determined. Comparison with other world populations was made.
Phenolic antioxidant mobilization during yogurt production from soymilk using Kefir cultures

Soymilk-based yogurt has emerged as a popular alternative to traditional dairy-based yogurts as interest in the health-promoting benefits of soybean consumption increases. Soymilk yogurts are known to contain functional phenolics, but it is unknown whether the contents of these bioactive phenolic compounds change during yogurt culturing. Phenolic antioxidant mobilization during yogurt production from soymilk was investigated using active probiotic Kefir cultures. Total soluble phenolic content and DPPH radical-scavenging antioxidant activity were measured every 8 h for 48 h. Further, the activity of several enzymes (β-glucosidase, laccase, peroxidase) associated with the microbial degradation of polymeric phenolics and lignin and previously linked to phenolic mobilization from soybean during solid-state bioprocessing by dietary fungi were also investigated. Soluble phenolic content increased with Kefir culture time and was strongly correlated with total peroxidase and laccase activity. However, the phenolic content dropped sharply at 48 h. Antioxidant activity increased with Kefir culture time and was strongly correlated to decreased soluble phenolic content over the same time period. This research has important implications for the optimization of functional phytochemicals in commercial soymilk-based yogurt production strategies.
Teaching the theory of evolution in social, intellectual, and pedagogical context

Teaching the theory of evolution in classrooms takes place in a social, intellectual, and pedagogical context which must be considered with care if students are to receive a complete and authentic education. In addition to the science education literature on this topic, attention is directed to the expanding literature on science and religion, as well as the writing on religion and education. With attention to the contentious social context in which the theory of evolution is taught today, as well as the worldviews students bring to the classroom, a case is made for teaching the theory of evolution in a manner that takes account of the questions students bring with them and the broader philosophical considerations that impinge upon their thinking. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed91:664–677, 2007
Highly purified sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles are devoid of Ca2+-independent (‘basal’) ATPase activity

Abstract On solubilization with Triton X-100 of sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles isolated by differential centrifugation, the Ca2+-ATPase is selectively extracted while approximately half of the initial Mg2+-, or ‘basal’, ATPase remains in the Triton X-100 insoluble residue. The insoluble fraction, which does not contain the 100 000 dalton polypeptide of the Ca2+-ATPase, contains high levels of cytochrome c oxidase. Furthermore, its Mg2+-ATPase activity is inhibited by specific inhibitors of mitochondrial ATPase, indicating that the ‘basal’ ATPase separated from the Ca2+-ATPase by detergent extraction originates from mitochondrial contaminants. To minimize mitochondrial contamination, sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles were fractionated by sedimentation in discontinuous sucrose density gradients into four fractions: heavy, intermediate and light, comprising among them 90–95% of the initial sarcoplasmic reticulum protein, and a very light fraction, which contains high levels of Mg2+-ATPase. Only the heavy, intermediate and light fractions originate from sarcoplasmic reticulum; the very light fraction is of surface membrane origin. Each fraction of sarcoplasmic reticulum origin was incubated with calcium phosphate in the presence of ATP and the loaded fractions were separated from the unloaded fractions by sedimentation in discontinuous sucrose density gradients. It was found that vesicles from the intermediate fraction had, after loading, minimal amounts of mitochondrial and surface membrane contamination, and displayed little or no Ca2+-independent basal ATPase activity. This shows conclusively that the basal ATPase is not an intrinsic enzymatic activity of the sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane, but probably originates from variable amounts of mitochondrial and surface membrane contamination in sarcoplasmic reticulum preparations isolated by conventional procedures.
Optimizing Deformation Path for Stress Relaxation Tests on Superalloys at High Temperatures

Stress relaxation results are highly sensitive to test conditions at elevated temperatures. The tests require precise control of environmental conditions and test methods. An experimental technique has been developed for conducting isothermal closed-loop controlled, constant strain, tensile stress relaxation tests at low strains (lower than 0.003) imposed in about one second. It is based on optimizing the initial strain, initial loading path and subsequent control of strain during the hold time. The methodology developed and the technical details used in conducting the stress relaxation tests, for temperatures up to 1000°C, are presented by using a nickel-base superalloy (IN-738LC) as a test material. The approach discussed has been found to be suitable for evaluating the microstructure - flow properties relationship of superalloys, corresponding to as-heat-treated initial microstructure, and could be applicable to any metals, alloys and ceramics at elevated temperatures. The method is being assessed as a means of evaluating the weldability of nickel-base superalloys.Copyright © 2001 by ASME
Oxidation of Selected Pteridine Derivatives by Mammalian Liver Xanthine Oxidase and Aldehyde Oxidase

Considerable information is available concerning the oxidation of pteridine derivatives by bovine milk xanthine oxidase, but few investigations have been carried out on the oxidation of such compounds by mammalian liver xanthine oxidase and the related aldehyde oxidase. Xanthine oxidase, obtained from rat liver, oxidizes a variety of substituted amino‐ and hydroxypteridines in a manner identical to that previously observed for milk xanthine oxidase. For example, 2‐aminopteridine and its 4‐ and 7‐hydroxy derivatives were oxidized efficiently to 2‐amino‐4, 7‐dihydroxypteridine (isoxan‐thopterin) by the rat liver enzyme, and 4‐aminopteridine and its 2‐and 7‐hydroxy derivatives were oxidized to 4‐amino‐2, 7‐dihydroxypteridine. 4‐Hydroxypteridine and the isomeric 2‐ and 7‐hydroxypteridines were oxidized by rat liver xanthine oxidase to 2,4,7‐trihydroxypteridine. Rabbit liver aldehyde oxidase, but not rat liver xanthine oxidase, was able to catalyze the oxidation in position 7 of 2,4‐diaminopteridine and its 6‐methyl and 6‐hydroxymethyl derivatives. 2‐Aminopteridine and 4‐aminopteridine were both oxidized to the corresponding 7‐hydroxy derivatives in the aldehyde oxidase system; 2‐amino‐4‐hydroxypteridine appeared to be a minor product in the oxidation of 2‐aminopteridine by rabbit liver aldehyde oxidase. Both aldehyde oxidase and xanthine oxidase were able to catalyze the oxidation of 2‐amino‐6,7‐disubstituted pteridines to the corresponding 4‐hydroxy derivatives; 4‐hydroxy‐6,7‐disubstituted pteridines were oxidized in position 2 by both enzymes. 4‐Amino‐6,7‐disubstituted pteridines were not oxidized by either enzyme. 2‐Amino‐4‐methylpteridine was oxidized in position 7 by aldehyde oxidase but was not an effective substrate for xanthine oxidase; 2‐hydroxypteridine and 7‐hydroxypteridine were not oxidized to a detectable extent by aldehyde oxidase. All oxidations mediated by xanthine oxidase were strongly inhibited by allopurinol (4‐hydroxy‐pyrazolo[3,4‐d]pyrimidine), and all oxidations mediated by aldehyde oxidase were inhibited by menadione (2‐methyl‐1,4‐naphthoquinone). Rat liver xanthine oxidase and, to a lesser extent, rabbit liver aldehyde oxidase were inhibited by 4‐chloro‐6,7‐dimethylpteridine; 2‐amino‐3‐pyrazinecarboxylic acid inhibited xanthine oxidase but not aldehyde oxidase. The oxidations of 2‐ and 4‐aminopteridines by aldehyde oxidase resulted in concomitant reduction of cytochrome c.
Transfer Shock in an Academic Discipline: The Relationship between Students' Majors and their Academic Performance:

The study described in this report involved associate's degree recipients who were traditional age and enrolled full-time at a two-year college before pursuing their same majors at a four-year libe...
Expression of p53 and ALZ-50 immunoreactivity in rat cortex : Effect of prenatal exposure to ethanol

Neuronal death is an active process that results in the upregulation of antigens recognized by ALZ-50 and p53. Since prenatal exposure to ethanol can induce the postnatal death of cortical neurons, we examined the effects of ethanol on the in vivo expression of both the ALZ-50-positive antigen and p53. Pregnant rats were fed one of three diets, a liquid diet containing ethanol (Et), an isocaloric and isonutritive diet (Ct), or chow and water (Ch). Segments of frontoparietal cortex from fetuses and pups were examined for ethanol-induced changes (a) in the expression of ALZ-50 and p53 immunoreactivity using a quantitative immunoblotting assay and (b) in the distribution of ALZ-50- and p53-positive cells using immunohistochemistry. In control rats, ALZ-50 identified a 56-kDa peptide that was transiently expressed postnatally and peak expression occurred on postnatal day (P) 6 to P12. In Et-treated rats, peak expression was attained earlier (on P3) and was about three times of that achieved in the controls. The anti-p53 antibody identified three proteins (28, 56, and 58 kDa). Peak expression in control rats occurred during the second postnatal week and only the 58-kDa protein was expressed in appreciable amounts in adult cortex. Each p53-positive protein was affected by ethanol exposure. The 28- and 56-kDa p53-positive proteins were affected by ethanol much in the same way as was the ALZ-50-positive antigen. That is, the timing and amount of peak expression were earlier and lower, respectively, in the Et-treated rats. The postnatal expression of the 58-kDa protein was halved following prenatal exposure to ethanol. Both ALZ-50 and anti-p53 immunoprecipitated proteins are p53- and ALZ-50-positive, respectively. Thus, ethanol alters the expression of the ALZ-50- and p53-positive proteins and presumably the timing of neuronal death in the developing cortex. The parallel effects of prenatal ethanol exposure on the 56-kDa ALZ-50-positive antigen and the 28- and 56-kDa p53-positive proteins and the coprecipitation of the proteins are consistent with the notion that ALZ-50 recognizes a form of p53.
Broadband all-optical ultrasound transducers

A broadband all-optical ultrasound transducer has been designed, fabricated, and tested for high-resolution ultrasound imaging. It consists of a two-dimensional gold nanostructure on a glass substrate, followed by a 3μm polydimethylsiloxane layer and a 30nm gold layer. The signal to noise ratio of a pulse-echo signal is over 10dB in the far field of the transducer, where the center frequency is 40MHz with −6dB bandwidth of 57MHz. The potential for high-frequency ultrasound arrays using this technology is demonstrated using multiple measurements from the transducer to image a 25μm diameter wire.
COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMING.

Hollander has described the organization and services of one of the most highly developed child placement agencies in the country, with particular reference to the young children under its jurisdiction who are in long-term foster care. Beres, in turn, has traced the case history-up to the age of nineteen--of one such child, who was admitted to that agency as an infant and has been in foster care from the beginning. These two papers lend themselves, therefore, to joint discussion. Maria, Beres's patient, currently exhibits ego disturbances which he assumes, and I think we would all agree, are causally related to her early deprivation. Concomitantly, Hollander has observed that there is growing evidence of increased emotional disturbance among the child population in foster care. He has suggested that this would seem to imply the need to change some of the existing patterns of child placement services, and that the problem ought to be considered in relation to the community mental health service program as a whole. I shall forgo the temptation to comment on many of the intrapsychic obstacles to Maria's normal psychological development, so vividly presented by Beres. Instead, I shall comment on the vicissitudes of Maria's case history within the broader frame of reference suggested by Hollander. In brief, I shall focus on the fact that this case illus-
The Mechanism of the Restoration of Obliterated Serial Numbers by Acid Etching

The mechanisms involved in the restoration of obliterated punch marks is discussed in relation to the chemistry and physics of steel.
Disturbance Rejection Through an External Model for Nonminimum Phase Systems

This paper considers the use of an external model for the cancellation of disturbances in a nonminimum phase system where disturbances can be regarded as the output of a stable (in the sense of Lyapunov) autonomous system. It is assumed that the parameters in the nonminimum phase system are unknown, but the orders of the numerator and denominator polynomials, and the delay steps are known. External model method is a kind of adaptive feedforward controller that the control input is the function of estimated external disturbance. In order to cancel the effect of disturbances, we use two consecutive recursive parameter identification algorithms to estimate external disturbances. The stability of the closed-loop system is proved
The expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in amnion and decidua following spontaneous labor

Abstract Objective: Prostaglandins production rises dramatically during term and preterm labor. The source of this production is thought to be the fetal membranes and maternal decidua. The enzyme responsible for the conversion of arachidonic acid to the prostaglandins and related endoperoxides is variously known as prostaglandin synthase or cyclooxygenase (COX). An inducible form of this enzyme, COX-2, has been described in several tissues. The purpose of this study was to investigate a possible role for COX-2 in labor by comparing the COX-2 content in amnion and decidua from laboring and non-laboring patients. Study Design: Fetal membranes from seven normal labor and ten elective cesarean sections at term were collected immediately following delivery. The maternal age and gravity were similar between the groups. The amnion and decidua were identified, washed in sterile saline, frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored in −70°C. COX-2 expression was determined using Western Blot analysis with a purified COX-2 antibody. A scanning densitometer was used to quantify the bands. Results were expressed as mean ±S.D. ng/l50μg protein. Results: The concentration of COX-2 in amnion of laboring women showed a twofold increase ( 240.0 ± 17.6 vs. 120.7 ± 5.1) compared to the non-labored group (p 0.05). Conclusion: We evaluated the role of COX-2 in normal labor. Our study demonstrate that COX-2 is significantly induced in the amnion following spontaneous labor. These findings suggest that the induction of amnion COX-2 may be involved in the process of human labor.
Protease- and acid-catalyzed labeling workflows employing (18)O-enriched water.

Stable isotopes are essential tools in biological mass spectrometry. Historically, 18O-stable isotopes have been extensively used to study the catalytic mechanisms of proteolytic enzymes1-3. With the advent of mass spectrometry-based proteomics, the enzymatically-catalyzed incorporation of 18O-atoms from stable isotopically enriched water has become a popular method to quantitatively compare protein expression levels (reviewed by Fenselau and Yao4, Miyagi and Rao5 and Ye et al.6). 18O-labeling constitutes a simple and low-cost alternative to chemical (e.g. iTRAQ, ICAT) and metabolic (e.g. SILAC) labeling techniques7. Depending on the protease utilized, 18O-labeling can result in the incorporation of up to two 18O-atoms in the C-terminal carboxyl group of the cleavage product3. The labeling reaction can be subdivided into two independent processes, the peptide bond cleavage and the carboxyl oxygen exchange reaction8. In our PALeO (protease-assisted labeling employing 18O-enriched water) adaptation of enzymatic 18O-labeling, we utilized 50% 18O-enriched water to yield distinctive isotope signatures. In combination with high-resolution matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/TOF MS/MS), the characteristic isotope envelopes can be used to identify cleavage products with a high level of specificity. We previously have used the PALeO-methodology to detect and characterize endogenous proteases9 and monitor proteolytic reactions10-11. Since PALeO encodes the very essence of the proteolytic cleavage reaction, the experimental setup is simple and biochemical enrichment steps of cleavage products can be circumvented. The PALeO-method can easily be extended to (i) time course experiments that monitor the dynamics of proteolytic cleavage reactions and (ii) the analysis of proteolysis in complex biological samples that represent physiological conditions. PALeO-TimeCourse experiments help identifying rate-limiting processing steps and reaction intermediates in complex proteolytic pathway reactions. Furthermore, the PALeO-reaction allows us to identify proteolytic enzymes such as the serine protease trypsin that is capable to rebind its cleavage products and catalyze the incorporation of a second 18O-atom. Such "double-labeling" enzymes can be used for postdigestion 18O-labeling, in which peptides are exclusively labeled by the carboxyl oxygen exchange reaction. Our third strategy extends labeling employing 18O-enriched water beyond enzymes and uses acidic pH conditions to introduce 18O-stable isotope signatures into peptides.
Moment maps at the quantum level

We introduce the notion of moment maps for quantum groups acting on their module algebras. When the module algebras are quantizations of Poisson manifolds, we prove that the construction at the quantum level is a quantization of that at the semi-classical level. We also prove that the corresponding smashed product algebras are quantizations of the semi-direct product Poisson structures.
Field-induced nucleation in phase change memory

A theory of field-induced crystal nucleation is developed and verified experimentally for the case of switching in nanoglasses of phase change memory. For symmetry-breaking strong electric fields, it predicts needle-shaped crystallites with nucleation barriers lower than that of spherical nuclei and a strong field dependent. We have observed bias dependent switching for times and temperatures far beyond those typically reported and supportive of our predictions, in particular, switching time exponential in voltage and temperature.
210Pb and 239,240Pu in the Northeast Water Polynya, Greenland: particle dynamics and sediment mixing rates

Abstract Distributions of the radionuclides 210Pb and 239,240Pu in sediment cores from the Northeast Water Polynya, Greenland, showed that these nuclides reached depths of 5–15 cm by particle mixing and sediment accumulation. End-member average values of the particle mixing coefficient and sediment accumulation rate were 0.13 cm2 y−1 and 0.06 cm y−1, obtained from the 210Pb profiles by assuming that each process is dominant relative to the other. Both 210Pb and 239,240Pu were measured on four cores; using the Pu data to constrain mixing rates produced corrected sediment accumulation rates that were 20–80% of the values calculated by neglecting mixing. Organic carbon burial in the polynya sediments was ≤0.4 mmol m−2 d−1, based on measured POC values at depth in the sediments and sediment accumulation rates corrected for mixing. This value is about 1% of the independently measured POC flux leaving the euphotic zone and compares with benthic carbon remineralization rates of 7% calculated by others from O2 uptake in the sediments. The inventories of excess 210Pb in the sediments ranged from 6 to 28 dpm cm−2. Relative to the atmospheric input of 210Pb and in situ production from decay of 226Ra, approximately 5 dpm cm−2 of 210Pb was being removed from the water column. The difference between the removal from the water column and sediment inventories suggests a net import of 210Pb to the polynya. This may occur by input of dissolved 210Pb from offshore waters or by input of 210Pb carried by sea ice. Particulate matter in land-derived fast ice adjacent to the polynya contained 330 ± 14 dpm of excess 210Pb g−1. If particles transported in sea ice are comparable to those extracted from fast ice, then sea ice transport into the polynya followed by melting may be an important source of excess 210Pb to the area. Fast ice also may contribute 210Pb if portions break off and melt within the polynya, as occurred in 1993.