cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Laser-induced etching of titanium by Br2 and CCl3Br at 248 nm

A quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) has been used to study the KrF* excimer laser-induced etching of titanium by bromine-containing compounds. The experiment consists of focusing the pulsed UV laser beam at normal incidence onto the surface of a quartz crystal coated with 1 μm of polycrystalline titanium. The removal of titanium from the surface is monitored in real time by measuring the change in the frequency of the quartz crystal. The dependence of the etch rate on etchant pressure and laser fluence was measured and found to be consistent with a two-step etching mechanism. The initial step in the etching of titanium is reaction between the etchant and the surface to form the etch product between laser pulses. The etch product is subsequently removed from the surface during the laser pulse via a laser-induced thermal desorption process. The maximum etch rate obtained in this work was 6.2 A-pulse−1, indicating that between two and three atomic layers of Ti can be removed per laser pulse. The energy required for desorption of the etch product is calculated to be 172 kJ-mole−1, which is consistent with the sublimation enthalpy of TiBr2 (168 kJ-mole−1). The proposed product in the etching of titanium by Br2 and CCl3Br is thus TiBr2. In the etching of Ti by Br2, formation of TiBr2 proceeds predominantly through the dissociative chemisorption of Br2. In the case of etching with CCl3Br, TiBr2 is formed via chemisorption of Br atoms produced in the gas-phase photodissociation of CCl3Br.
Reply to “Angiogenesis inhibitors and hypoxia”

I appreciate the thoughtful comments of Folkman, Kieran and Heymach. The landmark work of Folkman and his colleagues in the field of antiangiogenesis has, of course, revolutionized how we all think about cancer and has provided the foundation for a generation of scientists to think about new ways to approach therapy and prevention of this disease. The extraordinary recent report12 of an antiangiogenic approach providing a survival advantage of several months is testament, in itself, of the tangible merit of this approach.
An investigation of stress intensity factors for plates with equal and unequal parallel edge cracks

A semi-theoretical and experimental method is used to investigate thin plates with parallel edge cracks of equal and unequal length loaded in tension. Plates with equal and unequal periodic parallel edge cracks are treated under two separate cases:
Degradation of pentachlorophenol by non-immobilized, immobilized and co-immobilized Arthrobacter cells

Abstract Non-immobilized, immobilized and co-immobilized Arthrobacter (ATCC 33790) cells were examined for their ability to degrade PCP in a mineral medium. Non-immobilized cells could completely remove PCP from the aqueous phase and mineralize 77% of the added PCP within 135 h. Alginate-encapsulated cells mineralized 86% of the PCP with a similar profile as free cells. Use of co-immobilized cells (which co-immobilized cells and activated carbon in hydrogel capsules) resulted in rapid removal of PCP from the aqueous phase and extensive PCP mineralization.
An intersection problem for finite automata

Abstract A finite automaton with state space S and alphabet A can be thought of as a directed graph with vertex set S such that for each vertex t ϵ S the edges leaving t are in one-to-one correspondence with A. Motivated by a problem in logic, we propose a problem about intersections of languages accepted by finite automata and give some partial results.
Monolayer-protected clusters with fluorescent dansyl ligands

Monolayer-protected Au cluster (MPC) molecules with mixed monolayers of alkanethiolate and ω-carboxylalkanethiolate ligands were functionalized with the fluorescent label dansyl cadaverine. The emission intensity per MPC-attached dansyl group varies with (a) the number of dansyl sites per MPC (i.e., loading, 4 to 24), (b) with the linker chainlength between Au core and dansyl site, and (c) with chainlengths of alkanethiolates in the surrounding MPC monolayer coating. Emission intensity per MPC-attached dansyl group increases with loading and with the length of core−dansyl linker chains when the surrounding alkanethiolate monolayers have chain lengths equal to or greater than the linker. These results are interpreted in terms of distance-dependent energy transfer from the excited dansyl label to the metal-like MPC core and various steric constraints on thermal fluctuations of linker chains that influence the distance of approach of the label to the core. Correction for self-absorption by the highly colored...
Cancer of the pancreas: diagnostic accuracy and survival statistics.

We have reviewed the natural history, reliability of diagnosis, and survivorship of 100 patients with adenocarcinoma of the pancreas, in the context of a thorough review of the literature on survival after therapy for adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. There is 40-62.5% error in the histologic confirmation of the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. The error by inspection and palpation alone at the time of surgery may be as great as 25%. The absolute 5 year survival rate calculated from 61 clinical studies representing approximately 15,000 patients is 0.4%. The best series in the current literature has only 3% 5 year rate based upon the total population of pancreatic cancer patients. 12.3% of 5 year survivors from the world literature did not have curative surgery. This study shows the necessity for standardization of reporting methods. The same patients and survivors should not be used repeatedly in different reports. Some authors who claim the most effective palliation by pancreatic resection have the highest mortality rates. Cancer 42:2494–2506, 1978.
The Nav channel bench series: Plasmid preparation.

Abstract Research involving recombinant voltage-gated sodium (Na v ) channels has unique challenges. Multiple factors contribute, but undoubtedly at the top of the list is these channels’ DNA instability. Once introduced into bacterial hosts, Na v channel plasmid DNA will almost invariably emerge mutagenized and unusable, unless special conditions are adopted. This is particularly true for Na v 1.1 (gene name SCN1A ), Na v 1.2 ( SCN2A ), and Na v 1.6 ( SCN8A ), but less so for Na v 1.4 ( SCN4A ) and Na v 1.5 ( SCN5A ) while other Na v channel isoforms such as Na v 1.7 ( SCN9A ) lie in between. The following recommendations for Na v plasmid DNA amplification and preparation address this problem. Three points are essential: • Bacterial propagation using Stbl2 cells at or below 30 °C. • Bias toward slow-growing, small bacterial colonies. • Comprehensive sequencing of the entire Na v channel coding region.
Endogenous cannabinoids as an aversive or counter-rewarding system in the rat.

Abstract Human use of marijuana ( Cannabis sativa ) is widely assumed to have rewarding properties, a notion supported by its widespread recreational use. However, no study has clearly demonstrated such effects in animal models. The purpose of this study was to test for the presumed rewarding effect of cannabinoids using a conditioned place preference paradigm. The results showed that animals failed to develop place conditioning at a low dose (1.5 mg/kg) and developed a place aversion at a high dose (15 mg/kg) of the active principle in marijuana, Δ 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol ( Δ 9 -THC), a finding consistent with most previous studies. Moreover, the administration of the cannabinoid antagonist SR141716A induced a conditioned place preference at both a low (0.5 mg/kg) and a high (5 mg/kg) dose. In summary, cannabinoid antagonism produced place preference while cannabinoid agonism induced place aversion. These results suggest that endogenous cannabinoids serve normally to suppress reward or to induce aversion.
Town Hall Meetings Without the Town: Were the Denver Three's First Amendment Rights Violated?

On March 21, 2005, three Denver residents were removed from a town-hall style meeting where President George W. Bush discussed his administration's plans for Social Security reform. According to in...
Regulation of β-adrenergic responses in airway smooth muscle

Decreased responsiveness to beta-adrenergic receptor agonists is a characteristic feature of human asthma. This review summarizes data regarding the impact of chronic beta agonist stimulation, cytokines, prostanoids and other factors on beta-adrenergic responses in human airway smooth muscle, as well as the impact of polymorphisms of the beta(2)-adrenergic receptor on these responses. Effects of beta-agonists on both airway smooth muscle relaxation and gene expression are considered. Understanding the regulation of beta-adrenergic responses in airway smooth muscle cells may prove to be an important step in improving the efficacy of beta-agonists for the treatment of asthma.
Acetyl-Terminated and Template-Assembled Collagen-Based Polypeptides Composed of Gly-Pro-Hyp Sequences. 3. Conformational Analysis by 1H-NMR and Molecular Modeling Studies

Using 1D and 2D 1H-NMR and molecular modeling, we characterized the conformational features of template-assembled collagen-like polypeptides of the type KTA-[Gly-(Gly-Pro-Hyp)n-NH2]3 (n = 1, 3, 5, ...
Testing and development of a mobile Fourier transform infrared spectrometer system for the analysis of atmospheric pollutants

The mobile Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometer system for the monitoring of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is now entering its third and final stage of testing. At present, data have been collected in all three stages of testing. From the results obtained during the three stages of testing, modifications have been made to the mobile FT-IR spectrometer system to increase its overall performance in the field.
System-level throughput analysis for process variation aware multiple voltage-frequency island designs

The increasing variability in manufacturing process parameters is expected to lead to significant performance degradation in deep submicron technologies. Multiple Voltage-Frequency Island (VFI) design styles with fine-grained, process-variation aware clocking have recently been shown to possess increased immunity to manufacturing process variations. In this article, we propose a theoretical framework that allows designers to quantify the performance improvement that is to be expected if they were to migrate from a fully synchronous design to the proposed multiple VFI design style. Specifically, we provide techniques to efficiently and accurately estimate the probability distribution of the execution rate (or throughput) of both single and multiple VFI systems under the influence of manufacturing process variations. Finally, using an MPEG-2 encoder benchmark, we demonstrate how the proposed analysis framework can be used by designers to make architectural decisions such as the granularity of VFI domain partitioning based on the throughput constraints their systems are required to satisfy.
40Ar/39Ar Ages from Coherent, High-Pressure Metamorphic Rocks of the Franciscan Complex, California: Revisiting the Timing of Metamorphism of the World's Type Subduction Complex

In the Franciscan subduction complex of California, high-pressure metamorphic rocks have generally been divided into two groups, "high-grade blocks" and "coherent metamorphic rocks." High-grade blocks, typically discrete blocks centimeters to tens of meters in diameter, exhibit coarse metamorphic minerals and relatively high metamorphic grade, including blueschist, eclogite, and amphibolite assemblages, and are typically found encased within melange matrix of distinctly lower grade. Coherent metamorphic rocks are generally of epidote blueschist and lower grade and consist of large, more or less intact thrust sheets of metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks. Considerable age dating work has been completed on the high-grade blocks, but dating the metamorphism of the coherent units has proven very difficult because of the very fine grain size of their metamorphic minerals, which has precluded the preparation of pure mineral separates for isotopic analysis. In this paper, we report new white mica and amphibol...
Deferment of intracranial reinforcement: Incentive power of ICS

Abstract Five rats with electrodes chronically implanted in the medial forebrain bundle were tested for rates of self-stimulation under deferment of reinforcement and fixed interval procedures. Deferments between the lever press and the reinforcement of 0–15 sec were investigated. The results demonstrate an extremely steep deferment gradient and a marked response rate differential between the fixed interval and deferment procedures. The results are interpreted in an incentive framework.
Effects of level and source of supplemental protein in a concentrate-based diet on growth performance of Boer × Spanish wether goats

Abstract Boer×Spanish wether goats (50; 26.8±4.04 kg initial BW and 7 months of age) were used in a 27 week experiment to determine effects of two levels of CP (13 and 19%) and five protein sources varying in ruminal degradability (blood, corn gluten, feather, fish and soybean meals). Diets were 70% concentrate, had a ratio of ruminally degraded intake protein (DIP) to total digestible nutrients (TDNs) of at least 0.09 and were formulated to maximize ruminally undegradaed protein from supplemental protein sources. There were no interactions between dietary CP level and supplemental protein source. Voluntary DM intake (1043, 1089, 1153, 1086 and 1112 g per day; S.E.=74.4), ADG (136, 134, 143, 145 and 138 g per day; S.E.=9.8) and gain efficiency (ADG:DM intake) (131, 124, 125, 136 and 128 g/kg for blood, corn gluten, feather, fish and soybean meals, respectively; S.E.=5.7) were similar between CP levels and among sources of supplemental protein. In summary, with a dietary concentrate level of 70% and at least 13% CP, differences in amino acid profiles among blood, corn gluten, feather, fish and soybean meals did not impact rate or efficiency of growth by Boer×Spanish wethers.
Multiscale Contact Mechanics of Ankle Joint Implant: Comparison of Two Implant Models

this paper compares two different types of ankle implants. The first is the cylinder-cylinder configuration in conformal contact and the second involves a cylinder-flat in contact. The interaction of implant rough surfaces including both elastic and plastic deformations is included in the contact model. The tibia and the talus surfaces are treated as macroscopically conforming cylinders in the first model and flat-cylinder in the second model, containing micron-scale roughness. The derived equations relate contact force on the implant and the minimum mean surface separation of the rough surfaces. Based on the distribution of asperity heights, the force is expressed using statistical integral function of asperity heights over possible region of interaction of the roughness of the tibia and the talus implant surfaces. Closed-form approximate equation relating contact force and minimum separation is used to obtain hysteretic energy loss per cycle in a load-unload sequence applied to the implant.
Generalized Fourier transforms for the acoustic pressure and velocity in compressible dissipative stratified media

Abstract Generalized Fourier transforms are derived for the acoustic pressure and velocity in compressible dissipative plane stratified media. The acoustic source terms are accounted for in the equations of continuity and force. The acoustic pressure and velocity are each expressed as sums of two infinite (branch cut) integrals and a discrete term. In the far field the infinite integrals correspond to the direct and specularly reflected waves and the lateral wave. The discrete term associated with the pole of the reflection coefficient is the surface wave. The transforms provide a suitable basis for the expansion of the acoustic pressure and the velocity when the height of the interface, the adiabatic bulk modulus, the equilibrium density, and the absorption of the medium vary. Both exact boundary conditions and the approximate impedance boundary condition are considered in this work.
A new method to evaluate thin film adhesion

Abstract This paper discusses a new method of evaluating thin film adhesion both qualitatively and quantitatively via a combination of peeling and image processing techniques. The adhesion of thin film on the entire substrate can be quickly evaluated and quantified to a continuous response variable which is superior to a discrete response variable as described in the ASTM D3359-78 publication. Feasibility of this technique has been demonstrated through a gauge capability study which resulted in 2.7% P/T (precision to tolerance) ratio at six sigma standard deviation for a tolerance of 100. Experimental results using the proposed method to evaluate the process/property relationship of aluminum films as deposited onto various dielectric substrates such as polyimide, silicon dioxide, and silicon nitride have been obtained and have been shown to agree with conventional stud pull test results. The estimated cycle time to evaluate thin film adhesion is five minutes per 4-inch size wafer once the sample is prepar...
The induction of gene activity in drosophila by heat shock

Michael Ashburner* and J. Jose Bonnert Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics University of California, San Francisco San Francisco, California 94143 During the normal development of the larval salivary gland of Drosophila melanogaster, considerable changes occur in the patterns of puffing activity. These can be seen as changes in the puffs of the gland’s polytene chromosomes, and occur as a con- sequence of changes in the titer of the insect’s growth and moulting hormone, ecdysone (for review see Ash- burner and Richards, 1976). In addition to the changes in gene activity normal to development, there are changes in the activities of a set of genes that occur as a direct consequence of subjecting animals to a wide variety of experimental insults, for example, a brief heat shock. The discovery of the induction of a unique set of puffs by heat shock (Ritossa, 1962) has led the way to an analysis of gene function and structure in Drosophila that is, so far, unique. The cytological facts can be summarized briefly (Ritossa, 1962, 1963, 1964a; Berendes and Holt, 1964; Berendes, Van Breugel and Holt, 1965; van Breugel, 1966; Ashburner, 1970; Ellgaard, 1972; Lewis, Helmsing and Ashburner, 1975). If Drosophila larvae or their excised tissues are subjected to a brief heat shock (for example, 40 min at 37”C, the normal culture temperature being 25”C), puffs are induced at a few specific sites (Figure 1). In D. melanogaster there are nine heat-inducible puffs, (33B, 63C, 64F, 678, 70A. 87A, 87C, 93D and 95D); in D. hydei there are six (32A, 36A, 48BC and 81 B; 31 C and 858 are small and variable in their response). The in vivo induction of the puffs by the heat shock is very rapid; it occurs within 1 min of the temperature increase although the puffs continue to increase in size for some 30-40 min (at 37°C) before regressing. The maximum sizes of the induced puffs are a function of the severity of the temperature shock, at least until lethal temperatures are met (Figure 2). The induction requires RNA, but not protein synthesis. In the ab- sence of protein synthesis, however, the induced puffs fail to regress unless the temperature is returned to normal (puff 48BC of D. hydei is an exception; Leen- ders and Beckers, 1972). Prolonged (for example, more than 1 hr) temperature shock results in addi- tional changes in puffing activity; most remarkable is the fact that all other puffs, puffs active at the time the temperature shock began, regress. It was the discovery that heat shock also results in the induction of the synthesis of a set of polypeptides ’ Permanent
α4/3 conotoxins: Phylogenetic distribution, functional properties, and structure-function insights

This review examines the alpha4/3 conotoxins as an example of molecular diversity in a class of compounds that have evolved in a group of closely related species in a single phylogenetic lineage. The species examined belong to Stephanoconus, a clade of Conus, a genus that contains 500-700 different species of carnivorous marine snails. We examine earlier work that describes the identification and characterization of alpha-ImI, the founding alpha4/3 toxin, and two other alpha4/3 toxins, alpha-ImII and alpha-RgIA. These three toxins all inhibit nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) belonging to a subset of nAChRs that are composed of only alpha subunits; they are, however, diverse in terms of the all-alpha subtype they preferentially antagonize and the receptor site that they bind to. We thus speculate that the alpha4/3 toxins may be a rich source of functionally diverse all-alpha subunit nAChR inhibitors. We review extensive work that has established a detailed model for alpha-ImI binding to one of its preferred nAChR subtypes (the alpha7 nAChR) and, by comparing the alpha-ImI, alpha-ImII and alpha-RgIA sequences demonstrate how structural features of alpha4/3 peptides that account for their diverse functional properties can be identified. This approach is extended to derive models of receptor-toxin binding that may account for the different subtype specificities of alpha4/3 peptides. We also speculate on how rational modification of alpha4/3 toxins may allow engineering of ligands with desired subtype specificities. The chemical diversity produced by the closely related animals in Stephanoconus is thus functionally differentiated, although structurally homologous.
Toughening Graphene With Topological Defects: A Perspective

The low fracture toughness of graphene has raised sharp questions about its strength in the presence of crack-like flaws. Here, we discuss a number of recent studies that suggest some promising routes as well as open questions on the possibility of toughening graphene with controlled distributions of topological defects.
Percutaneous Coil Embolization of Multiple Arteriovenous Malformations in Left Lung Causing Persistent Hypoxia

The patient was a 12-year-old boy who presented with shortness of breath on minimal activity and was diagnosed with multiple arteriovenous (AV) malformations in the left lung. Figure 1⇓ shows an AV …
Inhibition of Ethylene Biosynthesis and the Endogenous Ethylene and Chlorophyll Content of Poa pratensis Leaves Infected by Bipolaris sorokiniana

Summary The ethylene-biosynthesis-inhibiting substances CAN, AOA, AIB, CCCP, COCL, and PG were applied to roots of intact Poa pratensis to determine their ability to decrease endogenous ethylene production and subsequent chlorophyll (Chl) loss from leaves inoculated with Bipolaris sorokiniana. Endogenous ethylene of leaf blades was measured 24, 48, 72, and 96 h after inoculation, as pathogenesis progressed, and Chl content was determined at 96 h. Endogenous ethylene was significantly decreased at each 24-h sampling period by CAN, AOA, CCCP, and PG. Loss of Chl during pathogenesis was substantially decreased by CAN and AOA, but Chlloss in response to CCCP and PG did not differ from that of the untreated, inoculated control (43% of control). The differential response of Chlloss to the ethylene inhibitors suggests that substances blocking the conversion of AdoMet to ACC are more effective at decreasing the endogenous ethylene surge and preventing Chl loss during pathogenesis than are substances that block the conversion of ACC to ethylene. The ethylene and Chl responses are discussed relative to physiological manipulation of symptom expression.
Microelectrodes for studying neurobiology

Microelectrodes have emerged as an important tool used by scientists to study biological changes in the brain and in single cells. This review briefly summarizes the ways in which microelectrodes as chemical sensors have furthered the field of neurobiology by reporting on changes that occur on the subsecond time scale. Microelectrodes have been used in a variety of fields including their use by electrophysiologists to characterize neuronal action potentials and develop neural prosthetics. Here we restrict our review to microelectrodes that have been used as chemical sensors. They have played a major role in many important neurobiological findings.
On Selection and Combining of Relevance Indicators.

Abstract Identifying and representing the content of a document was, and still is, one of the main concerns of information retrieval systems. Representation of content is not dependent of the search strategy and other elements of information retrieval systems (IRS) but rather has some relationship with them. In the conventional IRS, each document in the file is characterized by one or more index terms which supposedly describe its content. Those terms are assigned from the natural language or from a pre-prepared list (Thesaurus). Over the years, other means of representing content were suggested. Also, attempts were made to combine several of them assuming independence. This paper discusses the attributes of the items in the data-base and their qualities. It seems that there is no single one which has all the desired qualities. If the attributes are not totally independent neither highly correlated then combining them in a certain way may increase effectiveness. The justification for this comes from the users' information seeking behavior—users are using index terms, author's names, citations, and other attributes in their searches. A model to accomodate the above hypothesis is formulated and the small experiment performed indicates that the hypothesis may be true, and this way of combining might improve effectiveness.
Empirical Evidence on the Functional Form of the Earnings-Schooling Relationship

Abstract This article presents empirical evidence on the correct functional form of the regression relationship between earnings as regressand and schooling and experience as regressors. Evidence from several bodies of data suggests that among simple transformations the natural logarithm of earnings is the correct dependent variable while the best simple specification of the regressors is one advanced by Jacob Mincer on theoretical grounds.
Association of hormone replacement therapy to estrogen and progesterone receptor status in invasive breast carcinoma

BACKGROUND Observational studies and randomized trials have demonstrated that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) increases the recipient's risk of developing breast carcinoma. Because it is known that some breast malignancies are hormonally responsive and that others are not, it has been hypothesized that HRT may be associated with the development of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive/progesterone receptor (PR)-positive breast carcinoma more so than with the development of ER-negative/PR-negative breast carcinoma. METHODS The Nurses' Health Study is a prospective cohort study that enrolled 121,700 female registered nurses ages 30–55 years in 1976. In the current study, the authors analyzed 2548 malignancies that developed among eligible postmenopausal women in that cohort between 1980 and 2000 and for which data on ER and PR status were available. RESULTS Compared with women who had never used HRT, current long-term users of HRT were more likely to develop ER-positive/PR-positive breast carcinoma (multivariate risk ratio [RR], 1.80; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.52–2.12) but were not any more likely to develop ER-negative/PR-negative disease (multivariate RR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.72–1.39). This effect grew stronger with increasing duration of current HRT use and was also more pronounced among women with body mass index < 25 kg/m2. Furthermore, the association between HRT use and ER-positive/PR-positive disease was stronger among patients receiving combined HRT (CHRT) regimens, which included estrogen and progesterone, than among users of estrogen alone (ERT). In addition, tumors tended to develop more quickly in current users of CHRT than in ERT users. CONCLUSIONS The finding that current users of HRT were more likely to develop ER-positive/PR-positive tumors than they were to develop ER-negative/PR-negative ones suggests that both endogenous and exogenous hormonal factors may influence breast tumor characteristics. In analyses of the effects of hormonal factors on breast tumor development, ER-positive/PR-positive tumors and ER-negative/PR-negative tumors should be considered separately from each other Cancer 2004. © 2004 American Cancer Society.
Robust quantile estimators for skewed populations

SUMMARY In this study we propose quantile estimators for a variety of skewed distributions. The proposed estimators are based on the biweight estimators for symmetric populations (Horn, 1988). These achieve good coverage across a wide variety of skewed populations, even for sample sizes as small as ten.
Hands-On Exploration of Parallelism for Absolute Beginners with Scratch

As the importance of parallel and distributed computing (PDC) continues to increase, there is great need to introduce core PDC topics very early in the study of computer science. Even students with absolutely no prior programming experience, and perhaps little expectation of long-term computer science study, need hands-on level-appropriate experience with PDC topics in order to be well-educated in computing today. This paper illustrates how to use the Scratch programming language to introduce parallelism concepts, including the use of parallelism and communication for clean solutions, race conditions, blocking and non-blocking commands, shared versus private variables, and producer-consumer algorithms.
Differential Regulation of Apolipoprotein-E Messenger RNA in Zona Fasciculata Cells of Rat Adrenal Gland Determined by in Situ Hybridization

Previous studies showed that apolipoprotein-E (apoE) mRNA is regulated in rat adrenal gland by treatments that alter adrenal gland cholesterol content and steroidogenesis. In the present study cell types expressing apoE mRNA were determined by in situ hybridizations using an [alpha-35S]UTP-labeled RNA probe. Autoradiographic grains were counted to compare apoE expression in adrenal glands from control and experimentally treated animals. In control adrenal gland, zona (z.) fasciculata and z. reticularis exhibited the highest level of apoE mRNA expression, with lower levels in z. glomerulosa and medulla. Dexamethasone (DEX) treatment selectively increased apoE mRNA 3-fold in outer z. fasciculata, but not in other adrenal zones. ApoE mRNA expression appeared to be lower in adrenal glands from 4-aminopyrazolopyrimidine-treated rats, in that differences among adrenal gland zones were abolished. DEX treatment increased adrenal gland cholesteryl ester and oil red O staining in z. fasciculata cells in which the apoE mRNA concentration was increased as well as in other cortical cells in which apoE mRNA was unchanged. Aminoglutethimide administration led to a large increase in oil red O staining throughout the cortex, including z. fasciculata, without affecting apoE mRNA expression. These data suggest that adrenal gland apoE mRNA expression is not closely coupled to cellular cholesterol concentrations. Increased apoE mRNA expression in z. fasciculata of DEX-treated animals suggests an inverse relationship between apoE mRNA concentration and the level of steroidogenesis. This result is consistent with the proposal that apoE may play a role in regulating the utilization of cholesterol for steroid production.
Stem Homograph Inhibition and Stem Allomorphy: Representing and Processing Inflected Forms in a Multilevel Lexical System☆☆☆

Abstract Two lexical decision experiments were carried out in Spanish in order to address questions about the processing and representation of morphologically complex words in the mental lexicon. Responses to targets (e.g., mor-os “Moors”) were found to be reliably slower and less accurate when they were preceded by stem homograph primes (mor-ir “to die”) compared to unrelated control primes (sill-a “chair”), and this inhibitory effect was over and above the marginal reaction time effect for morphologically unrelated primes that shared just as much left-to-right orthographic overlap with the target stem as the stem homograph primes (moral “moral”). We take this as evidence that the stem homograph effect is a direct consequence of morphological decomposition in lexical access. In a second experiment, an inhibitory effect was observed when the same targets were preceded by primes that were not themselves stem homographic with the target, but rather allomorphically related to stems that were stem homographs (muer-e “she/he/it dies”). Since target inhibition was found for primes whose inflectional stems are not strictly ambiguous at the level of form, this pattern of results provides evidence for morphologically abstract (lemma-like) representations that are engaged in lexical access at a form-neutral level of morpholexical processing.
First-forbidden unique β-decays in the Sr region

Abstract First-forbidden unique β-moments have been calculated for the following nuclear pairs: 88Rb-88Sr, 89Sr-89Y, 90Y-90Zr,90Sr-90Y. It is shown that, although the extreme shell model (without configuration mixing) is inadequate to explain the experimental data, very good agreement with experiment is achieved if one uses realistic shell-model wave functions.
The Diaphragms of Fenestrated Endothelia: Gatekeepers of Vascular Permeability and Blood Composition

Fenestral and stomatal diaphragms are endothelial subcellular structures of unknown function that form on organelles implicated in vascular permeability: fenestrae, transendothelial channels, and caveolae. PV1 protein is required for diaphragm formation in vitro. Here, we report that deletion of the PV1-encoding Plvap gene in mice results in the absence of diaphragms and decreased survival. Loss of diaphragms did not affect the fenestrae and transendothelial channels formation but disrupted the barrier function of fenestrated capillaries, causing a major leak of plasma proteins. This disruption results in early death of animals due to severe noninflammatory protein-losing enteropathy. Deletion of PV1 in endothelium, but not in the hematopoietic compartment, recapitulates the phenotype of global PV1 deletion, whereas endothelial reconstitution of PV1 rescues the phenotype. Taken together, these data provide genetic evidence for the critical role of the diaphragms in fenestrated capillaries in the maintenance of blood composition.
Sweat Tests in Patients with Diabetes Insipidus

Increased sweat chloride concentrations have been reported in patients with nephrogenic (NDI) but not central diabetes insipidus (CDI). To determine whether false-positive sweat tests also occur in CDI, six subjects with CDI had plasma electrolytes, osmolatities, and sweat tests performed before and after water deprivation. All subjects were hyperosmolar after dehydration (287 +/- 2.0 and 296 +/- 3.2 mosm/kg, plasma osmolality before and after dehydration, respectively; p = 0.02). Sweat chloride concentrations before and after dehydration were not different, and no positive sweat tests were observed. Sweat chloride concentrations after dehydration did not correlate with the degree of dehydration as assessed by either plasma sodium or plasma osmolality. We conclude that increased concentrations of chloride in sweat are not typically found in dehydrated subjects with CDI, although they have been reported in subjects with the nephrogenic form.
Economic evaluation of urban road schemes: Partial versus strategic appraisal

Abstract For practical and theoretical reasons it is desirable to measure benefits associated with elements of a road investment strategy. Partial methods of benefit evaluation are compared to full transportation study appraisal and sums of benefits to individual projects are compared to an overall appraisal of the strategy they compose. The results show that strategy rates of return mask considerable variations in the returns to its components. The different assumptions on the variability of travel demand embedded in partial and more general evaluation methods generate benefit differences which are consistent with the performance of an increasing cost system.
Grammatical Inference for Modeling Mobility Patterns in Networks

Modeling of the mobility patterns arising in computer networks requires a compact and faithful representation of the mobility data collected from observations and measurements of the relevant network applications. This data can range from the information on the mobility of the agents that are being monitored by a wireless network to mobility information of nodes in mobile network applications. In this paper, we examine the use of probabilistic context-free grammars as the modeling framework for such data. We present a fast algorithm for deriving a concise probabilistic context-free grammar from the given training data. The algorithm uses an evaluation metric based on Bayesian formula for maximizing grammar a posteriori probability given the training data. We describe the application of this algorithm in two mobility modeling domains: 1) recognizing mobility patterns of monitored agents in different event data sets collected by sensor networks, and 2) modeling and generating node movements in mobile networks. We also discuss the model's performance in simulations utilizing both synthetic and real-world mobility traces.
Integrity of Steel Single Plate Shear Connections Subjected to Simulated Column Removal

AbstractSteel gravity framing systems, one of the most commonly used structural systems in the United States, have an unknown resistance to collapse when a column suffers damage that compromises it...
Methods and applications for assembling large DNA constructs

The construction of large DNA molecules that encode pathways, biological machinery, and entire genomes has been limited to the reproduction of natural sequences. However, now that robust methods for assembling hundreds of DNA fragments into constructs > 20 kb are readily available, optimization of large genetic elements for metabolic engineering purposes is becoming more routine. Here, various DNA assembly methodologies are reviewed and some of their potential applications are discussed. We tested the potential of DNA assembly to install rational changes in complex biosynthetic pathways, their potential for generating complex libraries, and consider how various strategies are applicable to metabolic engineering.
A team-taught interdisciplinary approach to engineering ethics.

This paper outlines the development and implementation of a new course in Engineering Ethics at the University of Tennessee. This is a three-semester-hour course and is jointly taught by an engineering professor and a philosophy professor.
Human/Animal Body Imagery: Judgment of Mythological Hybrid (Part-Human, Part-Animal) Figures

Summary Thirty male and female undergraduates judged pictures of 32 mythological hybrid (part-human, part-animal) figures on three dimensions: human-ness/animality, unpleasantness, and incongruity. Winged humans were judged more human than erect animal-headed, human-bodied hybrids, which were in turn judged more human than hybrids which were neither erect nor bipedal. Humanness/animality ratings of the figures correlated + .83 with incongruity ratings and + .56 with unpleasantness ratings, while incongruity ratings correlated + .70 with unpleasantness ratings. Factor analyses of each set of ratings are reported. Ss asserted that humanness/animality ratings were especially influenced by such factors as the relative extent and number of a hybrid's human and animal body regions; the humanness/animality of a hybrid's head; the number of species which contribute components to a hybrid; replacement of a single midline body region by two bilaterally symmetrical body regions, and vice versa; and a hybrid's incong...
Substrate specificity of rat liver mitochondrial carnitine palmitoyl transferase I: evidence against α‐oxidation of phytanic acid in rat liver mitochondria

The two branched chain fatty acids pristanic acid (2,6,10,14-tetramethylpentadecanoic acid) and phytanic acid (3,7,11,15-tetramethylhexadecanoic acid) were converted to co-enzyme A thioesters by rat liver mitochondrial outer membranes. However, these branched chain fatty acids could not be converted to pristanoyl and phytanoyl carnitines, respectively, by mitochondrial outer membranes. As expected, the unbranched long chain fatty acids, stearic acid and palmitic acid, were rapidly converted to stearoyl and palmitoyl carnitines, respectively, by mitochondrial outer membranes. These observations indicate that the branched chain fatty acids could not be transported into mitochondria. The data presented strongly suggest that in rat liver, alpha-oxidation of phytanic acid occurs in organelles other than mitochondria.
When identities become modern: Japanese emigration to Brazil and the global contextualization of identity

Local immigrant histories cannot be truly understood unless they are contextualized within changing global conditions. The ethnic minority status and identity of the Japanese in Brazil have been historically constrained by Japan's changing position in the global order. Immigrants from Japan were officially accepted by the Brazilian government and treated with a certain respect in the early 1900s because of Japan's newly acquired global stature as an emerging industrial power. However, as Japan continued to rise in global status and eventually became an imperialist menace, the Japanese in Brazil were subject to ethnic repression, causing most of them to react by asserting an ultra-nationalist, Japanese identity in opposition to Brazilian discrimination. After a long period of post-war assimilation, the Japanese Brazilians are again asserting a "Japanese" ethnic identity because Japan's current position at the top of the global economic hierarchy has made their ethnic heritage a source of prestige and respe...
Reversal of amyloid beta toxicity in Alzheimer's disease model Tg2576 by intraventricular antiamyloid beta antibody.

There are considerable data on synaptic dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the precise molecular basis for synaptotoxicity in AD is not known. We tested the hypothesis that amyloid beta (Abeta), as produced in Tg2576 mice overexpressing a mutant form of amyloid precursor protein, leads to changes in SNAP-25, a molecule required for Ca-sensitive neurotransmitter vesicle exocytosis. Anti-Abeta antibody was injected into the third ventricle (icv) of 10-month-old Tg2576 mice, preceding formation of plaques. Immunodensity of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and SNAP-25 were quantitated in the hippocampus 1 month later. SNAP-25 was reduced by 96% in the inner molecular layer (SMi) of dentate gyrus, by 95% in the hilum, and by 75-76% in stratum lucidum (SL), stratum oriens (SO), and stratum radiatum (SR) of CA1-CA3 of the Tg2576 mice. GFAP was increased by more than 50-fold, specifically within the neuropil of CA1-CA3, and by twofold in portions of fimbria. One injection of 10 microg of anti-Abeta antibody into the third ventricle at 10 months completely prevented or restored changes in GFAP at 11 months of age. The restoration of SNAP-25 by anti-Abeta antibody compared with wild type was 69% in CA1-SO, 93% in CA1-SR, 85% in CA3-SL, 77% in SMi, and 60-73% in hilum. In addition, whereas control injections of saline or IgG produced greatly increased GFAP diffusely in the hippocampus of Tg2576 animals, there was no increase in GFAP after anti-Abeta injection, suggesting a synergistic interaction of nonspecific trauma with Abeta in the transgenic mice. This is the first report of depleted SNAP-25 immunoreactivity in Tg models and the first report of icv injection of anti-Abeta antibody in this model of AD. The largest reductions of the SNAP-25 are in hilum and SMi, so either reduction in the septal-hilum-SMi path is primary or reduction in this path begins at an earlier age than in CA3-CA1 fields. A single icv injection of anti-Abeta antibody is potent in reversing Abeta effects and, therefore, represents a suitable model for investigating early Abeta toxicity. In addition, intrathecal or icv antibody may be an efficient means of treating or preventing toxicity in AD, particularly under conditions of immune hyporesponsivity.
Hypoprothrombinemia and bleeding due to cefoperazone.

Excerpt To the editor: The use of third-generation cephalosporins to treat infections in seriously ill patients is increasing. Widespread use of these agents necessitates recognition of the potenti...
Capturing interfacial photoelectrochemical dynamics with picosecond time-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Time-resolved core-level spectroscopy using laser pulses to initiate and short X-ray pulses to trace photoinduced processes has the unique potential to provide electronic state- and atomic site-specific insight into fundamental electron dynamics in complex systems. Time-domain studies using transient X-ray absorption and emission techniques have proven extremely valuable to investigate electronic and structural dynamics in isolated and solvated molecules. Here, we describe the implementation of a picosecond time-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (TRXPS) technique at the Advanced Light Source (ALS) and its application to monitor photoinduced electron dynamics at the technologically pertinent interface formed by N3 dye molecules anchored to nanoporous ZnO. Indications for a dynamical chemical shift of the Ru3d photoemission line originating from the N3 metal centre are observed ∼30 ps after resonant HOMO–LUMO excitation with a visible laser pump pulse. The transient changes in the TRXPS spectra are accompanied by a characteristic surface photovoltage (SPV) response of the ZnO substrate on a pico- to nanosecond time scale. The interplay between the two phenomena is discussed in the context of possible electronic relaxation and recombination pathways that lead to the neutralisation of the transiently oxidised dye after ultrafast electron injection. A detailed account of the experimental technique is given including an analysis of the chemical modification of the nano-structured ZnO substrate during extended periods of solution-based dye sensitisation and its relevance for studies using surface-sensitive spectroscopy techniques.
Saccharin may act as a tumour promoter by inhibiting metabolic cooperation between cells.

The possible role of saccharin in the carcinogenic process is, at present, still unclear. Carcinogenesis is a complex process involving, in many test systems, initiation and promotion phases1. Current evidence favours the hypothesis that initiation is due to a mutagenic event, while promotion (at least the early portion) is the result of epigenetic changes2. Although saccharin has been reported to be a weak mutagen in various in vitro test systems and a weak initiator in mouse skin3–7, there is increasing evidence from in vitro, as well as in vivo, studies that it might act as a tumour promoter8–13, rather than as a mutagen14–19. Recently, L.P.Y. et al.20 and J.E.T. et al.21 developed an in vitro assay to detect tumour promoters, which has been independently reported by Murray and Fitzgerald22. The assay is based on the principle that phorbol ester-type tumour promoters block ‘metabolic cooperation’ or a type of cell–cell communication between cells. We report here a series of experiments demonstrating the elimination of metabolic cooperation in the hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HGPRT) system in Chinese hamster V79 cells, indicating that saccharin shares properties similar to those of other known promoters.
Possibility of controlled ejection of ferrofluid grains from a magnetically ordered ferrofluid using high frequency non-linear acoustic pulses - a particle dynamical study

Abstract We consider a model dilute ferrofluid that is subjected to a strong, homogeneous magnetic field directed perpendicular to the surface of the ferrofluid, such that there is a chain formation in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the liquid. We study the propagation of impulses generated at high-frequency across finite times through the ferrofluid chains. Our numerical analysis shows that a very high-frequency sequence of non-linear acoustic pulses of appropriate magnitudes, initiated at the base of the container, can lead to the ejection of desired number of ferrofluid grains through the liquid–air interface. The proposed mechanism, if successfully realized in the laboratory, could help design a nozzle-free, ultrafast, ink-jet printer of unparalleled resolution.