cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Premixed flame extinction by inert particles in normal- and micro-gravity

The extinction response of strained, atmospheric, premixed methane/air flames was studied experimentally and numerically in the presence of chemically inert particles. The experiments were conducted in normal- and micro-gravity using the opposed-jet configuration and by seeding the particles from the bottom burner. The numerical simulations were conducted by solving the conservation equations of mass, momentum, energy, and species with detailed descriptions of chemical kinetics, molecular transport, and thermal radiation for both phases, along the stagnation streamline of the counter-flow. The experimental data were compared with numerical simulations and insight was provided into the effects of equivalence ratio, strain rate, heat loss, particle size and type, gravity, and flame configuration. It has previously shown experimentally and numerically that for low strain rates larger particles can cool the flames more efficiently compared to smaller particles. Numerical simulations have further shown that this trend is reversed at high strain rates. This prediction was experimentally confirmed in the present study, which also revealed that the crossover point depends not only on the particle size but also on the equivalence ratio of the gas-phase. The micro-gravity experiments, the first ones to be ever conducted for dusty flows, were carried out on board the KC-135 aircraft. The experimental results confirm that the cooling effect of the particles is more profound in the absence of gravity. However, it was found that the effect of gravity on the flame cooling is not caused only by the effect that the gravitational forces have on the particle motion, as one would expect, but also on the effect of those forces on the particle number density distribution. Finally, comparisons between experimental and predicted extinction states were performed for the first time, revealing a close agreement given the various simplified assumptions that are associated with the numerical model. © 2002 by The Combustion Institute
Effects of Fluoride, Lithium, and Strontium on Intracellular Polysaccharide Accumulation in S. mutans and A. viscosus

Fluoride (5 mg/l) consistently depressed the accumulation of intracellular iodophilic polysaccharides (IPS) in Streptococcus mutans strains BHT, FA-1, and GS-5 by over 90% and in Actinomyces viscosus strain RC-45 by over 50%. There was little further reduction in IPS content when fluoride was increased from 5 to 100 mg/l. Lithium (0 to 1 mg/l) neither enhanced nor inhibited IPS accumulation, nor did it modify the inhibitory effects of fluoride in three of the four strains tested. Strontium (0 to 100 mg/l) did not alter IPS accumulation in S. mutans GS-5 but decreased accumulation (<10%) in S. mutans FA-1 and BHT and significantly enhanced IPS accumulation in A. viscosus RC-45. Analysis of variance indicated no statistically significant interactions between fluoride and strontium, fluoride and lithium, or strontium and lithium.
α-Synuclein Up-regulation and Aggregation during MPP+-induced Apoptosis in Neuroblastoma Cells INTERMEDIACY OF TRANSFERRIN RECEPTOR IRON AND HYDROGEN PEROXIDE

1-Methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+) is a neurotoxin that causes Parkinson's disease in experimental animals and humans. Despite the fact that intracellular iron was shown to be crucial for MPP+-induced apoptotic cell death, the molecular mechanisms for the iron requirement remain unclear. We investigated the role of transferrin receptor (TfR) and iron in modulating the expression of α-synuclein (α-syn) in MPP+-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis. Results show that MPP+ inhibits mitochondrial complex-1 and aconitase activities leading to enhanced H2O2 generation, TfR expression and α-syn expression/aggregation. Pretreatment with cell-permeable iron chelators, TfR antibody (that inhibits TfR-mediated iron uptake), or transfection with glutathione peroxidase (GPx1) enzyme inhibits intracellular oxidant generation, α-syn expression/aggregation, and apoptotic signaling as measured by caspase-3 activation. Cells overexpressing α-syn exacerbated MPP+ toxicity, whereas antisense α-syn treatment totally abrogated MPP+-induced apoptosis in neuroblastoma cells without affecting oxidant generation. The increased cytotoxic effects of α-syn in MPP+-treated cells were attributed to inhibition of mitogen-activated protein kinase and proteasomal function. We conclude that MPP+-induced iron signaling is responsible for intracellular oxidant generation, α-syn expression, proteasomal dysfunction, and apoptosis. Relevance to Parkinson's disease is discussed.
Endothelins stimulate the synthesis and release of prorenin from human decidual cells

The factors that regulate the synthesis and release of renin by human decidua and other extrarenal tissues are poorly understood. Recent studies have demonstrated that the potent vasoconstrictive peptide endothelin (ET) inhibits the release of renin from renal juxtaglomerular cells, probably by a calcium-dependent mechanism. To determine whether ET also influences the release of renin from decidual tissue, we have examined the effects of ET on the synthesis and release of renin by primary cultures of human decidual cells. Decidual cells exposed continuously to ET (10(-7) mol/L) for 96 h released significantly more renin than control cells. At 48, 72, and 96 h, the ET-exposed cells released 284, 645, and 1300% more renin, respectively, than control cells. Greater than 95% of the renin released into the medium was in the form of prorenin, the precursor of renin. The stimulation by ET was dose-dependent, with half-maximal stimulation at a concentration of 7 x 10(-9) mol/L. ET-2 and ET-3, as well as the precursor to ET (big ET), also stimulated renin release. The total amount of renin in the media and cells of ET-exposed decidual cells was significantly greater than that of control cells, indicating that the increase in renin release was accompanied by an increase in synthesis. In addition, Northern blot analysis of total RNA from cells exposed for 96 h to ET-1 (10(-7) mol/L) indicated that the renin messenger RNA content of ET-1-exposed cells was approximately 100 times greater than that of control cells. These results indicate that ET is a potent stimulus to the synthesis and release of prorenin from human decidua and that the effect of ET on decidual renin expression is opposite to that observed for the expression of renal renin.
Defining mechanisms of toxicity for linoleic acid monoepoxides and diols in Sf-21 cells.

Linoleic acid monoepoxides have been correlated with many pathological conditions. Studies using insect cells derived from Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf-21 cells) have suggested that conversion of the ...
Antarctic Bottom Water Warming and Freshening: Contributions to Sea Level Rise, Ocean Freshwater Budgets, and Global Heat Gain*

AbstractFreshening and warming of Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) between the 1980s and 2000s are quantified, assessing the relative contributions of water-mass changes and isotherm heave. The analysis uses highly accurate, full-depth, ship-based, conductivity–temperature–depth measurements taken along repeated oceanographic sections around the Southern Ocean. Fresher varieties of AABW are present within the South Pacific and south Indian Oceans in the 2000s compared to the 1990s, with the strongest freshening in the newest waters adjacent to the Antarctic continental slope and rise indicating a recent shift in the salinity of AABW produced in this region. Bottom waters in the Weddell Sea exhibit significantly less water-mass freshening than those in the other two southern basins. However, a decrease in the volume of the coldest, deepest waters is observed throughout the entire Southern Ocean. This isotherm heave causes a salinification and warming on isobaths from the bottom up to the shallow potential tem...
Defining and Calculating Self-Helicity in Coronal Magnetic Fields

We introduce two different generalizations of relative helicity which may be applied to a portion of the coronal volume. Such a quantity is generally referred to as the self-helicity of the field occupying the subvolume. Each definition is a natural application of the traditional relative helicity but relative to a different reference field. One of the generalizations, which we term additive self-helicity, can be considered a generalization of twist helicity to volumes which are neither closed nor thin. It shares with twist the property of being identically zero for any portion of a potential magnetic field. The other helicity, unconfined self-helicity, is independent of the shape of the volume occupied by the field portion and is therefore akin to the sum of twist and writhe helicity. We demonstrate how each kind of self-helicity may be evaluated in practice. The set of additive self-helicities may be used as a constraint in the minimization of magnetic energy to produce a piecewise constant-α equilibrium. This class of fields falls into a hierarchy, along with the flux-constrained equilibria and potential fields, of fields with monotonically decreasing magnetic energies. Piecewise constant-α fields generally have fewer unphysical properties than genuinely constant-α fields, whose twist α is uniform throughout the entire corona.
DIY identity kit: the Great American Lesbian Art Show.

The Great American Lesbian Art Show, which opened at the Woman's Building in Los Angeles in May 1980, was conceived to increase visibility for lesbian artists, and to forge bonds among lesbians across the United States. It comprised a curated Invitational of ten artists and scores of regional GALAS events mounted simultaneously by women from Boston to Honolulu. The art on view, documented in a slide archive, staged a critique of contemporary gender norms. Participating artists represented lesbian identities that claimed universality while they reflected the artists’ particularized experience of woman-identification and sexual desire.
Differences in expression of GABAA receptor subunits, but not benzodiazepine binding, in the chick brainstem auditory system.

Neurons in nucleus magnocellularis (NM) and nucleus laminaris (NL) of the chick brainstem auditory system show an unusual physiological response to GABA. Examination of these nuclei usingin situ hybridization for GABAA receptor subunits showed a differential expression of the γ2 and α1 subunits. The γ2 subunit was found in both NM and NL, but the α1 subunit was found in NL only. Like NL, other areas of the tissue section that showed labeling with the γ2 probe, such as the medial vestibular nucleus (VeM) and granule cells of the cerebellum (CB), also labeled with the α1 probe. Thus, given that NM labeled with the γ2 probe, the absence of the α1 subunit was unusual in this tissue. This difference in subunit composition suggests that there may also be a difference in GABA receptor function in NM compared to these neighboring areas. One feature of the GABAA receptor believed to be related to the presence of γ2 and α1 subunits is specific pharmacological properties of the benzodiazepine modulatory site. It has been proposed that the α1 subunit is necessary for producing a GABAA receptor with a benzodiazepine site that has Type I binding characteristics. The present experiments challenge this hypothesis. Based on the differential presence of the α1 subunit, one would expect that GABA receptors in NM would show different benzodiazepine binding properties than NL, VeM, and CB. However, displacement of3H-flunitrazepam binding using CL 218,872, which differentiates between the Type I and Type II receptors, showed no difference between these areas. Additionally, the relatively high affinity for CL 218,872 suggests that even NM contains Type I receptors.
Response of intersegmental knee loads to foot/pedal platform degrees of freedom in cycling

Abstract The hypothesis tested in this article was that the three-dimensional intersegmental knee loads would be reduced in cycling by foot/pedal platforms which permitted relative motion between the foot and pedal. To test this hypothesis, pedal load and lower limb kinematic data were collected from 11 subjects who pedaled with four foot/pedal platforms mounted on a six-load-component dynamometer. One of the four platforms did not allow any relative foot/pedal movement while the other three permitted either medial/lateral translation, adduction/abduction rotation or inversion/eversion rotation. Three-dimensional intersegmental knee loads were computed for each of the four platforms using a previously reported biomechanical model. A number of quantities describing each of the intersegmental knee load components was computed and compared using analysis of variance techniques. The key results were that the medial/lateral translation platform did not cause significant differences in intersegmental knee load quantities relative to those for the fixed platform. However, both of the platforms permitting rotations significantly reduced many but did not significantly increase any intersegmental knee load quantities. Of these two platforms, the adduction/abduction platform significantly reduced both the axial and varus/valgus knee moments while the inversion/eversion platform significantly reduced only varus/valgus moments. These results have application to bicycle pedal design where the goal is to reduce intersegmental knee loads, hence possibly alleviating overuse knee injuries.
Cosmology: Enigma at the heart of the Universe

Mario Livio enjoys a tour of modern astronomy that speculates on how black holes drive cosmic evolution.
Cell-to-cell and systemic movement of recombinant green fluorescent protein-tagged turnip crinkle viruses.

To facilitate analyses of turnip crinkle virus (TCV) cell-to-cell and systemic movement, we created a series of recombinant viruses expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) either as substitutions of coat protein (CP) sequences or as fusions to movement proteins (MPs). Constructs were used to inoculate leaves of Arabidopsis seedlings. TCV carrying its two native MPs and GFP fused near the start of CP translation (GFP DeltaCP) resulted in cell-to-cell movement manifested by the expansion of fluorescent foci on inoculated leaves. GFP fusions to either MP were inactive for movement. However, TCV carrying the p9-GFP fusion, which expresses a functional p8 gene, could be complemented for cell-to-cell movement by coinoculation with virus carrying native p9 but mutant for p8. This same coinoculation combination also lead to systemic spread of GFP fluorescence to noninoculated leaves, as the complementing virus carries native CP. Complementation for systemic movement of virus carrying GFP DeltaCP constructs was achieved by inoculation onto transgenic plants expressing TCV CP. GFP-tagged TCV movement was detected throughout the plant, including the inflorescence stem, cauline leaves, flowers, siliques, and substructures such as organ primordia and meristematic regions. The recombinant viruses described herein provide (1) genetic information relevant to define regions of TCV that can, or cannot, be manipulated by insertion of foreign coding sequences and (2) a set of tools to allow the study of viral cell-to-cell and long-distance movement in the model plant system Arabidopsis.
Maneuvering Flight Control

The development of control laws for maneuvering e ight, specie cally, a high-amplitude velocity vector roll, is addressed. The plant model has seventh-order nonlinear dynamics with coupled pitch and lateral directional dynamics. Using time scale separation and pointwise linearization about nonequilibria trajectories, a receding horizon linear quadratic optimal control law with full state feedback is synthesized on-line. Also on-line, the pilot inputs are modie ed using linear programming to prevent actuator rate saturation over the optimization horizon. The nonlinear control law performance is demonstrated in a e ghter aircraft simulation with a rudder failure during a loaded roll maneuver. The performance of the controller during aggressive pitch and yaw maneuvers is also demonstrated. The work described in this paper is cone ned to model-based receding horizon optimal control law synthesis; one will rely on on-line system identie cation to provide the failed aerodynamic stability and control derivatives, thus achieving indirect adaptive control.
Waterbirth: An Integrative Analysis of Peer‐Reviewed Literature

Introduction Despite a growing body of evidence for waterbirth safety, a myriad of political and cultural issues result in limited use in US hospitals compared to other developed nations. The purpose of this article is to critically analyze the evidence on maternal and neonatal outcomes of waterbirth to help inform evidence-based clinical practice in the United States. Methods A literature search was performed using electronic databases CINAHL, Ovid MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, and PsycINFO. Thirty-eight studies, including 2 randomized controlled trials and 36 observational studies, were reviewed. Studies were conducted in 11 countries, mostly outside the United States. More than 31,000 waterbirths were described. Results Aggregate results suggest that waterbirth is associated with high levels of maternal satisfaction with pain relief and the experience of childbirth, and may increase the likelihood of an intact perineum. Waterbirth is associated with decreased incidence of episiotomy and severe perineal lacerations, and may contribute to reduced postpartum hemorrhage. Data indicate no difference in maternal or neonatal infection rates or nursery admissions after waterbirth. Neonatal mortality rates are low and similar after waterbirth and uncomplicated conventional birth. The calculated cord avulsion rate is 2.4 per 1000 waterbirths; it is unknown how this compares to conventional birth due to a lack of data that permits direct comparison. Discussion The majority of waterbirth research to date is observational and descriptive; thus, reported outcomes do not demonstrate causal associations. However, existing evidence is reassuring. Case-controlled studies have included thousands of women who gave birth underwater without an apparent increase in maternal or neonatal morbidity or mortality. Potential risks associated with waterbirth for women and neonates appear minimal, and outcomes are comparable to those expected in any healthy childbearing population.
Continuous fermentation for the production of citric acid from glucose

Citric acid is finding new areas of use each year and the demand for the acid is constantly increasing. Being a bulk chemical, the continuous production of citric acid would be advantageous. The paper presents the results from ammonia limited batch and continuous fermentations using the yeast strainSaccharomycopsis (Candida) lipolytica (NRRL Y-7576). Mathematical models were developed for growth and glucose utilization in batch and continuous culture. Cell and acid yields appeared to be almost the same in batch and continuous culture. The specific production rates were found to be constant, equal to 0.053 g/g h, in the batch fermentations but varied in the continuous experiments from 0 to 0.11 g/g h depending on the fermentation conditions. Continuous production in a single stage CSTR was studied for over 1,000 hours without shutdown.
Mental Health and Rural America: A Decade Review*

ABSTRACT: This article reviews research findings in rural mental health services during the past 10 years. Specifically considered are the prevalence of mental disorder in rural areas and aspects of the organization of mental health services delivery. Gaps in knowledge are identified and a research agenda is proposed.
Transcutaneous Neural Stimulation for Relief of Pain

Transcutaneous neural stimulation is a relatively new method of pain control, the short- and long-term success of which has yet to be fully documented. In this study, electrical stimulus parameters and electrode locations were carefully monitored in 23 patients who received satisfactory relief of chronic pain with electrical stimulation. These patients were chosen from 100 patients treated with this modality on a trial basis. Analysis demonstrates that a large percentage of patients have good to excellent pain relief by employing electrical parameters within restricted ranges.
Correlations of photoluminescence with defect densities in semi-insulating gallium arsenide

Room-temperature luminescence response to a Kr-Ar laser has been used to obtain two-dimensional dislocation maps of LEC GaAs wafers by rastering the laser beam across a wafer surface and storing the response in a computer for subsequent display. One-dimensional line scans of photoluminescence can also be made and indicate a high degree of correlation with the dislocation density. Epitaxial layers, however, show almost no correlation between PL and dislocations and are much "brighter" than bulk-grown material, while Cr-doped HB wafers show only a slight correlation and are much "dimmer" than LEC material. A degradation of luminescence with time is observed when the laser beam is maintained on a single spot, and this decrease is faster as the incident power is increased. Surface recombination, nonradiative recombination, and refractive index variations have been investigated to explain the PL behavior and the result is that non-radiative recombination (or radiative recombination at energies less than I.1 eV) is dominant, and that the effect of dislocations in LEC material is to getter nonradiative recombination centers.
Instances of Decision Theory in Plato’s Alcibiades Major and Minor , and in Xenophon’s Memorabilia

This chapter discusses Socrates’ use of hypothetical choices as an early version of what was to become in the twentieth century the discipline of decision theory as expressed by one of its prominent proponents, F.P. Ramsey. Socrates’ use of hypothetical choices and thought experiments in the dialogues is a way of reassuring himself of an interlocutor’s philosophical potential. For example, to assess just how far Alcibiades is willing to go to attain his goal of being a great Athenian leader, we employ Ramsey’s concept of Mathematical Expectation. Mathematical Expectation operates on the assumption that it is not enough to measure probability; we must also measure our belief to apportion our belief to the probability. In other words, it illustrates how strongly or to what degree a person holds a particular belief. If a person’s belief in X lacks enough doubts to cancel the belief out, the probability of his acting on this belief is higher than if his belief in X was plagued by a greater number of doubts.
Regulation of Smad3 expression in bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis: a negative feedback loop of TGF-β signaling

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is a multifunctional cytokine involved in controlling critical cellular activities including proliferation, differentiation, extracellular matrix production, and apoptosis. TGF-β signals are mediated by a family of Smad proteins, of which Smad2 and Smad3 are downstream intracellular targets of serine/threonine kinase receptors of TGF-β. Although Smad2 and Smad3 are crucial for TGF-β signaling, little is known about the regulation of their expression. In this study, we investigated the expression of Smad2 and Smad3 in an in vivo animal model of lung fibrosis induced by bleomycin. We found that the expression of Smad3 was regulated in lungs during bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis. The decline of Smad3 mRNA was evident at day three of post-bleomycin instillation and the expression of Smad3 continually decreased during the reparative phase of lung injury (days 8 and 12), whereas the expression of Smad2 showed little change after bleomycin administration. We further investigated whether the expression of Smad3 was regulated by TGF-β in an in vitro lung fibroblast culture system. Our results show an immediate translocation of Smad3 protein from the cytoplasm to the nucleus and a delayed down-regulation of Smad3 mRNA by TGF-β in lung fibroblasts. These studies provide direct evidence for a differential regulation of Smad3 expression that is distinct from that of Smad2 during bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis and suggest a ligand-induced negative feedback loop that modulates cellular TGF-β signaling.
Analogy between Fresnel diffraction and generalized radiance

An analogy between the generalized radiance from a planar Lambertian source and the Fresnel diffraction amplitude from a plane aperture of the same size and shape as the source is exhibited.
HSV LAT AND NEURONAL SURVIVAL

Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) establishes a latent infection within sensory neurons and periodically reactivates in response to stress. HSV's ability to inhabit neurons for the life of the host involves a number of virally encoded functions that tightly regulate the latency-reactivation cycle, preventing uncontrolled spread of reactivating virus and large-scale death of neurons. The HSV latency-associated transcript (LAT) is a complex transcription unit expressed primarily in neurons containing latent genomes. While mutational analyses indicate LAT is nonessential for viral replication, the 5' exon of LAT greatly enhances reactivation. Several studies have also identified LAT mutations that reduce establishment of latency and enhance virulence. Recently, LAT has also been shown to inhibit cell death through by blocking caspase-8 and caspase-9 pathways. While blocking apoptosis is not essential for either establishment of latency or reactivation, it likely augments these processes and may contribute to HSV's long-term persistence and spread.
Pump-probe study of plasma generated with linear and circularly polarized filaments in nitrogen

We study the dynamics of the plasma generated with 800nm filaments of 60fs in a pump-probe system in nitrogen cell. We see the effect of molecular revival and plasma dynamics on beam profile and spectrum.
SOME COMMENTS ON DR. STEIN'S CRITIQUE OF MY ACCOUNT OF ASCH'S SOCIAL-PRESSURE STUDIES

Stein's criticisms of Gleitman's description of Asch's classic group-pressure studies in his undergraduate text, Psychology, are in part useful and in part off the mark as further information indic...
A system for example-based programming

We present an approach to programming environments that integrates syntax-directed editors with concepts borrowed from software reuse. We call our approach example-based programming, and we define it as programming using examples as visual aids or to fully or partially copy into programs. To implement an example-based programming environment, we augmented a syntax-directed editor with a window for example programs. The example programs, which are easily accessible, can be used as examples of language constructs, thus providing syntactic information through instantiations of templates, or as examples of algorithms or programs. The code in the example window can be viewed, totally or partially copied, or run. We discuss the motivation for example-based programming, describe our system implementing example-based programming in greater depth, and report on the results of an experiment to see how the system is used by programmers.
An NMR study of the phosphoglucose and phosphoribose isomerase reactions.

Abstract Examination of the NMR proton signals arising from C-1 of D , as it is formed from D in deuterium oxide via the phosphoglucose isomerase reaction verify that the transformation occurs by a combination of C-2 proton exchange with solvent, and intramolecular hydride transfer from C-1 of the ketose to C-2 of the aldose and, in addition, indicates the stereospecific formation of D from D during the interconversion. The NMR method was also applied to the phosphoribose isomerase system, but, because of the nature of the NMR spectrum of D , only proton exchange at C-2 could be absolutely verified.
PARP-1 Hyperactivation and Reciprocal Elevations in Intracellular Ca2+ During ROS-Induced Nonapoptotic Cell Death

The generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of renal ischemia/reperfusion injury, and many other pathological conditions. DNA strand breaks caused by ROS lead to the activation of poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase-1 (PARP-1), the excessive activation of which can result in cell death. We have utilized a model in which 2,3,5-tris(glutathion-S-yl)hydroquinone (TGHQ), a nephrotoxic and nephrocarcinogenic metabolite of hydroquinone, causes ROS-dependent cell death in human renal proximal tubule epithelial cells (HK-2), to further elucidate the role of PARP-1 in ROS-dependent cell death. TGHQ-induced ROS generation, DNA strand breaks, hyperactivation of PARP-1, rapid depletion of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), elevations in intracellular Ca(2+) concentrations, and subsequent nonapoptotic cell death in both a PARP- and Ca(2+)-dependent manner. Thus, inhibition of PARP-1 with PJ34 completely blocked TGHQ-mediated accumulation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymers and NAD consumption, and delayed HK-2 cell death. In contrast, chelation of intracellular Ca(2+) with BAPTA completely abrogated TGHQ-induced cell death. Ca(2+) chelation also attenuated PARP-1 hyperactivation. Conversely, inhibition of PARP-1 modulated TGHQ-mediated changes in Ca(2+) homeostasis. Interestingly, PARP-1 hyperactivation was not accompanied by the translocation of apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) from mitochondria to the nucleus, a process usually associated with PARP-dependent cell death. Thus, pathways coupling PARP-1 hyperactivation to cell death are likely to be context-dependent, and therapeutic strategies designed to target PARP-1 need to recognize such variability. Our studies provide new insights into PARP-1-mediated nonapoptotic cell death, during which PARP-1 hyperactivation and elevations in intracellular Ca(2+) are reciprocally coupled to amplify ROS-induced nonapoptotic cell death.
Mid-year appropriations in georgia: allocating the “surplus”

Utilizing appropriations data, this article analyzes the mid-year budget amendment process in Georgia. Economic factors are found to account for a sustained pattern of budget expansion from one year to the next between 1977 and 1986. Revenue estimating practices are found to contribute to mid-year increases in state agency appropriations. Patterns of agency success in the mid-year budget amendment are found to be associated with success in the previous mid-year amendment. The article concludes that legislators, the executive, and executive branch agencies have come to regard the mid-year budget amendment as a regular part of the state's budgetary process.
Chemotaxis in cancer

Chemotaxis of tumour cells and stromal cells in the surrounding microenvironment is an essential component of tumour dissemination during progression and metastasis. This Review summarizes how chemotaxis directs the different behaviours of tumour cells and stromal cells in vivo, how molecular pathways regulate chemotaxis in tumour cells and how chemotaxis choreographs cell behaviour to shape the tumour microenvironment and to determine metastatic spread. The central importance of chemotaxis in cancer progression is highlighted by discussion of the use of chemotaxis as a prognostic marker, a treatment end point and a target of therapeutic intervention.
Optimization of RF-Sputtered ITO Films for High NIR Transparency at Low Deposition Temperature

Sn-doped indium oxide (ITO) films deposited at temperatures <250°C by r.f. magnetron sputtering are investigated for use as transparent back-contact electrodes to CdS/CdTe top cells in two-junction, mechanically stacked tandem-cell designs. Results show that carrier mobility increases with substrate temperature while beneficial changes in carrier activation occurs at a substrate temperature ~230°C. Small additions of oxygen to the sputtering environment are effective at reducing near infrared (NIR) absorption. Control of these deposition parameters has produced ITO films with NIR absorption (860–1300 nm) < 10%, and electrical resistivity of <1x10-3 ohm-cm.
An efficient routing tree construction algorithm with buffer insertion, wire sizing and obstacle considerations

We propose a fast algorithm to construct a performance driven routing tree with simultaneous buffer insertion and wire sizing in the presence of wire and buffer obstacles. Several algorithms (J. Lillis et al., 1996; M. Hrkic et al., 2001, 2002; X. Tang et al., 2001) have been published addressing the routing tree construction problem. But all these algorithms are slow and not scalable. We propose an algorithm, which is fast and scalable with problem size. The main idea of our approach is to specify some important high-level features of the whole routing tree so that it can be broken down into several components. We apply stochastic search to find the best specification. Since we need very few high-level features, the size of stochastic search space is small which can be searched in very less time. The solutions for the components are either pregenerated and stored in lookup tables, or generated by extremely fast algorithms whenever needed. Since it is efficient to obtain solutions for components, it is also efficient to construct and evaluate the whole routing tree for each specification. Experimental results show that, for trees of moderate size, our algorithm is at least several hundred times faster than the recently proposed algorithms. Experimental results also show that the trees generated by our algorithm have almost same delay and resource consumption as the trees generated by SP-tree.
The meaning of the point of maximum oscillations in cuff pressure in the indirect measurement of blood pressure--part ii

When measuring blood pressure indirectly, oscillations in the cuff pressure are observed. The cuff pressure for which these oscillations reach a maximum and its relationship to the true mean arterial pressure was investigated using a simple one-dimensional theoretical model of the cuff-arm-artery system. Results from this model indicate that the cuff pressure for maximal oscillation is strongly dependent on compression chanber air volume, pulse pressure, and arterial elasticity. Parallel experimental studies indicate general agreement with the theoretical model. The cuff pressure for maximal oscillations appears to provide a reasonable estimation of the true mean arterial pressure provided compression chamber air volume is kept small.
Odyssey of a community psychologist practitioner.

SUMMARY Carolyn Swift has pioneered new professional roles in unconventional settings, including a Midwestern city hall and an interactive TV network. Her career-long interest in the prevention of rape began when she learned of the sexual abuse of adolescent males in the city's jail, and projected the long-term implications of such abuse for reducing its incidence in future generations. She explored the use of QUBE, an experimental interactive TV network, as a platform for teaching prosocial behavior to children-a preliminary step in violence prevention. Empowering women and men in relationships was a theme throughout her career. Her life path reflects her challenge as an early feminist-to combine a devotion to family with a passion to build a more just world.
Photosensitization of pyrimidine dimer splitting by a covalently bound indole.

— Photosensitized pyrimidine dimer splitting characterizes the enzymatic process of DNA repair by the DNA photolyases. Possible pathways for the enzymatic reaction include photoinduced electron transfer to or from the dimer. To study the mechanistic photochemistry of splitting by a sensitizer representative of excited state electron donors, a compound in which an indole is covalently linked to a pyrimidine dimer has been synthesized. This compound allowed the quantitative measurement of the quantum efficiency of dimer splitting to be made without uncertainties resulting from lack of extensive preassociation of the unlinked dimer and sensitizer free in solution. Irradiation of the compound with light at wavelengths absorbed only by the indolyl group (approximately 280 nm) resulted in splitting of the attached dimer. The quantum yield of splitting of the linked system dissolved in N20-saturated aqueous solution was found to be 0.04 ± 0.01. The fluorescence typical of indoles was almost totally quenched by the attached dimer. A splitting mechanism in which an electron is efficiently transferred intramolecularly from photoexcited indole to ground state dimer has been formulated. The surprisingly low quantum yield of splitting has been attributed to inefficient splitting of the resulting dimer radical anion. Insights gained from this study have important mechanistic implications for the analogous reaction effected by the DNA photolyases.
Revisiting the S-Au(111) interaction: Static or Dynamic?

The chemical inertness typically observed for Au does not imply a general inability to form stable bonds with non-metals but is rather a consequence of high reaction barriers. The Au-S interaction is probably the most intensively studied interaction of Au surfaces with non-metals as, for example, it plays an important role in Au ore formation, and controls the structure and dynamics of thiol-based self-assembled-monolayers (SAMs). In recent years a quite complex picture of the interaction of sulfur with Au(111) surfaces emerged, and a variety of S-induced surface structures was reported under different conditions. The majority of these structures were interpreted in terms of a static Au surface, where the positions of the Au atoms remain essentially unperturbed. Here we demonstrate that the Au(111) surface exhibits a very dynamic character upon interaction with adsorbed sulfur: low sulfur coverages modify the surface stress of the Au surface leading to lateral expansion of the surface layer; large-scale surface restructuring and incorporation of Au atoms into a growing two-dimensional AuS phase were observed with increasing sulfur coverage. These results provide new insight into the Au-S surface chemistry, and reveal the dynamic character of the Au(111) surface.
Analysis of heat-affected zone phase transformations using in situ spatially resolved x-ray diffraction with synchrotron radiation

Spatially resolved X-ray diffraction (SRXRD) consists of producing a submillimeter size X-ray beam from an intense synchrotron radiation source to perform real-time diffraction measurements on solid materials. This technique was used in this study to investigate the crystal phases surrounding a liquid weld pool in commercial purity titanium and to determine the location of the phase boundary separating the high-temperature body-centered-cubic (bcc) β phase from the low-temperature hexagonalclose-packed (hcp) α phase. The experiments were carried out at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory (SSRL) using a 0.25 × 0.50 mm X-ray probe that could be positioned with 10-µm precision on the surface of a quasistationary gas tungsten arc weld (GTAW). The SRXRD patterns were collected using a position-sensitive photodiode array in a φ-2φ geometry. For this probe size, integration times of 10 s/scan at each location on the specimen were found adequate to produce high signal-to-noise (S/N) ratios and quality diffraction patterns for phase identification, thus allowing real-time diffraction measurements to be made during welding. The SRXRD results showed characteristic hcp, bcc, and liquid diffraction patterns at various points along the sample, starting from the base metal through the heat-affected zone (HAZ) and into the weld pool, respectively. Analyses of the SRXRD data show the coexistence of bcc and hcp phases in the partially transformed (outer) region of the HAZ and single-phase bcc in the fully transformed (inner) region of the HAZ. Postweld metallographic examinations of the HAZ, combined with a conduction-based thermal model of the weld, were correlated with the SRXRD results. Finally, analysis of the diffraction intensities of the hcp and bcc phases was performed on the SRXRD data to provide additional information about the microstructural conditions that may exist in the HAZ at temperature during welding. This work represents the first directin situ mapping of phase boundaries in fusion welds.
Asymmetric Synthesis, Structure, and Reactivity of Unexpectedly Stable Spiroepoxy-β-Lactones Including Facile Conversion to Tetronic Acids: Application to (+)-Maculalactone A

A novel class of small spirocyclic heterocycles, spiroepoxy-β-lactones (1,4-dioxaspiro[2.3]-hexan-5-ones), is described that exhibit a number of interesting reactivity patterns. These spiroheterocycles, including an optically active series, are readily synthesized by epoxidation of ketene dimers (4-alkylidene-2-oxetanones) available from homo- or heteroketene dimerization. An analysis of bond lengths in these systems by X-ray crystallography and comparison to data for known spirocycles and those determined computationally suggest that anomeric effects in these systems may be more pronounced due to their rigidity and may contribute to their surprising stability. The synthetic utility of spiroepoxy-β-lactones was explored, and one facile rearrangement identified under several conditions provides a three-step route from acid chlorides to optically active tetronic acids, ubiquitous heterocycles in bioactive natural products. The addition of various nucleophiles to these spirocycles leads primarily to addition...
The genetic basis of uric acid variance

SLC2A9 is a newly identified urate transporter influencing serum urate concentration, urate excretion and gout Vitart et al. (2008) Nature Genetics 40(4): 437–442 SLC2A9 influences uric acid concentrations with pronounced sex-specific effects Doring et al. (2008) Nature Genetics 40(4): 430–436
Calibration of polarimetric radar systems with good polarization isolation

A practical technique is proposed for calibrating single-antenna polarimetric radar systems using a metal sphere plus any second target with a strong cross-polarized radar cross section. This technique assumes perfect isolation between antenna ports. It is shown that all magnitudes and phases (relative to one of the like-polarized linear polarization configurations) of the radar transfer function can be calibrated without knowledge of the scattering matrix of the second target. Comparison of the values measured (using this calibration technique) for a tilted cylinder in the X-band with theoretical values shows agreement within +or-0.3 dB in magnitude and +or-5 degrees in phase. The radar overall cross-polarization isolation was 25 dB. The technique is particularly useful for calibrating a radar under field conditions, because it does not require the careful alignment of calibration targets. >
Multifocal interferometric synthetic aperture microscopy

There is an inherent trade-off between transverse resolution and depth of field (DOF) in optical coherence tomography (OCT) which becomes a limiting factor for certain applications. Multifocal OCT and interferometric synthetic aperture microscopy (ISAM) each provide a distinct solution to the trade-off through modification to the experiment or via post-processing, respectively. In this paper, we have solved the inverse problem of multifocal OCT and present a general algorithm for combining multiple ISAM datasets. Multifocal ISAM (MISAM) uses a regularized combination of the resampled datasets to bring advantages of both multifocal OCT and ISAM to achieve optimal transverse resolution, extended effective DOF and improved signal-to-noise ratio. We present theory, simulation and experimental results.
Why should marketing and manufacturing work together?: Some exploratory empirical results

Abstract This paper presents an exploratory investigation of the manufacturing/marketing (hereafter M/M) interface. Drawing on the literature and prior empirical work in M/M strategies, we propose a path model for assessing the mediating impact of the M/M interface harmony—the functions’ ability to work together—on M/M morale and business performance. Using two convenience samples of executives, we empirically test the direct and indirect influence of predisposing factors (antecedents) and performance outcomes (consequences) that are expected theoretically to influence or be influenced by M/M interface harmony. We find that 11 of the 13 hypothesized direct effects are significant at the 0.012 level or below; and attesting to the mediating influence of the M/M ability to work together, 11 of the 12 indirect effects were significant at the 0.02 level or below. Increasing the emphasis on the importance of marketing or manufacturing, or both, improves the ability of both functions to work harmoniously, which in turn impacts M/M morale. Interfunctional harmony appears to have a stronger influence on each function’s morale than the importance attached to that function, ceteris paribus. Contrary to conventional wisdom, the study provides insight on the distinctive roles whereby marketing and manufacturing functions influence performance. Marketing acts to improve competitive position and profitability through the mediating influence of M/M interface harmony and improved marketing morale. However, manufacturing morale was not shown to be a significant factor impacting performance. Rather, emphasis on manufacturing impacts competitive position directly, as indicated by the resource-based view of manufacturing strategy. This exploratory study provides new empirical evidence that the M/M interface harmony, as expressed by the functions’ ability to work together, matters significantly to business outcomes directly and indirectly.
Foliar uptake, carbon fluxes and water status are affected by the timing of daily fog in saplings from a threatened cloud forest.

In cloud forests, foliar uptake (FU) of water has been reported for numerous species, possibly acting to relieve daily water and carbon stress. While the prevalence of FU seems common, how daily variation in fog timing may affect this process has not been studied. We examined the quantity of FU, water potentials, gas exchange and abiotic variation at the beginning and end of a 9-day exposure to fog in a glasshouse setting. Saplings of Abies fraseri (Pursh) Poir. and Picea rubens Sarg. were exposed to morning (MF), afternoon (AF) or evening fog (EF) regimes to assess the ability to utilize fog water at different times of day and after sustained exposure to simulated fog. The greatest amount of FU occurred during MF (up to 50%), followed by AF (up to 23%) and then EF, which surprisingly had no FU. There was also a positive relationship between leaf conductance and FU, suggesting a role of stomata in FU. Moreover, MF and AF lead to the greatest improvements in daily water balance and carbon gain, respectively. Foliar uptake was important for improving plant ecophysiology but was influ enced by diurnal variation in fog. With climate change scenarios predicting changes to cloud patterns and frequency that will likely alter diurnal patterns, cloud forests that rely on this water subsidy could be affected.
The value of block release policies in surgical settings

Before the day of surgery, it is common for hospitals to take advantage of block release time in order to better fill operating rooms (ORs) and increase room utilization levels. Surgery groups are forced to release unscheduled OR time, which then becomes available for other groups to use. In this paper, we investigate release policies based on various surgery arrival distributions, capacity levels, and case durations. We show the tradeoffs of different policies involving assigned block and open posting rooms' utilization levels and number of cases not accommodated in the schedule. Our results show that block release has a minor benefit for services with high room utilization (at or above 80%). Services with lower room utilizations may benefit from release, but one must consider whether to use block release or to reallocate the service's block time.