cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A method for extracting intact chloroplast and cytoplasmic ribosomal RNA from leaves.

Abstract A method is described for extracting intact chloroplast and cytoplasmic ribosomal RNA from leaves of two higher plant species. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (1%) and 25 mM magnesium ions are required to inhibit ribonuclease action during RNA purification by phenol deproteinization. The ethanol-precipitated RNA product, including 23s chloroplast ribosomal RNA, is completely stable during electrophoresis in the absence of magnesium ions, even in the presence of EDTA. The in vivo mole fraction of chloroplast ribosomes relative to cytoplasmic ribosomes is estimated. Bentonite is shown to cause preferential losses of chloroplast RNA during extraction.
Legal Interpreting: An Emerging Profession

of immigrant residents. Nowhere is this barrier more evident than in the legal system. The significant increase in the need for judiciary interpreters in courts throughout the country has paralleled the rise of this immigrant population (16: p. 286). As demand has grown for interpreter services, so too has the realization that persons devoted to this occupation need considerably more skills than simply speaking two languages. Serious attention currently focuses on issues which will accelerate the professionalization of legal interpretation: 1) establishment of education and training programs; 2) development of certification procedures; and 3) promotion of community awareness of the importance of court interpreting and of the skills required to render these services effectively. Increased interest in legal interpretation has also generated a number of questions concerning this occupation: 1) What services do legal interpreters perform? 2) What skills must they possess? 3) How great is the need for such services? 4) Can one train for a career in this field? 5) Is legal interpretation and translation a profession? If so, 6) what qualifies the practitioners of this occupation as professionals? This paper attempts to answer these questions by providing a comprehensive overview of the historical and social events that have contributed to the current state of the art. TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETATION DEFINED
Enzymatic incorporation of multiple dyes for increased sensitivity in QD-FRET sensing for DNA methylation detection.

DNA methylation is an epigenetic modification that occurs at 5′ cytosine in CpG dinucleotides and is observed in high frequency in the transcription promoter regions of tumor-suppressor genes.[1,2] Such changes account for the loss of function of tumor-suppressor genes for almost every type of cancer;[3] and more genes are inactivated by promoter hyper-methylation than by genetic mutations.[4] These abnormal epigenetic changes appear to be an early event that precedes the occurrence of genetic mutations.[5-8] Hence, detecting DNA promoter methylation has significant clinical and prognostic implications for early cancer detection. Methylation-specific PCR (MSP) remains one of the most widely used methods for the sensitive detection of DNA methylation,[9] but requires gel electrophoresis and is limited to qualitative analysis. Fluorescence-based MSP variants[10,11] utilize fluorescent probes for real-time detection, thereby facilitating high-throughput and quantitative detection of DNA methylation. In recent years, quantum dots (QDs) have emerged as promising fluorophores for biological sensing due to their unique spectroscopic properties, such as broad excitation spectra, narrow size-tunable emission wavelengths, and high photostability. QDs have also been used as FRET donors to detect biomolecular targets.[12-15] The large Stokes shift and narrow emission spectra of QDs allow for FRET with a significantly reduced acceptor excitation and spectral crosstalk, and thus permits the design of QD-FRET biosensors with the minimal background necessary for detecting targets at low-concentration.[13,16] Recently, this feature of low intrinsic background of QD-FRET facilitated the development of a methylation-detection method that achieves greater sensitivity over conventional MSP methods, as exemplified by analyzing sputum samples from lung cancer patients.[16]
Treatment of Palatal Myoclonus with Botulinum Toxin Injection

Palatal myoclonus is a rare cause of pulsatile tinnitus in patients presenting to the otolaryngology office. Rhythmic involuntary contractions of the palatal muscles produce the pulsatile tinnitus in these patients. Treatment of this benign but distressing condition with anxiolytics, anticonvulsants, and surgery has been largely unsuccessful. A few investigators have obtained promising results with botulinum toxin injection into the palatal muscles. We present a patient with palatal myoclonus who failed conservative treatment with anxiolytics. Unilateral injection of botulinum toxin into her tensor veli palatini muscle under electromyographic guidance resolved pulsatile tinnitus in her ipsilateral ear and unmasked pulsatile tinnitus in the contralateral ear. A novel method of following transient postinjection symptoms using a diary is presented in this study. Botulinum toxin dose must be titrated to achieve optimal results in each individual patient, analogous to titrations done for spasmodic dysphonia. Knowledge of the temporal onset of postinjection side effects and symptomatic relief may aid physicians in dose titration and surveillance. We present suggestions on titrating the botulinum toxin dose to optimal levels. A review of the literature on the use of botulinum toxin for palatal myoclonus and some common complications are discussed.
Opportunities for low-cost CO2 storage demonstration projects in China

Several CO2 storage demonstration projects are needed in a variety of geological formations worldwide to prove the viability of CO2 capture and storage as a major option for climate change mitigation. China has several low-cost CO2 sources at sites that produce NH3 from coal via gasification. At these plants, CO2 generated in excess of the amount needed for other purposes (e.g., urea synthesis) is vented as a relatively pure stream. These CO2 sources would potentially be economically interesting candidates for storage demonstration projects if there are suitable storage sites nearby. In this study a survey was conducted to estimate CO2 availability at modern Chinese coal-fed ammonia plants. Results indicate that annual quantities of available, relatively pure CO2 per site range from 0.6 to 1.1 million tonnes. The CO2 source assessment was complemented by analysis of possible nearby opportunities for CO2 storage. CO2 sources were mapped in relation to China's petroliferous sedimentary basins where prospective CO2 storage reservoirs possibly exist. Four promising pairs of sources and sinks were identified. Project costs for storage in deep saline aquifers were estimated for each pairing ranging from $15–21/t of CO2. Potential enhanced oil recovery and enhanced coal bed methane recovery opportunities near each prospective source were also considered.
PEDESTRIAN AVOIDANCE FOR UNMANNED GROUND VEHICLES BASED ON VELOCITY OCCUPANCY SPACE

Velocity Occupancy Space (VOS) is an algorithm used to perform real-time moving obstacle avoidance for Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs). Pedestrian safety and comfort must be ensured by the guidance algorithm when UGVs operate near pedestrians. Studies on human interactions are used to formulate desired behavior of the UGV as it avoids people. Then, VOS is enhanced with improved avoidance behavior. We investigate three potential methods for enhancing pedestrian safety and comfort. To study the effect of these enhancements, numerical simulations of a large set of randomly generated scenarios. The number of collisions, and minimum required opening width, were used to characterize the performance of each avoidance enhancement technique. Two of the methods eliminate collisions with pedestrians; the preferred technique, which artificially enlarges the size of detected pedestrians, accomplishes this consistently.
Sublimation Vapor Pressures as Evaluated by Correlation-Gas Chromatography

Vapor pressures of the liquid phase obtained by correlation-gas chromatography are used in conjunction with experimental fusion enthalpies to calculate sublimation vapor pressures of a number of compounds including n-alkanes, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, aromatic heterocyclic compounds, and polycyclic hydrocarbons. Vapor pressures at the fusion temperature, Tfus, calculated from vapor pressure equations generated by this technique and obtained by extrapolation, are used to evaluate vaporization enthalpies at Tfus. The sublimation enthalpy at Tfus is obtained from the sum of the experimental fusion enthalpy and vaporization enthalpy. The vapor pressure at Tfus, used as an approximation of the triple-point vapor pressure, combined with the sublimation enthalpy and a heat capacity adjustment is used to calculate sublimation vapor pressures as a function of temperature. Calculated sublimation vapor pressures extrapolated to near ambient temperatures compare with experimental values to within a factor of three.
Calculation of one-electron properties from SCF Xα SW functions for H2O

Abstract One-electron properties calculated from SCF Xα SW/MT and near-HF functions for water are compared. A regional orbital analysis is used to assess the differences between the functions.
Novel imaging strategies for assessment of cerebrovascular involvement.

There is an important correlation between vascular risk factors and nonspecific imaging findings in the brain such as white-matter hyperintensities. These vascular risk factors are also associated with dementia and lesser forms of cognitive impairment. One hypothesis is that these vascular risk factors lead to disruption of connective networks in the central nervous system that are supported by myelinated white-matter fibers, which in turn lead to deficits in functional signaling between various brain regions. Another possibility is an alteration of the neurovascular coupling due to vascular risk factors. This reduced functional signaling contributes to the cognitive deficits in persons harboring these vascular risk factors. Lifestyle changes may restore some of these functional deficits through brain plasticity. It is imperative that preclinical diagnostic techniques are developed to identify these early brain changes in persons harboring vascular risk factors, as such efforts may improve primary and secondary prevention efforts. Recently developed imaging techniques may provide objective imaging biomarkers to measure the structural and functional brain changes in persons with vascular risk factors and resulting subclinical atherosclerotic disease. This article reviews a few of these novel imaging techniques. Mt Sinai J Med 79:674–682, 2012. © 2012 Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Structured Covariance Estimation: Theory, Application, and Recent Results

The maximum-likelihood approach to structured covariance estimation and spectrum estimation has wide applicability in time series analysis, spectroscopy, adaptive beamforming and detection, remote sensing, radio astronomy, and radar imaging. Standard structured covariance EM algorithm with full model matrices is computationally demanding. Computational requirements drastically reduced when model matrices are sparse. Sparse structure may be achieved through appropriately chosen data preprocessing. We are investigating application in problem of airborne radar imaging from multiple viewpoints, previously computationally unrealistic
Solar cycle evolution of the structure of magnetic clouds in the inner heliosphere

Nearly ten years of continuous magnetic field observations by the Pioneer Venus spacecraft allows us to study the correlation between the structure of magnetic clouds in the inner heliosphere and the phase of the solar cycle. Fifty-six magnetic clouds have been identified in the PVO data at .7AU during 1979–1988. As this period spans nearly two solar maxima and one solar minimum we can study the evolution of the structure of these magnetic clouds through varying solar activity and under various orientations of the coronal streamer belt. Until shortly after the 1979 solar maximum the majority of clouds had an initially southward magnetic field which turned northward as the cloud was traversed, while in the period leading up to the 1988 solar maximum the majority had a northward field that turned southward. In the declining phase of solar activity magnetic clouds continued to occur, but only a minority can be classified as having south-to-north and north-to-south rotations. The majority of these clouds occurred with the field remaining entirely north or south relative to the solar equator. These results confirm observations using Helios and ISEE data indicating that the structure of magnetic clouds varies in response to changes in the magnetic structure of the source region. By interpreting these observations to imply that the leading magnetic field in magnetic clouds is controlled by the polarity of the sun's global field and that the inclination of the coronal streamer belt controls the axis of symmetry of the clouds, we can predict preferred magnetic cloud structure and orientation during varying phases of the solar cycle. The helicity of the observations does not seem to be ordered by the solar cycle.
Response to Altruistic Opportunities in Urban and Nonurban Settings

Summary A field experiment utilizing three dependent measures was conducted to test the generality of the urban incivility hypothesis: interaction between strangers is less civil, helpful, and cooperative in an urban environment than in a nonurban environment. One hundred sixteen field situations were enacted in Boston and in several small towns in eastern Massachusetts and involved requests for assistance by a wrong-number phone caller, overpayments to store clerks, and “lost” postcards. For each measure, the likelihood of help was greater in the nonurban than in the urban locales.
Routine thyroid screening in psychiatric inpatients

Routine thyroid screening tests are frequently ordered in psychiatric hospitals but there is no substantial evidence to justify this practice. Furthermore, there is little evidence to substantiate the belief that thyroid disease is more commonly associated with mood disorders than other psychiatric disorders. The few reports available do not take age and sex into account. The authors attempted to clarify both of these issues. A retrospective review of 3,188 psychiatric inpatient charts was conducted to determine the usefulness of routine thyroid junction tests (TFTs). While 25% of this population exhibited some abnormality in TFTs, the majority were judged insignificant. There was a 2.5% prevalence of thyroid disease and a 0.5% incidence of newly diagnosed thyroid disease based solely on screening TFTs. There was a significant relationship between mood disorders and thyroid disease with age and sex held constant. The prevalence of thyroid disease in psychiatric patients is consistent with the general population. Since there was a significant relationship between mood disorders and thyroid disease, if screening TFTs are performed, they may be most appropriate in this group. Whether routine TFTs should or should not be done on all psychiatric inpatients is not answered with this study. Depression 1:143–148 (1993). © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Cytokines and chemokines: roles in the pathophysiology and therapy of ischemia and reperfusion injury

Purpose of reviewIschemia and reperfusion injury is a major obstacle in organ transplantation and the focus of considerable research. Minimizing the morbidity and mortality associated with graft tissue damage during ischemia and reperfusion injury is of enormous clinical importance. This review exam
FYNagling divergent adhesive functions for Fyn in keratinocytes.

Fyn, a member of the Src family kinases (SFKs), has been shown to play important yet contradictory roles in keratinocyte (KC) adhesion. During KC differentiation, physiological activation of Fyn results in the formation of adherens junctions, recruiting junctional components and inducing signaling pathways that control the differentiation program. However, in KC transformation and oncogenesis, increased Fyn activity has been implicated in the dissolution of adhesion structures and an increased migratory phenotype. Fyn activity is also associated with both the formation and dissolution of focal adhesions, and to a lesser extent hemidesmosomes and desmosomes. This viewpoint article aims to reconcile these disparate bodies of literature regarding Fyn's role in cell–cell and cell-matrix adhesion by proposing several alternative, testable hypotheses that unify Fyn's fractured functions.
Local contribution to the Lefschetz fixed point formula

For a class of self-correspondencesC calledweakly hyperbolic, we give a computable formula for the contribution of a fixed point component to the Lefschetz number ofC. The formula applies to Lefschetz numbers of cohomology with coefficients in a constructible complex of sheaves (such as intersection homology).
A systematic evaluation of Schwann cell injection into acellular cold-preserved nerve grafts

Peripheral nerve regeneration after injury depends on environmental cues and trophic support. Schwann cells (SCs) secrete trophic factors that promote neuronal survival and help guide axons during regeneration. The addition of SCs to acellular nerve grafts is a promising strategy for enhancing peripheral nerve regeneration; however, inconsistencies in seeding parameters have led to varying results. The current work sought to establish a systematic approach to seeding SCs in cold-preserved acellular nerve grafts. Studies were undertaken to (1) determine the needle gauge for optimal cell survival and minimal epineurial disruption during injection, (2) track the seeded SCs using a commercially available dye, and (3) evaluate the seeding efficiency of SCs in nerve grafts. It was determined that seeding with a 27-gauge needle resulted in the highest viability of SCs with the least damage to the epineurium. In addition, Qtracker® dye, a commercially available quantum dot nanocrystal, was used to label SCs prior to transplantation, which allowed visualization of the seeded SCs in nerve grafts. Finally, stereological methods were used to evaluate the seeding efficiency of SCs in nerve grafts immediately after injection and following a 1- or 3-day in vitro incubation in SC growth media. Using a systematic approach, the best needle gauge and a suitable dye for SC visualization in acellular nerve grafts were identified. Seeding efficiency in these grafts was also determined. The findings will lead to improvements ability to assess injection of cells (including SCs) for use with acellular nerve grafts to promote nerve regeneration.
Effects of Waterbody Type and Management Actions on Bluegill Growth Rates

Abstract Managers have conducted a number of activities to improve the growth rates of bluegill Lepomis macrochirus. However, attempts to compare the effectiveness of management actions often ignore basic differences in growth related to the type of water body in which populations reside. Bluegill age and growth data were collected from four different water body types in Nebraska between 1994 and 2001. Model analysis detected significant differences in the previous year's growth increments by water body type. When compared with other water body types, growth increments were greater in Sandhill lakes for age-2 and age-3 bluegills and mean length at capture was greater for age −6 and −7 bluegills. Several significant age × management activity interactions were detected within water body types. The application of supplemental feed and the absence of gizzard shad Dorosoma cepedianum increased bluegill growth increments in borrow and sand– gravel mining pits, while in flood control reservoirs, the presence of ...
The effect of ruthenium red and NEM on lithium efflux from human erythrocytes.

The lithium pump in intact human erythrocytes which has previously been shown to be repressed following lithium carbonate ingestion by manicdepressive subjects is now shown to be inhibited selectively by N-ethylmaleimide and ruthenium red, both of which are known to inhibit the erythrocyte Ca pump. It is proposed that active lithium efflux is linked to the concurrent operation of the calcium pump.
Parricidal Implications of Off-Campus Engineering Education

Existing pressures resulting from the need for stronger university-industry cooperation have created, among other aspects, a concerted demand from industry for more offcampus participation by the universities. After reviewing briefly the major historical changes which have established the tradition and purposes of university patterns of education, this paper warns of the philosophic and altruistic threat which the trend to off-campus education portends. If pursued too enthusiastically, it could well prove to destroy the particular uniqueness upon which a university depends for its existence; this is tantamount to parricide.
A protein alignment scoring system sensitive at all evolutionary distances

Protein sequence alignments generally are constructed with the aid of a “substitution matrix” that specifies a score for aligning each pair of amino acids. Assuming a simple random protein model, it can be shown that any such matrix, when used for evaluating variable-length local alignments, is implicitly a “log-odds” matrix, with a specific probability distribution for amino acid pairs to which it is uniquely tailored. Given a model of protein evolution from which such distributions may be derived, a substitution matrix adapted to detecting relationships at any chosen evolutionary distance can be constructed. Because in a database search it generally is not known a priori what evolutionary distances will characterize the similarities found, it is necessary to employ an appropriate range of matrices in order not to overlook potential homologies. This paper formalizes this concept by defining a scoring system that is sensitive at all detectable evolutionary distances. The statistical behavior of this scoring system is analyzed, and it is shown that for a typical protein database search, estimating the originally unknown evolutionary distance appropriate to each alignment costs slightly over two bits of information, or somewhat less than a factor of five in statistical significance. A much greater cost may be incurred, however, if only a single substitution matrix, corresponding to the wrong evolutionary distance, is employed.
Under colonialism to democratization: Early childhood development in Ghana

This work chronicles the phases of early childhood development in Ghana. This West African country experienced a change in education after the inception of colonialism. Education of the very young became a part, though limited, of the missionary-based education system under colonialism. The country moved from colonialism to a republic form of government in 1957. The republic was determined and did prepare to educate the masses, including very young Ghanaians. Several military governments followed and educating the young continued, though with little or no financial support from the government. Democratization occurred in 1992 and the care and education of the very young has become a process that is financed through governmental and privatized efforts.
The Middle-Income Trap: Implications for the Chinese Economy

A March gathering in China, organized by the China Development Forum, brought together leading global economic and business experts, as well as leading Chinese party members and technocrats. There ...
CMA the Key Equipment for Condition Monitoring in Power Transmission and Transformation System

Condition Monitoring Agent (referred to as CMA) inherits and develops the concept of "concentrator" and "monitoring station", and play a connective role in the condition monitoring field of power transmission and transformation system. This paper describes the various concepts associated with the CMA and the CMA's design principles, general requirements and functional design.
Erosion-corrosion of Ti-6Al-4V in elevated temperature air environment

Abstract The erosion-corrosion behavior of Ti-6A1-4V exposed to air environment up to 800°C has been studied. Erosion experiments were performed in a sand-blast type of test rig at seven different temperatures. The specimens were heat treated by annealing and solution treating and aging. The target specimens were eroded with 120 grit silicon carbide particles at impact velocities from 55 to 110 m s−1 and impingement angles from 10 to 90°. The oxidation behavior was studied by scanning electron microscopy and the deformation characteristics of oxide scales by static indentation tests. The morphological features of eroded surfaces were studied by scanning electron microscopy. It was found that erosion rate increased with temperature from 200 to 800°C where the increase in erosion rate with temperature was fairly rapid from 650 to 800°C. Oxidation was also fairly high in this temperature range and the interaction between erosion and corrosion was quite significant.
Medicaid Nursing Facility Rates, Capacity, and Utilization: A Structural Analysis

This analysis extends earlier work using national data to examine Medicaid nursing facility (NF) utilization (participants per aged population) and its interrelationships with Medicaid per diem NF reimbursement rates and NF bed capacity, using state-level data over 19 years to estimate two-stage structural equations. Findings demonstrate complex relationships among these factors. Reimbursement rates showed no demonstrable impact on utilization but positive effects on beds. Beds, in turn, positively predict utilization and negatively predict rates. Findings suggest that policy makers might focus on constraining Medicaid NF costs through controlling bed stock rather than by keeping rates lower, which can have untoward effects on quality and equity.
Coupled thermogravimetry, mass spectrometry, and infrared spectroscopy for quantification of surface functionality on single-walled carbon nanotubes

We have successfully applied coupled thermogravimetry, mass spectrometry, and infrared spectroscopy to the quantification of surface functional groups on single-walled carbon nanotubes. A high-purity single-walled carbon nanotube sample was subjected to a rapid functionalization reaction that attached butyric acid moieties to the nanotube sidewalls. This sample was then subjected to thermal analysis under inert desorption conditions. Resultant infrared and mass spectrometric data were easily utilized to identify the desorption of the butyric acid groups across a narrow temperature range and we were able to calculate the degree of substitution of the attached acid groups within the nanotube backbone as 1.7 carbon atoms per hundred, in very good agreement with independent analytical measurements made by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The thermal analysis technique was also able to discern the presence of secondary functional moieties on the nanotube samples that were not accessible by ICP-OES. This work demonstrates the potential of this technique for assessing the presence of multiple and diverse functional addends on the nanotube sidewalls, beyond just the principal groups targeted by the specific functionalization reaction.
Forgetting Freshwater: Technology, Values, and Distancing in Remote Arctic Communities

Technology is often touted as a collective solution to environmental problems. However, what if technology results in trade-offs in long-term resilience that ultimately pose a critical vulnerability for society? In this study, we examine the change in values of freshwater from traditional to convenience-oriented values in remote, resource-dependent communities that are in the process of modernization. Individuals living in remote resource-dependent communities in Alaska were interviewed and asked a series of questions concerning their values toward freshwater and the importance of those values. As age of the individual decreased, traditional-subsistence values of water diminished, and both convenience and recreational values of water increased. Individuals from communities without municipal water systems expressed greater traditional-subsistence values and less convenience-oriented values than individuals from communities with municipal water systems. The data presented suggest that as communities increas...
Grammar Texts and Workbooks? Banished to the Storeroom!.

The most effective way to teach grammar, mechanics, and usage to secondary LD students is through the writer's own work.
How employee involvement affects union commitment

I assess how employee involvement programs affect union commitment attitudes. Analysis of 229 survey responses indicates that participation attitudes have no effect on union commitment levels; previous participation has a positive effect; and organizational commitment has a negative effect. A similar pattern was observed on four subscales of union commitment: union loyalty, responsibility to the union, willingness to work for the union, and belief in unionism.
Effects of existing substructure on shock-twinning behaviour of iron

Prestraining of iron prior to shock-loading inhibits the formation of shock twins because in the presence of mobile dislocations fewer twins are needed to complement slip in accommodating the imposed strain rate, i.e., fewer twins nucleate when mobile dislocations are present. The propagation characteristics of a twin are not altered significantly by prestraining except that the twin usually fragments when it interacts with the substructure. Eine Vorbelastung von Eisen vor einer Stosbelastung behindert die Ausbildung von Stos-Zwillingen, da durch die Anwesenheit beweglicher Versetzungen weniger Zwillinge zur Erganzung der Gleitung bei der Anpassung an die erzeugende Belastungsrate benotigt werden, d. h. es bilden sich weniger Zwillinge, wenn bewegliche Versetzungen anwesend sind. Die Ausbreitungscharakteristiken eines Zwillings werden durch die Vorbelastung nicht wesentlich geandert, bis auf die Tatsache, das der Zwilling gewohnlich zerbricht, wenn er mit der Unterstruktur wechselwirkt.
In vivo identification of muscarinic receptors on rat colonic epithelial cells binding of [3H]-quinuclidinyl benzilate

(1) We have demonstrated that intravenously administered [3H]-quinuclidinyl benzilate binds to rat colonic and ileal epithelial cells. The binding was prevented by pretreatment with atropine and QNB. (2) Binding was stereoselective in favor of dexetimide, the biologically more active optical isomer of benzetimide. (3) The results with intestinal epithelial cells were qualitatively the same as those obtained using heart and gut muscle as controls. (4) QNB inhibited pilocarpine-induced fluid accumulation in ligated gut segments. (5) The results support the concept that cholinergic receptors, which mediate intestinal secretion, exist on rat intestinal epithelial cell membranes.
The Therapeutic Potential of Intracellular Antibodies

Antibody engineering techniques permit the exploitation of the highly specific and diverse nature of the humoral immune system. Intracellular antibodies, consisting minimally of the antigen-binding domains of the parent immunoglobulin protein, may be used to manipulate microbial and cellular target molecules. Applications of this technology described to date include inhibition of replication of an infectious virus, downregulation of growth factor receptors, and inactivation of oncoproteins in cell culture systems. The ability to functionally manipulate virtually any target molecule using intracellular antibodies is clearly beneficial to basic science and molecular medicine.
Clinical review 69 : evaluation of hypocalcemia in children and adults

H YPOCALCEMIA is an important clinical entity frequently diagnosed in both hospitalized adults and children, especially as measurements of serum calcium have been routinely performed during the past 20 yr. Hypocalcemia has received much less attention than hypercalcemia, but is almost certainly more common. Studies on rare patients with hypocalcemia have led to insights into the normal physiology of calcium homeostasis and the mechanisms of action of hormones that control calcium homeostasis, particularly PTH and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 11,25-(OH),Dl.
Distance Model Conceptualization for the Stone-Coles Method of Multidimensional Scaling

A rationale is presented which suggests that the Stone-Coles multidimensional scaling paradigm can be interpreted in terms of providing distances within a metric space.
Size distribution of acidic sulfate ions in fine ambient particulate matter and assessment of source region effect

Abstract Human exposure studies strongly suggested that the fine fraction of ambient particulate matter (PM) and its associated acidic sulfates are closely correlated with observed adverse health effects. Acidic sulfates are the products of atmospheric sulfur dioxide oxidation and neutralization processes. Few data are available on the amount and size distribution of acidic sulfates within the fine fraction of ambient PM. Knowledge of this distribution will help to understand their toxic mechanisms in the human respiratory tract. The goals of this research were: (1) to measure the size distribution of hydrogen ion, sulfate, and ammonium within the fine fraction of the ambient aerosol in air masses originating from different source regions; and (2) to examine the effect of the source region and the seasons on the sampled PM composition. Six size fractions within the fine ambient PM were collected using a micro-orifice impactor. Results from 30 sampling sessions demonstrated that higher total concentrations of these three ions were observed during the warm months than during the cold months of the year. Size distribution results show that the midpoint diameter of the fraction of particles with the largest fraction of hydrogen, sulfate and ammonium ions was 0.38 μm. Although most of the mass containing hydrogen and sulfate ions was measured in the fraction of particles with 0.38 μm midpoint diameter, the ultrafine fraction ( Air mass back trajectories were used to identify the source region of the sampled aerosols. No apparent source region effect was observed in terms of the distribution profile of the ions. However, samples collected from air masses that originated from, or passed over, high sulfur dioxide emission areas demonstrated higher concentrations of the different ions.
Contact propagation: Percolation and other scaling regimes.

We examine the scaling behavior of stirred percolation and first-passage percolation systems in which cluster contact is rate limiting with respect to propagation or transport. For the scaling regime near the static percolation threshold, we provide details of previously reported computational estimates of the ``propagation exponent,'' and we present results for several variants of the stirred percolation model and for a first-passage percolation model. Five additional scaling regimes are predicted, three of which are verified computationally. Applications to combustion, diffusion-limited aggregation, gasification of porous solids, and crack propagation in solids are discussed.
An alternative pathway of histone mRNA 3′ end formation in mouse round spermatids

During mammalian spermiogenesis, the post-meiotic stage of spermatogenesis, histones are replaced by protamines on the DNA. Despite this histone elimination, novel polyadenylated histone transcripts were detected in mouse round spermatids. Sequence analysis of a spermatid-specific H2a cDNA clone indicated that it was derived from a mRNA of a replication-dependent histone gene even though its transcript was not polyadenylated in somatic and earlier spermatogenic cells. In round spermatids, both the hairpin and purine-rich elements in the 3' untranslated region of the somatic pre-mRNA were retained in the mature poly(A)+ mRNA transcripts. Polyadenylation occurred downstream of the purine-rich element and was not preceded by the somatic AATAAA polyadenylation signal sequence. While polyadenylated histone transcripts from replication-dependent genes have been observed previously in somatic cells, characteristics of this type of 3'-end formation in mammalian round spermatids were unique. In particular, a specific replication-dependent H2a gene was transcribed either as a polyadenylated or non-polyadenylated transcript in these cells, suggesting that the type of transcript present was dependent on the RNA sequence. Finally, both poly(A)- and poly(A)+ mRNAs were found on polyribosomes from round spermatids, indicating that histones were being translated in these cells and that the polyadenylation status of these transcripts did not affect their translatability.
Thermally Indirect Motions in the Convective Atmospheric Boundary Layer

Abstract The energetics of the dry convective boundary layer is studied by partitioning the turbulent heat flux into thermally indirect (w′θ′ 0) components as a function of z/Zi. It is found that except for the inversion transition region, the thermally direct and indirect fluxes each have linear profiles. The integrated profiles indicate that a fraction A of the buoyant production of thermal kinetic energy is available to do the work of entrainment, where A is the boundary layer entrainment coefficient. A simple mixing analysis shows that this would require the integrated production of energy due to surface heating to be independent of the entrainment process. Sub-partitioning the thermally indirect flux into two components (w′ 0 and w′>0, θ′<0) reveals that an upward flux of cold air is the dominant thermally indirect term throughout the bulk of the mixed layer. Further, in the inversion transition layer the measured negative mean entrainment beat flux (w′θ′)i is princ...
A Distributed Topic-Based Pub/Sub Method for Exhaust Data Streams towards Scalable Event-Driven Systems

Distributed pub/sub messaging has become indispensable for event-driven systems. There are methods for achieving high scalability regarding topic-based pub/sub by using structured overlay networks. However, these methods waste network resources concerning "exhaust data," which have low or no value most of the time. There are at least two problems: each publisher node continues to forward data to a relay node even if there are no subscribers, and multicast trees are constructed which are excessively large for low value data, namely having a small number of subscribers. In this paper, we formulate the requirements of overlay networks by defining a property called "strong relay-free" as an expansion of relay-free property, and propose a practical method satisfying the property by using Skip Graph. The proposed method involves publishers and subscribers composing connected sub graphs to enable detecting the absence of subscribers and autonomously adjusting the tree size. Through simulation experiments, we confirmed that the proposed method can suspend publishing adaptively, and shorten the path length on multicast trees by more than 75% under an experimental condition with 100,000 nodes. The proposed method is competent for decentralized event-driven systems with encouraging the locally produced data to be consumed locally.
Electronic Properties of Liquid Metals

It is shown that an approximation for the $n$-body ionic correlation permits the generalization of nearly free-electron formulas for some of the electronic properties of liquid metals. The electrical resistivity is considered in detail and it is shown that a result identical in form to that due to Ziman can be obtained, but in terms of an effective potential involving both the electron-ion potential and the static structure factor. Some further assumptions are necessary for this effective potential to be approximately evaluated. The numerical work strongly indicates that the effective potential differs little from the commonly used pseudopotentials. Finally, generalized expressions are obtained for the electrical resistivity and Knight shift for liquid metal alloys.
Sample Thickness Measurement with THz-TDS: Resolution and Implications

The accuracy of any measurement with terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) depends strongly on knowing and supplying the precise sample thickness when processing the raw terahertz data. Sample thickness usually is estimated using other (non-THz) metrology and invariably involves some degree of uncertainty. It turns out that the terahertz data itself typically also contains information regarding sample thickness. However, there is limited systematic work addressing the following questions: What is the best method for extracting sample thickness from THz-TDS data? And, what is the thickness resolution obtainable with THz-TDS? In this study we demonstrate how these questions can be answered in general by answering them for a specific example: undoped silicon wafers. We determine the accuracy with which the exact thickness of nominally 500 μm silicon wafers can be measured using transmission mode THz-TDS. We analyze and compare the resolution of 5 different approaches for determining sample thickness using THz-TDS data, including two new methods and three methods proposed in the literature. The quantitative results and analyses of methods we present will be useful in developing far-infrared optical metrology. Conversely the quantitative results presented can be used to relate uncertainty in sample thickness to uncertainty in the measured terahertz data both in the time domain and frequency domain (phase and amplitude). Finally, a precise understanding of the relationship between sample thickness and THz-TDS data can be used to formulate superior THz-TDS data work-up methodologies.
Spectrophotometric studies of food colors in near-critical carbon dioxide

Abstract The feasibility of using pressurized carbon dioxide as an extraction solvent for food colors has been investigated by semi-quantitative solubility tests in liquid C02 on a variety of permitted food colors. Tests included the effect of using non-toxic entrainers at low levels. The solubilities of some of the colors in liquid and supercritical C02 have been more accurately determined spectrophotometrically using a high-pressure optical cell: the carotenoids and chlorophylls show limited solubility, which is enhanced by increasing the pressure or the temperature or both. The spectra of the carotenoids indicate that CO2 is a weakly interacting solvent, but their solutions in CO2 display pressure- and temperature-dependant solvatochromism.
The Diurnal Cycle of Water and Energy over the Continental United States from Three Reanalyses

The Continental United States summertime diurnal surface and column-integrated atmospheric water and energy components are compared among three reanalyses. The strengtJh of the diurnal solar forcing leads to consistent phases among surface energy components across the continent and all reanalyses, but the amplitudes vary widely. This forcing has a particularly strong and direct impact on the surface energy cycle, but interacts with many aspects of the surface and column-integrated water and energy cycles through dynamical convergence, leading to large diurnal fluctuations in the atmospheric reservoir of water vapor and total dry energy. Although they are negligible on timescales greater than a year, the tendency terms of the water and energy budgets at the surface and in the atmosphere are important on the diurnal scale. The North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) displays a diurnal circulation pattern centered over Northern Texas that links together regional patterns in the diurnal cycles of assimilated precipitation. Constructed vapor flux convergences from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction/Department of Energy (NCEP/DOE) Reanalysis-2 Global Spectral Model and the Experimental Climate Prediction Center’s reanalysis using an updated Seasonal Forecast Model reproduce many of the observed regional circulation and convergence patterns, but fail to generate the appropriate diurnal precipitation, presumably due to inadequate convective parameterizations. Diurnal variations in atmospheric energy respond not only to the direct solar forcing, but also to the resulting dynamically-forcedsemidiurnal thermal tide.
The relationship between molecular structure and field effect mobility in organic semiconductors

Short conjugated phenylene-thiophene oligomers with varying alpha and omega alkyl and alkoxy substitutions were synthesized to investigate the correlation between end-group structure and electronic properties on P2TP and P3TP conjugated cores. Several oligomers had high solubility and field-effect mobility, with 5,5'-Bis(4-n-octylphenyl)-2,2' -bithiophene showing the highest mobility (mu = 0.18 cm2/Vmiddots) and on/off ratio of 107. Thin film morphologies analyzed using atomic force microscopy revealed higher nucleation densities for branched alkoxy side chain molecules compared to their straight alkyl side chain counterparts. Field effect mobility showed an inverse correlation to side-chain bulkiness, indicating a strong morphological component to charge transport. Novel methods of solution processing involving alignment under shear and the demonstration of these materials in low voltage aqueous sensors are highlighted.
Ion‐exchange and affinity chromatography costs in α‐galactosidase purification

The purification of α-galactosidase from soybean seeds is a five to six-step procedure consisting of cryoprecipitation, acid precipitation and ammonium sulfate fractionation followed by two or three chromatography steps. The procedures, while not optimized, were carried out in a manner that resulted in 414–515-fold purification, as reported previously. The costs of two purification sequences were compared. In the best case, the preparative-scale costs of stationary phase, reagents, and hardware were $790 per million enzyme units, excluding labor. Stationary phase costs predominated over extraction, chromatography reagent, and eluent costs when the stationary phase is replaced after 10–40 cycles of use. However, if stationary phase life exceeds 50–200 cycles, stationary phase costs become similar in magnitude to eluent and reagent costs. Labor costs, which are process-specific and difficult to estimate, exceed all other costs by a factor of 10–50 at a small scale of operation and constitute a major cost, regardless of scale. This case study provides equations and a frame-work for carrying out a first comparison of costs for multistep purification sequences. Column life, throughput, and scale of operation were found to determine not only the magnitude, but also the relative contributions, of the different components that make up purification costs. This analysis shows that there are major opportunities for reducing purification costs through the development of less expensive stationary phases and the implementation of intelligent process control and automation for process scale chromatography.
Positive resolving kernels and annihilators in linear inverse theory

SUMMARY In linear Backus-Gilbert theory, an equivalence is demonstrated between nonexistence of nonnegative resolving kernels, and the existence of strictly positive annihilators. If a positive annihilator exists, a simple proof by contradiction shows that all resolving kernels must have negative sidelobes. The converse follows by application of the duality theorem of linear programming.