cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Calcium-induced calcium release in sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles purified from rabbit fast skeletal muscle

Addition of small amounts of CaCl2 can induce calcium release from calcium-filled sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles. The time of onset and rate of calcium release in the vesicular preparations, which occurs when ionized Ca2+ in the medium is increased from < 1 μM to 3-5 μM are considerably slower than in skinned muscle fiber preparations.
A FACTORIZATION OF THE INVERSE OF THE SHIFTED COMPANION MATRIX

A common method for computing the zeros of an n-th degree polynomial is to compute the eigenvalues of its companion matrix C. A method for factoring the shifted companion matrix CI is presented. The factorization is a product of 2n 1 essentially 2 × 2 matrices and requires O(n) storage. Once the factorization is computed it immediately yields factorizations of both (CI) 1 and (CI) � . The cost of multiplying a vector by (CI) 1 is shown to be O(n), and therefore, any shift and invert eigenvalue method can be implemented efficiently. This factorization is generalized to arbitrary forms of the companion matrix.
Sectional Curvature Comparison II

In the previous chapter we classified complete spaces with constant curvature. The goal of this chapter is to compare manifolds with variable curvature to spaces with constant curvature. Our first global result is the Hadamard-Cartan theorem, which says that a simply connected complete manifold with \(\sec \leq 0\) is diffeomorphic to \(\mathbb{R}^{n}\). There are also several interesting restrictions on the topology in positive curvature that we shall investigate, notably, the Bonnet-Myers diameter bound and Synge’s theorem stating that an orientable even-dimensional manifold with positive curvature is simply connected. Finally, we also cover the classical quarter pinched sphere theorem of Rauch, Berger, and Klingenberg. In subsequent chapters we deal with some more advanced and modern topics in the theory of manifolds with lower curvature bounds.
A Robust and Efficient Algorithm for Image Registration

Image registration is a very important problem in medical image processing. In this paper, a hierarchical optical flow motion model is used to solve the registration problem. We develop a novel numerical algorithm to achieve robust and efficient 3D/2D image registration. Motion estimation examples on synthetic & real data with performance comparison to competing ones are presented.
Theoretical line strengths for the 4 d 10 S 1 − 4 d 9 4 f P o 1 resonance transition in the palladium isoelectronic sequence

Theoretical line strengths for the $4{d}^{10}^{1}S\ensuremath{-}4{d}^{9}4f^{1}P^{o}$ resonance transition in the palladium isoelectronic sequence have been computed in three approximations: configuration-averaged Hartree-Fock, term-dependent Hartree-Fock, and many-body perturbation theory. The Hartree-Fock $4f$ state exhibits pronounced term dependence in the intermediate ionization stages III-XV, with the configuration-averaged radial orbital collapsing more rapidly with $Z$ than the $4f^{1}P^{o}$ term-dependent orbital due to the large repulsive exchange interaction with the $4{d}^{9}$ subshell in the latter. The $4d\ensuremath{-}4f$ oscillator strength is small for low ionization stages, and does not reach a maximum until Ba XI. Contracted orbital many-body perturbation theory calculations confirm that, as expected for this closed-shell ground-state system, most of the correlation effects are concentrated in the $4{d}^{8}4{f}^{2}^{1}S$ configuration mixing with the ground state. As a comparison, Hartree-Fock data are also given for the transition $4{d}^{10}^{1}S\ensuremath{-}4{d}^{9}5p^{1}P^{o}$. For $Zl60$ the $5p^{1}P^{o}$ state is the lowest-lying $^{1}P^{o}$ in the Pd I sequence.
Far from Equilibrium

Knowledge of the statistical properties of chemical systems at equilibrium can be very helpful for understanding their behavior. However, much of the world surrounding us is not in equilibrium. In his Perspective, Egolf explains how equilibrium properties, such as free energies, can nevertheless be determined based on nonequilibrium data. He highlights the report by Liphardt et al ., who show experimentally that by measuring the work required to unfold an RNA molecule repeatedly as a function of its extension, the free energy of unfolding can be determined.
Slope Deflection and Moment Flow Graphs

The feedback theory of oriented flow graphs for continuous beam systems is presented based on the slope deflection and the three-moment theorem. The graph of the beam system is developed by superimposing basic parametric building blocks—the stiffness and flexibility factors of system members. Solutions of angle changes and end-moments can be obtained directly by the inspection of branch paths through nodes in the graph without recourse to the mathematical equations. All external disturbances are treated as input sources. The angle changes and end moments are dependent output variables in the graphs.
Garlic Reduces Dementia and Heart-Disease Risk

Risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including high cholesterol, high homocysteine, hypertension and inflammation, increase the risk of dementia, including its most common form, Alzheimer's disease (AD). High cholesterol is also associated with elevated beta-amyloid (Abeta), the hallmark of AD. Oxidative damage is a major factor in cardiovascular disease and dementia, diseases whose risk increases with age. Garlic, extracted and aged to form antioxidant-rich aged garlic extract (AGE or Kyolic), may help reduce the risk of these diseases. AGE scavenges oxidants, increases superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione levels, and inhibits lipid peroxidation and inflammatory prostaglandins. AGE reduces cholesterol synthesis by inhibiting 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase and is additive with statins in its action. Inhibition of cholesterol, LDL oxidation, and platelet aggregation by AGE, inhibits arterial plaque formation; AGE decreases homocysteine, lowers blood pressure, and increases microcirculation, which is important in diabetes, where microvascular changes increase heart disease and dementia risks. AGE also may help prevent cognitive decline by protecting neurons from Abeta neurotoxicity and apoptosis, thereby preventing ischemia- or reperfusion-related neuronal death and improving learning and memory retention. Although additional observations are warranted in humans, compelling evidence supports the beneficial health effects attributed to AGE in helping prevent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and lowering the risk of dementia and AD.
The Effects of Multiple Sources of Performance Feedback and Feedback Favorability on Self-Perceived Task Competence and Perceived Feedback Accuracy

The effects of (a) favorability of feedback and (b) number of feedback agents on self-perceived task competence and perceived accuracy of feedback were examined. Hypotheses related to these effects were tested using 80 subjects and a laboratory experimental research strategy. Results of statistical analyses showed support for (a) hypothesized main effects of favorability of feedback on both self-perceived task competence and perceived accuracy of feedback and (b) a main effect of number of feedback agents on self-perceived task competence. Implications of these results for organizational practices (e.g., performance appraisal and feedback systems) are considered. In addition, suggestions are offered for further research on feedback.
Clinical effectiveness of bougienage for esophageal coins in a pediatric ED.

Abstract Objective To describe a tertiary care pediatric emergency department (PED) experience with bougienage for esophageal coins. Methods This was a large retrospective case series of children with esophageal coins presenting to a tertiary PED from January 2004 to October 2012. Bougienage eligibility criteria were medically stable, no prior gastro-esophageal surgery or disease, single coin, and witnessed ingestion within 24 hours. Abstracted data were age, signs and symptoms, coin type, management, efficacy, complications, returns, length of stay (LOS), and hospital charges. Main outcomes included procedural success and complications. Secondary outcomes included LOS and hospital charges. Results There were 245 patients with esophageal coins with 136/145 (94%) successful bougienage procedures and 109/109 (100%) successful surgical retrievals. There were 18 minor complications and 5 return visits for patients with bougienage. There were 10 minor and 2 major complications with surgical retrieval. Patients undergoing bougienage were 4 years (SD 2) vs 3 years (SD 3) for surgical retrieval ( P P P Conclusions Esophageal bougienage is safe and highly effective. It is also more time and cost efficient than other treatment options.
Sequestration of volatile element hydrides by platinum group elements for graphite furnace atomic absorption

Abstract Efficient trapping of the volatile hydrides of As, Sb, Se, Bi and Sn on μg masses of Pd and other platinum group metals (PGM) reduced in the graphite furnace occurs at a relatively low temperature (200°C). Analytical figures of merit are improved over hydride trapping on the bare tube wall. Conditions are established for multielement sequestration. Absolute limits of detection (3σ) range between 8 pg (Se) and 43 pg (As). The catalytic reactivity of PGM's promotes low temperature deposition of the hydrides by dissociative chemisorption. Thermal desorption of all analytes from the PGM's is first order. Arrhenius energies were used to characterize all analyte-substrate interactions.
A KNOWLEDGE-BASED SYSTEM ENGINEERING PROCESS FOR OBTAINING ENGINEERING DESIGN SOLUTIONS

Designing and developing highly engineered products requires direct (and more dynamic) associations between customers’ specifications and product characteristics (or its behaviors). In order to meet the specified customer performance, cost, and integrity goals, a multitude of specialized analyses, heuristics, shortcuts, look-up tables, equations, algorithms, finite elements, and material substitution at multiple levels (system, subsystems, components and parts) are ought to be performed. The product geometries of such engineered product are often complex and many parts are designed interactively from scratch using a 3D commercial computer-aided design (CAD) — lately often referred as Product Life-cycle Management (PLM) system. Today, this very “PLM-based” engineered product-design process is often “static”, very “feature or geometry-dependent,” “knowledge-intensive,” and therefore, engineers often takes considerable time (months) to complete this manual process. Today, more and more companies want to quickly reengineer a product from a multitude of family solutions (corresponding to various design trade-off studies). They are interested in some dynamic form of a decision-based system that could automatically filter through a multitude of historical product solutions and quickly reconfigure one that meets the customer requirements with the least cost, weight, and time investment. Such decision-based product automation is not an easy task by any means. Product definitions without knowing specific geometry are hard to conceive, capture generically, and reuse widely (via any generative tool). A typical product development process —by its nature—is highly dynamic, nonlinear, discrete, feature-dependent, and part-dependent. The solution is not easy, since problem formulation is time-bound, has numerous discrete inputs, topologies, and several mathematical discontinuities. This paper discusses the system architecture of the Knowledge-driven Automation (KDA) program — established at Parker in 2002. It addresses many of the above product development issues and problems. In particular, authors describe a Knowledge-based System Engineering Process for Obtaining Engineering Design Solutions in a Commercial PLM Setting. The architecture and solutions use a number of innovative knowledge-based engineering (KBE) concepts and procedures. Through strategic use of generative modeling, spreadsheet tables, part and assembly templates, system engineering concepts, and our proprietary “smart part concepts,” authors were able to engineer-to-configure a family of hydraulic actuators automatically from their customer specifications using a set of PLM (CATIA V5 and its underlying knowledgeware) tools.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Direct surface reconstruction from textured images

ABSTRACT In this research, we propose a new shape from texture (SFT) algorithm. Unlike most existing SFTalgorithms, it takes all possible texture distortion effects and recovers the surface heights of curved objectsdirectly. The basic idea of our approach is to use semi-perspective projection model based on the solidangle concept and approximation of a curved surface with a triangular element surface model. With thesemodels, we relate the densities of textural primitives in triangular domains to nodal height variables ofthe curved surface directly. This procedure leads to a nonlinear system of equations which are then solvedvia a global energy minimization scheme and a successive linearization scheme. Estimation of the localtextural density using dots and line segment edges of texels is also discussed. 1. INTRODUCTION Texture variation in an image provides important depth cue of the underlying surface of an object.Texture information depicted on a 3-D surface is distorted by the projection onto the 2-D image plane. Ingeneral, the distortion is caused by three effects: foreshortening effect, distance effect and position effect.Since the optical transformation between local surface properties and the projected ones is defined by it,a projection model is very important in formulating SFT problem. The perspective projection model is anideal one and takes all distortion effects into account. However, its formulation becomes very complicated.
The number of people with sickle-cell disease in the United States: national and state estimates†

Sickle-cell disease is not a reportable condition, making it difficult to ascertain the number of affected individuals. We estimated the number of people with sickle-cell disease for the United States and each individual state, adjusting for increased mortality. US Census population data for each of the 50 states plus the District of Columbia were obtained. The published prevalence of sickle-cell disease for blacks and Hispanics of either Mexican or non-Mexican ancestry was applied. Analysis revealed 89,079 (95% confidence interval: 88,494―89,664) people with sickle-cell disease in the United States, 80,151 black and 8928 Hispanic. The state with the highest sickle-cell population was New York with 8308, followed by Florida with 7539, and Texas with 6765 people with sickle-cell disease. This study provides important information for researchers and policymakers attempting to better plan for the care of the sickle-cell population.
The effect of scopolamine on local glucose metabolism in rat brain.

Abstract The effects of the muscarinic acetylcholine inhibitor scopolamine on local cerebral glucose metabolism (LCMRG) was examined. Scopolamine, 0.4 mg/kg, was injected intravenously into male Wistar rats 25 min prior to metabolic studies. The autoradiographic [ 14 C]2-deoxyglucose technique was used to measure LCMRG in 5 experimental and 5 control animals. An analysis of variance was performed to test for significant regional differences. The following decreases in LCMRG expressed as a percentage change from control values were observed. The greatest decrease occurred in the globus pallidus (57.5%, P P P P P P P P P > 0.05) were not as marked. Brain stem and cerebellar structures were not significantly affected.
Cardiac metastases associated with gynecologic malignancies.

Abstract Metastasis to the heart of malignancies arising within the pelvis is a rarely reported phenomenon. In fact, review of the literature and personal experience demonstrate that cardiac metastases occur more frequently than expected. Clinical suspicion would enable its antemortem diagnosis in many patients and would permit appropriate therapy in carefully selected individuals.
Capillary fractionation of HPLC substrates by a microfluidic droplet generator for high throughput analysis

Biochemical samples are complex mixtures containing 1000's of components which often must be fractionated prior to analysis. Conventional fraction collectors, which can only accommodate 10's of fractions, are not well suited for high throughput analysis. This paper describes microfractionation in droplets (μFD), a scalable microfluidic technique for generating thousands of fractions. A drop generator, placed downstream from a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) column, encapsulates the separated components into a serial array of monodisperse droplets. The droplets can be stored in a capillary or immediately used in subsequent assays. Using μFD, a mixture of 3 dyes separated in a C18 column was fractionated into 2,160 droplets in <6 min. The volume and frequency of the droplet fractions are governed by the capillary number (Ca), which depends on the viscosity of the carrier fluid, flow rate, and interfacial tension. With HPLC-compatible flow rates of 0.38–0.7 mL/min, in a 1.5 mm Teflon capillary, fractions contain volumes of 1–6 μL and are generated at 2–10 drops/s. Droplet fractions can be mixed with a subsequent reagent using a downstream tee junction. In theory, μFD can be coupled to a wide variety of separation processes, enabling high throughput fractionation and screening of complex mixtures in μL to sub-nL volumes.
An Evaluation of Journals Used in Doctoral Marketing Programs

Studies that rank the relative quality of scholarly marketing journals have relied primarily on expert opinion surveys and citation analyses. The authors use a new approach that combines elements of these two alternatives and compile a database of 6,294 citations (representing 3,423 different articles) from 109 syllabi obtained from a broad sampling of AACSB-International-accredited schools with marketing doctoral programs. The five most citedjournals (Journal of Marketing, Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Marketing Research, Marketing Science, andJournal of the Academy of Marketing Science) account for 66.5 percent of citations in the syllabi. Rankings of journals other than the top five vary markedly from previous journal quality studies. Few articles are cited in common across programs, and the authors find considerable variation even within individual seminar types. The findings provide a new basis for assessing the quality of journals and provide new insights about the content of doctoral programs.
Exclusive hadronic cross sections measured via ISR from BABAR

Measuring the inclusive hadronic cross section in e + e − annihilation is of major interest for the determination of the Standard Model prediction of the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon a μ . The QED and weak contribution to a μ can be calculated with very high precission. At low energies, however, perturbation theory cannot be used to calculate the hadronic contribution a μ had . It therefore has to be derived via a dispersion relation from the sum of measured cross sections of exclusive hadronic reactions. Decreasing the experimental uncertainties on these channels is of utmost importance for an improved Standard Model prediction of a μ . Between 1999 and 2008 a data set of approximately 500 fb−1was recorded with the BABAR detector at the B-Factory PEP-II at SLAC (Stanford, USA), an electron-positron storage ring with fixed Center of Mass energy of 10.58 GeV. Using the technique of Initial State Radiation the energy range from threshold up to 4.5 GeV can be accessed. The measurement of the important process e + e − → π + π − and other channels will be presented.
A CLOSER ASSOCIATION OF ATRIAL FIBRILLATION (AF) WITH THREE CHRONIC CONDITIONS MAY EXPLAIN KNOWN RACIAL DISPARITIES IN AF MORTALITY

Results: Overall death rates with AF were much lower in blacks than whites (23.8 vs. 32.4). Death rates were similar in blacks and whites for AF with hypertensive disease (8.7 vs. 8.6), cerebrovascular disease (6.0 vs. 7.4) and complications of medical/surgical therapy (0.5 vs. 0.7) but much lower in blacks for AF with ischemic heart disease (IHD) (6.9 vs. 11.0), heart failure (6.7 vs. 9.0), and respiratory disease (7.2 vs. 12.7). Overall death rates with IHD were much higher in blacks than whites (343.1 vs. 262.7).
The integration of diversely redundant designs, dynamic system models, and state estimation technology to the cyber security of physical systems

As exemplified in the 2010 Stuxnet attack on Iranian nuclear facilities, cyber attackers have capabilities to embed disruptive infections into equipment that is employed within physical systems. This paper presents a cyber security design approach that addresses cyber attacks that include modification of operator displays used for support in managing software controlled automated systems. This class of problems is especially important because our nation's critical infrastructures include such systems. In addition, many other systems, such as surveillance systems, navigation systems, and communications systems, are candidates for such solutions as they continue to become more and more automated. The suggested design approach builds upon fault–tolerant and automatic control system techniques that, with important and necessary modifications, are the basis for providing improved cyber security. In particular, the appropriate combination of diversely redundant security designs coupled with system dynamics models and state estimation techniques provide a potential means for detecting purposeful adjustments to operator displays. This paper provides a theoretical approach for designing such solutions and a corresponding set of examples with simulation–based results. In addition, the paper includes a discussion of important implementation requirements for greater assurance of such physical system security solutions. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Eng 16
Minorities in Phoenix: A Profile of Mexican American, Chinese American, and African American Communities, 1860-1992

Phoenix is the largest city in the Southwest and one of the largest urban centers in the country, yet less has been published about its minority populations than those of other major metropolitan areas. Bradford Luckingham has now written a straightforward narrative history of Mexican Americans, Chinese Americans, and African Americans in Phoenix from the 1860s to the present, tracing their struggles against segregation and discrimination and emphasizing the active roles they have played in shaping their own destinies. Settled in the mid-nineteenth century by Anglo and Mexican pioneers, Phoenix emerged as an Anglo-dominated society that presented formidable obstacles to minorities seeking access to jobs, education, housing, and public services. It was not until World War II and the subsequent economic boom and civil rights era that opportunities began to open up. Drawing on a variety of sources, from newspaper files to statistical data to oral accounts, Luckingham profiles the general history of each community, revealing the problems it has faced and the progress it has made. His overview of the public life of these three ethnic groups shows not only how they survived, but how they contributed to the evolution of one of America's fastest-growing cities.
Comparison of the color of fecal blood with the anatomical location of gastrointestinal bleeding lesions : Potential misdiagnosis using only flexible sigmoidoscopy for bright red blood per rectum

Comparison of the color of fecal blood with the anatomical location of gastrointestinal bleeding lesions: potential misdiagnosis using only flexible sigmoidoscopy for bright red blood per rectum
From APS to HVOF spraying of conventional and nanostructured titania feedstock powders: a study on the enhancement of the mechanical properties

Abstract Nanostructured and conventional titania (TiO 2 ) feedstocks were thermal sprayed using air plasma spray (APS) and high-velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF). The HVOF-sprayed coatings made from the nanostructured feedstock exhibited superior abrasion resistance, bond strength and crack propagation resistance when compared to the coatings made from the conventional feedstocks sprayed using HVOF and APS. The enhancement of the mechanical properties was due to (i) the processing (HVOF) and (ii) the nanocharacter of the feedstock. It was found that the HVOF-sprayed coating made from the nanostructured feedstock exhibited isotropic characteristics and microstructure with tiny zones of agglomerated nanostructured particles randomly spread throughout the coating structure. It was observed that these nanostructured zones acted as crack arresters by blunting and branching crack tips, enhancing the crack propagation resistance of the coating. Due to the isotropic characteristics of mechanical properties, the HVOF-sprayed coating made from the nanostructured feedstock exhibited uniform crack propagation under Vickers indentation, i.e., four cracks emanating from the corners of the Vickers indentation impression.
Basis Risk: Measurement and Analysis of Basis Fluctuations for Selected Livestock Markets

Unanticipated basis changes can reduce the ability of futures markets to transfer risk and can affect income levels of producers and market participants. This study examines short-term basis risk, defined as the variance of the random component of the basis over time, for several Midwest livestock markets. Basis risk is related to several factors influencing the long-term pattern in the time series and unexpected changes in price. Little evidence is found that basis risk changed as maturity approached or that risk varied across markets except for the Interior Iowa hog market.
Cultivating Intercultural Competencies for Civil Engineering Students in the Era of Globalization: Case Study

AbstractThis article reports on a case study of incorporating a set of three cross-cultural intervention modules and critical reflections into a single semester’s offering of a senior-level civil structural engineering integrated design course that also had significant group design project work. A comparison of findings from initial versus exit self-assessment and peer assessment instruments indicated that students in the class showed clear gains over the semester with respect to intercultural competencies related to their own behavioral flexibility and interaction relaxation when interacting with group members from different cultures, as well as with respect to the intercultural competency of group members from different cultures in terms of their identity maintenance. These findings were further supported qualitatively, through the students’ initial and exit open-ended responses about cultural differences navigated among group members. The case study demonstrated that it is indeed possible to cultivate ...
Optically pumped laser lines of Na2 pumped by Kr/+/ /6471 A/ and HeNe /6328 A/ lasers - Identification of old lines and prediction of possible new lines

The laser emission lines of a sodium dimer laser pumped by Kr(+) and HeNe lasers at wavelengths of 6471 and 6328 A, respectively, are identified. The Na2 fluorescence was excited in a crossed heat pipe oven at a sodium pressure of about 1 torr, and recorded spectra were compared with transition probability calculations. For the 6471-A pump, three series excited by absorption through the transitions v-prime = 13, J-prime = 35 - v-double prime = 4, J-double prime = 34; v-prime = 13, J-prime = 83 - v-double-prime = 2, J-double prime = 84 and v-prime = 20, J-prime = 98 - v-double prime = 6, J-double prime = 99 are observed in the region 6100-8350 A. At 6328 A, series excited through the transitions v-prime = 14, J-prime = 45 - v-double prime = 2, J-double prime = 46; v-prime = 16, J-prime = 17 - v-double prime = 4, J-double prime = 18; v-prime = 22, J-prime = 86 - v-double prime = 6, J-double prime = 85 and v-prime = 25, J-prime = 87 - v-double prime = 8, J-double prime = 86. Most of the previously observed optically pumped lines are found to correspond to the three level laser system. Additional wavelengths expected to undergo lasing under slightly improved conditions are also identified.
Selection of reproductive health end points for environmental risk assessment.

In addition to the challenges inherent in environmental health risk assessment, the study of reproductive health requires thorough consideration of the very definition of reproductive risk. Researchers have yet to determine which end points need to be considered to comprehensively evaluate a community's reproductive health. Several scientific issues should be considered in the selection of end points: the severity of the outcomes, with a trade-off between clinical severity and statistical or biological sensitivity; the relative sensitivity of different outcomes to environmental agents; the interrelationship among adverse outcomes; the baseline frequency of the adverse outcome; evidence from reproductive toxicology; and specificity of reproductive effects from the environmental agent. Simultaneously, practical concerns should be addressed: frequency of occurrence of an event and consequent statistical power to evaluate changes; frequency of prerequisites (e.g., pregnancy) that are necessary to be at risk; time and money resource requirements for measuring the outcome; amenability of the end point to retrospective measurement; and burden of measurement on the population being studied. In this article, we discuss these scientific and practical considerations and recommend that reproductive risk assessment include measures of fecundability (menstrual function, time to pregnancy), fetal loss (clinically recognized miscarriage), and infant health (birth weight, gestational age). Additional methodological research is needed to refine the array of reproductive health measures that need to be examined as a consequence of environmental exposures.
Synthesis of 3,5-Difluorotyrosine-Containing Peptides: Application in Substrate Profiling of Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases

Fully protected 3,5-difluorotyrosine (F2Y), Fmoc-F2Y(tBu)-OH, is efficiently prepared by a chemoenzymatic process and incorporated into individual peptides and combinatorial peptide libraries. The F2Y-containing peptides display kinetic properties toward protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) similar to their corresponding tyrosine-containing counterparts but are resistant to tyrosinase action. These properties make F2Y a useful tyrosine surrogate during peptide library screening for optimal PTP substrates.
Observable Consequences of Anomalous Thresholds

The Landau surface for the triangle diagram touches the physical region at three points. The consequences of this singular-matrix element for several processes are studied. It is found that there should be peaks in cross sectrons at the edge of phase space. These peaks depend sensitively on the incident energy and are distinguished in this way from genuine resonances. (auth)
MO‐F‐110‐02: A New Model‐Based Dose Calculation Algorithm for Kilovoltage X‐ Rays

Purpose: There is an increasing need to develop fast and accurate dose calculation algorithms for kilovoltage (kV) x‐rays. This study describes a new model‐based method and presents initial results of its calculation accuracy. Methods: The new approach calculates the radiation dose to patients by calculating the dose to water‐like media first. This is done by assuming all voxels in a patient CT data set are water, but with densities scaled according to a CT‐number‐to‐density calibration. The dose distribution to water‐like media with physical density considered is calculated by summation of pencil beam percent depth‐dose curves, considering the incident x‐ray fluence profiles and empirical x‐ray scatter factors. The beam modeling parameters were obtained by the Monte Carlo method. The final dose distribution calculated for the actual physical media is obtained using medium‐dependent correction (MDC) factors. The MDC factor at a voxel is expressed as a function of an intermediate quantity, the effective bone depth, which is calculated from patient CT data. The accuracy of this new approach was tested for calculating the dose resulting from a kV cone‐beam CT scan by comparing to Monte Carlo calculations. Results: The calculated dose using the new approach was shown to agree with Monte Carlo within 3% for the mean dose to bone, and within 1% for the mean dose to soft‐tissue. The dose to bone was on the order of 2–3 times the dose to soft‐tissue. The computation time of the new approach is significantly less than Monte Carlo. Conclusions: The new approach was shown to be very promising and has potential to extend current model‐based dose calculation algorithms to the kV energy range.
Precision polarization multiplexed heterodyne acousto-optic interferometric sensor

Proposed and demonstrated is an angstrom level optical path length (OPL) detection sensitivity polarization multiplexed heterodyne acousto-optic interferometric sensor. Because both the phase-coded and the reference rf signals in the design are generated by the same optics, the heterodyne detected rf signals generated contain correlated phase noise characteristics that essentially cancel out during the mixing process in the rf domain. Hence, the proposed four-beam design leads to a super stability OPL sensor with angstrom level experimentally demonstrated measurement stability. A proof-of-concept experiment measures the voltage-dependent phase change due to the refractive index change of a liquid crystal sensor chip.
Orcein and Elastic Fibers

Orcein was first proposed as an elastic fiber stain by Taenzer in 1890, and has proved very useful for the purpose. It is an important constituent of the author's “Quad” stain. Unfortunately not al...
Evidence for horizontal transmission of the mobile element jockey between distant Drosophila species.

Abstract We addressed the possibility of the horizontal transfer of long interspersed element (LINE)-like mobile elements by studying the distribution of the Drosophila melanogaster LINE-like element jockey in different Drosophila species. Outside the D. melanogaster group jockey was detected only in the distantly related species Drosophila funebris. Cloning and sequencing of this element from D. funebris revealed the existence of the two open reading frames highly similar to those of jockey from D. melanogaster. Elements from both species are transcriptionally active and contain in their promoter regions a conserved sequence important for its activity. The high degree of similarity between the D. melanogaster and the D. funebris jockey and the absence of jockey from other sibling species of the D. funebris group provide evidence for the horizontal transmission of jockey into D. funebris.
Transport and metabolism of free cyanide and iron cyanide complexes by willow

Cyanide compounds are contaminants of growing importance that could be remediated biologically via phytoremediation, provided the plants possess suitable mechanisms for managing these pollutants without toxicity. The transport and metabolism of two cyanide compounds, potassium cyanide and potassium ferrocyanide, by willow (Salix eriocephala L. var. Michaux) were compared using a hydroponic system that preserved cyanide speciation and solubility. The cyanide compounds were labelled with 15N to quantify transport while a novel tissue extraction procedure was used to relate tissue 15N to cyanide content and speciation. These analyses revealed that although little free cyanide was detected in the aerial tissues of plants exposed to either of these two cyanide compounds, significant enrichments in 15N were observed, suggesting transport and subsequent metabolism of free cyanide as well as ferrocyanide. The results for ferrocyanide are of interest because this molecule is resistant to microbial degradation and if oxidized to ferricyanide is purportedly membrane impermeable. Nevertheless, these results and mass balance calculations for tissue 15N and solution cyanide confirming 100% recovery for the added ferrocyanide are suggestive of ferrocyanide uptake and metabolism. This study provides new information describing the biological transport and metabolism of these two cyanide compounds in plants. Moreover, the data also suggest that phytoremediation of cyanide may be possible and ecologically safe due to the lack of cyanide bioaccumulation in aerial tissues.
''To Be So Connected, Yet Not At All'': Relational Presence, Absence, and Maintenance in the Context of a Wartime Deployment

During a wartime deployment, there is variability in relational partners’ physical and/or psychological presence as they prepare for, or recover from, the separation. This variability may influence how relational partners communicate to sustain the relationship. In this article, we explore the relationship maintenance strategies that 50 Army wives experienced during a wartime deployment. Our data suggest military wives use a variety of maintenance strategies to keep their marriages at a desired level throughout a deployment process, some of which occur prior to deployment whereas other strategies happen after the reunion. We also identified four maintenance paradoxes that occurred when certain maintenance strategies appeared to be associated with unintended consequences. We examine the maintenance strategies and paradoxes through the frames of social presence theory and ambiguous loss to better understand the maintenance of military marriages during wartime in regard to different levels of physical and ps...
Data Mining Derived Treatment Algorithms From the Electronic Medical Record Improve Theoretical Empirical Therapy for Outpatient Urinary Tract Infections

Purpose: We determined whether data mining derived algorithms from electronic databases can improve empirical antimicrobial therapy in outpatients with a urinary tract infection.Materials and Methods: The electronic medical records from 3,308 visits associated with a positive urine culture at Northwestern's outpatient Urology and Internal Medicine clinics and Emergency Department from 2005 to 2009 were interrogated. Bacterial species and susceptibility rates for trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, ciprofloxacin and nitrofurantoin were compared. Using data mining techniques we created algorithms for empirical therapy of urinary tract infections and compared the theoretical outcomes from data mining derived therapy to those from conventional therapy.Results: Patients were significantly older in the Department of Urology vs Internal Medicine vs Emergency Department, and more patients in the Department of Urology were male. During the 5-year period the susceptibility rates for ciprofloxacin in the Department of Ur...
Variable angle, fixed position, beam alignment device

We describe a general beam alignment device that allows variation of the angle of incidence while preserving the position of incidence on a sample.
Mechanism and management of migraine.

Migraine is a condition that affects 10%–15% of the population. Abortive treatment is always indicated because the intense headaches interfere with normal functioning. Preventive treatment is indicated when the headaches exceed 3–4 per month.
Isolation of two endo-β-N-acetylglucosaminidases from fig latex

Abstract Two endo- β - N -acetylglucosaminidases (mannosyl-glycoprotein 1,4-N- acetamidodeoxy -β- d - glycohydrolase , EC 3.2.1.96) (type F-I and type F-II) have been isolated from fig latex. At pH 7.0, type F-1 was retained by the DEAE-Sephadex A-50 column, whereas type F-II was not adsorbed by the column. The optimum pH of type F-I was found to be pH 5.9 and type F-II, pH 5.4. Type F-I enzyme hydrolyzes the tri-mannosyl derivatives di- N -acetylglucosaminylasparagine faster than the penta- or hexa-mannosyl compounds. Type F-II hydrolyzes the penta- and hexa-mannosyl derivatives, but not the tri-mannosyl compound.
The Empirical Study in Smart Power Consumption Based on the Adjustment and Control System

The smart power consumption is an important orientation in peak load shifting and load shedding of power grid in particular time period. It has the significant effect to relieve the load shortage of the power grid. The large-scale electrical devices like central air-condition in commercial building have the great potential in the energy efficiency improvement and available load integration. The effectively regulation of power load in public and commercial construction can improve the stability and reliability of power grid. The power situation in china and the content of empirical study were introduced, and the system hardware design and software platform construction is demonstrated. The function modules of software platform and realization of regulation system are discussed in final.
The benefits and limitations of sentinel lymph node biopsy

The status of the axilla is the single most important prognostic indicator of overall survival in patients with breast cancer. Staging is based on tumor size and on the presence of lymph node metastases. The number of lymph nodes, although prognostic, no longer impacts treatment options. Sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping and dissection is a more sensitive and accurate technique for nodal evaluation and has been applied to staging of axillary lymph nodes in patients with breast cancer, providing prognostic information, with less surgical morbidity than with axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). When analyzed by an experienced pathologist with serial sectioning and immunohistochemical evaluation, SLN is the most accurate detection tool used in staging of breast cancer. In many centers that use these staging principles, ALND is no longer performed for histologically negative axillary SLNs. In addition, this technique may also be therapeutic because in most patients, the SLN is the only positive axillary node. SLN biopsy is justified in women with ductal carcinoma in situ who have a high risk of invasive carcinoma, such as those with large tumors, a mass, or high-grade lesions. SLN biopsy is performed in the setting of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and demonstrates accurate evaluation of the axilla in 90% of the cases. Women with locally advanced breast cancer may derive great benefit from a minimally invasive approach to the axilla because the extent of nodal involvement is unlikely to change further treatment. For clinically palpable nodes, ALND should be performed for therapeutic and local control. The use of sentinel node mapping in pregnancy is controversial. Vital blue dye is contraindicated in pregnant patients, although some have used radioactive colloid alone to map this subgroup of patients.
Widening Inter-County Inequality in Jiangsu Province, China, 1950-1995

Scholars have heatedly debated the change of regional inequality in China and policies for intervention. However, most studies on China are based on macro regions and provinces, and have paid less attention to trends and mechanisms of regional inequality within provinces. This paper uses time-series county data to examine inter-county inequality in Jiangsu from 1950 to 1995. We find that inter-county inequality in Jiangsu did not change much under Mao and during the rural reform period (1978-84), but dramatically intensified in the urban-based comprehensive reform period (since 1984). Regression analysis reveals that the institutional structure, agglomeration effects, and human capital are important factors underlying the divergence of inter-county inequality in Jiangsu.
Nystagmus in motor neuron disease: Clinicopathological study of two cases

Two patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis proved postmortem had nystagmus in addition to typical clinical signs of motor neuron disease. The first patient had gaze-evoked rotatory nystagmus that was followed by horizontal nystagmus in the primary position with supranuclear paresis of horizontal gaze and upgaze. The second patient had rotatory nystagmus that was evoked by lateral gaze, with normal range of eye movements. Nystagmus is so rare in motor neuron disease that these observations may imply another disease, but postmortem examination did not provide any other explanation. These two cases add to the increasing evidence that motor neuron disease comprises a heterogeneous group of disorders.
START-UP AND GROWTH OF IMMIGRANT SMALL BUSINESSES: THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL AND HUMAN CAPITAL

Networks, and their resulting social capital, can be key determinants of successful business start-up for immigrant entrepreneurs. Historically, immigrants have settled in communities characterized...
Early respiratory abnormalities in emergency services police officers at the World Trade Center site.

AbstractsThe effects of exposure to the environment around the World Trade Center after the attack of September 11, 2001, are not fully described. We evaluated 240 police first-responders; respiratory symptoms occurred in 77.5% but resolved or improved in around three fourths of subjects by the time
Convergence of Howard's minimum-negativity-constraint extrapolation algorithm

Howard’s minimum-negativity-constraint extrapolation algorithm is shown to be a special case of signal recovery by means of alternating convex set projections. Previously derived results in this richly developed field of analysis [ Appl. Opt.25, 1670 ( 1986); J. Opt. Soc. Am.71, 819 ( 1981)] are applied immediately to establish strong convergence for the extrapolation algorithm.
Temperature dependent torsional properties of high performance fibres and their relevance to compressive strength

A simple arrangement for the measurement of torsional moduli of high performance fibres as a function of temperature has been reported. Torsional moduli and damping factors have been measured on a number of polymeric [Kevlar™, poly(p-phenylene benzobisoxazole) (PBO), poly(p-phenylene benzobisthiazole) (PBZT) and Vectran™] and carbon fibres [pitch and PAN based, and one bromine intercalated pitch based carbon fibre] as a function of temperature (room temperature to 150 °C, range) and as a function of vacuum level (1.1–80 ×103 Pa). At these vacuum levels damping in the fine fibres is mainly due to aerodynamic effects. In general PAN based carbon fibres have higher torsional moduli than pitch based carbon fibres. Kelvar™ 149, PBO and PBZT fibres have comparable room temperature torsional moduli, while the torsional modulus of Vectran™ fibre is very low, probably due to the torsional flexibility of the -COO- group. In the above temperature range, torsional moduli of both pitch and PAN based carbon fibres do not change significantly, while for polymeric fibres they decrease; a small decrease is observed for PBO and PBZT, and a significantly higher decrease is observed for Vectran™. Relationships between compressive strength and torsional moduli have been discussed
Comparison of the effects of methyl-N-butyl ketone and phenobarbital on rat liver cytochromes P-450 and the metabolism of chloroform to phosgene.

Abstract It was previously shown that treatment of rats with methyl-n-butyl ketone (MBK) produced an increase in the total level of liver microsomal cytochromes P-450 and an increase in the rate of metabolism of chloroform (CHCl3) to phosgene (COCl2). In the present study it was found that MBK also produced qualitative changes in the composition of microsomal cytochromes P-450 in rat liver as determined by anion-exchange chromatography. The degree of the chromatographic changes paralleled the effect of MBK on the rate of metabolism of CHCl3 to COCl2 and CHCl3-induced hepatoxicity, suggesting that MBK potentiated the hepatotoxicity of CHCl3, at least in part, by inducing the formation of cytochromes P-450 that metabolized CHCl3 to the hepatotoxin COCl2. In this regard, reconstitution studies with a form of cytochrome P-450 isolated from rat liver microsomes from rats treated with MBK or phenobarbital (Pb) showed unequivocally that cytochrome P-450 can metabolize CHCl3 to COCl2. Although analysis of rat liver microsomes by SDS-polyacrylamide electrophoresis and anion-exchange chromatography suggested that MBK and Pb had similar effects on the composition of cytochromes P-450, metabolism studies indicated that differences did exist.