cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Long-Term Evaluation of Tetralogy Patients with Pulmonary Valvular Insufficiency Resulting from Outflow-Patch Correction Across the Pulmonic Annulus

In the operative correction of tetralogy of Fallot with a severely narrowed right ventricular outflow tract, widening of the pulmonic annulus is frequently necessary to prevent a high residual pressure gradient and to reduce right ventricular pressure overload. This can be accomplished by incising the pulmonic annulus and inserting a patch graft across the valve, but this usually results in pulmonary valvular insufficiency. Of 426 patients who underwent total correction of Fallot9s tetralogy between 1959 and 1970, 63 required a patch across the pulmonic annulus. The mortality rate for this group was 30.1%, compared with a total mortality among the 426 patients of 18%. The high mortality rate is influenced by the fact that the majority were corrected in the early years of the series. Fifteen patients were restudied by cardiac catheterization and cineangiography an average of 9.1 years after total correction. Twelve patients were asymptomatic and three patients had only mild symptoms on exertion in spite of angiographically significant pulmonic regurgitation. The average right ventricular systolic pressure was 40 mm Hg; right ventricular end-diastolic pressure was 7 mm Hg; and the right ventricular/pulmonary arterial peak systolic pressure gradient was 14.9 mm Hg. This experience suggests that after a more difficult immediate postoperative period, patients who have right ventricular outflow reconstruction with patches across the pulmonic ic annulus tolerate their chronic pulmonic regurgitation very well.
Predictors of resourcefulness in school-aged children.

Children need to develop appropriate cognitive-behavioral repertoires to maintain mental health and prevent depression. Resourcefulness is learned throughout life in the context of one's environment. However, environmental or situational factors and individual factors in children's development of resourcefulness have not been studied. This study examined the effects of the situational factors of family context (one or two parents, and number of siblings) and maternal characteristics (employment, learned resourcefulness, and adaptive functioning), and individual (child) factors (gender, academic performance, and automatic thoughts) on learned resourcefulness in school-aged children. A convenience sample of 122 fifth and sixth graders was recruited from four public schools. The child's automatic thoughts and maternal resourcefulness were predictors of child's resourcefulness. Further research is needed to examine additional factors that may promote resourcefulness in school-aged children, so that appropriat...
Eukaryotic initiation factor 2 alpha subunit associates with TGF beta receptors and 14-3-3 epsilon and acts as a modulator of the TGF beta response.

Schistosoma mansoni receptor kinase 1 (SmRK1) is a divergent member of the TGFβ receptor family. Intracellular proteins that associate with these receptors are likely to play an important role in s...
Design and characterization of microfluidic housing effects on coplanar waveguide microfluidic delay line performance

A fluid and its housing are integrated on a coplanar waveguide circuit surface, realizing a variable delay line. Performance tradeoffs for different fluidic housing shapes are investigated. Simulation and measurement results for two circuits are shown with the housing filled with air or de-ionized water. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 55:789–793, 2013; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI: 10.1002/mop.27434
Saccadic overhead: Information-processing time with and without saccades

Information-processing time was compared for serial and spatially distributed visual presentations with performance measures that permit the separation of total time into its during-display and post-display components. For all subjects, there was a significant saccadic overhead, that is, less time was required with the serial format, which allowed data access without eye movements. However, the magnitude of the overhead decreased as task complexity increased. All subjects were able to exercise some control over the distribution of total processing time, trading off short during-display times with longer post-display times and vice versa.
Efficiencies of Interblock Rank Statistics for Repeated Measures Designs

Abstract For factorial designs, tests that rely on the method of n rankings, for example, the Friedman test, suffer a potential loss of power since they depend only on within-block ranks. This deficiency is overcome by ranking across blocks as is done in the aligned rank tests and the rank transform procedures. This article examines a broad class of powerful interblock rank statistics for testing for both treatment effects and ordered alternatives and for performing multiple comparisons in a two-way repeated measures design. Pitman efficiencies are obtained for tests that closely resemble the rank transform test and for aligned rank tests under weaker hypotheses than assumed by Puri and Sen (1971). In addition, several serious limitations of the rank transform procedure for repeated measures designs are presented. Limitations of the rank transform procedures, in particular, merit such study because they are recommended without reservation by the SAS manual for use with PROC ANOVA and PROC GLM and are very...
Effect of hydrocortisone and interleukins 1 and 2 on eosinophil progenitors in hypereosinophilic states

The growth of eosinophil progenitors (CFU-Eo) and its modulation by hydrocortisone (HC), mononuclear cells, interleukin 1 (IL-1), and interleukin 2 (IL-2) in three cases of eosinophilia are reported in this paper. One microM HC decreased the proportion of CFU-Eo in each of these three patients, and in each case, the addition of autologous mononuclear cells at a 1:1 ratio abrogated the effect of HC on CFU-Eo. As studied in two of the three cases, IL-1 and IL-2 were able to prevent the effect of HC. Further studies showed no effect of HC when monocyte T cell-depleted marrow cells were used as the target population. These results suggest that CFU-Eo production in eosinophilic states is subject to modulation by HC and T lymphocytes.
A methodology for assessing citizen perceptions of police

This study was initiated to determine perceptions that Wichita community residents hold toward their police. A scale, Citizen's Perception of the Police, was developed. Race and dogmatism were examined as variables influencing perceptions. Non-white residents evaluated police less favorably than did whites. No significant difference was found on level of dogmatism in evaluating the police. The methodology for developing the scale is described. Applications of these methods to other communities was suggested as well as the importance of assessing citizen perceptions of the police to obtain data which will optimize the setting of goals for police-community relations programming.
Carbon nanotube micropatterns and cantilever arrays fabricated with layer-by-layer nano self-assembly

Abstract The two-dimensional (2D) microstructures and three-dimensional (3D) cantilever arrays based on single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) multilayer were fabricated by combining electrostatic layer-by-layer (LbL) nano self-assembly, microlithography, and lift-off. The combinative technique provides a simple, effective, low-cost, and low-temperature fabrication method with a short processing time. The 2D SWNT micropatterns with a feature size of 5 μm were fabricated and characterized. The thickness of a (PDDA/SWNT) bi-layer was measured approximately as 76 A. SWNTs were randomly deposited on the substrate, and they were interconnected and formed as a dense network. To investigate the potential applications of SWNTs, magnetic cantilever arrays formed with SWNTs, iron oxide (Fe2O3) nanoparticles, and polyelectrolytes were developed. A modified lift-off process was developed to provide additional protection for the cantilever arrays. Due to the outstanding mechanical properties of the SWNTs, the fabricated cantilevers are very strong and highly flexible. The cantilever arrays can be used in applications such as biosensors and microvalves.
Modular Approach to Chromophore Encapsulation in Fluorinated Arylene Vinylene Ether Polymers Possessing Tunable Photoluminescence

New fluorinated arylene vinylene ether (FAVE) polymers were prepared by a facile, metal-free condensation polymerization of fluorene, phenylenevinylene, dithiophene, or thiadiazole chromophore-containing bisphenols with bis(trifluorovinyloxy)biphenyl. The addition of chromophores encapsulated into the polymers were prepared in good yields and characterized by 1H and 19F NMR and GPC. Thermal analysis by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) confirmed the polymers are entirely amorphous and are easy to solution process, producing optically transparent, flexible films. Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) showed they possess high thermal stability with decomposition temperatures of 340−387 °C and 308−443 °C in nitrogen and air, respectively. Chromophore inclusion was confirmed by ultraviolet−visible (UV−vis) spectroscopy, which demonstrated tailorable photoluminescence (PL) in both the solution and the solid state by selective substitution of the chromophore. Polymer thin film PL studies revealed notable red...
What does it take to live to 100

Centenarians disprove the ageist myth "the older you get, the sicker you get"; they live 90-95% of their very long lives in excellent health, only to experience illnesses in the very last few years of their lives. Thus, it appears that in order to live to 100, one must age relatively slowly and markedly delay and/or escape age-associated diseases. How they achieve such a survival advantage is still a mystery though it is becoming increasingly clear that a substantial genetic advantage plays a role in their ability to live 20-25 years beyond average life expectancy. Current genetic studies of centenarian sibships may yield the identity of some of these genes in the near future. Identifying such genes may yield new information about how people age differently and what modulates differences in susceptibilities to various diseases associated with aging.
Energy-efficient multi-level cell phase-change memory system with data encoding

Phase-change memory (PCM) is one of the most promising technologies among emerging non-volatile memories. Recently, the technology of multi-level cell (MLC) for PCM has been developed and a high capacity memory system can be implemented by storing multiple bits in a cell. However, programming MLC PCM involves the program-and-verify scheme. Thus, the energy of programming intermediate states in MLC PCM is considerably larger than that of single-level cell (SLC) PCM. To mitigate the MLC energy overhead, we propose an energy-efficient PCM architecture using data encoding write based on the observation that there are significant value-dependent energy variations in programming MLC PCM. In addition, data comparison write (DCW) is adopted to enhance the effectiveness of the proposed data encoding architecture for MLC PCM. Simulation results show that this encoding architecture achieves 9.6% average energy saving (up to 19.8%) on the plain MLC PCM system, and 12.9% average energy saving (up to 26.7%) on the DCW-adopted MLC PCM system1.
Quick-cooking beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.): II. Phytates, oligosaccharides, and antienzymes

Effects of the quick-cooking processes on phytate and oligosaccharide levels, and on trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitors, were investigated in three bean varieties (Phaseolus vulgaris L.: Great Northern, red kidney, and pinto). Beans soaked in distilled water had lower levels of phytate-P than those soaked in a mixed salt solution. Leaching losses of oligosaccharides were nearly the same in different soaking treatments for all the beans except kidney beans. Residual trypsin inhibitor activities (TIA) in cooked quick-cooking beans were about 10% compared with about 20% for chymotrypsin inhibitor activities (CTIA) in the same bean products. γ-Irradiation was more effective in reducing TIA than CTIA and paralleled destruction by moist heat.
Skin fibroblast microtubular network in Alzheimer disease.

A preliminary observation from another laboratory recently suggested that a systemic microtubular defect may exist in Alzheimer disease. To investigate this hypothesis, we obtained skin biopsies from 4 patients with Alzheimer disease and 2 age-matched controls Fibroblast cultures were established and the tubulin networks examined using immunoadsorbent purified antitubulin antibody and the indirect immunoperoxidase technique as well as electron microscopy. The cells were also examined after treatment with vinblastine and at senescence. The microtubular network appeared as delicate fibers radiating From the perinuclear region toward the cytoplasmic margins. No differences were recognized between the controls and the fibroblast cultures from patients with Alzheimer disease. Microtubules were not visualized following incubation with vinblastine, but positively staining intracytoplasmic paracrystalline inclusions were noted. No abnormalities of microtubules were recognized in the electron microscopic examinations. These findings suggest that the neurofibrillary neuronal degeneration of Alzheimer disease is not a manifestation of a systemic disorder of the microtubular network.
Polycystin-2 associates with the polycystin-1 homolog, suREJ3, and localizes to the acrosomal region of sea urchin spermatozoa.

Polycystin-2, the protein mutated in type 2 autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, is an integral transmembrane protein with nonselective cation channel activity. Here we report on the sea urchin sperm homolog of polycystin-2 (suPC2). Like other polycystin-2 family members, suPC2 is a six-pass transmembrane protein containing C-terminal cytoplasmic EF hand and coiled-coil domains. The protein localizes exclusively to the plasma membrane over the sperm acrosomal vesicle. This localization coincides with the previously reported localization of the sea urchin PC1 homolog, suREJ3. Co-immunoprecipitation shows that suPC2 and suREJ3 are associated in the membrane. The location of suPC2 sug-gests that it may function as a cation channel mediating the sperm acrosome reaction. The low cation selectivity of PC2 channels would explain data indicating that Na+ and Ca2+ may enter sea urchin sperm through the same channel during the acrosome reaction. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 67: 472–477, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Mucosal Ablation Therapy of Barrett Esophagus

Barrett esophagus is defined by the metaplasia of existing squamous mucosa into a specialized intestinal-type mucosa. The importance of this metaplasia is the association of this condition with the development of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus. Elimination of the metaplastic mucosa may decrease the cancer risk. Currently, several forms of therapy have evolved with the goal of replacing the specialized mucosa with normal squamous mucosa. These proposed treatments include photodynamic therapy and thermal techniques. The effectiveness of photodynamic therapy varies depending on the pharmaceutical photo-sensitizer used and the wavelength of light applied to activate the drug. Thermal techniques include multipolar coagulation, argon plasma coagulation, KTP:YAG laser therapy, Nd:YAG laser therapy, and argon laser therapy. Finally, mucosal resection has been attempted through the endoscope to remove large areas of the Barrett mucosa. All of these ablative strategies attempt to destroy the meta-plastic mucosa and promote the regrowth of squamous epithelium. These therapies have demonstrated the ability to "reverse" the metaplasia to varying degrees, but a decrease in cancer risk has not been demonstrated conclusively with any of these treatment methods.
Quasiparticle number fluctuations in superconductors

We present a general theory of quasiparticle number fluctuations in superconductors. The theory uses the master equation formalism. First, we develop the theory for a single occupation variable. Although this simple system is insufficient to describe fluctuations in a physical superconductor, it is illustrative, allowing this discussion to serve as a self-contained introduction. We go on to develop a multivariate theory that allows for an arbitrary number of levels with transitions of arbitrary size between levels. We specialize the multivariate theory for two particular cases. First, we consider intrinsic quasiparticle fluctuations. In a previous Letter, these results were used to describe time-resolved measurements of thermodynamic fluctuations in a superconducting Al box [C.M. Wilson, L. Frunzio, and D.E. Prober, Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 067004 (2001)]. Finally, we extend these results to include fluctuations due to extrinsic loss processes.
Introduction: 21st-Century Conceptualizations of Empathy: Implications for Social Work Practice and Research

ABSTRACT The articles in this special section seek to better define empathy, discuss how it can be cultivated, and highlight how empathy can strengthen families and empower adolescents. The authors encourage a greater understanding and application of the concept and offer implications regarding how empathy can create insights that help practitioners develop services and policies and further research efforts that are socially and economically just, sensitive to clients’ needs, and based on the reality of their experiences. The introduction to the section discusses the underlying motivation for the focus on empathy and provides an overview of each of the five articles.
Synthesis and antitumor activity of platinum complexes containing neutral and protonated amino-olefin ligands

Abstract A series of compounds containing N-substituted allyl amines bound to platinum are reported. Under acidic conditions, compounds of the general formula (protonated amino-olefin)PtCl 3 are formed. Infrared and 1 H NMR spectroscopy establish that these complexes contain a protonated nitrogen and that the olefin is coordinated to platinum. Complexes containing neutral allyl amines are apparently dimeric, with bridging ally amine. All of these complexes contain platinum-chloride bonds activated toward hydrolysis, and all were examined for potential antitumor activity. Most of the protonated ligand complexes exhibited significant cytotoxicity against both cis-platinum sensitive and resistant L1210 Leukemia in cell culture. Neutral ligand complexes were, in all cases, less cytotoxic. Preliminary studies in mice demonstrate only marginal activity against L1210 in vivo .
A complementation analysis of the restriction and modification of DNA in Escherichia coli.

Abstract A complementation analysis of host-controlled modification and restriction of DNA by Escherichia coli has been carried out by examining the restriction and modification phenotypes of partial, permanent diploids containing various arrangements of wild type and mutant restriction and modification alleles. Intercistronic complementation was observed between three classes of restriction and modification mutants of E. coli B, indicating that at least three cistrons (the ram cistrons) are involved in the genetic control of the [restriction and modification of DNA. Mutations in one cistron ( ramA ) result in a loss of restriction activity but not in modification activity (r − m + ). Mutations in a second cistron ( ramC ) result in a loss of restriction and modification activities (r − m − ). Mutations in a third cistron result in a loss of modification activity and appear to be lethal unless accompanied by a mutation in the ramA or ramC cistrons. A fourth class of mutations, which are linked to the other ram cistrons and are expressed phenotypically as r − m − mutants, are trans dominant to the wild-type ram alleles. It is not known if this latter class of mutants represents a fourth cistron of the ram locus. Complementation was observed between E. coli K12 and B ramA and ramC mutations and the host specificity of the restored restriction activity was dependent on an intact ramC cistron. However, complementation was not detected between the P1 and K12 or P1 and B ram alleles. A general model for the genetic control of the restriction and modification properties of E. coli strains and their episomes is presented.
One-dimensional anharmonic oscillator: Quantum versus classical vibrational partition functions

Abstract We analyze vibrational partition functions of low vibrational modes within the independent mode approximation to gain insight pertinent to the development of anharmonic corrections for transition state rate constants. As an example, we use a transition state for hydrogen abstraction on a lignin model compound. We found that for low frequencies, anharmonic effects are far more important than quantum effects. Our results suggest a hybrid model, where low-frequency modes are treated fully coupled using the classical or the Wigner–Kirkwood approximation, while high frequencies are described by the harmonic approximation. Mid-range frequencies could be expressed as independent anharmonic quantum modes.
Growth hormone rescues hippocampal synaptic function after sleep deprivation

Sleep is required for, and sleep loss impairs, normal hippocampal synaptic N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptor function and expression, hippocampal NMDA receptor-dependent synaptic plast...
Amorphous superconducting lanthanum-gold alloys obtained by liquid quenching

Results of x-ray diffraction, electrical resistivity, and critical magnetic field measurements are presented for amorphous superconducting lanthanum-gold alloys obtained by liquid quenching. The transition temperature of the alloys is ∼ 3.5°K. The bulk nature of the samples along with the stability of the amorphous phase at room temperature make this an ideal system for the study of superconductivity in the amorphous state. Estimates of intrinsic parameters including the coherence length ξ and penetration depth λ are presented and discussed. The observed linearity of Hc2(T) and its extrapolated low-temperature limiting value are discussed and compared to predicted behavior for Hc2(T).
Structures of potassium, sodium and lithium bis(oxalato)borate salts from powder diffraction data

The crystal structures of the alkali-metal bis(oxalato)borate salts A[B(C2O4)2] (A = K, Na, Li) have been determined ab initio using powder diffraction data obtained from a laboratory diffractometer. The K compound crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Cmcm and its structure has been solved by direct methods applied to the integrated intensities from full pattern decomposition. The Na compound is isostructural with the K salt, while the crystal structure of the highly hydroscopic Li compound differs from the other two. It has an orthorhombic lattice, space group Pnma, and its structure was solved by the global optimization method using a parallel tempering approach. In the K and Na structures the metal ions and complex borate ions form chains with m2m symmetry. Metal-oxygen bonding between the chains links them into a layer and then a framework with square tunnels. The coordination number of both K and Na is eight. The Li compound also contains chains that have .m. symmetry and are bound together into a three-dimensional framework. The coordination polyhedron of the Li atom is a square pyramid with Li lying in its base. This square pyramidal coordination leads to its high reactivity with moisture to give Li[B(C2O4)2]H2O with lithium in six coordination.
Confucianism and the concept of liberty

Liberty is a concept absent in, and alien to, Confucianism. The term “tsu-you,” (or “cha-yu,” in Korean) is a modern neologism concocted by East Asian thinkers in the 19th century struggling to translate and come to grips with Western political theory. Moreover, the term that they ultimately decided to use was a Taoist, not a Confucian, term. Hence, if this lecture was entitled “Concept of Liberty in Confucianism,” it would have been a very short one. Confucianism has no room for liberty.
Heritability and complex segregation analysis of deafness in Jack Russell Terriers.

Background The association between patterns of pigmentation and deafness in the dog has a long-documented history, with reports dating back over one hundred years. Long suspected of having a genetic basis, the search for loci with a pronounced influence in the expression of hearing loss in the dog has yet to be successful. No studies in the dog to date have found a possible influence of a specific colour locus associated with deafness. The present study is intended to evaluate the heritability of deafness in the Jack Russell Terrier (JRT), characterize the mode of inheritance, and evaluate the existence of a sex, coat colour, or coat texture influence on the expression of sensorineural deafness.
Faithful description and the incommensurability of evolved languages

Skyrms–Lewis signaling games illustrate how meaningful language may evolve from initially meaningless random signals (Lewis, Convention 1969; Skyrms 2008). Here we will consider how incommensurable languages might evolve in the context of signaling games. We will also consider the types of incommensurability exhibited between evolved languages in such games. We will find that sequentially evolved languages may be strongly incommensurable while still allowing for increasingly faithful descriptions of the world.
Ninety-nine "tomboys" and "non-tomboys": behavioral contrasts and demographic similarities.

Two samples of female children with diverse patterns of sex-typed behaviors are described. Fifty traditionally sex-typed and 49 nontraditionally sex-typed girls are contrasted. Their age range is 4–12 years. They are widely divergent on sex-typed preferred toys, gender of peer group, participation in sports, roles taken in playing house, and stated wish to be a boy. Their parents do not differ on age, marital status, religion, or number of children. These descriptions provide the baseline for a forthcoming series of papers describing the development of these divergent patterns of sex-typed behaviors and the association of these early patterns with later psychosexual and psychosocial attributes.
Effects of inhomogeneities and thermal fluctuations on the spectral function of a model d-wave superconductor

We compute the spectral function $A(\mathbf{k},\ensuremath{\omega})$ of a model two-dimensional high-temperature superconductor at both zero and finite temperatures $T$. The model consists of a two-dimensional BCS Hamiltonian with $d$-wave symmetry, which has a spatially varying, thermally fluctuating, complex gap $\ensuremath{\Delta}$. Thermal fluctuations are governed by a Ginzburg-Landau free energy functional. We assume that an areal fraction ${c}_{\ensuremath{\beta}}$ of the superconductor has a large $\ensuremath{\Delta}$ ($\ensuremath{\beta}$ regions), while the rest has a smaller $\ensuremath{\Delta}$ ($\ensuremath{\alpha}$ regions), both of which are randomly distributed in space. We find that $A(\mathbf{k},\ensuremath{\omega})$ is most strongly affected by inhomogeneity near the point $\mathbf{k}=(\ensuremath{\pi},0)$ (and the symmetry-related points). For ${c}_{\ensuremath{\beta}}\ensuremath{\simeq}0.5$, $A(\mathbf{k},\ensuremath{\omega})$ exhibits two double peaks (at positive and negative energies) near this $k$ point if the difference between ${\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{\ensuremath{\alpha}}$ and ${\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{\ensuremath{\beta}}$ is sufficiently large in comparison to the hopping integral; otherwise, it has only two broadened single peaks. The strength of the inhomogeneity required to produce a split spectral function peak suggests that inhomogeneity is unlikely to be the cause of a second branch in the dispersion relation, such as has been reported in underdoped LSCO. Thermal fluctuations also affect $A(\mathbf{k},\ensuremath{\omega})$ most strongly near $\mathbf{k}=(\ensuremath{\pi},0)$. Typically, peaks that are sharp at $T=0$ become reduced in height, broadened, and shifted toward lower energies with increasing $T$; the spectral weight near $\mathbf{k}=(\ensuremath{\pi},0)$ becomes substantial at zero energy for $T$ greater than the phase-ordering temperature.
Formative assessment practices in reading instruction in pre‐service teachers’ elementary school classrooms

For this project, I conducted a qualitative case study of four elementary student teachers from a large, research university in the Rocky Mountain Region, USA. The student teachers were in a tradit...
Spectroscopic studies of solvent effects on reactions in supercritical fluids

Abstract A number of studies have shown that the local environmental around dissolved solutes in supercritical fluids (SCFs) is significantly different than the bulk. Moreover, in SCF mixtures, there is evidence that the local composition around a dilute solute can be significantly enriched with one of the components. In this paper, we will show how we have used laser flash photolysis and time-resolved fluorescence to study the influence of these molecular scale interactions on the rates of electron transfer and energy transfer reactions in SCFs. In particular, we will present results of the reaction of triplet benzophenone with either triethylamine or 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane in SC CO 2 and ethane. These reactions occur by way of an electron transfer mechanism in normal liquids at rates close to diffusion control. However, in SCFs, they occur over an order of magnitude below the diffusion control limit. We will compare these results with the rates of energy transfer from anthracene to CBr 4 in supercritical CO 2 , which occurs at the diffusion control limit in both liquids and SCFs.
Relationship of protein metabolism to senescence of corn (Zea mays L.) stalk parenchyma, cob parenchyma and first developed leaf tissues.

Abstract Corn (Zea mays L.) stalk parenchyma tissue, corn cob parenchyma tissue, and the first developed leaf of corn seedlings were used for a study of senescence. Decreases in the amount of soluble protein per cell were observed during senescence in cob parenchyma tissue and in the first developed leaf, but not in the aging stalk parenchyma tissue. Associated with the decrease in protein in corn cob parenchyma tissue was an increase in the free amino-acid content of the cells. An increase in proteinase activity of leaf tissue early in the study period was also observed. In all three tissues an increase in protein synthesis was observed late in the senescence period as measured by incorporation of [14C]leucine. This increase could be reduced in cob parenchyma tissue and eliminated in the first developed leaf tissue by treatment with actinomycin D. In cob parenchyma tissue, the amount of free leucine per cell increased with age, indicating that there was in fact an increase in protein synthesis and not just an increase in the specific activity of [14C]leucine due to a smaller pool. The protein synthesized by the older first developed leaf tissue was in a particulate fraction that sedimented at 109 000 × g. That it was not ribonuclease was suggested by the fact that ribonuclease activity associated with this pellet was lower in the older tissue than in the young tissue.
Simple method of measuring drift-mobility profiles in thin semiconductor films

A simple method of measuring drift-mobility profiles in semiconductor films is described. It is based on the low-frequency measurement of the transconductance and gate capacitance of an f.e.t. structure as a function of gate bias. Drift mobilities of 4000 to 5000 cm2/Vs have been measured on n-type GaAs films with 1016 to 1017 cm-3 doping levels.
Field and laboratory trials of a novel metaflumizone house fly (Diptera: Muscidae) bait in California.

House fly responses to metaflumizone bait were studied in southern California. Fieldstrain, laboratory-reared flies in outdoor cages had access for 5 d to water and two containers of untreated sugar/dry milk (control), one container of untreated food and one container of metaflumizone bait, or one container of untreated food and one container of spinosad bait (positive control). Most fly mortality occurred between 0 and 48 h for spinosad and between 48 and 96 h for metaflumizone. On a commercial dairy, fly visitation and bait consumption were higher for metaflumizone bait than for sugar or imidacloprid bait. Flies seldom visited or consumed the imidacloprid bait. Approximately 32% of field flies collected directly from metaflumizone bait (single exposure) died when held in the laboratory with untreated food for 72 h versus <5% mortality for flies from sugar or imidacloprid bait. Individual laboratory-reared females from a field strain and a susceptible laboratory strain were videotaped in the laboratory after exposure to untreated dry milk/sugar, metaflumizone bait, spinosad bait, and imidacloprid bait. Imidacloprid-induced mortality in field strain flies was low; when on the bait they spent proportionally less time feeding (38%) than did the laboratory strain flies (63%). Feeding by the field strain was more variable, and they fed less on all bait/food sources except metaflumizone. Metaflumizone has promise as a relatively slow-acting fly bait.
Flexural strength equation for sea ice

Abstract The measured flexural strengths of freshwater ice and sea ice have been compiled with a view towards correlating the measured results. Two thousand, four hundred and ninety-five experimentally measured data points from nineteen investigators have been used. This correlation has been done as input for a new system being developed to quickly characterize sea ice properties. The results indicate a very good correlation (r2= 0.77) between the flexural strength (σf) and the brine volume (νb) with a functional form σf = 1.76 e−5.88√νb where the flexural strength is in MPa, and the brine volume is expressed as a brine volume fraction. The value of 1.76 MPa for zero brine volume is in excellent agreement with the average value (1.73 MPa) measured for freshwater ice.
Two different and compatible intraneuronal labels for ultrastructural study of synaptically related cells

Abstract To examine the structural interactions between synaptically connected neurons in Aplysia, we have developed a method for simultaneously labeling two identified cells with different and compatible intraneuronal marking agents (horseradish peroxidase and [3H]N-acetyl- D -galactosamine) visible in both the light and electron microscopes. Combining these two agents within a single cell yields a third label.
Phonological and Morphological Influences in the Syllabification of Spoken Words

Abstract Words appear to be stored in memory in syllabic units that adhere to the phonology and morphology of the language (e.g., Marslen-Wilson, Tyler, Waksler, & Older, 1994; Treiman & Danis, 1988a). Three experiments investigated the formation of the syllabic representation of words using the structural induction phoneme monitoring paradigm in which stimulus lists are disproportionately weighted with words of one syllabic structure. In Experiment 1, two phonological principles of syllabification were compared to determine if one (maximum onset principle) might take precedence over the other (phonotactic illegality) during the formation of the initial structural representation of a word. Results suggest that phonotactic legality overrides the maximum onset principle. In Experiments 2 and 3, phonological and morphological parsings were pitted against each other to determine whether morphological influences in syllabification could be found as early as phonological influences. Results demonstrated that phonology, not morphology, guided syllabification. Experiment 4 demonstrated that the null effects of morphology were likely due to the stage of processing being tapped by the induction paradigm. Findings suggest that the formation of syllabic structure is guided by phonology prior to morphology.
Fuel-flexible, fuel processing technology

Hydrogen Burner Technology (HBT), established in 1992, has developed and patented a unique method of generating hydrogen from common infrastructure fuels. This non-catalytic process, known as the Under-Oxidised Burner (UOB TM ) technology, is convenient, inexpensive, flexible and virtually emission-free. Today, HBT is employing this technology to create fully integrated fuel processors for fuel cell applications. This article looks at HBT's Fuel-Flexible, Fuel Processor (F 3 P), a reformer technology for the 21st Century.
Ground-based microwave remote sensing of water vapor in the mesosphere and stratosphere

A ground-based, portable microwave radiometer that will be used to measure water vapor in the 30-80-km altitude region, and is to operate 24 hr a day, is described. The thermally excited 22.235-GHz rotational-transition line of water vapor is employed. The emission from this region produces a signal with an apparent brightness temperature of the order 0.1 to 0.5 K. A steerable reflector is used to provide optimal viewing angles, depending on the geographic location and season. Periodic tipping curve scans by this reflector permit determination of the amount of tropospheric correction that is applied to the data. All local oscillators in the receiver are crystal-controlled so that narrow-band spectral analysis of the received line shape can be performed.
The late Paleozoic ice age revisited

The late Paleozoic Gondwanan ice age (LPGIA), which spans the late Carboniferous through early Permian, marks Earth's last complete transition into, and out of,‘icehouse’ conditions, and corresponds to peaks in the diversity and extent of paleotropical ‘wet’ forests [Gastaldo et al., 1996]. Studying the LPGIA therefore has the potential to provide valuable information for understanding the Earth's transition out of the current Cenozoic ice age. A recent two-day workshop brought together about 40 researchers from the various subdisciplines of the geosciences to (1) assess the current understanding of the timing, duration, and character of the LPGIA and how it influenced Earth's climate, sea level, depositional systems, and biota; (2) begin integrating the growing body of knowledge into a holistic framework that includes all aspects of studies of the LPGIA, including sedimentological, paleontological, and geochemical data; and (3) devise plans for future integrated research.
Separation of muscle and non-muscle cells from adult rat myocardium: An application to the study of RNA polymerase

Non-muscle cells, closely adherent to myocytes, can be demonstrated by nuclear staining techniques in isolated myocardial cells. The method for isolating myocardial muscle and non-muscle cells that we have described significantly reduces cross-contamination. This procedure makes it possible, for the first time, to measure RNA synthesis, as nuclear RNA polymerase activity, in separated muscle and non-muscle cells. Biochemical reactions can now be studied simultaneously in two entirely different cell types from the same organ under similar conditions.
Nuclear Receptor CAR Represses TNFα-Induced Cell Death by Interacting with the Anti-Apoptotic GADD45B

Background: Phenobarbital (PB) is the most well-known among numerous non-genotoxic carcinogens that cause the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). PB activates nuclear xenobiotic receptor Constitutive Active/Androstane Receptor (CAR; NR1I3) and this activation is shown to determine PB promotion of HCC in mice. The molecular mechanism of CAR-mediated tumor promotion, however, remains elusive at the present time. Here we have identified Growth Arrest and DNA Damage-inducible 45b (GADD45B) as a novel CAR target, through which CAR represses cell death. Methodology/Principal Findings: PB activation of nuclear xenobiotic receptor CAR is found to induce the Gadd45b gene in mouse liver throughout the development of HCC as well as in liver tumors. Given the known function of GADD45B as a factor that represses Mitogen-activated protein Kinase Kinase 7 - c-Jun N-terminal Kinase (MKK7-JNK) pathway-mediated apoptosis, we have now demonstrated that CAR interacts with GADD45B to repress Tumor Necrosis Factor a ( TNFa)induced JNK1 phosphorylation as well as cell death. Primary hepatocytes, prepared from Car +/+ , Car 2/2 , Gadd45b +/+ and Gadd45b 2/2 mice, were treated with TNFa and Actinomycin D to induce phosphorylation of JNK1 and cell death. Cotreatment with the CAR activating ligand TCPOBOP (1,4 bis[2-(3,5-dichloropyridyloxy)]benzene) has resulted in repression of both phosphorylation and cell death in the primary hepatocytes from Car +/+ but not Car 2/2 mice. Repression by TCPOBOP was not observed in those prepared from Gadd45b 2/2 mice. In vitro protein-protein interaction and phosphorylation assays have revealed that CAR interacts with MKK7 and represses the MKK7-mediated phosphorylation of JNK1. Conclusions/Significance: CAR can form a protein complex with GADD45B, through which CAR represses MKK7-mediated phosphorylation of JNK1. In addition to activating the Gadd45b gene, CAR may repress death of mouse primary hepatocytes by forming a GADD45B complex and repressing MKK7-mediated phosphorylation of JNK1. The present finding that CAR can repress cell death via its interaction with GADD45B provides an insight for further investigations into the CAR-regulated molecular mechanism by which PB promotes development of HCC.
Electromagnetic detection of buried dielectric targets

Scattering from subsurface objects is studied using the T-matrix method. The scatterer is represented by a dielectric ellipsoid, and the source is assumed to be an electric dipole in a borehole. This approach accommodates rotations of the scatterer relative to the source and also permits relaxation of the two-dimensional constraint inherent in some models. In addition, it provides a framework within which a large number of subsurface scattering problems can be studied. To illustrate how this approach can be applied, the fields scattered from highly eccentric ellipsoids are found. In addition, polarization results demonstrate that a method based on the polarization of the scattered field may provide a more robust diagnostic of scatterer location than methods using only a single field component. An experiment based on a scale model of a subsurface tunnel is described. Results from the analytic model compare favorably with those obtained from the experiment. >
Biobanking after robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy: a quality assessment of providing prostate tissue for RNA studies

RNA quality is believed to decrease with ischaemia time, and therefore open radical prostatectomy has been advantageous in allowing the retrieval of the prostate immediately after its devascularization. In contrast, robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomies (RALP) require the completion of several operative steps before the devascularized prostate can be extirpated, casting doubt on the validity of this technique as a source for obtaining prostatic tissue. We seek to establish the integrity of our biobanking process by measuring the RNA quality of specimens derived from robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy. We describe our biobanking process and report the RNA quality of prostate specimens using advanced electrophoretic techniques (RNA Integrity Numbers, RIN). Using multivariate regression analysis we consider the impact of various clinicopathological correlates on RNA integrity. Our biobanking process has been used to acquire 1709 prostates, and allows us to retain approximately 40% of the prostate specimen, without compromising the histopathological evaluation of patients. We collected 186 samples from 142 biobanked prostates, and demonstrated a mean RIN of 7.25 (standard deviation 1.64) in 139 non-stromal samples, 73% of which had a RIN ≥ 7. Multivariate regression analysis revealed cell type - stromal/epithelial and benign/malignant - and prostate volume to be significant predictors of RIN, with unstandardized coefficients of 0.867(p = 0.001), 1.738(p < 0.001) and -0.690(p = 0.009) respectively. A mean warm ischaemia time of 120 min (standard deviation 30 min) was recorded, but multivariate regression analysis did not demonstrate a relationship with RIN within the timeframe of the RALP procedure. We demonstrate the robustness of our protocol - representing the concerted efforts of dedicated urology and pathology departments - in generating RNA of sufficient concentration and quality, without compromising the histopathological evaluation and diagnosis of patients. The ischaemia time associated with our prostatectomy technique using a robotic platform does not negatively impact on biobanking for RNA studies.
Plasma Characterization With Terahertz Pulses

We present details of a new plasma diagnostic system based on terahertz (THz) time-domain spectroscopy that simultaneously provides high time resolution and THz bandwidth coverage. The latter attribute allows studying wide ranges of plasma density variations without incurring opacity. The system utilizes imaging of the transverse fluorescence to estimate the plasma density profile, and then applies an rms error minimization technique to establish peak values of the electron density and collision rates as a function of delay time throughout the plasma evolution.
Dynamic mechanical and gas transport properties of blends and random copolymers of bisphenol‐A polycarbonate and tetramethyl bisphenol‐A polycarbonate

Dynamic mechanical and gas transport properties for homogeneous homopolymer blends and random copolymers of bisphenol-A and tetramethyl bisphenol-A polycarbonates (PC-TMPC) were determined. The gas transport measurements were performed at 35°C for the gases He, H2, O2, Ar, N2, CH4, and CO2. The results show that the copolymers have lower permeability, apparent diffusion, and solubility coefficients than the blends. Permeability coefficients for blends follow a semilogarithmic ideal mixing rule while copolymers exhibit negative deviations from this. Specific volume measurements show that the free volume available for gas transport is slightly larger in copolymers than in blends of the same composition. These apparently contradictory results may relate to the differences in local mode chain motions observed for the copolymer and blend series. The γ relaxation processes in PC and TMPC seem to operate independently in the blends (no intermolecular coupling) while there is clear evidence for intramolecular coupling in the copolymers. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
LEPTOQUARK SEARCHES AT HERA AND THE TEVATRON

▪ Abstract An unexpected excess of events with high Q2 reported by the H1 and ZEUS collaborations at HERA in early 1997 provoked speculation that the production of first-generation leptoquarks had been observed. In this article we review the anomalous HERA events, give a brief summary of the motivation for leptoquarks, and discuss the most recent searches at HERA and the Tevatron for first-, second-, and third-generation leptoquarks as well as generation-changing leptoquarks. We conclude with a short discussion of future prospects for leptoquark searches.
Volumetric clarifying filtration of urban source area rainfall runoff.

Volumetric clarification is a common storm-water unit operation for hydrologic attenuation that couples particulate matter (PM) separation. Recent volumetric clarification can also include integrated filtration. This study examines the unsteady hydraulic and head loss response of a volumetric clarifying filter (VCF) system to urban source area hydrologic loadings in Baton Rouge, La for 19 fully captured events. The rainfall-runoff response of the 1,088 m2 paved watershed is examined as a direct VCF loading. Watershed responses yielded two classes of behavior; high volume events with an equilibrium volumetric runoff coefficient from 0.6–0.8 while low volume events were 0.4–0.6. Runoff PM as suspended sediment concentration (SSC) yielded coarse heterodisperse influent particle-size distributions (PSDs); transformed to finer and more monodisperse PSDs after treatment. While event-mean head loss is less than 25 mm, instantaneous values up to 200 mm were dependent on instantaneous flow to the filters. Without...