cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Controlled assembly of large π-conjugated n-type molecules on Au(111)

Controlled assemblies of the n-type 5,6,11,12,17,18-hexaazatrinaphthylene (HATNA) molecule and its derivatives, 5,6,11,12,17,18-hexaazatrinaphthylene-2,8,14-tricarboxylic acid (HATNA–COOH) and 2,8,14-tri(3,4,5-tridodecyloxyphenylaminocarbonyl)-5,6,11,12,17,18-hexaazatrinaphthylene (HATNA-den), on Au(111) electrodes have been investigated using electrochemical scanning tunneling microscopy (ECSTM). Orientations of HATNA and HATNA–COOH molecules on Au(111) electrodes can be manipulated with potential modulation and imaged in situ by ECSTM. By increasing the applied electrode potentials, the HATNA and HATNA–COOH molecules were tuned at the solid/liquid interface to orient from parallel to perpendicular to the electrode surface because of dominating adsorbate–adsorbate interactions such as π–π stacking, hydrogen bonding, and weak dipole–dipole interactions and deprotonation of –COOH groups of the HATNA–COOH molecule at higher positive potentials. However, a stable adsorption orientation independent of applied electrode potentials was observed for the tridendron-containing molecule HATNA-den due to strong interactions between the alkyl chains and the Au(111) substrate, and between π-electrons of the aromatic rings and the Au(111) substrate. The ability to orient adsorbates and to change surface structures by controlling the substrate potential is a great boon to those attempting to create designer two-dimensional structures.
Plasma renin activity and intrarenal blood flow distribution in a child with a pheochromocytoma

The incidence of neonatal HSV infection is approximately one case per 7,500 del iveries: The occurrence o f HSV infections in two infants born within a one-month period to mothers who had been living together in the same commune is highly unlikely to be fortuitous. HSV viruses were cultured from both infants and serotyping proved that they were of the genital type II. There is substantial evidence that this type is transmitted exclusively in adults through sexual contact? A likely explanation for our case would involve a common male source o f the virus, venereal transmission to the mothers in the third trimester near term, and the subsequent infection of the infants during parturition. Neither infant manifested signs or symptoms of a prenatal infection. There is reasonable clinical evidence o f in one mother (No. 1) a localized genital viral infection and in another mother (No. 2) a systemic viral illness presumably both from HSV within one month prior to the births of their children. The acquisition of HSV infection by the mothers must have occurred late in gestation, since infectious virus persists in the urogenital canal for on the average only 27 days in primary infection and for only 16 days in nonprimary infections. If the mothers shed viruses in their urogenital tracts at delivery, the infants had at least a 40% risk of becoming infected. ' The risks are significantly less if the mothers were infected earlier in gestation. Overall, only one in 28 infants born to mothers who have had HSV genital infection at some point in gestation will acquire neonatal disease? Thus, it is likely that our infants acquired their infection during parturit ion passing through an infected canal.
Toward intrinsically stretchable organic semiconductors: mechanical properties of high-performance conjugated polymers

This paper describes several approaches to understanding and improving the response of π-conjugated (semiconducting) polymers to tensile strain. Our principal goal was to establish the design criteria for introducing elasticity and ductility in conjugated (semiconducting) polymers through a rigorous analysis of the structural determinants of the mechanical properties of this type of material. We elucidated the details of the effect of the alkyl side chain length on the mechanical properties of regioregular polythiophene and used this analysis to select materials for stretching and transfer printing of organic solar cells to hemispherical substrates. This demonstration represents the first time that a conjugated polymer device has ever been stretched and conformally bonded to a complex 3D surface (i.e., other than a cone or cylinder, for which flexibility—as opposed to stretchability—is sufficient). We then further explored the details of the dependence of the mechanical properties on the side chain of a semiconducting polymer by synthesizing a series of hybrid materials (block and random copolymers) containing both short and long side chains. This analysis revealed the unusual semiconducting polymer, poly(3-heptylthiophene), as having an excellent combination of mechanical and electronic properties. In parallel, we explored a new method of producing “blocky” copolymers using a new procedure based on random segmentation of conjugated monomers. We found that introduction of structural randomness increased the elasticity without having detrimental effects on the photovoltaic performance. We also describe methods of synthesizing large volumes of conjugated polymers in environmentally benign ways that were amenable to manufacturing.
Safety and reliability in superconducting fusion magnet systems

Abstract Superconducting toroidal field coils for future commercial Tokamak reactors must operate safely and reliably for periods of up to 30 years or more with minimal interruption for maintenance. This paper represents an initial attempt to consider safety and reliability issues for superconducting fusion magnets. Goals and approaches for safety and reliability are characterized. Possible accident initiators are identified, and the effect of mechanical, thermal, and electrical factors are examined, by using some early Tokamak reactor concepts as illustrations. Principal factors in magnet instrumentation and control are identified, and the role of engineered-safety features are discussed.
A novel synthesis of allyl vinyl ethers

Abstract Base-promoted reaction of dimethyl diazomethylphosphonate ( 2 ) with aliphatic ketones in the presence of allylic alcohols affords aldehydic allyl vinyl ethers ( 3 ).
Effects of sulfur on coal treatment in aqueous sodium hydroxide

Abstract The dissolution of Wyodak subbituminous and North Dakota lignite coals in 50% aqueous sodium hydroxide was enhanced by the addition of sulfur. The added sulfur was not incorporated into the undissolved coal residues. The effects of temperature (140–200°C), time (5–90 min), and added elemental sulfur (1–25% by weight) on dissolution were examined. Temperature affected the dissolution of subbituminous and lignite coal, while time affected the dissolution of subbituminous coal.
Statistics in ecology is for making a “principled” argument

In this guest editorial, I discuss the controversy between Fisher and Neyman-Pearson in the context of statistical inference in ecology and environmental sciences. I argue that statistical evidence represented in p-values and AIC is secondary to scientific evidence supporting the underlying statistical model when analyzing observational data. Accordingly, I recommend that ecologists emphasize model justification and model interpretation over the dichotomy of hypothesis testing. The recent Ecology forum on the use of p-values and AIC (Ellison et al. 2014) and the revised significance level of 0.005 by Johnson (2013) renewed the discussion of the role of statistics in ecological research. However, they did not mention the controversy between R.A. Fisher and J. Neyman and E. Pearson over the role of statistics in scientific research, intensified after the publication of Neyman (1935). A revisit of the underlying philosophical issue of the controversy can help us better understand issues related to the use of p-values and AIC in ecological and environmental sciences. I argue that statistics should be used by ecologists to develop a ‘‘principled argument’’ (Abelson 1995), in which the role of the p-value or other statistical concepts should be determined by the nature of the ecological problems, not the mathematical characteristics of these statistics. I summarize the Ecology forum, the revised significance level, and the Fisher–Neyman-Pearson controversy in an online blog . Briefly, Fisher views statistics as a tool for inductive reasoning through hypothetical deduction. Under Fisher’s line of thinking, a model is hypothetical and serves as a mediator between mathematics and the real world. Comparisons of model predictions and observations can expose weaknesses of a model and provide information for model improvement. Neyman and Pearson view the S. S. Qian (&) Department of Environmental Sciences, The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606, USA e-mail: song.qian@utoledo.edu 1 http://songqiansblog.blogspot.com/2014/04/statistics-ismore-than-p-values-and-aic.html.
An ultrastructural reevaluation of lead-induced pathology in the kidney.

Abstract The renal pathology of rats injected with daily doses of 10.0 mg/kg body wt lead acetate was studed. Animals were sacrificed after 4 weeks of treatment and the renal cortices were sampled for pathological evaluation. No significant morphological lesion was observed in the control animals injected with saline solution. Light-microscopic examination of the lead-treated animals showed degenerative and necrotic changes in the proximal tubules. Intranuclear inclusion bodies could also be observed. Extensive morphological changes were revealed by electron microscopy. The most prominent lesions were observed in the pars recta segment of proximal tubules. Accumulation of lysosomes, particularly at the apical portion of the cells, was observed. Some of these lysosomes attained giant sizes of 8–10 μm in diameter. Matrical swelling of mitochondria was also a frequent finding. Besides the typical intranuclear lead inclusion bodies, pseudonuclear inclusions derived from extensive invaginations of the nuclear envelope were also found. Edematous dilation of the inter-cellular interdigitational spaces giving rise to sieve-like structures within epithelial cells were a common finding. Splitting of the basement membrane to form microspherical particle-filled pockets was also a prominent change in proximal tubules. This report presents a detailed reevaluation of morphological lesions produced in the kidney by inorganic lead. The various toxicopathological changes produced by lead may be used as a model for future studies of renal toxicants.
Minimum permanents on special faces of the polytope of doubly stochastic matrices

Abstract We determine the minimum permanent on generalized Hessenberg faces of the polytope of doubly stochastic matrices and investigate the subpolytope of matrices achieving the minimum.
Classification of Developmental Delays

Developmental delay is frequently used to identify children with delay in meeting developmental milestones in one or more streams of development. There is no consensus on the specific definition. Developmental delay is best viewed generically as a chief complaint rather than a diagnosis. A child suspected to have delays should always be assessed in each of the major streams of development: expressive and receptive language, including social communication; visual problem solving (nonverbal cognition); motor development; neurobehavioral development; and social-emotional development. A model developed by the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research is used to compare existing classifications of developmental delays. This model defines the five domains in the disability process: pathophysiology, impairment, functional limitation, disability, and societall limitation. An etiology domain is added. This model is used to illustrate how existing classification systems of cerebral palsy, mental retardation, autism, and language delay draw on information from one or more domains. The model illustrates some of the conflicts between different systems. For example, most classification systems for cerebral palsy emphasize only impairment (spasticity, dyskinesias, and topography). The current definition and classification system for mental retardation focuses on functional limitations (IQ), disability, and societal limitations, ignoring pathophysiology and details of impairment. Given the complexity of neurodevelopmental disabilities, it is unlikely that a single classification system will fit all needs.
Advanced process control for injection molding

This paper deals with the application of advanced control strategies to an injection molding process. Of particular interest is the control of one variable during the cooling phase of the molding process. Due to the cyclic dynamic nature of injection molding, the controlled variable must be regulated over a short cycle; the full process is completed within 10 seconds. Therefore, a key control objective is rapid setpoint regulation. A closed-loop strategy has been implemented for the regulation of pressure within the mold during the cooling cycle. First order plus dead time models of the process have been identified from plant step responses. The performance of several control algorithms for this process are compared in simulation studies. These algorithms have given comparable regulatory and servo responses. Finally, the effectiveness of the closed loop controi system has been demonstrated experimentally using the PI algorithm. Simulated and experimental results are in excellent agreement.
Differential solubilization of nuclear glucocorticoid receptors by DNAase I and DNAase II.

This study analyzes the sensitivity of nuclear bound glucocorticoid receptors to solubilization from nuclei by DNAase I and DNAase II. Thymocytes were incubated with 10−8 M [3H]dexamethasone, [3H]cortisol or [3H]triamcinolone acetonide, without or with 10−6 M unlabelled dexamethasone, for 30 min at 37°C and nuclei from these cells were digested with either DNAase I and DNAase II. DNAase I for 2 h at 3°C leads to solubilization of 60% of the nuclear DNA and release of 10–20% triamcinolone acetonide-receptor, 30–40% dexamethasone-receptor and 85–90% cortisol-receptor. DNAase II at the same enzymatic concentration solubilizes only 10–20% of the nuclear DNA, but releases 40–50% triamcinolone-receptor, 60–70% dexamethasone-receptor and 100% cortisol-receptor. Release of nuclear bound dexamethasone-receptor by DNAase I parallels the solubilization of DNA, reaching maximum values by 2 h at 3°C, whereas maximal release by DNAase II is obtained within 45 min when DNA solubilization is not complete. When nuclei initially extracted with DNAase I are re-extracted with DNAase II, greater than 65% of the DNAase I residual dexamethasone-receptors are solubilized, whereas DNAase I is ineffective in solubilizing DNAase II residual dexamethasone-receptors. DNAase I solubilizes only 30% of the 0.4 M KCl residual dexamethasone-receptor whereas DNAase II digests over 90% of this fraction. DNAase I extracts of nuclear dexamethasone-receptor chromatograph on G-100 Sephadex as a single radioactive peak just after the void volume, whereas DNAase II extracts of nuclear dexamethasone-receptor chromatograph as two peaks of radioactivity, one which is similar to the DNAase I solubilized receptor and a second broad peak of macromolecular bound radioactivity which is smaller in size.
Girls' Juvenile Justice Uniforms: A Semiotic Analysis of Their Meaning

The purpose of this study was to examine how juvenile justice uniforms subjectively and objectively create meaning for the girls who wear them and the staff who observe them. Forty-one incarcerated...
A meta-cognitive tool for courseware development, maintenance, and reuse

Novak and Iuli [Novak, J. D. & Iuli, R. J. (1991). The use of meta-cognitive tools to facilitate knowledge production. In A paper presented at the fourth Florida AI research symposium (FLAIRS '91), Pensacola Beach, FL, May, 1991.] discuss the use of Concept Maps as meta-cognitive tools that help people to think about thinking. This work describes a network-enabled meta-cognitive tool based upon extensions to Concept Maps that can be used to help course designers visualize and plan course organizations. This tool permits the user to create a novel type of course description based on the idea of an advance organizer. Course arrangements created by this method do not have the arbitrary linear sequences of topics typically found in traditional courses at the college level. The tool is part of an environment that is designed to foster meaningful learning and reuse of course design and instructional content. This paper presents a description of this software tool, an approach to the creation of a course depiction from a Concept Map, an example of a course that was developed iteratively using the tool, and a discussion of the ways that the tool fosters course and content reuse.
DPKQDFMRFamide expression is similar in two distantly related Drosophila species

Drosophila melanogaster DPKQDFMRFamide was isolated and its expression reported. Distribution of DPKQDFMRFamide immunoreactivity is now described in Drosophila virilis. DPKQDFMRFamide antibody stained a cell in the subesophageal ganglion in embryo. DPKQDFMRFamide antibody stained cells in the superior protocerebrum, subesophageal ganglion, thoracic ganglia, and an abdominal ganglion in larva, pupa, and adult. DPKQDFMRFamide antibody stained an additional pair of cells in the optic lobe and a cell in the lateral protocerebrum in adult. Structure identity and similar distribution of DPKQDFMRFamide in D. virilis and D. melanogaster, two distantly related Drosophila species, suggests an important and conserved activity for the peptide.
Dissociative electron attachment in uracil: Total anion yield

Abstract The total relative yield of anions produced by electron impact on uracil has been measured at energies below ionization. Peaks associated with vibrational Feshbach, shape and core-excited resonances are observed, although the relative sizes differ from those measured using mass analysis. Observation of positive ionization in uracil permits normalization to the ionization cross section. Feil et al. [J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 37 (2004) 3013] have used the semi-classical Deutsch–Mark ionization cross section for this purpose. Using the D–M cross section for normalization, we find that the cross section for production of (U–H) − is substantially smaller than their mass selected result.
Space filling curves and mathematical programming

The problem of finding {if314-1} in n dimensional Euclidean space such that {if314-2}, i = 1, 2, ···, N , is considered. The only assumption on the f i is that a solution exists in the quantized unit hypercube. Implicitly exhaustive solution procedures, which obtain solutions by implicitly considering every point in the quantized space without making computations at each point, are studied. The implicitly exhaustive feature is made possible by adapting “space filling curves≓ to discrete spaces of general dimensionality. Several space filling curves are surveyed, and Peano's continuous mapping from the unit interval onto the unit square is used as a basis for defining a mapping from the unit quantized interval onto the unit quantized hypercube, and inversely. Ternary arithmetic is the basis for the required functional relationships in the discrete mapping. The discrete mapping has attributes of quasi-continuity, and specific numerical bounds are derived in this respect. It is shown that these bounds are of optimal order dependence on the relevant variables. It is shown how to use knowledge of first and second order properties of the f i to obtain solutions on a digital computer using space filling curves as a basis for the concept of implicitly exhaustive search. The only global properties assumed are bounds on first, or possibly second, order variations. Concluding remarks bear on the ultimate practicality of the method, and present a limited amount of experimental data.
General approach to continuity measures

The neoclassical analysis is a field where an approach to investigation of different kinds of fuzzy continuous functions is suggested. In this paper we consider such property as continuity (local and global) of functions and investigate what does it mean that a function is continuous only to some extent.
Terminating the replisome

In a eukaryotic cell, DNA replication begins with the unwinding of double-stranded DNA at an origin, followed by the synthesis of complementary strands that grow bidirectionally along the original DNA strands (forming a replication fork) from the origin. This synthesis is carried out by a complex structure called a replisome, the heart of which is a ring-shaped DNA helicase that unwinds the DNA. Two key events occur when replication forks arising from two different origins converge. The DNA associated with each fork first must be fully replicated and separated from each other; topoisomerases facilitate both fork convergence and this decatenation ( 1 – 3 ). Then, the replisome associated with each converging fork must be dismantled. Because the DNA helicase cannot be reloaded onto DNA once it is removed, the processivity of replication demands that these enzymes associate tightly with substrate DNA. On pages 440 and 477 of this issue, Maric et al. ( 4 ) and Priego Moreno et al. ( 5 ), respectively, demonstrate that disassembly of the eukaryotic replicative DNA helicase is actively controlled.
Developmental switch in the expression of NMDA receptors occurs in vivo and in vitro

The properties of many ligand-gated ion channels are altered during development. We have characterized a developmental switch in the sensitivity of NMDA receptors to the novel antagonist ifenprodil using ligand binding assays with rat brain membranes and voltage-clamp recording of Xenopus oocytes expressing NMDA receptors after injection of RNA from rat brain and from cloned subunits of the receptor. In neonatal rat brain, NMDA receptors have a uniformly high affinity for ifenprodil. During postnatal development, a second population of receptors having a 100-fold lower affinity for ifenprodil is expressed and represents 50% of NMDA receptors in adult rat brain. This developmental change also occurred in cortical neurons maintained in primary culture. Ifenprodil potently inhibited responses of homomeric NR1 and heteromeric NR1/NR2B receptors but not NR1/NR2A receptors expressed in oocytes, suggesting that inclusion of different NR2 subunits in native NMDA receptors can control the sensitivity to ifenprodil.
Cataract: relationship between nutrition and oxidation.

Opacification of the lens, or cataract, is causally related to the precipitation of proteins or other constituents upon aging. Proteins in the lens are unusually long lived and are subject to extensive damage, including (photo)oxidation. Accumulation of damaged proteins also appears to be due in part to attenuated activity of some proteolytic pathways, which in younger tissue may serve to identify and remove such moieties. The damaged proteins accumulate, aggregate, and precipitate. Compared with other health problems, surgery to remove cataract and related visits to physicians consume the largest proportion of the Medicare budget, i.e., $3.2 billion annually in the United States. The situation is exacerbated in many parts of the world where there is a dearth of ophthalmologists to perform the required number of procedures. Historically efforts to delay cataract assumed a low profile in ophthalmologic research. Recent data, however, indicate that consuming elevated levels of antioxidants such as ascorbate, carotenoids, and tocopherol is associated with delayed development of various forms of cataract. The same beneficial relationship to vision pertains to plasma antioxidant status and to fruit and vegetable intake. Thus, it seems that assuring optimal antioxidant intake can extend lens function. It has been estimated that in the United States over half of the cataract extractions and associated costs would be obviated if cataract could be delayed by 10 years. The data reviewed indicate that optimizing nutrition will help achieve that objective.
Pickup and saltation mechanisms of solid particles in horizontal pneumatic transport

Abstract Both pickup and saltation mechanisms of solid particles have been examined from an experimental viewpoint, in relation to the prediction of the minimum conveying velocity required in horizontal pneumatic transport systems that operate in dilute-phase. Several experiments were carried out to determine pickup, saltation, and particle velocity of a wide variety of materials using different techniques. The use of dimensional analysis and the experimental findings led to a simple correlation useful to predict pickup velocity of coarse particles (above 100 μm). Noteworthy is the existence of a pipe diameter effect on the pickup mechanism, an important result to consider in scale-up procedures. For the first time in pneumatic transport, pickup and saltation mechanisms of solid particles in horizontal pipelines have been related, with the aid of branching and stability analysis. These ideas open new avenues to full understanding of the complex behavior of particles conveyed pneumatically through pipelines.
Detection of circulating immune complexes by a Clq/protein A-ELISA during the preneoplastic stages of feline leukemia virus infection

Abstract A microscale ELISA immune complex assay which utilized a solid phase Clq and a Protein A-peroxidase enzyme conjugate is described. This ELISA was used to detect and quantitate circulating immune complexes (CIC) during the initial feline leukemia virus infection. Significant increases in CIC were seen in the cats which were transiently infected at weeks three through eight after viral exposure. A persistent elevation in CIC was observed in the one cat which developed a persistent viremia. The addition of EDTA to the serum strongly interfered with this assay.
Hand Abnormalities in Pygmy Chimpanzees (Pan paniscus)

Hand deformities in 2 wild-born pygmy chimpanzees were investigated through dissection, linear measurements, bone mineral analysis and X-rays. Weight of tissue (skin, muscle, bone) was determined for
True molar surface energy and alignment of surface molecules

Abstract By use of data for surface tension, for the first time a method is presented for calculating true molar surface properties of liquids: free energy, entropy, and enthalpy. These new data allow full comparison with other molar quantities, such as enthalpy and entropy of vaporization. All data are at the normal boiling point. There are differences in behavior between various classes of nonpolar compounds. Rare gases and tetrahydrides of Group 14 form a separate category. The results agree with the experimental findings that water and alcohol molecules are aligned with the OH groups attached to the surface. The data indicate that hydrogen peroxide and 1,2-ethanediol also have one OH group directed toward the surface and one directed out toward the vapor phase. Small straight-chain amines have some structure at the surface, but the larger ones behave like the corresponding alkanes. Very polar compounds, such as nitriles, nitro compounds, and aldehydes, have little or no increased degree of order of molecules at the surface. Except for hydrogen-bonded compounds, molecules at the surface have surroundings similar to those in the bulk liquid.
Metallic to tunneling transition in Cu-Nb point contacts

In a recent paper we proposed a detailed theory for the $I\ensuremath{-}V$ curves of a normal-superconductor microconstriction, predicting a smooth crossover from metallic to tunnel-junction behavior. This paper describes experiments on Cu-Nb point contacts which span the crossover regime. We find excellent quantitative agreement between theory and experiment over a substantial range of contact resistances.
Non-invasive measurement of blood flow-rate in expanded polytetrafluoroethylene grafts.

Four 6 mm e-PTFE grafts were placed subcutaneously into four dogs between the carotid artery and jugular vein to model shunt flow through an access graft. Flow-rates were varied from 120 to 2000 ml/min (N = 42) by use of a cardiac stimulant (Aramine) and external constrictor. Measures of graft flow were made simultaneously by electromagnetic flowmeter (EMF) and Doppler ultrasound based on a known graft diameter, use of a flat-head probe providing a fixed beam-to-vessel angle and derivation of the mean Doppler-shift frequency from first moment computation of the frequency spectra.Correlation coefficients between the Doppler ultrasound and EMF recordings were 0–54, 0·96 and 0·92 at measurement sites just beyond the arterial/graft anastomosis, at the graft loop and just proximal to the graft/venous anastomosis, respectively. Availability of a simple and accurate, non-invasive flowmeter for superficially placed e-PTFE grafts may be valuable for evaluating the systemic effects of vascular shunts, for monitorin...
The Superior Approach for Operative Decompression of the Left Side of the Heart

Abstract A new technique to decompress the left side of the heart is described. A catheter is guided from the superior aspect of the left atrium through the mitral valve to the apex of the left ventricle. This is a direct route, and the catheter lies in a straight line and therefore can be placed with minimal manipulation. The technique is simple, effective, and atraumatic.
Annealing behavior of thin polycrystalline silicon films damaged by silicon ion implantation in the critical amorphization range

Abstract Thin polycrystalline silicon films were amorphized by silicon ion implantation at two different angles and subsequently annealed at 525°C. The structure of the as-deposited, as-implanted and annealed films was examined using Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and the optical appearance method. Two distinct phases were found to coexist in the as-implanted films: one phase consists of a mosaic of crystallites surrounded by amorphous silicon and the other consists of only amorphous silicon. The mosaic phase was due to ion beam channeling through properly oriented polycrystalline grains. The implantation angle was found to determine whether the film recrystallizes upon annealing by a solid phase epitaxial mechanism using the surviving crystallites as seeds.
Clinical Outcomes in a Primary Care Practice Within a Center for Health Equity.

Objective: A Center for Health Equity that included a primary care practice was built in a neighborhood affected by long-term disparities related to race and class in order to promote health equity...
The effect of TOMM40 poly-T length on gray matter volume and cognition in middle-aged persons with APOE ε3/ε3 genotype.

Abstract Objective Apolipoprotein E ( APOE ) genotypes are associated with variable risk of developing late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD), with APOE epsilon 4 ( APOE ɛ4) having higher risk. A variable poly-T length polymorphism at rs10524523, within intron 6 of the translocase of the outer mitochondrial membrane (TOMM40) gene, has been shown to influence age of onset in LOAD, with very long (VL) poly-T length associated with earlier disease onset, and short poly-T length associated with later onset. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that brain and cognitive changes suggestive of presymptomatic LOAD may be associated with this TOMM40 polymorphism. Methods Among healthy APOE ɛ3 homozygous adults (N = 117; mean age, 55 years), we compared those who were homozygous for VL/VL (n = 35) TOMM40 poly-T lengths (who were presumably at higher risk) with those homozygous for short (S/S; n=38) poly-T lengths, as well as those with heterozygous (S/VL; n=44) poly-T length polymorphisms, on measures of learning and memory and on structural brain imaging. Results The VL/VL group showed lower performance than the S/S TOMM40 group on primacy retrieval from a verbal list learning task, a finding which is also seen in early Alzheimer's disease. A dose-dependent increase in the VL TOMM40 polymorphism (from no VL alleles, to S/VL heterozygous, to VL/VL homozygous) was associated with decreasing gray matter volume in the ventral posterior cingulate and medial ventral precuneus, a region of the brain affected early in LOAD. Conclusions These findings among APOE ɛ3/ɛ3 late middle-aged adults suggest that a subgroup with VL TOMM40 poly-T lengths may be experiencing incipient LOAD-related cognitive and brain changes.
Cholesterol Supplementation Enhances Growth of Phallus in Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome † 444

Smith-Lemi-Opitz syndrome (SLOS) is an autosomal recessive inborn error of cholesterol biosynthesis due to a deficiency of the last enzyme of the cholesterol synthetic pathway, 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase. Affected patients have low concentrations of cholesterol and elevation of the cholesterol precursor, 7-dehydrocholesterol (7-DHC). Multiple congenital anomalies, dysmorphic facies, and growth and developmental retardation are common. Severely affected males have ambiguous genitalia. We believe that the genital anomalies seen in affected males are due to deficiency of androgens, but this has never been proven.
Pasteurella multocida sialic acid aldolase: a promising biocatalyst.

Sialic acid aldolases or N-acetylneuraminate lyases (NanAs) catalyze the reversible aldol cleavage of N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac) to form pyruvate and N-acetyl-d-mannosamine (ManNAc). A capillary electrophoresis assay was developed to directly characterize the activities of NanAs in both Neu5Ac cleavage and Neu5Ac synthesis directions. The assay was used to obtain the pH profile and the kinetic data of a NanA cloned from Pasteurella multocida P-1059 (PmNanA) and a previously reported recombinant Escherichia coli K12 NanA (EcNanA). Both enzymes are active in a broad pH range of 6.0–9.0 in both reaction directions and have similar kinetic parameters. Substrates specificity studies showed that 5-O-methyl-ManNAc, a ManNAc derivative, can be used efficiently as a substrate by PmNanA, but not efficiently by EcNanA, for the synthesis of 8-O-methyl Neu5Ac. In addition, PmNanA (250 mg l−1 culture) has a higher expression level (2.5-fold) than EcNanA (94 mg l−1 culture). The higher expression level and a broader substrate tolerance make PmNanA a better catalyst than EcNanA for the chemoenzymatic synthesis of sialic acids and their derivatives.
New Insights on Evaluations of Design Consistency for Two-Lane Highways:

Operating speed prediction models along horizontal curves of two-lane rural highways have been the topic of a significant body of literature. Operating speed models for two-lane rural highway tangents and for horizontal curves on low-speed urban streets also exist but are less developed. These models, estimated primarily by means of ordinary least squares regression, generally use aggregate-level data to estimate the effect of geometric design variables on the mean or 85th percentile operating speed but do not explicitly consider measures of speed dispersion (e.g., standard deviation). Most existing models consider speeds of free-flow passenger vehicles; traffic flow effects on speed are generally not quantified. Finally, published literature shows that researchers have not converged on a consistent modeling practice about the use of posted speed limit as an explanatory variable in operating speed models. Collectively, these issues may lead to design consistency assessments that are not truly reflective o...
Minding the gap: Meaning, affect, and the potential shortcomings of vignettes

Despite an ongoing debate over the validity of vignettes, little research has explored either why, or in what research areas, the vignette method may be particularly problematic. In this paper, we draw on Affect Control Theory (ACT) to directly investigate the difference between vignettes and a more experiential method in research on social exchange and alternative dispute resolution. Using ACT’s affective dimensions of evaluation, potency, and activity, as well as its concept of deflection, we compare the affective responses of participants in two types of experimental simulations – vignettes and a laboratory experiment. Results suggest that a more tangible experience, like that present in our laboratory experiment, leads to greater deflection, therefore increasing the intensity of emotion and altering affective meanings. We argue that these findings could have important implications for research, particularly in areas exploring affective and cognitive outcomes of interaction.
Utilization of Latest Geospatial Web Service Technologies for Remote Sensing Education through GeoBrain Sysem

GeoBrain is a Web based geospatial information and knowledge system that adopts and implements the newly emerged geospatial Web service technologies. It provides innovative methods in remote sensing education to prepare students with world-view training and experiences, transfer spatial data and information technologies to the professional workforce and society at large, and meet the increasing needs for globalization for remote sensing education and research.
Mechanisms of oxygen inhibition of nirK expression in Rhodobacter sphaeroides

R. sphaeroides strain 2.4.3, when lacking the cbb 3 oxidase, is unable to transition from aerobic respiration to denitrification using cellular respiration as a means of reducing oxygen levels. This is due to an inability to express nirK, the gene encoding nitrite reductase. Under certain photosynthetic conditions this strain can transition from aerobic to nitrate respiration, demonstrating that nirK expression can occur in the absence of a functional cbb 3 oxidase. If oxygen levels are reduced under non-photosynthetic conditions using low-oxygen gas mixes, nitrite reductase activity is detected at wild-type levels in the strain lacking the oxidase. In addition, co-culture experiments show that incubation of the cbb 3 deficient strain 2.4.3 with R. sphaeroides 2.4.1, which is nirK deficient but has the high-affinity cbb 3 oxidase, restores denitrification in sealed-vessel experiments. Taken together these results indicate that high end-point O2 levels are the reason why the strain lacking the cbb 3 oxidase cannot transition from aerobic respiration to denitrification under certain conditions. The protein probably being affected by these O2 levels is the transcriptional regulator NnrR.
Degrading effect of high-altitude corona on electronic circuit boards

A printed circuit board with attached components has been subjected to corona discharges for 200 h at a pressure of 8.66 Pa. The preliminary investigations indicate that: (1) High altitude corona discharges produce visible surface degradation on electronic circuit boards and mounted components. (2) The deterioration is most pronounced in the regions where the electric field is greatest. (3) The solder coating has been removed in localized areas of the interconnecting paths and the underlying copper is now exposed. (4) The circuit board becomes covered with a white dust, the composition of which is still unknown. (5) The deterioration increases with increased exposure up to 200 h, the maximum exposure time considered here. >
Beverage Control Systems and the Guests' Perspective: Standardization and Value

ABSTRACT Consistency in delivery is essential to successful services marketing. Standardizing certain elements of the service delivery can help assure quality, while standardization can also detract from service quality and lead to customer loss. Standardization of beverage quality through the use of automated beverage control systems was found to be an approach by which guests did not perceive loss of quality in the service exchange. This finding is contrary to common knowledge among hospitality operators. Potential benefits of using automated beverage control systems are discussed.
Modulation of interferon-gamma-induced HLA-DR expression on the human keratinocyte cell line SCC-13 by ultraviolet radiation.

Cell surface expression of major histocompatibility determinants on epidermal keratinocytes is a characteristic feature of a number of inflammatory dermatoses and in all likelihood is caused by diffusion of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DR-inducing cytokines from cells present in the dermal mononuclear cell infiltrate. Many of these same disorders respond to ultraviolet(UV) radiation phototherapy. Using the human SCC-13 keratinocyte cell line as a model, UV radiation was found to inhibit interferon-gamma-induced HLA-DR expression. Inhibition correlated closely with decreased steady-state levels of HLA-DR mRNA. These findings provide evidence that the therapeutic effect of UV radiation phototherapy may be mediated by its capacity to down-regulate cytokine-induced keratinocyte HLA-DR expression.
Adding New Chemistries to the Genetic Code

The development of new orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase/tRNA pairs has led to the addition of approximately 70 unnatural amino acids (UAAs) to the genetic codes of Escherichia coli, yeast, and mammalian cells. These UAAs represent a wide range of structures and functions not found in the canonical 20 amino acids and thus provide new opportunities to generate proteins with enhanced or novel properties and probes of protein structure and function.
Direct observation of DNA bending/unbending kinetics in complex with DNA-bending protein IHF

Regulation of gene expression involves formation of specific protein–DNA complexes in which the DNA is often bent or sharply kinked. Kinetics measurements of DNA bending when in complex with the protein are essential for understanding the molecular mechanism that leads to precise recognition of specific DNA-binding sites. Previous kinetics measurements on several DNA-bending proteins used stopped-flow techniques that have limited time resolution of few milliseconds. Here we use a nanosecond laser temperature-jump apparatus to probe, with submillisecond time resolution, the kinetics of bending/unbending of a DNA substrate bound to integration host factor (IHF), an architectural protein from Escherichia coli. The kinetics are monitored with time-resolved FRET, with the DNA substrates end-labeled with a FRET pair. The temperature-jump measurements, in combination with stopped-flow measurements, demonstrate that the binding of IHF to its cognate DNA site involves an intermediate state with straight or, possibly, partially bent DNA. The DNA bending rates range from ≈2 ms−1 at ≈37°C to ≈40 ms−1 at ≈10°C and correspond to an activation energy of ≈14 ± 3 kcal/mol. These rates and activation energy are similar to those of a single A:T base pair opening inside duplex DNA. Thus, our results suggest that spontaneous thermal disruption in base-paring, nucleated at an A:T site, may be sufficient to overcome the free energy barrier needed to partially bend/kink DNA before forming a tight complex with IHF.
Computer study of nonequilibrium excitation in recombining nitrogen plasma nozzle flows

The nonequilibrium neutral atom excited state densities, electron densities, electron and heavy particle temperatures are computed for a fully dissociated partially ionized nitrogen plasma expanding in a nozzle starting from equilibrium in the settling chamber. The degree of excitation nonequilibrium at the exit of a convergent-divergent nozzle having an area ratio of 22 is systematicall y investigated for chamber pressures between 0.01 and 1000 atm and chamber temperatures between 6000 and 18,000 °K. Thermal nonequilibrium at the exit rises to a maximum in the chamber pressure range between 1 and 10 atm, whereas excitation nonequilibrium is smallest in this pressure range, due to the competing effects of the three-body recombination and collisional coupling terms in the electron energy equation. Increasing chamber pressure above 10 atm produces increasingly severe and unexpected departure from excitation equilibrium.
Optimistic Byzantine agreement

The paper considers the Byzantine agreement problem in a fully asynchronous network, where some participants may be actively malicious. This is an important building block for fault-tolerant applications in a hostile environment, and a non-trivial problem: An early result by Fischer et al. (1985) shows that there is no deterministic solution in a fully asynchronous network subject to even a single crash failure. The paper introduces an optimistic protocol that combines the two best known techniques to solve agreement, randomization and timing. The timing information is used only to increase performance; safety and liveness of the protocol are guaranteed independently of timing. Under certain "normal" conditions, the protocol decides quickly and deterministically without using public-key cryptography, approximately as fast as a timed protocol subject to crash failures does. Otherwise, a randomized fallback protocol ensures safety and liveness. For this, we present an optimized version of the randomized Byzantine agreement protocol of Cachin et al. (2000), which is computationally less expensive and not only tolerates malicious parties, but also some loss of messages; it might therefore be of independent interest.
Gratitude works: its impact and the mediating role of affective commitment in driving positive outcomes

After studying the effects of Louisiana’s post-hurricane “thank you” campaigns, the researchers find expressions of gratitude significantly improve perceptions of Louisiana in the midst of its recovery. Through a national survey conducted November 2006, they find that those who saw or heard a thank you advertisement have more positive attitudes toward the state and its people, a greater willingness to pay a premium for its products, services and travel to the state, and spread positive word-of-mouth, thus justifying the use of public funds to support the campaign. The authors investigate the role of participation on the effectiveness of expressions of gratitude and identify the mediating role of affective commitment in driving the positive results attributed to expressions of gratitude.
Linear network coordinated beamforming for cell-boundary users

In this paper, low complexity linear network coordinated beamforming (N-CBF) algorithms under a zero inter-user interference constraint are proposed for the multi-cell downlink channel. We consider a downlink scenario with three base stations (BSs) equipped with one transmit antenna each and three mobile users, each of which has more than one receive antenna and is located on the cell-boundary. A single data stream is transmitted to all three cell-boundary users where each user receives his/her own independent data stream (called full broadcast channel), or where two users receive the same data stream while the third user receives a different data stream (called clustered broadcast channel). For the full and clustered broadcast channel scenarios, we propose low complexity linear N-CBF algorithms approaching the sum capacity realized by multi-cell dirty paper coding. Monte Carlo simulations are carried out to verify the proposed algorithms.
Similar radiation sensitivities of acutely and chronically hypoxic cells in HT 1080 fibrosarcoma xenografts.

Abstract Vordermark, D., Menke, D. R. and Brown, J. M. Similar Radiation Sensitivities of Acutely and Chronically Hypoxic Cells in HT 1080 Fibrosarcoma Xenografts. Radiat. Res. 159, 94–101 (2003). It has been suggested that chronically hypoxic tumor cells may be more radiosensitive than acutely hypoxic or even aerobic cells. In the present study we have used the fact that chronically, but not acutely, hypoxic cells that are transformed with a vector containing an enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) driven by a hypoxia-responsive promoter become green (high EGFP) at low oxygen concentrations and can be viably sorted from transplanted tumors in vitro. We showed that the fluorescence of HT 1080 human fibrosarcoma cells stably transfected with this vector increases constantly with decreasing O2 concentrations (<2%, longer than 1 h, half maximum ∼0.2% for longer than 8 h), and that cells subjected to repeated cycles of hypoxia/reoxygenation (simulating acutely hypoxic cells) showed only background fluore...