cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Deformation-processed wire prepared from gas-atomized Cu-Nb alloy powders

Wires have been fabricated by deformation processing of precursor billets that were prepared from alloy powders made by high-pressure gas atomization (HPGA) of a copper-20 vol pct niobium melt. The powders were classified, and a larger size fraction, whose microstructure consisted mainly of 0.4-µm-diameter Nb dendrites, was fabricated into the precursor billet by powder metallurgical techniques. The deformation-processed wire prepared from the powder alloy billet gave significantly increased strengths at a given level of deformation strain over similar material produced by consumable arc casting. This may be attributed to the smaller initial Nb dendrite size of the alloy powder used for the precursor billet. However, the electrical conductivity of the powder material at a given strength level was significantly lower than the arccast material. The cause of the reduction of the conductivity is uncertain, and possible reasons are discussed.
High-speed, clinical-scale microfluidic generation of stable phase-change droplets for gas embolotherapy

In this study we report on a microfluidic device and droplet formation regime capable of generating clinical-scale quantities of droplet emulsions suitable in size and functionality for in vivo therapeutics. By increasing the capillary number—based on the flow rate of the continuous outer phase—in our flow-focusing device, we examine three modes of droplet breakup: geometry-controlled, dripping, and jetting. Operation of our device in the dripping regime results in the generation of highly monodisperse liquid perfluoropentane droplets in the appropriate 3–6 μm range at rates exceeding 105 droplets per second. Based on experimental results relating droplet diameter and the ratio of the continuous and dispersed phase flow rates, we derive a power series equation, valid in the dripping regime, to predict droplet size, Dd ≅ 27(QC/QD)−5/12. The volatile droplets in this study are stable for weeks at room temperature yet undergo rapid liquid-to-gas phase transition, and volume expansion, above a uniform thermal activation threshold. The opportunity exists to potentiate locoregional cancer therapies such as thermal ablation and percutaneous ethanol injection using thermal or acoustic vaporization of these monodisperse phase-change droplets to intentionally occlude the vessels of a cancer.
Acute hemodynamic effects of atrio-biventricular pacing in humans

Standard postoperative dual-chamber pacing uses ventricular leads placed on the right ventricle that produce dysynchronous ventricular activation and contraction. The hypothesis that simultaneous stimulation of both ventricles by atrio-biventricular pacing improves hemodynamic performance compared with that observed with standard atrio-monoventricular pacing was tested in 18 patients 12 to 36 hours after elective coronary artery revascularization. Temporary epicardial pacing electrodes were placed on the right atrium and into anterior paraseptal sites on the right and left ventricle. Simultaneous biventricular activation was documented by fusion morphology of surface electrocardiograms and by isochronal epicardial activation mapping during biventricular pacing. Hemodynamic data were acquired after 10 minutes of pacing at a fixed overdrive rate during atrial pacing and during dual-chamber pacing using unipolar right ventricular, unipolar left ventricular, and bipolar biventricular (left ventricular cathode) leads. Atrio-biventricular pacing increased cardiac index and decreased systemic vascular resistance compared with atrial pacing and with atrio—right ventricular and atrio—left ventricular dual-chamber pacing ( p
Influence of Blood Rheology and Vessel Wall Motion on Arterial Fluid Mechanics

Most model studies of arterial fluid mechanics have assumed that blood is a Newtonian fluid and that vessel wall motion driven by the pressure pulse has a small influence on the local velocity and pressure distributions. This paper provides a brief historical review of arterial flow modeling which emphasizes recent developments in non-Newtonian blood analog fluids and studies of the influence of vessel wall motion on local flow fields. It is pointed out that vessel wall motion can have a dominant effect on mean pressure gradient and a significant effect on mean wall shear stress in the aorta.
GENETIC MODELS OF ADAPTATION AND GENE FLOW IN PERIPHERAL POPULATIONS.

We investigate the interplay between gene flow and adaptation in peripheral populations of a widespread species. Models are developed for the evolution of a quantitative trait under clinally varying selection in a species whose density decreases from the center of the range to its periphery. Two major results emerge. First, gene flow from populations at the range center can be a strong force that inhibits peripheral populations from evolving to their local ecological optima. As a result, peripheral populations experience persistent directional selection. Second, response to local selection pressures can cause rapid and substantial evolution when a peripheral population is isolated from gene flow. The amount of evolutionary change depends on gene flow, selection, the ecological gradient, and the trait's heritability. Rapid divergence can also occur between the two halves of a formerly continuous population that is divided by a vicariant event. A general conclusion is that disruption of gene flow can cause evolutionary divergence, perhaps leading to speciation, in the absence of contributions from random genetic drift.
Cooperation and contention in psychiatric work

This article discusses the social organization of psychiatric work in the psychiatric emergency department of a public general hospital located in New York City, based on ethnographic research cond...
The Prologue of the "Cauallero Çifar": An Example of Medieval Creativity

The opening folios of the fourteenth-century Spanish prose romance, Libro del Cauallero Cifar, omit any reference to a Prologue and no clear distinction is made between the end of the introductory ...
Use of sulfur chemiluminescence detection after supercritical fluid chromatography

Abstract A newly developed sulfur chemiluminescence detector is evaluated for supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC). The detection chemistry for sulfur chemiluminescence detection (SCD) is based on the chemiluminescent reaction between sulfur monoxide, which is produced from the decomposition of sulfur-containing analytes in a H2/O2-reducing flame and ozone. Detection limits are determined to be 12 pg sulfur via capillary-column SFC—SCD. Detector linearity is three orders of magnitude, and a selectivity of at least 107 was obtained. Quenching of SCD signals resulting from both the supercritical-fluid mobile phase and co-eluting hydrocarbons is discussed. Separations of thermally labile pesticides, and the determination of the ethylene oxide distribution for a thioethoxylate surfactant are demonstrated.
Hurricane Katrina Families Social Class and the Family in Trauma Recovery

Hurricane Katrina has profoundly altered the lives of New Orleans residents as they continue for years following the storm to attempt to rebuild their community and their lives. Natural disaster li...
Site selection for an engineering and management services firm in Saudi Arabia

Realising the unique changing cultural and economic environment that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has, resulting from the globalisation and soaring oil prices, this paper intends to deploy a decision making study to address the different issues related to selecting a site for an engineering consulting firm. The study utilises the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) which is defined as a process for identifying, understanding and assessing the interactions of variables in making a decision. The formed AHP model consists of four levels. Level 1 is defined as the goal of selecting the optimum site for the engineering consulting firm. Levels 2 and 3 contain the different criteria to choose the site. An online survey was conducted from experts in the engineering and services field in Saudi Arabia to assess the relative importance of each criterion. Level 4 has the available site alternatives which are grouped into three categories of metropolitan, economic and industrial cities.
The effect of local rho-kinase inhibition on murine wound healing.

INTRODUCTION The process of cutaneous wound healing and contraction is a complex orchestra of temporally and spatially controlled signaling moieties and pathways. Rho-kinase (ROCK) has been implicated as a key downstream effector of transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) signal transduction, which ultimately coordinates α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA)-mediated wound contraction. Previous in vitro studies of ROCK inhibition have demonstrated decreased fibroblast contraction and epithelial advancement after wounding. In vivo systemic ROCK inhibition revealed modest late wound healing attenuation in contrast to α-SMA knock-out rodents. The goal of this investigation was to explore the effect of local delivery of a ROCK inhibitor on an in vivo murine model of wound healing. METHODS Full-thickness cutaneous wounds were created in 24 white mice and were treated daily with local topical delivery of 100 μL of 10(-4) M ROCK inhibitor (Y27632) or saline control. Percent wound surface area over time and compensatory epithelial advancement was quantified. After 12 days, tissue was harvested for assessment of inflammatory cellular density, immunohistochemistry for α-SMA, and TGF-β protein expression. RESULTS Wounds subjected to local ROCK inhibition were significantly larger than controls at early time points, and this effect of delayed wound contraction in ROCK-inhibited wounds persisted for 7 days after wounding (P < 0.05). The effect of ROCK inhibition on delay of wound contraction was normalized at day 12. There was no significant difference between control and ROCK-inhibited groups in the area of the nascent epithelium beyond the wound margin, wound inflammatory cellular density, and TGF-β1 expression. However, ROCK inhibition led to as statistically significant decrease in α-SMA stress fiber formation compared to controls [32.5% (3.5%) vs 17.4% (2.6%); P < 0.05]. CONCLUSIONS Local delivery of a ROCK inhibitor delayed the time course of murine wound contraction in a manner similar to that previously reported in α-SMA knock-out rodents, thus demonstrating an effective method for in vivo ROCK inhibition. Accordingly, α-SMA stress fiber formation was inhibited in treated wound beds without altering local inflammation, TGF-β1 expression, or epithelial wound edge advancement.
COMPARATIVE STUDIES ON RESPIRATION III. THE EFFECT OF ETHER ON THE RESPIRATION AND GROWTH OF BACILLUS SUBTILIS.

1. In all the concentrations of ether studied (from 0.037 to 7.3 per cent) there is an increase in the rate of respiration of Bacillus subtilis followed by a decrease. 2. In 7.3 per cent ether in tap water there is an extraordinary increase in the output of CO(2) (amounting to 50 times the normal). This does not occur when 0.85 per cent NaCl is added, which indicates antagonism between ether and NaCl. 3. Ether is toxic in low concentrations (0.037 to 1.1 per cent) and high concentrations (3.65 to 7.3 per cent) but in intermediate concentrations (1.1 to 3.65 per cent) stimulates growth.
The Relationship Between Pulmonary System Impedance and Right Ventricular Function in Normal Sheep

Right ventricular (RV) afterload is a key determinant of RV function and is increased in many cardiopulmonary pathologies. Pulmonary circulation input impedance has been used to quantify afterload previously but due to its complexity has not been widely applied. This study examines the effect of a subset of the impedance spectrum, the zeroth and first harmonic impedance moduli (Z 0, Z 1), on RV performance in large animals. An artificial circuit with adjustable resistance and compliance (C) was implanted into the pulmonary circulation of five sheep. Resistance was varied to increase Z 0 in increments of 2 mmHg/(L/min) until Z 0 was 8 mmHg/(L/min) above baseline. At each Z 0, C was adjusted between 0, 0.5 and 2 mL/mmHg or 0, 1, and 5 mL/mmHg. Fourier transforms of the pulmonary artery pressure and flow in each situation were used to calculate the pulmonary impedance. Results show that the percent change in cardiac output (%ΔCO) is linearly related to the change in Z 0 (ΔZ 0). Increases in Z 1 (ΔZ 1) decreased %ΔCO but to a much smaller degree, with the effect of ΔZ 1 increasing with ΔZ 0. Regression of these results produce the equation: %ΔCO = (−0.0829ΔZ 1 − 3.65)ΔZ 0 − 9.02 (R 2 = 0.69). Blood flow and pressure moduli are small at harmonics higher than the first and are unlikely to affect RV function. Therefore, during acute, high afterload states, Z 0 is the primary determinant of CO, while the effect of Z 1 is minor.
Time-intensity evaluation of oral burn

Temporal oral burn profiles for cinnamaldehyde, piperine and capsaicin were quantified using time-intensity (TI) parameters. Despite large judge-to-judge variation, TI profiles for eaters and noneaters of chile peppers differed significantly. Eaters had lower maximum intensities, shorter total times, and slower maximum rates of onset and decay. Judges with substantial desensitization also had shorter time-to-maximum intensities. Desensitized judges not only scored the burn of capsaicin as less intense, but also the burn of cinnamaldehyde and piperine. The burn of cinnamaldehyde solutions increased and decayed quickly; whereas, burns due to piperine and capsaicin increased and decayed slowly. Capsaicin compared to cinnamaldehyde, had time-to-max, plateau time, and total time that were 1.5, 2.0 and 3.0 fold larger; whereas, the maximum rates of onset and decay were 0.7 and 0.2 fold smaller, respectively. Temporal differences are believed to reflect differences in neural pathways for the irritant species.
Does Candidemia Predict Threshold Retinopathy of Prematurity in Extremely Low Birth Weight (≤1,000 g) Neonates?

Does Candidemia Predict Threshold Retinopathy of Prematurity in Extremely Low Birth Weight (≤1,000 g) Neonates?
Classification of the Arc Spectra of Nitrogen and Carbon

Infra-red work.---A carbon arc in air run at 125 amperes served to produce the arc spectra of carbon and nitrogen with great intensity. Using an infra-red spectrometer with a plane grating and a vacuum thermopile the wave-lenths and approximate intensities of about one hundred and twenty-five lines between 9000A and 20000A have been measured. About ninety of these lines are classified as combinations between terms in carbon I and in nitrogen I. A number of new terms are fixed in both of these spectra and many of the terms provisionally identified by Fowler and Selwyn in C I and by Compton and Boyce in N I are definitely confirmed.Classification in the visible spectrum of nitrogen I.---Using data obtained by Duffendack and Wolfe a number of lines have been classified in the visible spectrum of nitrogen I. Reasons are given for changing the previous designations of the $^{2}P$ and $^{2}D$ terms found by Kiess at 5100 and 6800 respectively. These are assigned to the $2{s}^{2}2{p}^{2}\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}3p$ configuration and are considered as being based on the $^{1}D$ term of nitrogen II. A complete term table of nitrogen I is given.
Gender Issues in the New Generation Jail

There is little research on women in jails and “new generation” jails in particular. This study examines how women and men inmates adapted to a state-of-the-art new generation jail. Inmates were su...
Synthesis of Chloroalkoxy eicosanoic and docosanoic acids from meadowfoam fatty acids by oxidation with aqueous sodium hypochlorite

Chloroalkoxy substituted C20 and C22 fatty acids can be synthesized from the unsaturated fatty acids in meadow-foam oil by reaction of the fatty acids with primary or secondary alcohols and an aqueous sodium hypochlorite solution (commercial bleach). The reactions are conducted at room temperature for 3 h. Chlorohydroxy fatty acid derivatives are formed as by-products owing to the presence of water in the reaction mixture. Chlorinated δ-lactones are also produced by direct reaction of sodium hypochlorite with the Δ5 unsaturated fatty acids present in meadowfoam or by ring closure of the 6-chloro-5-hydroxy fatty acids. The product yield of chloroalkoxy fatty acids is dependent on the nature and volume of the alcohol used in the reaction, as well as the concentration and pH of the sodium hypochlorite solution. Primary alcohols such as methanol and butanol produce maximal yields (50–60%) of chloroalkoxy fatty acids whereas the secondary alcohol 2-propanol gives a 30% yield. Chloroalkoxy fatty acid yields can be increased to 75–80% by elimination of water from the reaction mixture through a procedure that partitions sodium hypochlorite from water into hexane/ethyl acetate mixtures. All of the reaction products were fully characterized using nuclear magnetic resonance and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
Blinded By Bias: Exploring the Extremes of College Rivalry

Large-scale rivalry is considered one of the highlights of attending a large university. However, as this author's senior year progresses, the meaninglessness of rivalry becomes clearer to her.
What do patients know about their heart failure

Positive health outcomes for heart failure (HF) patients depend on patient participation in the selection and use of appropriately focused heart failure self-care. To produce a system of heart failure self-care, patients must have an adequately developed fund of highly specialized antecedent knowledge. This research found that knowledge needed to produce heart failure self-care was deficient in a diverse sample of heart failure patients. Low levels of knowledge were especially evident in the areas of heart failure medications, weight monitoring, and being able to recognize the correct definition of heart failure. Although being older and being more highly educated were associated with higher levels of HF knowledge, HF knowledge scores were uniformly low across gender and racial groups. If nurses are going to be instrumental in helping heart failure patients achieve positive health outcomes, creative strategies to provide information and increase the knowledge necessary to produce HF self-care need to be developed and tested.
THE PLAGUE AT SYRACUSE: 396 B.C.

Highly contagious plagues do not strike a single city at a single time and then disappear. The normal life span for an epidemic is 30 to 40 years. In the first attack a majority of the population would be infected. Those that survived would develop a total or limited immunity, depending on the disease. However, within a few years, new children would be born who did not have that immunity. Also some of those who might not have contracted the disease in the first outbreak might catch the disease in the second. For example, our records are particularly good for smallpox during the eighteenth century in Mexico. Severe outbreaks occurred in 1761, 1779/80, 1797/98, with a declining mortality rate with each outbreak2). Another example of the 'life-span' of a plague (most likely smallpox) can be seen in the Antonine plague which struck the Roman empire in the second century A.D.3). This epidemic began
Thermolysis of hexasubstituted‐4,5‐dihydro‐3H‐pyrazoles: Kinetics and activation parameters

A kinetics study of the thermolysis of a series of hexasubstituted-4,5-dihydro-3H-pyrazoles (pyrazolines 1a: 3,3,4,4-tetramethyl-5-phenyl-5-acetoxy; 1b: cis-3,5-diphenyl-3,3,4-trimethyl-5-acetoxy; 1c: cis-3,5-diphenyl-3,4,4-trimethyl-5-methoxy; 1d: 3,3,5-triphenyl-4,4-dimethyl-5-acetoxy), which produced the corresponding hexasubstituted cyclopropanes 2a–d in quantitative yields was carried out. The first order rate constants (k1) for thermal decomposition and activation parameters were determined. The relative reactivity series was found to be 1d >> 1b ∼ 1c > 1a. The activation parameters for thermolysis were found to be: for 1a ΔH‡ = 39.8 kcal/mol, ΔS‡ = 14 eu, k150° = 6.8 × 10−5 s−1; for 1b ΔH‡ = 33.5 kcal/mol, ΔS ‡ = 0.2 eu, k150° = 1.7 × 10−4s−1; for 1c ΔH‡ = 32.7 kcal/mol, ΔS‡ = −1.8 eu, k150° = 1.2 × 10−4s−1; for 1d ΔH‡ = 30.1 kcal/mol, ΔS‡ = −1.6 eu, k150° = 8.8 × 10−3s−1. The effect of variation of C3 substituents on the activation parameters for thermolysis paralleled the trend reported for acyclic analogs. The results are consistent with the formation of a (singlet) 1,3-diradical intermediate with subsequent closure to yield the cyclopropanes. The mechanism of diradical formation appears to involve N2-C3 bond cleavage as the rate determining step rather than simultaneous two bond scission. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 11:299–302, 2000
A new method to observe three-dimensional fractures in concrete using liquid metal porosimetry technique

Abstract The technique described here makes it possible to observe microcracks in concrete in three-dimensions with apertures as small as 0.1 μm. An alloy with a low melting point was used to penetrate cracks and pores in cylindrical specimens of normal and high-strength concrete subjected to uniaxial and confined compressive stresses. After the induction of fractures, an alloy was solidified to preserve the shapes of stress-induced microfractures as they exist under load. After the alloy was solidified, the surface of the specimens were etched with 1 molar hydrochloric acid, leaving a skeleton of alloy network on top of the new surface. Micrographs using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) revealed a complex three-dimensional network of metal-filled fractures and voids.
Depletion of Alveolar Macrophages Ameliorates Virus-Induced Disease following a Pulmonary Coronavirus Infection

Coronaviruses cause respiratory disease in humans that can range from mild to severe. However, the pathogenesis of pulmonary coronavirus infections is poorly understood. Mouse hepatitis virus type 1 (MHV-1) is a group 2 coronavirus capable of causing severe morbidity and mortality in highly susceptible C3H/HeJ mice. We have previously shown that both CD4 and CD8 T cells play a critical role in mediating MHV-1-induced disease. Here we evaluated the role of alveolar macrophages (AM) in modulating the adaptive immune response and subsequent disease. Depletion of AM using clodronate liposomes administered prior to MHV-1 infection was associated with a significant amelioration of MHV-1-induced morbidity and mortality. AM depletion resulted in a decreased number of virus-specific CD4 T cells in the lung airways. In addition, a significant increase in the frequency and total number of Tregs in the lung tissue and lung airways was observed following MHV-1 infection in mice depleted of AM. Our results indicate that AM play a critical role in modulating MHV-1-induced morbidity and mortality.
Modeling plasma lipoprotein-bile lipid relationships: Differential impact of psyllium and cholestyramine in hamsters fed a lithogenic diet

Hamsters fed a lithogenic diet become hyperlipemic with elevated very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) and high-density lipoprotein 2 (HDL2) cholesterol pools and develop lithogenic bile in which chenodeoxycholate (cheno) typically predominates. The relationship between these distorted lipoprotein and bile lipid profiles and gallstone induction was investigated in male Syrian hamsters fed for 5 weeks a gallstone-inducing purified diet (5% butter, 0.4% cholesterol) or the same diet supplemented with 5% psyllium or 1% cholestyramine, agents known to alter bile acid metabolism. The gallstone diet essentially doubled plasma cholesterol level, whereas psyllium decreased it to near normal, and cholestyramine to a subnormal level, while correcting the distorted distribution of cholesterol among lipoproteins. Both the gallstone diet and psyllium produced cholesterol-laden livers, in contrast to subnormal values produced by cholestyramine. Fecal bile acid excretion was increased eightfold with cholestyramine and fourfold with psyllium relative to the value produced by the gallstone diet and a literature control value. Supersaturated bile developed with the gallstone diet (lithogenic index [LI], 2.3 +/- 0.6), whereas the LI was decreased by psyllium (1.2 +/- 0.4) and cholestyramine (0.7 +/- 0.3). The gallstone diet decreased the concentration of bile acids in gallbladder bile, but greatly increased the percentage of taurochenodeoxycholic acid, whereas psyllium preferentially decreased all taurine-conjugated bile acid levels and expanded glycocholate output. Cholestyramine greatly decreased the secretion of biliary cholesterol and cheno independent of its conjugation. Accordingly, psyllium increased the glycine to taurine ratio of gallbladder bile fivefold, whereas cholestyramine did not affect this ratio, but increased the cholate to cheno ratio dramatically (25-fold) as compared with a threefold increase with psyllium. This combination of biliary lipid and bile acid alterations induced coordinated responses in the LI and the hydrophobicity index (HI) such that cholesterol gallstones developed in 11 of 12 hamsters fed the gallstone diet, whereas only one of 11 of the psyllium-fed and none of 12 cholestyramine-fed hamsters had cholesterol stones. Thus, psyllium and cholestyramine differentially increased bile acid excretion, which improved the lipoprotein profile and inhibited cholesterol gallstone formation. Both agents operated by different means to decrease biliary cholesterol secretion and the percentage of cheno, which decreased the LI and HI, respectively.
Engineering Biological Nanopores with Enhanced Properties

With strong substrate specificity and multitude of control points, biological nanopores are promising devices for developing reagentless DNA sequencing, bio-alarm systems, monitoring single-molecule chemical reactions, bio-inspired batteries and nanotransistors. However, these applications have been only explored under controlled laboratory conditions. The limitations of biological nanopores such as lack of stability, non-specific binding, and in some cases undesirable pore size are hampering their applications in uncontrolled environment of the real world, where extreme temperature and denaturing conditions are often encountered. As a significant number of these biological pores are β-barrel membrane proteins (porins and α-hemolysin), we have developed a statistical mechanical model from detailed combinatorial analysis of natural β-barrel membrane proteins. Our computational method can identify weakly stable residues and protein-protein interaction interfaces [1]. It can also be used to generate enhanced porins with increased stability. In the case of human Tom40, weakly stable residues were replaced with stable residues, which significantly increased the resistance of the protein to thermal and chemical perturbation [2]. Moreover, by engineering mutants based on computational predictions, we were able to abolish the protein-protein interactions in human Tom40 [2] and a bacterial porin OmpF. Our framework can also be used to study the assembly of multichain β-barrel membrane proteins into a single β-barrel. It is envisioned that by understanding the assembly mechanism of these proteins, a single β-barrel from desired number of interacting chains can be engineered. This will help to design nanopores with desirable pore size along with improved stability and functionality. Our method is general and can be adapted to many natural β-barrel porins.[1] Naveed et. al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 2009. 106(31):12735-12740.[2] Gessmann et. al. J Mol Biol, 2011. 413(1):150-161.
An AP endonuclease 1-DNA polymerase β complex: Theoretical prediction of interacting surfaces

Abasic (AP) sites in DNA arise through both endogenous and exogenous mechanisms. Since AP sites can prevent replication and transcription, the cell contains systems for their identification and repair. AP endonuclease (APEX1) cleaves the phosphodiester backbone 5′ to the AP site. The cleavage, a key step in the base excision repair pathway, is followed by nucleotide insertion and removal of the downstream deoxyribose moiety, performed most often by DNA polymerase beta (pol-β). While yeast two-hybrid studies and electrophoretic mobility shift assays provide evidence for interaction of APEX1 and pol-β, the specifics remain obscure. We describe a theoretical study designed to predict detailed interacting surfaces between APEX1 and pol-β based on published co-crystal structures of each enzyme bound to DNA. Several potentially interacting complexes were identified by sliding the protein molecules along DNA: two with pol-β located downstream of APEX1 (3′ to the damaged site) and three with pol-β located upstream of APEX1 (5′ to the damaged site). Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, ensuring geometrical complementarity of interfaces, enabled us to predict interacting residues and calculate binding energies, which in two cases were sufficient (∼−10.0 kcal/mol) to form a stable complex and in one case a weakly interacting complex. Analysis of interface behavior during MD simulation and visual inspection of interfaces allowed us to conclude that complexes with pol-β at the 3′-side of APEX1 are those most likely to occur in vivo. Additional multiple sequence analyses of APEX1 and pol-β in related organisms identified a set of correlated mutations of specific residues at the predicted interfaces. Based on these results, we propose that pol-β in the open or closed conformation interacts and makes a stable interface with APEX1 bound to a cleaved abasic site on the 3′ side. The method described here can be used for analysis in any DNA-metabolizing pathway where weak interactions are the principal mode of cross-talk among participants and co-crystal structures of the individual components are available.
Influence of interfaces on impedance response and breakdown of oxide–metal multilayer structures

Abstract We report on the enhancement in impedance and the break-down behavior of room temperature deposited single and multi-layer metal/oxide films of comparable thicknesses. Aluminum–alumina and chromium–chrome oxide thin film structures grown by sputtering were explored as model systems in this study. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements showed that the resistance of the structure increases with an increase in the number of metal/oxide bi-layers while the total thickness was kept constant. The resistance of the multi-layer system was over an order of magnitude higher than the single bi-layer for an equivalent total thickness for the case of thin film Al–Al2O3. In addition, potentiodynamic polarization measurements exhibited a consistent and reproducible improvement in the break-down potential with an increase in the number of layers. Similar results are obtained for the case of the chromium–chromium oxide bi-layer system as well. Combination of interfaces and lateral current spreading in the multi-layer structure leads to superior overall break-down resistance suggesting the concept of in-situ sacrificial layers for corrosion protection.
Magnetostatic Wave Optical Bragg Cell Devices

Magnetostatic waves have been used to diffract guided optical waves in ferririagnetic yttrium iron garnet (YIG). Doppler shift of the optical frequency has been observed and a rudimentary optical system for signal correlation in a time integrating architecture has been deployed. Employing substitutional elements in the garnet material can enhance diffraction efficiency and throughput.
Oxidation of carbohydrates with chromic acid The synthesis of the delta-dicarbonyl monosaccharides 6-deoxy-D-xylo-hexos-5-ulose and 6,7-dideoxy-d-xylo-heptos-5-ulose

Abstract Addition of the alkyl Grignard reagents methylmagnesium iodide and ethylmagnesium bromide to the aldehyde 3-O-benzyl-1,2-O-isopropylidene-α- d -xylo-pentodialdo-1,4-furanose (1) gave a preponderance of the corresponding 6-deoxy- and 6,7-dideoxy- l -ido derivatives (2 and 3). Oxidation of these alcohols with chromic acid gave the 5-keto derivatives 6 and 7 in high yield. The benzyl group of 6 was cleaved by catalytic hydrogenolysis, and acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of the isopropylidene group afforded the delta-dicarbonyl monosaccharide 6-deoxy- d -xylo-hexos-5-ulose (10). The same sequence applied to 7 gave 6,7-dideoxy- d -xylo-heptos-5-ulose (11). An alternative route to 8 consisted in reversing the order of the oxidation and hydrogenolysis steps, starting with 2 or its d -gluco isomer 4. In this sequence, chromic acid was used for selectively oxidizing the 5- (rather than the 3-) hydroxyl group of the l -idofuranose and d -glucofuranose derivatives 12 and 13.
Prime clauses for fast enumeration of satisfying assignments to boolean circuits

Finding all satisfying assignments of a propositional formula has many applications in the design of hardware and software. An approach to this problem augments a clause-recording propositional satisfiability solver with the ability to add blocking clauses, which prevent the solver from visiting the same solution more than once. One generates a blocking clause from a satisfying assignment by taking its complement. In this paper, we present an improved algorithm for finding all satisfying assignments for a generic Boolean circuit. An optimization based on lifting - which generates minimal satisfying assignments - yields prime blocking clauses. Thanks to the primality of the blocking clauses, the derived conflict clauses usually prune both satisfiable and unsatisfiable points at once. The efficiency of our new algorithm is demonstrated by our preliminary results on SAT-based unbounded model checking.
Italian Communism, the Working Class, and Organized Catholicism

F ROM THE BEGINNING of the post-Fascist period the Italian Communist party followed the policy of insertion in Italian society and collaboration with other political and social forces, especially the Socialist party, the Roman Catholic Church and the political party identified with it, the Christian Democratic party. Collaboration with the Socialists antedated World War II. A "Unity of Action" pact had been signed in 1934 by Communist and Socialist leaders exiled in France, one year before the VIIth Congress of the Communist International formally proclaimed the popular front and united front strategies. This Unity of Action agreement was ruptured in 1939 as a result of the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact, but was renewed in 1941 after the German invasion of Russia. During the war Communists participated in the various underground committees which, after the Italian surrender of September, 1943, became the Committees of National Liberation. Within these Committees they followed, in general, a conservative line, supporting collaboration with the monarchy, with the Church, and with the United Nations Allies. They were part of the first post-war political government formed in southern Italy in April, 1944 and remained in subsequent Committee of National Liberation governments even when the Socialist and Action parties temporarily withdrew from them, as happened in December, 1944. They early demonstrated, in other words, their preference for sharing power within the government to a position of external opposition. Within a few weeks after the end of the war in Italy Palmiro Togliatti went to Milan, the center of the northern partisan resistance to the Nazi-Fascist occupation, where he informed his northern comrades that the party would have to follow the legal rather than the revolutionary way to power. There was no Red Army to covet a revolution. There were over one million Anglo-American troops in Italy to suppress one,
Rat CYP2D2, not 2D1, is functionally conserved with human CYP2D6 in endogenous morphine formation

The assumption that CYP2D1 is the corresponding rat cytochrome to human CYP2D6 has been revisited using recombinant proteins in direct enzyme assays. CYP2D1 and 2D2 were incubated with known CYP2D6 substrates, the three morphine precursors thebaine, codeine and (R)-reticuline. Mass spectrometric analysis showed that rat CYP2D2, not 2D1, catalyzed the 3-O-demethylation reaction of thebaine and codeine. In addition, CYP2D2 incubated with (R)-reticuline generated four products corytuberine, pallidine, salutaridine and isoboldine while rat CYP2D1 was completely inactive. This intramolecular phenol-coupling reaction follows the same mechanism as observed for CYP2D6. Michaelis–Menten kinetic parameters revealed high catalytic efficiencies for rat CYP2D2. These findings suggest a critical evaluation of other commonly accepted, however untested, CYP2D1 substrates.
Supermedia Interface for Internet-based Telediagnostics of Breast Pathology

We present our development of a supermedia interface for telediagnostics of breast pathology via the Internet. Supermedia is the incorporation of multiple media and data streams, such as audio, video, ultrasound images, and tactile and haptic sensor data for enhanced telepresence capabilities. Our supermedia interface comprises an anthropomorphic arm/hand equipped with haptic and tactile sensing, ultrasound imaging capabilities, a physician interface capable of rendering both haptic and tactile information, and two-way audio and video. The supermedia interface was tested via the Internet and enables telediagnostics. Preliminary experiments with silicone breast models have demonstrated the e fectiveness of the supermedia interface for telediagnostics. The interface is expected to enhance and improve the diagnostic performance of breast pathology as well as promote telediagnostics in remote areas and for patients with cultural barriers.
Preparation and optical properties of silver chalcogenide coated gold nanorods

A homogeneous layer of silver sulfide or selenide was coated onto gold nanorods in aqueous solution by exposing Au/Ag core/shell nanorods to S2− or Se2− in an oxidizing environment. The formation of the silver chalcogenide layers was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and selective area electron diffraction (SAED). The longitudinal plasmon resonance of the gold nanorods shifted to the red and was attenuated. The experimental spectra agree well with a simulation based on confocal ellipsoids in the quasi-static limit. The synthetic procedure was also employed to coat silver sulfide or selenide onto gold bipyramids. A red-shift of the longitudinal plasmon resonance was also seen, although the coating was not as homogeneous. These novel composite materials may present interesting nonlinear optical properties.
Population Density and the Style of Social Life

To see how population density can occur at a rudimentary level of culture and what its effects may be, think of hunting groups with given apparatus, say spears or bows and arrows. Following Clifford Geertz (1963) and Julian Steward (1955) we observe that if the animals which they hunt move in herds, as do caribou, then large groups of hunters can pursue them. When they find a herd and attack successfully, there will be food for all. This herding of the animal prey is reflected in the gathering together of men, and communities can be large. If on the other hand the prey consists of small animals spread through a forest and caught one at a time, then men will have to spread out correspondingly; the large community cannot come into existence; human life will be lived out in isolated families. This latter
Functional Versus Phenotypic Analysis of T Cells in Subjects Seropositive for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus: A Prospective Study of in Vitro Responses to Cryptococcus neoformans

We performed a prospective study of 50 subjects at high risk for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection to determine if assays of antigen-specific T cell function provide an earlier indication of future progression to AIDS or a better assessment of immune function than do current methods of evaluation. We measured in vitro T cell responses to Cryptococcus neoformans and tetanus toxoid, response to mitogens, HIV p24 antigenemia, and clinical parameters. Progression to AIDS was significantly associated with loss of T cell response to cryptococci (P = .015), HIV antigenemia (P = .001), and low CD4* cell numbers (P = .001). Most importantly, we found that loss of antigen-specific responses to cryptococci and tetanus can occur before changes in CD4 cell number. Abnormal response to mitogens and marked depletion of CD4* cells were late signs of progressive HIV infection. Measurement of antigen-specific T cell function may be useful for assessing the efficacy of antiviral therapy in HIV infection before onset of symptoms.
Leading change through creative destruction: how Netflix’s self-destruction strategy created its own market

By continuing to build the Netflix brand as a cutting-edge pioneer with a culture of innovation, Netflix has conquered the video rental-by-mail market under the transformational, charismatic leadership of CEO Reed Hastings. This paper offers the perspective that Netflix has survived a planned process of creatively designed destruction to renew its long-term strategy as it leads the video rental industry into the emerging world of on-demand streaming content. Drawing on the construct of ethical anarchy by Hurst (2002, 2012), as well as contributions from Morgan (2006, 2011), Jaworski (2011), and Argyris (2002), this research builds upon the concept of organisational renewal and sustainability through crisis and change, and argues that Netflix’s actions have been strategic and purposeful, leveraging innovation and customer loyalty.
Serial position effects in nonword repetition

A growing body of research has emphasized the linkage between performance in immediate serial recall of lists, nonword repetition, and word learning. Recently, it has been reported that primacy and recency effects are obtained in repetition of individual syllables within nonwords (Gupta, in press). Five experiments examined whether such within-nonword primacy and recency effects are attributable to common sequencing mechanisms that are shared with immediate list recall. Experiments 1 and 2 indicated that the primacy and recency effects are not simply due to greater morphological salience at the beginnings/endings of nonwords, and that the serial position effects generalize to different stimuli and across a variety of stimulus lengths. Experiment 3 indicated that the primacy and recency effects are similar to those obtained in list recall. Experiments 4 and 5 examined alternative hypotheses for the observed serial position effects, concluding that the alternative hypotheses fail to account for the obtained pattern of results. These results provide support for the common sequencing mechanisms hypothesis. The implications of these results are discussed in terms of the relationship between list recall and nonword repetition, and in terms of broader issues in word learning.
Access Regimes and Regional Land Change in the Brazilian Cerrado, 1972-2002

We examine how access regimes, defined by a set of interrelated institutions and organizations, facilitated the flow of production resources and benefits that resulted in patterns of land change in the Brazilian Cerrado. We analyzed remotely sensed data (Landsat MSS, TM, +ETM) for three time periods (1972/1973–1986, 1986–1992, 1992–2002) with qualitative and archival data for eastern Mato Grosso state. Overall we found that land privately colonized was cleared more rapidly and extensively than lands under no colonization scheme. We also identified significant spatial variability in Cerrado conversion within and outside colonization areas and variability of annual rates of Cerrado conversion during each period. We explain that farmers in the Cerrado engaged in land-leasing and production contracts and worked through cooperatives and firms to marshal resources, including credit, technology, and inputs, which, in turn, influenced land-use decisions and regional patterns of land-cover change. We conclude that...
Toxicity of ammonium molybdate added to drinking water of calves.

Molybdenum, as ammonium molybdate, was added to the drinking water of 5-wk-old calves to establish the minimum toxic concentration. A basal diet with 13 ppm copper and .29% sulfur was fed ad libitum for 21 days. The concentration of copper in liver was reduced with 50 ppm added molybdenum in water but not with 1 or 10 ppm. However, copper in plasma was elevated with 50 ppm added molybdenum in water while changes in ceruloplasmin concentration were nonsignificant. The calculated percent copper as ceruloplasmin copper in plasma decreased from 61% to 43% with all additions of molybdenum. Apparently uptake of plasma copper by tissues was reduced by molybdenum decreasing the bioavailability of copper. These data indicate the difficulty of detecting molybdenum-induced hypocuprosis from plasma copper and ceruloplasmin without data on tissue copper. With dietary levels of 13 ppm copper and .29% sulfur, the minimum toxic concentration of molybdenum in drinking water for calves is between 10 and 50 ppm, and the critical copper-to-molybdenum ratio is less than .5. Molybdenum in water may be less toxic to calves than molybdenum in fresh forages.
Interactions Between Anticollagen Antibodies and Chondrocytes

OBJECTIVE To investigate the interactions between anticollagen antibodies and living chondrocytes. METHODS Mouse monoclonal anti-type II collagen (anti-CII) antibodies, rabbit anti-human CII, and rat anti-CII, anti-CIV, anti-CV, anti-CVI, and anti-CIX were studied in vitro to determine their ability to bind to the plasma membrane of living bovine chondrocytes. RESULTS Mouse monoclonal anti-CII, rabbit anti-CII, and rat anti-CII, anti-CV, and anti-CIX were shown to bind in vitro to the plasma membrane of bovine chondrocytes. Antibody binding was not observed with anti-CIV, or with chondrocytes previously incubated with bacterial collagenase. A significant increase in chondrocyte caseinase and collagenase secretion was observed following sequential incubation with the monoclonal antibodies and a source of activating cytokines. CONCLUSION These results suggest that collagen autoantibodies may exert some of their pathogenic effects on cartilage through interactions with resident chondrocytes, leading to modulation of the rate of secretion of cartilage matrix-degrading enzymes.
The myth of testing construct validity using factor analysis or correlations with normal or mixed clinical populations: Lessons from memory assessment

For nearly a century, the primary method employed by psychologists to define and test the validity of constructs evaluated by assessment instruments has been shared-variance techniques such as intervariable correlations or factor analysis with large normative or mixed clinical samples. To illustrate the shortcomings of this approach, we conducted (1) correlational analyses of immediate- and delayed-memory measures separately in normal participants and in homogeneous samples of patients with either Alzheimer's disease or Huntington's disease; and (2) factor analysis of immediate and delayed-recall and recognition measures in a large, homogeneous sample of patients with Alzheimer's disease. The findings revealed that cognitive measures that share variance in the intact brain-thereby giving the facade of assessing a unitary construct-can dissociate and contribute to unique variance in the damaged brain, but only if the pathology occurs in brain regions known to disrupt vital cognitive processes tapped by those measures. The results illustrate that shared-variance procedures applied to normal or mixed clinical populations can mask some of the most vital cognitive constructs, such as the classic distinction between short- and long-term memory. Implications of these findings for research and clinical practice are discussed.