cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of formulation and process variables on lipid based sustained release tablets via continuous twin screw granulation: A comparative study.

Abstract The current study's aim is to prepare lipid based sustained release tablets via a twin-screw granulation technique and compare those dosage forms with conventional techniques, namely wet granulation and direct compression. The granules were successfully manufactured in a single-step, continuous twin-screw granulation process with a low proportion of binder (Klucel™ EF, HPC SSL) using Compritol® 888 ATO, Precirol® ATO 5 and Geleol™ as sustained release agents. The granules prepared showed good flow characteristics and compaction properties. DSC and XRD studies were conducted to characterize the granules prepared via a twin-screw granulation method and the results demonstrated the crystalline nature of lipids within the granules. FTIR data indicated that there were no interactions with the formulation components investigated. The formulations developed by all three methods were compressed into tablets with a mechanical strength of 14–16 KP. The tablets formulated were characterized for physicochemical properties, in vitro drug release studies, water uptake and erosion studies. These results showed that the drug was not completely released after 24 h for tablets developed by the wet granulation process using all three lipids. The tablets prepared by the direct compression method demonstrated a burst release within 8 to 10 h from Precirol ATO 5® and Geleol™ formulations compared to Compritol® 888 ATO. However, tablets prepared using twin-screw granulation exhibited sustained release of the drug over 24 h and the water uptake and erosion results were in accordance with dissolution data. Stability data for 45 days at accelerated conditions (40 °C/75% RH) showed similar release profiles with ƒ2 values above 50 for all of the twin screw granulation formulations, indicating the suitability of the process for formulating sustained release tablets. These findings of a single-step, continuous twin-screw granulation process are novel and demonstrate new opportunities for development of sustained release tablets.
Compound kinetochores of the Indian muntjac. Evolution by linear fusion of unit kinetochores.

The chromosomes of the Indian muntjac (Muntiacus muntjak vaginalis) are unique among mammals due to their low diploid number (2N=6♀, 7♂) and large size. It has been proposed that the karyotype of this small Asiatic deer evolved from a related deer the Chinese muntjac (Muntiacus reevesi) with a diploid chromosome number of 2n= 46 consisting of small telocentric chromosomes. In this study we utilized a kinetochore-specific antiserum derived from human patients with the autoimmune disease scleroderma CREST as an immunofluorescent probe to examine kinetochores of the two muntjac species. Since CREST antiserum binds to kinetochores of mitotic chromosomes as well as prekinetochores in interphase nuclei, it was possible to identify and compare kinetochore morphology throughout the cell cycle. Our observations indicated that the kinetochores of the Indian muntjac are composed of a linear beadlike array of smaller subunits that become revealed during interphase. The kinetochores of the Chinese muntjac consisted of minute fluorescent dots located at the tips of the 46 telocentric chromosomes. During interphase, however, the kinetochores of the Chinese muntjac clustered into small aggregates reminiscent of the beadlike arrays seen in the Indian muntjac. Morphometric measurements of fluorescence indicated an equivalent amount of stained material in the two species. Our observations indicate that the kinetochores of the Indian muntjac are compound structures composed of linear arrays of smaller units the size of the individual kinetochores seen on metaphase chromosomes of the Chinese muntjac. Our study supports the notion that the kinetochores of the Indian muntjac evolved by linear fusion of unit kinetochores of the Chinese muntjac. Moreover, it is concluded that the evolution of compound kinetochores may have been facilitated by the nonrandom aggregation of interphase kinetochores in the nuclei of the ancestral species.
The Causal Efficacy of Consciousness in General, Imagery in Particular: A Materialistic Perspective

It is my pleasure to introduce this keynote symposium on the relationship between physical health and mental imagery. Historically, attempts to relate physical health to anything mental have been resisted by the scientific and medical establishments. The tenacity of this resistance is perhaps best illustrated by Carol McMahon’s (1975) historical case study of a soldier who died from fright, as an enemy cannon ball passed right before his eyes—without touching him Because the medical examiners refused to believe that this soldier’s death could have been caused by a mental variable like fright, they concluded that the wind of the cannon ball had sucked the air out of his lungs.
NEXMD Modeling of Photoisomerization Dynamics of 4-Styrylquinoline.

Isomerization of molecular systems is ubiquitous in chemistry and biology, and is also important for many applications. Atomistic simulations can help determine the tunable parameters influencing this process. In this paper, we use the Nonadiabatic EXcited state Molecular Dynamics (NEXMD) software to study the photoisomerization of a representative molecule, 4-styrylquinoline (SQ). trans-SQ transforms into dihydrobenzophenanthridine (DHBP) upon irradiation with laser light, with the cis conformer acting as an intermediate. We study how varying three different external stimuli (i.e., apolar versus polar solvent, low versus high photoexcitation energy, and vacuum versus a constant temperature thermostat) affects the trans-to-cis photoisomerization of SQ. Our results show that polarization effects due to implicit solvation and the thermostat play a crucial role in the isomerization process, whereas photoexcitation energy plays a lesser role on the outcome and efficiency. We also show that NEXMD captures the ...
Progress in direct-drive inertial confinement fusion

Significant progress has been made in direct-drive inertial confinement fusion research at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics since the 2009 IFSA Conference [R.L. McCrory et al. , J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. 244 , 012004 (2010)]. Areal densities of 300mg/cm2 have been measured in cryogenic target implosions with neutron yields 15% of 1-D predictions. A model of crossed-beam energy transfer has been developed to explain the observed scattered-light spectrum and laser–target coupling. Experiments show that its impact can be mitigated by changing the ratio of the laser beam to target diameter. Progress continues in the development of the polar-drive concept that will allow direct-drive–ignition experiments to be conducted on the National Ignition Facility using the indirect-drive-beam layout.
Recentralising Political Power Through Decentralised Environmental Governance: A Case from Mexico's Early REDD+ Program

The decentralisation of environmental governance is often associated with the interests of political parties and the fight for political power. In Mexico, constitutional reforms sought to provide more autonomy to local municipal governments, but until now, have had paradoxical effects. Now, in the face of international commitments like REDD+, Mexico is promoting the formation of decentralised parastatal organisations called Inter-municipal Juntas, to oversee broadly-defined environmental conservation activities at the local scale. Although the Juntas are proposed to be a model of decentralised environmental governance, this article draws upon a case study of one such Junta in the state of Jalisco to demonstrate that in reality, they merely serve to re-centralise political power at the local scale. Utilising the literature on decentralised environmental governance as well as the literature on democracy, decentralisation, and state power in Mexico, this article illustrates how the economic and political marginalisation of the municipalities in the region combined with the power of the political parties, particularly the PRI, undermine the process of decentralisation, and consequently the democratisation of environmental governance in Mexico. Such deficiencies have implications not only for environmental governance in Mexico but also for the broader process of democracy in Mexico.
Genotoxic damage in coelomocytes of Eisenia andrei exposed to urban soils

Based on the hypothesis that urban activities can deposit chemical contaminants in soil and consequently have an impact on the vitality of key organisms of the ecosystem, the aim of the present study was to analyse genotoxicity in earthworm's coelomocytes in urban soil samples in comparison to soil samples from protected areas. Earthworms (Eisenia andrei) were exposed to soil samples for 14 days, subsequently the coelomocytes were extracted with an 10% ethanol solution and used in single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) assay and the micronucleus (MN) assay. The levels of copper, cadmium, lead, zinc, and arsenic were measured in monitored soil samples. Earthworms exposed to urban soils had higher levels of DNA damage, according to the results of the SCGE assay, than earthworms exposed to protected area soils. The frequency of micronuclei did not differ between the studied soil samples. There was an association between % DNA (SCGE assay) and arsenic and zinc levels. Copper, lead and zinc levels in urban soil samples exceeded the limits of legal values in Brazil. Our findings show that the genotoxicity markers we tested are sensitive to contamination and this association should be taken into account by regulatory agencies.
Quasi-optimal adaptive mixed finite element methods for controlling natural norm errors

For a generalized Hodge Laplace equation, we prove the quasi-optimal convergence rate of an adaptive mixed finite element method. This adaptive method can control the error in the natural mixed variational norm when the space of harmonic forms is trivial. In particular, we obtain new quasi-optimal adaptive mixed methods for the Hodge Laplace, Poisson, and Stokes equations. Comparing to existing adaptive mixed methods, the new methods control errors in both variables.
Abstract P3045: The ELP-VEGF Fusion Protein Is Bioavailable After Subcutaneous Administration And Prevents Increased Blood Pressure In Response To Placental Ischemia

Preeclampsia is often characterized by high circulating levels of sFlt-1 and low VEGF and PlGF. VEGF supplementation therapy has shown promise in preclinical models, however rapid plasma clearance ...
Latin America’s “Great Divergence”: New Research on the Age of Revolution

This essay reviews the following works: Independence Lost: Lives on the Edge of the American Revolution. By Kathleen DuVal. New York: Random House, 2015. Pp. ix + 464. $18.00 paperback. ISBN: 9780812981209. Indian and Slave Royalists in the Age of Revolution: Reform, Revolution, and Royalism in the Northern Andes, 1780–1825. By Marcela Echeverri. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2016. Pp. xvi + 276 $27.99 paperback. ISBN: 9781316018842. Freedom’s Mirror: Cuba and Haiti in the Age of Revolution. By Ada Ferrer. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2014. Pp. xiv + 377. $29.98 paperback. ISBN: 9781107697782. La restauracion en la Nueva Granada (1815–1819). By Daniel Gutierrez Ardila. Bogota: Universidad Externado de Colombia, 2016. Pp. ix + 300. $11.99 paperback. ISBN: 9789587726725. A Great Fear: Luis de Onis and the Shadow War against Napoleon in Spanish America, 1808–1812. By Timothy Hawkins. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 2019. Pp. ix + 256. $49.95 hardcover. ISBN: 9780817392130. Who Should Rule? Men of Arms, the Republic of Letters, and the Fall of the Spanish Empire. By Monica Ricketts. New York: Oxford University Press, 2017. Pp. xii + 314. $78.00 hardcover. ISBN: 9780190494889. The Ideology of Creole Revolution: Imperialism and Independence in American and Latin American Political Thought. By Joshua Simon. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2016. Pp. ix + 284. $32.00 paperback. ISBN: 9781316610961. Tides of Revolution: Information, Insurgencies, and the Crisis of Colonial Rule in Venezuela. By Cristina Soriano. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2018. Pp. ix + 336. $95.00 hardcover. ISBN: 9780826359858. Mexico City, 1808: Power, Sovereignty, and Silver in an Age of War and Revolution. By John Tutino. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2018. Pp. x + 320. $29.95 paperback. ISBN: 9780826360014. New Countries: Capitalism, Revolutions, and Nations in the Americas, 1750–1870. Edited by John Tutino. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2016. Pp. ix + 408. $28.95 paperback. ISBN: 9780822361336.
Ethnic diversity and citizens’ support for local public good provision: Evidence from California parcel tax elections

Abstract How does ethnic diversity within a jurisdiction impact residents’ demand for local public goods? This question is central to the literature on diversity and local spending but remains relatively untested. To fill this gap, we study outcomes from California school district ballot measures to increase school funding. We use an instrumental variable approach to account for endogeneity in diversity. We find no evidence that diversity impacts willingness to be taxed to fund local schools. Our findings suggest that the negative effects of diversity on spending may be occurring through other channels, such as the decision-making of local officials.
Percutaneous microwave ablation versus radiofrequency ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and microwave ablation (MWA) are well-validated interventions for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The purpose of this study was to compare their safety and efficacy through a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCT). MEDLINE, Pubmed, and the Cochrane Library were queried up to September 2020 using the terms “microwave”, “radiofrequency”, “hepatocellular”, and “randomized”. Only RCTs investigating MWA versus RFA for HCC were included. Baseline study characteristics, complete ablation rate, ablation time, overall survival, local recurrence, and complication rates were investigated. Among the five original studies included, a total of 413 and 431 patients were treated with RFA and MWA, respectively. All studies focused on very early and early-stage HCC only (Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer Stage 0 and A). No statistical significance was observed in terms of complete ablation rate (96.7 vs 96.9%, p = 0.882), overall survival (6 month: 95.7 vs 100%, p = 0.492; 1 year: 91.9 vs 94.1%, p = 0.264; 3 year: 77.5 vs 78.4%, p = 0.905), recurrence-free survival (6 month: 99.1 vs 99.7%, p = 0.717; 1 year: 94.6 vs 93.9%, p = 0.675; 3 year: 76.8 vs 77.1%, p = 0.935), and complication rates (p > 0.05 in all types). The mean ablation time of MWA was significantly shorter than RFA (26.9 vs 14.1 min, p < 0.001). For very early and early-stage HCC, RFA and MWA are equally safe and effective, though the former is associated with a longer ablation time.
Beyond the 'Futureless Future':: Edward O. Bland, Afro-Modernism and The Cry of Jazz

The Cry of Jazz, a “thesis film” from 1959 directed by Edward O. Bland, is a long-neglected landmark in black independent cinema recognized today not for its theories about jazz but for its contentious racial politics. Bland, however, was a composer and music arranger, not a professional filmmaker, and the astringency of his film’s racial claims emerges from a particular theoretical approach to the formal structures of jazz music and their historical evolution. This article explores the relationship between musical form and racial identity as presented in The Cry of Jazz. Emphatically insisting on the music as an African American mode of expression, the film develops a critical musicology of jazz that effectively transposes Frankfurt School-like social claims about capitalist dehumanization to American conditions of racial domination. In doing so, however, Bland also argues that any further advance of African American musical culture depends on a sharp break with jazz traditions as well as the destruction of the ghetto. The result is not only a more uncompromising contribution to 1960s-era black cultural radicalism than is typically recognized but also a distinctive reformulation of the Afro-modernist aesthetic. By linking racial change in Jim Crow America to an aesthetic fusion of avant-garde classical and African American vernacular styles, The Cry of Jazz puts forward a high-modernist, composer-centered conception of black art music as cultural emancipation.
RBFOX2 is critical for maintaining alternative polyadenylation patterns and mitochondrial health in rat myoblasts.

Summary RBFOX2, which has a well-established role in alternative splicing, is linked to heart diseases. However, it is unclear whether RBFOX2 has other roles in RNA processing that can influence gene expression in muscle cells, contributing to heart disease. Here, we employ both 3ʹ-end and nanopore cDNA sequencing to reveal a previously unrecognized role for RBFOX2 in maintaining alternative polyadenylation (APA) signatures in myoblasts. RBFOX2-mediated APA modulates mRNA levels and/or isoform expression of a collection of genes, including contractile and mitochondrial genes. Depletion of RBFOX2 adversely affects mitochondrial health in myoblasts, correlating with disrupted APA of mitochondrial gene Slc25a4. Mechanistically, RBFOX2 regulation of Slc25a4 APA is mediated through consensus RBFOX2 binding motifs near the distal polyadenylation site, enforcing the use of the proximal polyadenylation site. In sum, our results unveil a role for RBFOX2 in fine-tuning expression of mitochondrial and contractile genes via APA in myoblasts relevant to heart diseases.
Induction of transmembrane proton transfer by mercurials in mitochondria. II. Release of a Na+-K+ ionophore.

Abstract The induction of energized proton release by mercurials in beef heart mitochondria appears to be mediated through the "activation" of an endogenous mitochondrial Na+/K+ ionophore. The effects of mercurials on mitochondria can be duplicated by the addition in their place of either purified mitochondrial Na+/K+ ionophore or a classical ionophorous species (e.g. gramicidin). Mitochondria which are submitted in turn to each of these three experimentally defined conditions acquire the capacity not only for energized proton release, but also for nonenergized proton uptake, nonenergized swelling in the presence of 0.10 m potassium or sodium chloride or nitrate in a sucrose-free medium, active transport of sodium or potassium acetate, and increased succinatedependent respiration. While such an extensive spectrum of near identical agent-activity relationships has led us to adopt the present thesis, more directly in support of the latter is the observation that the yield of ethanol-extractable Na+/K+ ionophore from mitochondria is consistently increased upon pretreatment of mitochondria with mercurials such as fluorescein mercuric acetate.
Proving safety of speculative load instructions at compile-time

Speculative execution of instructions is one of the primary means for enhancing program performance of superscalar and VLIW machines. One of the pitfalls of such compile-time speculative scheduling of instructions is that it may cause run-time exceptions that did not exist in the original version of the program.
Spontaneous intrauterine linear skull fracture: a rare complication of spontaneous vaginal delivery.

Background: Fetal skull fracture has been reported in conjunction with difficult delivery or extrinsic trauma. Case: We report a case of linear, undisplaced, nondepressed skull fracture occurring in a 3540-g male infant born at 37 weeks and 4 days' gestation. Linear skull fracture occurred despite an uncomplicated spontaneous vaginal delivery in the absence of extrinsic trauma or cephalopelvic disproportion. Subsequent clinical follow-up 6 years later revealed normal neurologic development without evidence of epileptiform activity or focal neurologic deficit. Conclusion: Linear skull fracture in association with uncomplicated, spontaneous vaginal delivery is distinctly rare, in contrast to focal, congenital molding depressions of the skull. This case demonstrates that normal spontaneous vaginal delivery without instrumentation or obvious complication can involve sufficient trauma to result in a linear skull fracture. The precise etiology of these fractures requires further study.
COMPARISON BETWEEN CMPO AND DHDECMP FOR ALPHA DECONTAMINATION OF RADIOACTIVE LIQUID WASTE

Ion exchange is the major method used at Los Alamos to recover and purify plutonium from a variety of different contaminants. During this process, a high-acid (5–7M), low-activity stream is produced that presently is concentrated by evaporation, then cemented for long-term disposal. Our goal is to remove and concentrate the radioactive elements so that the remainder can be treated as “low-level” or regular industrial waste. Solvent extraction with neutral bifunctional extractants, such as DHDECMP and CMPO, has been chosen as the process to be developed. Experimental work has shown that both extractants effectively remove actinides to below the required limits, but that CMPO was much more difficult to strip. In addition, studies of plutonium and americium removal using a wide variety of ion exchangers and supported extractants including DHDECMP, CMPO, and TOPO will be reviewed.
Understanding Industrial Policy Choices: A Constructionist Approach

Prevailing social-science paradigms suggest that public policy choices reflect either the preferences of powerful interest groups or the economic requirements of the situation at hand.
How Low Can You Go? Some Consequences of Substituting a Lower AFR Note for a Higher AFR Note

Intrafamilial arrangements labeled as loans have long invited special scrutiny from the Internal Revenue Service. In some cases, the IRS has successfully established that the arrangement was not a loan but another type of transfer, such as a gift. In the wake of several IRS victories in cases where somewhat "informal" financial arrangements between family members were held not to be loans, many advisors to individual taxpayers counsel that when a child borrows money from a parent, for example, the loan should be documented, interest-bearing, secured and repaid (at least in part), if the transaction is to be free of unexpected and in some cases adverse tax consequences. In any event, even where the financial arrangement is respected as a loan, tax effects, such as generation of interest income taxable to the lender or the trigger of a gift tax on either the borrower or the lender, may arise. This article briefly will discuss some of these consequences. It also will discuss in more detail some effects of substituting a new note at the so-called "applicable federal rate" which is lower than the interest rate payable on the old note.
Effect of Microflora on the Free Amino Acid Distribution in Various Regions of the Mouse Gastrointestinal Tract

The distribution of free amino acids in the contents of various regions of the gastrointestinal tract (stomach, upper small intestine, lower small intestine, cecum, upper colon and lower colon) was studied in germfree and conventionalized mice. Particular emphasis was placed on the conversion of tryptophan to indole as a probe for studying intermicrobial interactions and microbe-host interactions in vivo. Great differences were observed in the free amino acid content of the various regions of the digestive tract in each type of mouse and also in any one region between germfree and conventionalized mice. As would be expected, there were fewer differences in amino acid distribution between the types of mice in both regions of the small intestine. This correlates with a much lower population of microorganisms in these regions. The changes in free amino acid content and distribution produced by microflora are great enough to serve as a good probe for studying the interactions of a limited number of species of microbes in gnotobiotic animals and assign possible specific functions to each species.
Choline deficiency-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells is associated with diminished membrane phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin, accumulation of ceramide and diacylglycerol, and activation of a caspase

It is not well appreciated that nutritional status can modulate apoptosis, a process that eliminates unwanted or damaged cells. Choline is an essential nutrient, and its absence induces apoptosis. When PC12 cells were cultivated in a choline-free medium, apoptosis was induced (27.4% of cells apoptotic at 72 h as compared to 4.4% in control medium). In choline-free medium at 72 h, there was a 49% decrease in phosphatidylcholine concentration (P<0.01) and a 34% decrease in sphingomyelin concentration (P<0.01); however, there was no change in phosphatidylethanolamine concentration. Before detecting increased apoptosis in choline-deficient cells, we measured a significant increase in ceramide (218% control) and diacyglycerol (155% control) concentrations. The addition of a cell-permeable ceramide to cells in control medium induced apoptosis; however, adding a cell-permeable diacyglycerol did not induce apoptosis. Caspase is a common mediator of apoptosis, and choline deficiency-induced apoptosis was prevented...
Using Feedback Theory to Help Novice Legal Writers Develop Expertise

This Article examines how integrating structured feedback into a first-year legal writing course can help students develop legal writing expertise. Although this Article concentrates on the legal writing conference, its theoretical foundation applies to any conference between a law student and a professor. The theoretical premise is that students are more likely to develop legal writing expertise when teachers use a feedback method that: (1) reinforces students' feelings of autonomy and competence; and (2) minimizes students' perception of the power imbalance between student and professor. The Article describes how a feedback model, used successfully in clinical legal education, can help students develop legal writing expertise. The Article also illustrates specifically how the model can be used to avert four types of feedback failure commonly encountered during conferences.
A survey of gamma ray branching ratios

Abstract Experimental gamma ray branching ratios are compared with the predictions of the single particle model. When both transitions are predicted to be predominantly E1 or M1 the experimental branching ratios show a distribution which is centred close to the predicted value with 69–76% of the transition pairs within a factor of 10 and 92–94% within a factor of 100 of this. When one transition is predicted to be E2 and the other M1, the median E2-M1 branching ratio is 63 times the predicted value with a spread similar to that of the E1-E1 and M1-M1 distributions.
Photoemission studies of CdTe(100) and the Ag-CdTe(100) interface: Surface structure, growth behavior, Schottky barrier, and surface photovoltage

The clean CdTe(100) surface prepared by sputtering and annealing was studied with high-energy electron diffraction (HEED) and photoemission. HEED showed the surface to be a one-domain, (2 x 1) reconstruction. Photoemission spectra showed two surface-shifted components for the Cd 4d core level, with an intensity ratio of about 1:3, accounting for nearly an entire atomic layer. No surface-induced shifts for the Te 4d core level were detected. A model is proposed for the surface structure in which the surface layer is free of Te, and Cd atoms form dimers resulting in a (2 x 1) reconstruction; in addition, about (1/4) of the surface area is covered by excess loosely attached Cd atoms. Ag was evaporated on the surface at room temperature and found to grow three dimensionally in the (111) direction. The Ag was found to interact only weakly with the substrate, although the Cd atoms originally loosely bound on top of the surface were found to float on the evaporated Ag islands. A small coverage-dependent surface photovoltage, induced by the synchrotron radiation used for photoemission, was observed; with this effect taken into account, band bending was monitored, the final Fermi-level position being near 0.96 eV above the valence-band maximum.more » This corresponds to a Schottky-barrier height of about 0.60 eV for the n-type sample used in this experiment. The mechanism for generation of the surface photovoltage will be discussed.« less
The density of the t-statistic for non-normal distributions

The joint density function of the sample mean and sample variance is recursively derived for samples from a population with density function f where f (x) > 0 cilinost syervi,vheie, everywhere continuous and has certain integral properties. For populations where f does not have these integral properties, this joint density is an approximation. This joint density-function is used to derive the density function of the t-statistic for samples from f. The family of generalized normal density functions is used for an example. The approximation for the t-density is given for that family. For some specific members of the family, the true a probabilities for the approximations are tabled and compared to the results of a simulation study.
Active MnOx Electrocatalysts Prepared by Atomic Layer Deposition for Oxygen Evolution and Oxygen Reduction Reactions

The ability to deposit conformal catalytic thin films enables opportunities to achieve complex nanostructured designs for catalysis. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is capable of creating conformal thin films over complex substrates. Here, ALD-MnOx on glassy carbon is investigated as a catalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), two reactions that are of growing interest due to their many applications in alternative energy technologies. The films are characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, ellipsometry, and cyclic voltammetry. The as-deposited films consist of Mn(II)O, which is shown to be a poor catalyst for the ORR, but highly active for the OER. By controllably annealing the samples, Mn2O3 catalysts with good activity for both the ORR and OER are synthesized. Hypotheses are presented to explain the large difference in the activity between the MnO and Mn2O3 catalysts for the ORR, but similar activity for the OER, including the effects of surface oxidation under experimental conditions. These catalysts synthesized though ALD compare favorably to the best MnOx catalysts in the literature, demonstrating a viable way to produce highly active, conformal thin films from earth-abundant materials for the ORR and the OER.
Ab initio studies of peroxynitrite anion-water complexes

Quantum mechanical methods have been applied to thecis-ONOO−-H2O,cis-ONOO−-(H2O)2 andtrans- ONOO−-H2O complexes. Equilibrium geometries, binding energies, net atomic charges and vibrational frequencies are presented for several different arrangements. The MOller-Plessett second-order perturbation (MP2) method predicted shorter hydrogen bonds than the SCF method, but the computed Hartree-Fock (HF) binding energies are similar to counterpoise corrected MP2 values. The geometry changes of ONOO− and water after solvation are examined. The ONOO− and H2O bond length changes follow typical hydrogen bond structural trends, whereas bond angles in ONOO− are unaffected when the hydrogen bond is formed, similar to the conclusions from NO 2 − -(H2O) n HF/6-31G studies and Monte Carlo simulations. Thecis-ONOO−-(H2O) n frequencies are compared with the solution Raman spectrum and with calculations on isolated ONOO−.
The effects of X-radiation on the eye of the one-year-old axolotl (Siredon mexicanum)

The anterior portion of each head of 30 1-year-old axolotls ( Siredon mexicanum ) was irradiated with 4000 r; 5 animals served as untreated controls. Specimens fixed at various intervals following irradiation were studied histologically. Considerable differences were found between specimens undergoing early fixation (about 53–100 days after irradiation) and specimens undergoing late fixation (about 230–280 days after irradiation). The corneas of the eyes undergoing early fixation were damaged in 100% of the animals, the injury being moderate in most cases, but serious in some. The lenses and retinas were normal or only slightly damaged in most cases and severely damaged only in rare cases. The corneas of the eyes undergoing late fixation, however, were normal or only slightly damaged in most cases; obviously, the cornea was never entirely destroyed by the dose of radiation used and was able to recover more or less completely during the course of the experiment. The lenses were damaged in 100% of the animals, the injury being severe in most cases, moderate in some, and slight in none. The gradual destruction of the lens was due to the activity of macrophages, which partially phagocytosed the lens fibers and partially dissolved them. The retinas were damaged severely in rare cases, moderately in most cases, slightly in some cases, and not at all in one case. Evidently, the lens is the most radiosensitive part of the eye of 1-year-old axolotls, but the injury takes time to become mainfest. In contrast, the cornea is appreciably less sensitive, undergoing moderate to severe injury at first, but recovering later. The most sensitive part of the retina is the rod-and-cone layer. The response of the eye of the 1-year-old axolotl to radiation was similar to that of younger animals, but showed some peculiarities. For example, in the lens of the 1-year-old axolotl, the irradiation was followed by the development of pigmentation, but such pigmentation never developed in the lenses of younger animals; also, recovery of the cornea has never been observed in younger axolotls.
Creep deformation mechanisms in modified 9Cr–1Mo steel

Abstract Modified 9Cr–1Mo (Grade 91) steel is currently considered as a candidate material for reactor pressure vessels (RPVs) and reactor internals for the Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR). The tensile creep behavior of modified 9Cr–1Mo steel (Grade 91) was studied in the temperature range of 873–1023 K and stresses between 35 MPa and 350 MPa. Analysis of creep results yielded stress exponents of ∼9–11 in the higher stress regime and ∼1 in the lower stress regime. The high stress exponent in the power-law creep regime was rationalized by invoking the concept of threshold stress, which represents the lattice diffusion controlled dislocation climb process. Without threshold stress compensation, the activation energy was 510 ± 51 kJ/mol, while after correcting for the threshold stress, the activation energy decreased to 225 ± 24 kJ/mol. This value is close to the activation energy for lattice self-diffusion in α-Fe. Threshold stress calculations were performed for the high stress regime at all test temperatures. The calculated threshold stress showed a strong dependence on temperature. The creep behavior of Grade 91 steel was described by the modified Bird–Mukherjee–Dorn relation. The rate controlling creep deformation mechanism in the high stress regime was identified as the edge dislocation climb with a stress exponent of n = 5. On the other hand, the deformation mechanism in the Newtonian viscous creep regime ( n = 1) was identified as the Nabarro–Herring creep.
Progressive but previously untreated CLL patients with greater array CGH complexity exhibit a less durable response to chemoimmunotherapy

To better understand the implications of genomic instability and outcome in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), we sought to address genomic complexity as a predictor of chemosensitivity and ultimately clinical outcome in this disease. We used array-based comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) with a one-million probe array and identified gains and losses of genetic material in 48 patients treated on a chemoimmunotherapy clinical trial. We identified chromosomal gain or loss in ≥6% of the patients on chromosomes 3, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 17. Higher genomic complexity, as a mechanism favoring clonal selection, was associated with shorter progression-free survival, and predicted a poor response to treatment. Of interest, CLL cases with loss of p53 surveillance showed more complex genomic features and were found both in patients with a 17p13.1 deletion and in the more favorable genetic subtype characterized by the presence of 13q14.1 deletion. This aCGH study adds information on the association between poor trial response and increasing genetic complexity as CLL progresses.
Steroid hormone fluctuations regulate ganglionic fusion during metamorphosis of the moth Manduca sexta

Abstract We examined the role of the steroid hormone, 20-hydroxyecdysone (20-E), in regulating ganglionic fusion during metamorphosis of the moth Manduca sexta. At the larval-pupal transition, the first and second abdominal ganglia begin to migrate anteriorly to coalesce eventually with the second and third thoracic ganglia, forming the pterothoracic ganglion. Near this time, three fluctuations of ecdysteroids are present: two prior to pupation and one after. Ligations posterior to the prothoracic segment isolated the posterior ganglia from the prothoracic glands, a primary source of ecdysteroids. When ligations were performed after the first ecdysteroid pulse (commitment pulse), neither pupal cuticle nor ganglionic fusion was observed. When these abdomens were subsequently given a 20-E infusion that mimicked the second pulse (pre-pupal peak), complete pupal abdomens were formed but ganglia did not migrate together and fuse. Only those isolated abdomens given two separate 20-E infusions (to mimic both the second pulse and third rise) produced fused ganglia. All three ecdysteroid fluctuations, as well as the drop in ecdysteroids between the second pulse and third rise (pre-adult rise), were required for normal ganglionic migration and fusion. Fusion-related events, and the appearance of other adult characteristics, sometimes occurred in abdomens that were isolated following pupation. The percentage of abdomens showing adult development was positively correlated with the time that elapsed between pupation and abdominal isolation. Using an ecdysteroid radioimmunoassay, we confirmed the presence of ecdysteroids in isolated abdomens, and demonstrated that isolated abdomens show a temporal pattern of ecdysteroid levels similar to that of intact insects.
Back to Norway: An Essay

The advent of the polar front theory of cyclones in Norway early in the last century held that the development of fronts and air masses is central to understanding midlatitude weather phenomena. While work on fronts continues to this day, the concept of air masses has been largely forgotten, superseded by the idea of a continuum. The Norwegians placed equal emphasis on the thermodynamics of airmass formation and on the dynamical processes that moved air masses around; today, almost all the emphasis is on dynamics, with little published literature on diabatic processes acting on a large scale. In this essay, the author argues that a lack of understanding of large-scale diabatic processes leads to an incomplete picture of the atmosphere and contributes to systematic errors in medium- and long-range weather forecasts. At the same time, modern concepts centered around potential vorticity conservation and inversion lead one to a redefinition of the term “air mass” that may have some utility in conceptualizing atmospheric physics and in weather forecasting.
Fibroblast growth factor interactions in the developing lung

Cellular activities that lead to organogenesis are mediated by epithelial-mesenchymal interactions, which ultimately result from local activation of complex gene networks. Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling is an essential component of the regulatory network present in the embryonic lung, controlling proliferation, differentiation and pattern formation. However, little is known about how FGFs interact with other signaling molecules in these processes. By using cell and organ culture systems, we provide evidence that FGFs, Sonic hedgehog (Shh), bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP-4), and TGFbeta-1 form a regulatory circuit that is likely relevant for lung development in vivo. Our data show that FGF-10 and FGF-7, important for patterning and growth of the lung bud, are differentially regulated by FGF-1, -2 and Shh. In addition, we show that FGFs regulate expression of Shh, BMP-4 and other FGF family members. Our data support a model in which Shh, TGFbeta-1 and BMP-4 counteract the bud promoting effects of FGF-10, and where FGF levels are maintained throughout lung development by other FGFs and Shh.
Expression and Characterization of the Small Subunit of Human DNA Polymerase δ

Abstract DNA polymerase δ is a heterodimer consisting of a catalytic subunit of 125 kDa and a small subunit of 50 kDa (p50). We have overexpressed p50 in Escherichia coli and have characterized the recombinant protein. p50 was readily overexpressed using the pET vector as an insoluble protein. A procedure was developed for its purification and renaturation. Examination of the physicochemical properties of renatured p50 showed that it is a monomeric protein with an apparent molecular weight of 60,000, a Stokes radius of 34 A, and a sedimentation coefficient of 4.1 S. Its physical properties were indistinguishable from p50 expressed as a soluble protein using the pTACTAC vector. Examination of the effects of recombinant p50 on the activity of DNA polymerase δ showed that p50 is able to slightly stimulate (about 2-fold) the activity of the recombinant 125-kDa catalytic subunit using poly(dA)·oligo(dT) as a template in the absence of proliferating cell nuclear antigen. In the presence of proliferating cell nulear antigen, activity is stimulated about 5-fold. Seven stable hybridoma cell lines were established that produced monoclonal antibodies against p50. One of these antibodies (13D5) inhibited the activity of calf thymus DNA polymerase δ. This antibody, when coupled to a solid support, also was found to provide a method for the immunoafffinity purification of recombinant p50 and of DNA polymerase δ from calf thymus or HeLa extracts. Immunoprecipitation and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays also confirmed that p50 interacts with the catalytic subunit of DNA polymerase δ.
Testing Tinto: How Do Retention Theories Work for First-Generation, Working-Class Students?

This article presents results of a multiple case study involving four first-generation, working-class, white male college freshmen who discuss their perceptions of faculty support. These perception...
A low-bandwidth graphical user interface for high-speed triage of potential items of interest in video imagery

In this paper, we introduce a user interface called the “Threat Chip Display” (TCD) for rapid human-in-the-loop analysis and detection of “threats” in high-bandwidth imagery and video from a list of “Items of Interest” (IOI), which includes objects, targets and events that the human is interested in detecting and identifying. Typically some front-end algorithm (e.g., computer vision, cognitive algorithm, EEG RSVP based detection, radar detection) has been applied to the video and has pre-processed and identified a potential list of IOI. The goal of the TCD is to facilitate rapid analysis and triaging of this list of IOI to detect and confirm actual threats. The layout of the TCD is designed for ease of use, fast triage of IOI, and a low bandwidth requirement. Additionally, a very low mental demand allows the system to be run for extended periods of time.
Structural transitions: 'Ferroelectricity' in a metal.

The discovery of a ferroelectric-like structural transition in metallic LiOsO3 identifies a new class of materials with unconventional properties, providing an exotic playground for theorists and experimentalists.
HIGH-RESOLUTION, LOW-TEMPERATURE, PHOTOEMISSION-STUDIES OF HEAVY-FERMION SYSTEMS - UBE-13 AND UPT-3

High-resolution (0.13 eV) photoemission measurements performed at low temperatures (\ensuremath{\approx} 20 K) show that a sharp feature (measured width \ensuremath{\simeq} 0.15 eV at full width at half maximum) exists at the Fermi edge in the electronic structures of U${\mathrm{Be}}_{13}$ and U${\mathrm{Pt}}_{3}$. In U${\mathrm{Be}}_{13}$ the feature shows some temperature dependence.
Biosynthesis and secretion of tropoelastin by chick aorta cells.

Abstract Cells were isolated from the aortae of 17-day old chick embryos by digestion of the vessels with a combination of trypsin and collagenase. When these cells were incubated in suspension culture in Krebs-Ringer media containing pancreatic trypsin inhibitor and radioactive amino acids, they synthesized and secreted labeled proteins into the media. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate of the secreted proteins labeled with [14C]proline revealed two major components. The larger component with an approximate molecular weight of 125,000 had a [14C]hydroxyproline content consistent with a form of procollagen. The molecular weight of 70,000 and [14C]hydroxyproline content of the second component was consistent with that previously reported for tropoelastin extracted from chick aortae. By following the kinetics and secretion of tropoelastin labeled with [3H]valine, we have estimated that 17 minutes are required to synthesize and secrete the molecule under these experimental conditions.
Prosthetic implications of Eagle's syndrome

Abstract Eagle's syndrome can produce symptoms that may be easily confused with those resulting from wearing a prosthetic restoration. The symptoms resulting from elongated styloid processes and methods of diagnosis and treatment of these processes were described. A patient with Eagle's syndrome has been presented. The symptoms were initially suspected to be due to an ill-fitting mandibular removable partial denture. Further clinical and radiographic examination led to the diagnosis of Eagle's syndrome, and surgical correction was done. The prosthodontist should consider surgery as a possible treatment when the symptoms of the syndrome cannot be attributed to a prosthetic restoration. Various radiographic projections and panoramic radiography are valuable in confirming the presence of a calcified stylohyoid ligament or an elongated styloid process.
The Role of Decoding in Reading Research and Instruction.

This paper introduces the special issue on decoding by discussing the role of decoding in the framework of reading research and current instructional issues. It briefly describes the contributions of the seven authors by presenting their key conceptions related to typical and atypical learners. The paper emphasizes the importance of decoding as part of the reading and language arts curriculum and provides instructional implications. Decoding is especially important to consider at this time, since instruction in reading, throughout the United States, is all but excluding systematic decoding instruction as it moves to the whole language, literature-based approaches. While many children may learn to read without difficulty using literature-based approaches, many children may fail to pick up the code.