cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Profiles of Interdependence: The Retirement Planning of Married, Cohabiting, and Lesbian Couples

As the traditional nuclear family gives way to diverse couple types, questions regarding planning and satisfaction within relationships can be applied to partnerships outside of traditional marriages. The levels of interdependence in retirement planning and timing were investigated across three couple types: married heterosexual couples, cohabiting heterosexual couples, and lesbian couples. Analyses suggested that although all couples were interdependent in their retirement plans, this may be particularly the case for lesbian couples’ financial planning. In addition, relationship satisfaction was significantly associated with retirement lifestyle planning, but more so for lesbian couples than for heterosexual couples. The results are discussed in terms of gender, couple dynamics, and the social structures inherent in the three different couple types.
What’s in a whisper?

Whispering is a common, natural way of reducing speech perceptibility, but whether and how whispering affects consonant identification and the acoustic features presumed important for it in normal speech perception are unknown. In this experiment, untrained listeners identified 18 different whispered initial consonants significantly better than chance in nonsense syllables. The phonetic features of place and manner of articulation and, to a lesser extent, voicing, were correctly identified. Confusion matrix and acoustic analyses indicated preservation of resonance characteristics for place and manner of articulation and suggested the use of burst, aspiration, or frication duration and intensity, and/or first‐formant cutback for voicing decisions.
STT-RAM cell design optimization for persistent and non-persistent error rate reduction: a statistical design view

The rapidly increased demands for memory in electronic industry and the significant technical scaling challenges of all conventional memory technologies motivated the researches on the next generation memory technology. As one promising candidate, spin-transfer torque random access memory (STT-RAM) features fast access time, high density, non-volatility, and good CMOS process compatibility. However, like all other nano-scale devices, the performance and reliability of STT-RAM cells are severely affected by process variations, intrinsic device operating uncertainties and environmental fluctuations. In this work, we systematically analyze the impacts of CMOS and MTJ process variations, MTJ switching uncertainties induced by thermal fluctuations and working temperature on the performance and reliability of STT-RAM cells. A combined circuit and magnetic simulation platform is also established to quantitatively analyze the persistent and non-persistent error rates during the STT-RAM cell operations. Finally, an optimization flow and its effectiveness are depicted by using some STT-RAM cell designs as case study.
Esophageal tissue band transected with hot biopsy forceps

A very rare manifestation of reflux esophagitis that has only been reported once is the development of a symptomatic esophageal fibrous septum (1). This septum completely divides the esophagus, resulting in the appearance of a double-lumen esophagus on endoscopy. The previous case report of this problem was successfully treated with esophageal dilation using bougienage on several sessions. We report a second case of a symptomatic midesophageal septal band, caused by severe reflux esophagitis, that failed treatment with guidewire dilation. In our report, this tissue band was treated successfully by transection with hot biopsy forceps. We have sequential endoscopic photographs that show the persistence of this band despite the macroscopic resolution of esophagitis with pharmacotherapy.
Valuing Information When Risk Preferences Are Nonneutral: An Application to Irrigation Scheduling

A method for valuing information when risk attitudes are nonneutral is presented. The procedure uses simulation and generalized stochastic dominance to value information by level of risk aversion. The value of soil water and weather information to irrigators is quantified to illustrate the procedure. The empirical results show that additional information has diminishing marginal returns for a given level of risk aversion and that the value of information increases with the level of risk aversion. The application demonstrates the importance of valuing information on a whole-firm basis when returns to information are related to returns of other firm enterprises and risk preferences are nonneutral.
Spatial position of the lateral semicircular canal in 14--60-day-old rat heads.

— During growth the rat skull straightens considerably due to flexions between skull parts and individual bones. This straightening is defined as orthocephalization. Orthocephalization might also be caused by a change in head posture during growth, i.e. it may be “apparent”. In order to study the significance of this phenomenon, radiographs of dried skulls of male rats, 14, 30 and 60 d of age were subjected to angular measurements between the plane of the lateral semicircular canal and the plane of foramen magnum and of the basisphenoid bone, respectively. When the plane of the lateral semicircular canal is placed horizontally, the head is claimed to be in natural position. No changes in the angulation between the lateral semicircular canal and the basisphenoid bone could be revealed, whereas the foramen magnum was shown to rotate upwards and backwards in relation to the plane of the canal. This implies that the orthocephalization which takes place between 14 and 60 d is caused only by real angular changes, and that no apparent changes occur due to changes in head posture.
Communication and social legitimation

Contemporary communication studies have suffered from a lack of fertile social theory. Only recently have students of communication begun to examine seriously the origins and consequences of their work. In the process they have reconsidered the Chicago School. Increasingly the intellectual power of the Chicago School is recognized for its portrayal of communication as a human activity for building, maintaining, and altering consensus. This contrasts with the typical view that sees communication as a means of domination, coercion, or repression. This article examines that conflicting definition of communication, especially in terms of the ways social groups engage in media criticism and enlist public support for their moral concerns. This article concludes that the United States, to avoid fragmentation, needs a public philosophy of communication based on moral consensus.
Thomas Huxley: fossils, persistence, and the argument from design.

In struggling to free science from theological implications, Huxley let his own philosophical beliefs influence his interpretation of the data. However, he was certainly not unique in this respect. Like the creationists he despised, he made many important contributions to the issue of progression in the fossil record and its relationship to evolutionary theory. Certainly other factors were involved as well. Undoubtedly, just the sheer inertia of ideas played a role. He was committed to a theory of type and was heavily influenced by von Baer, who argued that one could not rate the different types as being higher or lower than the others. By the mid-1850s his animosity toward Owen had become extreme and he tried to discredit the man whenever possible; yet, as I have pointed out, he also was more than willing to cite Owen's early work when it suited his needs.
>25× reduction in the effective nonlinear coefficient over a 100-nm wavelength range using vertically-slotted silicon waveguide

Vertically-slotted waveguides are used to achieve low nonlinearity. Compared with strip waveguide, it demonstrates a >25× reduction in the nonlinear coefficient for a 100-nm wavelength range.
Translational Neuroimaging: Positron Emission Tomography Studies of Monoamine Oxidase

Positron emission tomography (PET) using radiotracers with high molecular specificity is an important scientific tool in studies of monoamine oxidase (MAO), an important enzyme in the regulation of the neurotransmitters dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin as well as the dietary amine, tyramine. MAO occurs in two different subtypes, MAO A and MAO B, which have different substrate and inhibitor specificity and which are different gene products. The highly variable subtype distribution with different species makes human studies of special value. MAO A and B can be imaged in the human brain and certain peripheral organs using PET and carbon-11 (half-life 20.4 minutes) labeled mechanism-based irreversible inhibitors, clorgyline and l-deprenyl, respectively. In this article we introduce MAO and describe the development of these radiotracers and their translation from preclinical studies to the investigation of variables affecting MAO in the human brain and peripheral organs.
Sentence recall with second stratum cues

As a test of the conjoint retention hypothesis, undergraduates heard 24 simple sentences while studying a map that represented 12 features as icons and labels, or as labels only. Control subjects saw a map outline without features. Half of the sentences were directly related to map features, and half were not related to features. Subject nouns were used as retrieval cues across three trials. Noun object recall of feature-related sentences was significantly better for all groups, but the predicted interaction between map and sentence type did not occur.
Substrate-Mediated Spreading and Phase Segregation at LSM-Zirconia Interfaces

Atomic force microscopy and electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray analysis was used to characterize changes in the structure and composition of La 0.8 Sr 0.2 MnO 3 (LSM) nanoparticles supported on single crystal YSZ(100) (yttria-stabilized zirconia) and SrTi0 3 (100) surfaces as a function of temperature and exposure to oxidizing and reducing environments. On YSZ(100), LSM particles were found to decompose into Mn- and La-rich phases and spread over the surface upon calcination in air at temperatures above 1123 K. The Mn-rich phase was observed to have a higher mobility and spread more rapidly. In contrast to YSZ(100), on SrTiO 3 (100) the LSM particles underwent agglomeration via an Ostwald ripening mechanism upon calcination at temperatures above 1123 K, resulting in an increase in the particle size. Phase separation was not observed on this substrate.
Products of topological spaces

Abstract The main purpose of this paper is to unify a number of theorems in topology whose conclusions state that a product of topological spaces has a compactness-like property.Three such theorems are (1) the Tychonoff theorem: Every product of compact spaces is compact, (2) the theorem of C.T. Scarborough and A.H. Stone: Every product of at most N 1 sequentially compact spaces is countably compact, and (3) the theorem of N. Noble: A countable product of Lindelof P -spaces is Lindelof.
Regional economic benefits of environmental management at the US Department of Energy's major nuclear weapons sites

The five major US Department of Energy nuclear weapons sites located in the states of Colorado, Idaho, South Carolina, Tennessee and Washington have changed functions. Environmental management of 50 years of on-site contamination is now the primary function of the sites. The cost of this cleanup is estimated at over $200 billion. A regional economic simulation model was built to estimate the economic impact of changing environmental management expenditures on the surrounding regional economies. These simulations show wide variability among the host regions in dependence on the DOE site and differences in the likelihood of producing jobs and adding to personal income from environmental management investments at the sites. Urban regions, such as Oak Ridge, are more able to convert environmental management dollars into local jobs and income than rural regions, such as the Idaho National Environmental Engineering Laboratory.
Temporal sequence of chemiluminescence and aggregation of human neutrophils and platelets after stimulation by arachidonic acid

Abstract Using the instrument known as a lumiaggregometer we have simultaneously measured chemiluminescence (CL) and aggregation (Ag) of neutrophils and platelets. The CL and Ag responses are triggered by the addition of 10−4 M arachidonate. We note that chemiluminescence occurs before aggregation of neutrophils (10 sec) and platelets (16 sec). Arachidonate is known to hasten 45Ca transport in cellular membranes which probably triggers cellular metabolism to cause chemiluminescence. Additionally metabolized arachidonate or fatty acids are known to cause CL by cyclooxygenase-peroxidase and lipoxygenase pathways via free radicals. Since free radicals are known to react with luminol the CL is enhanced. These free radicals metabolites must occur before the physical event of aggregation.
Late Quaternary activity along the Lone Pine fault, eastern California

The Lone Pine fault is a north-trending secondary break of the Owens Valley fault zone, 1.4 km west of Lone Pine, California. This fault forms an east-facing scarp as much as 6.5 m high across an abandoned outwash fan of the Tioga (latest Pleistocene) glaciation. The fault experienced large right-lateral and smaller vertical displacement during the 1872 Owens Valley earthquake. Knowledge of the character and amount of slip at this site in and before 1872 is necessary for evaluations of earthquake hazard near Owens Valley and may help us to understand earthquakes along other parts of the eastern front of the Sierra Nevada and in the Great Basin. Scarp profiles indicate a 1- to 2-m component of dip slip in 1872; thus three 1872-type earthquakes could have created the scarp. This number of events is also indicated by desert-varnish patterns on boulders in the fault scarp, by scarp morphology, and by sediments near the fault. Horizontal offset of a relict channel on the fan is 12 to 18 m (3 earthquakes). Horizontal offset of a younger debris flow is 10 to 12 m (apparently 2 earthquakes). Average horizontal offset for each earthquake, including that of 1872, is 4 to 6 m. The age of the fan surface is bracketed by a 21 ka shoreline of former Lake Owens and by the time of abandonment of the fan, about 10 ka. An average recurrence interval for 3 earthquakes is 5,000 to 10,500 yr. The average recurrence interval, combined with the average oblique offset for each event of 4.3 to 6.3 m, gives an average late Quaternary slip rate of 0.4 to 1.3 mm/yr for the Lone Pine fault. If we add the average horizontal-slip component for the Lone Pine fault to the 1872 horizontal slip reported for the adjacent main Owens Valley trace of 2.7 to 4.9 m, the combined 1872 horizontal-slip component for the Owens Valley fault zone is approximately between 7 and 11 m, a large value. The associated horizontal-slip rate for the Owens Vallev fault zone is 0.7 to 2.2 mm/yr.
The Y chromosome and the replacement hypothesis.

Ke et al. ([1][1]) raised old questions about the origins and evolution of modern humans in East Asia. Unfortunately, they have shed no new light on the subject, their study amounting only to a large-scale genotyping of three previously observed Asian Y chromosome alleles ([2][2]). The authors
Quantitative determination of phytate in the presence of high inorganic phosphate

Abstract The review on the determination of phytate and inositol phosphates by Oberleas (1) indicates that most methods for the determination of phytate are derived from the method of Heubner and Stadler (2). This method is based on the principle that ferric ion forms a stable complex with phytate in dilute acid solution and is the only phosphate compound, at least in significant concentration in nature, with this property. However, the phytate values were high when we applied the procedure of Oberleas (3) to samples with high inorganic phosphate content such as rat feces or semipurified rat diets. This appeared to be a result of inorganic phosphate coprecipitating with ferric phytate. As a preliminary step to study phytate balance in rats, a modified procedure of the Oberleas (3) method was developed that appears to free the ferric phytate precipitate of inorganic phosphate. The procedure and its efficiency are reported in this communication.
Complications following permanent prostate brachytherapy

Abstract Objectives: The acute and chronic complications of permanent prostate brachytherapy are discussed. Materials and Methods: Review of literature for the complications associated with iodine-125 ( 125 I) and palladium-103 ( 103 Pd) prostate brachytherapy. Acute complications included urinary retention, changes in the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and need for TURP. Chronic morbidity included permanent urinary symptoms, incontinence, radiation proctitis and erectile dysfunction. Results: Urinary retention occurred in 1.5–22% of the patients postimplant. Acute urinary symptoms increased by over 100% 1 month after the procedure. By 12 months, the symptoms were either back to baseline or slightly elevated in over 90% of the patients. Significant obstructive symptoms or persistent urinary retention necessitating TURP occurred in 0–8.7%. Urinary incontinence was found in 0–19% treated by implant without associated TURP, in 0–85% for those who had a TURP prior to the implant and in 0–17% for those who had the TURP subsequent to the implant. Potency rates ranged from 34% to 86% 1–6 years postimplant. Radiation proctitis was found in 0.5–21.4%, with significant injury (fistula) occurring in 1–2.4%. Conclusions: The data from this report suggests that permanent prostate brachytherapy can be accomplished with minimal short- and long-term morbidity. Attention to detail as well as an appreciation to the causative factors for the morbidity will help reduce treatment-related side effects.
The role of neurotrophins in inflammation and allergy.

Allergic inflammation is the result of a specific pattern of cellular and humoral responses leading to the activation of the innate and adaptive immune system, which, in turn, results in physiological and structural changes affecting target tissues such as the airways and the skin. Eosinophil activation and the production of soluble mediators such as IgE antibodies are pivotal features in the pathophysiology of allergic diseases. In the past few years, however, convincing evidence has shown that neurons and other neurosensory structures are not only a target of the inflammatory process but also participate in the regulation of immune responses by actively releasing soluble mediators. The main products of these activated sensory neurons are a family of protein growth factors called neurotrophins. They were first isolated in the central nervous system and identified as important factors for the survival and differentiation of neurons during fetal and postnatal development as well as neuronal maintenance later in life. Four members of this family have been identified and well defined: nerve growth factor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, neurotrophin 3, and neurotrophin 4/5. Neurotrophins play a critical role in the bidirectional signaling mechanisms between immune cells and the neurosensory network structures in the airways and the skin. Pruritus and airway hyperresponsiveness, two major features of atopic dermatitis and asthma, respectively, are associated with the disruption of the neurosensory network activities. In this chapter, we provide a comprehensive description of the neuroimmune interactions underlying the pathophysiological mechanisms of allergic and inflammatory diseases.
Oxygen consumption of a fresh water crab, Paratelphusa hydrodromous, in relation to salinity stress☆

Abstract 1. 1. The fresh water field crab Paratelphusa hydrodromous exhibits good tolerance to saline media up to 100% sea water. 2. 2. The crabs show minimal oxygen consumption in 50% sea water and maximal oxygen consumption in tap water and in 100% sea water. The variation in the pattern of metabolic response to salinity appears to be related to the chloride ion gradient existing between the blood and the medium. The direction of the Cl − gradient influences the O 2 consumption of the crabs.
Gene therapy in flap survival

Growth factors are members of a large functional group of polypeptide regulatory molecules that exert a powerful influence on all phases of wound healing and repair through interactions with specific cell surface receptors. The use of growth factors to improve wound healing and the viability of ischemic skin flaps has been well-documented throughout the last decade. In this article, we review the literature concerning the use gene therapy in flap survival, including the various methods employed to transplant plasmids or viruses capable of coding and producing growth factors in ischemic tissue.
Pinning potentials of the vortex lattice in YBCO crystals in the peak effect region

Memory effects in the dynamic response of the vortex lattice (VL) in type II superconductors and its relationship with the controversial peak effect, have attracted great interest for a long time. In the last years, these features have been observed in YBCO single crystals, with the DC magnetic field tilted away from the twin planes and were related with robust dynamical states characterized by different degrees of mobility. Recently, we reported that the previous dynamical history of the VL can modify not only its dynamic response, but can even modify its static properties as well. In the present work, we try to understand the nature of the peak effect in YBCO crystals by sensing the effective AC penetration depth in the linear Campbell regime. We report history dependent effective pinning potential well curvatures and study the stability of the different static configurations. Interestingly, we observe that the more pinned VL configuration is not the more stable. Results agree with a dynamic scenario undergoing the Peak Effect.
Amidolytic assay for procoagulant activity of lymphoid and tumor cells

Among the effector molecules induced in monocytes by the cellular immune response is tissue factor (TF), the initiating receptor/cofactor of the extrinsic coagulation protease cascade that is also frequently observed on human tumor cells. Other cellular activators have also been described on monocytes and tumor cells. Analyses of the cellular immune procoagulant response would be aided by a simple and efficient form of quantitation. An assay for cellular procoagulant activity (PCA) induction and expression was developed utilizing the chromogenic thrombin substrate tosyl-Gly-Pro-Arg-p-nitroanilide acetate. The constitutive or induced PCA of a variety of cells was analyzed. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells, peritoneal exudate cells, 13762 Mat B (III) mammary carcinoma cells, 1591-RE fibrosarcoma cells, the macrophage cell line WEHI-265, a detector of PCA inducing lymphokines, or mixtures of these cells were incubated with or without stimuli, e.g., endotoxin, in 96-well microplates. After incubation the cells were assayed for PCA by addition of the chromogenic substrate for thrombin using fibrinogen depleted plasma as a source of the coagulation proteins factors VII, X, V and prothrombin. The absorbance at 405 nm was determined. Spontaneous cleavage of the chromogenic substrate restricted the assay to total analysis times of less than 14 min. The 13762 Mat B (III) rat tumor which constitutively expressed tissue factor-like procoagulant activity induced measurable substrate hydrolysis with as few as 100 cells/well. It was observed that the chromogenic substrate assay was approximately twice as sensitive as conventional clotting assays for procoagulant activity. Endotoxin stimulated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells and mouse peritoneal exudate cells readily analyzed. The procoagulant activity of approximately 280 LPS-stimulated human monocytes generated sufficient thrombin to provide a significant measurable signal within 10 min. Also supernatants from mixed lymphocyte cultures as well as from immune lymphocyte responses to syngeneic tumor cell cultures induced procoagulant activity in the macrophage like cell line WEHI-265 as determined with the assay for thrombin generation. The hydrolysis of the substrate was attributed to thrombin formation since the induced cleavage was abolished by hirudin, the highly specific active site inhibitor of thrombin. This chromogenic thrombin assay can be used for measuring induction of viable cell expression or total cellular procoagulant activity rapidly and efficiently in large replicate numbers suitable for a variety of analyses of cellular immune responses including clonal analyses of gene induction.
Action of aureomycin and chloromycetin on the virus of primary atypical pneumonia.

SummaryAureomycin. injected intraperitoneally starting 24 hours after intranasal infection of cotton rats with the virus of primary atypical pneumonia almost completely inhibits the development of pulmonary consolidation when given in daily doses of 1 mg, and is partly active at a dosage of 0.5 mg per day. Therapeutic activity with doses of 2.0 to 5.0 mg daily was also demonstrable when the beginning of treatment was delayed for 5 to 6 days.Chloromycetin in doses of 5 to 20 mg per day had slight and irregular effects on the virus in cotton rats under the same experimental conditions.Aureomycin inhibits the growth of the atypical pneumonia virus in chick embryos when injected into the yolk sac in two doses of 1 mg each 2 and 48 hours after amniotic inoculation of the virus.
The Single-Blow Problem Including the Effects of Longitudinal Conduction

The results are presented from a numerical finite-difference method of calculation for the transient behavior of porous media when subjected to a step change in fluid temperature considering the case where the longitudinal thermal heat conduction cannot be neglected. These results, given in tabular and graphical form, provide a useful means for evaluating the heat-transfer data obtained from the transient testing of compact heat-exchanger surfaces.Copyright © 1964 by ASME
Investigation of Ion Implantation Damage with Stress Measurements

The stress set up lateral to the implanted surface by ion implantation lattice damage is measured for 220 keV 4He, 12C, 16O, 20Ne, 27Al, 40Ar, 84Kr, and Xe room temperature implants into Si. It is found that the ions with atomic number greater than Si produce more damage per given energy density deposited into atomic processes E than the lighter ions and produce damage almost linearly with E up to a distinct maximum in the stress. The measurements from 4He, 12C, 16O, 20Ne, 27Al implants are indistinguishable from one another at low E values where the damage depends linearly upon E. These lighter ions introduce damage sublinearly with E at medium E values. The maximum in all the stress versus E results is taken as evidence for an elastic-plastic transition in the implanted layer. This elastic-plastic transition is correlated with what others have called the crystalline-to-amorphous transition.
Synthesis of CdWO 4 films via sol-gel processing

Cadmium Tungstate is a complex oxide which gains considerable attention as a scintillator material. The material has high radiation hardness and in crystalline form is highly efficient. It is also non-hydroscopic, unlike the more efficient thallium doped NaI crystal. A processing technique utilizing sol gel technology has been successfully applied to this system for the first time to allow for more precise stoichiometry control, as well as to produce thin films more easily and cheaply than other methods. The as-produced material consists of single phase, stoichiometric nano-crystallites of cadmium tungstate and shows photoluminescence at 480nm. The material was characterized by X-ray diffraction, SEM and PL analysis.
Processing of bacteriophage T4 transfer RNAs structural analysis and In Vitro processing of precursors that accumulate in RNase E− strains

Infection of the Escherichia coli RNA-processing mutant rne with the bacteriophage strain T4Δ27 (a deletion in the transfer RNA region that leaves intact only three of the ten final RNA molecules) results in a reduced accumulation of the three mature RNAs: species 1 (a small RNA of unknown function), tRNALeu and tRNAGln, as well as an accumulation of two new RNAs: 10·1 S and p2Sp1 (a precursor of species 1). Structural analyses of these molecules showed that 10·1 S RNA contains tRNAGln, tRNALeu and species 1 RNA (in this order), while p2Sp1 is similar to the distal part of the 10·1 S RNA and contains only species 1 RNA. The 10·1 S and p2Sp1 molecules share a common 3′ terminus, which is apparently formed by termination of transcription. Using cell extracts, in which RNase E was inactivated, as the source of processing enzymes and 10·1 S RNA as the substrate, production of the final three RNA molecules took place, albeit at lower rates. Heating extracts even at relatively high temperatures did not prevent the RNase E− extracts from processing p2Sp1 to species 1. These observations can be explained in at least two ways: RNase E is directly involved in the production of the three final RNA molecules, but there is at least one other enzyme, which either normally or only in the absence of RNase E carries out similar cleavages; alternatively RNase E is involved indirectly in the processing of bacteriophage T4 10·1 S RNA by affecting the activity of at least one other RNA processing enzyme. We prefer the second possibility. Thus, these studies demonstrate the existence of new T4 tRNA precursors and host RNA-processing enzyme(s), and lead to a new concept in RNA processing, whereby one enzyme can affect very drastically the function of another enzyme.
Clostridium difficile Infections : Emerging Epidemiology and New Treatments

Clostridium difficile infections (CDIs) are increasingly a cause of morbidity and mortality. Although the pathogenicity of C difficile is based on toxin A and B expression, new hypervirulent strains express novel virulence factors. The etiology of recent increases in prevalence and severity of disease is not clearly explained by known mechanisms. New at-risk groups include children (without prior antibiotic exposure) and patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Vancomycin has an important role in the treatment of CDIs, but does not prevent recurrence. Other therapies for recurrent disease include antibiotics, probiotics, and immunotherapy. Novel therapies are under investigation for recurrent and resistant CDI.
Development of a nanoscale fatigue measurement technique and its application to ultrathin amorphous carbon coatings

Abstract A technique to study nanofatigue behavior of coatings has been developed. Based on measurements of amorphous carbon coatings (DLC), higher hardness, fracture toughness and adhesion strength are responsible for a longer fatigue life. This technique can be satisfactorily used to simulate and study damage in head-disk and MEMS/NEMS interfaces.
Unique sequence arrangement of ribosomal genes in the palindromic rDNA molecule of Physarum polycephalum

R-loop and restriction mapping procedures reveal the organization of coding regions at each end of the giant rDNA palindrome of Physarum polycephalum. A 19S coding region of 2.10 +/- 0.21 kb is located at each end of a very long central spacer (35.64 +/- 2.08 kb). An internal spacer of 1.66 +/- 0.12 kb lies distal to the 19S gene. The 5.8S rRNA coding region is located in this spacer. The 26S gene lies distal to the internal spacer. The 26S gene is unusual among those of eukaryotes in that it consists of 3 coding regions (alpha, beta and gamma) interrupted by 2 intervening sequences. The 26S alpha (most central) coding segment of 2.41 +/- 0.33 kb is separated from the 26S beta segment by an intervening sequence of 0.68 +/- 0.13 kb. The 26S beta segment (0.70 +/- 0.11 kb) is separated from the most distal 26S gamma segment (0.59 +/- 0.14 kb) by an intervening sequence of 1.21 +/- 0.14 kb. The 2 intervening sequences are present in at least 88% of ribsomal genes from active plasmodia, indicating that genes containing these sequences are transcribed. The rDNA termini contain a heterogeneous region which varies in length by +/- 300 base pairs.
Sulfinylated azadecalins act as functional mimics of a pollen germination stimulant in Arabidopsis pistils

†‡ SUMMARY Polarized cell elongation is triggered by small molecule cues during development of diverse organisms. During plant reproduction, pollen interactions with the stigma result in the polar outgrowth of a pollen tube, which delivers sperm cells to the female gametophyte to effect double fertilization. In many plants, pistils stimulate pollen germination. However, in Arabidopsis, the effect of pistils on pollen germination and the pistil factors that stimulate pollen germination remain poorly characterized. Here, we demonstrate that stigma, style, and ovules in Arabidopsis pistils stimulate pollen germination. We isolated an Arabidopsis pistil extract fraction that stimulates Arabidopsis pollen germination, and employed ultra-high resolution electrospray ionization (ESI), Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) and MS/MS techniques to accurately determine the mass (202.126 Da) of a compound that is specifically present in this pistil extract fraction. Using the molecular formula (C10H19NOS) and tandem mass spectral fragmentation patterns of the m/z (mass to charge ratio) 202.126 ion, we postulated chemical structures, devised protocols, synthesized N-methanesulfinyl 1- and 2-azadecalins that are close structural mimics of the m/z 202.126 ion, and showed that they are sufficient to stimulate Arabidopsis pollen germination in vitro(30 lM stimulated approximately 50% germination) and elicit accession-specific response. Although N-methanesulfinyl 2-azadecalin stimulated pollen germination in three species of Lineage I of Brassicaceae, it did not induce a germination response in Sisymbrium irio (Lineage II of Brassicaceae) and tobacco, indicating that activity of the compound is not random. Our results show that Arabidopsis pistils promote germination by producing azadecalin-like molecules to ensure rapid fertilization by the appropriate pollen.
THE TRADITIONS OF VINLAND

ABSTRACT The study of the early Norse voyages to North America is a field of research characterized by controversy and conflicting, often irreconcilable, opinions and conclusions. These circumstances result from the fact that details of the voyages exist only in two Icelandic sagas which contradict each other on basic issues and internally are vague and contain nonhistorical passages. To date no alleged Norse relics have been validated as evidence of medieval Norse settlement or exploration in North America. Since the 1837 publication by Rafn of the literary evidence for the historicity of the voyages, hypotheses for the interpretation of the sagas, origin and authenticity of relics, schemes for the voyages, and identification of sites have been proposed and debated. In this article related arguments and interpretations are grouped into schools or traditions of thought, and a selected literature which illustrates the recurring controversies is topically reviewed. The topics are the character and interpret...
Reticuloendotheliosis Virus Strain T Induces miR-155, Which Targets JARID2 and Promotes Cell Survival

The oncogenic microRNA miR-155 is upregulated by several oncogenic viruses. The precursor of miR-155, termed bic, was first observed to cooperate with myc in chicken B-cell lymphomas induced by avian leukosis proviral integrations. We identified another oncogenic retrovirus, reticuloendotheliosis virus strain T (REV-T), that upregulates miR-155 in chicken embryo fibroblasts. We also observed very high levels of miR-155 in REV-T-induced B-cell lymphomas. To study the role of miR-155 in these tumors, we identified JARID2/Jumonji, a cell cycle regulator and part of a histone methyltransferase complex, as a target of miR-155. The overexpression of miR-155 decreased levels of endogenous JARID2 mRNA. We confirmed that miR-155 directly targets both human and chicken JARID2 by assaying the repression of reporters containing the JARID2 3′-untranslated regions. Further, the overexpression of a sponge complementary to miR-155 in a tumor cell line increased endogenous JARID2 mRNA levels. The overexpression of JARID2 in chicken fibroblasts led to decreased cell numbers and an increase in apoptotic cells. The overexpression of miR-155 rescued cells undergoing cytopathic effect caused by infection with subgroup B avian retroviruses. Therefore, we propose that miR-155 has a prosurvival function that is mediated through the downregulation of targets including JARID2.
Biased AC electro-osmosis for on-chip bioparticle processing

Real-time detection of bioparticles is of great importance in deterring infectious diseases and bioterrorism. For bioparticle solutions with concentrations at an infectious level, culturing is typically used to increase the particle concentration to a detectable level, which is time consuming and often unfeasible under field conditions. Therefore, a real-time particle concentration technique is in demand to bridge the gap between the detectable level and infectious level of bacterial solutions. This paper describes a novel electrokinetic method that can potentially concentrate particles in real time. By studying surface flows on planar electrode pairs, two distinct ac electro-osmosis (ACEO) flows have been identified which are due, respectively, to capacitive and Faradaic charging of electrode double layers. Biased ACEO, combining dc bias with ac signals, breaks the symmetry of electrode charging, leading to asymmetric surface flows and a variety of directed surface flows that can concentrate, manipulate, and transport particles. Surface flows of opposite directions on planar electrodes produce stagnation lines that function as long-range particle traps and lead to net flows for micropumping. The device fabrication and operation are simple and compatible with integrated circuit technology
Using Dataflow Optimization Techniques with a Monadic Intermediate Language

Our work applies the dataflow algorithm to an area outside its traditional scope: functional languages. Our approach relies on a monadic intermediate language that provides low-level, imperative features like computed jumps and explicit allocations, while at the same time supporting high-level, functional-language features like case discrimination and partial application. We prototyped our work in Haskell using the hoopl library and this dissertation shows numerous examples demonstrating its use. We prove the efficacy of our approach by giving a novel description of the uncurrying optimization in terms of the dataflow algorithm, as well as a complete implementation of the optimization using hoopl.
Haptic task constraints for 3D interaction

We have created a haptically enabled fish tank VR that we call Haptic-GeoZui3D that utilizes a set of haptic widget and data object elements to support rapid and intuitive interaction within a large geographical data space. We leverage the center of workspace navigation metaphor with a Phantom 1.0 haptic device situated in a fish tank VR arrangement to provide a synergistic environment for developing, demonstrating and evaluating these haptic elements. We have developed several principles to guide our effort, chief of which is the notion that haptic forces should be used to provide constraints on user tasks, rather than mimic physical object forces. This paper provides a detailed overview of Haptic-GeoZui3D and it's application in path planning for Autonomous Undersea Vehicles (AUVs), as well as some ideas for future development.
GOING ONLINE WITHOUT EASY ACCESS: A TALE OF THREE CITIES

Building on a national study that showed that concentrated poverty matters for the "digital divide," this research compares the influence of the neighborhood-level context in three cities that vary in racial composition and income. We use a 2005 random digit-dialed survey of respondents in Northeast Ohio communities, and find unexpectedly that residents in areas of concentrated poverty demonstrate efforts to go online despite lacking home or work access. We analyze the results using regression models that include contextual "buffers" that create a unique geography for each respondent within a half-kilometer radius. Respondents who live in areas with a high percentage of African Americans or college graduates are more likely to go online even if they lack convenient Internet access, although the percentage of college graduates has a greater effect. At the neighborhood level, race and education influence the context for technology use.
ICONIC programming in BACCII vs. textual programming: which is a better learning environment?

This paper presents the empirical testing results on students' learning in the CS1 PASCAL programming course. This research is the continuation of a project begun in 1990. In 1991, creation of a prototype Windows based application for Personal Computers reached completion. That system, called BACCII, is used to teach beginning procedural programming. All but the most basic operations are accomplished using icons. When the algorithm is complete, the student can generate syntactically correct source code for PASCAL, C, FORTRAN, or BASIC. The system was evaluated with 126 college students in the Spring 1993 semester, randomly assigned to laboratory sections. Fifty-two used BACCII and VAX with the remaining 74 using VAX PASCAL alone. The results showed significant improvement in academic scores (and presumably learning) for the BACCII control group.
Crystalloid formation in unfertilized mouse ova under influence of cytochalasin B.

Ova from superovulated Swiss albino ICR mice were exposed to 1, 10, and 40 μg cytochalasin B/ml in Whitten and Biggers medium (WBM) for intervals up to 24 hours. Controls were incubated in ordinary medium or in medium containing dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) in an amount equivalent to that used to dissolve cytochalasin B, taking dilution into account. The ova were mounted on slides in egg albumin, stained by the Feulgen method and counterstained with light green SF, or they were processed for electron microscopy. The DMSO treatment, as determined by either light or electron microscopy, had no essential effect. Eggs treated with 10 or 40 μg cytochalasin/ml did not exhibit the fragmentation observed in some of the control ova. Treated eggs contained either several spherical bodies, which sometimes reached a size of 8 to 10 μ, or as many as 20 smaller bodies, stainable with light green SF and positive for proteins when stained with mercury-bromphenol blue. These bodies, first observed after exposure for eight hours to cytochalasin, were revealed by electron microscopy to be groups of crystalloids which occasionally entrapped microfilaments or granules. Neither the spacial relationship of crystalloids to cell organelles nor the preliminary stages of their formation could be observed. Since little protein synthesis occurs in unfertilized eggs, and the addition of 50 and 250 μg of puromycin did not prevent formation of these bodies, it is suggested that they were formed by the crystallization of proteinaceous material already present in the eggs.
Life among the Yanomami: The Story of Change among the Xilixana on the Mucajai River in Brazil

Life among the Yanomami: The Story of Change among the Xilixana on the Mucajai River in Brazil. John F. Peters. Peterborough, ON: Broadview Press, 1998. 292 pp.
Novel Reticular Calcium Binding Protein Is Purified on Taipoxin Columns

: We identified, by affinity chromatography, two putative binding proteins for the presynaptic snake venom toxin taipoxin. We have previously characterized one of these proteins [neuronal pentraxin (NP)] as a neuronally secreted protein with homology to acute-phase proteins. Here we report the identification of the second protein as a 49-kDa lumenal calcium binding protein that we have named taipoxin-associated calcium binding protein 49 (TCBP-49). This protein contains six EF-hand putative calcium binding domains and the carboxyl-terminal sequence His-Asp-Glu-Leu (HDEL), identical to the yeast endoplasmic reticulum retention signal. Message for this protein is present in brain, liver, muscle, heart, kidney, and testis. Antibodies to this protein label reticular organelles of neurons and glia. This localization and the specific enrichment of native and recombinant TCBP-49 on columns of immobilized taipoxin raise the possibility that this protein interacts with internalized taipoxin, perhaps mediating its activation. The availability of pure TCBP-49 will allow direct tests of whether TCBP-49 alters the integrity of the oligomeric structure, phospholipase activity, or toxicity of taipoxin.
An analytical threshold voltage and subthreshold current model for short-channel AlGaAs/GaAs MODFETs

Short-channel effects on the subthreshold behavior are modeled in self-aligned gate AlGaAs/GaAs MODFETs through an analytical solution of the two-dimensional Poisson equation in the subthreshold region. Based on the resultant potential solution, simple and accurate analytical expressions for short-channel threshold voltage, subthreshold swing, and subthreshold drain current are derived. These are then used to develop an expression for minimum acceptable channel length. A comparative study of short-channel effects in enhancement-mode MODFETs with and without i-AlGaAs spacer layers indicates that channel lengths will be limited to 0.18-0.25 mu m by subthreshold conduction. Minimum gate lengths for MODFETs with a spacer layer are notably larger than those without a spacer layer. Besides offering insights into the physics of short-channel effects in MODFETs, the model provides a useful basis for efficient design, analysis, and simulation of small geometry AlGaAs/GaAs MODFET digital circuits. >
On handling weakened topologies of Wireless Sensor Networks

The deployment of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) is expected to have a significant impact on the efficiency of many civil and military applications, such as disaster management, environment monitoring, combat field surveillance and space exploration. In unattended WSN setups, most of the energy aware routing approaches pursue multi-hop paths in order to minimize the total transmission power. However, the hops close to the base-station (also known as the sink) become heavily involved in packets receiving and forwarding and thus their batteries get depleted rather quickly, and sometimes become traffic bottlenecks. The failure of these nodes also can create a void around the sink and significantly increase the energy consumed in communication with the sink. This paper evaluates the effectiveness of three approaches for handling the weakened network topology caused by the failure of sensors around the sink. The approaches are: (1) increasing the population of sensors in selected areas; (2) increasing the number of sink nodes in the network; and (3) repositioning the existing sink. The performance of the three approaches is validated in a simulated environment.