cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Understanding Enantioselective Processes: A Laboratory Rat Model for α-Hexachlorocyclohexane Accumulation

Since cyclodextrin gas chromatography columns became popular for chiral separations, many researchers have noticed high enantiomeric ratios [ER: (+)-enantiomer/(-)-enantiomer] for alpha-HCH in the brains of wildlife. This investigation used the laboratory rat as a model for these phenomena. Rats were either pretreated with phenobarbital (PB) or left untreated and then dosed with alpha-HCH. Animals were sacrificed after 1 or 24 h. The ER averaged 0.95 +/- 0.01 in blood, 1.29 +/- 0.02 in fat, and 0.77 +/- 0.004 in liver. ERs in brain ranged from 2.8 +/- 0.5 to 13.5 +/- 0.4. Both the tissue concentration distribution and the ERs agree well with those previously reported in wildlife. To determine whether high brain ERs were due to enantioselective metabolism or transport through the blood-brain barrier, alpha-HCH exposed brain and liver tissue slices were compared. Concentrations in the brain slices did not decrease with PB pretreatment but did decrease in the liver slices. Enantiomeric ratios in the brain slices averaged 1.11 +/- 0.02 and were 0.76 +/- 0.03 in liver slices for the PB pretreated rats. These data indicate that the enantioselective metabolism of alpha-HCH by the brain is not the mechanism responsible for high ERs in this tissue.
Musavi-Lari: An Experiential Exercise in Diversity Awareness

The Musavi-Lari exercise is an experiential activity designed to facilitate awareness of unconscious biases, prejudices, and hidden assumptions that influence our judgment. It can be used to illustrate the processes at work in social perception, decision making, group dynamics, groupthink, or diversity management. Participants report that the activity is engaging, is enlightening, and provides understanding of forces affecting the success of work groups and as well as global corporations.
The electrical properties and band structure of doped LaInO3

Abstract Theoretical arguments suggest that LaInO 3 might be a narrow-band semiconductor rather than an ionic insulator. Experimental measurements of resistivity show that at lower temperatures the doped material behaves like a p-type extrinsic semiconductor, and at higher temperatures, like an intrinsic material with a gap energy of 2.2 eV. The Seebeck coefficient changes from positive to negative values with rising temperature slightly above the range of temperature in which the system shifts from the extrinsic to the intrinsic regime. These findings are interpreted in terms of an elementary band model.
Bilateral simultaneous free gracilis muscle transfer: a realistic option in management of bilateral facial paralysis.

Objectives: Bilateral facial paralysis patients have oral incompetence, poor articulation, and dental caries. This problem is frequently addressed by performing staged gracilis transplants without specific oral sphincter reconstruction. The purpose of this study is to describe the technique of bilateral simultaneous free gracilis muscle transfer with oral sphincter reconstruction, for one-stage facial reanimation in patients with bilateral facial paralysis.Study Design: Case series.Methods/Results: One-stage bilateral gracilis transfer was performed in three patients with bilateral facial paralysis. Muscle transplants produced a meaningful smile in all transferred muscles. All patients reported improved speech and decreased drooling.Conclusions: Bilateral gracilis transplants with reconstruction of the oral commissure is a realistic option in management of the bilaterally paralyzed face. In this small series, it appears to improve oral competence, restore smiling, and contribute favorably to lower lip sup...
New and experimental therapies for pulmonary hypertension.

Advances in the understanding of the molecular and cellular pathogenesis of primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH) have led us beyond simple pulmonary vasodilation as the only treatment for PPH and to a realization that what were previously believed to be irreversible vascular lesions may, in fact, be reversible. The development of agents that target the known endothelial and nonendothelial defects in PPH patients is well underway. We are witnessing an exciting new era for physicians and patients dealing with this disease.
Reducing the Thrombogenicity of Ion-Selective Electrode Membranes through the Use of a Silicone-Modified Segmented Polyurethane

The susceptibility of segmented polyurethanes (SPUs) to in vivo oxidative cleavage and hydrolysis constitutes a drawback in the use of these materials in the fabrication of implantable devices. The introduction of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) groups into the polymer main chain has been previously reported to enhance the stability of SPUs. Herein, we evaluated the use of BioSpan-S, a silicone-modified SPU, in the design of membranes for cation-selective electrodes. The resulting electrodes exhibited good potentiometric response with all of the tested ionophores (valinomycin, sodium ionophore X, and nonactin). The obtained selectivity coefficients meet the selectivity requirements for the determination of sodium and potassium in blood. Moreover, as reflected by SEM studies, membranes prepared with BioSpan-S showed less adhesion of platelets than membranes prepared with conventional poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). These results lead to the conclusion that BioSpan-S would be an appropriate candidate for the fabrication of implantable ion-selective electrodes.
Development of circadian rhythmicity of temperature in full-term normal infants.

Summary Twelve full-term infants (7 girls and 5 boys) with normal neurological, behavioral and somatic development were followed at regular intervals during the first 5 months of life to appreciate the development of circadian rectal temperature rhythmicity. Activity and temperature (oral at birth, rectal thereafter) were monitored for a minimum of 60 hours on seven separate occasions: at birth, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 8 weeks, 10 weeks, 16 weeks and 20 weeks of age. Activity was measured using an actigraph worn on the infant's wrist, and rectal temperature was measured using a rectal probe attached to a portable microprocessor (Vitalog ™ ). Data points were collected every 2 minutes. No fewer than ten infants were monitored at each session, and no infant missed more than one session. Missing recordings were due to equipment malfunctions, probe expulsions and minor health problems. Six infants out of 12 were successfully monitored at each of the first four sessions, from birth to 8 weeks of age inclusively, and two subjects were successfully monitored at all seven sessions. Periodic regression analysis was performed by least squares curve fit with secondary analysis of variance. Analysis of covariance was performed on repeated measures. There was no evidence of rectal temperature circadian rhythmicity at 3 weeks. Two infants demonstrated a circadian rhythmicity at 6 weeks, and all infants had a circadian rhythmicity at 10 weeks post-natal age. At the time of the first observance of circadian rhythmicity of rectal temperature, the mean delta in temperature from peak to trough was 0.6 ± 0.3 °C. This delta was greater at the 16th week, with a mean value of 1.2 ± 0.3 °C. The trough was seen during the first part of the long nocturnal inactivity period. Circadian rhythmicity of rectal temperature was always observed in the studied subjects before the establishment of a consolidated, long daytime wake period.
Subcutaneous Chest Port Infection

Implantable venous access devices or ports are generally used for long-term intermittent central venous access such as for administration of chemotherapy. When they are placed by radiologists, procedural complications are quite rare. Infection is less common in ports than in other central venous catheters because the device is buried under the skin. Nonetheless, infections do occur and are the most common complication necessitating port removal. Approximately 5% of patients require port excision because of infection.
The Effect of Humic Acid on the Uptake of Mercury(II), Cadmium(II), and Zinc(II) by Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) Eggs

The Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) is endangered or threatened in several of its ranges. The uptake of metals by Chinook salmon eggs and how humic acid (HA) affects the uptake is a subject of interest. Humic acid (0, 0.001, 0.01, and 0.05g/l) reduces the uptake of the metal ions Hg(II), Cd(II), and Zn(II), (1.0 μM) by eggs. HA is more effective in reducing the uptake of Hg than that of Cd or Zn. At [HA] = 0.001 g/L Hg uptake is reduced by 44% compared to no HA, while Cd and Zn uptakes are slightly or not reduced. Once the metals are taken up by the eggs, Hg migrates more slowly from the chorion to the yolk than either Zn or Cd. In experiments in which the metal contents of the chorion and yolk were measured at up to 24 h and five days after uptake, the order of migration was Cd > Zn > Hg. This observation is important when discussing the effects of metals on biological processes in the yolk because when Hg is taken up by eggs, a smaller percentage reaches the yolk than does Cd and Zn.
NADPH-dependent reductases in dog thyroid: Comparison of a third enzyme "glyceraldehyde reductase" to dog thyroid aldehyde reductase

The increased incidence of thyroiditis reported to occur in diabetes has also been observed in long-term galactose-fed dogs where it is reduced by the administration of aldose reductase inhibitors. Since this suggests that thyroidal changes are linked to the abnormal accumulation of sugar alcohols (polyols), present studies were conducted to confirm the presence of aldose and aldehyde reductases in dog thyroid through isolation and characterization. Aldose and aldehyde reductases were isolated from dog thyroid by a series of chromatographic steps which included gel filtration on Sephadex G-100, affinity chromatography on Matrex Gel Orange A and chromatofocusing on Mono P. A third, labile NADPH-reductase was partially purified by gel filtration on Sephadex G-100, affinity chromatography on Matrex Green A and hydroxylapatite chromatography on BIO-GEL HT. The kinetic properties of aldose and aldehyde reductases and their susceptibility to inhibition by aldose reductase inhibitors are similar to those of dog kidney aldose and aldehyde reductases. However, the levels of aldose reductase present in thyroid are extremely low compared to the levels of aldehyde reductase. A third NADPH-dependent reductase, tentatively identified as glyceraldehyde reductase, is also present in dog thyroid. This novel enzyme utilizes NADPH to reduce DL-glyceraldehyde and is clearly distinct from the other aldo-keto reductases in molecular weight, substrate specificity, inhibition by aldose reductase inhibitors and immunological properties. In summary aldose reductase, aldehyde reductase and a third novel glyceraldehyde reductase, all of which can utilize glyceraldehyde as substrate, have been identified and characterized in dog thyroid. Only aldose and aldehyde reductases, which can catalyze the production of polyols and were inhibited by aldose reductase inhibitors, appear to be linked to thyroiditis.
Ethical injunctions: the University of the Western Cape in the face of the ‘here and now’

This essay poses the question of the ethical in relation to the work of memorialising the University of the Western Cape (UWC) after apartheid. Drawing on Gilles Deleuze’s statement on the ethical in The Logic of Sense and reading its implications through Walter Benjamin’s ‘Theses on the Philosophy of History’ and Jeremy Cronin’s ‘Even the Dead’, I argue that the ethical entails becoming adequate to the fracturing of event, leading to an understanding of the subject effect prior to its stamping by race, gender and identity. The ethical, in this formulation, reckons with the materiality of the past as its weight orders the present. It is this possibility of becoming adequate, of ‘not being unworthy of what happens to us’, which is offered in Ingrid Masondo’s photo-essay on UWC. I read Masondo as offering an encounter with images of the Leibnizian world as they appear at UWC, an encounter that registers alternate trajectories as they are expressed in ‘point of view’. Becoming adequate, here, involves regist...
Hormonal control of angiotensinogen production

Abstract The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system appears to be under neural and hormonal control. Plasma angiotensinogen concentration is elevated in Cushing's disease, during pregnancy and in women taking oral contraceptives. An in vitro liver slice system was used to study the hormonal control of angiotensinogen synthesis and release in the rat. Dexamethasone administration in vivo resulted in increase in the in vitro rate of release of angiotensinogen by liver slices into the incubation media. This increase was inhibited by actinomycin D, an inhibitor of protein synthesis and vincristine which blocks secretion. Similarly, ethinyl estradiol treatment resulted in a 50% increase in angiotensinogen production. Hyperthyroid state was achieved by injecting rats with L-thyroxine daily for seven days. Hepatic production rate of angiotensinogen rose 2 1 2 - fold above control and was accompanied by increases in plasma angiotensinogen concentration and plasma renin activity. In contrast, plasma angiotensinogen concentration and plasma renin activity were reduced in thyroidectomized rats. The rate of angiotensinogen production by liver slices of these rats decreased by five-fold below that of intact animals. These changes were largely corrected when thyroidectomized rats were treated with replacement doses of L-thyroxine. We conclude that hepatic angiotensinogen biosynthesis is under hormonal control. Glucocorticoid, estrogen and thyroid hormones all stimulate angiotensinogen production. These results may in part explain the pathogenesis of hypertension associated with certain diseases states.
The enzymatic activities of the Werner syndrome protein are disabled by the amino acid polymorphism R834C.

The Werner syndrome protein, WRN, is a member of the RecQ family of DNA helicases. It possesses both 3′→5′ DNA helicase and 3′→5′ DNA exonuclease activities. Mutations in WRN are causally associated with a rare, recessive disorder, Werner syndrome (WS), distinguished by premature aging and genomic instability; all are reported to result in loss of protein expression. In addition to WS-linked mutations, single nucleotide polymorphisms, with frequencies that exceed those of WS-associated mutations, are also present in WRN. We have initiated studies to determine if six of these polymorphisms affect the enzymatic activities of WRN. We show that two common polymorphisms, F1074L and C1367R, and two infrequent polymorphisms, Q724L and S1079L, exhibit little change in activity relative to wild-type WRN; the polymorphism, T172P, shows a small but consistent reduction of activity. However, an infrequent polymorphism, R834C, located in the helicase domain dramatically reduces WRN helicase and helicase-coupled exonuclease activity. The structure of the E. coli helicase core suggests that R834 may be involved in interactions with ATP. As predicted, substitution of Arg with Cys interferes with ATP hydrolysis that is absolutely required for unwinding DNA. R834C thus represents the first missense amino acid polymorphism in WRN that nearly abolishes enzymatic activity while leaving expression largely unaffected.
The Metro Camera An Advanced Image-Forming Sensor For Space Application

The Missile and Space Division of the General Electric Company is actively pursuing advanced image-forming techniques that will lead to a space-qualified camera capable of superior performance in a remote environment. This paper will report on two such techniques that are in advanced state of development.
Sacrifice as Political Representation in Bertolt Brecht'sLehrstücke

In pursuing the goal of a political theater, Bertolt Brecht's Lehrstucke such as Der Jasager and Der Neinsager neither efface nor exalt the individual, but provide insight into how the representational aspect of political power in the modern world is linked to the individual's aesthetic experience of sacrifice. In a move that distinguishes his idea of Einverstandnis from Ernst Junger's notion of individual sacrifice on the one hand and links it to Carl Schmitt's notion of acclamation on the other hand, these plays revolve around the individual's decision to make a self-sacrifice, an act that most clearly embodies the aesthetic component of politics at its most basic level of an affective mobilization of individual consciousness for a collective cause that goes beyond the individual.
Social influence and obesity.

Purpose of reviewTo review a selection of research published in the last 12 months on the role of social influence in the obesity epidemic.Recent findingsRecent papers add evidence to previous work linking social network structures and obesity. Social norms, both eating norms and body image norms, a
Nalidixic Acid Resistance Increases Sensitivity of Escherichia coli O157:H7 to Ionizing Radiation in Solution and on Green Leaf Lettuce

ABSTRACT: Nalidixic acid resistance has been used as a selective marker for studies of pathogen-inoculated fruits and vegetables. Three nalidixic acid-sensitive outbreak strains of Escherichia coli O157:H7 were used to generate mutants resistant to nalidixic acid (NalR, 50 μg/mL) by successive culturing and selection in nalidixic acid-amended broth. The resistance to ionizing radiation of the parent and NalR strains was determined (a) in a phosphate buffer solution and (b) on green leaf lettuce. The NalR strains of each of the 3 isolates were significantly (P < 0.05) more sensitive to ionizing radiation than the nalidixic acid-sensitive (NalS) parent strains in both systems. D10 values (the amount of ionizing radiation required to achieve 1 log10 reduction) determined in buffer for the parent strains ranged from 0.18 to 0.33 kGy, whereas for the NalR strains, D10 were approximately 0.10 kGy, a reduction of up to 69%. When evaluated on green leaf lettuce, the D10 for the NalS strains was approximately 0.18 kGy as opposed to 0.10 to 0.12 kGy for the NalR strains, a reduction of up to 45%. The D10 values obtained on lettuce were significantly different than those obtained in buffer for 4 of the 6 isolates examined. The magnitude of the increase in radiation sensitivity resulting from resistance to nalidixic acid varied among the strains tested and also varied depending on the suspending medium. These results suggest that the use of nalidixic acid resistance as a selective marker may result in significant overestimates of the antimicrobial efficacy of ionizing radiation against E. coli O157:H7.
Ground-penetrating radar: use and misuse

Ground penetrating radar (GPR) has been used to explore the subsurface of the earth since 1929. Over the past 70 years, it has been widely used, misused and abused. Use includes agriculture, archaeology, environmental and geotechnical site characterization, minerals, groundwater and permafrost exploration, tunnel, utility, and unexploded ordnance location, dam inspection, and much more. Misuse includes mistaking above ground reflections for subsurface events or mapping things from off to the side as if they were directly below, synthetic aperture processing of dispersive data, minimum phase deconvolution, locating objects smaller than resolution limits of the wavelength in the ground, ignoring Fresnel zone limitations in mapping subsurface structure, processing radar data through seismic software packages without allowing for the differences, mapping the bottom of metal pipes from the top, claiming to see through thousands of feet of sediments, and more. GPR is also being abused as the regulatory environment changes and the radiofrequency spectrum is becoming more crowded by cellular phones, pagers, garage door openers, wireless computer networks, and the like. It is often thought to be a source of interference (though it never is) and it is increasingly interfered with by other radiofrequency transmitters.
Radiological findings of community-acquired methicillin-resistant and methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus pediatric pneumonia in Hawaii

Background Community-acquired Staphylococcus aureus (CA-SA) infections are common among pediatric patients in Hawaii.
Present and future perspectives on the use of free or encapsulated pancreatic islet cell transplantation as a treatment of pregnancy complicated by type 1 diabetes.

Pregnancies complicated by insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) pose significant health risks to both the mother and her developing fetus. Congenital malformations in the offspring of diabetic mothers have an incidence which is 2-5 times that seen in the background. Euglycemia in the first trimester of pregnancy can reduce this incidence, but achieving euglycemia with conventional exogenous insulin therapy is both costly and difficult. Even with intense insulin dosage adjustments, the blood glucose profile of the diabetic pregnant patient does not mimic that seen in nondiabetic patients. Both the difficulties and inadequacies of conventional therapy for IDDM-complicated pregnancy provide a stimulus for research to develop improved therapeutic modalities. Islet transplantation holds great promise as a treatment for pregnancies complicated by IDDM. This article reviews the current status of islet transplantation including the use of immunomodulation and immunoisolation techniques and their potential use for the treatment of IDDM pregnancies. J. Marern.-Fetal Med. 2000; 9:46-51. Q 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Assessment of bladder function after lumbar decompressive laminectomy for spinal stenosis: A prospective study

Lumbar spinal stenosis is a common problem in elderly patients. In its more advanced forms, it typically causes intractable leg pain, but many patients also manifest varying degrees of bladder dysfunction. The goal of lumbar decompressive laminectomy is relief of leg pain and paresthesias, yet some patients also achieve improvement in bladder function. This study prospectively investigated patients with lumbar spinal stenosis to determine whether laminectomy had any effect on urological function. Of the 20 patients in the study, 10 were men and 10 women (average age 70.9 years). All patients had severe lumbar stenosis affecting between two and four spinal segments, and all reported some degree of bladder dysfunction. Cystoscopy and urodynamic testing were completed preoperatively. A standard decompressive laminectomy was performed over the appropriate number of spinal segments. Urodynamic studies were repeated at 2 and 6 months postoperatively. At the 6-month follow-up review, bladder function was subjectively improved in 12 patients (60%) and unchanged in eight (40%). Postvoiding residual urine volume was the urodynamic factor most likely to be improved by laminectomy. In nine patients (45%), baseline postvoiding residual urine volume was elevated and all nine had improvement postoperatively. In the remaining 11 patients (55%), this urine volume was normal before and after surgery. Maximum urine flow rates also improved, but the results of cytometrography and electromyography, urine flow pattern, and bladder capacity were unchanged postoperatively. Cystoscopy detected previously undiagnosed malignancy of the lower urinary tract in two patients (10%). It is concluded that lumbar decompressive laminectomy can have a beneficial effect on bladder function in a significant number of patients with advanced lumbar spinal stenosis.
Erect Wing facilitates context-dependent Wnt/Wingless signaling by recruiting the cell-specific Armadillo-TCF adaptor Earthbound to chromatin

During metazoan development, the Wnt/Wingless signal transduction pathway is activated repetitively to direct cell proliferation, fate specification, differentiation and apoptosis. Distinct outcomes are elicited by Wnt stimulation in different cellular contexts; however, mechanisms that confer context specificity to Wnt signaling responses remain largely unknown. Starting with an unbiased forward genetic screen in Drosophila, we recently uncovered a novel mechanism by which the cell-specific co-factor Earthbound 1 (Ebd1), and its human homolog jerky, promote interaction between the Wnt pathway transcriptional co-activators β-catenin/Armadillo and TCF to facilitate context-dependent Wnt signaling responses. Here, through the same genetic screen, we find an unanticipated requirement for Erect Wing (Ewg), the fly homolog of the human sequence-specific DNA-binding transcriptional activator nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF1), in promoting contextual regulation of Wingless signaling. Ewg and Ebd1 functionally interact with the Armadillo-TCF complex and mediate the same context-dependent Wingless signaling responses. In addition, Ewg and Ebd1 have similar cell-specific expression profiles, bind to each other directly and also associate with chromatin at shared genomic sites. Furthermore, recruitment of Ebd1 to chromatin is abolished in the absence of Ewg. Our findings provide in vivo evidence that recruitment of a cell-specific co-factor complex to specific chromatin sites, coupled with its ability to facilitate Armadillo-TCF interaction and transcriptional activity, promotes contextual regulation of Wnt/Wingless signaling responses.
The Mere Exposure Effect in Patients with Schizophrenia

The mere exposure effect refers to the development of an emotional preference for previously unfamiliar material because of frequent exposure to that material. This study compared schizophrenia subjects (n = 20) to normal controls (n = 21) to determine whether implicit memory, as demonstrated by the mere exposure effect, was intact. Patients with schizophrenia demonstrated a normal preference for both verbal and visual materials seen earlier relative to novel materials, despite impaired performance on a recognition task for explicit memory using similar materials. Previous studies of schizophrenia subjects have shown a dissociation between implicit and explicit memory on verbal tasks. We found a similar dissociation demonstrated by normal functioning on an implicit memory task and impaired functioning on an explicit memory task. Potential implications of these findings are discussed with regard to treatment and rehabilitation.
Heterogeneity of rat hepatic Ah Receptor: Identification of two receptor forms which differ in their biochemical properties

In cytosol, the rat hepatic Ah receptor (AhR) appears to exist in two distinct forms (AhR alpha, AhR beta) in similar concentration. The binding of ligand (2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)) to AhR alpha requires the receptor be in its oligomeric 8-10 to S conformation (bound to other protein subunits), while ligand binding to AhR beta can occur with the dissociated 5-6 S form. Occupancy of AhR alpha by ligand (TCDD) protects it from salt-dependent inactivation; AhR beta is not inactivated by high salt conditions. The addition of molybdate to cytosol during tissue homogenization stabilized AhR alpha against salt-dependent inactivation and subunit dissociation but did not prevent dissociation of AhR beta by high salt. Although the presence of molybdate appears to stabilize AhR alpha in its oligomeric 8-10 S, it had no significant effect on the overall amount of TCDD:AhR complex which bound to its specific DNA recognition site, the dioxin responsive element (DRE). These results suggest that AhR alpha, unlike AhR beta, is either unable to transform or bind to the DRE with high affinity.
Leakage Power Optimization Techniques for Ultra Deep Sub-Micron Multi-Level Caches

On-chip L1 and L2 caches represent a sizeable fraction of the total power consumption of microprocessors. In deep sub-micron technology, the subthreshold leakage power is becoming the dominant fraction of the total power consumption of those caches. In this paper, we present optimization techniques to reduce the leakage power of on-chip caches assuming that there are multiple threshold voltages, VTH's, available. First, we show a cache leakage optimization technique that examines the trade-off between access time and leakage power by assigning distinct VTH's to each of the four main cache components address bus drivers, data bus drivers, decoders, and SRAM cell arrays with sense-amps. Second, we show optimization techniques to reduce the leakage power of L1 and L2 on-chip caches without affecting the average memory access time. The key results are: 1) 2 VTH's are enough to minimize leakage in a single cache; 2) if L1 size is fixed, increasing the L2 size can result in much lower leakage without reducing average memory access time; 3) if L2 size is fixed, reducing L1 size can result in lower leakage without loss of the average memory access time; and 4) smaller L1 and larger L2 caches than are typical in today's processors result in significant leakage and dynamic power reduction without affecting the average memory access time.
OH number densities and plasma jet behavior in atmospheric microwave plasma jets operating with different plasma gases (Ar, Ar/N2, and Ar/O2)

OH radical number density in multiple atmospheric pressure microwave plasma jets is measured using UV cavity ringdown spectroscopy of the OH (A–X) (0–0) band at 308 nm. The plasma cavity was excited by a 2.45 GHz microwave plasma source and plasma jets of 2–12 mm long were generated by using three different plasma gases, argon (Ar), Ar/N2, and Ar/O2. Comparative characterization of the plasma jets in terms of plasma shape, stability, gas temperature, emission intensities of OH, NO, and N2, and absolute number density of the OH radical was carried out under different plasma gas flow rates and powers at various locations along the plasma jet axis. With three different operating gases, the presence of OH radicals in all of the plasma jets extended to the far downstream. As compared to the argon plasma jets, the plasma jets formed with Ar/N2 and Ar/O2 are more diffuse and less stable. Plasma gas temperatures along the jet axis were measured to be in the range of 470–800 K for all of the jets formed in the different gas mixtures. In each plasma jet, OH number density decreases along the jet axis from the highest OH density in the vicinity of the jet tip to the lowest in the far downstream. OH density ranges from 1.3 × 1012 to 1.1 × 1016, 4.1 × 1013 to 3.9 × 1015, and 7.0 × 1012 to 4.6 × 1016 molecule/cm3 in the Ar, Ar/N2, and Ar/O2 plasma jets, respectively. The OH density dependence on plasma power and gas flow rate in the three plasma jets is also investigated.
4‐Methoxy‐4′‐Nitrobiphenyl

4-Methoxy-4′-nitrobiphenyl intermediate: 4-Nitrophenyl trifluoromethanesulfonate intermediate: Tributyl(4-methoxyphenyl)stannane product: 4-Methoxy-4′-nitrobiphenyl byproduct: 4,4′-dimethoxybiphenyl byproduct: 4-amino-4′-methoxybiphenyl Keywords: coupling; metalation reactions, tin; metal-catalyzed reactions, palladium; replacement reactions, tin by carbon; replacement reactions, miscellaneous; sulfonation, O-sulfonation; lithium chloride; pyridine; tetrahydrofuran; N,N-dimethylformamide, cancer suspect agent; methyl iodide; organotin compounds, highly toxic; tin alkyls; tributyl(4-methoxyphenyl)stannane, potential poison
Disclosure Risk and Price Drift

Disclosures play an apparently critical role in the empirical regularity of the short-run momentum and long-run reversal in stock returns. Motivated by this evidence, this paper integrates an analysis of disclosures within an asset pricing model to arrive at a framework in which disclosures and asset returns are jointly determined. Disclosures resolve uncertainty, but the increased information flow also raises the risks during the disclosure period. When disclosures and asset returns are modeled jointly, apparently good news is associated with the upward revision of future disclosure risks. The model generates predictions that have the outward appearance of short-run momentum and long-run reversal.
Application of Taylor's series to trajectory propagation

This paper describes the propagation of trajectories by the application of the preprocessor ATOMCC which uses Taylor's series to solve initial value problems in ordinary differential equations. Comparison of the results obtained with those from other methods are presented. The current studies indicate that the ATOMCC preprocessor is an easy, yet fast and accurate method for generating trajectories.
Value of medium range weather forecasts in the improvement of seasonal hydrologic prediction skill

Abstract. We investigated the contribution of medium range weather forecasts with lead times of up to 14 days to seasonal hydrologic prediction skill over the conterminous United States (CONUS). Three different Ensemble Streamflow Prediction (ESP) based experiments were performed for the period 1980–2003 using the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) hydrology model to generate forecasts of monthly runoff and soil moisture (SM) at lead-1 (first month of the forecast period) to lead-3. The first experiment (ESP) used a resampling from the retrospective period 1980–2003 and represented full climatological uncertainty for the entire forecast period. In the second and third experiments, the first 14 days of each ESP ensemble member were replaced by either observations (perfect 14-day forecast) or by a deterministic 14-day weather forecast. We used Spearman rank correlations of forecasts and observations as the forecast skill score. We estimated the potential and actual improvement in baseline skill as the difference between the skill of experiments 2 and 3 relative to ESP, respectively. We found that useful runoff and SM forecast skill at lead-1 to -3 months can be obtained by exploiting medium range weather forecast skill in conjunction with the skill derived by the knowledge of initial hydrologic conditions. Potential improvement in baseline skill by using medium range weather forecasts for runoff [SM] forecasts generally varies from 0 to 0.8 [0 to 0.5] as measured by differences in correlations, with actual improvement generally from 0 to 0.8 of the potential improvement. With some exceptions, most of the improvement in runoff is for lead-1 forecasts, although some improvement in SM was achieved at lead-2.
Dynamic tooth loads of planetary gear sets having tooth profile wear

A computational model of a planetary gear set is employed to study the influence of surface wear on the dynamic behavior of a typical planetary gear set. The overall computational scheme combines a wear model that defines geometric description of contacting gear tooth surfaces having wear and a deformable-body dynamic model of a planetary gear set. The wear model employs a quasi-static gear contact model to compute contact pressures and Archard's wear model to determine the wear depth distributions. The worn surfaces are input into the dynamic model to quantify the impact of wear on gear tooth and mesh dynamic forces. The results on a planetary gear set having a fixed planet carrier indicates that the dynamic behavior is nonlinear due to tooth separations in its resonance regions. The results for worn gear surfaces indicate that surface wear has a significant influence in off-resonance speed ranges while its influence diminishes near resonance peaks primarily due to tooth separations.
Alterations in the serum glycome due to metastatic prostate cancer.

Glycomic profiles derived from human blood sera of 10 healthy males were compared to those from 24 prostate cancer patients. The profiles were acquired using MALDI−MS of permethylated N-glycans rel...
Human exposure to nitro musks and the evaluation of their potential toxicity: an overview

Synthetic nitro musks are fragrant chemicals found in household and personal care products. The use of these products leads to direct exposures via dermal absorption, as well as inhalation of contaminated dust and volatilized fragrances. Evidence also suggests that humans are exposed to low doses of these chemicals through oral absorption of contaminated liquids and foods. As these compounds are lipophilic, they and their metabolites, have been found not only in blood, but also breast milk and adipose tissue. After personal use, these environmentally persistent pollutants then pass through sewage treatment plants through their effluent into the environment. Little is known about the biological effects in humans after such a prolonged low dose exposure to these chemicals. While epidemiologic studies evaluating the effects of nitro musk exposures are lacking, there is limited evidence that suggest blood levels of nitro musks are inversely related to luteal hormone levels. This is supported by animal models and laboratory studies that have shown that nitro musks are weakly estrogenic. Nitro musks exposure has been associated with an increased risk of tumor formation in mice. The evidence suggests that while nitro musks by themselves are not genotoxic, they may increase the genotoxicity of other chemicals. However, animal models for nitro musk exposure have proven to be problematic since certain outcomes are species specific. This may explain why evidence for developmental effects in animals is conflicting and inconclusive. Given that animal models and cell-line experiments are suggestive of adverse outcomes, further epidemiologic studies are warranted.
Comments on Selected Recent Dysphagia Literature

The overall goal of this study was to determine whether manual control over the opening of the upper esophageal sphincter (UES) was possible. Specific objectives included (1) evaluation of the UES opening under videofluoroscopy by anterior traction with a transcutaneous suture placed around the anterior rim of the cricoid cartilage in gastrostomy tube-dependent patients due to severe oropharyngeal dysphagia; (2) design and fabrication of a swallow expansion device (SED) to allow for mechanical opening of the UES; (3) investigation of the ability of the SED to open the UES in fresh cadavers; and (4) evaluation of the safety and efficacy of the SED in an ovine model. Effectiveness of the cricoid suture in six feeding tube-dependent adult participants (mean age = 67 years; 4 with head and neck cancer and 2 with stroke) revealed UES opening improved from 0.16 cm (±0.14 cm) without traction to 0.52 cm (±0.07 cm) with traction on the suture. Anterior traction on the suture eliminated aspiration in three of four participants who requested to go home with the suture in place in order to facilitate oral alimentation. However, the suture caused local skin irritation in all participants and was removed (range = 2–9 days) without complication. The SED was designed with an internal (titanium-coated ferrous implant secured to the cricoid cartilage via a small skin incision) and external component (housing a magnet for attraction to the implant across the skin barrier). The SED was fixed to the cricoid cartilage of ten fresh cadavers. A total of 50,000 anterior pulls were completed (mean UES opening of 11.6 ± 2.18 mm) with no gross damage to the cricoid cartilage or overlying skin noted at explantation. Lastly, the SED was implanted on the cricoid cartilage of eight sheep and 5000 pulls were performed on each animal weekly for 4 weeks. At explantation there was a thick, fibrous capsule around the implant and gross remodeling of the cricoid cartilage to the shape of the implant, but no gross damage to skin or strap muscles. All animals aspirated without anterior traction and aspiration was eliminated 100% of the time with traction (UES opened from a mean baseline of 0.15 cm ± 0.07 cm to a mean maximum opening of 1.42 cm ± 0.41 cm). Manual control of the UES was shown to be possible by placement of an anterior traction suture around the anterior aspect of the cricoid cartilage in a human model and by an internal implant fixed to the cricoid cartilage with an external magnet to open the UES in cadaver and living sheep models.
High Expression of Naked Plasmid DNA in Muscles of Young Rodents

There is a time window at 2 weeks of age for achieving very high levels of foreign gene expression from the intramuscular injection of naked plasmid DNA in mice and rats. The highest expression, over 1 microg of luciferase protein/muscle, was obtained in Balb/C mice using constructs containing the CMV promoter, a chimeric intron and the luc+ luciferase gene. Approximately 50% of the myofibers were intensely blue following the intramuscular injection of a beta-galactosidase expression vector in 2 week old Balb/C mice. The effects of age, mouse strain and construct were multiplicative, resulting in >1000-fold greater luciferase and approximately 20-fold more beta-galactosidase-positive cells. These high levels of expression were unstable and were not observed in larger animals (dog, rhesus monkey). These results indicate that enormous levels of foreign gene expression can be obtained in muscle with naked DNA in vivo and will enable the temporary effects of gene function and expression in rodent muscle to be expeditiously studied.
Graphene Ambipolar Multiplier Phase Detector

We report the experimental demonstration of a multiplier phase detector implemented with a single top-gated graphene transistor. Ambipolar current conduction in graphene transistors enables simplification of the design of the multiplier phase detector and reduces its complexity in comparison to phase detectors based on conventional unipolar transistors. Fabrication of top-gated graphene transistors is essential to achieve the higher gain necessary to demonstrate phase detection. We report a phase detector gain of -7 mV/rad in this letter. An analysis of key technological parameters of the graphene transistor, including series resistance, top-gate insulator thickness, and output resistance, indicates that the phase detector gain can be improved by as much as two orders of magnitude.
Improvement of Tensile Creep Displacement Measurements

A water-cooled copper shield is shown to minimize local temperature variations (hence, regulate the refractive index of the air) in the optical path traversed by a laser beam used to measure creep displacements in a tensile specimen. Both the scatter and the reliability of the elevated-temperature tensile creep displacement measurements have been significantly improved from [+-]5 to [+-]0.5 [mu]m, which is comparable to that obtained at room temperature. Results achieved with this modification were demonstrated with a hot isostatically pressed (HIPed) silicon nitride ceramic containing 4 wt% Y[sub 2]O[sub 3] as a sintering additive tested at 1,370 C in air. Results also indicate that the creep rates can be independent of the specimen geometry (and size) and the gripping system.
Sparse Multiple Kernel Learning for Signal Processing Applications

In many signal processing applications, grouping of features during model development and the selection of a small number of relevant groups can be useful to improve the interpretability of the learned parameters. While a lot of work based on linear models has been reported to solve this problem, in the last few years, multiple kernel learning has come up as a candidate to solve this problem in nonlinear models. Since all of the multiple kernel learning algorithms to date use convex primal problem formulations, the kernel weights selected by these algorithms are not strictly the sparsest possible solution. The main reason for using a convex primal formulation is that efficient implementations of kernel-based methods invariably rely on solving the dual problem. This work proposes the use of an additional log-based concave penalty term in the primal problem to induce sparsity in terms of groups of parameters. A generalized iterative learning algorithm, which can be used with a linear combination of this concave penalty term with other penalty terms, is given for model parameter estimation in the primal space. It is then shown that a natural extension of the method to nonlinear models using the "kernel trick? results in a new algorithm, called Sparse Multiple Kernel Learning (SMKL), which generalizes group-feature selection to kernel selection. SMKL is capable of exploiting existing efficient single kernel algorithms while providing a sparser solution in terms of the number of kernels used as compared to the existing multiple kernel learning framework. A number of signal processing examples based on the use of mass spectra for cancer detection, hyperspectral imagery for land cover classification, and NIR spectra from wheat, fescue grass, and diesel are given to highlight the ability of SMKL to achieve a very high accuracy with a very few kernels.
Formal rules, cognitive representations and learning in language and other cultural systems

Abstract This article focuses on the relationship between a formal description of some cognitively driven behavioral regularity (such as language/speech or culture/action) and the cognitive basis of that regular behavior—as seen in Chomskyan grammar, Lounsburyan kinship terminology analysis, and circles in Euclidian analytic geometry. It considers the nature of people’s production of the regularity, including their use of “rules of thumb”, their learning of underlying regularities, and the increasing abstraction of their knowledge. In this context the role of formal descriptions, including both their attractions and their limitations is discussed—as is the repeated attempts by anthropologists to copy or adapt linguistic formalisms.
The mechanism of cytotoxicity of methylmercury : inhibition of progression through the S phase of the cell cycle

The effect of methylmercury (MeHg) on progression of the murine erythroleukemic cell (MELC) through the cell cycle was analyzed by flow cytometry (FCM). Exposure in vitro to 5.0-10.0 μmol dm−3 MeHg for 6h resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in the rate of cell replication, apparently as a result of inhibition of DNA synthesis (rate of passage through the S phase of the cell cycle). Thus, only a modest accumulation of cells with a G2/M (4n) DNA content was observed. At or above 10 μmol dm−3 MeHg, progression through all phases of the cell cycle was blocked. FCM revealed a dose-dependent increase in cellular refractive index (90° light scatter), decrease in apparent cell volume (axial light loss), and increase in resistance to non-ionic detergent (NP-40)-mediated cytolysis indicative of fixation (protein denaturation, cross-linking, etc.) of the plasma membrane/cytoplasm complex. The data indicate DNA synthesis as the primary target of MeHg cytotoxicity.
ZGS External Proton Beam

Extraction methods, diagnostic equipment, and external beam lines are described. By the use of special targets and magnet field shapes, we have extracted beam at energies between 4.0 GeV/c and 13.4 GeV/c. Slow and fast extractions have been accomplished with efficiencies greater than 30 percent and 50 percent, respectively. A parasitic beam has been extracted with 20 percent efficiency. Extracted beams of up to 7 × 1011 protons/pulse with a 2.2 s repetition rate have been obtained for a neutrino experiment. To date, spill durations from 40 ?s to 500 ms have been achieved. A compact secondary emission detector having a very short radiation length has been designed and operated. The multiple scattering introduced into the beam by this chamber is less than 1/2 milliradian. TV systems with scintillators and sodium iodide matrices have been used to line up the beam. In the external beam line, three target stations have been set up. The first is for a neutrino experiment, the second station for three experiments, and at the third station there are two experimental setups.